Threshold 7

#7
The Mystara Magazine
The seventh issue of Mystara's premier magazine continues our

journey into the frozen reaches of Norwold, detailing its region from
Leeha to the Skaufskogr!
pandius.com
thepiazza.org.uk
Issue Contents
Issue 7
Editorial................................................................1
This Issue s Contributors......................................3
Call for Contributors............................................4
A Travellers Guide to Norwold............................5
The Great Land Rush of Norwold.....................124
The Skaufskogr and Beyond.............................144
Land and Races of Leeha..................................172
In the name of the Dragon...............................186
The Grouzhina Flood......................................207
Dark secrets of Ieronyx....................................216
Times Travels...................................................233
Artwork Sources and Credits............................235
Next Issue.........................................................246
Threshold: The Mystara Magazine is a non-commercial, fan-produced magazine. There is no

intention to infringe on anyone's rights, and in particular not on those of Wizards of the Coast,
which holds all rights to the original material on which the magazine is based.
THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine
Issue #7
Editorial
Midway through the North

have the opportunity to challenge the
Heldannic invasion, rushing to retrieve a
dangerous artifact stolen from the Dragon
Kingdom of Wyrmsteeth.
The North is vast and full of secrets, but you

will be able to glimpse at many of them in
this issue of Threshold magazine, where you
will find indeed the most detailed
description of Norwold ever written, in
which Zendrolion will take us in a great
exploration of the realm's weather, history
people and regions, from Heldland to
Frosthaven!
To complete this massive amount of material,

and the longest issue of Threshold published
so far, you will also find a chronicle of the
devastating Flood of Grouzhina, in the far
away Midlands of Brun. Also, one more level
of the mega dungeon of Koskatep, in this
issue describing the ancient city of Ieronyx,
where the powerful Lord Keiros once ruled
in the name of the Queen of the Night and
now undead orcs wait for their next prey!
Another massive article by Zendrolion details

the Great Land Rush of Norwold and the
existing barons, a perfect companion for the
CM1 module that will be completed by in
depth descriptions of the claimants to the
new lands in the next issue of the magazine.
In this issue you will also find another part of
the F-Gaz "The Open Arms of Leeha"
describing, after the history of the northern
hin published in issue 6, the land and the
people that inhabits it.
But our exploration of Norwold and the

Northlands isn't finished yet. In the next
issue you will discover even more secrets of
the North, provided you did not fall prey of
the many terrors that dwell in the cold dark
winter nights.
Another Norwold region on which you will

have even more details is the Skaufskogr, the
once mysterious region, but not anymore,
between Landfall and Oceansend, inhabited
by many proud people, humans and not. In
this same region of Norwold you will also
Francesco Defferrari (Sturm)

Editor-in-chief, Threshold Issue #7
Special thanks this issue to:
Shawn Stanley (stanles), Angel Tarragon

(The Angelic Dragon), John Calvin
(Chimpman), Giampaolo Agosta
(agathokles) and Simone Neri (Zendrolion)
for helping with editing and proofreading!
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Issue #7
Editorial
Editorial Credits
Editor-in-Chief, Issue 7:
Threshold Editorial Team:

Allan Palmer (AllanP)
Andrew Theisen (Cthulhudrew)
Troy Terrell (CmdrCorsiken)
Giampaolo Agosta (Agathokles)
Hvard
John Calvin (Chimpman)
Robert Nuttman (RobJN)
Simone Neri (Zendrolion)
Layout:
Allan Palmer (AllanP)
Art:
I. Calvin
John Calvin
Cartography:
Thorfinn Tait (Thorf)
JTR (OldDawg)
Simone Neri (Zendrolion)
Robin Dijkema
Thorfinn Tait (Thorf) - Editor Emeritus

Jesper Andersen (Spellweaver)
- Editor Emeritus
THRESHOLD logo designed by Thorf
Thanks To: The Mystara Community, for your support, hard work, and dedication to Mystara.
The aims of Threshold magazine:
to provide a venue for community members to present material
to promote the Vaults of Pandius and the material there
to increase the exposure of existing and new articles
to encourage authors to revisit and revitalise existing articles
to motivate interest in Mystara in general
Issues #1 to #6 of THRESHOLD - the
Mystata Magazine, is available for
download from the Vaults of Pandius
website.
Also available at the same location are
higher resolution versions of the maps
that were included in the issues PDF,
allowing greater detail to be viewed.
2
Issue #7
This Issue s Contributors
This Issues Contributors

along the way, he developed a liking for
what would become the world of Mystara as
the BECMI box sets were released. He has
always been fascinated by maps. He is an IT
professional and when not indulging in
hobbies of panelology, retro tv watching and
family history research, uses his various PC
skills to consolidate the writings of others
into the issues of Threshold.
Simone Neri (Zendrolion) teaches history

and philosophy at secondary school in
Florence, Italy. He has mastered Mystara
campaigns since 1987, his favourite settings
being Thyatis, Norwold, Karameikos, and
Glantri. He is an active member of The Piazza
community with the nickname of Zendrolion
- but don't fear backstabbing from him!
Giampaolo Agosta (a.k.a. Agathokles)
agrees with Schiller that man "is only
completely a man when he plays". Therefore,
he makes a point of taking gaming seriously,
and real life casually. Besides Mystara, his
gaming interests include (among others)
Dark Sun, Planescape, Ravenloft, Birthright,
Call of Cthulhu, and Witchcraft RPG.
JTR, (a.k.a. OldDawg) is the author of the

acclaimed F-GAZ series, which covers several
regions of Norwold and neighboring areas
with full-blown gazetteer-style treatment. In
this issue, JTR showcases his work for the
FGAZ "The Open Arms of Leeha", covering
the northern Hin lands.
Robin Dijkema. (Robin at the piazza, Robin
D elsewhere) Female, from 1962. Playing
D&D since the earliest days as far as 1978.
Soon becoming "addicted" , bound to the
world of Mystara, liked because of its
diversity and yet complexity latched to each
other. Current compiler of massive materials
available on the Pandius site or her "Breath
of Mystara" blog. Former Teacher of Biology,
Ecology, Chemistry, Physics, travelled all
over Europe as a stage dancer at house
parties. Once at a UK Gencon called "The
Fletcher" by Bruce Heard for my compilation
work in "Revenge of the Little Ones".
I. "Meandrathel" Calvin enjoys drawing

fantasy, and animals that can kill. Namely
wolves, dragons, horses, and most large
felines. Human animal hybrids are not
excluded either; she often draws human
versions of her favorite animals. She does,
however, despise drawing things that are
unbearingly cute. It's a pretty awful thing to
do.
John Calvin is fascinated by the depth of
Mystaran history, and has always wanted to
share that more fully with players. To that
end he has been developing sub-settings like
The Hollow Moon and Mystara 2300 BC.
Even though Sturm (a.k.a. Francesco

Defferrari) loves any alternate world, he
believes Mystara is incomparably the best for
its vibrant community endlessly delving into
ethnography, linguistics and history just to
make a little sense of it. Something like the
real world, but with dragons.
Allan Palmer (aka AllanP) was first

introduced to D&D a long time ago (but not
quite in a galaxy far away) by a work
colleague who set up a gaming group using
the last version of the "blue book" rules.
While dabbling with RuneQuest and Traveller
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Issue #7
Call for Contributors
The Threshold editorial team invites all fans

of the Mystara setting to submit
contributions to the next issues of the
magazine.
We are looking especially for contributions
fitting the following themes:
Issue 8 - The North
Proposal Deadline: Expired, but
proposal could still be submitted if the
author is confident that the article will be
completed by the below deadline
Manuscript Deadline: April 30th 2015
Issue Published: End June 2015
Call for proposals for main themes of
forthcoming issues (2015):
Hollow World and the Immortals
The editorial team will accept proposal
about the above topics or anything related.
Glantri and beyond
The editorial team will accept proposal on
Glantri and nearby nations (Darokin, Sind,
Wendar, Ethengar, the Adri Varma plateau,
the Broken Lands) and on Magic too.
Isle of Dawn, Thyatis and Alphatia
The editorial team will accept proposal on
the Isle of Dawn, Thyatis, Alphatia and
dependencies (Ochalea, Pearl Islands,
Alatians, Bellisaria, Esterhold and any
other colony).
Articles about other topics are still

welcome and the editorial team will
evaluate their publication in an issue,
taking into account space available
and that issue's theme.
Threshold accepts (and invites) the
submission of extended or revised
versions of works having appeared on The
Piazza or the Vaults of Pandius.
Contributions may include, but are not
limited to, articles (short stories, short
adventure modules, NPCs, historical
treatises and timelines, geographical
entries, new monsters and monster
ecologies, etc.) and illustrations (portraits,
maps, heraldry, illustrations, etc.)
The Threshold editorial team strives for
edition neutrality, but edition specific
articles (e.g., conversions) are also
accepted. Statistics for new monsters and
NPCs may be included in articles (e.g.,
adventure modules, new monsters or
NPCs) in any version of Dungeons &
Dragons. The editorial team also offers
help in providing conversions to some
specific rules set (including BECMI/RC,
2nd Edition, 3rd edition/Pathfinder).
However, they should be limited to the
minimum -- for most NPCs, it is sufficient
to mention class, level, and alignment. For
important NPCs, a one or two line stat
block could be included.
4
Issue #7
A Travellers Guide to Norwold
by Simone Neri (Zendrolion)
Welcome, dear traveller, to the untamed

lands of Norwold! Leave behind the
trappings and comforts of civilization, and
prepare to deal with the cold environment,
the inclement weather, the deep forests, the
majestic mountains, the crystal-clear lakes,
and the frozen tundra - the true north, in all
its ancestral beauty and dangerousness!
GENERAL OVERVIEW
The Norwold region encompasses the whole
north-eastern corner of Brun, just north of
the Known World and east of the Borean
valley. The regions borders are marked by
the Alphatian Sea and the Strait of Helskir to
the east, by Norzee to the north, by the
Borean Range, the Icereach Range, and the
Mengul Mountains to the west, and by the
Heldland River and the Eastern Mengul
Mountains to the south. To the south-west,
things are more blurred - some consider
Wendar and the Northern Wildlands to be
part of the Norwold region, while others
assert that those realms do not belong to this
area. Whatever the case, Norwold is a huge
region which dwarfs the more populous
Known World in size.
And prepare to meet its inhabitants - oh no,

not the soft southern peoples you know,
used to plowing fields under the sun and to
buying what they need in their sprawling
cities No, this is the north, and its peoples
reflect its features: hardy, strong, even
rugged or fierce at times, but undoubtedly
warm and welcoming, because no one is
denied the heat of a heartening fireside after
a day spent in the wilderness!
So, dear traveller, don your fur-clad cloak
and follow us in a tour of Norwold, to
discover its history, its cultures, its regions,
and its dangers!
5
Issue #7
The Updated Norwold Map Used for this Article

4 - X11 Saga of the Shadowlords 24mph
map is considered correct up to the eastern
fringes of the Denagothian Plateau;
regarding the Heldann part, it is correct up
to the northern political border of the
Freeholds, as featured in this map; the
Freeholds coastline then matches quite
exactly with the coastline continuing north
as shown in CM1 Test of the Warlords.
Wrath of the Immortals 24mph maps
coastline north of Heldann (a couple of
hexes) follows X11 Saga of the Shadowlord,
so this part is considered wrong. The
Norwold coastline north of the Freeholds
border thus follows the CM1s map. Note
also that this causes a change in the shape
of the Kamminer Bay (which now is
narrower and more in line with several
canon depictions, from the D&D
Companion Set to Dawn of the Emperors
maps) in regard to the shape it had in my
old map - on which several fan works
(mostly GAZF8) were based;
The description of Norwold featured in this

article is based on an updated version of my
old Norwold map. The update aims in
particular at achieving a better blending of
the various conflicting canonic maps which
shows the areas bordering the Known
World, the Isle of Dawn, and the HeldannDenagoth region.
In
order
to
make
my
choices
understandable by everyone, I would like to
list the steps of the process I used to
assemble the updated map, and the basic
assumptions from which I started. They are
summarized in the following 16 points
(mph stands for miles per hex):
1 - The correct relative position of the Isle
of Dawn in regard to the Known World is
the one featured in TM2;
2 - The correct position of the Denagothian
Plateau in regard to the Known World is
arguable from the 24mph map of the
Known World included in Wrath of the
Immortals, where the plateaus southern tip
is visible;
5 - The shape of the north-western coastline

of Norwold and of the western half of
Frosthaven have been determined using
D&D Companion Sets non-hex map of Brun;
3 - The correct position of Norwold in

regard to the Isle of Dawn (and therefore to
the Known World and the Denagothian
Plateau) is defined through the matching of
the position of Helskir on Dawn of the
Emperors 24mph map of the Isle of Dawn
with the CM1-M2 24mph map of Norwold
(note that the rest of the Isle of Dawn in the
latter map is a little different from the one
of DotE, and therefore has to be discarded);
6 - The position of the Arctic Circle has been

set according to Bruce Heards article on
the climate of the Known World
7 - Terrain types north of Wendar and
Denagoth have been determined according
to the Wrath of the Immortals 48mph map,
up to the northern limit of this map; this
required changing some hexes of the
Northern Wildlands as they were shown in
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Issue #7
10 - Despite point (4) above, a wide valley

linking Heldann with Denagoth (due to the
use of CM1 Test of the Warlords map)
located north-west of the Altenwald was
closed with mountain hexes becouse it
was not consistent either with the
background of Denagoth or the non-hex
map of Heldann (from the Poor Wizards
Almanacs and Joshuans Almanac);
X11 Saga of the Shadowlord, as well as

adding some hexes of hills and steppes in
the western fringes of the Denagothian
Plateau (X11 gave these as plain = empty
hexes);
8 - Terrain types north of Wrath of the
Immortals 48mph map, and west of CM1
Test of the Warlords 24mph map have been
determined according to Dawn of the
Emperors 72mph map; this map is highly
problematic and includes many errors, but
for the purpose of determining terrains in
the area west of the Icereach Range most
problems are addressed by moving this
entire section of the map one 72-miles hex
to the south-east and superimposing the
map to the CM1s one. This actually corrects
most serious mistakes. Also, in this way the
northern coast west of the upper Icereach
Range limit can be matched quite well with
the D&D Companion Sets map;
11 - Something resembling the Vinisk Valley

is shown in the non-hex map of the
Heldannic Territories found in Joshuans
Almanac; there the valleys terrain is
indicated as desert. Since a desertic valley
crossed by one of the major rivers of
Norwold
was
considered
highly
inappropriate, and since the Joshuans
Almanac map is badly drawn and largely
inaccurate, I chose to ignore the desert
terrain. The valleys terrain was thus filled
with hills and marshes (albeit the latter
were quite reduced in regard to my old map
of Norwold);
9 - Terrain types indicated for Norwold in

Dawn of the Emperors 72mph map have
been used to determine the general
presence of those terrains in a given area of
the region; in particular: (a) plain =
empty hexes in the map have been
considered forest in the subarctic band, and
tundra in the extreme north; (b) the two
stretches of steppes on the northern coast
of Norwold have been ignored and
substituted with tundra (no steppe is
possible in the tundra climate); (c) hill
hexes have been taken into account not as
hexes full of hills, but as the points where
the land rises to hill/highland altitude (this
point has been marked on the final updated
map as a mostly continuous, one-hex row of
hills);
12 - Norwolds forests have been positioned

according to the non-hex map of the region
found in the Poor Wizards Almanacs;
13 - Heldland River and the forest
surrouding its mouth, in Heldland, has
been taken from the non-hex map of the
Heldannic Territories from Joshuans
Almanac; the same is true for the high
course of a river which disappears beyond
the upper limit of that map (this one, which
I named Skejdar River, went up to
Oceansend in my older map, but it has been
now shortened - it had little sense for a river
to run parallel to a coastline for a long
stretch);
7
Issue #7
Climate and Weather

14 - Terrain types for the whole Norwold
region have been borrowed, when
consistent with the canon sources and the
assumptions listed above, from various
fan works (the GAZF series, Robin
Dijkemas map of northeastern Brun,
Carillions map of northern Norwold).
This means that the terrains featured in
the fanworks have been modified or
changed altogether when they were not
consistent with the canon maps, and
adapted to match those. Greatest changes
have thus happened (in regard to the
GAZF line) with Landfall region, Kaarjala,
and the Ghyr-Western Alliance region
beyond the Icereach Range;
The climate of Norwold generally belongs to

the continental band, up to the Great Bay
included. The region is characterized by a
wide seasonal variation of temperature,
ranging from severely cold winters to hot
summers, and a high degree of precipitation
year-round. Snow is the norm at the height
of the winter season, and usually may fall
between late autumn and early spring, while
in the summer rains tend to occur as
thunderstorms. In the isles of the Strand,
seasonal temperature variation tends to be
narrower, with warm summers and cool
winters and precipitations as abundant as on
the mainland.
15 - The Norwold region has received a

more liberal treatment of hill hexes in
regard to the CM1 Test of the Warlords
map; this was due to a sentence found in
the module (mountain hexes bordering
plains must be considered half-hill hexes),
to a much larger presence of hills in
larger-scale canon maps (Dawn of the
Emperors, Wrath of the Immortals), and
mostly to accomodate as much as possible
other fanworks;
North of the Great Bay, climate turns

subarctic, with a huge temperature variation
between the long winter months that feature
a below-freezing temperature (which can last
even 5-7 months per year), and the warm but
short summers. The soil is mostly
characterized
by
the
permafrost
phenomenon, allowing only for hardy plant
species, conifer trees, and taiga-type forests
to survive. Near the coasts and at the
southern boundary of this climate band,
winters are milder and the permafrost does
not occur, so the soil is better suited for
agriculture here. In the subarctic areas,
precipitations are low during the year and
most of them occur during the fall, but they
still allow for a snow cover during winter.
16 - The vast plain = empty hexes

between the Great Bay and the Landsplit
River have been partially filled with a
taiga-type forest, since the area is found in
the subarctic band in the final updated
map (as per point [6], above); having
tundra in the subarctic band (as in GAZF
series, which has the Arctic Circle much
more to the south than Bruces article)
was inappropriate, and a different terrain
(which is also consistent with CM1 Test of
the Warlord) was chosen.
North of the Landsplit River system and of

the Autuasmaa Plain, the tundra climate
prevails. The frigid temperature and the
presence of permafrost year-round do not
allow for the growth of trees here, and only
moss, heath, and lichen are supported in this
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Issue #7
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Issue #7
Mountains and of the Kithor Mountains that

form the south-eastern border of the
Denagothian Plateau. The smaller Essurian
Arm and the Isbreidd north-west of the
Hettafjall complete the isolation of the
Denagothian Plateau from Norwold.
The Hettafjall is by some scholars considered
the southern third of the Final Range, a
narrower but very imposing chain which
runs parallel to Norwolds eastern coast, and
whose name was given to it by the first
Thyatian explorers who thought that these
very high mountains might mark the end of
the world. The Final Range includes from the
area. The tundra is characterized by two

main seasons, featuring dark and very cold
winters, and somewhat warmer summers,
when the upper layer of permafrost melts,
leaving the soil soggy and covering the land
with small marshes, lakes, and ponds.
In the regions highlands and mountains,
climate tends to be colder than in the
surrounding region. Mountain ranges usually
have subarctic climate regardless of latitude,
and are characterized by alpine tundra
climate above the treeline, with huge glaciers
and permanent snowfields occupying the
highest peaks and mountaintops.
Mountains, Rivers, and Lakes

Norwolds main geographical feature is
undoubtedly its huge mountain ranges. The
region as a whole is dominated by five major
mountainous systems - each of which is
divided into a number of lesser ranges - and
by a number of minor chains. The
southernmost mountain block is represented
by the imposing Hettafjall (the hooded
mountains), a range which represents a
continuation of the Eastern Mengul
10
Issue #7
Diadem, and the Jagged Teeths are found to

the north and north-east of the Icereach,
likely the result of huge earthquakes or
geological upheavals - perhaps even a meteor
strike - that happened tens of thousands of
years ago.
south to the north the Lirovkas Alps, the

Ironroot Mountains, and the Peaks of Snorri.
A third infamous mountain system is the
Wyrmsteeth Range, which is found northwest of the Final Range and includes both
the so-called Wyrms Tail - the long chain
made up by the Eagles Barrier, the Pierced
Crown, and the Bloody Scythe - and the huge
massif of the Wyrms Head, which is linked
to the upper end of the Lirovkas Alps and
thus considered by some both a part of the
Wyrmsteeth and of the Final ranges. The
Wyrmsteeths two blocks are separated by a
large area of mostly plain highlands that truly
seems to break the range in two. Seen from
a distance, the Wyrmsteeth - and especially
the Wyrms Tail - have a jagged appearance
which - together with the presence of many
dragons in the area - has contributed to the
ranges name.
The fifth and last mountain system thus runs

northward from the Icereach Range, even if
it was likely connected with that range before
the cataclysms. The northern range is
unimaginatively called the Borean Range by
Alphatians and Known Worlders, while the
Kaarjalans call it the Valtavia Vuoria (the
great mountains); the range forms the
north-western border with Borea as well as
the largest mountain range of whole
Norwold. The great southern massif of the
Borean Range is made up by the Karelides to
the east (which include the ominous Mount
Crystykk) and by the Vuoret Muistamisesta
(mountains of remembrance) to the west,
while to the north it continues with the
Pelon Peaks (and their south-western
branch, the Azurun Mountains), and the
northernmost Luminen Kivi Mountains.
The fourth system is the collection of several

mountain chains collectively known as the
Icereach Range (sometimes also called the
White Range), which deserves the name of
the highest range of Norwold, and which is
usually considered as the western border of
Norwold. The ranges heart is made up by
the Ice Wall, with the two long branches
stretching southward, in the middle of which
is found the highland valley known as the
Throne of He Who Watches; the Icereach
Range, broken by the Timayam and Skelleft
river valleys, continues to the north-east with
the Arch of Fire, the south-west with Quesas
Massif and the White Mountains. The smaller
Giants Mountains, on the eastern side of
the Azure Lake, are also sometimes
considered part of the Icereach as well. Long
but narrower mountain ranges called the
Thundering Mountains, the Goddess
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Issue #7
waters of the third great lake of the north,

Pohjanjrvi.
A multitude of small and large rivers and

lakes is scattered all over the Norwold
region, and small ponds and lakes become
much more numerous north of the Great
Bay. However, the largest rivers and lakes of
Norwold can be grouped into three
hydrographic systems. The first is the one
made up by the Foxes River and its twin to
the west, the Sabre River, which spring from
the Final and Wyrmsteeth ranges,
respectively, to flow into the Gulf of Wrecks,
south of the Peninsula of Alpha. The second
system, which is the largest of the region, ties
together Norwolds three largest southern
lakes. The Vinisk River springs from the
slopes of the Denagothian Plateau and flows
into Lake Gunaald, while the Ransarn
River starts in Lirovkas Alps, reaches the
Gunaald, then continues northward into the
huge Azure Lake and northward again,
emptying into the White Bear River, which
flows into the Great Bay after a long course
from its spring in the Goddess Diadem.
From the south, the White Bear River
receives the waters of the Skelleft River,
which springs from the White Mountains and
flows into the Lake Vanern before joining
the White Bear; Lake Vanern also receives the
water of the smaller Timayam River which
springs from the northern Ice Wall. The third
system is found north of the Great Bay, and
is commonly called the Landsplit system,
and it is basically made of two huge rivers.
The southern one, which flows into the
Alphatian Sea to the east, is called Landsplit
River by the Alphatian settlers, but the
Kaarjalans call it Maanselk; the river flows
eastward from the Ratovaarat Mountains,
forming also two large lakes, called
Hmrjrvi and Isojrvi. The northern
river is called Tukkijoki and it gathers the
Norwold in the View of

Outsiders
Norwold is considered a wilderness,
dangerous, and barbaric region by most folks
of the Known World and the Alphatian
Empire, a land suitable only for pioneers and
other brave individuals, or for people like
exiles and refugees who have nowhere else
to go. The peoples of the Northern Reaches
and of the Heldannic Territories share
common cultural roots with the inhabitants
of Norwold, but even they consider their
northern cousins a backward lot, to be
taught civilization or - in the worst case - to
be raided and plundered.
Nevertheless, Norwold also represents a
source of attraction for the major powers and
people who in the rest of the surrounding
civilized world would like to start new lives
there. This untamed land, in fact, is filled
with untapped resources - plenty of ore,
timber, and animal resources waiting to be
extracted or exploited. Also, in the view of
outsiders Norwold is a land of opportunity:
a big empty place where, braving the regions
climate, monsters, and barbarian natives, one
- even if he is only a commoner in his
homeland - could carve a land for himself
and live as he pleases without having to
submit to the authority of kings, noblemen,
or the like.
12
Issue #7
A SHORT HISTORY OF
NORWOLD
civilization. In fact, this region changed its

latitude because of the Great Rain of Fire, its
upper reaches ended up beyond the Arctic
Circle while the Known World (formerly
under the arctic icecap) became a temperate
area.2 A slow and lengthy process of icemelting and freezing started due to the
latitude change. In this new age, which
started in BC 3000, Norwold was connected
to the Isle of Dawn through a land bridge in
the modern Oceansend - Helskir area, and
the Isles of the Strand were no islands at all
and part of the mainland. Most of the inner
mountain valleys and highlands of central
and western Norwold were still covered by
glaciers in this age, and are therefore
impassable.
No region can be properly understood for

what its features really are unless one delves
into its history and Norwolds history is a
rich and troubled one. Here we will give you
a brief account of the most important events
which took place in Norwold and in the
surrounding lands, divided per age - from
the great cataclysm which marked the dawn
of our world, up to modern times.1
The Aftermaths of the Great

Rain of Fire (BC 3000-2500)
A New Dawn for Norwold
The Ancestral Denizens of Norwold

The region that one day will become
Norwold underwent great changes after the
cataclysm which rocked the planet and put
an end once and for all to the Blackmoorian
Due to the latitude change, the frost giants

who lived near the pre-cataclysmic arctic
icecap started a northward migration from
the Known World to Norwold, settling in the
glaciers and cold lands up to the freezing
northern coast; many giant realms gathering
both frost giants and other giant races were
established in this time in central and southeastern Norwold. The elder dwarves, who
lived in the subarctic pre-cataclysmic
mountains at the border between Norwold
Th e h is tory wh ich fol l ows is a revis ion of th e

on e I wrote y ears ag o (s ee Timel in e of N orwol d
at th e Vaul ts of Pan dius ), wh ich n ow s h oul d b e
con s idered ob s ol ete. F or th e even ts reg ardin g
l ower N orwol d an d th e n orth ern real ms of
Litton ia an d K aarjal a, I us ed material from th e
GA Z F s eries (b y J TR ), wh il e th e even ts for th e
W en dar an d Den ag oth area were mos tl y s k ipped
apart from th os e rel ated to th e firs t mig ration s
an d to th e l as t cen turies , b ecaus e after a careful
an al y s is I foun d th at b oth th e n ew Timel in e for
W en dar-Den ag oth -Gh y r-N orth ern W il dl an ds (b y
M. Dal mon te), th e ol d Timel in e for th e W en dar
an d Den ag oth reg ion vers ion 2 .4 (b y M.
Dal mon te an d S. Stan l ey ), an d th e timel in e
featured in GA Z F 1 Th e K in g dom of W en dar (b y
J TR ), in cl uded man y in con s is ten cies with th e
few can on ical in formation k n own ab out W en dar
an d Den ag oth ; rewritin g a compl ete timel in e for
th os e reg ion s was b ey on d th e s cope of th is
articl e, s o I deemed b etter to s k ip th is part.
Th e articl e as s umes , in ag reemen t with th e

GA Z s eries an d th e Timel in e of H is tory
(featured in H ol l ow W orl d b ox ed s et, Dun g eon
Mas ters Sourceb ook ) - b ut n ot with th e Outer
W orl d, Pre-catacl y s mic Map (in cl uded in th e
s ame H ol l ow W orl d b ox ed s et) - th at th e K n own
W orl d was un der th e arctic icecap b efore th e
Great R ain of F ire, an d th at th e N orth Pol e was
l ocated in modern Eth en g ar. See al s o
B l ack moor an d Pre-Catacl y s mic My s tara (b y
LoZ ompatore) for more in formation .
13
Issue #7
Sparse tribes of rakasta belonging to the

snow pardasta and lynxmen breeds dwelled
in the glacier-covered central and western
reaches of Norwold. Also living in the frozen
Icereach Range valleys were a number of
brute tribes - humans who in the past
centuries had interbred with the Beastmen who called themselves the Dena (Children
of Den in their tongue), after the name of
one of their legendary leaders. Around BC
2700, competition with the local pardasta
tribes grew harsher for the Dena; thus, the
female warrior Jotakk decided to lead her
people in a migration southward from the
Icereach Ranges valleys to a large plateau,
where they settled. They called their new
land Denagoth (Land of the Dena).
and Borea, started as well a slow migration

southward to reach milder areas.
The Beastmen, who had been pushed near
the Arctic Circle - in the area between Borea,
Norwold, and the Known World - by the
Blackmoor crusades centuries ago, by now
used to the freezing climate, migrated to the
ruins of the (then) eastern provinces of the
Blackmoor Empire found in Hyborea.3
About a century after the Great Rain of Fire,

elven refugees from a colony near the old
Brunian border of the Blackmoor Empire who found shelter in a large valley still
partially covered by ice they named
Genalleth - managed to survive the radiation
induced wasting disease which afflicted them
thanks to the abandonment of technology,
the rediscovery of druidic magic, and the
help of the fey.
Th e B eas tmen s can on ical mig ration s up to

B C 2 4 0 0 s h ow a s eries of in con s is ten cies
reg ardl es s of wh ich pre-catacl y s mic map do y ou
us e. I n th is vers ion , th e B eas tmen were pus h ed
b y th e B l ack moor crus ades in to B orea an d th e
K n own W orl d (th en b ey on d of n ear th e b orders
of th e A rctic Circl e) b etween B C 3 5 0 0 an d B C
3 2 0 0 . N ex t - wh en th e Great R ain of F ire
h appen ed in B C 3 0 0 0 an d B l ack moor was
des troy ed - th e B eas tmen moved in H y b orea,
wh ere th e ruin s of man y recen tl y -des troy ed
B l ack moor provin ces on B run were l ocated, an d
s tay ed th ere; th e reg ion of H y b orea, wh ich was
foun d in a temperate area b efore th e Great R ain
of F ire, n ow was b ey on d th e A rctic Circl e. I n
B C 2 4 0 0 , as per can on timel in es , th e B eas tmen
mig rated from H y b orea ag ain to B orea, toward
th e ruin s of th e ol d B l ack moorian city of U rz ud.
The Dragon Nation is Born

In this age, gold dragon priests of the Great
One, following omens from their patron,
begin to gather many dragon of all species in
the central mountain ranges of Norwold (the
modern Wyrmsteeth Range), laying the
foundations of the Dragon Nation.4
4
See H is tory of Drag on k in d (b y S. N eri) for

more detail s ab out th e h is tory of th e drag on s
b efore an d after th is even t. Th e Drag on N ation
an d th e Drag on Parl iamen t were firs t in troduced
in th e Drag on l ord Tril og y n ovel s , b y T.
Gun n ars s on .
14
Issue #7
from the glaciers, settling the lands around

the White Bear Rivers mouth.7
In BC 2800, in the heart of a dead volcano in

the midst of the Wyrms Head Mountains, the
dragons build the seat of their gathering
place in Norwold and of the Dragon
Parliament, the city of Windreach. A number
of dragons loyal to the Dragon Nation start to
migrate in the Wyrmsteeth Range, but many
more openly defy it and continue to live as
they always did; they are called the
Renegades.
The Antalian Age (BC 25001700)

The Rise of the Antalian Culture
The latter half of the third millennium BC
marked the rise of one of the great
civilization of the ancient world, the
Antalians, whose ancestors were stationed on
the Isle of Dawn. Around BC 2500, they
crossed the Helskir land bridge and settled in
the Oceansend region, clashing against the
Valoin and pushing them to the north.8 BC
2400 is usually considered the year which
marks the Antalian civilizations rise in
Norwold - a warlike, bronze-age culture
devoted to farming, fishing, and raiding, that
also developed seafaring skills. The Antalians,
thanks to their bronze-age technology,
clashed successfully against the Valoin to the
north, and warred intermittently with the
neighbouring giant kingdoms.
The First Human Cultures

Only a few human tribes lived in Norwold in
this time; they belong to the Valoin culture,5
who centuries before had been pushed north
by the Blackmoorian expansionism and had
settled the coastal area located between the
Norzee and the Great Bay. Due to the
latitude change, they mostly relocated on the
north-eastern shores of the Great Bay after
the Great Rain of Fire.6 Around BC 2700,
from their northern lands the Valoin
gradually spread to settle the eastern coast of
Norwold south of the Great Bay, up to the
modern Oceansend region.
In the following century (BC 2300-2200),

wars against the giants became commonplace
and raged in eastern Norwold for many
decades; the events of those wars spawned
the subjects of old Norse sagas, which depict
this time as an age of heroes and villains, in
which the historical figures of Donar and
Lokar (later known as the Immortals Thor
and Loki, ascended toward the end of this
age) shaped the fate of whole peoples. The
giants were ultimately defeated and dispersed.
In BC 2600, Vantalian tribes migrating from

Borea reach the western fringes of Norwold
and cross some of the valleys at last freed
I n terms of real -worl d l an g uag e famil ies , th e

Val oin woul d s peak a B al tic ton g ue.
6 B efore th e Great R ain of F ire, th e Val oin
(an d th eir Val emen an ces tors ) l ived in th e area
n orth -wes t of B l ack moor, on Sk oth ar, wh ich
was con n ected b y l an d to B run in th e area of
modern n orth -eas tern N orwol d; th us , th ey were
al ready foun d th ere wh en th e catacl y s m
h appen ed. I h ave ch an g ed th is detail from th e
Val oin timel in e foun d in GA Z F 6 Th e K in g dom
of Litton ia (b y G. Gan der), to mak e it more
con s is ten t with th e ch oice of th e K n own W orl d
as th e pre-catacl y s mic N orth Pol e.

Van tal ian s woul d s peak a Sl avic ton g ue.
8 I n terms of real -worl d l an g uag e famil ies ,
A n tal ian s woul d s peak a N orth German ic or
Proto-N ors e ton g ue.
15
Issue #7
Kasavir nearly a century later and the

reunification of the Antalian culture. The two
branches of the Antalian culture, once the
internal wars stopped, started to expand in
the neighbouring lands.
By BC 2000, the Vanitar Antalians had settled
Nylland (modern Heldann)9 and the
Northern Reaches, while the Aesinar had
further expanded toward the western Great
Bay, but on the Isle of Dawn their expansion
was hampered by the arrival of the
Dunharian peoples through the Redstone
land bridge. The Aesinars drive toward the
White Bear River also forced many local
Vantalian tribes to migrate south into the
newly-opened valleys of central Norwold,
where they settled.
A side effect of the Dunharian migration
toward the Isle of Dawn was the pressure put
from the south on the Aesinar clans who
lived in the northern region of the island,
which in turn triggered movements and
skirmishes of the clans living further northwest along the Norwold coast. Some of the
latter, under the leadership of Bjorn OneArm, decided to migrate to recentlydiscovered lands beyond the sea to the
north-east. Some years later, these clans
would establish the realm of Ystmarhavn, in
modern Qeodhar.10
A Time of Division and Expansion

Following the defeat of the giants in BC
2200, the Antalians settled most of the
eastern coast of Norwold from the Altenwald
to the Great Bay area, the northern tip of the
Isle of Dawn included. Then a split began to
occur within the Antalian culture, between
the Aesinar dwelling from Oceansend to the
north - attached to the traditional warlike
lifestyle - and the Vanitar dwelling in the
southern reaches - who had developed an
interest for magic and fertility cults.
B efore th e time of H el dan n th e B rave (A C

7 0 7 -7 1 0 ), modern H el dan n was k n own as
N ordurl an d; th is was th e n ame th e N orth men of
th e N orth ern R each es g ave th e reg ion b ecaus e
it was foun d due n orth of th eir own l an ds .
H owever, th e an cien t A n tal ian s wh o firs t s ettl ed
th is reg ion cal l ed it N y l l an d (n ew l an d in th eir
ton g ue).
1 0 Th is s tory is tol d in Th e J arl dom of
Y s tmarh avn (b y G. Gan der); th e real ms
foun dation date (B C 1 4 0 0 in Gan ders vers ion )
h as b een b ack dated to B C 2 0 0 0 to b e
In BC 2100, the rift between those two

groups of Antalian clans had widened so
much that they started a decades-long season
of wars, which ended with the Treaty of
16
Issue #7
The Fate of the Valoins

While the Antalians were still on the rise,
around BC 2500 the Valoins living south of
the Great Bay developed a different dialect
from their cousins to the north. This is the
root of their differentiation between
Lietuvans (the southern ones) and Litoniesu
(the northern ones). However, by BC 2200
the more powerful Antalians had pushed
most Valoin-descended people north of the
Great Bay (only some sparse tribes remained
in the area between the Oceansend Marshes
and the modern Isles of the Strand). The
language and cultural split between Litoniesu
and Lietuvans was by now complete. Most
Lietuvans migrated back to areas beyond the
Great Bay, settling north of their Litoniesu
cousins.
The Humans and the Elves in Genalleth

In the midst of the Antalian age, around BC
2000, a vast Dunharian migration from
central Brun entered the Known World from
northwest, passing through Genalleth,
Nylland, the Northern Reaches, and then through the Redstone land bridge - ending
up in the Isle of Dawn.11 A number of clans
of these humans decided to stop in Genalleth
and settled among the elves. The
Genallethians, as the humans settled in
modern Wendar were known, peacefully
acknowledged the local elves supremacy and
lived in friendship with them in the plains
between their woods.
But their disgraces were destined to grow

worst: in BC 1800, a large group of frost
giants migrated north from the Ironroot
Mountains to withdraw from the nearby
Antalian-dominated lands. Under the
leadership of Ulf One-Eye, they crossed the
Great Bay and enslaved the Litoniesu and
Lietuvan peoples, establishing the realm of
Nordenheim in BC 1763.
During the course of the next couple of

centuries, Vanitar clans coming from nearby
Nylland also entered Genalleth, soon
outnumbering the Genallethians;12 their
con s is ten t with th e A n tal ian s g ol den ag e. I t

may b e worth n otin g th at Y s tmarh avn s urvived
th e des truction of th e A n tal ian civil iz ation in
N orwol d, an d furth er ex pan ded al on g th e coas ts
of F ris l an d, to th e s outh , es tab l is h in g a s eries of
col on ies . Th e col on ies h ad fal l en un der
A l ph atian rul e b y B C 0 ; Y s tmarh avn was
l ik ewis e con quered b y Y an ifey peopl e ch as ed
from th e A l ph atian main l an d - on l y l ater (A C
5 1 0 ) a l ocal ch ief n amed Q eodh ar un ified th e
is l an d (wh ich s til l b rin g s h is n ame) an d al ig n ed
h is real m with th e A l ph atian Empire.
11

Dun h arian s woul d s peak a Cel tic ton g ue. Th is
b ran ch of th e Dun h arian s is th e an ces tor of al l
th e Dawn er peopl es (th e Dun ael s , an d th e
n atives of R eds ton e an d of th e Sh adow Coas t).
1 2 A ccordin g to th e Poor W iz ards A l man ac I ,
th e h uman s of W en dar were des cen ded b y th e
A n tal ian s , s o th eir arrival in Gen al l eth mus t
h appen after B C 2 0 0 0 (wh en H el dan n an d th e
N orth ern R each es were s ettl ed) an d b efore B C
1 7 0 0 (wh en th ey ceas e to b e A n tal ian s ). I ch os e
to k eep in W en dar al s o a con trib ution from a
17
Issue #7
Fredar and Fredara (later known as the

Immortals Frey and Freyja, ascended around
BC 1600) lived in Nylland during this dark
time.
nature-loving culture, however, was

welcomed both by the Genallethians and the
elves, so their migration there was a peaceful
one. In the next centuries, the Vanitars
actually mixed with the Genallethians, and
the latters culture was gradually absorbed
into that of the Vanitars. The humans and
the elves helped one another against outside
enemies in the centuries to come, slowly
developing greater friendship ties.
A few Antalian clans managed to flee the

onslaught, seeking shelter in the high valleys
of the Icereach Range and the northern
fringes of the Denagothian Plateau, where
they lost most of the trappings of their
civilization - they were the ancestors of the
Icereachers (or Hengerians).
The Coming of the Great Horde

An outside, savage force would soon bring to
an end the prosperity of Norwolds peoples.
In BC 1750, as a consequence of the
humanoid movements in Borea, some
human tribes fled eastward and crossed the
northern passes of the Icereach and Borean
ranges, ending up in the great plain found
between the Great Bay and the Landsplit
River system. They were the ancestors of the
Viaskoda.13 They brought with them tales of
tremendous and unstoppable humanoid
hordes beyond the mountains.
In fact, not many years passed that in BC
1722 the humanoid Great Horde of King
Loark crossed the Icereach and Borean
ranges, bringing death and destruction upon
Norwolds peoples and ravaging the region
for eleven years before migrating further
south to Ethengar in BC 1710. The Antalian
civilization was destroyed (apart from some
clans whisked by the Immortals into the
Hollow World); its survivors in Norwold
were sent into a dark age. The hero siblings
The Vantalians, sheltered in their valleys in

central Norwold, were spared from the brunt
of the invasion, but some of their tribes were
nevertheless displaced, and migrated
southward into the Known World.14
Cel tic-l ik e peopl e l ik e th e Dun h arian s - wh ich is

h in ted at b y mos t fan work s - an d I deemed it
b etter to tie th eir arrive in Gen al l eth with th e
g reat Dun h arian mig ration of B C 2 0 0 0 .
1 3 I n terms of real -worl d l an g uag e famil ies , th is
peopl e woul d s peak a U ral ic l an g uag e.
14
Th is mig ratin g g roup s h oul d in cl ude th e

Van dars , th e peopl e wh o l ater wil l in vade th e
Tral adaran l an ds in th e l ate 1 0 t h cen tury B C.
18
Issue #7
The Dark Age (BC 1700-1000)
humanoid nations of this age was established

in southern Norwold, in the area between
modern Lighthall and the Final Range.
Norwold Under the Humanoid Yoke
Namejs and the Littonians Freedom
After the ravages of the Great Horde, the

Antalian civilization was no more and
Norwold continued to be a battlefield
between the surviving humans and their
humanoid overlords, or between rival
humanoid war leaders. By BC 1600, due to
the gradual melting of the Norwold glaciers,
the lowlands north of Oceansend were
submerged by the sea, a process which
formed the Isles of the Strand and the
Oceansend Marshes; to this date, many
humanoid tribes had already crossed the
Helskir land bridge and had poured into the
Isle of Dawn from the north, heralding times
of war for the Dawner peoples. The process
would have gone on until BC 1200, when the
Helskir land bridge collapsed and was finally
submerged by the still rising sea level; now
the Isle of Dawn was fully separated by the
Norwold mainland.
While the people of southern Norwold had

their troubles with the humanoids, north of
the Great Bay the hero Namejs leads the
Lietuvans and the Litoniesu in an uprising
against their frost giant masters in BC 1371.
In BC 1362 the rebels were victorious: the
realm of Nordheim was destroyed, the frost
giants retreated toward Frosthaven, and the
humans established the Kingdom of Littonia,
with Namejs as king. In the years of Namejs
reign (BC 1362-1329), the Littonians started
a southward expansion, controlling the
Landrise and the Helm, and even foraying
south of the Great Bay.
Thanks to their stay in Norwold, the

humanoids absorbed some traits of the old
Antalian culture. By BC 1400, the humanoid
tribes stationed on the eastern coast of the
region started to develop some seafaring
skills; in the following centuries their sea
raids hit the coasts of the northern Isle of
Dawn and the western coasts of the
Alphatian mainland as well.
However, when King Namejs mysteriously
disappeared in BC 1329, no one was able to
truly take his place as ruler of a unified
realm. Littonia started to weaken and
fragment under his descendants, as the
kingdoms successor states warred among
themselves. By BC 1100, the unified kingdom
was a thing of the past; intermittent wars
In this age many humanoid realms dotted the

eastern coast and the southern reaches of
Norwold; some of these realms were nothing
more than semi-nomadic hordes, while
others, built over the remnants of the old
Antalian civilization, saw the humanoids
settle down. One of the most powerful
19
Issue #7
To the north of the Great Bay, the Viaskoda

and Littonian cultures strove to survive in
front of the humanoid and frost giant threats.
Around this time, another human people
called the Shonaks also migrated from Borea
to the tundra and marshy lands between the
rivers and lakes of the Landsplit Rivers system.
between the petty Littonian states had

ravaged the countryside, and many areas fell
prey to humanoid and frost giant raids from
the neighbouring regions.
The Age of Rebirth

(BC 1000-400)
Moreover, by this time sea reaving

humanoids turned to migration; from the
Norwold coasts many humanoids left for
some nearby destination - the furthest place
to which they migrated was the Limn region
of mainland Alphatia.
Norwold at the Turn of the 1st

Millennium BC
By BC 1000, the surviving glaciers of the
interior valleys, remnants of the past ice ages,
had greatly reduced, opening lush forested
valleys, rivers, lakes, and meadows to
settlement. At the start of this age, Norwold
was divided among various human cultures,
and many more small humanoid and giant
tribes and kingdoms mostly found in the
region to the south of the Great Bay; the
rakasta tribes and the dragons completed the
picture. One of the most powerful giant
kingdoms was centred on the Peaks of
Snorri, and it underwent a time of expansion
in this age.
The Nithians Turn North

Around BC 1000, the Nithian Empire started
looking to the north for expansion. The
Nithian armies conquered the coasts and the
lowlands of the Northern Reaches and
Nylland; these lands soon became slave
reservoirs for the empire, which deported
them away from their homelands for various
purposes.15 In the following years, the
Nithian pharaohs discovered the gates which
lead from the Arch of Fire to the Elemental
Plane of Fire, and decided to establish a
series of outposts along the coast of Norwold
and the Great Bay in order to set a direct link
between the empire and that wondrous
place. The main Nithian colony in Norwold
was located at the mouth of the White Bear
River. During their expansion along the
Norwold coast, the Nithians successfully
clashed against the local humanoid domains,
destroying their seafaring capabilities and
Centuries after the fall of their ancient

civilization, the surviving groups of Antalians
developed different cultural identities due to
separation. The Antalians living south of the
Oceansend area preserved a more settled
lifestyle, with farming and fishing villages,
while their cousins to the north had
gradually adopted a semi-nomadic lifestyle.
In the interior valleys, the old Vantalian
tribes intermarried with other clans, forming
the Vanatic culture, while in the western
valleys the Icereacher culture had mostly
kept to itself.
15
Some of th e n atives of th os e l an ds are

tran s pl an ted b y th e N ith ian s to a col on y on
Davan ias n orth ern s h ores (in th e modern
Th y atian H in terl an ds ); th ey wil l b ecome th e
an ces tors of th e Th y atian , K eren dan , an d
H attian trib es .
20
Issue #7
Isle of Dawn, refused to accept this and civil

war ensued. The governors of the Nithian
colonies in Norwold, their minds poisoned
by dreams of power sent by the entropic
Immortals, started to clash in a series of
useless wars against the humanoid and
human peoples of Norwold, impoverishing
their own domains and causing much
suffering to the population. During the next
two centuries (BC 700-500), some Nithian
settlements were destroyed during slave
uprisings caused by resource exhaustion,
others fell in front of the counterattacks of
the human and humanoid tribes that the
Nithians themselves had angered.
forcing them to retreat in the interior; thus,

the age of the humanoid sea raiders came to
an end. In AC 970, the Nithian Pharaoh
Tokoramses V himself goes on pilgrimage to
the Arch of Fire.
In order to make up for the loss of
manpower in the north due to the
deportation of the native population as
slaves, the Nithians started importing halfling
slaves from the Sea of Dread to the Northern
Reaches and their Norwold outposts; many
halfling slaves were indeed brought to the
large Nithian colony in the western Great Bay.
Elsewhere, an alien human race, the
Alphatians, migrated from their own ravaged
world arriving in BC 1000 on the large islandcontinent to the east of Norwold in the event
called The Landfall. Some decades later,
they established the small colony of Helskir
on the northern tip of Isle of Dawn as a
trading post with the Nithian Empire.
During the Nithian age, another important

event
happened:
civil
unrest
and
disagreement against the king led many clans
of the elven Kingdom of Shiye-Lawr to
migrate away from their homeland, to the
untamed forests of Norwold. In the course of
a century, these Shiye clans established a
number of forest communities (called
Foresthomes) in the forests of the region.
Norwold During the Late Nithian Age
Then, after two centuries of decline and civil

strife, in BC 500 the Nithian Empire finally
fell; the Immortals erased memory of it from
the minds of the mortals. By now, all Nithian
colonies in Norwold had been destroyed,
abandoned or absorbed by local peoples.
The Antalian-descended people of the
Even if the Nithian-dominated areas of

Norwold were small, the empire exerted a
relevant influence on the story of this region,
some of which was destined to survive the
destruction of Nithia in BC 500. For example,
in BC 800, a large horde of Nithian-created
gnolls chased from the Northern Reaches
reached the Mengul Mountains and lower
Norwold; their tribes scattered among these
lands.
Around BC 700, the leaders of the Nithian
Empire started to worship entropic
Immortals and imposed those cults on the
population; the easternmost part of the
empire, led by the colony of Thothia on the
21
Issue #7
at the mouth of the White Bear River). After

many years, they managed to reach the
western Great Bay and found their kin,
settling among them and establishing the
Shire of Leeha around BC 350.
Northern Reaches mainland and Nylland

were at last freed from the Nithian rule, only
to fall under the dominion of the giants from
the interior, now free to attack the lowlands.
Only in the islands of Ostland did the people
kept their freedom and prospered; the
Northman culture started to develop here as
a result.
The Time of the Old Kingdoms

(BC 350-AC 300)
The Foundation of Leeha

The age between the 4th century BC and the
3rd century AC was an important age for
Norwold, in which some of the realms
enduring to this day were founded, while
others rose but crumbled or were
subsequently destroyed. The peoples of
Norwold call this age the Time of the Old
Kingdoms, in contrast with the new
kingdoms which were born after the 6th
century AC.
In the Northern Reaches, the fall of Nithia

also marked the liberation of the halfling
slaves; most of them gathered in a number of
communities to the north of the Hardanger
Mountains, closely allied with the local
gnome clans, but cornered between the local
giant and gnoll clans, now again on the rise.
In BC 490, large hordes of kobolds - split
from Ubdalas Great Horde defeated at the
Battle of Sardal Pass by the Rockhome
dwarves two years before - entered the
gnome underground realm in the Hardanger
Mountains and began a war of extermination
against them. In the course of the next two
centuries (up to BC 300), the gnome
population was slowly exterminated; the
survivors abandoned the area, scattering
around the Known World and the north.16
Rise and Fall of the Kingdom of Alphia

In BC 345 a powerful Alphatian prince
named Alinor came to Norwold with a fleet
of flying ships and established a colony in the
western Great Bay region, whose first
settlement was founded on the coast of the
small bay south of the Peninsula of Err.17 He
named his new realm the Kingdom of Alphia,
after his coastal capital, and brought more
settlers from the Alphatian mainland. In the
following decades, thanks to the aid of a
potent magic staff, Alinors armies conquered
Seeing the end of their gnome allies nearing,

the halflings of southern Soderfjord in BC
400 fled from the region, heading northward
under the guidance of a prophet of the High
Heroes, to find their lost Norwold brethren
(the descendants of the Nithian slave colony
17
Th e s tory of Prin ce A l in or is men tion ed in

CM1 Tes t of th e W arl ords . I ts en tirel y pos s ib l e
th at A l in or was a mag e s pecial iz ed in earth s h apin g mag ic, may b e with ties to Th e
K in g dom of K eroth ar (A b an don ed) (b y R .
B urn s ). A l ph ias es tab l is h men t date an d
s ub s equen t timel in e h ave b een b orrowed from
th e GA Z F s eries (auth or J TR ).
16
Th e city of Tork y n F al l s (from th e n ovel

Drag on l ord of My s tara, b y T. Gun n ars s on ), in
th e Th ree F ires Vol can oes area of th e
W en darian R an g e, wil l b e l ater es tab l is h ed b y
th e g n ome refug ees from th e H ardan g er
Moun tain s .
22
Issue #7
neighbouring peoples, they quickly lost

ground against them due to the aftermath of
Alphias downfall, the scarcity of resources,
and because they were left alone and ignored
by the Alphatian Empire. Eventually, they
were all conquered or absorbed by natives
and humanoids in the turn of two centuries.
Only some villages survived, which from BC
200 were infrequently visited by Alphatian
fur traders or adventurers searching for old
Alphian relics; one of those was found on the
site of the modern city of Alpha.
the barbarian wildlands north and south of

Alphia.
By BC 280, the Kingdom of Alphia has
defeated and caused the downfall of the old
giant Kingdom of Snorri, expanded from the
western Great Bay further westward to the
White Bear Rivers valley and the Great
Circle, and settled more lands.18 Eventually,
its wizard-king came at odds with the
dragons who dwelled in the Wyrmsteeth
Range, and a costly war ensued. Barbarian
and humanoid tribes caught the opportunity
to harass the Alphian armies as well. The war
dragged on until the final collapse of the
Kingdom of Alphia in BC 260: the war
between Alinor and the Wyrmsteeth dragons
climaxed when the wizard-kings final spell
to destroy his enemies backfired, causing a
tremendous earthquake which rocked the
whole kingdom from one border to another.
The city of Alphia was buried under a
mountain, Alinor himself crushed to death;
legends tell of mountain ranges which raised
or collapsed throughout the kingdom due to
this disaster.19 After the event, the dragons
retreated, content with Alphias destruction.
Ilsundals Gift to the Norwold Elves

During the past four centuries, the
Foresthomes established by the Shiye elves
had grown in number and spread over many
of the forests of Norwold; the Shiye, despite
being at odds with their king in mainland
Alphatia, had preserved their traditional cult
of Eiryndul, but their religious allegiance was
bound to change around BC 200, when after
a series of quests the elven heroine Lornasen
brought a branch of the Sylvan Realms Tree
of Life to Norwold and introduced Ilsundals
relic and cult among many local
Foresthomes. She even managed to magically
keep an area of the Lothbarth Forest (north
of Leeha) in a state of eternal springtime.
Thereafter, she became Immortal herself and
her cult spread, second only to Ilsundals,
among the Norwold elves.20
In some of Alphias now scattered provinces,

a number of petty successor states of the
Alphatian kingdom survived. Despite their
technological and magical advantage over the
18
Th is wes tward ex pan s ion is tied to th e

material foun d in th e GA Z F s eries (auth or J TR ).
1 9 I t is worth n otin g th at as of A C 1 0 0 0 th e
b uried ruin s of A l ph ia (formerl y a port) are n ot
foun d on a coas tl in e, b ut on a h il l s ide, wh ich
s ug g es ts s ometh in g of catas troph ic proportion s
h appen ed in th e l as t day s of th e k in g dom. I n my
ol d ob s ol ete Timel in e of N orwol d I s pecul ated
th at A l in ors fin al s pel l (as h in ted even in CM1
Tes t of th e W arl ords ) mig h t con cern des troy in g
th e drag on s l airs in th e W y rms teeth R an g e b y
mak in g a part of th at moun tain s col l aps e.
The Birth of Kaarjala and the Unification

of Littonia
A human people, the Saamari, in BC 140
migrated eastward from beyond the Borean
Range, where their realm was being harassed
20
Th e mortal b ack g roun d of Lorn as en is

des crib ed in Codex I mmortal is (b y M. Dal mon te)
23
Issue #7
Valmiera with the Saamari King Risto,

agreeing to cede to him the whole
Autuasmaa region.
The Saamari Kingdom of Kaarjala was then
founded. In BC 100, the Immortal Ilmarinen
gifted the Saamari with the artefact known as
the Great Saampo, a magical windmill which
made the climate of Kaarjala milder and
suitable for agriculture.
In the following centuries, Kaarjala and
Littonia coexisted in an uneasy peace,
punctuated by brief wars and skirmishes, but
also by growing trade relations. The two
young realms were mostly occupied with
other opponents though: both had to fight
back the humanoids and the hostile human
neighbouring tribes, and occasionally to
repel frost giant invasions from Frosthaven in fact, one such invasion (BC 15-12)
wreaked great havoc in Kaarjala and ravaged
Littonias north-western marches. As a result
of the frost giants invasion, goblin tribes
occupied a weakened Littonias southwestern marches. Only in AC 200 King
Guntis II of Littonia was able to start a series
of wars against the goblins to reclaim his
kingdoms south-western territories, but the
by humanoid tribes and other dark forces.

They crossed the Winter Peaks and arrived in
the northernmost region of Norwold, west of
the Landsplit River system, seeking to take
control of the Autuasmaa Plain. Conflict
ensued against the Shonak human tribes who
occupied these lands and with Littonian
settlers from the southeast, who also claimed
parts of this area from themselves. In AC 115,
the Saamari finally defeated the Shonaks and
drove them again into the northern tundra.
But this did not enable them to secure the
Autuasmaa Plain for themselves. In fact, in
BC 128, after 11 years of war, the most
powerful Littonian warlord, Karlis, had
managed to unify through war and
diplomacy the scattered Lietuvans and
Litoniesu domains, and to re-establish the
Kingdom of Littonia; he was hailed as King
Karlis the Unifier. In BC 115, just after the
Shonaks defeat, the new Littonian king,
Uldis I, raised an army to reclaim the
Autuasmaa from the Saamari for Littonia.
The war went on for ten years, until the
Saamari decisively defeated the Littonians in
the Battle of Lake Isojrvi (BC 105); King
Uldis I fell during the fight. The new
Littonian king, Mris, signed the Treaty of
24
Issue #7
But this was not enough for Zendrolion. The

Thyatian Empire, after befriending key
Ostland clans, from AC 5 started to establish
outposts along the eastern Norwold coast. In
AC 12 the Thyatians occupied the village on
the site of the modern city of Alpha and built
a heavily fortified town around it, naming the
settlement Cape Alpha; this was to be the
northernmost settlement established by the
Thyatians in Norwold. In Alphatias eyes, the
construction of Cape Alpha violated the
Treaty of Edairo: the Trial of Norwold
opened in Dunadale with representatives
from both empires to determine control over
Norwold, but negotiations during the Trial of
Norwold were abruptly interrupted by the
Alphatians in AC 15 when they discovered
that the Thyatians were exploiting that time
to carry on further violations against the
Treaty of Edairo and to make war
preparations. The Alphatian Emperor, using
gold and magic, persuaded many Ostlander
clans to turn against Thyatis and exhausted
the already meagre imperial treasury to hire
barbarian sea reavers from the Northern
Reaches, Qeodhar, and Viaskaland to unleash
them against the Thyatian colonies in
Norwold in a surprise attack. The move
succeeded: Cape Alpha was taken and sacked
by the reavers, as well as other Thyatian
colonies along the Norwold coast. As a result,
the Bog War between Thyatis and Alphatia on
the Isle of Dawn began (AC 15-18); the war
ended with Thyatis conquering territories on
the Isle of Dawn and reducing many of the
traitorous Ostlander clans to vassal status,
but with the abandonment of any plan of
expansion in Norwold on the empires part.
humanoids mounted a vigorous defence and

only in AC 300 Littonia was finally able to
subjugate the so-called Sarkans goblins.
The Thyatians Land in the North
In the far south, King Lucinius of Thyatis and
Emperor Alphas VI of Alphatia signed the
Treaty of Edairo in AC 0. The two rulers
agreed to keep a large part of the Isle of
Dawn and the whole region of Norwold free
from their armies and influence, in order to
put a large stretch of neutral lands between
their realms. Later that year, back in Thyatis
King Lucinius was assassinated by Zendrolion
Tatriokanitas, who was then crowned first
Emperor of Thyatis; Zendrolion declared the
Treaty of Edairo void, on the ground that
Alphatia had continued to keep relations
with the sparse post-Alinor communities
found in the Great Bay, including the village
on the site of modern Alpha.21
In order to ensure that the most

advantageous spot in the Great Bay will
never again be settled by anyone else, the
21
Some of th es e detail s , as wel l as th e Trial of

N orwol d an d th e B og W ar b el ow, are foun d in
th e Lib rary Cl ues in th e adven ture modul e M5
Tal on s of N ig h t.
25
Issue #7
influence.23 In AC 250, this allowed the

Alphatians to penetrate into the Western Sea
of Dawn and to establish colonies along the
coasts of north-eastern Alasiya.
Alphatians laid on the ruins of Cape Alpha a

curse that forbade anyone inside. A few
survivors from the colony mixed with the
local population and resettled in the nearby
shores, founding a village which was called
Holfa (a corruption of Alpha).22
On the other hand, the Northern Reaches

mainland was still only sparsely populated by
humans, and dominated by the giants.
Around AC 50, a powerful and mad renegade
red dragon named Kardyer24 began his reign
of terror over the Soderfjord area,
commanding a score of lesser dragons and
various goblin and orc tribes, with whom he
harassed local Northman, giant, and gnoll
clans, and raided the neighbouring lands. His
lair was found in Darmouk, an ancient
stronghold of the elder dwarves located in
the Makkres Mountains between Soderfjord
and Rockhome.
The Northern Reaches at the Dawn of

the Modern Age
In Ostland, the Northman culture developed
after the fall of Nithia, and was prospering by
the beginning of the 1st century BC; the
divided clans - who had again developed
decent seafaring skills - often fought among
themselves and, in times of peace, carried on
sea trade and occasional raids. This was
made possible by the elimination of the
Thyatian sea power since BC 190, when that
country had been conquered by the
Alphatians. Also, around BC 100 the names
Nordurland, Ostland, Soderfjord, and
Vestland came in use after the four cardinal
points to indicate the main regions inhabited
by the Antalian-descended peoples.
The rise of the Northmen of Ostland was
short-lived though, because their meddling
in the relations of the two rival empires of
Thyatis and Alphatia brought them into the
formers sphere of influence, more so after
AC 18 when most of the clans hostile to
Thyatis were defeated and reduced to vassal
status. Only around AC 200 did the Thyatian
influence on the Ostlander clans started to
weaken and wane; some clans then gradually
switched allegiance to Alphatia - which held
the northern Isle of Dawn - seeking the
protection of the rival empire from Thyatian
23
Th is ch an g e of al l ian ce of man y Os tl an der

cl an s h as b een devis ed to mak e more con s is ten t
th e A l ph atian col on iz ation of n orth ern A l as iy a
in A C 2 5 0 .
2 4 Th e s tory of K ardy er is tol d in th e n ovel s of
th e Drag on l ord Tril og y , b y T. Gun n ars s on .
22
Th e s tory of th e curs e an d th e s ub s equen t

even ts reg ardin g H ol fa are des crib ed in A city
of A l ph a min i-g az (b y LoZ ompatore).
26
Issue #7
of expansion and relative prosperity, this one

was an age of renewed conflict and woe for
the peoples of Norwold. Many historians
have noted that Norwold was already on the
verge of an economic and demographic crisis
during the 3rd century AC, when - likely due
to the population rise in the previous
centuries - a number of famines and localized
plagues spread. With death becoming
commonplace, entropic cults like that of
Darga (a northern alias of Thanatos) spread
in Nordurland and in the Bay of Kammin
region. The fatal blow was however delivered
by the crop failures caused by the WitchQueens ice spells. Nevertheless, this was
also an age of positive developments in the
northern realms, as testified by the military
reform of AC 320 in Kaarjala - which de facto
marked the birth of the Saamari noble class and the creation of the Saiema (the nobles
parliament) in Littonia in AC 454.
Nordurlanders and Dwarves Settle

Norwold
The turn of the modern age marked a time of
population rise in Nordurland. Starting from
AC 100, the Nordurlanders began to settle
the lower reaches of Norwold, up to the
Strand region; farms and hamlets were
gradually built all over the coastal strip which
runs around the Bay of Kammin and east of
the Final Range. The main colonization drive
would last up to around AC 300. The
northward expansion was also driven by the
Nordurlanders frequent conflicts against the
southern Ethengar hordes - in fact, around
AC 100, the empire of the Great Khan Muhuli
extended his control over all Nordurland and
lower Norwold, up to the Skaufskogr Hills (it
would dissolve a decade later).
Likewise, around AC 200, the Rockhome
dwarves policy of establishing colonies and
settlements in foreign countries was well
underway. The first dwarven clans also
reached Norwold around this time, exploring
its reaches and searching for the best places
- that is, near mineral resources - to settle. In
the next three centuries a number of small
dwarven communities were established all
over central and southern Norwold Stormhaven, in the Ironroot Mountains, was
founded around AC 400.
The Reign of the Witch-Queen

In AC 286, a young Vanatic priestess of Mara
(Hel) named Akra was blamed for charming
her tribes chief and was cast out of the tribe.
During her exile, she stumbled upon
Alphatian ruins dating back to Alinors time,
and discovered a cache of hidden spellbooks
and arcane secrets. With the aid of her
Immortal patron, she deciphered the books
and quickly increased her powers, acquiring
great mastery of cold-related magics. After
years spent increasing her powers, in AC 298
Akra assembled around her a secret fraternity
of Mara-worshipping witches skilled in the
use of cold energies: the "Sisterhood of the
Ice Witches" was thus born, with the goal to
rule Norwold and to bring over the region an
eternal winter. The Ice Witches began to
expand their influence over many Vanatic
The Middle Centuries

(AC 300-510)
The historians call Norwolds Middle
Centuries the time which ranges from the
reign of Akra the Witch-Queen (AC 322) to
the failure of the first Alphatian colonization
(AC 510). As the preceding age had been one
27
Issue #7
and Norwolder tribes, and to enlist in their

service humanoids, ice creatures, giants, and
white dragons. Akra established her lair in
the Ice Cavern, located in the depths of the
modern Quesa's Massif.
In AC 322, the Ice Witches decided that time
was right to put Norwold under their rule.
Joining the influence of her Sisterhood to her
great magical powers and to the strength of
her armies, Akra imposed her domination
over a large part of north-central Norwold,
and proclaimed herself "Witch-Queen of
Norwold".25 She managed to expand her
control up to the whole Great Bay and the
eastern coast, enslaving native peoples who
opposed her with sheer force, and subverting
the human tribes from within thanks to the
covert actions of her Ice Witches. In central
Norwold, only the dragons of the Wyrms
Head Mountains and the elves of the
Lothbarth Forest (thanks to Ilsundals
protection) managed to stay free from her
rule.
formed or old ones enlarged, and became
the shelter of all sorts of ice-loving creatures.
In AC 330, Akra used her powerful spells to

make Norwolds climate colder, with the
purpose to turn the region into a land of ice
and death, to honour her patron Mara;
snowstorms and blizzards became more
frequent in the next years, sometimes even
hitting Norwold at the fringes of the winter
season. This process culminated with the socalled Sunless Year (AC 335), when in
central Norwold bad weather with snow and
ice ran for months even during summer,
while on the mountain peaks new glaciers
The End of Akras Tyranny

During those years, many of Norwolds
native peoples and races died of cold and
starvation - crops failed due to bad weather,
and more famines ensued. Faced with the
prospect of gradually dying or being
transformed into ice-creatures themselves,
groups of tribal chiefs, shamans, and priests
belonging to the tribes and clans of all the
races who opposed Akra's rule began to form
a resistance movement against the evil WitchQueen. After many years of skirmishes and
battles at the borders of Akras domain, the
25
Th e ch aracters of th e W itch -Q ueen A k ra an d

Q ues a, as wel l as th e I ce Cave, are b riefl y
men tion ed in th e n ovel R og ues to R ich es , b y
J .R . K in g .
28
Issue #7
Sunless Year marked the widespread

rebellion of Akras subject peoples.
As Akra was occupied with the vast rebellion
which was sweeping her domain, in AC 336
a coven of three ambitious Ice Witches
belonging to the entourage of the WitchQueen rebelled against her, allying with the
resistance groups which had been fighting
Akras minions in various parts of Norwold.
While the rebel armies engaged Akras
minions, the three traitorous witches
cornered the Witch-Queen in the Ice Cave
and finally destroyed her; Akras white
dragon Quesa was trapped inside the Ice
Cave and bound there by a powerful sorcery
of the three witches. Without the WitchQueens leadership, the domain of Akra
crumbled swiftly, the enslaved clans and
tribes recovered their freedom while a
general counter attack scattered the
remaining ice creatures that had allied with
Akra. Subsequently, the Ice Witches who
were part of the Sisterhood were hunted
down everywhere; a very few of them
managed to hide and go underground,
disappearing and losing contact with one
another.
dreams and visions) regarding forthcoming

threats.
The Rise of the Sons of Cnute

The Middle Centuries also saw the rise of a
unified Kingdom of Ostland. Around AC 400,
a handful of war leaders rose to prominence
in the coasts of Noslo and Kalslo Islands,
Ostland. They united small communities into
larger war clans through conquest, marriage,
and diplomacy. While they battled each other
constantly, they also brought on a
development of the Ostlander seaborne war
and raiding techniques. Their rise marked
the start of an age of Ostlander raiding
activity, which extended from Thyatis,
Alasiya, and the Isle of Dawn in the south, to
Nordurland and Norwold in the north.
The three witches that contributed to the fall

of Akra went to live on Mount Crystykk,
north of the infamous Ice Cave from where
the Witch-Queen ruled. They assume on
themselves the duty to keep everyone out of
the Ice Cave and from delving again into
Akras secrets; their goal is to shelter the
races of Norwold from the resurgence of
similar threats. The three witches become
known as the Crones of Crystykk, and over
time they come to be considered as oracles
of Norwold, willing to advise those who visit
them, and to diffuse warnings (in the form of
In AC 478, the most powerful jarl of Noslo

Island, Cnute the Bold, managed to defeat
all his rivals and to unify the Ostland
archipelago under his rule; he was
proclaimed King of Ostland. Under Cnute,
Ostland continued to carry on its reaving
tradition, and became a new, feared and
warlike political player in the north. Cnute
carried on an expansionist policy as well: in
AC 500, his three younger sons led a series of
29
Issue #7
an ambitious colonization project in

Norwold, with the immediate aim to collect
raw resources (minerals and timber) for the
empires mainland, and the future goal to
use it as a base for the conquest of the
Known World from the north, crushing
Thyatis in the middle.26 A third, secret aim of
the emperor was creating a strong additional
power base for himself and his dynasty.
Thanks to a time of relative peace in relations
with Thyatis, a carefully-planned expedition
established the fortified outpost of
Delphradin at the mouth of the Sabre River,
south of the Alphan Peninsula. Local tribes
and clans were scattered or enslaved, and
many more outposts and towns were
founded. By AC 490, the Alphatian colony in
Norwold was at its height, stretching from
the Wotandal in the east to the Scarlet Forest
in the west, and from the Great Bays coast in
the north up to the Dragons Tail range in
the south. Trade with the mainland was
flourishing, and some Alphatian wizards including the emperor himself - had even
built summer palaces and hidden research
towers in the region.
expeditions to colonize the coasts of

Vestland; they penetrated in the interior,
successfully battling against the trolls and the
giants, and were welcomed by the local
human population. The Vestland region was
thus brought under the dominion of the
Ostlander king.
A decade later (AC 510), the hero Thelvyn
Foxeyes and his companions penetrated into
the lair of the mad red dragon Kardyer, in the
Makkres mountains, and killed the beast; the
dragons death freed the other lesser dragons
of the area and the local orc and goblin
tribes. The humans of the Soderfjord
coastlands were as well free from Kardyers
tyranny; afterwards, with the contribution of
outcasts and settlers from nearby Ostland,
small independent jarldoms started forming
in this region.
However, in an attempt to bring the

Foresthome elves of the Scarlet Forest and
those who lived in the Wyrmwoods under
their fold, the Alphatians unwittingly angered
the Wyrmsteeth dragons, who had an old
alliance with the local elven clans. By the end
of the century, dragon attacks at the borders
The First Alphatian Colonization

26
Th is A l ph atian col on iz ation ties b oth to th e

even ts tol d in CM3 Sab re R iver an d to th e pl ot
of th e Drag on l ord Tril og y n ovel s b y T.
Gun n ars s on ; it fol l ows th e l atters pl acemen t
aroun d th e b eg in n in g of th e 6 t h cen tury A C (A C
5 0 4 -5 1 3 to b e precis e). Th e n ame of th e
Emperor Vol os pin I I I comes from A l ph atian
R ul ers s in ce Lan dfal l (b y J . Guerra).
The latter half of the Middle Centuries also

saw the first Alphatian attempt to colonize
the Great Bay region after the fall of the
ancient Kingdom of Alphia. Around AC 450,
the Alphatian Emperor Volospin III started
30
Issue #7
the Collar of Dragons from Windreachs

vault - a theft of which the dragons accused
the Alphatians. On the other hand, the Battle
of the Sabre River had persuaded the
majority of the Alphatian Grand Council of
the need to put the Norwold affairs under
of the Alphatian colony had become

commonplace, and were joined by a large
alliance of Norwolder tribes which scored its
first victory on the field against the Alphatian
armies in AC 500 (Battle of Scarlets Edge).
As this was not enough, the emperor was
caught in a financial scandal in AC 493, when
members of the Grand Council discovered
that he had used funds from the imperial
treasury to build personal assets of his own
house in Norwold; further investigations also
exposed the truth that various Grand Council
members had been bribed by the emperor in
order to lend their support for the
continuation of the Great Bay colonization.
Political infighting and intrigue moved the
imperial crowns attention from the Norwold
events to the situation at home. This turn of
events made the sending of reinforcements
and help to the Norwold colony effectively
impossible.
the Councils control, and it ultimately

decreed the sending of reinforcements to the
colony.
But it was too late to save Delphradin: after
many skirmishes and battles, the Wyrmsteeth
dragons penetrated into the Alphatian
territories and put the city under siege while
the Alphatians set up a desperate resistance;
eventually the dragons managed to conquer
the city, but not before the Alphatians
managed to evacuate most of their troops
and personnel. The dragons reduced the
Alphatian capital to rubble. In AC 510, the
Alphatian Empire sent a mighty fleet to
retake possession of Delphradin and push
the dragons back from the colonys territory
- but their fleet was met at sea by the
dragons, and completely destroyed; unable
to send - due to the dragons presence - any
aid to the surviving settlements in Norwold,
the Alphatian Empires control over the
Great Bay area rapidly waned, and the rest of
The 6 century AC opened with general

unrest in the Norwold colony by the subject
peoples, and barbarian and dragon attacks at
its borders. The Alphatians began to lose
ground and were pushed back toward the
Sabre River, until in AC 507 the main
Alphatian army was slaughtered by a smaller
barbarian host in the Battle of Sabre River;
during the battle, the Alphatian general
invoked a powerful curse on the region,
throwing his magic sword in the river below
before falling himself in it to his doom. The
river became known as the Sabre River due
to the generals magical sword thrown into it.
th
Following the Alphatians disastrous setback,

the Wyrmsteeth dragons commitment
against them would have likely lessened was
it not for the theft of the artefact known as
31
Issue #7
waged war on them (see the previous

paragraph). Afterwards, when it was
discovered that a sect of Flaemish wizards
had stolen the Collar, the dragons again
turned their wrath against the Highlands,
coming to siege the capital city of Braejr
itself. The battle was stopped when an
emissary of the Great One revealed that the
general of the Flaemish and allied armies, the
hero Thelvyn, was in truth a gold dragon and
a son of the Great One himself (AC 511). In
the following years, Thelvyn would recover
the Collar, being hailed as the Dragonking,
and led the resistance of the peoples of the
Known World and the dragons against the
alien menace of an immensely powerful
being, the Overlord, who invaded Mystara
with a huge army. After the latters defeat in
AC 513, Thelvyn became Immortal and Ruler
of the Lawful Dragons with the name of
Diamond. In the next couple of centuries,
peace would rule between dragons and other
races as a result of Thelvyns feats, but from
the 8th century AC on, the Dragon Nation
again lost much of its authority and the
dragons of Norwold again started to behave
independently of it - even if no all-out war
against humans or other races has happened
since the Time of the Second Dragonlord.
the Alphatian settlements were left to fend

for themselves.
The Time of the Second Dragonlord
While the events of the Alphatian
colonization were unfolding, at the end of
the Middle Centuries the Known World and
Norwold were also involved in the Time of
the Second Dragonlord (AC 504-513).27
Dragon activity had increased after the WitchQueens demise: more dragons defied the
rules of the Dragon Nation, going renegade
and attacking the human settlements. These
raids became more frequent and more
devastating at the turn of the 6th century AC,
ravaging parts of Genalleth, Nordurland, and
lower Norwold. In AC 505, a large flock of
dragons under the leadership of a powerful
renegade was positioned to attack the
Flaemish Highlands (nowadays Glantri), but
the dragon army disbanded after their leader
was defeated by the hero Thelvyn Foxeyes,
who had recovered the Dragonlord Arms
from their vault in the Endworld Line.28
In the next few years, however, the theft of
the Collar of Dragons - an artefact of
historical meaning for the wyrms - from
Windreachs vaults again sparked conflict
between the dragons and the other races. At
first the dragons thought the Alphatians who
had started a colonization of the Great Bay in
Norwold were responsible for the theft, and
The Time of the New Kingdoms

(AC 510-900)
The Alphatian Successor States
27
Th e fol l owin g even ts are tol d in th e

Drag on l ord Tril og y n ovel s , b y T. Gun n ars s on . I
us ed LoZ ompatores an al y s is to h el p s ettin g th e
timin g of th e even ts .
2 8 Durin g th os e even ts , th e g n omis h city of
Tork y n F al l s , l ocated in th e Th ree F ires
Vol can oes in th e eas tern W en darian R an g es ,
was ab an don ed after h avin g b een h it h ardl y b y
th e drag on s .
The retreat of the Alphatian imperial troops

from Norwold left many of the local
settlements they had established - those
which had survived the recent war against
local populations and dragons - at the mercy
of the native humanoid and human barbarian
32
Issue #7
they had lost any contact with the Alphatian

Empire and thus were absolutely harmless to
them.
clans. The Alphatian ruling class had left the

region, leaving the Alphatian commoners to
defend themselves. Some of the settlements
were destroyed, their inhabitants scattered or
enslaved; some others were conquered by
the barbarians, but the latter absorbed some
traits of the settlers culture, replacing the
Alphatian as ruling class but mostly
preserving the trappings of civilization; in
still others, the Alphatians managed to hold
on and preserve their control of the territory.
The Wyrmsteeth dragons were not interested
anymore in destroying these dominions, as
These various petty kingdoms and domains

ranged from the Katfjellene and the Giants
Mountains to the west up to the Peninsula of
Alpha, and the Raiders Point to the east, and
from the Great Bay to the north to the
Dragons Tail Range to the south. Theirs was
not an easy existence - troubled as they were
by resource shortages, decline of trade,
almost constant skirmishes and wars, and
continuous threat of invasion by barbarian
clans, humanoid tribes, and giant or dragon
raiders. Some of them changed hand a
number of times during the course of the
next three centuries, others fell more
quickly, and very few even experienced a
time of relative prosperity and rise.
The Birth of Denagoth and Essuria
During the 6th century AC, the Denagothian
Plateau also underwent a process of
kingdom-building, as the High Priestess of
Idris, Nalla, managed to assemble an alliance
of Denagothian clans and to establish the
Kingdom of Denagoth, with herself as queen,
in the central area of the plateau (AC 563).
Not long after, an Icereacher barbarian
warlord named Nebunar conquered the
plateaus eastern clans, and then allied with
the Geffron elves to establish the Kingdom of
Essuria (AC 596). Nebunars successors
founded the Teriak dynasty and consolidated
the power of Essuria, while a rival branch of
the Teriaks was raised by Nalla to the throne
of Denagoth. The two kingdoms of the
plateau began a centuries-long struggle for
supremacy - Denagoth under the influence of
the Church of Idris, Essuria enjoying the
33
Issue #7
War and Expansionism North of the

Great Bay
alliance of the Geffronell elves. Essuria

expanded in the next centuries mostly at the
expense of nearby Denagoth, up to the
latters fragmentation (AC 839), becoming
the dominant power of the plateau; Essurian
kings settled the northern regions of the
plateau (where various domains, among
whom was Ghyr, were founded), exerted
their influence over the centaur tribes of the
Vinisk River valley, and extended their trade
network up to the Bay of Kammin (the
earliest settlement in the Landfall site was
established by Essurians in AC 860); less
successful and soon abandoned were instead
Essurias early attempts to conquer the
Nordurlander freeholds (Battle of Naga
River, AC 648).
The beginning of the 7th century AC also

heralded troubled times for the northern
peoples of Norwold. In AC 630 the Saamaris
western kin, the Vaarana, were forced to
abandon their realm of Isanmaa, west of the
Icereach Range, due to massive humanoid
attacks, and migrated toward Kaarjala - with
a huge horde of humanoids after them. The
humanoid invaders hard-pressed the
Kaarjalans, but were ultimately repelled in
the Battle of Skulls (AC 640, in the Plain of
Skulls) thanks to the aid of the Littonians, the
Viaskodas, and the Sarkan goblins. In the
aftermath of the battle, Kaarjala had to
sustain a war with the northern Shonaks,
who were defeated as well (Battle of the
White Siedi, AC 654). As a result of those
events, the Vaarana settled south and west of
Kaarjala, leading a semi-nomadic lifestyle.
The Kingdom of Kaarjala itself underwent an
age of expansion in the following decades,
and for a time (AC 663-770) it became the
dominant power in the far north, with some
of its kings even assuming the imperial title
of keisari. On the other hand, this
contributed to reducing Littonias military
power and political influence, more so
because the kingdoms attention was drawn
by bloody wars against neighbouring
humanoids (like the Bloody Waters goblins);
nevertheless the small coastal realm saw a
gradual growth of urban population, of crafts
and trade during the 9th century AC (which
was not halted by the events of the Ice Witch
Frota, see below).
Vestland Gains Independence

The beginning of the 7th century AC saw
important events take place also in the
Northern Reaches, where the mainland jarls
resentment toward the rapacious greed of
the Ostlander monarchs would swiftly erupt
into a ten-years long rebellion (AC 604-614),
which ended with the defeat of the Ostlander
host at the Battle of Bridenfjord and the
proclamation of the independent Kingdom
of Vestland under Jarl Gendar the Good,
who assumed the name of Ottar I the Just.
The Ruthinian Cult29 gained diffusion in
Vestland in the following years due to the
sponsorship it gave to the feats of Gendar.
29
Th e R uth in ian F aith is featured in modul e

X 1 3 Crown of A n cien t Gl ory , for th e h is torical
pl acemen t of wh ich I ch os e to fol l ow PW A I (s ee
footn ote 4 6 , b el ow). Even ts reg ardin g th is cul t
in th is articl e fol l ow th e en try ab out th e
R uth in ian F aith foun d in Codex I mmortal is ,
B ook Two: R el ig ion s of My s tara (b y M.
Dal mon te).
34
Issue #7
The Updated List of the Kings of Essuria and Denagoth

The following tables shows the version of the royal succession in Essuria and Denagoth
which I have used for the present article. The list is consistent with information about the
Essurian monarchs found in X11 Saga of the Shadowlord, and borrows some of the kings
names from GAZF2 Denizens of Denagoth (by JTR).
Teriak Kings of Essuria

Nebunar
Arus
Ankarus
Kalidor
Arathon
Sandryn
Telles
Thalis
Naren
Halvan
Gallathon
Mirimar
Vespen
Landryn
Kingdom destroyed
Reign (AC)
596-628
628-659
659-679
679-714
714-726
726-741
741-766
766-792
792-822
822-838
838-863
863-882
882-889
889-894
894-...
Kings of Denagoth
Nalla
Reign (AC) Notes

563-628
High Priestess of Idris.
Younger son of King Nebunar
628-634
of Essuria, husband of Nalla.
634-690
Son, husband of Nalla.
690-715
715-757
757-788
788-812
812-839
839-893
893-894
King of Essuria.
894-...
Gereth
Landru
Dallovan
Ranyn
Ranak
Beldan
Garlan
Kingdom fragmented
Landryn
Kingdom fragmented
Notes
Icereacher warlord.
Elder son of Nebunar.
Son of Arus.
Son of Ankarus.
Grandson of Kalidor.
Sister of Arathon.
Son of Sandryn.
Son of Telles.
Nephew of Thalis.
Younger brother of Naren.
Son of Halvan.
Son of Gallathon.
Son of Mirimar.
Younger brother of Vespen.
35
Issue #7
troll realm crumble once and for all - but the

envious and quarrelsome jarls of Nordurland
could not stand the presence of a strong
king, and had Heldann poisoned after the
battle (AC 710). Thus, despite attempts by
Heldanns successors of clan Haldis to keep
the realm together, it soon fragmented in a
multitude of independent domains, whose
leaders hypocritically named it the Heldann
Freeholds to honour their deceased warlord.
Vranakigs Empire
Near the mid-8th century AC, most of the
petty domains which had survived the fall of
the old Alphatian colonies in the southwestern Great Bay area were conquered by a
large alliance of human barbarians,
humanoid tribes, and centaur clans held
together by Vranakig, a charismatic ogre
warlord, who invaded the region between
the Bloody Scythe and the Great Bay from
the Valley of the Wind and installed himself
as a self-styled emperor. His domain went on
for a couple of decades (AC 754-771), but
when he was killed the area fell into anarchy,
was ravaged by internecine wars between the
leaders of Vranakigs army, and by further
invasions and rebellions. All the trappings of
civilization were lost by the end of the
century. Only some coastal villages and
wilderness ruins still testify to the late
existence of the small successor domains of
the Alphatian colonies in that region.
The Feats of Heldann the Brave

The end of the 7th century AC saw the rise of
a powerful troll realm in Nordurlands
southern reaches. The local human clans
were spurred to ally together to face the
trolls threat, and ultimately they formed a
unified realm under the leadership of
Heldann the Brave, of clan Haldis (AC 707).
Three years later Heldann led the
Nordurlanders to victory over the trolls in
the Battle of Gil Eldur30 - which made the
The Vatski Settle Down

The 9th century AC was a time of great
changes and turmoil for the Vanatic tribes of
central Norwold. After a powerful dragon
ruler of the Wyrmsteeth Range attained
immortality - releasing all his dragon vassals
30
Th y atian an d H el dan n ic h is torian s report th e

n ame of th e b attl e in its H attian tran s l ation
(F euerh al s ). Some Eth en g arian trib es an d th e
K in g of Ves tl an d were al l ies of H el dan n durin g
th e war ag ain s t th e trol l s .
36
Issue #7
concentrated effort, the empire chose to

spread smaller colonization expeditions over
a larger area. Starting from AC 868,
settlements were established in the Great
Bay32 and on the eastern coast, up to the
Kasverian Peninsula. These expeditions, most
of them enjoying little or no direct support
from the empire itself, were met with mixed
outcomes - some of them succeeded, others
failed (such as the one led by Prince Gaernil
of Shiye-Lawr in the lands north of the Rhien
Forest). Unopposed by the rival Thyatian
Empire - which at this time was undergoing
a half-century of serious internal turmoil and
fragmentation - the Alphatian colonization
attempt might even have succeeded as a
whole, if it was not for an unexpected event.
from his control - infighting among dragons

forced many tribes to relocate, and the
mystical effects of the dragons ascension
also spurred them to adopt a settled lifestyle.
A group of them even invaded the coastal
lands in search of new territories, but were
ultimately repelled (AC 830-834). Eventually,
small domains headed by knyaz and boyarin
(Vyolstagrad was the first of them in AC 840,
Stamtral followed in AC 900) were
established along the southern shores of the
Azure Lake and on the eastern ones of the
Gunaald Lake. The settled Vanatic culture
would become known as the Vatski, while
their brethren who had preserved a seminomadic lifestyle came to be called the
Vrodniki.
The Return of the Ice Witch

In fact, in AC 870 Norwold was hit by one of
the coldest winters in its history. This was
not a natural event, but was the result of the
cold-summoning magics of Frota, a
Norwolder sorceress who had stumbled
upon the Ice Cave and had been possessed
by the Witch-Queen Akras returned spirit.
The Long Winter, as it was called, wiped
away most of the Alphatian colonies in the
Great Bay and on the eastern coast, and
paved the way for the campaign of conquest
by Frotas army of cold-loving creatures and
humanoids. Frotas tyrannical reign extended
over the whole Great Bay, even reaching
The Second Alphatian Colonization

This age ended as it had opened, with
another colonization attempt by the
Alphatian Empire.31 This time, instead of a
too). Ob vious l y , th e referen ce to Ty l ion I V h as

to b e dis carded, b ein g n ot con s is ten t with th e
l atters b ack g roun d.
3 2 On e of th os e domain s was th at of th e
n ecroman cer Meredoth (s ee th e A D&D 2 n d
edition Domain s of Dread campaig n s ettin g ),
wh ich was l ocated on Tods tein I s l an d (in th e
Great B ay ) an d was s pirited away in R aven l oft
durin g th e Lon g W in ter.
31
See Dawn of th e Emperors , B ook Th ree:

Pl ay ers Guide to A l ph atia, pag e 7 (Th e
A l ph atian emperor Ty l ion I V, l ook in g for a way
to recoup s ome of th e Empires l os s es [i.e. th e
l os s of B raejr an d th e defeat of H al z un th ram],
b eg an a col on iz in g effort in th e l on g -forg otten
l an ds of N orwol d - an d even s o, n ot l on g after,
Th y atian s b eg an th eir own s ettl emen ts th ere,
37
Issue #7
Essuria Falls, Wendar Rises
Littonias southern borders. But it was not to

last: in AC 874, Frota managed to free herself
from Akras possession, vanquishing her
spirit and regaining her freedom. While the
domain she had built crumbled and the
peoples she had enslaved rebelled, she
retreated to a secret hideout in the
Ljallenvals Mountains, where she started to
put the Ice Witches lore to use to further her
very own plans of conquest.33
The 9th century AC also had a lasting impact

on the history of the Denagothian Plateau
and nearby Genalleth. Around AC 825, raids
and invasion attempts launched from the
Kingdom of Denagoth against the Genalleth
communities spurred the mysterious sage
Bensarian to bestow on the leader of the
town of Wendar, an elf wizard named
Gylharen, the powerful artefact known as the
Elvenstar - of which Bensarian was the
keeper34 - in order to repel the dangerous
Idris-worshipping Denagothians.35 Due to the
34
B en s arian received th e
from th e
el ves of th e Great F ores t of Geffron after th e
s ag e g ave th e el ves th e evil
for
s afek eepin g an d offered to write th e h is tory of
th e el ven fol k ; th e
h ad b een in turn
dis covered b y Prin ce H al van of Es s uria durin g
th e con s truction of th e Drax Tal l en Maus ol eum,
an d del ivered to B en s arian after H al van
s ucceeded h is b roth er on th e th ron e. A ccordin g
to X 1 1 Sag a of th e Sh adow Lord, th e
con s truction of th e Maus ol eum took pl ace more
th an on e h un dred y ears b efore th e even ts of th e
adven ture, an d th en H al van k ept th e
for y ears b efore as cen din g to th e th ron e.
Ob vious l y th is wh ol e ch ain of even ts h as to tak e
pl ace b efore B en s arian b es tows th e
on
Gy l h aren . A s a s ide n ote, X 1 1 reveal s th at th e
is ol der th an th e el ves an d of
un k n own orig in ; th e artefact was g iven th is
n ame b y B en s arian - wh ich may even mean th at
if th e artefact appeared at oth er times durin g
W en dars pas t, it did s o un der a differen t n ame
an d g uis e.
3 5 A ccordin g to Poor W iz ards A l man ac I , pag e
8 8 , th e artefact was b es towed b y B en s arian on
Gy l h aren ab out 2 0 0 y ears ag o; th is is n ot
con s is ten t with th e date foun d at pag e 1 1 4 of
th e s ame b ook l et, wh en th e even t is s aid to
h ave h appen ed aroun d th e Y ear 9 0 0 . Th e
timel in e pres en ted h ere as s umes th en th at two
s eparate b es towin g even ts h appen ed, b ut does
n ot g o furth er on to detail th e reas on b eh in d
th at.
33
Th e ch aracter of F rota appears in th e n ovel

, b y J .R . K in g ; th e I ce W itch
wil l en act h er mas ter pl an (th e on e tol d in th e
n ovel ) in A C 1 0 1 0 .
38
Issue #7
prestige acquired in the defence of Genalleth

against this and subsequent attacks from
Denagoth, Gylharen became a sort of
regional leader, and many other local leaders
began pledging loyalty to him in the
following four decades; he styled himself as
the Wizard-King. But the hardest trial for
him would still be to come.
retreated beyond the Mengul Mountains.

This further great victory won over the
resistance of all the remaining independent
lords of Genalleth, who at last resolved to
unify in one realm under the leadership of
Gylharen, who was crowned King of Wendar
in AC 901.36
After the dissolution of Denagoth in AC 839,

the Kingdom of Essuria had grown more
decadent and weak. At last, Landryn, brother
of King Vespen, poisoned his brethren,
assumed the throne of Essuria (AC 889) and
allied himself with the Church of Idris,
receiving in turn the crown of the Kingdom
of Denagoth with the aim to unify the realm
again and to exterminate the plateaus elven
clans (AC 893). But this would seal both the
fate of Essuria and Denagoth alike. The elf
king of the Lothenar Forest, Denolas, called
on the help of the lawful human tribes of the
Northern Wildlands, who descended on
Denagoth and Essuria, scattering Landryns
armies, sieging and destroying Drax Tallen,
the Essurian capital, and putting an end to
Landryns foul rule (AC 894). The oncemighty Kingdom of Essuria was no more, and
the Denagothian Plateau was in complete
chaos.
The Age of Empires

(AC 900-today)
The Empires Partition of Norwold
The opening of the new century coincided
with a renewed expansion drive of the
Thyatian Empire, which had been internally
pacified and stabilized after the last halfcentury of turmoil by the new Emperor
Gabrionius IV. Besides the empires other
targets - Traladara, the Isle of Dawn, and the
western Gulf of Hule - Norwold was also part
of the expansion policy. In AC 900, the
Thyatians established a major colony,
Oceansend, in the middle of the eastern
coast, and several minor outposts were
founded north and south of it in the few next
years.37 This ambitious expansion, in a
theatre considered by Alphatia within her
own sphere of influence, sparked a long war
between the two empires (AC 904-912),
which saw the Thyatians prevailing due to
the lack of commitment by the Alphatian
imperial army.38 As a result of the peace
Only a few years passed before Landryn

resurfaced again under the guise of the
Shadowlord, still closely allied with the
Church of Idris; this time the villain
succeeded in conquering the Lothenar Forest
and killing Denolas (AC 899), then started
the invasion of Genalleth, which put him
against Gylharen in what is known as the
Wizards War (AC 900-901). Gylharen, again
thanks to the Elvenstar given him by
Bensarian, defeated the Shadowlord, who
36
Gy l h aren s coron ation date is foun d in

J os h uan s A l man ac.
3 7 Th e n orth ern mos t Th y atian outpos t was
A dia, on th e coas t n orth -eas t of th e Drag on
Spur H il l s . I t b ecame de facto in depen den t after
th e treaty of A C 9 1 2 , wh en it was con quered b y
Somey s of A rog an s a, an A l ph atian ex il e, wh o
es tab l is h ed th ere th e domain of Somy ra.
3 8 Empres s Ty l ari I I I s l eaders h ip was l ack in g
b ecaus e s h e was al ready after h er s earch for
39
Issue #7
fragmented beyond hope once more, a

battlefield between rival army commanders,
humanoid leaders, and local warlords. The
same adventurers later chased Landryn to his
last hideout in Drax Tallen and destroyed
him once and for all (AC 932). Under
Gylharens rule, Wendar would prosper in
the peaceful decades that followed.40
agreements, Thyatis got the northern tip of

the Isle of Dawn, and Norwold was divided
into two spheres of influence - the Thyatian
one from Oceansend (included) to the south,
the Alphatian one north of the city.
Oceansend became a major port in the
following
decades,
and
powerful
fortifications were erected around it. Under
Thyatis influence also fell the small fishing
village of Niur, born on the remains of the
older Essurian trading post found at the
modern Landfalls site - which had been
pillaged and abandoned after the fall of the
Kingdom of Essuria. The village saw
immigration by many undesirable elements pirates, smugglers, thieves - in the following
years, grew into a sizeable town and assumed
the name of Landfall in AC 935.39 Thyatis
exerted little control over Landfall, whose
reputation of crime grew unchecked during
the course of the century.
Rise and Fall of the Shadowlord
Despite the foundation of the Kingdom of
Wendar and the defeat of the Shadowlord in
the Wizards War, Genalleth and the plateau
underwent another time of troubles. The
Shadowlord, in fact, managed to arrange the
theft of the Elvenstar from Wendar (AC 930).
Weakened by drought and famine,
unprotected by the artefacts powers, the
kingdom was about to fall before another
invasion from Denagoth, but a party of brave
adventurers reached the Shadowlords keep
at Gereth Minar, defeated Landryn,
recovered the Elvenstar and took it back to
Gylharen, saving the day (AC 931). Denagoth
40
I mmortal ity .
Th e town s foun dation date is foun d in its
en try in Poor W iz ards A l man ac I , pag e 4 9 .
Th e even ts des crib ed in th is parag raph are

in cl uded in th e modul e X 1 1 Sag a of th e
Sh adowl ord.
39
40
Issue #7
group of adventurers to find the artefact.41

The Quest for the Heartstone was carried
out successfully; with the artefact in her
hands, the queen chose a new husband and
king, and Ghyr continued to prosper,
entering the second millennium as the
leading power of the area.42
Ghyr and the Quest for the Heartstone

In the north-eastern third of the Denagothian
Plateau, the fall of Essuria had left the local
marches without a ruler, and the area
fragmented under a multitude of petty feudal
lords, among whom a handful of the most
powerful took the title of king (among them
was Qasmar, ruler of Ghyr). These domains
entered a time of turmoil after the discovery
of deposits of a strange gem-like mineral
which harboured magical properties in the
Essurian Arm and Isbreidd Mountains; these
gemstones were called the prisms. The
various lords began to fight among
themselves to get their hands on the prisms,
starting a series of endemic skirmishes and
raids which are known as the Prism Wars (AC
915-932). Some of these lords even struck
deals with the Shadowlord in order to secure
the villains help in the war. Nevertheless,
thanks to the Heartstone - a magical artefact
sent by his Immortal patron He Who
Watches, which allowed him to see into
other peoples hearts and desires - King
Qasmar of Ghyr put together a stable alliance
of loyal lords and brought the wars to an
end, enlarging his kingdom and becoming a
recognized regional power.
The Order of Vanya Conquers the

Heldann Freeholds
For the Heldann Freeholds, the 10th century
AC opened with the threat of an invasion
from Ethengar; the tribes there united under
Toktai Khan, who was repulsed twice by the
Heldanners, but in the end managed to
destroy the town of Hayavik before dying (AC
926). The Ethengar khans began quarrelling
among themselves, which saved the
freeholds from conquest. However the
enemy who would put an end to the
Heldanners freedom was not going to come
from the steppes, but from the sea. In AC 950
the Order of Vanya, a Hattian military order
fanatically devoted to the Immortal Vanya,
attacked Haldisvall - the stronghold of the
Haldis clan - by surprise, swiftly conquering
the town and renaming it Freiburg; most of
the rest of the freeholds south of the
Altenwald were conquered by the Order
within AC 960. The Hattian conquerors
recasted the Order in AC 952 as the
Heldannic Knights, with the purpose of
appealing to the local population - with
mixed success. A new aggressive and
His son, Ganto, who had achieved many

victories as military leader during the Prism
Wars, succeeded him in AC 948, and kept his
prosperous kingdom in peace while the rest
of the Denagothian Plateau was ravaged by
civil wars after the ultimate destruction of
Landryn. What Ganto and Qasmar before him
tried not to let others know was that in AC
933 the precious Heartstone had been stolen
from their vault; they managed to keep this
secret until AC 985, when Ganto died
childless and his young wife Leahrah hired a
41
Th e pal adin Stron g b ow, th e pries tes s

Mercion , an d th e h al fl in g F ig g en - n owaday s
wel l -k n own h eroes in th e I eren di I s l an ds - were
part of th is party .
4 2 Th e even ts s ummed up in th is parag raph are
tol d in th e modul e X L1 Q ues t for th e
H earts ton e.
41
Issue #7
Alphatian Kingdom of Norwold to recognize

as the northern limit to their expansion.
The Spike Assault and its Consequences
for Norwold
A new war between the rival empires of
Thyatis and Alphatia would change again the
political balance in Norwold. Spurred by the
weakening of Thyatis during the reign of
Emperor Gabrionius V, the Alphatian
Emperor Tylion IV launched a bold attack
called the Spike Assault aimed at the
conquest of the enemy capital city. The attack
nearly succeeded, but the new Emperor
Thincol Torion repelled the invaders and the
war dragged on in the Isle of Dawn (AC 959962). During the war, the colony of
Oceansend, fearing for its fate as other
surrounding Thyatian outposts were being
destroyed or conquered by the Alphatians,
chose to declare itself independent from
Thyatis (AC 960). After the peace treaty of AC
962, both empires recognized Oceansends
independence, and Thyatis relinquished any
control over southern Norwold. Oceansend
had to drop any claim over the nearby Isles
of the Strand, where the Alphatians installed
a garrison to keep an eye on the free city and
to better watch passage through the Strait of
Helskir.
expansionist power had entered the political

stage of the north.
Refugees from the freeholds flocked to
southern Norwold and Wendar, while the
Altenwald became the base of operation of
Heldanner partisans bent on driving out the
Hattians from their homeland, under the
leadership of the surviving scions of the
Haldis clan. Despite their courage, these
Rangers of Altenwald, as they called
themselves, were unsuccessful - the rebellion
of AC 978-979 nearly succeeded, while their
last attempt to cause a Heldanner uprising in
AC 992-993, which was even supported by
the Alphatians (who by then controlled
Norwold), ended with the capture and
execution of their leader, Halvard Haldis.43
Their resistance movement slowly fell on the
defensive and its members reduced in
number, allowing the Knights to extend their
control over the last freeholds located
between the Altenwald and the Heldland
River - which the Knights agreed with the
In the years following the war, as the new

Alphatian Empress Eriadna turned her eyes
away from Norwold to the situation at home,
Thincol, still unable to directly act against his
rival, spurred the Ostlander clans to raid the
Norwold coasts. The raids climaxed in AC
970-975, when the Ostlanders seized the
Isles of the Strand and established the
domain of Ostmark, as well as some minor
domains along the northern coasts (Noskien,
43
Th os e even ts are des crib ed in GA Z F 7 Th e

H el dan n ic Order (b y J TR ).
42
Issue #7
with Thyatis allowed Ostland to send its

raiders against the coasts of Norwold and to
take part in skirmishes against Alphatian
forces on the Isle of Dawn. In AC 987
Emperor Thincol even agreed to marry his
daughter Stefania to Prince Alfgeir,44 son of
King Hord of Ostland - but when Stefania
stabbed her husband to death a serious
diplomatic breakup happened between
Thyatis and Ostland, with the Northman
raiders starting to plunder for a while the
coasts of the Thyatian side of the Isle of
Dawn in retaliation. The Thyatian diplomacy
ultimately managed to heal the diplomatic
wound, and more recently also allowed
Ostland to establish colonies in northern
Westrourke.
founded by a Soderfjordan pirate) as well as

into the Great Bay (where an Ostlander
raider conquered the small Alphatian holding
of Hastamal).
In the second half of the century Vestland,

under King Gudmund,45 started a
colonization program aimed mostly at the
Trollheim area, where several dominions
were established. The program however
brought Vestland at odds with the
neighbouring Ethengarian tribes and with
the Eridians, a barbarian and savage people
who lived in the hills forming the border
between Vestland and the Heldannic
Territories. In AC 974, King Gudmund fell in
battle against the Eridians, but what was
worse was that the Sorona, the magical
crown worn by the Vestlander kings and
symbol of kingship, was lost with him. His
The Northern Reaches in the Last

Century
In the Northern Reaches, the 10th century AC
brought important changes in the three
Northman nations. The jarls of Soderfjord
answered the continuous raids from
Ostlanders, gnolls, and giants by forming the
League of Nordhartar (AC 950), a very loose
confederation of allied dominions which
should have helped each other in time of
war; the League allied itself with Ylaruam and
Vestland to discourage attacks from Ostland.
44
A l fg eir s h oul d h ave b een th e on l y s on of

K in g H ord an d Q ueen R h ora of Os tl an d; th e
queen l ater died in ch il db irth , an d th e b ab y was
l os t as wel l .
4 5 A s th e roy al Ves tl an der cus tom dictates ,
Gudmun d is th e n ame - tak en from th e
N orth man s ag as an d my th ol og y - wh ich Prin ce
Maramet as s umed upon h is as cen s ion to th e
th ron e. See th e en try on th e R uth in ian F aith in
Codex I mmortal is , B ook Two: R el ig ion s of
My s tara (b y M. Dal mon te).
In the last century and a half, Ostland had

seen its maritime power decline and had
been left isolated on the diplomatic stage. In
order to react to those losses and to the
formation of the League of Nordhartar,
Ostland signed a close military alliance with
the Thyatian Empire (AC 950). The alliance
43
Issue #7
of Raiders Point. Moreover, on the site of the

modern city of Alpha was also found a
domain centred on the trading town of
Holfa, which had risen to a renewed
prosperity under a native dynasty after the
fall of Frota. Apart from the conquest of
Hastamal by Ostlander pirates (AC 973) and
the ravaging of Somyra by bands of
humanoids and giants coming from the
Dragon Spur Hills (AC 982), the other
domains fared moderately well in those
decades, even if they had to periodically cope
with the usual threats of Norwold - barbarian
raiders, rampaging monsters, and bad
weather. In AC 983, Holfa was eventually
freed from a thousand-year old curse which
hampered the use of the best part of its port,
opening new possibilities for the towns
excellent location.47
son Thendel was killed in the same year by

rebel jarls. A Regency Council was
established, but without a king and the
Sorona its power quickly waned and the
realm was on the verge of dissolution. It was
then that Annacks, patriarch of the Ruthinian
Cult, in AC 979 hired a group of adventurers
to find the lost Sorona and bring it back to
the legitimate heir to the throne - the twin
brother of Thendel, Tenitar, who had been
secretly sent away from the court after his
birth and raised by a hermit to avoid a
succession crisis. Eventually, the adventurers
succeeded in their task, the Sorona was
recovered, the rebel jarls defeated, and
Tenitar crowned King of Vestland under the
name of Harald.46 Vestland quickly recovered
from the crisis and stabilized itself under the
rule of King Harald.
Inner and Northern Norwold in MidCentury
After the defeat of the Ice Witch Frota, only a
handful of Alphatian domains were left
around the Great Bay area. They were the
two allied domains of Therimar and
Hastamal, south-west of the Peninsula of
Alpha, the isolated domain of Nevoshed
along the Foxes River course, the domain of
Khemyr on the south-eastern coast of the
Great Bay, and the domain of Somyra, south
In the Vatski principalities, new domains

were established in this century, like Lazarsk
(AC 940) and some smaller ones, but they
often had a troubled existence - Stamtrals
legitimate ruler was overthrown by a rebel
boyar in AC 977, while Gunvolod was
established by a warband of Heldanner exiles
46
Th es e even ts are tol d in modul e X 1 3 Crown

of A n cien t Gl ory ; wh il e th e adven ture pl acemen t
s ug g es ted b y GA Z 7 Th e N orth ern R each es is A C
1 1 5 0 , I h ave preferred to us e th e pl acemen t
in dicated in PW A I (Ves tl an d en try in th e
Overview of My s tara s ection ) - th at is 3 5
y ears ag o from A C 1 0 1 0 , to b e made
con s is ten t with H aral d Gudmun ds on s can on ical
b irth date, A C 9 5 4 , an d with th e fact th at
H aral d - al ias Ten itar - was 2 5 y ears ol d b y th e
time of X 1 3 .
47
See A city of A l ph a min i-Gaz (b y

LoZ ompatore) for more detail s ab out th is s tory .
44
Issue #7
from the Heldannic Territories, who

conquered and unified a number of local
smaller domains and tribes.
North of the Great Bay, the 10th century AC
was relatively uneventful. Littonia recovered
swiftly from the short domain of the Ice
Witch, and saw an increase of trade and
contacts with the outside world. The
Kingdom of Kaarjala was mostly in peace
during this time, but attempts to imitate
Littonia in the improvement of contacts with
Alphatia and the Known World were not that
successful.
The town of Holfa, in the Great Bay, was
made the centre of the Alphatian Norwold
protectorate, and renamed Alpha. It soon
became a bustling trade and immigration
centre for commoners coming from the
Alphatian mainland in this frontier land.
Great public works and fortifications were
erected there, to make the town grow into a
powerful and populous city.
The Third Alphatian Colonization

Empress Eriadna of Alphatia decided that
time was ripe for a renewed effort of the
empire to secure the Norwold region once
and for all under its control. The campaign
was accurately planned and began in AC 985:
military strength was used when needed
(such as in the conquest of the Ostmark
domain and the destruction of its ruling
clans), but it was accompanied by diplomacy.
The surviving Alphatian-founded domains of
the Great Bay area were more than eager to
see the empire turn on Norwold again, and
even the more independent-minded ones
(like Landfall or other Northman-founded
domains) understood that it was better to
keep their lands and accept the Alphatian
protectorate than end like Ostmark. On the
other hand, the empire was not willing to
devote a costly military campaign to submit
stronger local realms (like Oceansend, Leeha
or Littonia) or those too far from their direct
interests (like Kaarjala or the Vatski domains).
In AC 992, the protectorate was elevated to

the status of a full-fledged kingdom in the
Alphatian Empire, encompassing Norwold
from the Landsplit River to the north up to
the Heldland River to the south and the city
of Helskir on the Isle of Dawn. Eriadna
appointed her non-magical son Ericall as
king, who arrived in that same year with a
team of experienced advisers mostly chosen
by his parents, and established his court in
Alpha. In the next years, Ericall tried to win
the loyalty of the existing dominions by
awarding them a hereditary nobility title in
the kingdoms new aristocratic hierarchy. He
strove to better control the most important
areas of his realm by appointing trusted
functionaries and lords - with mixed success,
and at least one spectacular failure, that is
45
Issue #7
opening of Norwolds riches for exploitation,

and would like to take advantage of the loose
political control exerted by Ericall on the
realm.49
the appointment of the kings half-brother

Lernal as ruler of Landfall. The king
attempted to persuade the independent
domains of Norwold to join his kingdom,
which a couple of Vatski rulers did, but
which was ignored by Oceansend, Leeha,
Littonia, and Kaarjala - Helskir even declared
full independence from Norwold in AC 999 not to speak of the various elven and
dwarven settlements. Ericall allocated funds
to improve the infrastructures of the realm,
which essentially resulted in the construction
of the grand Royal Palace in Alpha, but little
else. Most importantly, Eriadnas son tried to
keep Norwold free from Thyatian influence,
which he failed again to do, as Thyatian spies
infiltrated the kingdom and even managed to
kidnap Ericalls brother Tredorian and halfbrother Farian in AC 999.48
INHABITANTS
In this chapter we will meet the most
important human and non-human cultures
and races of Norwold, and give a brief
account of some of the minor ones.
The Human Cultures of

Norwold
The Norwold region is the home of many
human cultures. Despite the fact that
outsiders often label the whole of them as
the barbarians of Norwold, these cultures
have quite different origins, languages, and
customs. The most important of them are
briefly introduced below.
Today, Empress Eriadna, after nearly ten

years of Ericalls rule in Norwold, expects the
kingdom to contribute to fill the empires
coffers with taxes and feed its industries with
raw resources. Ericall has devised a massive
land-grabbing program to start in AC 1002,
which should bring many settlers to Norwold
and supply the resources for the kingdoms
development which the king could not afford
himself. On the downside, Emperor Thincol
of Thyatis is looking with interest to the
49
Th e future of N orwol d is portray ed in s ome

can on adven ture modul es , l ik e CM2 Death s
R ide, CM3 Th e Sab re R iver, CM4 Earth s h ak er!,
M1 I n to th e Mael s trom, M2 Ven g ean ce of
A l ph ak s , M4 F ive Coin s for a K in g dom, an d M5
Tal on s of N ig h t. I n th is adven ture s eries ,
N orwol d devel ops more or l es s as a feudal
k in g dom un der th e rul e of K in g Erical l , an d
b ecomes in creas in g l y in depen den t from th e
A l ph atian Empire. More ab out th e future of
N orwol d is foun d in W rath of th e I mmortal s an d
th e Poor W iz ards A l man ac s eries , as wel l as in
J os h uan s A l man ac - in th is future, wh ich
s tretch es from A C 1 0 0 4 to A C 1 0 1 3 an d
pres en ts a s omewh at differen t vers ion from th e
on e of th e CM-M adven tures - N orwol d
frag men ts an d Erical l can t k eep h is h ol d on th e
wh ol e k in g dom due to th e s in k in g of A l ph atia,
pres ervin g on l y th e con trol of A l ph a. Th e l atter
future timel in e h as b een advan ced up to A C
1 0 1 9 b y th e work of th e team of fan s wh o
produced th e My s taran A l man acs l in e.
48
F arian is men tion ed in Dawn of th e

Emperors , B ook On e: Th e Dun g eon Mas ters
Sourceb ook , pag e 7 4 ; as h al f-b roth er of Erical l ,
h e s h oul d l ik el y b e a ful l b roth er of Lern al - a
s on th eir fath er Toren al h ad from a woman
oth er th an Eriadn a. A s a res ul t of Tredorian s
k idn appin g , in order to avoid a ful l war ag ain s t
A l ph atia, th e Th y atian Emperor Th in col
preferred to s en d h is own daug h ter A s teriel a as
pol itical coun ter-h os tag e to th e A l ph atian court
in Sun ds val l . Tredorian an d F arian are s til l
pris on ers in Th y atis City .
46
Issue #7
The Heldanners of southern Norwold have a

more frontier-like mind-set if paralleled to
the natives of the Heldannic Territories, and
they are less civilized and more independentminded than them.
Heldanners
The descendants of the ancient southern
Antalians have at different times in history
been called Nordurlanders and, since the 8th
century AC, Heldanners. The Heldanners
who live in Norwold are of the same stock of
the native people of the nowadays Heldannic
Territories, and share their same hatred for
the Knights of Vanya. In Norwold, they dwell
in the lands which lay south and east of the
Hettafjall Mountains and of Lirovkas Alps, up
to the Mrkskog and the Oceansend area in
the north.
The Heldanners lead a settled lifestyle, living

in small hamlets and villages and practicing
farming and herding, and what hunting and
logging are needed. They are ruled by petty
village chiefs or clanheads (usually these are
the people who possess more lands in a
given area), who periodically gather in a
regional assembly called a thing (not unlike
the jarls thing in Soderfjord). The
Heldanners
worship
the
traditional
Northman pantheon, but among its
Immortals they pay special reverence to Frey
and Freyja, who are believed to have been
historical heroes of their ancient past.
The Heldanners are traditionally in good
standing with the Heldann Shepherd lupins
who live among them in relevant number
and share their same culture and customs.
They are also friendly toward the foxfolk
lupins of the Skaufskogr, but wary and fearful
of the reclusive elves of the Rhien Forest.
Humanoids, giants, Northman reavers, and
the Vanatic tribes are instead their traditional
enemies.
The Heldanners are a rustic and hardy

people, used to fighting giants, trolls, and
humanoids, and fiercely attached to their
own independence; they accept distant and
non-meddling rulers like King Ericall and the
Alphatian Emperor only as long as those do
not interfere significantly in their lives and
customs - otherwise they are likely to pick up
arms and fight the would-be ruler back. They
are also prone to infighting - and this
explains why a Heldanner realm has never
managed to survive more than a few years.
A small number of human clans live in the

wooded valley known as the Skfjall, which
lies between Lirovkas Alps and the Ilescu
and Gethbreid mountains; they speak a
dialect of the Heldanner tongue, but other
Heldanners claim no tie with them.
Differently from the rest of the Heldanners,
they are quite reclusive and nature-loving,
and live peaceful lives off their forests
bounties; other Heldanners consider them
47
Issue #7
The Icereachers preserve a clannish social

structure which they inherited from their
ancestors. While the various clans often clash
among themselves and raid one another,
open unnecessary bloodshed is usually
avoided. Also, all the Icereacher clans
recognize a common ancestry and, if needed,
many clans may gather together under the
leadership of a war leader to oppose a
common enemy or threat. Such alliances, of
course, disband as soon as the common
threat vanishes.
an odd and wild people, and call them

Skyfjallers (after the name of their valley).
Icereachers
The Icereachers - or Hengerians as they are
called in the Essurian tongue - are seminomadic descendants of the ancient Antalian
tribes who lived in the valleys of western
Norwold. The Icereachers were already a
very insular culture during the Antalian age,
and they became even more isolated after the
fall of the Antalian culture. They live in the
cold, vast valleys which are found at the feet
of the towering Icereach Range, beyond the
northern fringes of the Denagothian Plateau
to the Timayam River and Lake Vanern valley
to the north, up to the Azure and Gunaald
lakes to the east, and down to the Isbreidd
Mountains to the south.
The Icereachers had close contact with the

southern Kingdom of Essuria in the past, and
have been converted by the Essurian
missionaries to the worship of He Who
Watches (an alias of the Immortal Diamond).
Due to the influence of this lawful religion,
the Icereachers - after a time of severe
religious conflict between the supporters of
the new religion and the worshippers of their
old Immortals - have gradually abandoned
some of their traditional barbarian customs
and now, despite their relative isolationism,
they could be considered one of the most
friendly, open, and even civilized barbarian
nations of Norwold. Also from the Essurians
they have inherited their hatred for the cult
of the Immortal Idris and for the
Denagothians, against whom they have
clashed in the past.
The Icereacher tribes living in the upper
Timayam River valley west of Quesas Massiff
live in fear of the powerful white dragon who
dwells in the latter mountains. Quesa cannot
leave his lair for long due to an ancient
sorcery, but the Icereacher tribes living at the
feet of his mountain often bring the dragon
offerings and treasures to calm down his
wrath.
There they live in small villages where they

do some farming but mostly hunting and
sheep and goat herding; they also practice
various crafts like woodcarving, fur-making,
and blacksmithing - some tribes indeed
feature
good
weapon-makers.
The
Icereachers are quite resistant to their cold
highland environment and used to fighting
its denizens.
48
Issue #7
in the northern half of this area, Littonians in

the other; a great concentration of both
peoples is found in the area east of the
Lietuvan Hills and the Namejs Line up to the
coast, where the Kingdom of Littonia is
centred. While the kingdom is quite densely
populated by Norwold standards, the
surrounding lands claimed by Littonians and
Lietuvans as Greater Littonia only host
small rural settlements. Smaller pockets of
Littonians or Lietuvans could be found also
on the western coasts of the Great Bay, as
well as on the shores of Norwold
immediately south of it.
Littonians and Lietuvans

Both these people are descendants of the
ancient Valoin culture which existed during
the age of Blackmoor; they settled the lands
to the north-east of the Great Bay shortly
after the Great Rain of Fire. During their
subsequent history, they expanded the
southern land and gradually split into two
different cultures: the Littonians (or
Litoniesu in their tongue) and the Lietuvans.
While the two cultures share many common
traits, customs, and traditions, they speak
two different tongues, worship the Immortals
under different names, and have a history of
rivalry and mutual struggles.
Both peoples are settled and mostly made up

of farmers, herders, and fishermen, more
rarely of loggers and miners. They are ruled
by a nobility of landowners, which is
particularly strong in the Kingdom of
Littonia, where a fledgling middle class is
also on the rise in the coastal trade towns.
Littonians and Lietuvans dwell in a wide area

which includes the whole Landrise, the
Noskumis Plain, and the wide coastal stretch
going from the Ljallenvals Mountains to the
Landsplit River. The Lietuvans are prevailing
49
Issue #7
Norwolders
One of their most important folk traditions

rely on dainas (dainos in Lietuvan), short
moral poems sung with the accompaniment
of a zither that have been passed down for
generations since the ancient times. The
lands of Littonia host rich amber deposits,
which have always made - more so recently this area a coveted trade destination for ships
coming from Alphatia and the Known World.
The Norwolders are the descendants of the

northern Antalians, and for most outsiders
they represent the iconic native people of the
region (hence their name); they simply call
themselves the Nyrfolk (the young people
in their tongue), and it might be that the
name Norwold given to the region in
which they live was simply a foreign
corruption of that word. The Norwolders are
a people divided in many clans and tribes,
often separated by large distances or huge
natural barriers; to an outside eye, they make
up no one people at all, and their customs
and lifestyle also differ from place to place.
Magic, especially arcane, is quite rare among

these people, but they have developed a
wholly original branch of arcane magic which
taps on the power of amber gemstones.
While secretive and reserved, these amber
mages are rumoured to hold quite a degree
of influence over the Kingdom of Littonia.
The Norwolders are found in the area to the

south of the Great Bay, north of the range
made up by the Bloody Scythe, the Pierced
Crown, and the Eagles Barrier, and east of
the Final Range from the Oceansend area to
the north. Some tribes are also found in the
Hidden Valley and in the White Bear River
valley up to the Arch of Fire. The Norwolders
were - and mostly are - a semi-nomadic
people, even if in the last two centuries some
of the clans who lived in coastal areas and
near major rivers have begun to settle down,
establishing small villages of farmers,
herders, and fishermen; many have also
moved to live in the shadow or within the
walls of the large recently-built cities of
Oceansend and Alpha. The semi-nomadic
tribes look down on those civilized
Norwolders, who in their opinion have
abandoned their forefathers customs and
virtues.
The Littonian and Lietuvan religion has great

reverence for nature and nature spirits. The
most important Immortals worshipped by
these peoples (names are listed in the
Litoniesu version) are Jras Mte (Protius),
Laima (Terra), Zemes Mte (Ordana), and
Saule (Ixion). They perform most of their
religious ceremonies in the open, and the
number of actual temples is therefore very
low.
50
Issue #7
Saamari and Vaarana

The Saamari and Vaarana are two closelyrelated peoples who dwell in the vast strip of
land located around the Landsplit River
system and in the surrounding lands. Both
peoples origins lay beyond the Icereach
Range, where they had their own kingdom
once; later, they were forced out of it and in
two successive migrations first the Saamari in
the 2nd century BC and about seven centuries
later the Vaarana came to the Autuasmaa
Plain and seized it, driving away the Shonaks
and the Littonians. Even if they were a single
people in the distant past, now the Saamari
and Vaarana cultures have widely diverged,
and the two people speak a different
language altogether (the Saamari tongue and
the Vaarsu), unrelated to any other tongue of
Norwold. The Saamari and Vaarana are a tall,
fair-complexioned people, known for their
stubbornness and melancholic behaviour.
For the most part, the Norwolder tribes lead

a semi-nomadic lifestyle in Norwolds
interior.
Most
tribes
have
winter
encampments which get temporarily
abandoned during spring and summer when
the tribe moves to its hunting grounds. They
are a hardy folk, herders and hunters, used
to fight wild beasts, giants, and humanoids,
but they appreciate individual combat much
more than mass battle. The Norwolders have
inherited the worship of some of the oldest
Antalian Immortals from their ancestors, but
the worship of newer Immortals like Thor,
Frey, and Freyja is practiced only by some
tribes and by the settled clans; the seminomadic tribes worship Wotan (Odin) and
other Immortals tied to natural phenomena,
and pay special reverence to Erda (Djaea),
their beloved nature deity. The druids also
play an important role in their society. The
Norwolders, especially the semi-nomadic
tribes, are an art-loving people, practicing
wood- and stone-carving and poetry above
all, but they have a severe mistrust of arcane
magic.
Most Saamari dwell in the Autuasmaa Plain

between the great rivers and lakes of
northern Norwold. There, they established
more than a thousand years ago the Kingdom
of Kaarjala - a backward realm by Known
World standards (even more so than
Littonia), but which nevertheless represents
the northern bastion of civilized life in
Norwold. The Saamari are a settled people
and live in small villages where farming,
logging, fishing, and herding are practiced.
Most commoners own their own land, and
even if they are ruled by an influential
landowning noble class, no serfdom exists
among them. They enjoy a better climate
than the surrounding areas, because their
Immortal patron gifted them with the Great
Saampo, a magical artefact in the shape of a
windmill able to make the Autuasmaa climate
milder.
51
Issue #7
Beaivi (Ixion) and Mattarakka (Djaea);50 they

do not have an established church, of course,
and rely on their noaide (shamans) for rites
and ceremonies.
Shonaks
The Shonaks who live in the Everwinter
Lands are closely related to the Shonak tribes
who dwell far to the west of the Icereach and
Borean ranges, in the Borea region. They are
a stocky people, with a light copperish skin
tone and slanted eyes, who speak a language
called Qamuuq unrelated to other Norwold
tongues. In ancient times they lived in the
Autuasmaa Plain among the great rivers of
the Landsplit system, but the arrival of the
Saamari in the 2nd century BC forced them
out of that area into the tundra of the
Everwinter Lands. Since then the Shonaks
have harboured a fierce hatred for the
Saamari and their kin the Vaarana, more so
because the activation of the Great Saampo
produced climatic changes which caused
much suffering among them.
The Vaarana are instead a semi-nomadic

people who roam the plains, steppes, and
woodlands to the west and to the south of
the Kingdom of Kaarjala. They are closely
allied with the Saamari and share with them
many traits and customs, but they have
preserved their own ancestral lifestyle tied to
the reindeer herds they follow and hunt. As
with the Saamari, they are a hardy people,
involved in a daily struggle for survival and in
frequent skirmishes with local humanoid
tribes, frost giants, Shonak tribes from the
north and Viaskoda tribes from the south.
The Shonaks are nomadic herders and

hunters; they follow the herds of reindeer
that roam the northern tundra, and compete
with the other denizens of the cold
environment like the northern humanoids of
the frost giants from Frosthaven. The
Shonaks do not have enough raw ore or
techniques to forge metal weapons and
armour, and usually rely on bone, wood, and
stone weapons, or on pelts, leathers, and
The Kingdom of Kaarjala has its own

established church, the Church of Kaarjala,
which worships the patrons of craftsmanship,
hunting, and war called Ilmarinen,
Lemminkainen, and Vainamoinen (three
separate identities of the Immortal
Ilmarinen), and which wields a strong
influence over Saamari society. Other
Immortals worshipped by the Saamari are
Ahti (Protius), Tapio (Ordana), and Pelervo
(Terra). The Vaarana pay reverence to
Ilmarinen as well, but worship their own
patrons, the main of which are the Immortals
50
I n GA Z F 1 0 Th e K in g dom of K aarjal a (b y
J TR ) th e I mmortal Mattarak k a is iden tified with
Terra, l eavin g un an s wered th e is s ue of a cul t of
Djaea h in ted at in th e tex t; al s o in order to
differen tiate b etween Saamari an d Vaaran a, in
th is articl e Mattarak k a h as b een iden tified with
Djaea.
52
Issue #7
outsiders, who label them both with the

name Vanatics; actually, even if they
worship Immortals from the same divine
pantheon and speak dialects of the same
language, the customs and lifestyle of the
Vatski greatly differ from that of the Vrodniki.
The Vrodniki are a semi-nomadic people

made up of many tribes, each of which does
not recognize any special loyalty toward the
others and could be considered a standalone people if it was not for cultural affinity
with their kin. The Vrodniki dwell in a vast
area which includes the Severnaya Polovina,
the Valley of the Wind, and the long Hidden
Valley to the north, as well as parts of the
Ransarn Valley to the south. Each Vrodniki
tribe is led by a starosta (senior, elder).
Sometimes, loose alliances called voyskos
(hosts) form between a number of tribes,
usually during wartime; such alliances gather
under a knyaz (duke, prince). The tribes
follow the cattle herds which roam the huge
valleys of the Wyrmsteeth Range, and also
practice hunting, gathering, fishing, and
some agriculture. Typically a Vrodnik tribe
stays in a territory as long as there is plenty
of food as resources there, which may mean
years in some cases; during this time,
Vrodnik camps assume the appearance of
furs for armour. They have good

relationships with the Norwold malamute
lupins that live in the Everwinter Lands as
well. From time to time - especially during
meagre years - the Shonaks mount raids
against the people of Kaarjala, but trade
occurs during peacetime.
The Shonaks are divided into a number of
small tribes who recognize the leadership of
a tribal chief, who in turn is advised by the
shamans. They pay reverence to the spirits of
animals and ancestors, and worship the
Immortal Torngasuk (Odin), the lord of the
sky, as well as Taavar (Ixion), the patron of
hunt, war, and valor, and Taara (Tarastia),
who watches over oaths and revenge.
Vatski and Vrodniki
These two peoples have common cultural
and linguistic roots, as they are the
descendants of the ancient Vantalian people
who lived in Norwolds interior and were
mostly spared from the onslaught brought by
King Loarks Great Horde. Due to their
common origin, Vatski and Vrodniki are
usually considered a single people by
53
Issue #7
landowning class of the okolnichy (lords);

the noblemen gather in a local assembly
called the duma which is not unlike the
Heldanners thing. The rest of the
population mostly belongs to the peasant
class, who earns a meagre living through
farming, herding, logging, and hunting; some
dominions also practice some mining
activities, and a few small towns born within
their borders have started to produce a
fledgling craftsmen class. The most powerful
noblemen command large armed bands, rule
their peasants with an iron fist, and often
quarrel and skirmish among themselves.
Even if they are settled, the Vatski are in
many regards no less savage than their seminomadic kin: they are warlike and willing to
raid their neighbours, keep slaves and
concubines, and have no respect or mercy
for weakness.
ragtag villages. Migration, due to the

starostas will or lack of resources, usually
sparks conflict with other tribes. The
Vrodniki are considered one of the most
savage and bloodthirsty people of Norwold
by outsiders: they love battle, have a ruthless
and swift form of justice, mark their bodies
with tattoos and ritual scars, keep war
prisoners as slaves, and do not hesitate to
raid and plunder other peoples settlements;
once in a given time, a large Vrodniki host
might as well gather for a grand invasion of
the coastal lands.
From a religious point of view, Vatski and

Vrodniki share more or less the same
common pantheon, which features among
the main Immortals Dazhbog (Ixion), Volos
(Pearl), Perun (Thor), Yaro and Yara (Frey
and Freyja). In the Vatski lands, priests are
usually powerful figures of the nobility as
well, with their own armed retinues. Among
the Vrodniki, reverence for animal spirits is
also very important, and shamans hold a
central role in the tribes religious life;
besides the Vatski Immortals, they also
worship Zemlya (Terra) and Semargl
(Simurgh).
The Vatski are the settled cousins of the

Vrodniki. They live in a series of
principalities of various sizes which are
located mostly in the area called the Vatskiy
Rodina, between the Azure and the Gunaald
lakes, mostly south-east and north-east of
them respectively; they are also found at the
western end of the Ransarn valley. The larger
and most important of those dominions are
Vyolstagrad and Stamtral, but there are many
smaller ones. The Vatski society is dominated
by the knyaz (prince, duke) and by the
boyarin (barons), who make up the upper
ranks of the nobility, and by the noble
The Vrodniki despise and fear the use of

arcane magic; they consider it a tool of evil,
and usually attack known wizards on sight
before they can invoke some fiendish effect.
Among the Vatski this distrust toward magicusers is somehow lessened, but the process
54
Issue #7
The Viaskodas are divided into three cultural

groups, whom they call their Three
Banners, each one including a vast number
of tribes who share common customs and
traditions. While the tribes of each Banner
recognize their common origin with the
tribes of other Banners and speak different
dialects of the same tongue, they feel kinship
only with people of their own Banner. The
three Banners are labelled after the colour of
their elaborate war standards - Red, Azure,
and White. Each Banner is informally led by
a chief among chiefs (urakur in their
tongue), a ceremonial figure in times of
peace who leads the whole Banner in battle
in times of war. All the tribes of a single
Banner gather at a traditional gathering place
during each years summer solstice; these
gatherings (called hetesteverzek) are the
occasion to feast, celebrate, exchange news,
and give thanks to the Immortals together.
All Viaskodas are a bit distrustful of arcane
magic, and they do not practice it, relying on
the powers of their shamans and of their
taltos (strange individuals gifted from birth
with a small, odd physical feature, and
magical powers). The Viaskodas worship a
number of traditional Immortals tied to
natural cycles and phenomena; spirits of
animals and places also play great
importance in their religion. While each
Banner has its own favourite Immortals, they
all pay homage to Istun (Odin) and Istunna
(Terra), the gods of sky and earth, respectively.
is limited to the noble class - peasants will

usually try to avoid and hide from known
magic-users.
Viaskodas
The Viaskodas are an ancient people who
came to the region north of the Great Bay
many centuries before the crowning of the
first Thyatian Emperor; their original
language shared distant similarities with that
of the Monzags of the Midlands, and with
that of the Saamari and Vaarana to the north,
but subsequently - due to close contact with
the Antalian culture - it changed a lot,
gradually losing most relationships with
those tongues. The Viaskodas are a seminomadic people spread over a vast area,
going from the Noskumis Plains to the east to
the large valleys located between the Arch of
Fire and Mount Crystykk to the west; in
north-south direction, their territories lay
between the Great Bays northern shores and
the Koleamaa and Tuonela areas inhabited by
the Vaarana.
The Red Banner Viaskodas live in the area

between the Jotunheimr Hills and the
Lothbarth Forest, stretching along the coast
of the Great Bay up to the Landrise. In
ancient times they absorbed many cultural
traits from the nearby Antalians, including
some of their Immortals and their seafaring
55
Issue #7
tribes indeed make them their home, and

often some of the old items or artefacts
belonging to those ancient times can be seen
on one of their warriors or chiefs. The White
Banner tribes living around the Goddess
Diadem are allied with the Najnartas, the allwomen culture centred on that mountain
chain (see Minor Cultures, below).
skills. The Red Banner Viaskodas are seminomadic: they live in stable coastal villages
all along the coast of the Great Bay, but parts
of their clans leave them to hunt and follow
herds during spring and summer. They are
also quite skilled seamen aboard their boats,
which resemble smaller versions of the
Northman longships and which they use to
trade and to raid the coasts of the Great Bay.
The Red Banner tribes are distrustful of the
Lothbarth elves and leave them in peace, but
often clash against the Jotunheimr
humanoids and giants
Minor and Foreign Cultures

The ones described above are only the most
important and numerous of the native
peoples of Norwold. Besides theme there are
many smaller, isolated, or forgotten peoples,
each with its own distinctive culture.
The Azure Banner Viaskodas live in the

grassland and steppe area between the
Jotunheimr Hills and the Noskumis Plains,
north of the Landrise and of the Red
Banners lands. They are true nomads,
setting camps for winter but traveling from
one hunting ground to another during other
times of the year; they follow the bison and
reindeer herds which are found in their
lands, and often clash with other nomadic
peoples and races native of the area, such as
the Vaarana to the north or the Sarkans
goblins to the east. They are quite capable
horsemen, the only one among the Viaskodas
to train and extensively use horses in battle.
Some of these are relics of peoples who have

migrated away or died out, like the so-called
Swamp Folk51 who inhabit the Oceansend
Marshes - small clans who haunt the misty
coastal swamps, surviving mostly through
fishing, and who use weapons poisoned with
herbal concoctions. Their tongue shows
many similarities with the one of the
northern Lietuvans, and it is commonly
believed that they are a leftover of that
people before its migration in Littonia.
Some others are cultures who developed out
of isolated branches of other peoples, like
the Gremlish52 tribes who live in the Dragon
Spur Hills. Tall and with clear Antalian blood
in their veins, the Gremlish once lived in the
Kilmik Vale before the Norwolders pushed
them north. Their language is a unique one,
which borrows words both from the Vrodniki
and Norwolder tongues. They are semi-
The White Banner Viaskodas are the most

isolated one among the Viaskodas Banners,
living beyond the Jagged Teeth Mountains
and the Plain of Skulls, in the Natoka Valley
and along the upper course of the White
Bear River. They are hunters, trappers, and
gatherers in the forests and woods which fill
their valleys, often trading with Norwolder
tribes living down the White Bear River. This
region has a great number of caves and ruins,
dating back to the age of the elder dwarves
or to the time of Alinor; many White Banner
51
Th e Swamp F ol k is b orrowed from GA Z F 9

Th e F ree City of Ocean s en d (b y J TR ).
5 2 Th e Greml is h are b riefl y des crib ed in
Stamtral (Duch y of) en try in th e My s taran
A l man ac for A C 1 0 1 8 .
56
Issue #7
Viaskoda tribes (some of whom are de facto

controlled by the Najnartas).
Then Norwold hosts minority peoples
migrated from foreign countries. The most
numerous of them are of course the
Alphatians coming mostly from the
mainland, but also from other territories of
their empire, who have been more or less a
continuous presence in some coastal areas
but are becoming more and more numerous
since the establishment of the Kingdom of
Norwold in AC 992. The Thyatians are
fewer, centred mostly in Oceansend and
neighbouring areas, as well as in the
southern coastal regions; many of them
come from the empires mainland but
peoples from the Isle of Dawn are also
represented. The third foreign minority
groups is made up by the Northmen,
coming mainly from Ostland, who are found
on the coasts all the way from the Bay of
Kammin to the Great Bay, with greater
densities found on the Kasverian Peninsula
and on the Isles of the Strand.
nomadic hunter and gatherers, with a

primitive lifestyle but able to forge steel
weapons; they sometimes raid the nearby
communities, and infrequently sell out as
mercenaries.
Yet another unusual find in Norwold are the
Najnartas,53 a small amazon-like people who
live on the slopes of the Goddess Diadem,
near Norwolds western border. They are the
descendants of a group of women of mixed
Alphatian and native blood who fled the
destruction of their small realm in the
southern Great Bay area in the 8th century AC
(it was one of the petty successor states of
the Alphatian colonies abandoned after AC
510). These women have a civilized lifestyle
if compared to the nearby peoples, have a
tradition of arcane magic, and choose their
mates among the nearby allied White Banner
53
Th is race is des crib ed in an ol d write-up of

min e, Th e N ain artas ; n ote th at th e l in k ed articl e
n eeds an update to match th e curren t vers ion of
N orwol d pres en ted h ere.
57
Issue #7
The Demihuman Races
on mainland Alphatia, who came to Norwold

about one thousand and a half years ago. The
fair elves are scattered among a myriad of
small
forest
communities
called
Foresthomes, which range from the
Lothbarth Forest and the northern coast of
the Great Bay up to the Rhien Forest in the
south; the Jagged Teeth Mountains, the
Azure and Gunaald Lakes, the Wyrms Head
Mountains, and Lirovkas Alps mark the
western limit of elven presence in Norwold.
The elves are generally quite reclusive and
wish to be left alone; due to some ancestral
pact, only some centuries ago they enjoyed
the protection of the Wyrmsteeth dragons,
but this alliance is not honoured by most
dragons anymore54 - even if none of them has
been known to attack any of the
Foresthomes. Even if the original elven
settlers from Shiye-Lawr were worshippers of
Immortal Eiryndul, most Foresthome elves
some centuries later converted to the faith of
Ilsundal following the deeds of Lornasen, an
elven heroine who brought back from the
Sylvan Realm a root of the Tree of Life. Today
most Foresthomes have their own Tree of
Life, but the heart of Ilsundals worship is
located in the Lothbarth Forest, north-west of
Leeha. Scattered Foresthomes still faithful to
the traditional cult of Eiryndul are still found,
though. Elven minorities are also found
within the walls of Oceansend and Alpha, but
Even if they are less numerous than the

humans, Norwold is the home of a number
of demihuman clans and cultures, none of
whom however is native to the region. The
main demihuman races that inhabit this
region are described below.
Dwarves
While the dwarven presence in this area
dates back to the days before the Great Rain
of Fire, none of the elder dwarves are found
in Norwold anymore. All the dwarves who
live in Norwold migrated from Rockhome at
different times since AC 200. Their small
clans are independent from one another and
are scattered among Norwolds many
mountain chains - known clans are those
living in the Isbreidd Mountains, in the Peaks
of Snorri, in Lirovkas Alps, and in the Eagles
Barrier, but there are certainly others. The
Ironroot Mountains west of Oceansend host
the highest concentration of dwarves in
Norwold; there indeed is found the small
dwarven nation of Stormhaven. Mining of
common and precious metals and stones is
what brought most dwarves to Norwold. A
sizeable dwarven minority also lives within
the territory of the Kingdom of Oceansend,
and many of these work as skilled craftsmen
inside the citys walls.
54
Th e al l ian ce b etween th e N orwol d el ves an d

th e W y rms teeth drag on s is featured in th e
Drag on l ord Tril og y n ovel s , b y T. Gun n ars s on ;
th ere, it is due to th e pres en ce amon g th e
drag on s of th e l as t memb ers of th e an cien t
El dar race, el f-l ik e b ein g s wh os e b l ood run s
b oth in modern el ves an d in th e g ol d drag on s
vein s . Tak e a l ook at my H is tory of Drag on k in d
for a way to recon cil e th e differen t orig in of
el ves tol d in th e n ovel s with th e can on ical on e
foun d in th e H ol l ow W orl d b ox ed s et.
Elves
Fair elves are not natives of Norwold, nor are
they related to the elven clans who live in
Wendar and on the Denagothian Plateau.
They instead belong to the Shiye clan, and
are third- or fourth-generation descendants
of migrants from the Kingdom of Shiye-Lawr
58
Issue #7
Halflings
these are made up mostly of foreign elves

coming from mainland Alphatia, Wendar,
and the Known World (with a relevant
presence of water elves from Minrothad).
The heart of the halflings presence in

Norwold is the Shire of Leeha, a set of closely
allied halfling communities and clans located
at the mouth of the White Bear River. The
presence of halflings here is very ancient,
dating back to the Nithian age when they
were brought north by the empire as slaves.
After the foundation of Leeha in the 4th
century BC, the halflings have expanded
from their holdings, with many clans and
families going to live in coastal villages and
towns alongside their human neighbours.
Today, the largest halfling community
besides Leeha is the one in Oceansend;
halfling minorities, practicing all sorts of
trades and crafts, are found anyway in most
major and minor human settlements. Coastal
areas from Oceansend to the south also host
groups and families of foreign halflings,
coming from the Known World or the
Alphatian Kingdom of Stoutfellow.
Gnomes
Gnomes are not very numerous in Norwold,
and are found only in its southern reaches.
Most of them descend from gnomish
refugees who fled from the Hardanger
Mountains in the 4th-5th century BC or from
the eastern Wendarian Range after the
destruction of Torkyn Falls in AC 505.55 The
majority of Norwolds gnomes are found
scattered
among
various
woodland
communities all the way from Oceansend to
the Altenwald, with a greater number present
in the woods and hills around the Heldland
River; by outsiders, these gnomes are
labelled forest gnomes and have adapted to
a nature-oriented life. Other groups of more
traditional earth gnomes are instead found in
the Hettafjall, as well as in major human
settlements (like Landfall).
55
Centaurs, Lupins, and

Rakastas
Not at all related one another, centaurs,
lupins and rakastas are nevertheless a wellestablished presence in Norwold; the
rakastas are indeed one of the most ancient
races of this region, having lived there since
the time before the Great Rain of Fire, while
the centaurs arrival in the region from the
Ethengar steppes is probably dated after the
fall of the Antalian civilization around BC
1700. The lupin presence is instead more
recent, tracing back to about BC 1500.
Th is even t is featured in th e
n ovel , b y T. Gun n ars s on .
59
Issue #7
Centaurs
Lupins
These majestic equine creatures are scattered

all over Norwold, and divided among a
variety of tribes and clans with different
cultures and traditions. Most of them
migrated in ancient times and successive
waves from the steppes of Ethengar or from
the grasslands and woodlands of the
Northern Wildlands or Borea.
While not a major race of Norwold, the

lupins are quite well represented in this
region through a relevant number of breeds.
Differently from what happens in the Known
World or the Savage Coast, there some lupin
breeds tend to keep to themselves, and as a
result they have developed their own unique
culture instead of being assimilated by that of
the humans.
In southern Norwold, prominent seminomadic centaur cultures are found in the

Vinisk River valley, in the southern reaches of
the Finster Forest, and in the plains northeast of the Skfjall; there, their clans
recognize the rulership of a single ruler,
called the hetman. In the past, the Vinisk
centaurs have cooperated with human
realms, such as the Kingdom of Essuria,
while the coastal hetmanates have always
been wary of colonization attempts by the
humans.
One of the most numerous breeds is that of

the Heldann shepherds, whose clans are
interspersed among the Heldanner humans
and are found east of the Final Range and of
the Hettafjall Mountains from the Oceansend
latitude to the south. The Heldann
shepherds share many cultural traits with the
Heldanners, earning a living as farmers and
herders.
The foxfolk are represented by the white fur
variety and live in two main areas - the
Skaufskogr Hills and the Foxes River valley;
smaller tribes are found north of the Great
Bay, up to the tundra of the Everwinter
Lands. The foxfolk tribes are quite reclusive,
possess a strong druidic tradition, and live in
forest villages (south of the Great Bay and
Skaufskogr) or wandering clans (north of the
Great Bay).
More to the north, smaller centaur tribes are

found in the woods and plains east of the
Final Range, as well as in the Hidden Valley;
their culture is derived from that of the
coastal hetmanates. These tribes are usually
good friends with the nature-loving seminomadic Norwolder clans, and have friendly
relations with local druidic circles.
Another major lupin breed of Norwold is that

of the gnomish snoutzers, who favour the
woodland environments of the regions south
of the Great Bay. Most of them are found
south of Oceansend, in the same woods
where the forest gnomes dwell, and are in
very good standing with the small folk. They
live in forest communities, and only
Larger centaur tribes dwell in the northern

steppes and taiga, beyond the Great Bay; the
local centaurs have absorbed traits of the
Viaskoda human culture, and the clans of a
single tribe gather under a war leader called
kaman; they compete with the human and
humanoid peoples who inhabit this region,
and tend to be more warlike than their
southern kin.
60
Issue #7
Rakastas
A variety of breeds of these feline humanoids
is scattered among the regions of Norwold,
mostly in wilderness or borderland areas not
too near the settlements of the humans.
Differently from the lupins, the rakastas are
not particularly friendly toward humans, and
they see the recent, renewed encroachment
of civilization in this part of the world as a
danger to their lifestyle.
The most aloof of the Norwold rakastas, the
snow pardastas live above the tree line in
the great mountain ranges of Norwold mostly in the Icereach and Borean ranges,
with sparse clans also found in the highest
spots of the Wyrmsteeth Range. They are
hunters and herders, and practice a
sedentary lifestyle, dwelling in small
mountain villages centred on caves and
fiercely competing with the few other
creatures that haunt their altitudes.
infrequently move from the territory in

which they have settled.
A native breed, the Norwold malamute
haunts the northern regions of this part of
the continent, namely the frigid tundra of the
Everwinter Lands and parts of the plains and
woodlands which stretch south of the
Autuasmaa Plain. Their small clans are
nomadic and travel across the northern
wastes, even crossing the icy arctic cap to
places unknown and back.
The nomadic lynxman breed ranges from

the coldest northern tundras to the
Wyrmsteeth Range in the south; the
northernmost variety has white pelt, while
the southern one has a reddish one. They
live in small clans of hunters, who travel a lot
and even compete with the Norwold
malamute lupins in their route through the
icy northern wastes, even beyond the
Everwinter Lands.
Among the minor breeds which are found in

Norwold we should mention the great
dogge, which is found in human
communities mostly on the eastern coasts as
a result of immigration from the Northern
Reaches. Lastly, a relevant number of
mongrels are found in the coastal areas and
immediate interior from the Great Bay to the
south, mostly in or around human
communities.
Lastly, mountain rakastas live in the

wooded mountain valleys and foothills of
central Norwold, most of their small clans
are found in the Wyrmsteeth Range as well as
along the Final Range. They are usually seminomadic hunters and herders, but some
clans live in stable villages nested in high
mountain valleys.
61
Issue #7
The Humanoid Dwellers
The most numerous humanoids in Norwold

are the orcs, who are spread over most of
the region. The Orcus Porcus variety is found
south of the Great Bay, with greater
population densities in the Hettafjall
Mountains and along the main mountain
ranges of central Norwold, like the Bloody
Scythe, the Pierced Crown or the Eagles
Barrier. Orc tribes are also found in the
Katfjellene, in the Hidden Valley, and in the
Dragon Spur Hills (there they are rumoured
to be under the control of a powerful
dragon). Many Orcus Porcus tribes and clans
living in the regions north of the Severnaya
Polovina and the Hidden Valley are quite
civilized (by humanoid standards) as a result
of contact with human realms which rose
there in the past - they often adopt the
culture of their human neighbours (usually
the Norwolder of Vrodniki one), a settled
lifestyle (at least for a time), and some clans
sell out as mercenaries to nearby human
dominions. Also as a result of contact with
Humanoid presence in Norwold dates back

to the terrible days when the Great Horde of
King Loark laid waste to the Antalian
civilization. Since then, the various
humanoid races have spread, becoming more
numerous, and holding their sway over
entire regions of this wilderness land. During
their history, the Norwold humanoids have
mostly fought the other races and challenged
their control over the land; in the past, many
humanoid realms have risen over the ruins of
human cultures and dominions. Times of
cohabitation have also existed - mainly with
giant clans or individual dragons, but more
recently also with the humans; usually those
non-hostile contacts have only concerned
orc, ogre, or goblin tribes, and have been
limited to trade and mercenary service
offered by the tribes to human realms and
lords.
62
Issue #7
subjects of the kingdom for some centuries),

and have mastered the skill of training the
pygmy mammoths who live on the Landrise.
The Sarkans goblins trade freely with the
humans, and some of them also live in
Littonias southern settlements, alongside
local humans.
foreign and native humans, half-orcs

(offspring of a human and of an orc parent)
are also uncommonly encountered. The
Orcus Hyborianus variety is more savage and
found in the Ljallenvals Mountains north of
the Great Bays mouth, in the Jotunheimr
Hills, and in the freezing tundra of the
Everwinter Lands; these tribes are seminomadic or nomadic and fiercely compete
for the scarce resources against other
dwellers of this area - Shonak humans,
lupins, rakastas, and other humanoids.
Not as numerous as the orcs are the goblins,
who are divided into two subraces as well.
The Goblinus Goblinus variety haunts parts
of the Hettafjall and of the Essurian Arm
Mountains, with many tribes dwelling in the
Gnomsdalur between the Lirovkas Alps and
the Hettafjall themselves. All these tribes are
quite savage and lead a semi-nomadic
existence. Sometimes, however, goblins do
hire themselves as mercenaries to local lords,
and a very few goblin families are even
known to haunt major human population
centres (like Landfall), doing menial labours
there. The Goblinus Hyborianus variety is
found north of the Great Bay. The most
primitive northern goblin tribes there are
those living in the western mountain ranges,
from the Icereach to the north, and those
who wander the Everwinter Lands; the most
powerful of those goblin tribes is the one
called the Yrguns, which lives on the slopes
of the Winter Peaks. Nomadic goblin tribes
also wander the whole stretch of the
Noskumis Plains and parts of the taiga forests
found in Koleamaa. A more friendly lot are
the tribes which live in the Sarkans Plains,
south-west of Littonia; while semi-nomadic,
these goblins have enjoyed contact with the
Littonians for centuries (even becoming
Among Norwolds fiercer humanoid denizens

are also the bugbears. Clans of savage
bugbears belonging to the Ursus Bipedis
Vulgaris variety are found scattered in the
wilderness of southern Norwold - between
the Skaufskogr Hills and the whole stretch of
the Wyrmsteeth Range, but no large tribes
are found there. The Ursus Bipedis
Hyborianus variety, instead, is quite
numerous in the northern regions: many
tribes are found in the Borean Range, and
many large nomadic bugbear tribes wander
the Jotunheimr Hills, Koleamaa, and
Viaskaland, clashing with local Vaarana and
Viaskoda tribes. Smaller bugbear tribes are
also found in the tundras of the Everwinter
Lands. Bugbear are generally hostile and
unfriendly, only associating with creatures
stronger than them or with powerful villains
63
Issue #7
Menascha Swamp, on the other side of the

Essurian Arm. A relevant number of troll
tribes belonging to the Monstrum Erroneus
Hyborianus live scattered in the northern
regions, with special concentrations in the
Noskumis Plains, the Ljallenvals Mountains,
the Jotunheimr Hills, the Winter Peaks west
of Kaarjala, and the tundra of the Everwinter
Lands. Trolls are unmistakably savage and
hostile toward most other races, and are
considered dangerous and unreliable even
by other humanoids; sometimes, however,
they can be made to obey orders by much
more powerful creatures (like giants) or
villains (like the late Ice Witch Frota, who
enlisted many northern trolls under her
banner).
who can offer them plunder and the chance

to pillage.
Norwolds ogre population belongs mostly
to the Homo Monstrum Bellicosus variety,
even if clans and tribes made up of Homo
Monstrum Brutalis ogres can be found in
southern and south-western areas. Many
ogre tribes indeed dwell in the areas which
border the Denagothian Plateau, including
the Essurian Arm, Isbreidd, and Hettafjall
Mountains, and the Icereach valleys in the
immediate north of the plateau. These tribes
range from the savage to the civilized (again
for humanoid standards), with the latter
employing some trappings of the nearby
human cultures, and at times selling their
services as mercenaries. Ogre families are
often allied with neighbouring smaller
humanoids, such as orcs. A relevant number
of ogre tribes dwell in the Borean Range as
well, but these are much more primitive and
generally hostile to humans. Half-ogres,
while uncommon, are not unknown either:
they are most often found in rural and
frontier areas of Skogenvr, Ashtland, and
Heldland.
Other humanoid races are not as numerous

as the abovementioned ones. A few clans and
one tribe of hobgoblins are found in the
Hettafjall Mountains and vicinities, and other
tribes are known to dwell in the Jagged
Teeth and south of the Winter Peaks; they all
belong to the Goblinus Grandis variety. One
of the most vicious humanoid races
elsewhere, gnolls are few in Norwold and all
belong to the Canis Erectus Septentrionum
variety; small tribes and bands of gnolls can
anyway be found in Norwolds southern
reaches, in the Heldland region and at the
borders with the Denagothian Plateau. Lastly,
among less numerous humanoid races,
Norwold also features a northern variety of
kobold different from the subraces found at
southern latitudes, whose tribes live in the
Borean Range, north of the Great Bay latitude.
Among Norwolds major humanoid races one

cant forget the trolls, who are spread all
over the region from the southern reaches to
the northern icy wastes. In the south, trolls
belonging to the Monstrum Imbecilus Rex
variety are found on the Essurian Arms and
Hettafjall Mountains foothills, but small
clans of them can be found throughout the
deepest forests and most lonely hills south of
the Great Bay. Many nasty troll clans
belonging to the Monstrum Carnivorus
Maximus haunt the moors and marshes
found along the Vinisk River, and they are of
the same stock of those found in the
64
Issue #7
Snorri, the Eagles Barrier, the White

Mountains and Quesas Massif, in the
Icereach Range, in the Ljallenvals Mountains,
and all the way along the Borean Range up to
the northern coast.
The second most numerous giant race in
Norwold are the powerful mountain giants,
who live scattered in a number of small clans
and families, with no actual great tribe or
realm. Many of them are found in the
southern and central mountain ranges, like
the Hettafjall, the Lirovkas Alps, the Ironroot
Mountains - where they wage constant
skirmishes with local dwarven clans - and the
Peaks of Snorri. In the interior, mountain
giant clans can be found in the Giants
Mountains and in the Icereach Range.
Nevertheless, solitary individuals and small
families can be infrequently found in the
Pierced Crown, in the Eagles Barrier, and in
the Dragon Spur Hills. Mountain giants are
not as hostile as other giants toward other
smaller races, and sometimes they trade with
them or serve them as mercenaries.
The Giant Clans

Norwold was one of the ancestral homelands
of the giants after the Great Rain of Fire.
Most of the giant races are represented here,
and despite the presence of other races, they
thrive in their mountain or wilderness
havens - even if giant kingdoms and realms
like those of the ancient past are gone, save
perhaps the icy Frosthaven.
The most numerous of the giant races is
indeed the frost giants. A very large number
of them is found in the far northern island of
Frosthaven, where a frost giant kingdom
under a powerful jarl is rumoured to exist;
Frosthaven giants are a constant threat to the
northern human peoples - the Shonaks, the
Vaarana, and the Saamari - and to the
southern ones as well when the Great Bay
freezes during colder winters and seasonlong frost giant raids from Frosthaven take
place. Lesser clans of frost giants are found
throughout most mountain chains of
Norwold featuring glaciers, a legacy of their
ancestral realms in this region. Clans of frost
giants are known to dwell in the Hettafjall
Mountains, the Lirovkas Alps, the Peaks of
Some Norwold mountain ranges are the

home of warlike fire giant clans; they tend
to dwell in the vicinities of volcanoes, heated
caves, or underground lava deposits, and
shun the colder climate of the regions north
of the Great Bay. Known fire giant clans
dwell in the Peaks of Snorri, around Mount
Velkka (a volcano south-west of Oceansend),
in the Hettafjall, in the Bloody Scythe, and in
the Icereach Range. A large concentration of
fire giants live in the area known as the Arch
of Fire. Fire giants are aggressive and usually
form small bands of raiders which
periodically attack the settlements of other
races.
65
Issue #7
The lesser of their race, the hill giants, are

found in Norwolds southern half, around
and below the latitude of the Great Bay.
Savage and unruly, their clans regularly clash
against one another, and they have a difficult
time cooperating with other giants. Most
often they associate themselves with smaller
races, such as various humanoid tribes or
strong villainous human warlords sometimes dominating, sometimes serving
them. Hill giants are more frequently
encountered in the Essurian Arm, in the
Hettafjall Mountains, in Lirovkas Alps; more
to the north, the foothills of the Icereach
Range and the Giants Mountains, the
Katfjellene, and the Dragon Spur Hills also
host many tribes of hill giants.
Rarer than other giantish varieties, cloud
giants live on the highest mountaintops,
usually far from the other races settlements,
but only in the region south of the Great Bay.
They live in small family groups, and build
small mountain castles or, more rarely, live
in enchanted palaces that float on the clouds
themselves. Cloud giants have been spotted
in the Icereach Range, in the Hettafjall
Mountains, and in Lirovkas Alps.
other dragons. For a long time, up to about

three centuries ago, the city hosted the great
Parliament of Dragons, where dragon
representatives from all over Mystara
periodically met to discuss events and news
which could affect the fate of the Dragon
Nation,56 and to assist the appearance of the
56
Th e Drag on N ation was a b orderl es s b ody

wh ich ideal l y in cl uded al l My s taran drag on s ; it
was created after th e Great R ain of F ire b y g ol d
drag on pries ts of th e Great On e an d furth ered
th e l awful s ide of th e drag on race, s trivin g to
overcome differen ces b etween th e various
drag on s pecies an d to s tres s th e un ity of th e
drag on race as a wh ol e. N ot al l drag on s ag reed
with th is purpos e, an d man y turn ed R en eg ades ,
refus in g to ob ey th e rul es of th e Parl iamen t of
Drag on s an d pres ervin g an in depen den t
ex is ten ce. A ctual l y , th e Drag on N ation was
s pon s ored b y th e Great On e al s o as a mean s to
face th e fores een return of th e g ems ton e
drag on s an d th e th reat of th e Overl ord. Th us ,
after th e l atters des truction , th e N ation l os t
much of its importan ce an d active s upport from
th e Great On e. See H is tory of Drag on k in d (b y
S. N eri) for more detail s .
The Ancient Dragons

Among humans and demihumans, Norwold
is infamous for the presence of a great
number of dragons of any type, whose lairs
are mostly found in the Wyrmsteeth Range.
Actually, the dragons hold over this region is
much older than what any of lesser races
think. In fact, the Wyrms Head Mountains,
the wild heart of the Wyrmsteeth Range,
hosts the millennia-old dragon city of
Windreach, a unique city built by dragons for
66
Issue #7
Today, Windreach is a lonely and half-empty

city; its location is known only to members of
the dragon race, but some of the youngest
dragons might even not have ever been there
or know the citys location. Its only dwellers
are a small cadre of gold dragons who still
tend to the Great Ones local temple, and
some dragons belonging to other species.
Great One, who manifested himself in

incorporeal form during the meetings. Gold
dragon clerics of the Great One watched over
Windreach and presided over the Parliament
of Dragons. As a result of hosting the seat of
the Parliament of Dragons, many dragons of
all species settled their lairs in Norwold - and
especially in the Wyrmsteeth Range - during
the course of the centuries.
The rest of the Wyrmsteeth Range hosts

scattered lairs of nearly all other dragon
species except for gold dragons. Most of the
dragons living in this region are subject of a
vast draconic kingdom led by a huge, very
powerful red dragon of unknown age, whom
the humans have nicknamed Red Death.57
The self-styled dragon king does not care
about the Parliament of Dragons, but so far
has allowed the gold dragons of Windreach
to stay, out of respect for their role as the
Great Ones priests. Red Death enjoys
letting his subjects launch raids against other
races and peoples of Norwold, but is smart
enough to avoid massive attacks and to hit
areas far from the Wyrmsteeth in order to
lure the humans attention away from his
mountain dominion. As a result, the humans
suspect that only a hundred dragons or so
After the 6th century AC, the role of the

Parliament of Dragons gradually began to
decline, and many dragons living in the
Wyrmsteeth Range started to defy the rules
and restrictions it imposed on the members
of the Dragon Nation. More and more
dragons turned Renegades, and fights among
dragons
for
supremacy
became
commonplace; as the control of the
Parliament over the dragons reduced, a
number of draconic kingdoms rose and
fragmented. As the Great Ones appearances
before the Parliament became less frequent,
the ruling body of the Dragon Nation lost
much of its prestige and authority, and in the
course of a couple of centuries, disappointed
by the chaotic situation in the Wyrmsteeth
and by their kins unwillingness to preserve
the Dragon Nation, most gold dragons left
the region for other shores.
57
F or a differen t tak e on th e dracon ic pol itical

s ituation in th e W y rms teeth R an g e, s ee
W y rms teeth Gaz etteer (b y G. Carol etti); to s tay
more true to th e des cription of th e W y rms teeth
R an g e featured in CM1 Tes t of th e W arl ords ,
an d in order to b etter in teg rate th e b ack g roun d
of th e Drag on l ord Tril og y n ovel s , th e dracon ic
k in g dom des crib ed in Carol ettis articl e h as n ot
b een us ed as a b as is for th is vers ion of
N orwol d. Th e n ick n ame of th e red drag on rul er
of th e W y rms teeth R an g e, R ed Death , h as
h owever b een b orrowed from Carol ettis
vers ion . Stil l an oth er tak e ab out th e W y rms teeth
drag on s is th e on e foun d in th e n arrative Th e
future of th e H el dan n ic K n ig h ts (b y B . H eard),
tied to H eards W orl d in F l ames material .
67
Issue #7
The attitude of dragons toward other races

varies according to the individual dragon, but
the wyrms have generally become gradually
more disrespectful of other races - especially
the humans - in the last four centuries.
Strong dragons from time to time establish
control over humanoid tribes, human
barbarian clans, or giant bands, forming
small armies with which they harass their
enemies or prey. Centuries ago there were
rumours of an ancient pact of alliance
between the Foresthome elves and the
dragons of the Wyrmsteeth, but nowadays
that agreement is thought to be all but gone;
nevertheless, dragon attacks on elven
communities are still almost unheard of.
live in the range, while their actual number is

closer to a thousand. Red Death is wary of
the human empires encroachment in
Norwold in the last century, but the humans
are as good as invaders and as prey, so he is
awaiting before taking direct action,
contenting himself with the periodical
destruction of the last attempt at settling
within his territory.
Dragons are also found away from the
Wyrmsteeth Range. White dragons are the
most common species of Norwold; they
make their lair in the icy mountaintops and
glaciers of which there is plenty all over the
region, and in the icy tundra and in the arctic
wastes beyond the Autuasmaa Plain. The
Icereach Range, Quesas Massif, the White
Mountains, and the Borean Range are their
favourite southern haunts, as are the various
islands of Norzee (including Frosthaven) in
the north. Red dragons are not as numerous
as the whites, but a large number of them
call Norwold their home, making lairs in the
rugged mountainous wilderness, especially
at lower altitudes and near (or within) local
volcanoes; a not small number of them lives
in the Arch of Fire area. Green and black
dragons live in Norwolds deep forests
(mostly in the western half of the region) and
swampy lands, respectively, even if both
species dislike the cold climate found north
of the Great Bay and shun the subarctic
latitudes. Blue dragons are the least
represented dragon species, and almost all of
their members live in the Wyrmsteeth Range.
Gemstone dragons, likely as a consequence
of the presence of the Dragon Nations seat
in the region, are extremely rare and nearly
unknown of in Norwold.
Other Races
Many more intelligent races are found in
Norwold, even if their number and influence
do not allow them to feature among the most
prominent races of the region. What follows,
of course, does not exhaust the number of
potential dwellers of Norwold, but
represents only a brief listing of the
intelligent creatures most frequently spotted
in the region.
The vast forested valleys and hills of Norwold
host representatives of various woodlands
races, such as hsiaos, dryads, and fauns;
ancient groves of treants live in Norwolds
older forests. Members of the Good People
are represented as well, and more than one
fairy realm might be accessible through
Norwolds deepest glades, clearest waterfalls,
or similar spots.
68
Issue #7
Nasty and often dangerous creatures such as

harpies, medusae, reveners, and gremlins are
found in southern and central Norwold,
while shapeshifters like doppelgangers and
mujinas hide in the human communities.
Solitary sphinxes may be occasionally found
in the milder latitudes of Norwold as well.
Cryions are quite prominent in Frosthaven
and in the nearby icy wastes.
Norwolds wilderness
mountains and hills
are the habitat of
some peculiar races of
trolls. At least, the
human scholars call
these trolls, but they
are quite different
from the common,
Beastmen-descended
root trolls (as the three
Monstrum subraces are usually called). These
beings share instead a strong connection to
the elemental earth, tend to live in very small
family units or be solitary, are less aggressive
than the root trolls, and often go dormant
for a long time, becoming immobile and
assuming the appearance of the rocky
environment in which they dwell. Among
these troll races are the earth troll (a larger,
more durable, but less intelligent species),
the rock troll (a slow, powerful, and
peaceable species), and the giant troll (a
dumb, huge, and voracious breed). While the
scholars believe these three species of trolls
to be descended from common root trolls
tainted by elemental earth energies, the truth
might actually be the opposite - the root
trolls could be the result of the mix of the
Beastmen blood tainting these elemental-tied
creatures.
Cave systems in the regions mountain

ranges host a number of dread beholders.
There are also rumours about strange races
of reptilian humanoids - perhaps northern
varieties of lizardmen - living in heated
underground caves in central Norwold.
Lycanthropes are not a threat to the regions
civilized races, but are nevertheless present
in relevant number - in particular
werewolves, werebears, wererats, and devil
swines; also, unconfirmed rumours insist
about the existence of unique local strains,
like dog and deer lycanthropy in the Tranquil
Coast, or reindeer lycanthropy in the far north.
Many planar creatures may also be found in
Norwold, sometimes as occasional travellers
- like the adaptors - some other due to the
regions many gates to the Inner Planes. The
Arch of Fire, for example, is the reason
behind the presence of fire elemental
creatures - fire elementals, hell hounds,
helions, efreeti - while Norzees Whirpool has
brought there some water elementals and
hydraxes.
Sasquatches are found in relevant number,

mostly away from the coasts, in the high
mountain valleys and caves. They belong to
the northern mountain variety called yeti,
and tend to be much more aggressive and
primitive than their kin in the Known World.
Many gathered under the banner of the Ice
Witches in the past.
Also, undead of all types are quite well

represented in Norwold, due to the regions
troubled past history and to the influence of
death-loving Immortals such as Hel.
69
Issue #7
70
Issue #7
71
Issue #7
TOURING THE REGIONS

OF NORWOLD
Kingdom of Norwold to the north and the

Heldannic Territories to the south - even if
de facto claimed by the Heldannic Knights,
the area between the river and the Altenwald
(included) is still beyond their control, but
things may change in the very near future.
Heldlands plains are quite fertile and
blessed with many streams and woods.
Now that you have learned about Norwolds

terrain, climate, history, and dwellers, it is
time for you to follow us in a quick tour of
this diverse region. Refer to the number
featured on the map included in this chapter
to direct your travel.58 So, fill your backpack
with rations, don your fur coat, sharpen your
axe and wit, and Lets start!
The land is inhabited by Heldanner folks and

hosts many farming villages and a couple of
towns, the small port of Strondborg, located
on the coast south of the Heldland Rivers
mouth, and the large, ill-reputed town of
Landfall, a crime haven ruled by Ericalls halfbrother Lernal. Villages are less numerous
near the Hettafjalls foothills, where clans of
hill giants, trolls, and gnolls live. Seminomadic Heldann Shepherd lupin clans live
in the plains north-west of Landfall, while
gnomish snoutzer lupins are found in the
regions woods and forests, alongside their
friends the forest gnomes.
1. Heldland and the

Skaufskogr
Heldland is the region included between the
Altenwald and the Skaufskogr Hills; it is one
of the most populous and settled areas of
Norwold, due to it being continuously
inhabited since three millennia ago.
Heldland is split in half by the Heldland
River,59 which forms the border between the
Lernal possess the feudal title of duke for

Landfall and the lands west of the town, but
also holds sway over the whole Heldland and
Skaufskogr region as governor of this
province. Actually, Landfalls most powerful
crime organizations control both the duke
and the town, and have ramifications in the
most important settlements of this region.
Trails lead from Heldland to the Denagothian
Plateau through a couple of passes in the
Hettafjall Mountains; after being neglected
for a half-century after the fall of Essuria, they
are being crossed again by Ghyrian traders.
In fact, the people of the Denagothian
58
A n umb er of s ources h ave b een us ed to

detail th e map an d th e various l ocation s of
N orwol d: al l th e ten b ook l ets of th e GA Z F l in e
(b y J TR ), th e des cription of N orwol ds
domin ion s featured in th e My s taran
A l man acs ,Map of N orth ern N orwol d, 2 4 Mil es
per H ex (b y M. F l eet), Map of B run (b y F .
Defferrari), Detail ed Map of N orth eas t B run (b y
R . Dijk ema), N orwol d, A C 1 1 6 0 (b y A .
F ran col in i), an d material from Th arquil s F ren ch
h omepag e. Some detail s mig h t h ave b een
s l ig h tl y ch an g ed from th os e orig in al maps ,
th oug h , in order to res ul t con s is ten t with th e
res t. Mos t of th e material reg ardin g s outh ern
N orwol d (th e Sk aufs k og r an d th e R an s arn -Vin is k
val l ey s ) was b orrowed from th e work of G.
A g os ta, an d are furth er des crib ed an d g iven an
in -depth l ook in th e dedicated articl e foun d in
th is s ame is s ue of Th res h ol d.
5 9 Th is is th e river on wh os e b an k s th e outpos t
of F orton wil l b e b uil t b y th e H el dan n ic K n ig h ts
in A C 1 0 1 3 , accordin g to J os h uan s A l man ac

(wh ich devel ops on th e con tin uity of W otI an d
th e PW A s ). B ecaus e of th is , th is river is often
l ab el ed F orton R iver in man y fan res ources .
72
Issue #7
herdsmen, but its villages are some of the

favourite targets of Ostlander pirates.
Plateau still call this region with its Essurian

name, that is Heldunnar (to them, Lower
Heldunnar would be the region west of the
Skaufskogr, while Upper Heldunnar would
be the area to the east of it).
The plains north of the Skaufskogr Hills are

mostly inhabited by Heldann shepherd lupin
clans; further north, the plains known as the
Skarsholm are occupied by orc and
hobgoblin tribes from the Hettafjall. The
long Nordheim River crosses north of the
Skaufskogr and the Rhien Forest, forming the
border between the southern woods and the
Norwold coastal plain. Heldanner clans and
Heldann shepherd lupins live in the plains
north-east of the Rhien Forest.
Skaufskogr is the name used by the locals to

identify both the forested hills which rise east
and north of Landfall, and the great forest
which lays further east; the latter is
alternatively called the Rhien Forest. The
Skaufskogr Hills, which rise up to 1,250 feet,
are the homeland of many foxfolk lupin
tribes, while the Rhien Forest hosts both
foxfolk and a number of reclusive elven
Foresthomes. South of the Rhien Forest, the
wind-swept Kasverian Peninsula is
inhabited by Heldanner and halfling
73
Issue #7
2. The Hettafjall, and the

Ransarn and Vinisk Valleys
name (hooded mountains). Many orc tribes

live in these mountains, which are also the
home of many mountain, frost, fire, and
some cloud giants.
The Hettafjall is a large mountain range

which separates Heldland from the Vinisk
and Ransarn River valleys. Some scholars
consider the Hettafjall Mountains the
southern end of the Final Range, but actually
the mountain chain is more a continuation of
the Eastern Mengul Mountains, whose
northern limit is usually considered the pass
of Lagfara, near the source of the Heldland
River. The Hettafjall are a double-ridge range
with an average altitude of 10,000 that rises
up to towering heights of 18,000 feet, and
features one of the largest glaciers of
southern Norwold; its heights are often
shrouded by clouds, hence its Heldanner
East of the Hettafjall, a smaller range called

Lirovkas Alps rises sharply from the
surrounding foothills, like a wall between the
eastern coastal plain and the Ransarn River
valley. The ranges highest peak is Catspaw
Mountain (altitude 14,103), famous for
being the place where the then-mortal elven
heroine Lornasen first contacted her patron
Ilsundal. The Alps are inhabited by many
tribes of mountain rakastas, as well as
goblinoid clans, and a handful of dwarves. A
few mountain giants also live there.
74
Issue #7
rivers course is slow and marshy, and many

moors are found along it. The rivers valley
was crossed by Essurian traders during that
kingdoms height to reach the Heldland
region, and ruins from a century and a half
ago can still be found there. Dangerous moor
trolls live in this valley, alongside two warlike
centaur hetmanates - which once were close
allies of Essuria. Peoples of the Denagothian
Plateau and the Icereachers still call this
valley by its old Essurian name, the Golthan
Valley.
To the west the Vinisk valley is bordered by
the mountain range known as the Essurian
Arm, which is considered part of Norwold as
much as of Denagoth. These mountains
average 10,000 in altitude, and host rich
deposits of lead in the south and gold in the
north, where the range joins the Isbreidd.
A large forested valley known as the

Gnomsdalur60 lies between the Hettafjall
Mountains and Lirovkas Alps. The place is
inhabited by many goblin tribes, which
makes it very difficult to use the route which
from the Skaufskogr crosses the Gnomstal to
reach the Ransarn River.
The Ransarn River springs from the

Lirovkas Alps and flows through its forested
valley to Lake Gunaald, linking it with the
huge Azure Lake and then flowing into the
White Bear River much more to the north.
The rivers valley was called Rethan Valley by
the Essurians. Semi-nomadic Vrodniki tribes
live all along the valley, fearful of the
northern dragons, often engaged in
skirmishes against the Gnomstal and
Hettafjall humanoids, and sometimes coming
to trade (and more rarely to invade) in the
coastal lands to the east. On the eastern
shores of Lake Gunaald is found the Vatski
domain of Gunvolod, ruled by a Heldanner
dynasty, which includes many fishing
settlements.
The two large Vinisk and Ransarn rivers both

flow into Lake Gunaald, a large, beautiful
clear-water lake which partly freezes during
winter. It owes its name to the gunaald, a
white, delicious freshwater fish which fetches
high prices in Leeha and in the Vatski domains.
The Vinisk River flows into Lake Gunaald
from the south-west, its source being found
on the eastern slopes of the Denagothian
Plateau. Contrary to most of the Norwolds
valleys, the Vinisk valley is rugged and hilly
but nearly devoid of woods and forests due
to the high winds which blow there; the
60
Th e val l ey is cal l ed
b y th e
H el dan n ic K n ig h ts an d K n own W orl ders ; th e
Es s urian s cal l ed th is l arg e val l ey
, an d
th is n ame is s til l us ed b y th e peopl e of th e
Den ag oth ian Pl ateau.
75
Issue #7
3. The Lower Strand and the

Mrkskog
The central area of the Strand is dominated

by the powerful and rich city-state of
Oceansend, whose King Yarrvik the Just
stubbornly refuses to acknowledge Ericalls
authority. His kingdom encompasses the city
itself and a large stretch of the surrounding
countryside, up to the Ironroot Mountains to
the north-west. Humans of mixed origin
(mostly Thyatians and Norwolders, but also
Heldanners, Alphatians, and Dawners) make
up Oceansends varied population, alongside
a relevant number of dwarves (immigrants
from Stoutfellow and Rockhome, and from
the Ironroot Mountains themselves, whose
clans are closely allied with the city),
halflings, and elves (including a lot of water
elves from Minrothad). The citys powerful
The wide coastal plain which runs from the

Nordheim River to the Gulf of Kirnath is
simply called the Strand (the plain). The
lower half of the Strand has fertile soil, but
suffers from stormy weather and early
winters which force the native people to rely
more on herding than on farming. The
Skejdar River cuts in half the lower part of
the Strand, forming a natural boundary
between the land traditionally inhabited by
the Heldanners (to the south) and those
where the Norwolders dwell (to the north).
76
Issue #7
fortifications ensure its

independence from both
empires, and Oceansend
has thus become a
neutral recruiting centre
for many mercenary
companies.
West and south-west of
Oceansend
lies
the
Mrkskog
(dark
61
forest),
one of the
oldest and largest forests
of Norwold. It is a deep,
trackless forest filled with
many
small
bogs,
swamps, and ferocious
animals. The south-eastern half of this forest
is sparsely populated by a centaur
hetmanate, while the rest hosts many elven
Foresthomes. Small clans of bugbears
compete with the forests other dwellers.
Velkka, an active volcano, lies due east of
the Mrkskog; according to Norwolder myth,
inside the mount is found the gate leading to
the infernal realms.
toward the Lirovkas Alps up to the trade

town of Saffir, which makes a living through
trade with the Vrodniki tribes of the Ransarn
valley. Saffirs countryside is populated by a
mix of Alphatian, Heldanner, and Vrodniki
peoples.
West of Lighthall lays a hilly, lush, and deeply
forested valley called the Skfjall (cloud
hills),62 clustered between the Lirovkas Alps
and the Geithbreid and Ilescu mountains.
The valley is populated by independentminded peoples who live in harmony with
the forest and who are supposedly
descended from an isolated branch of
Heldanners.
The southern part of the Strand features

some small scattered Heldanner and
Norwolder villages, and another large
centaur hetmanate. Many ruins dot the
countryside, mostly remnants of recent
imperial colonization attempts. The coast on
this side of the Strait of Helskir is controlled
by the dominion of Lighthall, ruled by Count
Theobold Redbeard from the lighthousedotted town of Lighthall; Theobold also has
authority over all the lower Strand as he
holds the charge of governor of this province
for King Ericall. A trail leads from Lighthall
61
Th e H el dan n ic K n ig h ts an d K n own W orl ders

cal l th is fores t th e
.
62
Th is pl ace is cal l ed
by
H el dan n ic K n ig h ts an d K n own W orl ders .
77
Issue #7
4. The Isles of the Strand
The southern large island is called Isle of

Dogs due to large number of wild dogs
found on it. It hosts remnants from old and
ancient settlements, as it was an important
seat of power during the Antalian age. People
claiming to be descendants of the early
Lietuvan dwellers still inhabit the island,
alongside
the
Norwolder
majority.
Ostlanders are also present, mostly in the
islands western half, where the settlement of
Abengor is found. Farming and fishing are
the islands main activities.
Two larger islands and two smaller ones lay

in the sea in front of Oceansend. The
northernmost one, Walrus Island, is a
forested place with rocky coastlines,
surrounded by many smaller islets and reefs
which make it very dangerous for any ship to
approach the island. The only safe harbour is
in the middle of the east coast, where the
town of Ostborg, with a mixed population of
Northmen, Oceansenders, and Alphatians,
lies. The island is a gathering place for
walruses and other species of seals, which
are ruthlessly hunted for their tusks, pelts,
and fat. Another large village, Norrstan, is
found on the north-western tip of the island.
From AC 975 to AC 985 all the four islands

made up the Ostmark, a dominion founded
by Ostlander raiders. The Northman ruling
families, however, were wiped away by the
Alphatians in AC 985; Tralkar Fenn, who led
the campaign of conquest, was later awarded
the whole Isle of Dogs as fiefdom and was
appointed as count of Hulgarholm by King
Ericall, as well as governor of the province
including all the Isles of the Strand.63
The two smaller islands are called Strimmen

(the western one) and Frigsun (the eastern
one). The former is sparsely inhabited by
farming families, while the latter hosts some
fishermen but is mostly known as a stop for
raiders and pirates.
63
Os tmark , H ul g arh ol m, A b en g or, an d

Os tb org h ave b een b orrowed from a pos t on th e
I tal ian MMB (b y Coran n ), al b eit pl aced in a
differen t con tex t.
78
Issue #7
5. The Tranquil Coast

and the Kilmik Vale
A good half of the southern Tranquil Coast is

occupied by the Oceansend Marshes, a
swampy region which extends for many
miles inland and that is gradually expanding
and making more and more land unsuitable
for farming; the marshes host valuable salt
pans, but are inhabited by clans of Swamp
Folk humans, hostile to any foreign
penetration into their lands.
The stretch of the Strand running north-east

of Oceansend is called the Tranquil Coast
because it is less swept by winds and storms
than the southern half, and thus the waters
in front of it are usually calmer. The plains
here feature many small and isolated
Norwolder hamlets, with traces of ruins
mostly tracing back their origins to the
Thyatian and Alphatian colonizations. Seminomadic Norwolder tribes also roam the
land, especially the fringes of the woods
which run parallel to the Final Range, where
some elven Foresthomes are located. The
Falguel Forest, west of the northern limit of
the Tranquil Coast, is said to be the home of
fairies and fey creatures. Lake Ashtagon, in
the middle of the Tranquil Coast, is a deep
freshwater body said to be haunted by
devilfishes.
North of the Tranquil Coast lies the Kilmik

Vale, a large lowland area surrounded by the
Dragon Spur Hills to the north and by the
Peaks of Snorri to the west. The valley is a
very beautiful spot, filled with meadows,
small lakes, and streams, and shows its
splendour mostly during spring, when its
flowers blossom. The north-eastern half of it
features clear terrain, while in its southeastern half grows the Dottach Forest,
where some Foresthomes are found. The
coastal region which stretches to the north of
the Gulf of Kirnath is also called the
Corsairs Coast, after its history as a
common staging area for pirates and sea
raiders.
Many Norwolder semi-nomadic tribes
roam this area, where stable settlements
are nearly non-existent apart from a
handful of coastal villages. Among those,
the largest is the town of Noskien,
founded by Soderfjordan raiders and
now ruled by Jarl Ragnar Blueshoulder,
who has agreed to acknowledge Ericalls
authority. An uncommonly-used trail
leads from the Tranquil Coast to the
south, through Noskien, to the Lordship
of Somyra and the villages near Raiders
Point to the north.
79
Issue #7
6. The Wotandal and the

Dragon Spur Hills
remnants and ruins of Alphatian settlements

are found in this area, especially in the
northern half near Raiders Point, as well as
one surviving domain, the Lordship of
Somyra, which includes the tiny town of
Adia, now ruled by the ruthless former
mercenary and raider Sabatio de Florio. The
southern half of the Coast of Rebirth is
wooded, and the Forest of Persimmon,
inhabited by a couple of elven Foresthomes,
extends many miles inland.
This region encompasses the north-eastern

corner of the southern half of Norwold, and
is cut in half by the easternmost tip of the
Wyrms Tail, the so-called Eagles Barrier, an
impassable wall of rocks which rises from the
surrounding forested foothills, with at least
seven peaks reaching over 10,000 in height
and with many glacial formations. Eagles,
both normal and giants, live in those peaks,
where the dragons presence is relatively low
if compared to the rest of the Wyrmsteeth
Range; orcs, on the other hand, are quite
common here, and many tribes of mountain
rakastas are present as well. A small dwarven
colony is found in the area of the range
which comes near the Bluesea Gulf.
The dangerous Dragon Spur Hills, a large

region of forested hills with an average
altitude of 1,800, rise west of the Forest of
Persimmon. This area is inhabited by the
warlike Gremlish humans, and by many orc
tribes ruled by clans of hill and mountain
giants. The places name is due to a solitary
mountain peak which rises near the eastern
limit of the hill range, and which was
rumoured in the past to be the lair of an
ancient black dragon named Shastarl. While
The coast along the Bluesea Gulf is called the

Coast of Rebirth and hosts a scattering of
fishing villages inhabited by Norwolders. Old
80
Issue #7
the dragon is supposedly dead or dormant,

the other dwellers still make this area very
dangerous to cross.
North-west of the Eagles Barrier the long
stretch of coast is called Wotandal64 by the
Norwolder villagers and semi-nomadic
tribesmen who dwell in it, while the
Alphatians divide the western Esendel Valley
from the western Mhirren Plain. This region
is notorious for a unique tidal effect called
eistrand in Norwolder tongue: basically,
when the ebb comes, a wide chunk (up to 8
miles in some points) of seafloor is left
exposed and can be walked freely and
without danger - until the flow comes, when
the tide submerges this area very quickly.
The settled Norwolders living here have
learned to keep the sea away from some of
the seafloor left uncovered by the tide, called
the kog, building dams with earth, rocks,
sandbags and mud in order to farm its fertile
soil. Some elven Foresthomes are found in
these woods as well. In the middle of the
Wotandal is also found the Barony of
Khemyr, one of the surviving old Alphatian
dominions, today ruled by Azirun IV, a
staunch supporter of King Ericall.
64
Th is reg ion is cal l ed

b y K n own
W orl ders wh o us e th e H el dan n ic s pel l in g of its
n ame; th e
tide effect is l ik ewis e cal l ed
b y th e H el dan n ics
.
81
Issue #7
7. The Giants Cradle and the

Hidden Valley
Beyond the Peaks of Snorri lies the lonely

and forested Spear Valley, home of a few
foxfolk lupin tribes and scattered Gremlish
human clans. The Green Pass connects the
valley with the Dragon Spur Hills to the east.
The valley continues to the south-west, into
the larger Hidden Valley, a mysterious place
from the coastal peoples point of view,
where strange monsters and unknown perils
are said to dwell. Some of these rumours
might even hold some truth, but actually
much of the Hidden Valley is forested, and
some elven Foresthomes are found there,
while the plains of the south-western half of
the valley are the territory of some Vrodniki
tribes. The Hidden Valley is strongly watched
by local druidic circles, and at least one fairy
realm is found in its woods.
This region encompasses two large valleys

laid between two imposing mountain chains.
To the south-east the Peaks of Snorri form
the regions boundary with the Tranquil
Coast and the northern end of the Final
Range. The Peaks, with an average height of
9,000, have been the seat of a giant domain
for many centuries, and many clans of frost
and mountain giants still dwell here, while
fire giants have arrived more recently. Some
hardy dwarven clans and tribes of mountain
rakastas are said to dwell here as well.
82
Issue #7
and frost giant raiders from the nearby

Eagles Barrier, are not prominent here
anymore.
The Cradle is crossed by the two huge rivers
of this region, the Sabre River to the west,
and the Foxes River to the east; between
their courses lies the Two Rivers Wood, of
which its northern reaches host an isolated
elven Foresthome, while the southern ones a
vicious troll clan.
The lower half of the Foxes River is
inhabited by many other foxfolk lupins, and
the most isolated of the surviving Alphatian
domains, the Barony of Nevoshed, is found
in the south-eastern corner of the Cradle,
nested among the mountains. Its rulers,
Rolland and Galathea, manage to keep
occasional contacts with Alpha thanks to the
wide, navigable Foxes River. The Sabre
River flowing to the south-west owes its
name to the legend according to which an
Alphatian general would have thrown its
magical blade into its waters before cursing
the river and the land itself. The river runs
through a narrow and dark gorge between
the Pierced Crown and the Regents Ridge to
the north.
North-west of those valleys, the middle

section of the Wyrms Tail, called the Pierced
Crown, is found. This mountain range owes
its name to the unusual position of its many
peaks (some of which reach a height of
15,000), which form a sort of circular wall
around the huge Long Glacier and an
adjacent virgin forested valley inhabited by
fairy creatures. The Crown is one of the
favourite northern haunts of the Wyrmsteeth
dragons, but fierce orc tribes are found here
aplenty as well. Wandering lynxman and
mountain rakasta clans can also be found in
these mountains, and even a few clans of
snow pardastas.
Further north of the Crown gives sway to
another huge valley, called the Giants
Cradle after the Antalian myths that held that
this was the core realm of the giants.
Actually, the Alphatians call this place the
Aquelera Valley after one of the settlements
they built here during their colonization
attempt in the 5th century AC. The entire
valley, in fact, sports scattered Alphatian
ruins tracing back to that age. Giants, apart
from a handful of mountain giant families
83
Issue #7
8. The Peninsula of Alpha
The rest of the peninsula is dotted by

villages, farmlands, and pasturelands, with a
couple of other small towns and some
defensive keeps here and there. The
peninsula enjoys an enviable position from a
defensive point of view, being virtually
unapproachable from the land. In fact, the
peninsulas neck features the steep Regents
Ridge, a mountain chain which occupies the
whole width of the neck and runs parallel to
the Sabre Rivers course south-westward;
some of its peaks reach 8,000 feet in heights.
While the ranges southern reaches host
some sasquatch clans, the northern ones are
well-guarded by the kings soldiers, and the
only pass through the neck, the Regent Pass,
is protected by a mighty fortress.
The most civilized place of all Norwold, the

Peninsula of Alpha has been one of the first
bones of contention between the empires of
Thyatis and Alphatia, and is likely to become
one again. The fertile plain of the peninsula
features a deep water bay at its north-eastern
end, which is perfect as a naval harbour. It is
here that the Thyatians established Cape
Alpha long ago, and it is here that the
Kingdom of Norwolds capital and largest
city, Alpha, lies. The city has swelled from a
modest town to a bustling port within the
span of fifteen years, becoming the centre of
the Alphatians renewed colonization
attempt. Its most spectacular feature is the
huge Royal Palace, which includes one of the
modern architectural marvels, the Grand
Ballroom.
West of the peninsula, in the waters of the

Great Bay, lies the island of Nordlighavn,65
inhabited by fishermen and often used by
Ostlander pirates as staging base for raids in
the surrounding areas.
65
Th e is l an d is cal l ed
b y H el dan n ics an d
K n own W orl ders .
84
Issue #7
9. The Skogenvr,
the Scarlet Forest, and
the Peninsula of Err
The north-eastern coast of this region also

hosts two rival domains of the Kingdom of
Norwold: the County of Therimar, ruled by
Count Kerik, one of the surviving Alphatian
domains which stretches from the coast to
the Sabre River; and the Jarldom of Hastamal,
on the coast west of Therimar, ruled by the
ruthless Ostlander Asger. The domains
capital towns, Holion and Hastoun,
respectively, are the two largest settlements
of this area.
This vast forested region is nearly closed on

all sides by mountain ranges and rivers;
there, after the ravages of the Great Horde
brought on the fall of the Antalian
civilization, the Norwolder clans have thrived
for centuries, roaming the deep woods of
these lush valleys and making this veritable
paradise one of the cradles of their culture.
Sedentary Norwolder villagers live on the
northern shores of this region, while seminomadic tribes of their kin dominate the
interior. As this area has been colonized by
the Alphatians both during Alinors times and
during the 5th century AC, the region is
littered with Alphatian ruins.
The eastern half of this region, from the

Sabre River in the east to the Grnhauger
(green mounds) - a low line of forestcovered hills, averaging 1,500 in height - is
called Skogenvr (our woods), its name
likely springing from the ancient time in
which the western reaches beyond the hills
85
Issue #7
were still held by the humanoid tribes. It is a

large plain area, filled with plant and animal
life, ponds, small lakes, rivers, and creeks,
which hosts deep woods and large meadows
as well. The southern reaches of this region
wedges itself between the Pierced Crown and
the Bloody Scythe, forming a large valley
called the Aesirdal, after the Norwolder
legends which set there some events of their
mythic past. The great forest found in this
valley is called the Wyrmwoods, and is a
dangerous place because of the presence of
a ruthless clan of elves who hunt down
anyone trespassing across their borders; they
are said to be in league with a green dragon
who lives in the same woods.
To the north of the Scarlet Forest is found

another row of forested hills known as the
Katfjellene66 (some scholars say the name
means cats mountains after the ancient
presence of rakastas in these hills, but this is
uncertain because no rakastas at all are to be
found here at present). These hills reach a
height of 2000 in some points, and are
relatively peaceful - were it not for the
presence of hill giants and orcs in their
southern reaches. In the near past, these
creatures, under the leadership of a green
dragon, even put Leeha in serious danger.
The most interesting, but undiscovered,
feature of these hills are the ruins of the
ancient capital of Alinors kingdom, Alphia, a
former port city found on the south slopes of
the north-eastern part of the range; today the
place is almost totally hidden by rubble and
by the hillside.
West of the Grnhauger Hills lies the vast

and ancient Scarlet Forest, which owes its
name to the towering red sequoias which
make up the bulk of its trees. A scattering of
reclusive elven Foresthomes are found in the
deepest reaches of this wood, where it is easy
to build tree-homes high up on the trees.
The tongue of land which protrudes east of

Leeha is called the Peninsula of Err by the
native peoples and Caudasteen Peninsula by
the halflings, even if the Alphatians insist on
calling it Hukenhaal after one of their old
domains which was found in this area. The
fertile and plain soil of the peninsula make it
an ideal place for farming and herding, and
many Norwolder villages are found there,
among which many halflings are also
present. The tip of the peninsula is called
Slaves Point - a forgotten reference to the
place where millennia ago the Nithian ships
disembarked their halfling slaves brought
from the south.
66
Th es e h il l s are cal l ed
an d K n own W orl ders .
b y H el dan n ics
86
Issue #7
10. Severnaya Polovina and

the Wyrmsteeth Core
streams. The new Alphatian government has

named this region the Four Titans Valley,
after the four great mountain ranges which
mark its borders.
The heart of the Wyrmsteeth Range is found

in this region - a vast, lightly forested valley
called the Severnaya Polovina, and the
ominous mountains to the north and south
of it. The Severnaya Polovina (the northern
half, as opposed to the Ransarn River valley)
owes its name to the Vanatic peoples who
lived there in the past centuries. Their
descendants, the Vrodniki tribes, still roam
this region, even if their number has
lessened in the last two centuries as a
consequence of the increase of draconic
activity. The Severnaya Polovina is a highland
valley with an average altitude of 3,000 feet,
filled with meadows, grasslands, and small
To the north-east the Polovina is connected

with the Hidden Valley, while to the southeast a mountain pass called the Kings Neck
connects to the coastal plain; mount
Einsafjall67 is found in the middle of the
Neck. On its eastern end, the Polovina
descends gradually to the Vatskiy Rodina.
The Severnaya Polovinas eastern limit is the
majestic range of the Ironroot Mountains,
the middle section of the Final Range, whose
major peaks reach heights of 18,000 feet. The
range was one of the centres of the ancient
67
Th is moun tain peak is cal l ed

H och s ieg er in H el dan n ic ton g ue,
an d K n own W orl ders us e th e
l atter n ame.
87
Issue #7
North of the Severnaya Polovina, another

narrow mountain chain belonging to the
Wyrms Tail, the Bloody Scythe, is found.
The name of the range comes from its shape
as well as from the colour that the sky above
the range assumes when the volcanoes found
in its western reaches are active. Besides
dragons, the range is inhabited by tribes of
orcs and clans of fire giants, and by a few
scattered clans of snow pardastas and
lynxmen. The Scythe is almost impassable
due to the steepness of its slopes (most of its
peaks reach a towering height of 14,000
feet), except for a mountain pass - called the
High Pass - in the point where the range is
narrower. The pass is infrequently used by
the Vrodniki and the Norwolders to the
north to trade with one another.68
giant culture of Norwold, but the Ironroots

mountain giants have decreased in number
during the centuries, and those who are left
only dwell in the ranges highest peaks and
on its western slopes. The eastern side of the
range, instead, has been settled by a number
of dwarven clans, among which the
Stormhaven clan is prominent. The dwarves
engage in occasional skirmishes against the
mountain giants, and are close allies of
Oceansend.
South of the Severnaya Polovina sits the
imposing massif of the Wyrms Head
Mountains, which is both part of the Final
Range and the core of the Wyrmsteeth Range.
This mountain massif, whose many peaks
range from 13,000 to 16,000 in height,
hosts various glaciers (among which the
Great Glacier and the Glacier of Wings are
the largest) and a score of caves and lairs in
which the majority of the Wyrmsteeth
dragons dwell. In the very centre of the
massif lies the dragon city of Windreach,
which however is nowadays only a pale
shadow of the city it was during its days as
seat of the Dragon Nation. Windreach is the
only place in Norwold where gold dragons
are found - even if this is not known to the
Norwold people, who think that the gold
dragons do not dwell in Norwold altogether.
68
Th is pas s coul d b e th e s ame of th e on e

foun d in th e Two Lak es B aron y , from modul e
CM2 Death s R ide.
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11. The Azure Lake and

the Vatskiy Rodina
The lake is surrounded by steep mountain
ranges, which makes its cliff-like, rugged
shores mostly unsuitable for settlement,
apart from the area around the lakes
southern tip. To the east rise the Giants
Mountains, a comparatively low range (most
peaks do not rise over 6,500 feet in height)
which has the particularity of being the home
of a large number of mountain giant clans.
The northernmost tip of the range, topped
by the small White Glacier (about 9,500
high) is said to harbour rich, unexploited
deposits of gold and precious stones.
The Azure Lake is the largest lake of

Norwold and one of the largest of Brun as
well. Its deep waters are rich with fish, and
the lake, thanks to its north-south length,
also represents a useful communication
route with the Great Bay. The great Ransarn
River, coming from Lake Gunaald, flows into
the Azure Lake and then connects to the
White Bear River, to the north. The hue of
the Azure Lakes beautiful waters owes it this
name. The small Enstig Island lies in the
northern half of the lake; it is a place of
religious significance for the Norwolders
traditional religion and a small shrine is
found on it.
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forested hills between the Giants Mountains

and the Bloody Scythe called the Valley of
the Wind connects the Rodina with the
Scarlet Forest to the north; the gap is famous
for the extremely strong winds and storms
which blow through it during the autumn
months. The Vatskiy Rodina hosts most of
the Vatski principalities, the most important
and powerful of which are Vyolstagrad, to
the north-east, and Stamtral, on the shores of
the Azure Lake - their two knyaz are bitter
rivals and engage in frequent border
skirmishes. Other principalities are Odna,
near the mountains to the south, and
Lazarsk, on the western shores of the Azure
Lake. A number of smaller domains ruled by
boyarin are found between Odna,
Vyolstagrad, and Stamtral.
To the east of the Azure Lake are found the

White Mountains, which are considered the
western section of the Icereach Range. The
northern massif of the mountains reaches a
towering height of 22,590 feet and a large
glacier is found beside it. The southern
branch of the range is about half the height
of the northern massif, and declines less
steeply toward the Azure Lake, leaving room
for wild wooded hills where strange,
crystalline flowers are found in rare spots of
the forest.
The Vatskiy Rodina (Vatski homeland) is
a large plain valley of woods and meadows,
enclosed between the Wyrmsteeth Range and
the Azure Lake; the region is called Drenan
Valley by the Icereachers and the people of
the Denagothian Plateau. A wide gap of
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12. Engherland and

the Lower Icereach
The Maghnar Valley is the easternmost one,

bordering the shores of the Azure Lake,
where the Vatski principality of Lazarsk is
found. The valley gradually descends from an
altitude of 7,000 feet to the west up to a
mere 2,500 feet in the east. The Maghnar is
quite forested, and at least one green dragon
is said to dwell in its reaches. To the north a
pass high up a steep trail leads to the Skelleft
River valley.
Engherland is the name commonly given to

the three wide valleys which are found at the
feet of the southern Icereach Range, due
north of the Denagothian Plateau. These
valleys sit at a quite high altitude, from the
average of 7,000 feet of the Grathnir, to the
8,500 feet of the Throne.
South of the Maghnar rise the Isbreidd,

which are called Mountains of Ice by the
people of the north-eastern corner of the
Denagothian Plateau. These mountains have
an average altitude of 10,000 feet and can be
considered a continuation of the Essurian
Arm range. Frost giants, hobgoblins, and
ogres live in the mountains, but also a
dwarven clan, the Takkras, have made their
home in the slopes which border Lake
Gunaald, to the east.
The valleys are the homeland of the seminomadic Icereacher clans, called the
Engherians in the old Essurian tongue. Being
followers of He Who Watches, they are in
good standing with the small successor
realms of Essuria in the north-eastern corner
of the Denagothian Plateau. The rarely used
trade route which reaches the domains of the
Denagothian Plateau from the Vatskiy Rodina
pass through Engherland, and represents a
land alternative to the route which goes
down the Vinisk River valley.
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engage in skirmish and raids against the

Icereachers, and are paid back in turn with
the same money.
A huge mountain massif called the Grey
Giants, which has an average of 13,000 feet
of altitude (with peaks towering up to
20,000), represents the impassable western
border of the Throne and of the Grathnir.
The name of these mountains - which
represent the southern branch of the
Icereach Range - derives from their rocky
bareness and lack of trees, which only cover
their south-eastern lower slopes. Glaciers,
where white dragons are said to dwell, are
found below the tops of the Grey Giants, and
hill giants inhabit the western side of the
mountains.
The low range called the Pillars, which rises
to 9,500 feet, forms the border between the
Denagothian Plateau and the Golthan Valley;
apart from some bare rocky crags, the Pillars
features many mountain passes which enable
relatively easy contact between the southern
domains and the Icereachers. A forested
valley runs in east-west direction between
the Isbreidd to the north and the Pillars to
the south, reaching the dangerous Menascha
Swamp - a foggy marsh inhabited by
troglodytes and fierce trolls whom the
southern folks simply call the Mist.
The Throne of He Who Watches, to the

north-west, is an elevated table plane with an
altitude of 8,500 feet, which can be rightfully
considered part of the Icereach Range itself.
It is a place devoid of most trees, and it is the
place where He Who Watches is believed by
the Icereachers to sit and observe the lands
to the south; as such, it is a sacred and taboo
place to them, where only the most sacred or
questing people are allowed to climb. The
Throne is separated from the Grathnir and
Maghnar valleys by a huge, flat-topped
mountain called The Anvil which reaches
9,500 feet of altitude.
South of the Pillars and of the Menascha

Swamp are found the petty realms and
domains which descend from the old
Essurian settlements in this region of the
plateau, foremost of whom is the Kingdom of
Ghyr. These realms, however, are considered
part of the Denagothian Plateau and not of
Norwold.
The Grathnir Valley is the southern one,

where most Icereacher clans and villages are
found. The tribes of the Denagothian Wastes
and the ogre clans who live on the border
between the Grathnir and the plateau often
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13. The Ice Wall and

Quesas Massif
clash against one another; the giants,

however, mostly haunt the western slopes of
the range, so their presence is felt not that
much by the Icereachers. On the other hand,
many snow pardasta clans live on the
mountains eastern slopes.
This region represents the true heart of the

Icereach Range and the place where
Norwolds most majestic and highest
mountains are found. To the west, the
highest point of the range is the Ice Wall, a
huge mountain massif with an average
altitude of 16,000 and whose major peaks
reach even beyond 24,000 feet of height.
One of its most famous peaks, if not the
highest, is Mount Einrick (alt. 21,050). Huge
glaciers are found in this ranges valleys,
where white dragons are known to dwell.
The slopes between the ranges major ridges
are the home of many clans of frost,
mountain, and fire giants, who frequently
East of the Ice Wall is another large massif of

the range, Quesas Massif, which averages
14,000 feet of altitude, with its highest point
rising up to 24,000. In the middle of this
massifs ridges lies a vast glacier, where the
entrance of the infamous Ice Cave is found.
Sasquatches, frost giants, white dragons, and
other cold-loving creatures haunt the
surroundings of the place. The Ice Cave is a
sprawling underground dungeon made of ice
and rock, which descends into the bellows of
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dreams of one day enacting his revenge on

the Crones.
The Ice Wall and Quesas Massif are
separated by the sparsely-wooded Timayam
River valley, through which runs the frigid
course of one of Norwolds major rivers,
which empties in the large Lake Vanern, a
cold mountain lake nested between the
surrounding mountain colossi. The towering
slopes of Quesas Massif and of the White
Mountains appears as gigantic stone cliffs as
they dive into the lakes waters, which are
dark and deep (in fact, the locals call it the
Black Lake). From the south, the Skelleft
River also feeds Lake Vanern, then continues
its course beyond it though a narrow gorge
between the Quesas Massif and the White
Mountains, to reach the White Bear River to
the north. The high altitude and inclination
of these rivers make them impossible to
navigate in an upriver direction.
the mountain. It was once the seat of power

of the Witch-Queen Akra; the Ice Witch kept
here all her secret lore, her artefacts, and her
treasures. The Ice Cave was also the lair of
Akras ally, the huge white dragon Quesa.
When the Witch-Queen was destroyed,
Quesas soul was bound by the Crones of
Crystykk to a gemstone hidden in the
mountains depths; the beast could not go
out of the cave and too much away from the
stone, lest the tie between his soul and body
would break, and the dragon would die. The
stone has never been found - despite all
attempts by Quesa to locate it. Despite this,
the dweomer that binds the dragon to the Ice
Cave has weakened during the centuries,
allowing Quesa to leave the place for short
times and at short distance. This was enough
for him to establish a reign of terror over the
surrounding Icereacher tribes, who fear him
and bring the dragon treasures and sacrifices
to appease his wrath. Quesa is likely one of
the oldest white dragons of the world, with
an age of about a thousand years; he is bitter
at his failure to become an immortal dragon
guardian, and blames the Crones of Crystykk
for this. He is resigned to the fact that he is
now too old to achieve immortality, but still
The Timayam and Skelleft rivers valleys have

an altitude which ranges from 9.000 to
7,000. Icereacher tribes live in this
mountainous and cold place, fending off
dragon attacks or submitting to Quesas
might. They are more backward than their
cousins to the south, and favour their
traditional patrons over He Who Watches.
The narrow mountain chain which divides
the Throne of He Who Watches to the southwest from the Skelleft valley is called the
Leirjotunns Spine and averages 10,000 feet
in height.
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14. The White Bear Valley and

the Arch of Fire
route. The valley is also the place where

ruins dating back to the realm of Alinor can
be found.
The White Bear River is one of the widest

rivers of Norwold, with its shores being even
two miles apart in some points. It forms a
veritable barrier between the Icereach Range
and the lands to the east. The rivers valley
runs north-westward up to the Great Circle,
where the river has its spring, and it is a good
trade route between the Viaskoda tribes of
the north-western valleys and the halflings of
Leeha. In the course of the centuries, the
halflings have established a number of semipermanent camps along the rivers course to
supply the boaters who trade with the
Viaskodas and beyond, and secure the trade
The lowlands north-east of the White

Mountains are called the Valley of Ath, and
are the westernmost place where the
Norwolder semi-nomadic tribes are found.
North-west of the valley, the White Banner
Viaskodas territory begins. Beyond the valley
is found an area of marshes, called the
Swamp of Steam, near the point where the
Skelleft River joins the White Bear River; the
marshes name is due to the mists which
often loom over the area due to the effects of
the nearby Arch of Fires lava flows or
underground lava deposits. North of the
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swamp, the rivers valley continues into the

proper territory of the Viaskodas, which is
rich in forests and woods.
in this area; its most fearsome residents are

however the fire elemental creatures who
have arrived from the Plane of Fire.
The main feature of this region is of course

the northernmost tip of the Icereach Range,
called the Arch of Fire. In this barren stretch
of the mountains, two large volcanoes
standing 75 miles apart are found; one of
them is a gate to the Plane of Fire, the other
is a gate from it. Fire elemental matter flows
continuously from the mouth of one volcano
to anothers, forming a breath-taking arch of
fire, 300-feet wide and which reaches a
height of 6 miles, visible from about 70 miles
away during daylight hours. The land
between the two volcanoes is a wasteland
filled with rivers of lava, lakes of fire, and
many cave complexes. Fire giants, red
dragons, and many fire-loving creatures live
A long and narrow mountain range called the

Jagged Teeth, which reaches 9,000 in
height, marks the eastern border of the White
Bear Rivers valley. The range is inhabited by
orc, goblin, and hobgoblin tribes, a few
mountain giants, and a red dragon. A famous
peak of the range is the mountain called
Tokoramses Watch, the spot whence the
Nithian (Thothian) Pharaoh Tokoramses V is
said to have admired the Arch of Fire after a
lengthy pilgrimage from the southern lands.
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15. Leehashire, the Lothbarth,

and the Western
Viaskaland
economic power of this part of Norwold, and

carefully control passage along the White
Bear River, imposing duties on outsider
traders. The town of Leeha, as a side note, is
also famous for its many fine inns. The
shires countryside is a mix of fertile and
well-tended fields on the southern and
eastern reaches, and of woods and forests on
the western and northern ones. The halflings
are friendly toward foreigners and humans,
but want to be left in peace.
This area includes two of the most important

demihuman realms of the whole of Norwold.
Leehashire, to the south-east, is the realm of
the Norwold halflings. The shires heart is the
town of Leeha, where the representatives of
the eight halfling communities of the region
- Leeha itself, Highthicket, Merrybrook,
Nimbleville, Fort Divotfoot, Goodfield,
Grassy Knoll, and Port Hinly - gather to set
things of common interest to the shire as a
whole; a sheriff, at present time the halfling
named Collin, manages the day-to-day rule of
the shire. The halflings are the main
West of Leehashire, some villages of settled

Norwolders devoted to farming and mining
are found. North of them the fields give way
to the great Lothbarth Forest, which
represents somewhat the border between
southern and northern Norwold. The forest
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east. The whole region represents the

western half of Viaskaland (which is called
Gharr Thenal by the Viaskodas themselves),
the homeland of the semi-nomadic Viaskoda
tribes which seasonally migrate from the
coastal villages where they anchor their ships
to the northern grasslands where they follow
the animal herds which provide them food
and resources. Centaur tribes are also found
in this region.
is a large expanse of old and young trees,

whose heart always seems to enjoy a state of
perpetual spring - leaves are always green
and healthy, flowers blossoms impervious to
the winter weather, and so on. This eternal
spring effect is the consequence of the
blessings of the Immortal Lornasen, who
watches over the many elven Foresthomes
who are found in the forest. The Lothbarth
Forest is considered by the Norwold elves
the very heart of their culture in this region
as well as of the worship of Immortal
Ilsundal. The halflings of Leeha, instead,
differentiate the outlying areas of the
Lothbarth nearer to their holdings between
the Hightimber Forest, to the south, and
the Northguard Woods, to the north.
To the north-west, this regions border is

made up by the Jotunheimr Hills, a narrow
row of low, rugged hills which reach heights
of 750-1,000 on average. The hills are
infamous for the presence of giant clans, as
well as for a great number of orcs, bugbear,
and troll tribes, which represent a
continuous threat both to the Viaskodas, to
the elves, and to the Vaarana to the north. An
area of highland plains connects the
Jotunheimr Hills to the Jagged Teeth in the
south-west.
North of the Lothbarth lies a wide, sparselyforested plain, interspersed with broken
terrain patches, low rocky crags, and ridges,
which is called the Crumpled Lands. This
area is the home of the Red Banner
Viaskodas, which stretches further to the
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16. The Noskumis Plain and the

Eastern Viaskaland
summer flowers, where the Viaskodas

domain is challenged by wandering goblin
and troll tribes, and by occasional,
independent Littonian homesteaders. The
Noskumis Plain is also dotted with ruins
tracing back to a variety of ages - from the
nearly-mythic past of Nordenheim to the
more recent, but still centuries-old, remnants
of the Littonian dominion in these lands.
This vast region of plains and grasslands

stretches from the Jotunheimr Hills to the
west up to Littonia in the east. It is divided in
two great cultural areas.
To the south-west the eastern half of
Viaskaland (Gharr Thenal for the Viaskodas)
is found. This area is inhabited by the
nomadic tribes of the Azure Banner
Viaskodas, who roam in the grasslands
between the Landrise to the south-east to the
taiga forests of Koleamaa to the north-west,
following their horse and cattle herds and
shunning the sea, as opposite to their Red
Banner kin to the south-west. Many centaur
tribes live in this region as well.
The plains in the north-western reach of this

region are known to the Kaarjalans as
Tuonela (the land of the dead). It is an
area of mires and half-frozen bogs, with
sparse stands of sick or dead trees, where
animal life is scarce or lacking, everything has
a sickly appearance, the air has the pall of
decay, and sunlight penetrates with much
difficulty. Tuonela is quite colder than the
surrounding areas. Unknown to all, it is the
haunt of the dread undead sorceress called
the Rimal Hag.
To the north-east the Noskumis Plain is

found, a place of high grasses and beautiful
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17. The Ljallenvals and

the Landrise
The south-eastern stretch of the lands north
of the Great Bay rises gradually up to 7501,200 over the grasslands of Viaskaland, to
form a plateau-like region known as the
Landrise, which then fall more steeply
toward the coastline to the south. The
western and southern reaches of the
Landrise are forested, while in the rest clear
terrain is prevalent; the plain area between
the Landrises fringes and the Ljallenvals
Mountains to the south-east is called
Thenak, while the grasslands further to the
northeast are the Sarkans Plain (the red
plain), whose name comes from the bloody
battles among the Littonians and the goblins
which took place there. Since those battles,

the Sarkans goblins who still live there have
become good neighbours of the Littonians,
trading with them and providing valuable
military aid in time of war.
The region has historically been settled by
people of Littonian descent, at times
dominated by the Kingdom of Littonia itself,
more recently left to take care of themselves
due to the realms declining military power.
Villages and hamlets are scattered here and
there, and a few elven Foresthomes are
found in the western tip of the Landrise.
In the forested hill coast west of the
mountains one of the newest domains of the
Kingdom of Norwold, the County of Draken,
is found. It is a place where Alphatian settlers
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finally bring the whole of Norwold under her

heel.
The forested tongue of land east of the
Ljallenvals is known as the Helm,
culminating in its easternmost tip of Closed
Cape. Few Littonian homesteaders live in this
area.
have mixed with the Littonian natives, ruled

by Count Beriak Alanira, a powerful magicuser who also holds the charge of governor
for the whole eastern half of the Great Bay.
The south-eastern reaches of the Landrise
feature a rocky and rugged chain called the
Ljallenvals Mountains, which are the home
of many orc and troll tribes, sasquatch clans,
and even frost giant bands. The Ljallenvals
reach heights of 11,000 feet and are said to
be rich in untapped mineral resources. Many
thunderstorms form above the peaks in the
summer months, as well as in the Vtra Hills
to the north. Here is also found the hideout
of the Ice Witch Frota, who attempted to
subjugate Norwold more than one century
ago while possessed by the ancient WitchQueen Akras spirit, and was defeated. Frota,
freed from Akras control, increased her
powers in the last decades, beat the local
humanoids into submission, and had them
build a sprawling underground complex
inside the mountainside called the Ice Tomb.
She is now refining the details of her plan to
Two islands of note are found along the

Landrises
southern
coastline.
The
westernmost one is Todstein Island, a small
plain isle where one of the Alphatian lords of
the 9th century AC, a necromancer named
Meredoth, has set his domain. Meredoth
disappeared during the Long Winter soon
after the dominions establishment, but some
of the worst results of the necromancers
studies are still said to dwell on the island,
which is wisely shunned by the natives. The
larger Bergholm Isle, south of the
Ljallenvals, is a barren chunk of rock
protruding from the sea. Only sparse
fishermen villages are found on the island,
which is nevertheless strategically located to
block the entrance of the Great Bay.
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18. Littonia and Itmaa
the Helm, as well as the Noskumis Plain and

even parts of Itamaa and Kaarjala.
The eastern coastal region north of the Great

Bay is the homeland of the Littonian peoples,
and the seat of their modern realm, the small
Kingdom of Littonia, whose throne is
currently occupied by King Uldis VI. In local
usage, Littonia refers to the area
encompassed within the kingdoms borders
- the Littonian cultures heartland - while
natives use the term Greater Littonia for
the larger area sparsely inhabited by
Littonian peoples over which their kings have
had a traditional claim, but no control.
Greater Littonia includes the Landrise and
Littonia proper is located beyond the

easternmost end of the Landrise, where the
highlands decline toward the sea. The
country lies north of the Gaudava River,
which flows from the Ljallenvals foothills to
the sea. A low, crescent-shaped line of hills
named Namejs Line in the south and
Lietuvan Hills in the north marks the
western border of Littonia; these hills
altitude ranges from 1,100 feet in the south
to 700 feet in the north. The land between
the hills and the sea features many forests
and plains: here the bulk of the Littonian and
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Lietuvan peoples dwell. Many large villages

dot the countryside and the coast, but only
two settlements - the capital city of
Gaudavpils, and the nearby Rezevpils - rank
as true towns. The coast of Littonia is also
called the Green Coast after its verdant
forests.
The northern end of Littonia is marked by
the Teici Bog, a small area of ponds,
streams, swamps, and marshes which is
covered by abundant snowfall during winter.
The bog is said to be haunted by the ghost of
an ancient Littonian queen who consorted
with evil spirits and was punished by the
Immortals because of that.
microclimate generated by Kaarjalas Great

Saampo, the subarctic and the tundra
climates. Sparse hamlets and tiny villages are
found in this area, independent from other
realms but ready to join their weak forces in
case of outside threat. Itmaa also features
the large mouth of the Landsplit River
(known to the Kaarjalans as the Maanselk),
which marks the border between the lands
claimed by the Kingdom of Norwold and the
northern tundra. The very wide river course
allows small ships and boats to go through it
upriver, and to reach the heart of the
Kingdom of Kaarjala to trade.
Further north on the coast lies the region

known as Itmaa (east land in Saamari
tongue), where settlers from Kaarjala,
Littonia, and even Qeodhar have tried to
colonize in the past, with mixed success. The
region is often hit by heavy downpours as it
lies in the transitional zone between the
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19. The Autuasmaa Plain

The subarctic region north of the Great Bay
is separated by the arctic tundra by the river
system made up by the large Landsplit River
to the south, and by the Tukkijoki, a river
which runs parallel to the north of it before
joining the Landsplit in its final rush for the
Alphatian Sea. The two rivers - along a
myriad of minor ones - feed the three large
lakes of the north: Hmrjrvi, located
near the western border of Kaarjala, Isojrvi,
the coldest one due to the proximity of
Tuonela, and Pohjanjrvi, rich in fish and
hosting a unique species of seals.
The vast region between the two main rivers
is called the Autuasmaa Plain that includes
swamps, woods, grasslands, and tillable
fields which are among the most fertile ones
of the north. The Autuasmaa Plain and

vicinities also enjoys a milder climate than
the surrounding regions due to the powers
of the artefact known as the Great Saampo,
a huge magical windmill located in the town
of Kaarja, a gift of the Saamaris Immortal
patron. The plain is filled with a huge
number (more than a thousand) of small and
tiny lakes and ponds, which makes it a
veritable land of lakes.
The Autuasmaa (land of bliss in Saamari
tongue) is the home of the Saamari people
and it is controlled by their realm, the
Kingdom of Kaarjala. Scattered villages and
hamlets dot the whole stretch of the plain,
with only one true town, the capital of
Kaarja, located near the eastern shores of the
Hmrjrvi; there, King Kaarlo Taavinen has
his seat of power.
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20. Koleamaa and Lnsimaa

This vast region of taiga, plains, and swamps
is inhabited by the Vaarana semi-nomadic
tribes who are related and allied with the
Kingdom of Kaarjala. Humanoids from the
Jountheimr Hills, from the Everwinter Lands,
and from the Winter Peaks often foray into
this region and clash with the native folks.
The immediate region to the north of the

Tukkijoki, while under the influence of the
Saampo, is not completely controlled by the
Kaarjalans and is a disputed land where
Shonak and tundra humanoid tribes make
frequent forays. Instead, the areas claimed by
the Kingdom of Kaarjala south of the
Landsplit River - mostly around Hmrjrvi
and Isojrvi - are claimed by the Kingdom of
Norwold as well, which acknowledges the
Landsplit River as its northern border. The
remoteness of this region from Alpha has
contributed toward avoiding the sparking of
conflicts over it.
The area found between the Jotunheimr Hills

and the Autuasmaa Plain is called Koleamaa
(bleak land) by the Kaarjalans, due to its
cold climate which falls outside the milding
effects of the Great Saampo; the Viaskodas
call this region the RithThem. Koleamaa is a
wide expanse of taiga-type forest broken by
large stretches of grassy plains. Many swamps
and marshes are scattered in the northern
part of this land, where many migratory
animals dwell. While the end of the taiga to
the south-east, where the grasslands begin, is
considered the boundary between the
Vaaranas and the Azure Banner Viaskodas
lands, the latter often push beyond the
forests limit, which is the cause of skirmishes
between the two peoples.
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Some people consider the course of the

Sinijoki to be the north-western boundary of
Koleamaa, while others insist the border
coincides with the Raatovaarat Mountains,
actually a low line of hills about 1,100 high
on average, which runs from the Hmrjrvi
toward the Karelides in the south-west. The
highest point of the range is found in its
south-western reaches, and reaches an
altitude of 2,700. The hills are famous for
their ruggedness and for being carved by a
huge number of underground caves.
Beyond the Raatovaarat Mountains the taiga

and the plains continue to the north-west in
a region called Lnsimaa (west land),
closed between the Winter Peaks, the Frozen
Moors, the Roaring River, and the
Raatovaarat. Plains of low grasses prevail over
the taiga in this region, which is much more
exposed than Koleamaa to the humanoid
raids coming from the north and the west, as
well as to frost giant forays from Frosthaven.
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The Jotunheimr Hills and the Raatovaarat

Mountains are joined by a ridge of hills
called the Pallastunturi Hills, which give
way to a plateau-like region called the Plain
of Skulls. This highland steppe has an
altitude of about 1,000 and is limited to the
west by the huge mass of the Karelides. The
plain is littered with an incredible score of
half-buried bones dating back to a variety of
ages, from the most recent to the prehistoric
ones; while the peoples to the east think that
most of the bones are the remnants of the
deceased in the Battle of the Skulls (AC 640),
many bones - especially colossal or giant
bones belonging to unknown animals or
monsters - come from a much older age.
Ghosts and solitary undead are said to haunt
this place, and no other creatures call it
home; small bands of humanoid or White
Banner Viaskodas rarely cross the Plain of
Skulls at their own risk. Besides, one of the
latters customs is to leave people sentenced
for serious crimes or offenses tied to one of
the giant bones of the Plain of Skulls usually, the victim ends up becoming an
addition to the places already-abundant
score of bones.
21. The Great Circle, the Ostma

and Natoka Valleys
This region is made up by three huge valleys
which separate the southern Icereach Range
from the northern Borean Range. The valleys
were likely created by a number of
devastating meteor-falls that happened
during the prehistoric age.
The largest and southernmost of the three
valleys is called the Great Circle. The proper
Great Circle is the western two-thirds of it, a
land of plains, rocky hills, and broken lands,
on the west, and of woods and forests to the
east. The Circle is surrounded on the north
and west sides by the Thundering Peaks,
which have an average altitude of 11,000 feet
and include a very few active volcanoes; the
mountains
are
frequently
hit
by
thunderstorms; a marshy area is found on
the western side of the peaks, beyond which
giants and ferocious humanoids dwell. To
the south, the Circle is limited by the Ice Wall
and the Arch of Fire. In the middle of the
western part of the Great Circle rises the
lonely Mountain of Steel (alt. 5,224), the
place where the White Banner Viaskodas
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think their mythological heroes received

their weapons from the Immortals. The
north-western third of the Great Circle is
encircled by a narrow, crescent-shaped
mountain ridge called the Goddess
Diadem, which has an average altitude of
7,000 feet. The forested valley which lies
inside the ridge is simply called the
Diadems Bottom, or the Diadem Woods; it
is crossed by the course of the White Bear
River, which springs from the Goddess
Diadem and flows south-eastward.
Both the parts of the Great Circle were the
theatre of the ancient colonization attempt
led by Prince Alinor many centuries ago, and

are still littered with ruins dating back to that
age; even if most of them have been
plundered during the centuries, some might
still harbour some magical marvel - weapons,
spells, items, constructs. In fact, the broken
lands around the Circle (as well as the
Broken Chain more to the west) are said to
have been caused by the earthquakes
following the destruction of the Kingdom of
Alphia.
In the Goddess Diadems centre, on a low
mountain pass, is found the town of Sherselhama, the seat of the Najnartas queen
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and an unusual sight in this remote region of

Norwold. The settlement is built over an old
Alphian ruin in a relatively elegant style considering the place and the availability of
materials. The queens palace is especially
beautiful - in fact, unknown to all, it is a
magical flying castle which has laid there
inactive since the time of Alinor.
In the uppermost point where the White
Bear River is still navigable, the Leehan
halfling traders have set up Camp Bravefoot,
which marks the north-western limit of their
trade influence. The trade route, called the
Leehan Trail, continues to the south-west
through the Great Circle, and beyond the
Thundering Peaks and the Broken Chain,
reaching the realms of Borea - but this part of
the route is very long and dangerous, and
used infrequently and only by the bravest
adventurers and merchants.
which dwell beyond the western side of the

valley.
Both the Natoka and the eastern Great Circle
- as well as the valley which links them on the
east - are the home of the White Banner
Viaskodas, whose semi-nomadic clans build
forest and river villages, and are as adept at
trading with the halflings as they are in
fighting back the nearby humanoids and the
denizens of the Arch of Fire. The Viaskodas
do not venture west of the Mountain of Steel
or Loark Pass, though. The clans who live
near the Goddess Diadem, moreover, are
heavily influenced by the advanced Najnartas
of Sher-selhama.
Through a forested valley sandwiched

between the Goddess Diadem and the
Jagged Teeth, the White Bears valley is
linked with the large Natoka Valley to the
north, which lies at the feet of the towering
Karelides Mountains and is very heavily
forested, with many streams running through
it and blessing the valley with plentiful water
and ponds. Through a pass opened by a
crumbled mountain, called Loark Pass, the
Natoka Valley is linked to the smaller Ostma
Valley, to the west. This highland valley is a
place of forests, swamps, meadows, and
broken terrain, which gradually descends
toward the western plain; the Ostma sees
often skirmishes between the White Banner
Viaskodas who dwell in the Natoka, and the
clans of giants and humanoids - among
which there is even a tribe of minotaurs -
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22. The Borean Range

The Borean Range makes up the northwestern border of Norwold and a nearly
impassable barrier set between it and Borea,
to the west. Separated by the huge valleys of
the Great Circle, Ostma, and Natoka from the
southern Icereach Range, the Borean Range
is also the largest and less known of the
mountain chains of Norwold. What is known,
though, is that this range is the home of a
great number of Snow pardasta clans, and
tribes of savage bugbears, ogres, and kobolds
are found there as well.
The southern massif of the range is also the

largest and highest of it all; it is further
subdivided into one western and one eastern
bloc. The eastern one is called the Karelides
and looms over the Plain of Skulls to the
east; the massif has an impressive average
height of 13,000 feet, and its two highest
peaks are Mount Halti (alt. 19,800), in the
south-eastern ridge, and Mount Crystykk (alt.
25,506), the highest mountain of Norwold,
both of which rise above large glaciers. The
one of Mount Crystykk is a sprawling mass of
ice and frozen snow which spans over much
of the centre of the Karelides, and happens
to be the largest glacier of the whole of
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Norwold. Mount Crystykk also owes its fame

to the mysterious seers called the Three
Crones of Crystykk, who call a large ice
cavern inside the mountains bowels their
home. The western half of the southern
massif is called the Vuoret Muistamisesta
(mountains of remembrance) by the
Kaarjalans, because these mountains marked
their history - the Saamari passed north of it
during their flight toward the Autuasmaa
Plain, and centuries afterwards the Vaarana
passed south of it in their migration toward
Kaarjala. These mountains are much lower
than the Karelides, averaging 7,500 feet in
height; apart from at least one dragon and
some snow pardasta tribes, the Vuoret
Muistamisesta are not the home of other
intelligent creatures, even if a huge number
of mountain animals and monsters live there.
North of the Vuoret Muistamisesta the
Borean Range continues with a wide ridge
running toward the north-west, called the
Pelon Peaks, a chain averaging 8,500 feet in
height, which features some much higher
mountains, in its northern end especially. A
branch of the Pelon Peaks called the Azurun
Mountains turns westward, forming a large
valley into which the Nether Woods are
nested; this dense taiga forest hosted for
some years the Saamari during their
migration from Isanmaa to the Autuasmaa
Plain, centuries ago. North-west of the
Azurun Mountains is said to lay the realm of
the ice-skating northern gnomes, centred
over a great forest called the Fogwoods.
The northernmost ridge of the Borean Range
is called the Luminen Kivi Mountains
(snowy rocks), which are relatively low if
compared to other mountain ranges of
Norwold, ranging from 5,500 to 8,500 in
height. The many valleys of this chain are the

home of various different cold creatures,
including sasquatches, snow pardastas, white
dragons, and frost giants. A narrow and
jagged mountain chain protrudes from the
Luminen Kivi eastward, and is called the Ice
Claw. Between it, the Luminen Kivi, and the
Pelon lies a very long and wide valley, with a
huge glacier at its north-western end - it is
the Valley of Icyclyn, which owes its name
to the very old huge white dragon who lives
there.
North-east of the Karelides a lesser mountain
range called the Winter Peaks (or
Raanivaara Mountains by the Kaarjalans),
connected to the Raatovaarat Mountains to
the south-east and to the great mountains of
the Borean Range. The peaks average 12,000
in height and are the home of many hostile
hobgoblins, goblins, and trolls. Clustered
between the Winter Peaks and the Borean
Range are two great valleys: the
southernmost one is called Hamaraavi
Valley, while the one further to the northwest is called Tarbren Valley.
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23. The Everwinter Lands

Everwinter Lands is the name that indicates
the vast tundra country which extends in the
extreme north, between Norzee to the north
and Lnsimaa, the Autuasmaa Plain, and
Itamaa to the south. The Kaarjalans call this
region Pohjola (land of the north). It is a
desolate set of tundra and rock
outcroppings, almost completely turned into
a frozen snowfield during winter. The region
experiences extended polar nights with total
darkness during the winter months, with the
southern areas affected by a twilight
condition during most of this time, with only
a few days of complete night.
The Everwinter Lands are the home of the
nomadic Shonak human tribes, who have to
contend for the few resources of this region
with other hostile neighbours - humanoids of
various species (orcs, goblins, bugbears,
trolls), the Norwold malamute and foxfolk
lupins, the lynxman rakastas, and the frost
giants of Frosthaven. Many creatures which
love the freezing climate of the tundra also

dwell here, and mysterious remains of
ancient civilizations are said to lay buried
under the tundras carpet.
The unforgiving climate of the Everwinter
Lands is made more tolerable in a couple of
spots in the regions eastern reaches, where
hot springs come out of the soil, allowing the
growth of some more plants and trees in the
surroundings. In the western end of the
Everwinter Lands lies the Frozen Moors, a
large area in which the tundra mixes with
local marshy lands, turning the whole region
into a dangerous place both in the summer when safe passage through it is nearly
impossible due to the marshes - and in the
winter - when the water freezes over,
becoming slippery and too fragile in some
points. The Frozen Moors were sparsely
inhabited during the age of Blackmoor, and
local folk tell tales about the angry spirits of
the People Before which still haunt the
place.
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24. Frosthaven and

the Norzee Islands
A number of large and small islands dot the
Norzee (or White Sea), the arctic sea that
washes the northern coast of Norwold.69
Norzee is a very cold sea, which is often very
rough and stormy; during nearly half of the
year, it completely freezes over, becoming a
bleak wasteland of ice which is walked over
by arctic animals and creatures - such as
lynxman rakastas, Norwold malamute lupins,
and most of all the frost giants.
In the north-western tip of the Everwinter
Lands, a hook-shaped tongue of land called
the Frostfist Peninsula, lies a crater-like
formation which nearly encloses a gulf called
Angry Waters. The latter receives its name
because of the huge Whirlpool found at the
centre of the gulf, which seems a neverending water vortex. Actually, the Whirlpool
is a gate to the Elemental Plane of Water, and
some planar water creatures are to be found
in the Whirlpool's vicinities.
The latter come mainly from a huge island in

the western Norzee, called Frosthaven, a
barren land of rocks and ice; the only plants
found there are mosses and fungi which
grow in the southern tundra-like shores. The
island is swept by icy winds and blizzards for
69
Th e des cription s of Cry s ty l y n e, Sk l og tir, an d

th e Sh on ak B urial I s l e are drawn from
, b y M. F l eet, in
Th res h ol d is s ue n o. 2 , pag e 1 2 9 an d
fol l owin g s .
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three-quarters of the year - which makes it an

ideal place for the home of one of the largest
frost giant populations on Mystara. Some
thousands of frost giants live there, under
the rule of a powerful warrior king named
Brunnkarth, dwelling in a number of huge
caverns carved into the ice of the local
glaciers, and connected by a complicated
series of tunnels. Small bands of frost giant
raiders usually attack the human and
humanoid tribes who live in the Everwinter
Lands, often going as far as Kaarjala to
plunder and loot. Once every five years,
however, the frost giants gather most of their
warriors and mount a huge raiding party
which has been known to come as far south
as the Great Bay; the giants army retreats
back to Frosthaven before spring comes.
Many cryion clans also live on Frosthaven.
Among the islands of Norzee - most of which
are bare chunks of rock, covered by ice yearround, or uninteresting stretches of tundra some are to be noted. The northernmost
one, Crystylyne Island, is actually part of
the polar icecap and totally covered by ice.
This uninhabitable island is nevertheless the
home of many crystal dragons, led by an
ancient exemplar of their species, Shardarath.
To the south-east lies Sklogtir Island, the

second largest island of Norzee after
Frosthaven. Sklogtir features tundra and icy
hills, and is only the home of dangerous
creatures like ice wolves, frost salamanders,
and northern trolls. The island hosts an
underground arcane research facility, whose
members are led by the wizard Avernius,
from the Isle of Dawn.
The group of small islands found in the Bay
of Tears, south of Sklogtir Island, is called
the Dran Lkar Islands; the isles are flat
expanses of tundra, and little else is found
there. The southernmost of them is known as
the Shonak Burial Isle, and is the place
where the Shonak tribes who roam the
Everwinter Lands bury their most
distinguished dead; an eerie silence haunts
the place, and the Shonaks insist that one
can hear the dead whisper on the island.
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SURROUNDING LANDS
Now that we have given a thorough look at
Norwold, we will briefly cast our attention
over the lands and realms which surround
this vast and untamed land.
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The Northern Reaches:

Ostland, Soderfjord, Vestland
The peoples of the three realms of the
Northern Reaches descend from the ancient
Antalians who once ruled Norwold, and feel
some kind of very distant affinity with the
Norwolders, but consider them backward
and crude at best.
Ostland is the most powerful of the three
realms, ruled by a strong traditional
Northman dynasty in the person of King
Hord Dark-Eye, still practicing some customs
which are considered barbaric, and able to
field a fearsome longship fleet. Its clans
normally practice reaving against many
coastal countries of the nearby areas Norwold included. The kingdoms close
alliance with the Thyatian Empire prevents
Ostlands targets from taking direct action
against it.
Vestland is younger, having won its
independence from Ostland about four
centuries ago. Under the rule of King Harald
Gudmundson, the kingdom is trying to
become a modern nation like its Known
World counterparts through the creation of
feudal nobility and the fostering of trade,
with mixed success. Practices which are
commonplace in Ostland - like seaborne
raiding and slavery - have been banned from
Vestland. Trolls and humanoids plague
Vestlands western borders.
Soderfjord - or the Nordhartar Defence
League as it should be more properly called
- is a loose confederation of weak,
quarrelsome, and hidebound jarls that have
difficulty agreeing over something even when
attacked by Ostlander pirates, gnolls from
the southern foothills, or giants from the

Makkres Mountains. Some jarls still practice
slavery and raiding, while others do not, but
all would like to become the rulers of the
country - and prevent anyone else from
succeeding in the task. The current War
Leader of the League is Ragnar the Stout,
Jarl of Soderfjord.
The Northern Isle of Dawn:

Dunadale, Helskir,
Westrourke
The northern fourth of the Isle of Dawn has
had much to share with Norwold during its
history, since the time when these regions
were inhabited by the same Antalians who
ruled Norwold; later, various Dawner
cultures thrived there, and the coastal areas
also fell for some time under the Nithian
(Thothian) dominion. During their history,
the isles different cultures have been most
often dominated by Thyatis or Alphatia.
Three main realms are found in this northern
part of the Isle of Dawn.
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The eastern part is the Confederacy of

Dunadale, a huge plain country whose
interior is filled with marshes, bogs, and
swamps (the region is indeed often called
Bogland). A branch of the Dawners called
the Dunaels is the dominant culture here,
with a sizeable minority of Alphatians, and
some Thyatians as well. Dunadale is a subject
realm of the Alphatian Empire, but is actually
a confederation of many different
autonomous clans, cities, and dominions,
which elect one person to represent their
king in front of the Alphatian throne currently this duty falls on the wizard
Tastagarth Lunn. In the past the confederacy
was more tightly united, but since the last
century it has fallen gradually into decline as
rivalries and intrigues between the various
domains which make Dunadale up emerged.
West of Dunadale, across an arid plateau
called the Dust Reaches, lies the Grand
Duchy of Westrourke, a semi-autonomous
realm within the Thyatian Empire. Centuries
ago this region was part of Dunadale, but the
wars between the two empires caused the
latters division. Dawner-descended peoples
are found in the southern half of the realm,

alongside a large number of Thyatian
immigrants, while the northern half, filled
with plains and woods, is dominated by folk
of Northman descent, migrated there during
the course of the centuries. The duchy is
divided into many feudal dominions, most of
which are ruled by former adventurers loyal
to the Archduke Donegal Firestorm. A large
stretch of swamps and plains between
Westrourke and Heslkir is called the
Northern Territories of Dawn and is a
Thyatian province ruled by a governorgeneral.
Helskir, on the northern tip of the Isle of
Dawn, is a fishing town which is rapidly
growing into a true trade city thanks to the
energetic rule of its king. The citys
population is predominantly Alphatian, with
minorities coming from all the surrounding
countries and Thyatis. In the last decade,
Helskir represented a bone of contention
between Thyatis and Alphatia; it was part of
Ericalls Kingdom of Norwold until AC 999,
when its governor, Eruul Zaar, tired of seeing
his city occupied by the imperial armies,
proclaimed Helskirs independence, with
himself as king. It is still to be seen if the city
will be able to preserve its freedom.
The Heldannic Territories

The Heldannic Territories are found over
the lands of Nordurland, more recently
called the Heldann Freeholds. This regions
petty domains were conquered about fifty
years ago by a warlike military order from
Hattias, devoted to the Immortal Vanya: the
Order of Vanya or Heldannic Knights, as they
now call themselves. The local Heldanner
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population is now ruled with an iron fist by

the Hattian minority which fills the ranks of
the order. With its small but very powerful
army and navy, the Heldannic Knights have
crushed a couple of uprising attempts by the
native Heldanners and their Grand Master
Wulf von Klagendorf is now looking for the
right time to honour his Immortal patroness
through an invasion of Ethengar or Norwold.
It is known that the Heldannic Knights have
a small flotilla of flying vessels, but some
suspect that the range of their aerial activities
may be much wider than the size of their
dominion on land would let some suppose.
The Denagothian Plateau

This huge plateau is found to the south-west
of Norwold and effectively marks its southwestern border. The plateau is a 6,000 high,
mostly flat tableland, covered by abundant
forests in its southern and eastern reaches,
plains and grasslands in its centre, and arid
badlands to the north-west. The plateau is
completely surrounded by high mountains
where many savage humanoid clans live,
which makes it very difficult to reach this
land and has created a reputation of dark
mystery over it.
A wide variety of races dwell on the plateau,
including a huge number of humanoids
which migrated there in the course of the
centuries. Two main human cultures are
found there: the Denagothians of the
western and northern half, a dark-mooded
folk who worship the evil Immortal Idris, and
the Essurians of the eastern half, a people
descended from the Icereacher tribes who
mixed with local peoples. The two cultures
each had their own kingdoms of Denagoth
and Essuria in the past; the latter had

crushed its rival and had become quite
powerful two centuries ago - but both realms
fell and fragmented during the course of the
9th century AC. In the near past, much of the
plateau was under the control of a powerful
warlord
and
sorcerer
named
the
Shadowlord, who was however ultimately
destroyed by heroes from Wendar some
decades ago.
To the south, the Great Forest of Geffron is
inhabited by an ancient clan of mysterious
elves, sheltered by their powerful magics but
continuously engaged in skirmishes against
the surrounding humanoids. Elves also
dwelled in the western Lothenar Forest, but
were exterminated by the Shadowlord a
century ago.
The centre of the plateau is called the Plains
of Avien and inhabited by settled and seminomadic human clans. North and west of
them, the historical heart of Denagoth is
found, by now fragmented into a number of
small domains and clans which the Church of
Idris tries to keep together. The northwestern area of the plateau is known as the
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Denagothian Wastes and is a barren place

inhabited by hordes of savage barbarians
who are fanatical cultists of Idris and seem to
have many things in common with the
humanoids.
The south-eastern fringe of the plateau once
was the heart of the Kingdom of Essuria, but
now is littered with ruins (including those of
Drax Tallen, the realms capital) and fallen
into complete anarchy. In the north-eastern
corner of the plateau, the last vestiges of the
Essurian culture survive: there a number of
colonies established by Essuria managed to
endure the kingdoms fall, and despite times
of hardships and internal wars, still exist to
this day. One of those domains, the Kingdom
of Ghyr,70 has risen to prominence in the last
decades, and represents the strongest
regional power of this area; these domains
worship the Immortal patron of Essuria, He
Who Watches, and are valiant enemies of all
worshippers of Idris.
70
I did n ot us e for th is articl e th e pl acemen t

of Gh y r devis ed in GA Z F 4 Th e H idden Treas ure
of Gh y r, an d GA Z F 5 Th e W es tern A l l ian ce (b oth
b y J TR ), b ecaus e I did n ot feel comfortab l e b oth
with th e l ocation of an Es s urian col on y b ey on d
th e Den ag oth ian W as tes , an d th e h is tory of a
Th y atian domin ion in th at far n orth ern an d
in l an d area. So I ch os e to put Gh y r in a more
reas on ab l e pos ition for an Es s urian s ettl emen t
th at is in th e n orth -wes tern corn er of th e
Den ag oth ian Pl ateau. Th is , in my opin ion , al s o
h el ps ty in g b etter th e h is tory of Gh y r with th at
of Den ag oth an d Es s uria, as wel l with th at of
N orwol d.
The Kingdom of Wendar and

the Northern Wildlands
The peaceful realm of Wendar lies at the
south-western fringes of Norwold, beyond
the barrier represented by the Denagothian
Plateau. It is a vast valley of plains and deep
woods, called Genalleth by the natives,
inhabited by Antalian-descended humans and
many elven clans; the two peoples have lived
here in harmony for many centuries, until
they united a century ago in one kingdom
under the rule of King Gylharen, an elven
wizard who saved the valley a couple of times
from the hordes of Denagoth thanks to a
powerful artefact called the Elvenstar.
Surrounded by natural barriers on three
sides, Wendar is a relatively secluded realm,
which only in the last century and half has
increased its sparse contacts with the outside
world.
North-west of Wendar lay the Northern
Wildlands, a vast expanse of plains, moors,
badlands, and woodlands whose southern
half is the home of many tribes of hostile
humanoids and frogfolk, while the northern
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one is roamed by semi-nomadic human

barbarian clans. In the past, the elves of
Genalleth established a number of realms
and settlements in this region, but none of
them survive to this day, and their ruins litter
the southern reaches of the Northern
Wildlands.
Beyond the Icereach and

Borean Ranges
The Icereach and Borean ranges form a huge
natural barrier between Norwold and the
lands of Borea, to the west, a wide region of
grasslands, steppes, and tundra inhabited by
countless humanoid tribes, human tundra
folk (the Shonaks), and other unnameable
dangers.
Between Borea proper and the Borean Range
lies a wide highland region of plains, hills,
and steppes, separated by Borea proper by a
long hill ridge called the Staircase (or
Roaguncal by the native peoples), which rises
by about 2,000 over the steppes up to the
highlands to the east. The highlands above
the Staircase feature the homeland of coldloving gnomes in the north (the Fogwoods),
then the Fields of Horses in the central part,
where many giant clans live, and the arid
Shattered Plateau further south, a huge
tableland whose centre collapsed ages ago,
creating this strange crater-like region
inhabited by fierce orc tribes.
South of the highlands marked by the
Staircase lies a huge marsh called the Swamp
of the Beast, likely the largest swamp system
on Brun, inhabited by many monsters and
sparse tribes of trolls, troglodytes, and
goblins. Centuries ago, a Denagothian
warlord named Maggorath managed to carve

a large dominion over the swamp and the hill
country to the east and north, but his realm
fell some centuries later, leaving only some
ruins to testify to its former existence.71 Hill
giants and goblins live in the hills which
divide the swamp from the Icereach Range.
North-west of the Swamp of the Beast a huge
forested area called the Great Olde Woode is
found, whose southern half is a wide,
wooded range of hills known as the Hills of
Parthenal. Wild elves, humans, kobolds, and
gnomes live in this region, collectively
known as the Grindol.
The plains and steppes found between the
Staircase and the Grindol are known by
different names - the Plains of Khavasz, the
Flatlands, and the Straithgledd in the north.
They are inhabited by a human culture called
the Roags, which has ties with the ancient
Dunharian tribes. Some Roags are settled
farmers, while others are semi-nomadic
71
Th e s tory of Mag g orath is foun d in Mars h es

of Mag g orath (b y R . B urn s ), an d is furth er
detail ed in GA Z F 4 Th e H idden Treas ure of
Gh y r (b y J TR ).
120
Issue #7
herders and hunters. Tales of travellers and

merchants also relate of a number of human
feudal realms which would be found in the
plains, but those rumours are unconfirmed.72
The Island of Qeodhar

Across the Alphatian Sea, east of the upper
eastern coast of Norwold, lies the large island
of Qeodhar, a mostly bare and rocky place,
north of which extend the cold waters of
Norzee. Qeodhar is sparsely populated, and
its northern and eastern shores are locked in
ice during the heart of winter.
The island was originally settled by Antalians
from Norwold, who established there the
realm of Ystmarhavn, but Yanifey peoples
displaced by the Alphatians came north
centuries later and invaded the island they
called Northrock. About 500 years ago, a
Yanifey chief called Qeodhar unified his
peoples clans and introduced the Alphatian
culture there; the island assumed the name
of this character, and since then Qeodhar has
been an allied kingdom of the Alphatian
Empire.73
72
See footn ote 6 5 , ab ove. Th e feudal real ms

h in ted at in th e tex t woul d b e th os e foun d in
GA Z F 4 -5 . A n al tern ative orig in for th es e real ms
- for th os e wh o, l ik e me, are n ot pl eas ed b y th e
pres en ce of Es s urian s or K n own W orl ders in
th is far n orth ern an d in l an d reg ion - coul d b e
h avin g th em as col on ies of th e K in g dom of
Gal an n or, foun d to th e s outh -wes t of th e
Swamp of th e B eas t an d certain l y in a b etter
pos ition to ex pan d in th is reg ion . See Th e
Midl an ds (b y J . Mis h l er)], Th e H ig h B orean
Val l ey an d th e Midl an ds (b y M. F l eet), an d
Detail ed Map of N orth eas t B run (b y R .
Dijk ema).
7 3 Th e s tory of Q eodh ar is b riefl y tol d in
Q eodh ar (K in g dom of) en try , in Poor W iz ards
A l man ac I , pag es 7 0 -7 1 . Th e s tory of
Qeodhars main activities are seal-trapping,

fishing, and whaling. Qeodharan boats
venture as far as the Isles of the Strand in
Norwold, and often engage in raiding
activities against local villages as well. The
current king of Qeodhar, Norlan, is an
ambitious man who wants to improve his
islands status and is looking at Norwold as a
possible field of expansion. He is rumoured
to have secret deals with the Thonians of
north-western Skothar, the Minaean pirates,
as well as with the Thyatian Empire.74
Y s tmarh avn is foun d in Th e J arl dom of
Y s tmarh avn (b y G. Gan der)].
7 4 N orl an s pl ots are un veil ed in modul e M2
Ven g ean ce of A l ph ak s .
121
Issue #7
Alphatias Western Coast:

Frisland, Limn, Stonewall
On the other side of the Alphatian Sea lies
the Alphatian continent, facing Norwolds
eastern coast. This side of the Alphatian
mainland is characterized by a narrow or
nearly non-existent coastline, behind which
rise the towering Kerothar Mountains, which
have an average height of nearly 20,000 feet
and represent a truly impassable barrier.
Most of the range falls within the borders of
the Kingdom of Stoutfellow, and is sparsely
inhabited by dwarves, gnomes, and halflings.
Three main kingdoms control the western
coast of Alphatia.
The northernmost one is the Kingdom of

Frisland, and includes all Alphatias northwestern
corner.
The
Ystmarhavners
established colonies on the western coast of
the region many centuries ago, and the
mountain valleys are rumoured to be the
home of an evil people of herders who
worship alien entities and practice gruesome
rituals. During its history, Frisland was a
battleground between native people and the
various kingdoms that the Alphatian
subsequently established there. Much of the
kingdom is an agricultural land, but the
realms poor soil does not allow for
abundant crops; goat herding is widespread,
and the realm produces excellent varieties of
cheese. Many small towns dot the western
122
Issue #7
coast, focusing their economy on fishing,

whaling, shipbuilding, and some trade. King
Edjer the Twisted, an Alphatian wizard,
rules this vast, cold, poor, and backward land.
South of Frisland lies Limn, a very small
kingdom by Alphatian standard, but indeed a
very special one. In fact, during the centuries
the Alphatian Empire allowed many unusual
and monstrous races to dwell in this stretch
of land, to see if they were able to build their
own multiracial society still based on the
supremacy of magic-users, like the rest of
Alphatia; for many centuries the place was
left as a protectorate, but one century ago it
was awarded kingdom status under the rule
of an elf-king, Drushiye, and a dryad-queen,
Mellora. The result is a mishmash of
extremely different intelligent races who
strive to obey the kingdoms laws and try to
give vent to their bloodlusts (if any) in the
wilderness areas of the realm. The majority
of Limns population is made up of
woodland races (centaurs and dryads,
mostly),
demihumans,
giants,
and
humanoids (especially goblins, orcs, and
trolls), but many more monster races can be
found wandering in the streets of the capital,
Trollhattan, or in the countryside - even
lycanthropes and intelligent undead
monsters are tolerated here! Humans, while
present, are a minority.
Further south of Limn lies another small
realm, the Kingdom of Stonewall, one of the
most friendly realms of Alphatia as well as
one of the most densely-populated; the
kingdoms capital, Draco, is the largest city of
the empire. Differently from most other
places in the Alphatian mainland, Stonewalls
non-magical population is not oppressed by
the ruling spellcasters, and can lead a decent
life there. The kingdom, ruled by King
Koblan Dracodon with an easy hand, is
nevertheless one of the bases of the
Alphatian military, and the city is also the
main port from which migration to Norwold
is taking place.
123
Issue #7
The Great Land Rush of Norwold
by Simone Neri (Zendrolion)

SPRINGTIME IN ALPHA!
The 21st of Thaumont 1002 AC1 is nearing,
and the city of Alpha prepares for the famous
1
Th e mon th an d day of th e Sprin g F air was

tak en from modul e CM1 Tes t of th e W arl ords ;
even if th e s prin g equin ox in th e K n own W orl d
is cel eb rated on th e 1 s t of Th aumon t, th e F air
cel eb rates th e actual comin g of th e s prin g
s eas on , an d s o it is l ik el y h el d toward th e en d
of th e firs t s prin g mon th (in th e l as t two week s ,
to b e precis e). Th e y ear 1 0 0 2 A C was ch os en
b ecous e th e even ts of CM1 h appen ten y ears
after Erical l took th e th ron e in A l ph a; th is way ,
th e Great Lan d R us h is con ven ien tl y s et in th e
future compared to 1 0 0 0 A C (th e time in wh ich
th e GA Z s eries is s et), al l owin g for a s til l wil dern es s N orwol d in th e l atter y ear an d for
even tual PCs to tak e part to th e l an d-g rab b in g
even t. N ote th at s ettin g th e Great Lan d R us h in
1 0 0 2 A C caus es an irremediab l e in con s is ten cy
with th e can on timin g of modul e M5 Tal on s of
N ig h t, durin g wh ich th e Ph araoh R amen h otep
X X I I I of Th oth ia dies an d is repl aced b y h is s on
R amen h otep X X I V, wh o is crown ed in 1 0 0 2 A C
accordin g to th e J os h uan s A l man ac & B ook of
F acts . M5 , h ow ever, s h oul d b e s et at l eas t s ome
y ears after th e en d of CM1 , wh en th e PCs h ave
b ecome wel l -es tab l is h ed l ords of N orwol d an d
th e reg ion h as al ready b een a b attl eg roun d
b etween th e empires of Th y atis an d A l ph atia.
Th e on l y way to recon cil e th e two modul es
woul d b e movin g on e of th e two dates R amen h otep X X I Vs as cen s ion in th e future, or
th e Great Lan d R us h b ack b efore 1 0 0 0 A C. I n
th is articl e I made th e former ch oice, th us
al l owin g DMs wh o s et th eir campaig n in 1 0 0 0
A C to us e th e material pres en ted h ere with out
an y n eed of ch an g e.
two-weeks long Spring Fair, the great festival

taking place in the capital of the young
Kingdom of Norwold each year. People from
all over the region of the Great Bay attend
the fair, as the city - still experiencing the late
thaw - is adorned with colorful flowers,
garlands, and lights, making Alpha the most
sought out destination of merchants from all
over the north, trading the most exotic
merchandise brought from throughout the
Known World and Alphatia, with raw
materials from Norwold. These are two
weeks of bustling in Alpha, with merchants,
simple local traders, and farmers crowding
the streets, and incessant arrivals of ships in
the port. Additionally, one can find jugglers
and thespians entertaining bystanders,
cutpurses lurking about for easy pickings
among
alleyways,
adventurers
and
mercenaries seeking out patrons, and knights
eager for the joust, among noblemen and
courtiers attending feasts beset with intrigue.
But this years Spring Fair commemorates
much more. In the tenth anniversary of the
establishment of the Kingdom of Norwold,
King Ericall decreed the start of the Great
Land Rush, an ambitious program of
colonization devised for the near wilderness
land he rules. A land-grabbing opportunity
for all sorts of characters from across the
Known World and the Alphatian Empire,
undoubtedly bringing many more people
than is usual to Alpha.
124
Issue #7
In the first part of this article, we will take a

look at the procedures and events regarding
the Great Land Rush, as well as learning how
the Kingdom of Norwold is organized from
an institutional point of view, and what sets
it apart from its mother empire. In the next
issue, we will get to know some of the most
important political players in the Norwold
stage, that is the members of the royal court
and the dominion rulers already in place
before the AC 1002.
THE GREAT LAND RUSH

King Ericall was granted the crown of
Norwold in 992 AC, at least in name. He
effectively controls only the Alphan Peninsula
and a few lands along the Great Bay and
Norwolds eastern coast - the rest defies
Ericalls rule. The halfling Shire of Leeha was
independent as it always had been, King
Yarrvik
of
Oceansend
refused
to
acknowledge the kings authority, and the

human, humanoid, dwarven, and elven tribes
and clans scattered all over the interior
ignored the kings claim over their ancestral
territories. Ericall was disappointed when he
realized how little he controlled of his
realms land. Thus, he devised a grand
colonization plan to tame the wilderness and
establish Alphas effective control over the
whole kingdom.
The king has been preparing his realm for
the Great Land Rush since two years ago.
Ericall wants to attract new, enthusiastic,
trusted, and brave characters who may
consider settling the wilderness of Norwold
as the opportunity of their life. If deemed
worthy, the king will grant them lands within
his kingdom, alongside a nobility rank.
Ericalls wish is to make the deal
advantageous for valorous commoner
adventurers, members of the lesser gentry
and aristocracy, younger sons and daughters
125
Issue #7
of noble families with no chance to inherit

ancestral lands, and people barred from
reaching the upper classes by their countrys
customs or laws (such as mainland Alphatia
or Glantri).
King Ericall ensured that word of the Great
Land Rush and of the opportunities provided
by his realm reached all the corners of the
surrounding lands, instructing messengers
and heralds to spread the news abroad, and
also sending special representatives to
chosen famous adventurers and characters
the king has heard about, and who in his
opinion would be intrigued by the offer. Its
about two years since Ericall started to
publicize the event, and now the king is
ready to gather the fruits of his work.
Running the Land Grants

In the first few days of the Spring Fair, King
Ericall - assisted by his closest advisors,
Count Beriak of Draken and the wizard
Madiera - will meet privately with each one of
the characters who attend the festival in
Alpha and show interest in claiming a
dominion. The meeting will mostly concern
the candidates motivations, expectations,
and future plans for his dominion should he
or she get one; if the candidate has some
proposal for the king (i.e. gifts of money,
troops, magical items, or whatever), this is
the moment to put those things to fruition.
The king will also make clear what he does
expect from the deal - utter loyalty, regular
payment of taxes (albeit with a two-years
exemption if the candidate gets a dominion
in a wilderness area), and assurance that the
candidate has nothing to do with Thyatis and
that empires allies.
Beriak and Madiera will speak little, but will
not use mind-reading or other divination
spells during the meetings; instead, they will
gather opinions about the candidates which
they will discuss with Ericall later, reserving
the right to use those spells during the next
few days on the claimants they found less
convincing or openly suspect.
During the meeting the king will also ask
each character in which area of the Kingdom
of Norwold he or she would like to establish
his or her dominion; the king will take note
of their choice. Their wish might not
correspond to what they will get, but will be
useful for Ericall and his advisors to get an
idea of how the prospecting lords will be
spread among his lands.
126
Issue #7
The king will work hard to meet most of the

claimants in the first week of the Spring Fair,
in fact, during the second week Ericalls
attention will switch to the tournament
which will take place in Alpha. The
tournament will feature a grand joust, melee
fights, arcane magic contests, wrestling
matches, archery and shooting contests, and
other minor competitions in which knights,
adventurers, and claimants can test their
mettle and valor. The king expects each
claimant to take part in at least one of the
competitions; he will carefully watch the
claimants behavior in the contests, not only
from the point of martial prowess, but also
from that of personal honor, courtesy, and
unselfishness.
During the course of the tournament
competitions the claimants, as well as many
other adventurers and knights who came to
participate but who will not ask the king for
a dominion, will be hosted at the Royal
Palace, where banquets, celebrations (with
magical
fireworks!),
aristocratic
entertainments (display of magic arts,
recitation of poems, concerts, drama, and
gambling), and balls will go on for the whole
length of the festival.
The tournament and the stay at the Royal
Palace, with all the connected social events,
should be the time for each claimant to get to
know some of the fellow would-be lords, the
members of the royal court, and any other
relevant NPC the DM would like to throw in.
Friendships, alliances, rivalries, enmities, and
hatreds will be born in this context. Also, this
will be a time of harsh intrigue and subtlety,
during which each claimant will try to get the
eye of the king, of his advisors, and of
potential allies, to gather information about
the other claimants, and to put eventual

enemies and rivals in bad light; how each
claimant will achieve this depends on his or
her own personality and goals, but the whole
process is likely to include secret
agreements, deception, bribes, blackmails,
and unscrupulous use of spells - even if plots
including open violence will be avoided in
this phase as too risky.
The Kings Favor Rating

As a DM, you could have great fun in
roleplaying the Spring Fair events and
tournament, but you may have to focus on
some of the numerous characters present at
best, limiting actual roleplaying to a handful
of the events and NPCs who are of any
127
Issue #7
interest for the player characters. To speed

up the whole process and determine how
each
claimant
performed
in
the
competitions, you may use the Kings Favor
Rating system presented here.
The Kings Favor Rating measures how
favorable an impression each claimant made
upon King Ericall and his staff during the
whole two weeks of the Spring Fair including
the
initial
meeting,
the
tournament, and the social events. Basically,
higher the rating is, better are the claimants
chances to get a dominion and to choose its
location before the others.
Charisma, and scores the result in Favor

Points.
Then make a normal reaction roll adding as
usual the characters Charisma modifier and
- only if the character appears as a human
or elf female - a further modifier due to the
characters appearance (according to her
description), as follows: +0 if she is attractive
or pretty, +1 if she is good-looking, comely,
The Kings Favor is made up of various

factors which produce Favor Points,
calculated as follows.
One: Reputation
Each claimant who has reached at least 15thlevel - or the maximum level allowed for his
or her class (such as 10th-level for the Elf
class, for example) if that is lower than
fifteenth - scores a number of Favor Points
equal to his level; demihuman characters get
an additional Favor Point for every Attack
Rank they have achieved beyond the first (A
for the Halfling class, C for the Dwarf and Elf
class). Characters below 15th-level score 0
Favor Points for reputation if they are lower
than 9th-level, and their level minus eight in
Favor Points if their level falls between 9th
and 14th.
Two: Private Dealings with the King
Each claimant adds together his or her ability
modifiers for Intelligence, Wisdom, and
128
Issue #7
or beautiful, +2 if she is very beautiful or

gorgeous.
Compare the modified reaction roll result
with Table 1 (below) to see how many
additional Favor Points the claimant scores
(or loses):
items enchantment cost, the claimant gains

1 additional Favor Point. As you may see,
gifts repay less than other leverages in terms
of favor from the king, as Ericall does not
want to give the impression that his favor
goes to the claimants who bribe him.
Three: The Tournament
Modified Reaction
Roll Result
3 or less
4-6
7-9
10-11
12 or more
The claimants will have to enter at least one

of the competitions of the tournament to
gain additional favor from the king. Indeed,
the claimants who choose not to take part in
any of the tournaments competitions lose 5
Favor Points.
Effect
Lose 3 Favor Points
Lose 1 Favor Point
None
Gain 2 Favor Points
Gain 5 Favor Points
Lastly, if the claimant has some further

leverage to get the favor or the attention of
the king, he or she gets some bonus points.
Leverage means gifts (money, magic items)
or interesting prospects which may open up
thanks to the claimant (i.e. ready-to-use or
cheap mercenary troops, trade routes to be
opened, alliances or agreements with foreign
powers to be signed, the support of a
powerful church, and so on).
Competitions include the joust (classical

knight vs knight with lances and heavy armor
on horseback), the melee list (single one vs
one foot combat, any melee weapon and
armor
allowed),
the
shooting
list
(participants shoot with bow or crossbow at
targets set at various distances), the wrestling
list (single one vs one foot combat, unarmed
and unarmored), and the arcane competition
(a match in which magic-users challenge each
other to display their most powerful or
spectacular spells). Using magic items of any
As a DM, you will have to evaluate how

favorable is the leverage proposed for the
king, founding the decision on certainty,
actual usefulness, risk, and readiness of the
thing offered or promised; in the end, you
should assign a number of additional Favor
Points ranging from 1 to 5, with 1 being an
interesting prospect which is risky or unlikely
to succeed, and 5 a very useful, cheap, and
ready-to-use thing.
Regarding gifts, use this rule of thumb: for
every 15,000 gp in cash (money, gems,
jewelry) or for every 15,000 gp of a magic
129
Issue #7
Competition Clerics
Arcane
0
Joust*
Melee
Shooting
Wrestling
-**
Fighters
0
level +
Str or Dex
Magic-Users
level + Int
Thieves
-
level +
level + 2 + Str, level - 1 + Str, level + Str, Dex

Dex or Con
or Con
Str, Dex or Con Dex or Con
-#
level + Dex
0
level + Dex
level + Str
level + Str
level - 1 + Str level + Str
* In order to participate to the joust, a

character must be able to ride a horse,
wear heavy armor and shield, and wield a
lance.
In order to take part in the shooting

competition, a character must be able to
use to some degree a bow or a crossbow
of some type.
** Unless the Cleric is allowed to use

lances (such as clerics of Vanya); in this
case, the character can take part in the
joust, using as modifier on the roll (
level + Str or Dex).
Unless the Cleric is allowed to use bows

or crossbows (such as clerics of Karaash);
in this case, the character can take part in
the shooting competition, using as
modifier on the roll ( level + Dex).
#
sort in any of the competitions is forbidden

and considered extremely unfair (should a
character be discovered while using some, he
or she will be thrown out of the tournament
and will suffer a ten-points loss in Favor
Points); in case a character does not have
normal gear available, the tournaments
organizers will provide him or her with what
is needed.
To see how a claimant performs in a
competition, he or she must roll 1d20 and
add the modifiers found in the Table 2
(above) by crossing his class with the
competition he or she chose (always round
fractions up). When an ability score is
featured, add that scores modifier to the

roll; when multiple abilities are listed,
separated by an or, it means that the
character may choose which one of them to
use for the roll.
Standard demihuman classes (Dwarf, Elf, and
Halfling) use the Fighter column, counting
each Attack Rank achieved beyond the first as
an additional level.2 Elves can also take part
2
N on -s tan dard demih uman cl as s es h ave

mul tipl e ab il ities , b ut th os e wh o can cas t s pel l s
from a divin e s ources - jus t l ik e Cl erics - can n ot
tak e part in th e A rcan e competition . F or oth er
competition s , H al fl in g Mas ters (from GA Z 8 Th e
F ive Sh ires ) an d Dwarf Cl erics (from GA Z 6 Th e
Dwarves of R ock h ome) us e th e rul e as g iven
130
Issue #7
in the Arcane competition (without counting

Attack Ranks, obviously). However, Dwarves
and halflings cannot take part in the joust,
and suffer respectively a -1 and a -4 penalty
to the roll for the wrestling list. The DM
should use these guidelines to determine
how each of the non-standard classes - if
featured among the claimants - rolls for its
performance.
Also, a participant gets a +1 bonus on the
die roll for each Weapon Mastery rank
attained beyond Basic in a weapon
appropriate to the competition (lance for the
joust, a close-combat weapon for the melee,
bow or crossbow for the shooting list, and an
unarmed combat style for the wrestling
competition).3 If an NPCs Weapon Masteries
are not listed but the characters description
mentions he or she can use a certain weapon
with a given degree of skill, the DM should
anyway assign him or her a bonus ranging
from +1 to +4.
A character who gets a modified result lower
than 10 in any one competition loses 1 Favor
Point; if he gets a natural 1 on the d20 roll,
this is an automatic failure (regardless of the
modifier) and he loses an additional 2 Favor
Points (for a total of 3). If the claimants
modified result is 15 or more, the character
ab ove; El f W iz ards (from GA Z 5 Th e El ves of
A l fh eim) us e th e F ig h ter col umn up to 1 0 th l evel , an d th is is th e b es t b on us th ey can g et for
comb at ab il ities - a 1 6 t h -l evel El f W iz ard s til l
g ets th e b on us of a 1 0 t h -l evel El f (an d h e does
n ot g et th e b on us for A ttack R an k , eith er).
Oth er n on -s tan dard demih uman cl as s es s h oul d
b e as s ig n ed b y th e DM a b on us accordin g l y to
th eir fig h tin g ab il ities .
3 I f W eapon Mas tery rul es are n ot us ed in th e
campaig n , s impl y add a furth er + 2 b on us to a
rol l for th e jous t an d s h ootin g competition s if
th e participan t b el on g s to th e F ig h ter cl as s .
gets a number of Favor Points equal to

(modified roll - 14).
Each claimant may take part in one or more
competitions, but will get Favor Points only
for the one in which he obtains the better
results. On the other hand, loss of Favor
Points for all competitions are cumulative making participation in all available
competitions risky at best..
Of course the DM is free to add other
modifiers he sees fit due to the characters
description or skills. For example, a knight
with a very high score in the Riding (Horses)
General Skill might get a further bonus of the
roll for the joust.
Four: Social Events
Finally, a claimants skill in getting along with
important people, members of the court, and
potential allies, in dodging rivalries and
enmities, and in showing oneselfs social
etiquette, courtesy, culture, and grace will
constitute a part of King Ericalls final
opinion about him or her.
131
Issue #7
Appearance
Favor Points
Hideous
-4
Ugly
-2
Unattractive
-1
Average
0
Attractive, pretty
+1
Handsome, beautiful,
+2
good-looking, comely
Very beautiful, very
+4
handsome, gorgeous
will not have been fully discovered, but he or

she will have drawn on himself some
suspicion; in this case, the claimant will lose
1d4+1 Favor Points.
Totalling the Results
Each claimants again gains (or loses) a
number of Favor Points equal to his or her
Intelligence
and
Wisdom
modifiers.
Moreover, each one gains (or loses) a
number of Favor Points equal to his full
Charisma score minus 11. Any character
(regardless of gender) with a human- or
elven-like appearance also gains (or loses) a
number of Favor Points dependant on his
appearance, as in Table 3 (refer to the
characters description to adjudicate the
claimants appearance).
During this step, the claimants will also be
subject to magical and non-magical secret
scrutiny by Beriak, Madiera, and the kings
other advisors. If a claimant is hiding some
secrets which could damage his reputation in
front of Ericall, he or she will have to do a
saving throw vs Spells, using his Wisdom
modifier as usual as well as bonuses due to
magic items or other special abilities. If the
claimants save fails, his innermost secrets
Once the claimant has passed through the

four steps, it is time to total all the Favor
Points he or she has received during the
previous phases. The king will consider a
claimant worthy to receive a dominion from
him if he has at least totalled 15 Favor Points;
claimants earning a lower number of Favor
Points will politely be informed after the end
of the festival by one of the kings advisors
that His Majesty has deemed him or her still
unsuited to rule a dominion. The claimants
who have totalled 15 or more Favor Points
will instead be summoned one at a time by
the king - starting with the claimant who got
the highest Favor Point total and going down
from him or her - and allowed to choose a
dominion in his Kingdom of Norwold, in the
area they wish (see the next paragraph). If
two or more candidates have got the same
number of Favor Points, the king will choose
as first the claimant who earned the higher
132
Issue #7
number of Favor Points in the individual four

steps of the preceding process, in this order:
Choosing a Location
After the choice order has been determined
according to the abovementioned four steps,
King Ericall will proceed to award dominions
to the claimants who have gathered the due
amount of Favor Points during the Spring Fair.
(a) the tournament;

(b) private dealings with the king;
(c) reputation;
(d) social events.
If two claimants are still drawing after
confronting what they earned in (d), choose
randomly among them who gets the first
choice for a dominion.
Example:
At the end of Step 4, Fergus the Justifier and
Bardeen Longwalker have the same number
of Favor Points, that is 21. The king looks at
their performance in the tournament, and
sees that both took part in the joust, scoring
the same amount of Favor Points (six).
Then, Ericall considers the private dealings
he had with both, and sees that Bardeen got
3 Favor Points and Fergus only 2 - so the
king allows Bardeen to choose his dominion
before Fergus, who goes after him.
King Ericalls officers have never done a

complete survey of the lands which fall
within the borders of their lieges kingdom;
what kind and number of actual resources
are to be found in the most remote corners
of the Kingdom of Norwold is something
which is up to a claimant to discover.
The kings officers simply marked out a series
of dominion borders on their own copy of
the official map of Norwold. In game terms,
each dominion includes an average of three
24-mile hexes on the Norwold map included
in this article. All the domains hexes must
rest inside the borders of the Kingdom of
Norwold featured in the map, and no hex
may be found inside the borders of one of
the independent realms (such as Oceansend,
Littonia or Leeha) or of one of the fiefs
already in existence before the Great Land
Rush. They can, however, be found over one
of the northernmost hexes whose control is
contested by the Kingdom of Kaarjala.4
Allow each claimant to pick one of the
domains, centered on one of the available
hexes featured on the map (we will call this
the core hex), and then to choose another
two hexes around it; each additional chosen
hex must be adjacent to the core hex. Royal
officers have ascertained (most often
guessed) that each hex may harbor two-three
4
Th es e are th e areas overs h adowed in red in

th e uppermos t part of th e map.
133
Issue #7
134
Issue #7
resources on average; when the claimant

rolls 1d10 per hex to determine its
resources,5 he or she might come up with
less or more actual resources, depending on
the result of the dice rolls.6
Finishing Up the Details

At the end of this process you should have
your 24-mile per hex map of Norwold dotted
with newly-established dominions. Likely,
you will end up having some areas clustered
with new dominions, and some areas mostly
devoid of it. There is nothing wrong with this
- King Ericall knows that some regions of his
kingdom are more sought after than others,
so he expects having more dominions along
the eastern coast and the Great Bay than in
the interior between the Final Range and the
5
A s per B ECMI domin ion rul es ; s ee

, pag e 4 0 .
6 CM1 Tes t of th e W arl ords des crib es a
differen t way to determin e a domin ion s s iz e
an d n umb er of res ources , wh ich fol l ows th es e
s teps : (a) rol l 1 d6 + 6 to determin e th e
n umb er of res ources foun d in each domin ion ;
(b ) ch oos e on e h ex of th e 2 4 -mil es per h ex map
of N orwol d; (c) rol l for res ources us in g th e
s tan dard 1 d1 0 meth od; (d) if th e res ul t is l es s
th an th e n umb er of total res ources y ou g ot on
s tep (a), ch oos e an adjacen t h ex an d repeat th is
proces s un til y ou h ave g ot at l eas t 7 res ources ;
in n o way can a domin ion g et more th an th e
n umb er of res ources determin ed in s tep (a).
Th is meth od is as g ood as an y , b ut I woul d
s ug g es t to us e th e al tern ative meth od des crib ed
in th e articl e, b ecaus e th e CM1 meth od as s umes
th at th e k in g al ready made a g en eral s urvey of
th e res ources foun d in each h ex (wh ich is quite
un l ik el y ) or th at th e l an d g ran ted b y th e k in g
wil l b e adjus ted in s iz e accordin g to wh at th e
cl aiman t fin ds in h is n ewl y -as s ig n ed domain
(al s o un l ik el y , as th e k in g wan ts col on iz ation to
s tart as s oon as pos s ib l e, an d th is proces s
woul d caus e a b ig del ay ).
great lakes, or in the cold lands north of the

Great Bay.
Also, make sure that hatreds and enmities
develop between characters and NPC
claimants over dominions coveted by both,
as well as a wish for revenge on the part of
those NPCs (if any) who were excluded by
the king from the choice of a dominion due
to their poor performance during the Spring
Fair - such characters will certainly cause
trouble against the king and his loyal vassals
in the near future.
THE KINGDOM OF
NORWOLD
King Ericall has ruled for ten years, a large
stretch of this vast and wilderness
subcontinent. In those ten years, Ericall has
gathered a number of advisors and
bureaucrats to help him manage the burden
of ruling this huge and diverse land, divided
by massive geographical barriers - the
powerful rivers, the deep forests, the highest
mountains, and the cold tundras. Despite the
kings efforts, however, his success in this
process has been partial at best - also due to
the young Ericalls naivety, idealism, and lack
of experience.
The official borders of the Kingdom of
Norwold are shown in the accompanying
map, above, alongside independent realms
found within or at the borders of the
kingdom, the borders of the kingdoms
provinces, and those of existing fiefs before
the Great Land Rush.
135
Issue #7
The Independent Realms

Ericalls military and financial weakness is
one of the main reasons behind his lack of
control over his kingdom. Since his mother,
Empress Eriadna, gave Norwold the status of
an autonomous kingdom within the empire
and withdrew the few Alphatian troops
stationed there, the chance to keep full
control over the small realms of the region who were grudgingly accepting the Alphatian
protectorate - has slipped out of Ericalls
hands.
In the western Great Bay, the allied halfling

clans who make up the Shire of Leeha, at the
mouth of the great White Bear River, politely
ignore Ericalls claim over the region. They
are friendly toward the newly-arrived foreign
humans and willing to trade with them, or
even to ally with them against a greater threat
(humanoids and giants included), but want
to preserve their independence.
North of the Great Bay, the small but ancient
Kingdom of Littonia lies on Norwolds
eastern coast. The current Littonian king,
Uldis VI, is considered nothing more than a
barbarian leader and thus of little importance
by the Alphatian Empire and to a lesser
extent by Ericall as well. Uldis VI has no
intention of giving up his independence to
Ericall, and the latter resents the presence of
another ruler defying his authority, but at the
moment he is not willing to send a military
expedition to claim Littonia. Littonia is also
plagued by raiders and fishermen foraying
into Littonian waters from Qeodhar, and
Uldis might find an ally in Ericall if the
Kingdom of Norwold was threatened by the
northern island realm as well.
Among the small realms which do not

acknowledge Ericalls authority as King of
Norwold is the King of Oceansend, Yarrvik
the Just, ruler of this proud city - a
flourishing trade hub in the north as well as
a mighty fortress. The city is allied with the
Stormhaven clans of dwarves who dwell in
the Ironroot Mountains to the west, and
many demihumans (dwarves, elves, and
halflings) live within its walls. Yarrvik might
even swear fealty to Ericall, if Eriadnas son
allowed him to keep his title of king - but
Ericall has no intention to do so, thus Yarrvik
continues to make a show of listening to
Thyatian proposals of alliance.
136
Issue #7
At the far northern border of the Kingdom of

Norwold, the Kingdom of Kaarjala lays,
nestled in the Autuasmaa Plain between the
great rivers, the southernmost of which is
called Landsplit River in official court
records. Ericall consider the northern
kingdom, ruled by King Kaarlo Taavinen, a
barbarian realm and has entertained himself
with the idea of asking him to swear fealty to
the crown of Norwold - but has not made any
formal advance in that direction. The fact
that Kaarjalas borders encompass the
northernmost part of Ericalls claim on
Norwold does not make things easier; Ericall,
in fact, will not abstain from sending there
those among the claimants who will ask to
set their dominions near the northern border.
Lastly, on the northern tip of the Isle of

Dawn, the Kingdom of Helskir is found,
ruled by King Eruul Zaar, a former governor
of the town of Helskir who in the past years
turned it into a bustling trade city. Control of
Helskir was granted by Empress Eriadna to
Ericall back in 992 AC, and Zaar has harbored
resentment against Ericall and Alphatia ever
since - to the point that a few years ago (999
AC), after the city had seen its share of battles
between Alphatia and Thyatis to win its
control,
Eruul
declared
Helskirs
independence from Norwold and both

empires. Since then, the Strait of Helskir has
been unsafe for Alphatian and Norwold
ships, but Eruuls recent approaches with
Thyatis has hampered any attempt to retake
the city through military means.
Of course this does not mean that the rest of

the Kingdom of Norwold is controlled by the
king, quite the contrary. The realms
mentioned above are those which are
acknowledged as such by Ericalls court, but
there are plenty of demihuman clans (mostly
elves and some dwarves), human and
humanoid tribes who have not even heard
about Ericall, let alone submitted to his rule.
The Government of Norwold

King Ericall rules his vast kingdom from the
marvellous Royal Palace, in the heart of the
city of Alpha, in the Great Bay. He is advised
by a collegial body, the Royal Council,
which is a group of trusted individuals who
help the king take important decisions; the
Council customarily includes a selection of
137
Issue #7
the kings closest familiars (the queen, adult

sons, siblings, and so on, but even trusted
friends) and the top-ranking officers of the
realm (see below), but since admission to the
Council stems from the kings will, the crown
can virtually call anyone to become a
member of the Council. Usually the Royal
Council should include between six and
twelve members. The Council is also charged
with assuming the regency of the realm
should the king die prematurely leaving
behind an heir too young to rule.
Decisions taken by the king and by the Royal
Council are effectively carried out by the
Crown Officers, who act as a sort of
ministers, each with its own field of action.
These officers, in order of descending rank,
are:
The Lord High Steward is considered the
kings closest advisor and the most powerful
man of the court after the king himself; the
High Steward has a number of duties, which
range from acting as deputy of the king when
the monarch is not present, to heading the
travelling magistrates of Norwold. In modern
terms, the High Steward acts both as a
minister of the Interior and of Justice. The
Governors of the kingdoms provinces also
report to the High Steward.
The Lord High Chancellor oversees all the
correspondence to and from the crown, both
with the kingdoms lords and with foreign
powers, and is the keeper of the royal seal
which is used to sign (and validate) all official
documents and decrees; emissaries and
ambassadors sent on missions by the crown
also report to the High Chancellor.
The Lord High General is the supreme chief

of the army of Norwold, who advises the king
on all things regarding the military; the king
is indeed the supreme commander of the
realms army, and can choose to lead the
army himself on the battlefield - but if he
does not, supreme command goes to the
High General.
The Lord High Admiral leads Norwolds
fleet during wars and is the supreme
commander of the navy; the kingdoms navy
at the moment is small, but is tasked with the
challenging duty of protecting the Great Bay
(the key to the capital city) and the Strait of
Helskir (the door to the Alphatian Sea).
The Lord High Treasurer manages the
kingdoms treasury and is responsible for all
financial issues involving the kings
household or the kingdom as a whole;
handling the payment of debts, enforcing the
crowns credits, and tax collection are among
his duties. Provincial reeves and provosts
answer to him.
The five Lords listed above are known as the
Great Officers and are also usually included
among the Royal Councils members. They
also automatically receive the rank of lords in
the Norwold hierarchy (see below).
Below them are the Lesser Officers, a
number of still important functionaries who
originates directly from the crown, but hold
a lower rank than the five above. Among the
Lesser Officers are worth mentioning the
Captain of the Knight Protectors (the kings
bodyguard) , the Master of the Kings Horse,
the Royal Chaplain, the Court Magist, the
Master of the Royal Palace, and the
Governors of the Provinces.
138
Issue #7
Each of the Great and Lesser

Officers is flanked by one or
more deputies and, especially
for administrative roles, by a
staff of lower officers and by a
small chancery. Most of these
offices would usually be filled
by landed nobles, but in
Ericalls young kingdom most
dominion rulers have to
oversee the management of
their lands and have little
spare time to devote to court
duties; thus, Ericalls staff
includes also some individuals
belonging to the gentry or to
the lesser aristocracy.
Province
Aquelera*
Azure Lake
Chermosar*
Coast of Rebirth*
Dashedar
Dashetyr
Enderover
Esendel-Mhirren*
Hidden Valley
Isles of the Strand
Kelmershyr
Landfall
Landrise
Lighthall
Ransarn
Sharnadar
Tranquil Coast*
Viaskaland
Wyrmsteeth
A word must be spent about

the Governors of the
Provinces; these individuals
are appointed by the king and
tasked with the government of
one of the vast provinces in
which the Kingdom of Norwold is divided. A
Governor has duties which are both civil such as overseeing the construction and
maintenance of the provinces roads, bridges,
mills, docks, and public buildings -, juridical
- he heads the provinces court (an appeal
court which ranks above the dominion
rulers own courts) and sheriffs who
administer the kings law -, and military - the
organization of the provinces levy, the
recruitment of the provincial army, and
coordination of the individual dominion
rulers armies. Various officers appointed by
the crown flank and help the Governor in his
duties: a chief magistrate and the sheriffs for
juridical duties, a reeve and the provosts for
tax collection. Each Governor usually has
also a personal staff of his own, or more
Governor
Aendim
Podo Hornblower
Alvaden Wildgaze
0
Kerana NJozee
Tralkar Fenn, Count of Hulgarholm
Lernal the Swill, Duke of Landfall
Beriak Alanira, Count of Draken
Theobold Redbeard, Count of Lighthall
Kerik, Count of Therimar
Teskithan
-
commonly - if he is also a local dominion

ruler - has his dominions staff double as the
Governors.
A Governor might theoretically not even be a
dominion ruler, but the current state of
things in Norwold usually requires that
Ericall appoint as Governor of a Province its
most faithful, important, or powerful
dominion ruler. Unfortunately, as most of
Norwold is still a wilderness land, a number
of Provinces (those marked with an asterisk
in the table 4) are actually only borders
drawn on a map, with the title of their
Governor being an empty one, and in such
cases the governorship is temporarily held by
one of Ericalls officers since there are no
suitable or available dominion rulers there.
139
Issue #7
Some areas are so remote and uninhabited

that a Governor was never appointed for
them. Of course, this state of things is likely
to change some time after the Great Land
Rush - or so Ericall hopes - also depending
on how the current temporary governors will
have performed.
much more numerous than spellcasters in

the aristocracy; the king himself - as well as
most of his noblemen - is unable to learn
magic. This means also that an Alphatian
wizard in Norwold had better not treat every
commoner (i.e non-noble) as trash or a slave,
as often happens in Alphatia.
Currently, there are nineteen provinces (in

addition to the Royal Estate, which
encompasses the Peninsula of Alpha), whose
borders are featured on the map included in
this article, above. Their governors are listed
in Table 4 (preceding page).7
Rank and Status in Norwold
A Note About Status, Slavery,

and Marriage
The first thing an Alphatian will note upon
arriving in Norwold is that, well, Norwold is
not Alphatia. In Norwold magic-users are
only given a vague respect due to their
alleged powers, and non-spellcasters are
7
Th es e ch aracters wil l b e des crib ed in th e

s econ d part of th is articl e, featured in th e n ex t
is s ue of Th res h ol d.
Title
King
Duke
Count
Baron
Lord (Landed)
Lord
Knight
Status
Hereditary
Hereditary
Hereditary
Hereditary
Hereditary
Non-hereditary
Non-hereditary
Regarding status, the noble ranks currently

recognized by the Norwold law are shown in
Table 5 (below).
Currently, before the Land Rush, Norwold
features only one duke (Landfall), four
counts (Draken, Hulgarholm, Lighthall, and
Therimar), and two barons (Khemyr and
Nevoshed). The other three domains
(Hastamal, Noskien, and Somyra) are
lordships. To be added to these numbers are
the Vatski principalities - two of which rank
as full counties, while the other three - which
are allies of the Kingdom of Norwold, and
not vassals of it - are considered mere
lordships.
Style of Address
Who May Grant It
Your (Royal) Majesty
The Alphatian Emperor
Your Grace
King
Your Lordship/Ladyship King, Duke
Your Lordship/ Ladyship King, Duke, Count
Sir/Dame
King, Duke, Count, Baron
Sir/Dame
Sir/Dame
140
Issue #7
Lord is a catch-all rank for whichever title of

lesser nobility might be granted by the king
or one of his noblemen of baron of higher
rank - titles such as jarl, baronet, and the like
fall into this category; the title of lord may or
may not come with some lands, and in the
latter case it is not hereditary and assigned to
important officers or ministers of the crown
or of a landed nobleman.
The crowns Great Officers automatically
receive the rank of lords, but are addressed
as Your Excellency in account for their
political role. The Lesser Officers are usually
granted the title of lords as well, but they
keep their normal style of address.
the rank of knight is associated with

membership in a knightly order (currently
the crown supports only one such order, the
Knight Protectors - i.e. the bodyguards of the
king - but new orders may be created in the
near future by the king or by one of his
noblemen).
King Ericall is a good man and sincerely
believes that random ability to learn magic
should not hamper a worthy persons social
rise - in his opinion, a nobleman is such
because of his or her own virtues and merits
(or because of those of his or her ancestors).
Thus, an Alphatian aristocrat (i.e. a
spellcaster) in Norwold could expect to be
treated with the respect due to a non-landed
lord in most populous areas where the
Alphatian culture is dominant (like Alpha),
but only as a particularly wise or skilled
commoner in other places. On the other
hand, an Alphatian lord would receive the
treatment due to a baron. Exceptions exist e.g. powerful Alphatian lords might be
considered counts or even dukes in the
Norwold hierarchy.
Slavery in the Kingdom
Knight is a non-hereditary title of lesser

nobility granted to those who show
unquestionable loyalty, honor, virtue, or
performed relevant deeds for the crown or
the kingdom, and possess good fighting
abilities (battle spellcasting included). It is
the lowest order of nobility, which is usually
granted by the king or by one of his
noblemen to individuals who performed well
on the battlefield or did some special service
for them. Anyway, a knight who does not
possess some deal of battlefield skills will be
looked down upon by other knights. Often,
For the same reason, Ericall frowns upon

slavery - he has seen the misery of the slave
class in Alphatia, and does not want
something like that going on in his realm.
Nevertheless, Alphatians are not the only
ones to have slaves, since slave-owning is a
practice deeply-rooted in the culture of
Thyatians and northern peoples: Northmen,
Heldanners, Vatski, and the barbarian
peoples of Norwold all keep slaves, thralls or
serfs in one way or another. Ericall would
have liked to outlaw slavery, but his
councillors warned him that in a young
141
Issue #7
kingdom such sudden changes might result

in great troubles, and advised him to wait;
also, slave labor might turn useful in the
improvement of Norwolds infrastructures in
the near future, and the trade of slaves taken
from defeated barbarian tribes might also
bring some riches to Alphas coffers. At last,
the warning of Empress Eriadna herself made
Ericall ultimately recede from his goal.
Ericall has nevertheless copied part of the
Thyatian slavery laws, and outlawed the
mistreatment and killing of slaves,
introduced a series of laws to protect slaves
from their owners, and does not permit the
employment of slaves for court service in the
Royal Palace as well as in every office directly
dependent from the crown. Individual lords
behave as they prefer about the latter point,
but the king will not look kindly on anyone
among his noblemen who makes large use of
slaves or habitually practices slave trade; the
king tolerates the enslavement of war
prisoners, but will rather ask a ransom for
them as first choice. This obsession for
slavery, anyway, is only another example of
the kings idealized approach to ruling; in
fact, while it is true that slavery in Norwold
has existed since ancient times, at present
the slavery issue is definitely not a major one
(like it is in Alphatia), as the northern thrallkeeping practice is quite different from
outright Alphatian slavery, and most
Alphatian lords coming from the mainland
will likely have a handful of household slaves
only, and not a large number of farm-slaves
like in their homeland.
The Marriage Issue

A last thing has to be noted about marriage.
Each of Norwolds different peoples has its
own custom for marriage and family-raising;
only the Alphatians among the known
peoples do not recognize marriage as a social
institution. Other peoples see the social
anarchy produced by their custom as
decadent and debauched. To put himself in
a better light before his subjects, Ericall
decided to distance his kingdom from its
mother empire over the issue of marriage as
well, and even decided he himself would
marry in the near future.
142
Issue #7
Ericall introduced the institution of marriage

into the Norwold law, as well as regulations
regarding the reciprocal obligations between
the bride and the groom, succession, and the
maintenance of children. The marriage law
introduced the concept that only children
born in a married couple can apply to receive
a part of their parents inheritance; other
children are considered illegitimate and a
special permission of the king is required if a
parent wants to pass his or her inheritance to
such children. Regarding succession, the law
states that the parents inheritance goes to
the children; the parents can divide the
inheritance among the living legitimate
children as they see fit, with the clause that at
least one-twentieth of the inheritance must
go to each one of them (male or female it
does not matter) and that noble titles and the
lands eventually associated with them cannot
be split among heirs. Anyway, the choice of
the son or daughter that will inherit a noble
title (and lands) is free - the parents are not
bound to choose the firstborn.
In order for the law to apply to the native

peoples of the kingdoms borderlands and to
overcome cultural boundaries, the kings law
applies its definition of marriage (with all its
obligations and regulations) to any
heterosexual couple where both partners
have affirmed their status as husband and
wife. As the Alphatians living in Norwold in
most cases had already informally adopted
some marriage practices due to their
integration with the native peoples, Ericalls
law has at the moment little effect on the
habits of the Alphatians coming from the
mainland - unless they want to make children
with a partner who is a native of Norwold: in
this case the mate is likely to ask the wouldbe partner to marry him or her according to
Norwold law, in order to share the same
obligations toward children and succession.
143
Issue #7
The Skaufskogr and Beyond

A Gazetteer of Southern Norwold
by Giampaolo Agosta (Agathokles)
This article, and its companion map on page 161,
introduces the Skaufskogr region, set in southern
Norwold, between Landfall and Lighthall, as well
as the human and non-human tribes that live
there and in the neighbouring Ransarn-Vinisk
valleys, such as the Vatski and Vrodniki.
DWELLERS OF THE
SKAUFSKOGR
This section describes the native people, human
and non-human, of the Skaufskogr forest and the
neighbouring provinces, including the RansarnVinisk valley north-west of the Final Range.
Elves of the Foresthomes

The Foresthome elves left Alphatia when the
major clans of that land merged into the ShiyeLawr monarchy they were an independent
minded people, and cared little for politics. A few
small clans live in the Skaufskogr. Like most
Foresthome elves, they worship Ilsundal,
Zirchev, and the hero-queen Lornasen, who
brought a branch of the Tree of Life to Norwold.
Eyrindul is also worshipped by most as the father
of the Shiye elves.
NPC Statistics
Capsule statistics for the main NPCs of
the region are provided using both the
AD&D 2e rules, including character
kits (mostly from The Savage Coast
Campaign Setting), and BECMI,
including optional classes (see my
Adventuring in the Northlands
article in Threshold Issue 6 for an
overview of BECMI classes in
Norwold). The AD&D versions of the
NPCs are designed for a relatively lowlevel campaign, whereas the BECMI
D&D versions are designed to be
compatible with the classic Norwold
adventures, and in particular with
CM1 Test of the Warlords. Thus,
instead of using the standard
conversion rules between AD&D 2e
and BECMI D&D, most NPCs have a
wider level difference between the
two versions (10 levels, except for a
few cases where it does not make
sense).
144
Issue #7
There are 7 small elven clans in the

Skaufskogr. They tend to keep to themselves,
but recognize the need to cooperate,
especially given that the small forest does not
allow them more than a single Tree of Life.
The Tree is held by the Fainrus clan, which is
therefore somewhat more prestigious than the
others. However, each clan provides a priest
to the Treekeepers council (not all of these
priests are really Treekeepers, though the
majority are some are priests of Lornasen or
Eiryndul, or even Balancer followers of
Zirchev). The Fainrus clanmaster, currently
the Elf woman Nirwen, is the informal leader
of the clanmasters council, the major
government body of the Foresthome. In
addition to clanmaster and treekeeper, each
clan has a third official, the clanholder,
generally a middle-aged warrior or wizard
who is in charge of the clan defenses.
Lineage of the Fainrus Tree

of Life
The elven clans of the Norwold
Foresthomes are a dissident branch of the
Shiye of Alphatia. They were exiled from
the Kingdom of Shiye-Lawr for refusing to
turn from Ilsundal to the worship of
Eiryndul. Lornasen, the most powerful
among the exiles, petitioned Ilsundal for
Immortality on Catspaw Mountain, and
created the Lothbarth Forest, where she
planted her clan's Tree of Life.
Faeralas, who would be later known as
the Treebringer in the Skaufskogr, was
Lornasen's youngest son. He explored
Norwold, finding more of the Shiye-Lawr
exiles in smaller Foresthomes. Later in his
life, he became the mate of Nirwen, the
clanmistress of Taur Fainrus. He brought
there a branch of Lornasen's Tree of Life,
which is currently the only Tree of Life in
the Skaufskogr.
145
Issue #7
Fainrus
Population: 260
Compatibility Note: this timeline is

generally compatible with the history of
Norwold as exposed in A Travellers
Guide to Norwold in this same Issue of
Threshold. Specific incompatible events
are noted as such.
Location: Fainrus, Skaufskogr Hills

Clanmaster: Nirwen Demris, the Weeping
Queen (AD&D: e,f,B2/Minstrel; BECMI:
Elf Wizard 12)
Prehistory
Treekeeper: Himind (AD&D: e,f,P7 of

Ilsundal; BECMI: Elf Treekeeper 17)
1725-1709 BC The Great Horde crushes

the Antalian civilization in Norwold. First
settlement at Midway Haven is destroyed.
The goblinoids sacrifice dozens of
captured Antalians to dark powers.
Clanholder: Callondir (AD&D:

e,m,F7/Defender of Lornasen; BECMI: Elf
Paladin 10/E)
Typical NPC: Defender of Lornasen
1200 BC The Helskir land bridge

collapses, isolating the Skaufkogr and
Heldland regions from the Isle of Dawn.
1000 BC Foxfolk from the Yalu Sea region
cross Wendar and Heldann, settling in the
Skaufskogr Hills. They have learned the
Antalian language from Yalu Sea tribes and
Wendarians, but stay aloof from the more
primitive Heldanners.
Foundation of the Foresthomes
ca. 600 BC Many Shiye Elves migrate to
Norwold, founding the first Foresthomes.
ca. 500 BC Shiye clans, led by Fainrus the
Old, settle in the Skaufskogr. At the same
time, the ancestors of the Heldann
Shepherd Lupins migrate north from the
Darokin plains.
The Fainrus (white fox) clan was the family

of Fainrus the Old, the founder of the
Skaufskogr Foresthome (known as Fainrus
Tauramar in the elven tongue). Fainrus was
actually very young as a clanmaster when he
led the clans out of Shiye-Lawr, and became
known as "the Old" because he ruled for
centuries. The clan was later ruled by one of
his granddaughters, who was for a long time
the mate of the northern elf Faeralas
Treebringer, son of the Immortal Lornasen,
who brought a branch of his mothers Tree
of Life to the Skaufskogr. The clanmaster of
Fainrus is considered a primus inter pares
among the clanmasters of the Fainrus
Tauramar.
146
Issue #7
Daemar
ca. 490 BC Gnomes fleeing the Hardanger
reach the Heldland, settling the
Schnauzwald.
Population: 170
0 AC The Treaty of Edairo establishes

Norwold as a neutral buffer territory
between Alphatia and Thyatis. Foundation
of the Empire of Thyatis.
Location: Daemar, Frodhulf Vale

Clanmaster: Cumbrethil (AD&D:
e,f,T4/Scout; BECMI: Elf Lord 10/C)
ca. 15 AC Alphatia instigates Qeodharan

raiders to destroy Cape Alpha, a recentlybuilt Thyatian outpost in Norwold. Thyatis
retaliates by attacking Alphatian holdings
on the Isle of Dawn, leading to the Bog Wars.
Treekeeper: Fergalas (AD&D: e,m,P5 of

Eiryndul; BECMI: Elf Cleric 15)
Clanholder: Maegaith (AD&D: e,m,F4/T4;
BECMI: Elf Lord 10/D)
ca. 100 AC Faeralas Treebringer brings a

branch of Lornasens Tree of Life to the
Skaufskogr.
Typical NPC: Scout.
The Daemar (shadow home) clan lives on

the north-eastern border of the Skaufskogr,
nearest to the human lands. The Daemar
have perfected the art of disappearing in the
woods, and keep the border secure by means
of stealth (and with some help from the local
druids). They are also the only elves known
to the people of Frodhulf Vale and Midway
Haven the local Heldanners know there are
elves in the woods, but most think it is a
single clan.
322-336 AC Reign of the Ice Queen, Akra,

in central Norwold.
ca. 400 AC Death of Fainrus. The clan
elders choose Talagan as the next Clan
Holder of Taur Fainrus. Meanwhile,
Ostland raiders threaten the coasts.
First Alphatian Colonization
450-510 AC Alphatian Emperor Volospin
III sends a first colonial expedition to
Norwold. The attempt fails after the
Alphatians are defeated by barbarian forces.
596 AC King Nebunar founds Essuria.
640 AC The Battle of the Skulls along the
White Bear River pits the forces of
Frosthaven and Pojaara against a coalition
of Kaarjalan and Littonian forces.
147
Issue #7
648 AC Battle of Naga River.

Nordurlander Jarls defeat the Essurian
army of King Arus, halting the eastward
expansion of the Kingdom of Essuria.
Population: 120
Location: Fainrus, Skaufskogr Hills
793 AC Talagan dies, his daughter Nirwen

becomes Clan Holder of the Skaufskogr
elves.
Clanmaster: Handhol (AD&D:

e,m,W2/Mystic; BECMI: Elf Wizard 12)
Foundation of the Vatski Rodina and

Second Alphatian Colonization
Treekeeper: Laerant (AD&D: e,m,P4 of

828 AC The blue dragon king of

Wyrmsteeth ascends to Immortality. The
kings son, Dominagon, resettles in the
Lirovkas Alps. Released vassals battle for
supremacy, causing the Vatski to flee from
the Wyrmsteeth foothills. Influenced by
the mystical aura of the ascended dragon
king leads them to leave their nomadic
ways and look for a land to settle.
Clanholder: Glirbrennil (AD&D:

he,f,B8/Meistersinger; BECMI: Demi-elf
Bard 181)
830 AC Vatski from the Wyrmsteeth cross

the mountains at Ershal-Kur and invade
the plains south-east of the Final Range.
834 AC After four years of conflict, the
Vatski invaders are rooted. Their leader,
knyaz Volodymyr, is killed in single
combat by the Shepherd hero, Hrotgarmr.
Some of the fleeing Vatski settle along the
Saffir Stream, most flee back beyond the
Final Range.
Typical NPC: Minstrel or Meistersinger.

1
U s in g demi-el f/ h al f-el f rul es from Drag on

Mag az in e 1 7 8 , an d B ard rul es from Drag on
Mag az in e 1 7 7 .
Glirvaen
The Glirvaen (song skilled) elves are a

music-loving folk, living in the deep woods.
They are friendly with the Foxfolk and the
Little People. The Glirvaen are also the only
clan to have a halfbreed clanholder, the
demi-elf Glirbrennil (or Brennil for short).
This minstrel is a wonderful musician, able to
calm even raging beasts with her lute.
840 AC A son of Volodymyr, Volodya

Volodymyrovic, settles along the coast of
the Azure Lake. It is the birth of the Duchy
of Vyolstagrad, and of the Vatski Rodina.
148
Issue #7
Brandaras
ca. 860 AC Foundation of Niur (on the
site of Landfall) as a trade port for
Essurias merchant king Gallathon.
Population: 140
868 AC Second Alphatian colonization
attempt in Norwold. Meredoth becomes
Lord of Todstein. Prince Gaernil of Shiye
Lawr guides the Alphatian attempt to
colonize southern Norwold. The Old Fort
is built.
Location: Fainrus, Habadorn

Clanmaster: Hilmarad the Young (AD&D:
e,m,F3/W2; BECMI: Elf Lord 10/C)
Treekeeper: Alphnir (AD&D: e,m,P4 of
Zirchev; BECMI: Elf Cleric 14)
869 AC Battle of Frodhulf Creek

(Alphatians led by Prince Gaernil of ShiyeLawr vs. Heldanners and Heldann
Shepherds). Nirwen refuses to send help
to Gaernil, who dies in battle. Nirwen
becomes known as Demris, the Weeping
Queen. The Old Fort is reduced to ruins.
Clanholder: Gaelthor (AD&D:

e,m,F5/Archer; BECMI: Elf Lord 10/D)
Typical NPC: Archer or Ranger.
The second clanmaster of Fainrus

Tauramar, Hilmarad the Hunter, came from
this clan, from which many good archers
arise. Clanmaster Hilmarad the Young is
actually almost 600 years old, and is a
grandson of the original Hilmarad. Brandaras
(noble deer) clanmembers worship
Eiryndul and even the Korrigan more than
Lornasen or Ilsundal, and there is some old
attrition over Hilmarads loss of prestige
when Faeralas brought the a branch of
Lornasens Tree to the Skaufskogr.
870 AC The Long Winter: one of the

coldest winters ever seen hits Norwold as
Frota, the second Ice Queen, begins her
reign. The winter exhausts the resources
of the few Alphatian colonies in the
Oceansend area, many colonists die. The
Mists draw Meredoth into Ravenloft.
874 AC The Ice Queen is defeated by a
Norwolder rebellion.
900 AC Thyatian settlers create the colony
of Oceansend.
ca. 900 AC Vatski tribes south-west of
Vyolstagrad are united into the Duchy of
Stamtral by knyagynia Rada, a warrior
woman devoted to the dragon god, Volos.
915 AC Prism Wars in Ghyr, unrest among
the goblinoid tribes. Fighting between
Shepherd and Foxfolk clans and Mengul
149
Issue #7
Aglarant
ogres and orcs. A warband of Heldann
Shepherd becomes known as Hrotgarmrklo, the Fang of Hrotgarmr.
Population: 150
ca. 940 AC The Zhucharnov boyars

conquer the western coast of the Azure
Lake, founding the Duchy of Lazarsk.
Location: Fainrus, Cirlad

Clanmaster: Bragolaith (AD&D:
e,m,F3/W3; BECMI: Elf Lord 10/C)
950 AC Conquest of Haldisvall (Freiburg)

by the Heldannic Knights.
Treekeeper: Angolbarth (AD&D: e,m,P4 of

960 AC The Spike Assault hits Thyatis.

Oceansend claims independence. Thyatis
relinquishes control of Landfall and other
Norwold holdings. The Thieves Guild
emerges as the main power. Refugees from
the Heldann Freeholds flood into Heldland.
977 AC The boyar Stano rebels against
knyaz Boroda of Stamtral, kills him and
takes his throne with the help of
Heldanner mercenaries.
978 AC Altendorf Rebellion. More refugees
flee to Norwold. Elsewhere, Eruul Zaar
takes control of the village of Helskir. The
town will pass from Alphatian to Thyatian
control several times in the following
years, but Zaar always manages to stay on
top.
Clanholder: Adunoth (AD&D: e,m,W6/War

Wizard; BECMI: Elf Wizard 16)
Typical NPC: War Wizard.
The Aglarant (glorious gift) clan is more

militant than most, harboring several war
wizards and fighters. Clanmaster Bragolath,
an old warrior, is more hotheaded than
most, often favoring direct solutions to
whatever problem the clanmasters council
has. His treekeeper, Angolbarth, lends some
strategic thought, but generally agrees with
the clanmaster when he calls for
straightforward actions.
980 AC Heldanner warbands settle along

the eastern coast of Lake Gunaald,
subjugating the Vatski boyars and
founding the Duchy of Gunnvolod.
Third Alphatian Colonization
985 AC Alphatian settlers and soldiers
cross the Western Sea of Dawn from
Helskir and begin the construction of the
150
Issue #7
Sirraen
port of Lighthall and the city of Alpha.
Elsewhere, heroes undertake the Quest for
the Heartstone. Guildmaster Dahnakriss
dies and is replaced by Guildmaster
Prosper at the head of Landfalls Thieves
Guild.
Population: 120
Location: Sirraen, Skaufskogr Hills
Clanmaster: Thoronthel (AD&D:
e,f,R6/Local Hero; BECMI: Elf Paladin
10/E)
989 AC Nevik becomes knyaz of

Vyolstagrad, taking the place of his father
Volodya III.
Treekeeper: Faenlos (AD&D: e,f,P4 of

Lornasen; BECMI: Elf Cleric 14)
990 AC Midway Haven is founded as an

Alphatian waypoint between Lighthall and
Landfall. Construction of the Royal Palace
of Alpha begins.
Clanholder: the Clanmaster himself is the

clanholder here; his second in command
is Rhiwol (e,m,R3/Wilderness Warrior;
BECMI: Elf Paladin 10/C)
Typical NPC: Wilderness Warrior.
A wilder (and smaller) clan, the Sirraen

(crooked river) live along the Sirraen river,
on the northern border of the Skaufskogr.
They tend to keep to themselves, and
apparently enjoy the Foxfolk company as
much as that of their fellow elves. Most
members of this clan are simple hunters.
Even their clanmasters are chosen more for
hunting and foresting skills than for wisdom
or experience. Clanmistress Thoronthel is
quite young for her job, and holds the
position of clanholder as well.
992 AC Ericall is appointed King of

Norwold, but his authority only extends as
far as the Alphatian army can reach Alpha
and the surrounding region, plus a
number of ports, including Lighthall and
Midway Haven. In retaliation against
Alphatias bid in Norwold, Thyatis
occupies Helskir, with Eruul Zaars help.
995 AC Lernal the Swill named Governor
of Landfall.
997 AC Alphatian commander Theobold
Redbeard, a Dunadale native, is named
Governor of Lighthall.
999 AC Goblinoids from the Mengul
Mountains invade the Skarsholm region.
Helskir declares independence from
Norwold.
1000 AC The present.
151
Issue #7
The Foxfolk
Gaerlind
Population: 210
Location: Cirlad, Habadorn
Clanmaster: Finnelor (AD&D e,f,0-level;
BECMI: Elf 9)
Treekeeper: Sidhiel (AD&D: e,f,P3 of
Lornasen; BECMI: Elf Cleric 13)
Clanholder: Eithel (AD&D: e,f,W6/Water
Elementalist; BECMI: Elf Wizard 16)
Typical NPC: Water Elementalist or
Archer.
The Gaerlind (sea song) elves were the

ones who built and sailed the ships that led
the Skaufskogr elves from Alphatia to
Norwold. While they build large ships no
more, the Gaerlind are still wise in the ways
of the sea, living as fishermen as well as
woodsmen. They use light, easily carried
boats made of bark, flexible branches and
leather, so that they do not need ports
actually, the Cirlad coast doesnt appear to
house any coastal community, and thats a
testament to the elven ability to live in
harmony with the land.
The heavily forested Skaufskogr hills are the

home of a large Foxfolk tribe. These whitefurred Lupins look remarkably like
humanoid foxes. While they have absorbed
civilization from the neighbouring elves and
humans, their strong druidic faith keeps
them close to nature. A friendly folk learned
in the way of the forest, the Foxfolk hold the
path of the druid as the highest, deferring all
major decisions to the leader of the local
druidic circle (which is part of the Druidic
Circle of Norwold). The Foxfolk druids are
152
Issue #7
Balancers,
worshipping
a
pantheon
composed of Zirchev, Skauf-halli (Korotiku)
and the Night Hunter (Saimpt Loup).
Interaction
with
the
local
human
communities brought also the worship of
Frey and Freya.
Their small villages dot the area, and a major
druidic site can be found at the heart of the
Skaufskogr Hills. The remaining Foxfolk live
within the Taur Fainrus forest, or along the
course of the Sirraen. Each village takes the
name of a totem tree (e.g., the Birch village
or the Ash village).
The druids here are the upper caste, but they

are considered outside the exogamic clans
a druid must respect his or her parents clan
constraints, but a son or daughter of two
druids can marry into any clan. Anyone
becoming a druid loses his exogamic clan
name, and replaces it with the name of his
native village tree totem.
Membership in a totemic clan restricts the
allowed professions a beginning character
should take one non-weapon proficiency
related to his clan, and should avoid those
specific of other clans:
Society
Salmon fisherman, boat builder, weaver,

gardener
Within each village, the Lupins are divided

into four patrilineal exogamic groups (the
Fire, Earth, Water and Sky clans). Members of
each clan cannot marry into their clan, into
the clan of the opposite element, or into the
clan of their mother. So, the son of a Fire
father and Earth mother must marry into the
Water clan, but his sons will have to marry
into the Earth clan.
Moreover, the village is divided into five
totemic clans, the Salmon, Eagle, Hare,
Snake and Elk. Totemic clan membership is
inherited from the parent of the same
gender, and members of a clan cannot eat
the totem animal, nor any animal of the same
type (fish, birds, small mammals, reptiles,
large mammals). However, only a member of
the Eagle clan can, by decree of the druids,
raise or hunt birds, and so on for the other
totems. This way, each clan provides its
totem animal to the others in exchange for
foods they can eat, but must not overhunt,
since each animal killed weakens the clan.
Eagle bird breeder, fletcher, bowmaker,

carpenter
Hare hunter, trapper, tanner
Snake herbalist, scout
Elk herdsman, big game hunter, tanner
Each totemic clan also favors some classes.
Characters wishing to play Foxfolk Defenders
or Wizards should select a patron or
specialization appropriate to their totemic
clan:
Salmon Defender of Freya, Abjurer
Eagle Bard, Defender of Frey, Diviner
Hare Filcher, Defender of Korotiku, Mage
Snake Scout, Defender of Saimpt Loup,
Necromancer
Elk Wilderness Warrior, Defender of
Zirchev, Invoker
153
Issue #7
Foxfolk Druids usually become Totemic

Druids, choosing the totem animal of their
clan (except the Salmon druids). Local
Heroes and Pacifists are also frequent,
especially among the Salmon clan, where
Totemic Druids are not present.
Skaufskogr Foxfolk can become Shamans1,
able to contact the spirits of their totem
animal, tree and element, but Shamans are
much less common than druids.
Settlements and Prominent NPCs
Three Foxfolk villages, Elm, Oak, and Spruce,
are found within the borders of Taur Fainrus.
Jogvan Fire-Elk (AD&D: m R8/Wilderness
Warrior; BECMI: Lupin Ranger 182) of Oak
Village is the war leader of the Fainrus
Foxfolk, while Grimur Fire-Eagle (AD&D: m
B7/Skald; BECMI: Lupin Bard 17) of Spruce
Village is their loremaster.
The villages of Birch, Ash, and Poplar, are
located upstream from the Sirraen clanhold.
Rannva Water-Snake (AD&D: f T9/Scout;
BECMI: Lupin Thief 19), Arnleyg WaterSalmon (AD&D f P7/Shaman; BECMI: Lupin
Shaman 17), and Bjarni Sky-Snake (AD&D: m
T7/Scout; BECMI: Lupin Thief 17) are the
leaders of these three villages.
Drifvita Eagle-Larch (AD&D: f D10/Totemic;

BECMI: Lupin Druid 20) is the Druid in
charge of the Final Range area, from the
forest borders to the south-west to the Final
Range and up to Oceansend. She reports to
Archdruid Tarn Oakleaf3, the leader of the
Druidic Circle of Norwold, and is on friendly
terms with her neighbours, Geoffrey of
Heldann to the South and Yarovoj of the
White Banner to the north-west. Since she
has a large territory, she relies on Ingalvur
Elk-Fir (AD&D: m D8/Totemic; BECMI: Lupin
Druid 18), a powerful follower of the Way of
the Druid, to keep tabs on local events in the
Skaufskogr.
Other notable Lupins of the Skaufskgor hills
include Kjeld Earth-Hare (m R9/Local Hero),
huntmaster of Walnut Village, Eydhun EarthSnake (AD&D: m F7/Defender of Saimpt
Loup; BECMI: Lupin Paladin 17), the chief
warrior of Hickory Village, Oddvor SkySalmon (AD&D: f F7/Defender of Freyja;
BECMI: Lupin Druidic Knight 17) of Maple
Village, and Steintor Fire-Salmon (AD&D: m
W6/Wokan; BECMI: Lupin Hakomon 16) of
Locust Village, one of the most powerful
Foxfolk wizards. Hedhin Sky-Hare (AD&D: m
F8/Defender of Korotiku; BECMI: Lupin
Avenger 18), of Pine Village, is the leader of
the Western Skaufskogr Foxfolk.
Foxfolk villages in the Skaufskogr Hills

proper include Fir, Hickory, Walnut, Larch,
Maple, and Locust, while Pine village is the
major Foxfolk settlement in the Western
Skaufskogr hills.
F or Cl as s ic D&D, us e th e Sh aman cl as s from

GA Z 1 2 Th e Gol den K h an of Eth en g ar.
2 U s in g th e R an g er cl as s from F -GA Z 9 Th e
F ree City of Ocean s en d.
Or wh oever is th e A rch druid in ch arg e of

N orwol d, if in y our campaig n Tarn is l ower th an
l evel 3 0 -- in particul ar in CM1 , Tarn is on l y
l evel 2 4 , an d h e is n ot th e A rch druid.
154
Issue #7
The Vatski and the Vrodniki
Society
Holding the valleys between the Wyrmsteeth

and the Icereach Range are the Vatski, and
the related Vrodniki. The Vatski share similar
looks with the Heldanner, but have a
different culture and language. Less civilized
than the coastlanders, these warring tribes
have a long history of unrest their
knyazhestvo, or principalities, are often
dictatorships that last as long as the current
knyaz (duke) is able to control his vassals by
showing his strength both personal and
military. The presence of the Wyrmsteeth
dragons and their mysterious kingdom is
thought to be the reason why the Vatski
rarely mount raids against the coastal
settlements.
The Vantalian peoples of Norwold are among

the more primitive of their kind while the
Zuyevan descendants of the Yevo horde have
brushed with civilization for centuries, the
Norwold Vantalians have only recently
started a process of nation building, and then
only among the western tribes. These
Vantalians, who go under the name of Vatski,
have formed two principalities, Vyolstagrad
and Stamtral, after being chased from the
Wyrmsteeth Range less than two centuries ago.
The Vrodniki are a semi-nomadic branch of

the Viatski. Somewhat less belligerent, and
more primitive, than their city-dwelling
cousins, these nomads are rarely seen east of
the Final Range. Together, Vatski and
Vrodniki are referred to as
Vanatics,
although this term is only used by outsiders,
such as Heldannic or Thyatian explorers.
The two principalities have fared quite

differently. While both are semi-barbaric at
best, Vyolstagrad has enjoyed a stable
government, with the exception of the brief
reign of Yarok the Usurper, a powerful boyar
who managed to take control of the duchy
for a few years after the death of knyaz
Volodya II, who left no direct heir.
On the other hand, Stamtrals even shorter
history has been plagued by several bloody
coups that brought to power treacherous
boyarin and generals, as the line of the
founder, knyagynia Rada, quickly died out.
An ambitious boyar, Yaro, took power after
murdering Radas weak son, only to be
assassinated a few years later. His widow and
later his son Zivon carried on Yaros claim to
the throne against a cadet branch of Radas
family, until the militia general Boroda
ousted Zivon and named himself knyaz with
the help of a contingent of Heldanner
mercenaries who had left the Freeholds after
the fall of Haldisvall. His autocratic rule
lasted for more than twenty years thanks to
the support of the large military class, but
when Boroda became old, the boyars and the
mercenary captains plotted against him,
155
Issue #7
bringing one of the

most
powerful
boyars,
Stano
(AD&D: m,h,F12
Myrmidon; BECMI:
F22/Dominion
Ruler), to the
throne.
The society of the principalities is simple

enough the knyaz is at the head of the
nation, helped by his druzhina, a warband of
knights (muzhi) and veteran infantrymen
(druzhinnik). Below him, the boyarin
(barons) leaders of noble families hold
large territories (volosts) and keep their own
armed retinues. Retainers sometimes change
masters, but this is not considered a betrayal.
Below the boyars are the okolnichy (landed
lords), lesser landed nobility holding only
small patches of land. The okolnichy and
boyars form the Duma, an advisory council
similar to the Thing of the Heldanners. In
Stamtral, the hofdhingi, mercenary captains
of Heldanner origin, are also part of the
nobility and take part in the Duma, while in
Vyolstagrad some fiefs and most towns and
villages are administered by appointed
officials (namestniks and mechniks). In
Vyolstagrad, a small craftsman class is
emerging, forming a trade guild led by a
Guildmaster (starosta, or elder).
The Vatski occupy the lands around the

Azure lake, south of the Giants Mountains
and the White Mountains, as well as the
eastern coast of Lake Gunaald. Besides the
two major principalities of Vyolstagrad and
Stamtral, three other small duchies,
Gunvolod, Odna and Lazarsk are present in
the area, and many freeholds are located in
the neutral territory south of Vyolstagrad and
east of Stamtral. The minor duchies have
been established in the last century.
Gunvolod is ruled by a Heldanner dynasty,
related to the hofdhingi of Stamtral. Odna is
the smallest duchy, but controls a critical
asset, the mines of Zmeynk. A sizable
dwarven population is found here, and the
knyaz of Odna are rumored to have dealings
with the Wyrmsteeth to protect their territory
from Stramtrals encroaching. Finally, Lazarsk
is an agrarian dominion, which pays tributes
to Stamtral and to the green dragon kingdom
of Zilantsk to the west4.
The Vrodniki, on the other hand, are still

nomadic, following the migrations of large
4
W ith th e l as t A l ph atian col on iz ation ,

Laz ars k s rul in g Z h uch arn ov famil y al ig n s its el f
with Erical l as a way to reduce th e in fl uen ce of
Stamtral .
156
Issue #7
cattle herds across vast territories in the

Ransarn Valley and north-west of the
Wyrmsteeth. They are divided into three
voyskos (hosts, or banners), the White, Red
and Blue Banners5. Each voysko is composed
of many different tribes, each lead by a
starosta (tribal chief or elder), but all defer
to a single knyaz. In wartime, each tribe may
also elect a voyevod, or war leader, if the
peacetime chief is considered too weak to
lead in war. Knyaz Barkal of the Red Banner
(AD&D: m,h,F12 Wilderness Warrior; BECMI:
F22) is currently the most powerful Vrodnik
leader, as well as one of the most
accomplished warriors.
Religion
The Vanatics worship a pantheon of
powerful Immortals they respect only
power, in mortals and in Immortals as well6.
5
Th e th ree b an n ers an d B ark al are can on ical

el emen ts from CM1 Tes t of th e W arl ords . N ote
th at in th e articl e A Travel l ers Guide to
N orwol d, th es e el emen ts are as s ociated with
th e Vias k oda, an M-U ral ic n omadic peopl e eas t
of th e I cereach R an g e. Th e option pres en ted
h ere al l ows in vol vemen t of th e th ree b an n ers
an d B ark al in a Sk aufs k og r campaig n , wh ereas
th e on e pres en ted in A Travel l ers Guide to
N orwol d may b e more us eful if th e campaig n is
s et n ear th e Great B ay . N ote al s o th at th e
Vias k oda were orig in al l y in troduced in th e
My s taran A l man ac as th e N orwol d B arb arian s ,
an d s et in th e s ame area wh ere th e Vrodn ik i of
th is articl e are b as ed. Th e Vias k oda were moved
n orth of th e Great B ay in l ater work s to fit with
th e pres en ce of a b arb arian fl eet b el on g in g to
th e R ed B an n er on th e n orth ern s h ores of th e
Great B ay in M2 (pag e 2 3 ).
6 N ote th at th e pan th eon propos ed h ere is
differen t from th e on e propos ed in Marco
Dal mon tes Codex I mmortal is , vol ume 2 . Th e
differen ces are primaril y due to th e fact th at th e
Th ree B an n ers are n ot rel ated to a Sl avicin s pired cul ture in th e Codex . A l s o, th e vers ion
In Vanatic theology, Dazhbog (Ixion) is the

Lord of the Sun, eternally locked in a conflict
with the Dark Lord, Chernobog (Thanatos),
lord of winter. Volos (Pearl), the dragon god
of earth and water, and Perun (Thor), the
thundering god of sky and fire, complete the
pantheon. The sedentary Vatski also worship
the divine twins, Yaro (Frey) and Yara
(Freyja) as patrons of crops and agriculture.
The clergy among the Vatski is usually very
militant powerful priests set themselves up
as boyarin, with lesser priests and defenders
as their druzhina. Within the household of a
priest of a given Immortal, worship of any
other Immortal is usually forbidden. Priests
of all four main gods are equally common,
though in Vyolstagrad worship of Chernobog
is discouraged by the local rulers.
On the other hand, there is no hierarchy
beyond that of the clan unless a powerful
priest manages to set himself as knyaz, the
principalities are generally not very religious.
A few Heldanner clans in Stamtral and
Gunvolod still worship Odin, Thor and Frey,
but most Heldanner-descended Vatski simply
follow the teachings of Perun and Yaro.
The Vrodniki worship the same powers as
the Vatski, but put more emphasis on Perun
and Volos, considering Dazhbog and
Chernobog more like natural forces than
actual Immortals. On the other hand, they
offer much respect to some powers
borrowed from their neighbours, including
Zirchev (the Eagle Spirit) and Saimpt Loup
(the Wolf Spirit), as well as to a number of
other animal spirits. Finally, the Vrodniki also
pres en ted h ere ten ds to b orrow I mmortal s from
n eig h b ourin g peopl es , avoidin g un rel ated
I mmortal s s uch as H al av.
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fear Mara (Hel), goddess of death and

witchcraft and worship Zemlya (Terra), the
Mother Earth, and Semargl (Simurgh), the
god of travellers and guardians.
The typical Vrodnik priest is a shaman
(focusing on animal spirits) or a druid, often
with an animal totem. Vrodnik priests are
less involved in the political life of their
tribes than Vatski priests they are never
clan leaders, as a shaman or druid always
leaves his family when starting his training,
and rarely pursue power, though they are
always available to help their tribe with
advice and magic.
The Mountain Rakasta

Small Mountain Rakasta clans can be found
almost anywhere in the foothills and slopes
of the Final Range, the mountain chain that
runs parallel to the Norwold coast. They are
most common on Lirovkas Alps.
These Mountain Rakasta call themselves
Chze Chogh (Mountain Rakasta), or Chogh
Dene (mountain folk). Semi-nomadic hunters
and herders, they live in small clan units,
numbering less than fifty rakasta, though
some sedentary groups, settled in villages in
the high valleys of the Final Range can also
be found.
Princes of Stamtral
Rada
Radoslav I
Yaro
Sveta
Radoslav II
Zivon
Boroda
Stano
900-927
927-928 (son)
928-931 (usurper)
931-935 (widow of Yaro)
935-943 (cousin of Radoslav I)
943-953 (son of Yaro and Sveta)
953-977 (usurper)
977-current (usurper)
Princes of Vyolstagrad
Volodya I
Volodymyr I
Volodya II
Yarok
Nevik I
Volodymyr II
Viacheslav
Vladimira
Volodya III
Nevik II
840-856
856-879 (son)
879-896 (son)
896-899 (usurper)
899-915 (nephew of Volodya II)
915-942 (son)
942-954 (grandson)
954-963 (daughter)
963-989 (son)
989-current (son)
158
Issue #7
Each tribe is led by an elder (Setse), and the

council of all eleven elders rules the entire
mountain range or at least, the part
controlled by the Chze Chogh, for about one
half of the area is controlled by goblinoid
tribes (mostly goblins and hobgoblins, with
many bugbears).
The Centaur Hetmanates
Mountain Rakasta clans take names from

specific habits clothing or weapons, e.g.
Red Knives or Long Coats, or by a tribal
totem animal generally given by
neighbouring clans whose habits are
different.
About one half of the Chze Chogh in the
Lirovkas Alps are sedentary, living in the
villages of Hhaiy, Taz, Ttizi, and Holuk.
The people of the villages are divided into
five clans: the Delkoske (red shoes clan),
Delgaike (white shoes), Delzenke (black
shoes), Deltseske (brown shoes), and
Delbaike (grey shoes) Chze. Most clans get
their living from river fishing, small game
hunting (birds and hares, mostly), as well as
mountain goat herding.
Centaurs are common in the forests and

plains of Norwold. They usually live in seminomadic clans of hunters and shepherds.
The clans in a given region recognize a single
ruler, called the hetman, while individual
clan leaders are called otamans. In the area
north of Lighthall and east of the Skejdar
river, two Hetmanates vie for control of the
windswept coastal regions -- the territory of
the Kabarda Hetmanate -- and the woodland
-- the home ground of the Peseny Hetmanate.
Both groups belong to the same culture,
which is related to both the Centaurs of the
Nomadic Mountain Rakasta are divided in six

tribes: the Yht (deer clan), Sastses (bear),
Dle (squirrel), Ta (beaver), Gah (rabbit),
and Dzen (muskrat) Chze. The clans wander
through the high mountains, hunting small
and large game.
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Issue #7
Ethengar plains7, and to the centaur

Hetmanates of the Vinisk valley.
The Vinisk centaurs, however, have dealt
extensively with the Kingdom of Essuria in
the past, as well as with the Vatski and
Vrodniki of the Ransarn valley. At the height
of Essuria, the Vinisk Hetmanates were
vassals of the Essurian Kings, charged with
the protection of the Vinisk valley trade
routes to Heldland and to the north. The
language of the Strelets and Kosh centaurs of
the Vinisk valley shows a significant amount
of loan-words from the Vanatic and Essurian
languages, and their equipment is also
influenced by their neighbours, as well as the
need to fight off resilient opponents such as
trolls and yowlers: in particular, Strelets
centaurs favor a long hafted axe (or short
pole-axe) in melee combat, and the Kosh
employ sabers, whereas Kabard and Peseny
centaurs wield spears. Of course, the short
bow is employed by all centaur Hetmanate
troops.
Clan leadership is usually passed within the
clan in patrilineal agnatic succession -- the
eldest surviving son of any past otaman
becomes the new chief at the death or
retirement of the previous one. Thus,
typically the clan leadership is passed from
elder brother to younger brother, or
between cousins of the same generation,
rather than from father to son. The Hetman
is an elective position among the Kosh, with
a yearly term, but is linked to royal clans in
the other Hetmanates -- so the clan leader of
the royal clan automatically becomes the
Hetman, which in this case is a position held
for life.
See PC1 Tal l Tal es of th e W ee F ol k .
The centaurs follow the teachings of the

Druidic Circle of Norwold, and have their
own druidic initiates. Occasionally, a high
level centaur initiate manages to become a
true Druid. Due to their druidic faith, most
centaur clans are aggressive towards those
who would despoil the land. In the Vinisk
valley, the moor trolls are the primary
enemies of the Strelets and Kosh
Hetmanates, as their hunger is considered
unnatural and wasteful of resources. Along
the coast, the Kabarda are wary of human
colonists, and defend their territory from
encroaching homesteaders from Lighthall, as
well as from the Alphatian pretenders during
years following the Land Grab8.
I f B rog ah n , A l l is a Patrician , or W in n ifred of

th e Lak e, wh o h ave an Eth en g arian b ack g roun d,
receive a b aron y in th e K ab arda territory , th ey
may b e ab l e to s trik e a deal with th e cen taurs .
Oth er B aron s are l ik el y to b e l es s compatib l e
with th e H etman ate. See R og ues , B aron s an d
Preten ders , to appear in I s s ue 8 of Th res h ol d
Mag az in e, for more detail s on th es e N PCs .
160
Issue #7
161
Issue #7
ATLAS OF THE
SKAUFSKOGR AND THE
RANSARN-VINISK
VALLEY
lupin villages are found in the wooded hills,

and one major druidic site near the
Hoegtoenn peak is the primary ceremonial
center of the Druidic Circle in the coastal
area between Landfall and Oceansend.
This section describes the Skaufskogr region

and its major subdivisions.
Dyrland and Kloskagi
The Skausfkogr Forest and

Hills
In the deepest reaches of the Skaufskogr,
majestic trees house the elven clans of the
Fainrus Foresthome. The magic of the only
Tree of Life of the area blesses the forest and
its dwellers, who are all elves, Foxfolk lupins,
and faeries.
The northern border of the Skaufskogr is
crossed by the course of the Sirraen. A small
elven clan and several lupin tribes lives along
the creek. Home of the Daemar clan, the
north-eastern border of the Skaufskogr
forest, Taur Daemar is an heavily wooded
region. The elves do not allow trespassing, so
little is known of the area.
In the southern reaches of the Skaufskogr,
the regions known as Habadorn and Cirlad
are inhabited by elves, though they make
themselves almost invisible, attracting no
attention from Landfall or the Helskirian and
Ostlander raiders. The Brandaras and
Aglarant elven clans have their strongholds in
Habadorn and Cirlad respectively.
To the northwest, the ground raises into the
Skaufskogr Hills, which are the homeland of
most Foxfolk lupins of the region. Many
The tongue of land that closes the Kamminer

Bay is swept constantly by the winds.
Heldanner and Halfling shepherds and
fishermen dwell here in small villages and
isolated farms. At least one pirate cove is
thought to exist in the area, probably used by
Ostlander raiders as a support for extended
raids against the Alphatian colonies.
Lirovkas Alps
The mountain range north of the Skaufskogr
is mainly inhabited by mountain rakasta (the
Chogh Dene) and goblinoids (the eastern
Gnomstal goblins), although a small dwarven
clan, the Syrrak, has established a mining
outpost in the area. The highest peak of the
Lirovkas Alps is Catspaw Mountain, known
for being the place where Lornasen first
contacted her Immortal sponsor. Elven
clerics of Lornasen sometimes make a
pilgrimage from the Lothbarth Forest to the
mountain, seeking illumination and
communion with the Immortals.
The Gnomstal Forest

The heart of the Gnomstal Forest is patrolled
by a clan of warped, aggressive gakaraks.
Other dangerous plants, such as killer trees,
thrive in the forest, making it dangerous for
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Issue #7
humanoids and animals alike. It is not

known what warped the gakaraks -- Vrodniki
tales tell that, before their time, the gakaraks
were a gentle folk, but then, Vrodniki tales
do not distinguish between gakaraks and
treants. Even older legends connect the
corruption of the Gnomstal Gakaraks with
the disappearance of Olen the Warden, an
actaeon who was the guardian of the forest,
and point to the hag Koldunya as the party
responsible for both events.9
The Skarsholm
Both Upper and Lower Skarsholm have been
invaded by goblinoids from the Mengul
Mountains one year ago. In the past, the area
had a bad reputation several of the lower
wetlands were thought to hide the lair of
Skars, some kind of ogress (possibly even a
hag) feared by the few Heldanners and
Heldann Shepherds who lived here.
Shepherd Tribelands and the

Frothulf Battlefield
These plains, to the west, north and east of
the Skauskogr forest, are home to large
grazing cattle, herded by the local Heldann
Shepherd lupin and Heldanner population.
The Eastern Shepherd Tribeland is a large
stretch of plains, alternating grasslands and
rolling hills, which lies between the Frodhulf
9
Th is even t may h ave h appen ed at an y time

b etween th e fal l of th e A n tal ian civil iz ation
(b efore 1 7 0 0 B C) an d th e firs t A l ph atian
col on iz ation attempt (4 5 0 A C). Th e actual date
can b e s el ected b as ed on campaig n n eeds , b ut is
prob ab l y b es t s et b efore th e crown in g of th e
firs t Emperor of Th y atis .
valley and the Alphatian colony of Lighthall.

The Southern Shepherd Tribelands are part
of the Dominion of Landfall, west of the
Skaufskogr hills. Both areas are sparsely
populated by nomadic Heldann Shepherd
clans. These Lupins herd a rough breed of
sheep, which gives a dense, flavorful milk as
well as wool and meat, thus fulfilling most
needs of the clans.
The Western Shepherd Tribelands used to be
quite similar to their eastern and southern
counterparts.
However,
the
recent
occupation of the Skarsholm by goblinoid
tribes has led to overcrowding, with different
tribes and clans competing for the same
resources.
The upper section of the Frodhulf creek runs
through the northernmost tip of the
Skaufskogr, after merging with the Sirraen.
The Sirraen lake, surrounded by bogland, is
not popular with the superstitious
Heldanners, but the area is regularly crossed
by Shepherd tribes moving from the Western
to the Eastern tribelands. Due to the fact that
several of the largest battles of the area have
been fought on the banks of the lake, the
area is considered haunted by the dead
soldiers, and even the Heldann Shepherds
dont stop here, preferring to cross quickly.
An old, ruined Alphatian fort (generally
called the Old Fort by the locals) is still
visible on one of a group of low hills east of
the lake. The fort is built over an ancient
giantish barrow. A few other barrows dot the
eastern part of the province.
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Issue #7
Midway Haven and the

Frothulf Vale
A recent Alphatian foundation, built over the
ruins of an ancient Antalian town
(Kunghaven). This colony is ruled by an
Alphatian military governor, Zalosar (AD&D:
m,h,F9 Myrmidon; BECMI: Knight 14),
supported by some 50 troops, mostly heavy
marines from the Imperial Army.
smaller villages and many homesteads dot

the countryside of this area, the most
civilized along the coast between Landfall
and Lighthall.
The middle section of the Frodhulf creek is
settled by a dozen Heldanner families or so,
as well as a few Heldann Shepherd clans. A
small outpost has been recently built by
Alphatians from Midway Haven.
The two other main power blocks in town

are the Heldanner natives, led by the
priesthood of Odin in the person of
Asmundur the Raven (AD&D: m,h,P7 of
Odin; BECMI: Cleric 12 of Odin) and the
local branch of the Landfall Thieves Guild,
headed by Larus of Landfall (AD&D: m,h,T7
Fence; BECMI: T12).
Midway Haven
Frodhulf Vale
Population: 500 Humans, 250 Heldann
Shepherds, 60 Foxfolk, 20 Elves
Settlements: Frodhulf Outpost (40), many
homesteads and several nomadic tribes.
Local Tribes and Bandits
Population: 1700 Humans, 200 Lupins,

100 others (Elves, Halflings, Gnomes,
Dwarves)
The local elves belong to the Daemar clan

that lives further west into the forest. They
are in charge of keeping the humans from
entering the Skaufskogr, and are led by
Feredir (AD&D: m,e,R3 Wilderness Runner;
BECMI: Elf Druidic Knight 10/C), a capable
forester, assisted by his mate Eirien (AD&D:
f,e,F2 Defender of Lornasen; BECMI: Elf
Paladin 10/C).
Settlements: Midway Haven (500),

Nkunghavn (200), several smaller
villages, homesteads and some nomadic
tribes
Alphatian Troops: Alphatian Garrison (20
Heavy Infantry/Crossbowmen), Dunadale
Rangers (10), Constabulary (20 officers)
There is a second major village in the area,

Nkunghavn, less than one day north of
Midway Haven. It is much older than Midway
Haven, having been built by survivors of the
fall of Kunghaven centuries ago. A half-dozen
Four Heldann Shepherd tribes move through

the eastern reaches of the region. They are
similar in most respects to those of the
Eastern Shepherd Tribelands. Their strongest
leader is Armann Ofrhugi (Armann the
Fearless, AD&D: m,lu,F6 Barbarian; BECMI:
Lupin F16), a courageous warrior, but the
wisest clan chief is Hinrik Raudhr (AD&D:
m,lu,P4 Shaman of Korotiku; BECMI: Lupin
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Issue #7
Shaman 14), a Lupin well known and easily

spotted for his red-dyed fur. The richest
tribe, though, is led by of Rurik Fedrjugr
(AD&D: m,lu,F5 Barbarian; BECMI: Lupin
Fighter 15).
Jorunn Aegirsdottir (AD&D: f,h,T5 Bandit;
BECMI: Thief 15) leads a gang of some 25
bandits hiding in the southern reaches of the
forest. Jorunn and her bandits have proven
too strong and crafty for the thin elven forces
in this part of the forest, and have been able
to establish a fortified hideout.
The Schnauzwald
The forested area west of the Heldland river
and north of the Forton river is mostly
inhabited by forest gnomes and Gnomish
Snoutzer lupins, although Heldanner
settlements are also present along the trade
routes and the Forton river itself. The largest
human community is the village of Isodhur,
which also has a sizable lupin population.
Gnome settlements are found in the hills
north of the village.
The Wolkenberg
This mountain range, known as Skfjall to
the local Antalian-descended folk, is
connected to Lirovkas Alps by a large tract of
rough, hilly, and heavily forested territory.
The area between the Wolkenberg and
Lirovkas Alps is lightly inhabited by an
independent, hardy folk of Heldanner
origins. The town of Saffir, nested in a very
defensible position in one of the valleys on
the flanks of Lirovkas Alps, is the only major
settlement of the region. It is a remnant of
the second Alphatian colonization, and it is

populated by a mix of Heldanners,
Alphatians, and sedentary Vrodniki from the
Ransarn valley.
The Finsterwald
The Finsterwald (Mrkskog in the local
Norwolder
language,
Morkskogr
in
Heldanner) is one of the major forests in
Norwold. This dense woodland is only
sparsely populated by centaurs of the Peseny
Hetmanate, who sometimes cross the Skejdar
river to hunt, and by Shiye elves. Small clans
of bugbears challenge the elves for
dominance of the woods, in an eternal
contest of stealth and archery prowess.
The Ransarn Valley

One of the largest rivers in Norwold, the
Ransarn is partly navigable. Barbarian
Vrodniki tribes live along the river, hunting
in the forests, fishing in the Ransarn and
herding cattle. They move seasonally from
the higher lands near Lirovkas Alps to the
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Issue #7
lower lands near the Duchy of Gunvolod.

They also sometimes cross the pass at ErshalKur to sell furs and cattle in Saffir. Along the
course of the Ransarn, in one of the denser
parts of the woods, the Serdste Les, is the
headquarters of the Vrodniki druids, led by
Yarovoi of the White Banner. Northwards,
near the foothills of the Wyrms Head
Mountains, the Witchwood is rumored to be
the lair of many lesser hags and witches.
or principalities in Thyatian) forming around

the leadership of strong land-owning
families. The heartlands of the Vatski
Freeholds, clustered around the Blessed
Hills, still resist the push towards the
formation of a national state.
Ruins and Lairs

Heldolanum
The Vinisk Valley

The Vinisk river flows through a cold
moorland nestled between the Hettafjall
Mountains and the Essurian Arm. Mostly
uninhabited by humans and demi-humans,
the Vinisk valley is the domain of dangerous
monsters, such as the Rock Trolls and the
Yowlers, and the more civilized, but still
quite barbarous centaur Hetmanates. Few
traders attempt to cross the valley, and those
who do make a point of avoiding the estuary
of the Vinisk and the Troll meeting grounds.
The Gate of Henadin, while still rather
dangerous due to the presence of goblinoid
raiders, is relatively safer, and armed
caravans periodically cross the Harfara and
Lagfara passes in summer. The Strelets
Hetmanate also maintains a steady, if small,
trade with the Duchy of Gunvolod.
This ruined Thyatian castrum was built at the

estuary of the Heldland river around 900 AC,
and destroyed by Alphatian forces only
months before the Spike Assault. It was
originally designed to control the bridge over
the Heldland river. Nowadays, it mostly hosts
brigands and marauders who prey upon the
travellers from Strondborg to Landfall.
Castra Lucina
A ruin on the northern border of the
Dominion of Lighthall, Castra Lucina is a
Thyatian foundation. It was settled multiple
times before being finally abandoned in 960
AC. The town was razed and burned down by
Alphatian forces, but extensive underground
works had been created by the Thyatians,
and may survive to this day.
Ur-Edin
The Vatski Rodina

The homeland of the Vatski is a vast swath of
land between the Azure Lake and the
Wyrmsteeth Range. It has increasingly
become settled in the last centuries, with
states (called knyazhestvo in the Vatski
language, and variously translated as duchies
Only a day or so of march north of

Nykunghavn, Ur-Edin was founded by the
Alphatian colonists under prince Gaernil of
Shiye-Lawr. It was abandoned by its
defenders during the Long Winter, crippling
the supply lines for the Alphatian forces
further inland. Later, it was razed by Vrodniki
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raiders, although several buildings still stand,

possibly defended by Alphatian magic.
Lair of Koldunya
On the Wolkenberg foothills rises this

ominous fortress. It was built by a Blackheart
wizard during the last Alphatian colonization
attempt. The magician later disappeared -although it is unknown whether he went
back to Alphatia or was killed by enemies.
The fortress became the hideout of a
powerful Ice Witch, until the fall of the
second Ice Queen forced the Sisterhood to
withdraw northwards. Recent rumors picture
it as the lair of a witch coven.
An ancient Black Hag, Koldunya (AD&D:

Hag, Annis; BECMI: Black Hag, 20 HD) lives
in a sprawling cave system, which was
originally used as a necropolis by the
Antalian civilization. Koldunya surrounds
herself with undead she raises from the
Antalian corpses stored in the crypts. Her
draugir patrol the area around the lair, which
was rendered dead long ago when Koldunya
raised several Odics to fight the Alphatian
invaders. The hag preys equally upon the
Vrodniki, who fear her as a servant of Mara,
the goddess of death and witchcraft, and on
the goblinoids of Lepa Krak.
Ershal-Kur
Hamarkis Cave
This ruin was once part of the line of

fortifications built by the Alphatians to
prevent attacks on their coastal colonies by
barbarians and humanoids from the inland
regions. It was abandoned after the demise
of Prince Gaernil for lack of personnel. The
last defenders set up a number of traps to
prevent outsiders from entering the keep
and its dungeons, and retreated to Saffir.
Hamarki is a mountain giant who lives in the

peaks of Lirovkas Alps. This grumpy loner is
not aggressive, and is on relatively good
terms with both the Mountain Rakasta and
the Syrrak Dwarves. A renowned trainer of
giant eagles, Hamarki is often visited by
Cloud and Storm Giant customers. He is
wary of the blue dragon, Dominagon, to the
east.
Ruins of Drax Galathon
Lair of Nykur
A town built around a caravanserai along the

trade route from Drax Tallen to Landfall,
Drax Galathon fell to humanoid hordes
during the reign of Landryn Teriak.
Following the Prism Wars, the Kingdom of
Ghyr10 built a new, fortified caravanserai at a
short distance from the ruins.
Nykur, a feared Nuckalavee, spreads terror

along the western banks of Lake Gunaald
and the estuary of the Vinisk River.
Considered a death god by the centaurs of
the Strelets Hetmanate, Nykurs evil
influence extends to bands of savage centaur
outcasts. The expansion of Nykurs influence
is currently held in check by the Hoof of
Zirchev, a Chevall living among the centaurs
of the Strelets Hetmanate, and by the Lady of
Ekur-Naram
10
See X L1 Q ues t for th e H earts ton e for

more in formation on th e Pris m W ars .
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Issue #7
Gunaald, a Fairy Queen who holds court in

the depths of Lake Gunaald.
Forge of Kuznets Svarozhich
This volcanic area in the Hettafjall Mountains
is the home of Kuznets Svarozhich, an
Hephaeston11. This gigantic being is reputed
by the Vrodniki and Vatski to be the smith of
the gods, and is in particular connected with
Dazhbog and Perun. A small number of fire
giants serve Kuznets as assistants and
apprentices.
consuming that of beautiful women -although speculations vary regarding

whether he needs to do so yearly, or on
every solstice, or according to some
mysterious schedule. Powers attributed to
the sorcerer include a nightmare mount as
well as shapeshifting and poison magic.
Koshchey is actually a Lich, and a sworn
enemy of the black hag, Koldunya, as well as
of the Wyrmsteeth dragons.
Koshchey the Deathless
AD&D: Lich 11 HD; Salient abilities:
Fools Feast, Meta-polymorph;
Spellcasting as 18th level Mage
Palace of Koshchey the Deathless
BECMI: Magic-User Lich 28
Haunt of the Seryy Mudrets

Up in the reaches of this small valley sits
Okhrana, once a hermitage for solitary Vatski
priests, now a dungeon inhabited by foul
undead. It is said that in the depths of the
dungeon, a Gray Philosopher sits, pondering
for eternity. The legend of Andrej Nutov, the
Seryy Mudrets, tells its sad tale.
The ancient sorcerer Koshchey has built a
magnificent palace on the mountain spur
overlooking the Sineva Gorge, from which
the excess waters of Lake Gunaald flow into
the lower Azure Lake. The opulent and
extravagantly decorated palace of Koshchey
starkly contrasts with the lack of wildlife and
even vegetation in the surrounding
mountains. It is rumored that Koshchey
maintains his seemingly eternal life by
11
H eph aes ton s appear in A D&D in th e

My s tara Mon s trous Compen dium A ppen dix ,
un der th e Gian t, H eph aes ton en try .
Dragon Lairs
The dragon lairs marked on the map refer
only to huge dragons, whose ascension has
caused major upheavals in a large area
around the lair. There are, of course,
hundreds more large and small dragons in
the Wyrmsteeth. At least one dragon
ascended to the status of Immortal Guardian
in the Vatski Rodina area, causing the
transition of the Vatski to a sedentary
lifestyle. Due to the large number of dragons
168
Issue #7
Legend of the Seryy Mudrets

Vatski legends tell of a priest, Andrej Nutov,
who was a member of a new cult, one
brought by foreign missionaries. The cult
philosophy purported that there was only
one true Immortal -- the cult's patron -- an
omnipotent, omniscient and benevolent
god, whereas all other Immortals were
actually evil demons, or servants of the one
true Immortal.
Andrej had been attracted to the cult, for he
longed for a deeper understanding of the
world, and the missionaries had knowledge
that the Vatski did not. However, when
Andrej started preaching the creed of the
cult, a wandering, one-eyed skald from the
distant coast came to the Vatski Rodina. He
heard of Andrej, and visited him, and heard
him expose his philosophy.
The skald then said, with a voice full of
scorn: "Oh, philosopher, tell me, if there is
one omnipotent and omniscient god, and
he is as benevolent as you say, why then are
the innocent killed at the whim of the
warlords? Either your god is not so
benevolent as you say, or he is not as
powerful and all-knowing."
Andrej, struck by the one-eyed skald's
words, pondered the question for days.
Unable to find a solution, he retreated to a
secluded hermitage, Okhrana, where he
continued meditating on the skald's
question for years.
sources he could gather in the Vatski lands,

had spoken at length with all the sages and
elders who, in the years, had visited him,
and had even read books written by
philosophers from distant lands such as
Essuria and Alphatia, to no avail.
Then, when age was about to take its toll,
two shady peddlers came to Andrej's refuge,
bringing with them a pouch of black
powder -- the pollen of the dreaded black
lotus, which gives dreams and death. They
told Andrej the powder would allow him
the time he needed to finally solve his lifequest. Andrej dropped a pinch of the black
powder into his pipe, drowning in the
poisoned dreams of the black lotus. In that
altered state of mind, he saw truth -- there
could be no benevolent god. Good, all
good, was merely there to allow mortals to
perceive the unavoidable evil that would,
sooner or later, meet them.
Pondering the many faces of evil, the
drugged priest did not even notice his own
death. It is told that he still sits on his stone
siege deep in the dungeon of Okhrana,
thinking thoughts of evil, which boil out of
his undead mind as foul vapors raising from
his nostrils and pipe.
The legends portray Andrej Nutov, now
known as the Seryy Mudrets ("Gray
Philosopher"), as the desiccated corpse of a
once stout, tonsured, long-bearded warriorpriest, covered in moldy furs.
As he grew older, Andrej despaired finding

a solution to the skald's question -- his time
was running out, he had consulted all the
169
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170
Issue #7
in the Wyrmsteeth, major storms and

unusual weather patterns frequently hit the
region as a consequence of small dragons
becoming large. The lair of Khukh, a huge
blue dragon, contains a portal to Yggdrasill,
whereas the lair of the red dragon Raruk lies
in a network of huge volcanic passages that
lead all the way down to the Hollow World,
in the frozen lands north of the Beastman
Wastes.
REFERENCES
The Italian MMB, Norwold Region
JTR, Map of Landfall and Kamminer Bay
JTR, Beyond the Final Range: The RansarnVinisk Valley
Khuzd, Ransarn Valley adventure/campaign
ideas
171
Issue #7
Land and Races of Leeha
by JTR
THE LAND
Leeha and its fellow halfling holdings are
situated around the westernmost extent of
the Great Bay of Norwold. It is a beautiful
region of gently rolling hills, forested plains,
and meadows populated by the shortfolk,
sedentary and semi-nomadic humans, and
scores or hundreds of humanoid and giant
tribes.
Most of the area is part of the Great Bays
Coastal Plain Lowlands, which extend over
150 miles westward. The Lowlands normally
run from sea-level to 150 feet in elevation,
but the western portions reach 200-300 feet
before yielding to the hills and mountains of
the Icereach. In addition, cliffs line several
segments of the coast, and local rises and
depressions are common.
The southern and western Lowlands are

moderately fertile. There is a healthy glacial
deposit layer on the surface, and the soil is
capable of sustained agriculture. The
lowlands south of the Catbergs are
particularly rich, but the capabilities of the
local humans are too primitive to make much
use of them. The northern Lowlands are
much less supportive and yield only a
subsistence-level of productivity.
The most notable feature of the Lowlands is

the narrow Caudasteen Peninsula that curves
out into the Bay. The halfings control the
region of the peninsula north of the Catberg
Hills. The eastern tip has a very sandy soil,
and its coastline is steadily eroding without
adequate coverage by trees and grass. Near
the middle of the Caudasteen, fields,
meadows, and short-cycle farmland replace
the cattails and scrublands. The farms along
this fertile strip generate sizeable crops, and
the halflings tend to imported fruit trees that
are kept in special baffler orchards that
partially deflect wind and precipitation and
trap heat.
Snow tulips are a flower unique to
Leehashire, blossoming in both summer and
first spring (see Climate and Environmental
Notes). They appear in a variety of hues that
form intricate designs, with colors ranging
from snow-white to yellow, orange, pink,
red, and deep blue.
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Issue #7
HILLS AND MOUNTAINS
ebon tigers in the Hills for which the region

took its name.
High elevation terrain brackets the Gulf

region on all three sides. The closest of these
formations are the Catberg Hills along the
southern end of Leehashire. The Catbergs
are a minor ridgeline on the Caudasteen that
makes a useful natural marker for the
halflings borderland territory. The Hills are
a conglomerate of sandstone and shocked
quartz whose formation is relatively recent
an extrusion dating to the destruction of
Alphia1. Its elevation varies between 300 and
760 feet.
According to the barbarian nomads, the

northern Jotunheimr are an ancient haven of
giant clans (hill and frost) and unallied
humanoid tribes (mostly trolls, bugbears and
orcs). Like the Catbergs, these hills are a
mixture of sandstone and shocked quartz,
but within its caverns are also deposits of
lead, coal, and a strange powdery mineral
which the locals know to give off a strange
sickness. The elevation runs from 210 feet in
the east to 1300 feet in the west.
The Icereach Range is a complex and
daunting system of mountains to the west. It
is often subdivided into several smaller
systems, beginning on the Denagothian
Plateau in the distant south and ending just
short of the frigid waters along the
continents northern coastline.
The Catbergs are infested with goblins and

hill giants. Orcs are also present to a lesser
extent, but that population is still recovering
from its defeat at Lake Glasst. Furthermore,
there are a number of wildcats, pumas, and
Th e al ph atian k in g dom foun ded in N orwol d

b y A l in or, as ex pl ain ed in Th e H is tory of
Leeh a b y J TR , pag e 2 5 , in is s ue #6 of
Th res h ol d mag az in e an d in A Travel ers g uide
to N orwol d b y Simon e N eri in th is s ame is s ue.
Those mountains north of the White Bear

River are called the Rimatasz (literally, the
Jagged Teeth). The major divides exceed
9,000 feet, but even the unstructured south
tops 8,200 feet. The southern peaks block
the strong and chilly northern winds, so the
surrounding foothills and lowlands suffer
less from the snow blizzards so common to
the rest of the area; however, these areas are
at risk for avalanches.
Platinum exists in the northern third of the
Rimatasz, silver and electrum are plentiful in
the middle, and gold lodes are common in
the south. The extreme southern end of the
Teeth is ruled by Kiriakiss, a huge female red
dragon. She is served by hill giants, orcs and
goblins.
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Issue #7
destruction of Alphia. The southern portions

of this feature have been slowly eroded down
to undulating hills over the centuries, but the
north still bears its jagged scars. Both rock
and sand deserts fill much of the span
between the Crumpled Lands and the hill
country, but some grassland and woodlands
have taken root. This region also contains
lowland glaciers whose migration speeds
decelerated over the past millennium. Today
their edges are shrinking annually.
FORESTS
South of the White Bear are the White
Mountains, one of the largest sub-divisions of
the Icereach. These mountains continue into
the south and west for many leagues, and the
local mountains surpass 16,000 feet. A few
mountain giants live within the obscured
highlands, but frost and fire giants are more
common. The White Glacier is an ice covered
valley that opens out to the northern face of
the eastern mountains. These mountains are
particularly rich in gold and precious stones,
but the local dragons are extremely
territorial. Humans and halflings alike have
tales of parties that ventured too close to the
peaks near the White Glacier and suffered a
cruel demise at the claws of the beasts.
There are also dozens of migratory dragons
in the White Mountains that fly down into
the White Bear River Valley and the lowlands
south of the Catbergs during late spring and
summer, although those that stray into
Kiriakisss domain are typically slain by the
large female.
Finally, the Crumpled Lands are fractured
terrain between the Jotunheimr Hills and the
Rimatasz that were produced during the
A thin woodland system covers the Lowlands

well into the mountain foothills. The densest
area is directly west of the halfling
settlements. The trees are broken frequently
by small meadows, glens or herbaceous
fields. In addition, thousands of small lakes
are scattered about, testifying to the historic
presence of glaciers.
The Greenwood consists of the forest tract
north of the Catberg Hills. Currently the only
concern for travelers is the abundant wildlife,
but in times past, the Greenwood has been
the site of many battles with the Catberg orcs
and their allies. The Greenwood is
considered the halflings borderland territory.
The woods of the White Bear River Valley
(Ath) can be particularly thick, with a
multitude of young trees crowding the river
shore. There are areas of older and larger
trees further upriver and in the highlands of
the Rimatasz.
The woodlands due west of the Gulf are
traditionally thought of as two or three
175
Issue #7
distinct forests. The Hightimber is the forest

between the Rivers Dinelbras and White
Bear. Its oldest section is directly north of
Leeha, and little underbrush save moss and a
carpet of needles can be found between the
tall evergreens. The remainder of the
southern forest is thick with smaller trees
and ground cover comprised of thickets,
brambles and ferns. The Hightimber
continues up into the Jagged Teeth, but a
recent forest fire left millions of acres of land
burnt. It is doubtful that this section will
recover, and hardy grasses have already
colonized some of the exposed areas.
The Hightimber continues above the River
Dinelbras under the name of the Northguard
Woods. This is a young stretch of woodland,
and the small trees are densely packed as
they compete to establish themselves. Travel
is very difficult through the tangle, but the
trees form an important protective barrier.
These woods and the lands beyond are
mostly unexplored wilderness.
Near the source waters of the River
Smoothstone, the forest undergoes a
significant transition to a sub-arctic taiga. To
the halflings this is still a continuation of
their Northguard Woods, but to the
barbarians and elves it is the Lothbarth
Forest. Wildlife is uncommon in this area,
giving the Lothbarth an eerie, empty feeling.
Surprisingly, there are hardwoods west of
the Lothbarth. These areas experience an
unusual warming air mass originating from
Kaarjala, a land well north of the Great Bay.
Barbarians commonly encamp here during
the summer months.
WATERWAYS
The Great Bay of Norwold dominates this
region of the continent. Before the the Great
Rain of Fire, the Bay was comprised of
several different large inland lakes. Its
current appearance is a product of rising
global sea-levels and the earth-shattering
magic of Alinor. Harbor seals, belugas, and
even the rare wayward sperm whale have
been spotted in the Bays open waters. The
waters are rich with sardines, squid and
other life.
The western extreme of the Bay is the Gulf of
Leeha, which the halflings refer to as the
Abbatarth Sound. Most of the Gulf was once
above sea-level, but the destruction of Alphia
collapsed the plain and tore open a deep
chasm into which the sea poured. The Great
Bays deepest point (2,674 feet) exists in the
Gulf midway between Port Hinly and
Goodfield.
Abbie and Bailey are the Great Bay
Monsters, legendary creatures of the Gulf
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Issue #7
waters around Port Hinly. The local

Harborhin treat the monsters as either a joke
or with the utmost seriousness. Ships that fail
to return to port are blamed on Bailey,
while those that safely came back to port
were under the protection of Abbie.
On the opposite side of the Caudasteen
Peninsula is the Bay of Candelia. Prior to
Alphias fall, this was a large freshwater lake.
The regional destruction opened the lake to
the Bays salt water, which killed the local
fauna. Many of the migratory dragons that
venture out of the White Mountains lek here.
Aerial tumbles are a common sight as each
breed in turn enters its mating cycle. In most
years, one or two white dragons will attempt
to establish a permanent dominion around
Candelia during the winter when the rest of
the flock returns to the mountains; however,
it has been over a century since a given
dragon held the Bay for more than a decade.
Today, the Gulf and Candelia both have
ample fisheries and lobster beds. Ice can
form over the surface during winter time.
The northern Gulf coast is guaranteed some
coverage, but the warning sign for the great
freezes comes when an ice bridge connects
the northern coast to the tip of the
Caudasteen.
mountains. The river continues for over 400

miles further west into strange barbarian
lands. It is navigable for most of the year. The
cold river is deep and slow moving as it
passes through the shire. In some places, the
river can be over a mile wide, depending on
the season. The banks tend to be fairly steep
as the river winds through the upper valley,
but it is not so in all places.
The Skelleft and Calabras Rivers are large
tributaries of the White Bear that drain the
great glacial lakes further south. Their routes
are more difficult to traverse, with numerous
rapids and stone or ice bridges reducing
clearance. Of the two, the route of the
Calabras is the more dangerous.
After the White Bear clears the mountains it

is joined by the Highthicket and Fishrun.
Some stretches of these rivers also contain
significant rapids, so exploration of their
upper limits must be done with canoes and
rowboats that can be carried along the shore.
The Greenwood River originates deep in the
Catbergs and flows through the forest and
Ice bridges also isolate the Bay of Candelia

around the same time, but the middle of the
Bay remains ice free for all but the harshest
winters. Many beluga pods take sanctuary
here at that time, but the natives and some
wildlife predators have learned how to use
the ice openings as a means of surface whaling.
The White Bear River is a major waterway
that leads high up into the western
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Issue #7
across farmland before joining the White

Bear just north of Leeha. At the other end of
the Hills, the Naszbras River travels through
the fields just south of the shire. It terminates
at the desolate Fogvail Swamp on the Gulf
coast.
On the Gulfs western shores, the Snakebite
River sports an assemblage of poisonous
serpents unusual for this climate. The snakes
hibernate most of the year, but starting in
early summer, they rouse and disperse
throughout the Hightimber, aggressively
hunting small prey and each other. The
Snakebite finishes its course in a marshland
(the Saurian Saltmarsh). Hin rarely travel
here, but they tell stories about the fierce
Children of the Dragon (lizard men).
The River Dinelbras is an important
navigational marker for overland travelers. In
addition to dividing the Hightimber from the
Northguard Woods, the Dinelbras has a
number of tributaries that segment the
northwestern forest.
The Cupribras Stream is a minor waterway
connected to Lake Galass near Grassy Knoll.
Many of the Snakebites dispersing serpents
end up here. Additional minor rivers include
Pinecone Brook and the River Smoothstone.
There are lakes, brooks, and rivers
throughout the greater region, particularly in
the area south of the Catbergs. Of these, the
Candellar River is the most noteworthy. Its
southern and northern banks are split
between
humans
and
humanoids,
respectively and delineates the Caudasteen
from the south.
OTHER LOCATIONS
Fogvail Swamp is a dark and murky place on
the Gulfs southern shoreline. It is often
shrouded in mist, and few dare enter. Pits of
quicksand are interleaved with peat bogs,
and all manner of denizens lurk behind the
swamps twisted and stunted trees. Nearer
the coast, the swamp converts into a salt
marsh with stagnant water infested with
insects.
The Saurian Saltmarsh is a small marshland
at the mouth of the Snakebite. It is the home
of cold-adapted lizards that are generally
active only from late spring to early autumn.
They then go dormant in large colonies after
the first frost and hibernate through winter.
The Kingdom of Alphia left ruins at several
sites in the region, including Galifron,
Echalia, and the now-submerged sea port of
Tarophina. In addition to these sites, traces
of Alphia can be found at other minor
locations.
Likewise, Miranda and Zyggamon are
remnants of Blackmoor culture. Human
barbarians now use Miranda as their summer
gathering point, ignorant of the locales
ancient history.
Hockey Town, Barrydwell and Maracope
were halfling communities destroyed by
fellow hinucks, frost giants and Catberg orcs,
respectively. Frost giants are also blamed for
the destruction of Sunnyville, but elder
halflings know that cannibalism was to
blame. The hinucks avoid these sites.
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SURROUNDING LANDS
substance that dehydrates whatever it comes

into contact.
The Coastal Plain continues to the south and

to the east unto the mountains of the
Wyrmsteeth Range, forming Norwolds
Southern Bay Marches. The Alphan Peninsula
is still further east. If one journeyed beside
the peaks holding the White Glacier, he
would eventually pass through a gap in the
ranges and reach the edges of the Icereach
Barbarians territory. From there, the
Denagothian Plateau is accessible.
Northeast of the Lothbarth are arid

grasslands of the Noskumis Plains, on which
dwell nomadic barbarians and humanoids.
This is part of a larger territory known as
Viaskaland, and beyond that are the
Autuasmaa Plain and the Kingdom of Kaarjala.
The Icereach Range grows ever more

impressive as one travels west. One of the
Ranges greatest features is the Arch of Fire
a great flow of elemental fire and lava tearing
through the sky. The 300-foot wide tube of
fire travels 75 miles between its anchoring
volcanic gates, and it gains an additional 6
miles in height. The Arch can be seen up to
72 miles away at night, 48 miles in daylight.
The lands between the volcanos are true
wastelands criss-crossed by lava and with
huge lakes of fire at their bases. There are
many caverns in this area, and some lead into
deep fissures. Bands of fire elementals are
common here.
The nearby portion of the White Bear is
surrounded by swamps, and there are
barbarian lands further upstream. In the
latter area is the Leehan Trail, an overland
route around the mountains that leads to the
remote Kingdom of Ghyr. All of these
features are known to the more experienced
Leehan explorers. Less well-known is the
Desert of Red Sands tucked away alongside
the Rimatasz. This desert is dangerous to all
life as it is littered with a red ice-like
Finally, there is the large island of

Nordenhafen in the Great Bay 70 miles due
east of the Caudasteen. The island has little
to show save scrub and grasses, yet a few
dozen families eek out an existence by
fishing the local waters.
CLIMATE AND
ENVIRONMENTAL NOTES
The western Bay has unusual seasonal
patterns with two springs and winters, and a
summer whose temperature spikes to levels
more appropriate to a tropical locale. These
climatic oddities come courtesy of the Great
Sampo, an artifact that keeps the Kingdom of
Kaarjala from freezing over2.
First winter normally begins Tembiir3 15,
with the temperature averaging 11 F (-12
C). Easterly winds pull moisture off of the
Bay to generate 4.5 inches of mixed
precipitation per month. The temperature
declines 1 degree (F) every two days into the
season until Dauntil 6, when a massive heat
front moves out of the north and settles over
2
3
See Gaz F 1 0 , Th e K in g dom of K aarjal a.

Th e H in of Leeh a us e th e s ame cal en dar as
th os e of th e F ive Sh ire. See GA Z 8 , Th e F ive
Sh ires , Dun g eon Mas ters B ook l et, pag e 1 5 .
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Issue #7
the Gulf. Temperatures climb 5 degrees (F)

per day for twelve days and then holds steady
through the winter solstice (Dauntil 28, 4
hours of daylight). This run up is First
Spring, and it is the best time to pick snow
tulips.
At the start of the new year, temperatures
plunge 7 degrees (F) a day as a regional
Carnot Cycle is unleashed that draws all heat
north to Kaarjala. Currently, the drop levels
out at -21 F (-30 C), but that bottom lowers
1 degree every 15-20 years. Leeha is buffeted
by chaotic winds from all directions. Rain
and snowfall total 26.8 inches per month. In
addition, late Noreasters pick up floe ice in
the Bay and scour the landscape.
THE RACES
The western Bay region is lightly populated.
Collectively, humanoids form the largest
group of inhabitants and have strong
communities in the Catberg Hills, the
Greenwood, the Jotunheimr Hills, the
western mountains, and locations further
south. They are followed by the wide-ranging
human barbarians, the halflings of the Gulf,
and finally Foresthome elves. The halflings
are discussed in greater detail in the next
section. All other populations are discussed
here.
LANGUAGE
Second Spring starts 70 days later on Odelin
15. The thaw starts three weeks prior,
gaining 3 degrees a day until temperatures
naturally vary between 30-45 F (-1 to 7 C).
The rivers swell from the melting snow, and
flash floods are common. This period lasts 10
weeks through the solstice (Mithintle 28).
Summer lasts 8 weeks (Goldaun 1 Fyrtal
28). Temperatures rapidly reach 65-95 F (1835 C). The temperature spike is a
consequence of the Sampos venting. The
period is muggy, with rain and hail common.
Many different languages can be heard in the

vicinity of the western Bay. Those that are
most notable are listed below.
Novum-Or: Novum-Or is the language of the
Gulf halflings. It is a mixture of the ancient
Lalor tongue, barbarian languages, and
Heldannic.
Autumn (Aumbyr 1 Tembiir 14) has cool,

refreshing winds from the north and east.
Cloud cover is common, and the
temperature hovers comfortably between 5570 F (13-21 C).
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Issue #7
Thyatian: This is a common language of

adventurers and potential settlers.
BARBARIANS
Alphatian: This is a language of the

newcomers; however, it is also spoken by
many halflings and barbarians who have had
contact with the Alphatian Empire or the
Court of Ericall.
A number of human tribes and clans live

semi-nomadic lifestyles and their numbers
range from as little as a dozen to over 1,000
each. The southern Theorundians are more
settled, while the northern Viaskodas
maintain seasonal migrations on the long
northern coast of the Great Bay, from the
borders of Leeha to the Ljallenvals Mountains
of the east.
Viaskodan: This is the language of the

northern barbarians.
Theorundian: This is the language of the
southern barbarians.
Essurian: The trade town of Leeha maintains
records and instruction for the Essurian
language, which is native to the Denagothian
Plateau far to the south.
Elvish: The Elvish spoken by Foresthome
elves derives from the Shiye dialect heard in
Alphatia. It provides no significant barrier to
conversation with speakers of most other
Elvish dialects.
Hymsprach: More commonly known as
Giantish, Hymsprach is spoken by all true
giant-folk (fire and larger).
Shonak: This is a human language heard on
the tundra to the north.
Catherwek: This is the language spoken by
humanoids in the Catbergs.
Athraeg: This language is spoken by
humanoids in the Valley of Ath and the
surrounding mountains.
Both Theorundians and Viaskodas are a

mixture of Antalian and Littonian stock,
though they also carry some Alphatian blood
a legacy of the empires colonial periods.
They have naturally pale complexions, but
wind-burn gives them a ruddy hue. Hair and
eye color are very diverse, although many
barbarians along the Bay coast share a slight
elongation of the eye. It is also quite
common for Viaskodan males to shave their
heads.
Attire is assembled from fur, leather, and
limited
textiles.
Theorundians
favor
sleeveless tunics and breeches, adding an
insulated leather jacket or overcoat during
the cooler months. Their women don a
double-tunic dress cinched by a rope belt.
Viaskodan men eschew tunics in favor of
going bare-chested or wearing only a harness
or baldric during summer; the women sport
fitted halters that expose their midriff and
breeches, shorts, or skirts. Viaskodan women
only wear dresses or full length skirts while
pregnant or nursing. Both groups use heavy
fur coats during winter.
Malaasilut: This is the language of the

humanoids of the northern territories.
181
Issue #7
The Volek Leiho and the

Guldskung
Every year during the summer solstice, the
Viaskodan tribes gather under a Banner to
celebrate the Volek Leiho, or Festival of
Brotherhood. The hosting tribal chief, or
Kung, settles disputes between tribes and
adjudicates criminal complaints according to
oral tradition. In turn, the visiting tribes are
expected to offer tribute.
Organization and Banners

Tribal organization varies, but some
barbarian nations still remain extant. The
western Vanders, or the Barbarians of the
Red Banner, are one such group. Their name
is actually of Theorundian origin and means
the great wind, a remark on the nomadism
and savage potential of that nation in times
past.
Other groups are also identified through the
use of tribal banners totemic expressions of
the most powerful person or group. They are
comprised of a central timber shaft about six
inches in diameter. Cross beams are lashed
to the top third of the banner, from which
are attached skins, ribbons, and various items
of significance.
Not all individuals are affiliated with a tribal
group, especially among those who have
adopted a more sedentary lifestyle. The
reception of these settlers by their nomadic
kinsmen varies, but scorn rarely rises beyond
the teasing label of Dairy-Men employed by
the Viaskodas.
Historically, a greater title was also employed

by the Viaskodas. Bearers of the title
Guldskung (first among chiefs) were
warlords that ruled the great barbarian
nations during the time of the Alphatian
incursions, and they commanded thousands
of subjects over great swaths of territory.
There has not been a Guldskung since the
time of Akra, but with the coming influx of
foreign settlers, the time may be right for the
rise of a new title bearer.
Economy
The barbarians display a wide range of
activities, from herding sheep, goats, and
shaggy cattle, to smelting and weaving, even
to raiding and piracy along the coast. Neither
meta-group possesses its own currency, but
they understand its worth and use it as
necessary when dealing with other parties.
182
Issue #7
surroundings. Most other transgressions are

considered matters of honor to be settled
through wrestling matches.
A limited form of slavery is also practiced by
the Viaskodans, but not the Theorundians.
Those captured in war are made household
servants, signified by a rope cord about the
left wrist. Servitude lasts up to three years,
after which the slave is set free. It may also be
terminated earlier, either by adopting the
slave into ones family or setting them loose
(often to untax tribal resources).
Magic and Religion

Among the Viaskodas, men and women have
almost equal rights: stronger and tougher
individuals fight, while others raise children
and herd. Their primary sports are wrestling
and lacrosse, and it is not unusual to see
Viaskodan women participate in such events.
The laws of the tribes are based on an oral
tradition. Judgments are issued by tribal
chiefs and are swift and ruthless. Rulings can
be appealed to a jury comprised of seven
adults, but the jury cannot vacate a ruling.
Instead, a convicted person with whom the
jury has sided may challenge the chief to
combat to the death. If he prevails, he will be
the new chief.
Theft of property is punished with the
branding of the hand. Theft of food,
however, warrants being tied down to the
ground for three days without food or drink
as tribal shamans intensely watch for signs of
the wendigo. Murder is punished with either
immediate death or exile into dangerous
Witchcraft and sorcery are matters of great

fear for the barbarians, a legacy of their
suffering during the various Alphatian
occupations and the reign of the Akra.
Foreign magic-users are subject to contempt
and scorn, though this may be mitigated if
the offender displays martial bravery and
skill. Yet despite this aversion, the barbarians
did give birth to Norwolds modern druidism
in conjunction with Alphatians surviving the
fall of Alphia.
Their religious outlook focuses on nature
spirits and the ghosts of ancestors that serve
as divine messengers. Spiritual shamans
known as taltos function as intermediaries
between mortals and these divine agents,
while other priests serve the general function
of moral counselors.
The barbarians greatest spiritual fear is
succumbing to the spirit of the wendigo, a
wild, voracious, and malignant hunger.
Because of the cannibalism and gruesome
consumption associated with the wendigo,
183
Issue #7
the Viaskodas are suspicious of the Vaarana

nomads to their north. The barbarians share
the Thanksgiving of the halflings.
Warfare
Both the Theorundians and Viaskodas favor
heavier, two-handed weapons, e.g. staves,
war hammers, mauls, great spears, bastard
swords, and two-handed swords. Missile
weapons are limited to capturing devices
such as bolas and nets, although the short
bow and javelin are used for hunting
purposes.
Armor is limited to various hide-based forms
of protection, but a few pieces of scale mail
can be found. Those wielding smaller
weapons often employ wooden shields on
the off-hand.
OTHER HUMANS
In addition to the native populations of
Norwold, humans from more civilized,
foreign lands have made their presence
known. Alphatians already have a small
community at Arboria, and there are many
Thyatian traders filtering up from the
southlands. Additionally, human adventurers
from a variety of nations are beginning to
flock to Leeha.
ELVES
Norwolds Foresthome elves were originally
part of the Shiye of Alphatia that fled in
dispute with their king. Their strongest
presence is on the oceanic coast, but a few
outposts have been established around the
Great Bay. These elves are secretive and
avoid contact with outsiders.
Present since AC 525, the elves of the north
coast number only a few hundred in total,
and not all have a mature Tree of Life. They
originally left their homes among
Oceansends Lornadiel clan to settle the
lands memorialized in the Ley of Lornasen, a
tale of their eponymous founder who
journeyed from Norwolds eastern shores to
locate the Sylvan Realm far to the west and
returned with the knowledge of the Tree of
Life.
Within the Ley are clues that Lornasen may
have seeded other Trees during her return,
and the Foresthome elves came to find them
and to plant their own. Most of the elven
families have now settled themselves in the
184
Issue #7
Lothbarth, but one mythic location, Sythan

Alabarik, still fills their dreams.
Norwold. This is a day of thanksgiving among

the elves.
The major northern families are Sinar,

Leafbower, Feryndul, Sunviel, Sanathyl,
Wensaren,
Esendath,
Ithyshiye,
and
Almashiye. The western Almashiye are the
most open of the elves, and a few of the
younger ones have made their way to Leeha.
Elves in the north and south consider the

barbarians as primitives, using the latter as a
shield against the more dangerous
opponents in the area.
REGIONAL HUMANOIDS
Tribes of goblins, orcs, and hill giants infest
the Catbergs and surrounding forests. The
orcs have been severely weakened in recent
conflicts with the halflings, and the goblins
are in the ascendence. In the north, hill and
frost giants dwell in the Jotunheimr Hills
along with trolls, bugbears, and orcs.
Most tribes of the Catbergs and Jotunheimr

are unaligned, but the humanoids of the west
primarily hill giants, orcs, and goblins
have been organized by Kiriakiss, a huge
female red dragon.
The Imerath elves dwell within the Mur
Woods of the south. Their forebears left the
community of Whispering Grove for different
reasons. They trekked the dangerous
Norwold interior and faced the Wyrmsteeth
before settling. There are perhaps one
thousand Imerath elves. They are very
withdrawn, and they are currently unaware
of their brethren to the north.
Both groups of elves construct houses in and
around hardwood trees through carpentry.
They also both celebrate the Shelter of Ygg
(Felmont 17), which commemorates the
providential arrival of Foresthome elves to
TOTAL POPULATION
SIZES
It is estimated that there are 15,000
Viaskodas including 900 members of the
Red Banner 22,500 Theorundians, and
1,550 elves in the western Bay area. Halflings
are thought to number 10,000 in total. They
are matched by 12,000 denizens of the
Catbergs, 6,000 in the Jotunheimr, and 5,500
under the direct control of Kriakriss.
185
Issue #7
In the name of the Dragon
by Francesco Defferrari (Sturm)

AN ADVENTURE
IN THE WYRMSTEETH
An adventure for PCs of high level (best for
9-12 level), fighting the Heldannic invasion
in the north1!
This adventure sends the PCs in pursuit of

Heldannic agents who came in possession
of a very dangerous artifact, with which
they could endanger the very existence of
the ancient Dragon realm.
In Act I, PCs receive their mission and
almost reach the Heldannic agents, but
soon discover that there are more than two
players in this game.
In Act II, PCs cross the dangerous
Gnomsdal forest and Gap, finding
enemies, traitors and possible new friends.
Th is adven ture was in s pired b y th e work of

Giul io Carol etti th at orig in al l y appeared in
Tome of My s tara vol ume 2 , th e Drag on l ord
tril og y , Simon e N eris H is tory of Drag on k in d,
th e D&D 2 0 0 0 movie, J ames Mis h l ers A g e of
B l ack moor, b y J TR s Lan dfal l Gaz etteer F 8 an d
Den ag oth Gaz etteer F 2 , an d b y A g ath ok l es
work on th e Sk aufs k og r reg ion in th is s ame
is s ue. My work h as s everal differen t
as s umption s from th eirs : for ex ampl e I as s ume
th at th e Drag on k in g dom is much more an cien t
th an in Giul ios an d Simon es work s , th erefore
l in k in g it to J ames h is tory an d my articl e on
3 0 5 0 B C My s tara in is s ue #2 of Th res h ol d
mag az in e, pag e 1 6 5 , b ut each DM coul d
ob vious l y ch oos e th e b ack s tory h e or s h e
prefers .
In Act III, PCs continue their pursuit in the

Skarsholm plains, and more interlopers
appear.
In Act IV, PCs must cross the Skaufskogr
hills, full of Heldannic troops.
In Act V, PCs have one last chance to
retrieve the artifact in the Streets of
Landfall, or all will be lost for the Dragon
kingdom.
186
Issue #7
INTRODUCTION
Background and enemies
After suffering several crushing defeats at the

hands of the dragons2, the Alphatian mages
were able to create at least two very powerful
Rods of Dragon Control. One of them was
kept in the Alphatian imperial treasury, and
had the power to control a huge number of
gold dragons. Another Rod to control red
dragons, the Rod of Savrille, was created by a
powerful wizard. Centuries ago3 the Rod of
Savrille was destroyed, and the Alphatian
empress at the time gave the imperial Rod to
the dragons as a gesture of friendship and
peace. The dragons decided not to destroy it,
because they considered it important to
study to counter its powers if necessary. Now
a group of Heldannic agents has done the
unthinkable: they have discovered the hiding
place of the Rod, defeated its powerful
guardians and stolen it! The Heldannic

thieves did it thanks to decisive clues and aid
provided by Primate Inge Gottfried4. What
they do not know yet is that other interested
parties knew of the Rod too and have been
informed by spies of the theft, and are now
sending their minions to take the Rod. One
such party is Denagothian, in particular the
black dragon Vitriol, champion of Idris and
ally of the Shadow Lord. Another such party
is a cabal of Alphatian wizards that wants the
Rod back to use it against the Empress
herself. The last party involved is a group of
powerful Glantrian adventurers, sent by
Jaggar Von Drachenfels and by Dolores
Hillsbury5. Obviously, it is possible to have
the PCs play the role of the Glantrian,
Alphatian or Denagoth agents, instead of that
of envoys of the Dragon King, depending on
the nature and origin of the party, and the
willingness of the DM to suitably adapt the
adventure.
A s des crib ed in th e Drag on l ord tril og y an d

s ummariz ed in H is tory of Drag on k in d b y
Simon e N eri. I imag in e th at th e rod des crib ed in
th e D&D 2 0 0 0 movie was created as a
con s equen ce of th es e A l ph atian defeats aroun d
5 1 0 -5 1 1 A C (1 5 1 0 -1 5 1 1 A Y ).
3 Th e rod h ere is as s umed to h ave b een g iven
to th e drag on s man y cen turies ag o, b ut th at
coul d al s o h ave h appen ed jus t s ome decades
ag o, as H avard as s umed in h is articl e h ere.
4
5
A n avatar of Van y a h ers el f, s ee h ere.

J ag g ar, as H ig h Mas ter of Dracol og y , h as a
very differen t purpos e in th is matter th an
Dol ores , wh o is un b ek n own s t to h im th e N ig h t
Drag on Sy n n . Th e Gl an trian party is th erefore
divided, s ee b el ow.
187
Issue #7
Setting the date and season

The adventure could be set anywhere
between AC 1010 and 1016, when the
Heldannic Knights are conducting their
campaign of conquest in Norwold, clashing
with Wyrmsteeth dragons. It is also possible
to set the adventure in a different
timeframe by adapting the background to
the individual campaign timeline.
It could be better if the season is early
spring, as the abundance of snow, and the
risk of avalanches in treacherous mountain
trails can add quite some drama to the
adventure. The dead cold of deep winter or
the muddy trails of early summer however
could work just as well.
1010 AC, Thaumont 1st: the Heldannic
army lay siege to Landfall and takes it by
Klarmont 20th. The conquest stops at the
Landfall region for the year.
1011, Thaumont 19th: the knights begin
their march along the coast toward
Oceansend, besieging it from Flaurmont
10th. Soon Norwold intervenes to defend
the city, and the Wyrmsteeth dragons do
the same thing on Felmont, 22nd.
Oceansend however surrenders to the
Heldannic knights on Sviftmont 16th.
1012: the Heldannic knights are in
possession of Landfall and Oceansend and
all the land between them, at least along
the coast, and are probably consolidating
their conquests and founding outposts, as
Neuhafen, renaming it Strondborg, and
Forton Town, at the mouth of the Forton
river over the ruins of Heldolanum.
1013: the Heldannic inquisition sweeps the

Heldannic territories, while on Nuwmont
17th a severe earthquake strikes Norwold.
On Vatermont 12-14 a deadly blizzard
strikes the Heldannic territories. Between
the 11th and 28th Fyrmont there is a great
fire around Neuhafen, the new city founded
by the knights on the Forton river between
Freiburg and Landfall. on Sviftmont the 2nd
a great gale strikes the coast of Heldannic
territories and Norwold. On Eirmont the
3rd there is a great fire in Freiburg, a
suspected arson.1
1014: The Heldannic Order wars with the
simbasta in Davania and is defeated. The
Heldannic knights also have trouble at
home with rebels and renegades, and in the
meantime king Ericall of Norwold tightens
his kingdom ties with other Alphatian
dominions.
1015: The Myoshiman Empire and the
Wyrmsteeth dragons attack Freiburg but are
repelled by a combined army of Heldannic
knights and simbasta2. From Flaurmont
however the knights have more revolts in
their territories and on Klarmont the 5th
Oceansend frees itself from their rule.
Within the month the Heldannic knights are
repelled to the Nordheim river. By the end
of the year however the knights regain full
control of their territories and are ready to
strike back.
1
U p to 1 0 1 3 th is is can on h is tory from th e

Poor W iz ards A l man ac I , I I an d I I an d
J os h uan s A l man ac. F rom 1 0 1 4 to 1 0 1 9 th is
h is tory is from My s tara F an A l man acs
2 Th ats al l part of a g reater s tory b y B ruce
H eard al s o in vol vin g th e g reat Orcs H ead
pen in s ul a drag on Py re.
188
Issue #7
1016: The Heldannic knights ally with

Qeodharan raiders and launch another
invasion toward Oceansend in Felmont,
laying siege to it on Fyrmont 12th and
taking it on Ambyrmont 10th. In
Ambyrmont Norwold too is attacked by
dragons (a result of a plot by the Church
of Idris3). On Kaldmont 7th a peace treaty
is signed between Norwold, Wyrmsteeth
and the Heldannic territories.
Creating the PCs
If the PCs are not native of the

Wyrmsteeth kingdom, they could have
some friendship with the dragons or they
could have been pressed into service by
the dragons because they committed
some crimes in their eyes. In this case the
PCs could come from any race or culture
from Norwold, the Known World or
beyond, providing theyre not Heldannic
loyalists, and the dragons will put a geas
on them to assure theyll complete the
mission. Thyatian PCs could be affiliated
with the Knights of Air, RAF, or other
forces that are friendly with dragons.
These characters may be working as part
of a Thyatian mission to Wyrmsteeth, or
be spies deployed in Norwold. If they are
personally unknown to the dragons
however, they could still put the geas on
them.
1017: The Heldannic knights have to deal

with another internal rebellion and
Norwold has its share of problems with
Ostlander, Qeodharan pirates and undead.
1018: While the Norwold confederacy
establish more cordial relations with
Thyatis, the Heldannic territories are
engulfed in civil war. The Heldannic
knights of Wulf Von Klagendorf leave
Oceansend free in exchange for Thyatian
aid. The Heldannic knights effectively lose
control of northern Heldland. The faction
led by Heinrich Straenburger ultimately
wins and Wulf is slain on Sviftmont 6th.
The civil war however continues as Anna
von Hendriks still fights against
Straenburger.
If the PCs are Wyrmsteeth natives they

could belong to one of the several races
that populate the dragon kingdom. In this
case, each PC will have a Dragon lord, and
will bear his or her tattoo. The tattoo
bestows to the PC a special power, usually
related to the Dragon lord. A Red dragons
vassal could have for example resistance
to fire or create fire as a special power.
1019: The Heldannic civil wars goes on

with Anna Von Hendriks laying siege to
Freiburg on Kaldmont 11th. The Norwold
league is formed. Oceansend becomes a
Thyatian protectorate.
The most common races living in the

Wyrmsteeth kingdom are:
Wurkrest dwarves: Slightly taller and
sturdier than normal dwarves, they
pretend to be normal dwarves that
arrived from the south like the others, but
the truth is
See My s tara A l man ac 1 0 1 6 , th e pl oy al s o

in vol ved th e Drag on l ord armor an d weapon
wh ich orig in al l y appeared on th e Drag on l ord
tril og y .
189
Issue #7
they are whats left of the dwarves who

sided with the Dragon Realm from before
the Great Rain of Fire. Modern dwarves do
not remember their history anymore, so
other Norwold dwarves, like the
Stormhaven clan, have good relations with
them.
Wyrm gnomes: Their original story is
similar to the Wurkrest dwarves above, but
the gnome population has been integrated
several times in the centuries by refugees
from Glantri and the northern reaches too.
Dragonkin: These people were created by
dragons ages ago and have lived in the
Wyrmsteeth ever since. Their lifespan is up
to 300 years.
1
Saurials4: They are too ancient creatures

that live in the area since thousands of
years, some believe originally brought from
Davania by the dragons.
Ice Frogfolk5: Its a common rumor in the
Wyrmsteeth that they were brought from
Skothar at some point in the remote past.
They spend the winter and most of the
autumn in subterranean houses and cover
themselves heavily in clothes if they have to
face the cold outside.
Wyrm brutemen: Highly intelligent and
civilized, rumored to possess great mental
and magical powers, these brutemen
belonged to an ancient and lost civilization.
Lizardkin: Arctic lizardmen with white skin,

adapted to the cold climate and the mostly
subterranean
varkha3 populate
the
Wyrmsteeth since old times.
Humans: Several human cultures live in the

Wyrmsteeth. The more numerous are the
Wyrmsdanner, Antalians related to the
Heldanners that live in the area since
thousands of years. Then there are the
Vanatics, a culture similar to Traladarans
and Zuyevans, also living here since before
the Great Rain of Fire6. Then there are
Thyatians, mostly outcasts of relatives of
werecreatures, with no love lost for the
Empire. Also many Heldanner exiles came
here after the Knights of Vanya stole their
lands in the south. Other human cultures
have found a home in the Wyrmsteeth, like
Dragonborn: A dragonborn is the child of

a dragon and another race, usually a
humanoid one. They can be quite different
in aspect and live long lives, as long as the
elves. Traditionally a dragonborn receives a
special gift (a magical object) from his or
her dragon parent, grandfather or ancestor
(if still alive).
2
Pos s ib l e s tatis tics can b e foun d in Th e

Cpompl ete Mon s trous Man ual an d in th e
D&DW ik i. Th ey coul d al s o b e l in k ed to th e
Vey dran men tion ed in Th e Drag on l ord tril og y .
2 Th e 3 .5 e s tatis tics in D&Dwik i can b e us ed
for th em, or al tern ativel y th e 4 e A g e of W ar
s tatis tics can b e us ed.
3 F in d A D&D s tats for th em in th e Compl ete
Mon s trous Man ual
F in d A D&D s tats for th em in th e Compl ete

Mon s trous Man ual .
5
The Vaults of Pandius contain both

Andrew Theisen;s Frog-Folk stats and
Jamie Batys Frog-Folk stats.
6
Simon e N eris A Travel l er g uide to N orwol d

an d A g ath ok l es Sk aufs k og r articl e in th is
s ame is s ue provide more detail s on th es e
peopl e.
190
Issue #7
Norwolder Antalians, Alphatians and

Denagothians. All of them usually have no
residual allegiance with their former
homelands
Wyrm humanoids: All the common races
of humanoids have representatives in the
Wyrmsteeth. They are usually fanatically
loyal to their liege dragon.
Wyrm fairies: These fairy folk, mostly
sidhes and drakes, sided with the dragons
long ago. They have however peaceful
relations with the other, unaligned fairy folk
that live around the Wyrmsteeth area, like
centaurs, ents, actaeons and others.
Werecreatures: The Wyrmsteeth dragons
offered protection to werecreatures many
centuries ago, so many of them live in the
Realm. Usually they are not distinguishable
from normal humans, and many have
normal human relatives and live peacefully
among them.
Eldar: Mythical ancestors of the elves that
supposedly survive only in the Wyrmsteeth7.
Wyrm elves: Different group of elves have
joined the dragon realm over the centuries
and eventually formed a new and particular
clan under a green dragon ruler.
Wyrm giants: This special breed of giants
had a powerful kingdom in these mountains
in ages now lost. They are similar to stone
giants. A giant PC should have the
advantages of strength and size but the
7
A ccordin g to th e Drag on l ord tril og y . Coul d

b e s imil ar to D&D 4 th ed. El adrin .
disadvantage of encumbrance and weight in

the treacherous ice covered mountain trails.
Wyrm rakasta: Lynxman, snow pardasta
and mountain rakasta8 live in the area since
ancient times, and some have sworn
allegiance to the kingdom.
Wyrm lupins: The Heldann Shepherd,
Norwold Malamute, Gnomish Snoutzer,
Great Dogge and white Foxfolk lupin
breeds9 have lived in the area since
thousand of years.
Others: As the Dragon Realm is very ancient
and the dragons live long lives and are often
powerful wizards, nearly any Mystaran or
extraplanar race could have some
inhabitants in the area, if the DM wishes so.
PCs could also belong to unique orders of
the Wyrmsteeth, like the Order of the Holy
Blood Swords or the Defenders10, or the
Redhammers11.
Complications: Even if the Wyrmsteeth
population is normally loyal to the dragons,
the DM could allow one or more PCs to be
traitors or spies, working for the Heldannic
knights or another external power, and
ready to betray the rest of the group.
8
Ch eck H is tory an d evol ution of R ak as tas b y

Simon e N eri an d/ or Giampaol o A g os tas
articl e on th e H is tory of R ak as ta in is s ue #5 of
Th res h ol d mag az in e, pag e 6 4 .
9 Ch eck H is tory of th e Lupin s b y Giampaol o
A g os ta or Lupin B reeds b y A til a Pires dos
San tos or th e l atter articl e in is s ue #2 of
Th res h ol d mag az in e, pag e 5 9 .
1 0 More detail s can b e foun d in W y rms teeth
Gaz etteer part 2 .
1 1 More detail h ere in W y rms teeth Gaz etter
part 4 .
191
Issue #7
MAPS
Among the Wyrmsteeth population
there are tensions, as in any other
nation, mostly due to the perceived
superiority of one race over another
or over religious issue, as the Church
of Pearl in recent years has hindered
the religious freedom of other faiths12.
Vassals and scions of chaotic dragons
could also have unresolved issues and
grudges with vassals and scions of
neutral and lawful dragons.
12
A s ex pl ain ed in Giul io Carol ettis

work . I n th e Drag on l ord tril og y h owever
th e W y rms teeth are rath er rul ed b y g ol d
drag on pries ts of Th e Great On e. I m
as s umin g h ere th at n ow th e red drag on s
are domin atin g W y rms teeth pol itics , th us
recon cil in g th e two s ources , b ut oth er
DMs may prefer oth erwis e. I n Simon e
N eris articl e A Travel ers g uide to
N orwol d h ere in th is s ame is s ue of
Th res h ol d mag az in e, th e tak e is al s o
s l ig h tl y differen t from min e, as I as s ume
a much s tron g er an d org an iz ed real m.
Several maps of southern Norwold can be useful

to run the adventure. In particular, an 8mph
map is provided in "The Skaufskogr and Beyond"
in this same issue, whereas JTR (OldDawg)
designed a different version for the GazF series6.
Robin Dijkema's Composite Map of Norwold
provides a further elaboration on JTR's map, and
can be found on page 22 of Threshold Magazine
Issue 67.
A 24 mph map is attached to Simone Neri's
article, "A Traveller's Guide to Norwold", in this
same issue. I have also designed a map of Brun
at 24 mph which could be used instead8. Note
that depending on the specific map used, certain
encounters may be affected. Map-dependent
encounters will be indicated as such in the text.
It can be found in Beyond the Final Range:

The Ransarn-Vinisk Valley by JTR.
7
A n d is al s o avail ab l e at Th e Vaul ts of Pan dius

web s ite.
8
Available at The Vaults of Pandius website.
192
Issue #7
ACT ONE
TEMPLE OF PEARL
IN WINDREACH
The adventure begins in the great temple of
Pearl in Windreach, the majestic capital of
the Wyrmsteeth kingdom. PCs will be
summoned by none other than the Dragon
King himself. The King9, is imposing and
majestic, and PCs should be properly
humbled before him. Hell explain to them
that the Rod has been stolen and to retrieve
it is most urgent and vital. They have been
chosen as known and capable adventurers,
and also because they are not dragons. The
King in fact fears that a cunning spellcaster,
as one may be among the thieves, could be
able to use the Rod against approaching
dragons of any breed, and doesnt want to
risk such an occurrence. Indeed over time
the dragons have modified the Rod,
expanding its power. Now the object can
control dragons of any colour, albeit at a
shorter range. The King will not share this
information with the PCs, fearing they could
be tempted to keep the Rod for themselves,
or that spies could be among them (and a
traitor could be among them if the DM
would allow so). Until the Rod is retrieved,
no dragon would come near it, so the PCs
cannot have aerial support. Apparently, and
strangely enough, the Heldannic Knights do
not have it either, so they have escaped from
the hiding place of the Rod by dog sleds10.
9
I n Giul io Carol ettis work , th e K in g is a red

drag on , wh il e in B ruce H eard's H K work s , th e
Drag on K in g is th e g ol d drag on Eruptaar. I t was
al s o a g ol d in th e Drag on l ord tril og y . I n th e
My s tara A l man ac des cription of 1 0 1 7 -1 0 1 9 A C
th e W y rms teeth was a triarch ic k in g dom. Th e
DM may ch oos e th e rul er s h e or h e prefers .
1 0 A s s umin g its win ter or earl y s prin g . I n
What the King does not know is that the

Heldann have decided to avoid the use of a
warbird because they fear a dragon attack,
and they think that a land party has better
chances to hide and escape. The Heldann in
fact do not know yet how to use the Rod.
The King also doesnt know that other
parties are now pursuing the Rod. A
Denagothian spy in fact is active at the
highest level of the Wyrmsteeth government,
and now Vitriol will mobilize his agent in the
area to have the Rod. Dolores of Hillsbury
also has a well placed spy in Denagoth: she
has shared the information with Jaggar von
Drachenfels11, for her unknown purpose, and
now a Glantrian party is on the track of the
Rod too. Another spy was placed at the
highest levels of the Heldannic knights
hierarchy by some Alphatian wizards: they
want the Rod too and are sending yet
another party to retrieve it. Neither the PCs
nor the Heldannic agents will know about
these three other parties until they meet
them.
PCs are equipped as quickly as possible with
provisions, dog sleds, skis and snow rackets
and sent through a magic portal to the
Ransarn river valley, south of the official
Wyrmsteeth kingdom border, near to the
place where the Rod was secretly kept.
If the DM has decided to stage the adventure
during the most dramatic years of the
Heldannic invasion of Norwold, then the
area from the Ransarn Valley and below is
already a frontline, with Heldannic troops
an oth er s eas on , th e H el dan n ic th ieves an d th e
PCs wil l h ave to us e h ors es or oth er terres trial
moun ts .
1 1 Or J ag g ar, b ein g th e Mas ter of Dracol og y ,
coul d h ave ob tain ed th is in formation on h is
own .
193
Issue #7
probably ready to invade from the Gnomstal

and the Saffir pass. Therefore the thieves
could find allies rather quickly, if not
stopped in time.
dispatched. Jacob and his men tried to stop

the thieves, but they used a strange weapon
on them, gravely injuring and confusing
many of his party, and allowing the thieves to
escape12. Jacob will send four of his men with
the PCs. All of them are werecreatures (the
DM should choose the species) so they can
be of help in the pursuit.
Jacob also promises to follow and aid as soon
as some clerics arrive here to cure his
soldiers13. After that the PCs should begin the
pursuit!
Pursuit!
Ransarn Valley
As the PCs arrive in the snow covered valley,
they will immediately meet Jacob 'Raven'
Aloysius, First Legion Overlord and
Wereraven, with some soldiers. Jacob is hurt,
as are all his men, while others have been
killed by the thieves, who have escaped south
along the Ransarn river. Jacob will give the
PCs a first description of the thieves: a thin
and tattooed man, a grey-bearded man, a
lupin, a blond-haired female knight, two
young knights with brown beards, and one
bald and beardless knight. None of the
suspects wore Heldannic symbols but, as the
Heldann Territories are now at war with the
Wyrmsteeth kingdom, Heldannic knights are
the most likely candidates for the theft. Jacob
will also warn the PCs about the strength of
the thieves, as the Rod was kept in a
secluded and secret temple nearby, with
powerful guardians which have been easily
The DM may choose different ways to

calculate the relative speed of the two
parties. It should be assumed that the PCs
can soon spot signs of the thieves and slowly
gain on them. There are 400 miles from
Ransarn valley to Landfall and, even in spring
and summer without snow, the terrain is
hilly, irregular and devoid of good roads. As
per the BECMI Rules Cyclopedia (page 88),
PCs can cover only 16 miles a day, reaching
36 a day only by exhausting the dogs (or the
horses, or other mounts). The Heldann
however will be able to cover 80 miles in
just one day among the light forest of the
eastern Ransarn Valley, reaching the Ransarn
river. Theyll accomplish this with the
potions of speed and exhausting the dogs,
trusting in the possibility to change them
among Heldann troops at the ford. PCs could
match such speed only with magic or
12
Th is s h oul d b e des crib ed as an effect s imil ar

to th e cl erical s pel l H ol y W ord.
1 3 J acob is al ready reg en eratin g h is woun ds b ut
s ome of h is men are n ot an d h e wan ts to remain
with th e woun ded for n ow, h e wil l refus e to
ab an don th em an d wil l fol l ow th e PCs l ater.
194
Issue #7
The Heldannic party

Konrad (C13), the gray bearded man, is a
powerful cleric of Vanya and leader of the
group, the DM should adjust his level
depending on the PCs levels, but he
shouldnt be below 10. He has a Holy
Word globe with three charges left, a ring
of protection+2, a ring of protection from
fire and ice, several scrolls of protection
from evil 10, several potions of healing,
potions of invisibility, and a potion of
giants strength. Shan (T14 or see note),
the thin and tattooed man is a powerful,
bronze skinned assassin and sorcerer1
from Davania in service of the church. He
has rings of protection+2, fire and ice
resistance, a potion of levitation, a potion
of flying, and a wand of fireballs with 9
charges. The lupin, Roaroth, (F11) is an
experienced warrior of the Heldann
Shepherd breed. He has a sword+2, plate
mail+2, a potion of blending, boots of
speed, and a ring of spell turning with 4
charges left. The bald beardless knight, the
two young knights and the blond haired
female knight are all paladins of Vanya (P812). All are equipped with rings of
protection +1 and fire resistance, 1 potion
of flying each, 2 scrolls of create monsters
(15HD), and have weapons and armor +1.
The party also has several potions of speed
which they use up during their escape.
They will not be easy to defeat. They also
have a unique Massmorph ring that
disguises them as trees, as the spell. The
effect however is not as perfect as the
spell, and they can normally be spotted at
a short distance (less than 10 meters).
1
Or jus t a h ig h l evel my s tic or th ief with

powerful mag ical ob jects , if us in g un modified
B ECMI rul es .
airborne mounts, but spotting the Heldann

from the air will be impossible, as theyll be
magically concealed too.
Several factors could weigh on when the PCs
will be able to reach the Heldannic thieves,
mostly the results of optional encounters
listed below, duration of fights and natural
obstacles.
If the PCs are exhausting their mounts and
using magic as the Heldann do, the DM
could decide which group is gaining or
losing ground making checks on the average
constitution of each group (and their
mounts)14.
Optional encounter #1
Undead!
To give the PCs an even more dramatic
chase, the DM may choose to include in the
first day an encounter with undead, that
could come either from Koldunya (if you use
the Skaufskogr map) or from Drax Ruthiss (if
you use JTRs map), an abandoned Essurian15
city. The undead could be a random
encounter, or have been sent by the Church
of Idris, Hel (if the DM desires another
complication), or Nyx. In the first case the
undead could be allied to the Denagoth party
(see below). In the latter case they could
offer their help to the PCs, as Koldunya could
wish to help the dragons in exchange for aid
against the Church of Idris.
14
Some rul es ab out purs uits coul d b e foun d on

th e B ECMI R ul es Cy cl opedia on pag e 9 8 -9 9 , or
in th e D&D 3 ed SR D: Evas ion an d Purs uit at
th e D&D W ik i.
1 5 See Den ag oth for more ab out th e fal l en
k in g dom of Es s uria.
195
Issue #7
Vrodniki!
When the PCs reach the thicker woods near
the bank of the Ransarn they should be able
to see the Heldannic party not too much
ahead. But at this moment a new
complication will ensue: a large band (50 or
more) of red haired barbarians will come
from the forest, half of it pursuing the
Heldannic thieves, the other half stopping
the PCs.
These are Vantalian nomads, the Vrodniki.
Knyaz (duke) Korun of the Suva Voysko (the
owl host) will stop the PCs. Korun will
insist that the PCs join him, as he wants to
retrieve the artifact for the dragons, just like
them. The simple fact that he knows about
the theft should make PCs wary of him.
Indeed Korun was sent by Dominagon, a
powerful blue dragon who has recently
(secretly) decided to join the cause of Vitriol
and the Church of Idris. If Korun takes the
Rod he will later give it to Dominagon, wholl
probably go to Denagoth with it. Before the
PCs have to make a choice however another
host of about 20 warriors Vrodniki will
arrive. These are led by Knyaz Visok of the
Orao Voysko (Eagle host) and they are truly
sent by the Wyrmsteeth government.
Visok will accuse Korun of being a traitor16
(and rightly so), and the PCs will have to
decide which party they trust. Either way, the
two groups of nomads will start a fight that
will probably involve the PCs too. Jacob
'Raven' Aloysius could eventually arrive with
a host of Wyrmsteeth troops and stop the
fight. Hell scold both Knyaz for fighting
16
A s th e DM prefers , K orun coul d b e aware

an d part of Domin ag on 's treach ery , or s impl y a
dupe.
among themselves with the Heldann ready to

attack the valley. The Knyaz will grudgingly
stop their men and follow Jacob to the
Ransarn river, where the Wyrmsteeth army
and allies will stand against the invasion.
The Heldannic party escapes!

The Heldannic Knights should be able to
escape the Vrodniki and the PCs, cross the
Ransarn17 and flee into the Gnomsdal forest,
forcing the PCs to follow them there. If
necessary, or for added drama, Heldannic
troops may intercept the main force of the
pursuers at the ford of the Ransarn river,
forcing a battle with the Vrodniki and the
Wyrmsteeth army. The Gnomsdal goblins,
who are under the rule of Dominagon, will
fight against the Heldannic Knights in this
occasion, attacking them from behind.
However, the goblins will then pursue the
Heldannic thieves as they escape south into
17
Th e R an s arn wil l b e froz en durin g win ter,

an d th erefore eas il y cros s ed b y s l ed or h ors e. I n
oth er s eas on s , a b oat wil l b e n eeded to cros s
th e river. Th e H el dan n ic th ieves coul d h ave l eft
on e on th e s h ore for th is purpos e, b ut th e PCs
wil l h ave to fin d an oth er s ol ution .
196
Issue #7
the Gnomsdal forest. Jacob will explain that

they probably act under Dominagons orders,
and the Blue dragons loyalty to Wyrmsteeth
is very much in question. The Vrodniki and
the Wyrmsteeth army will not risk entering
the Gnomsdal, where they could be caught
between Heldann and hostile humanoids,
but Jacob will send two more of his soldiers
with the PCs (werecreatures as the four
before) and also Knyaz Visok will send five
expert warriors with the PCs if they wish to
have some more help.
Or maybe they dont?

PCs shouldnt be able to stop the Heldann
this early in the adventure, but if the PCs are
particularly good, the DM could allow them
to intercept them already. If this happens,
the Heldann will still have 3 charges of Holy
Word in a strange white sphere that the grey
bearded man keeps. If the PCs manage to do
it nevertheless, then the adventure can be
played in reverse, with several interesting
parties (Dominagons Vrodniki and goblins,
Denagothians, Alphatians, other Heldannic
soldiers) pursuing the PCs to steal the Rod
before they reach Wyrmsteeth borders. If
however the PCs do not reach the Heldannic
thieves or are unable to stop them at the
Ransarn ford, then proceed to:
ACT TWO
GNOMSDAL FOREST
AND GAP
In the Gnomsdal forest, the Heldann will be
able to cover only 16 miles a day, and
therefore it should take them 6 days to reach
the other Heldannic camp in the Gnomsal
gap, but theyll cover 32 miles in the last day,
anticipating the possibility of changing their
dogs (or horses) and so covering the distance
in only 5 days. If the PCs get too close, they
will send any encountered group of
Heldannic soldiers against them, as
explained in Encounter #5 below. The PCs
can probably maintain the same normal
speed on average, but the DM could roll a
constitution check to determine who is
gaining ground. If the PCs try to fly theyll be
attacked by warbirds18, and anyway they will
not be able to spot the Heldann from the air,
due to the Massmorph effect.
Even if there are legends of gnomes and fairy
creatures in this area, these woods are mostly
inhabited by goblins and hobgoblins who
arent very friendly with the Wyrmsteeth nor
with Oceansend and Norwold, but answer to
Dominagon. The Lirovkas Alps south of the
forest are also inhabited by clans of Mountain
rakasta and Mountain giants. Both have to
pay tribute to Dominagon to avoid
harassment by the dragon and his goblins,
but resent this and resent the Wyrmsteeth
government who does nothing to keep
Dominagon in check. They were trying to
establish an alliance with Oceansend and
Alpha, but now they have been cut off from
the rest of Norwold by the Heldann invasion.
Its hard to say now if theyll fight the
18
See h el dan n ic W arb irds at th e Vaul ts .
197
Issue #7
Heldann or will have a truce, or even an

alliance, with them. Jacob can provide the
PCs all the above info before they enter the
Gnomsdal.
that the Heldann defeated, and obtain help

and information from them.
Goblins fight back!
Hegkogur
This goblin village is the first community
encountered after the ford of the Ransarn
river19. If the Heldann invasion has reached
this far, the village is now occupied by a vast
number of Heldannic troops and the goblins
have retired to the mountains to harass
them. All the valley should then be a war
zone, where the PCs should tread carefully,
as they cannot defeat all the Heldannic army
alone, and neither the local goblins. It
should be immediately obvious then that
Hegkogur has to be avoided. Fortunately, the
Heldannic thieves, even if they stopped to
rest for some hours, have every intention to
go further south, and the PCs can follow them.
All encounters below can be played or

avoided as the DM prefers, or randomly
determined with a 10% chance of encounter
for each hex and the roll of 1d5 (1d10
halved) to choose which encounter of the 5
optional encounters listed below for this
area. Also the players could be able to avoid
an encounter through stealth. The DM could
also randomly determine if such encounters
happens also for the Heldannic thieves. If its
so, the Heldann could be hindered and
slowed and be reached by the PCs, or at least
the PCs could encounter survivors of a party
19
Sh own in R ob in s an d J TR s maps b ut n ot
in cl uded in A g ath ok l es Sk aufs k og r map.
Groups of many goblins and hobgoblins (at

least 1d10+5 HD 1-3 each or more,
depending on PCs levels), often with
experienced warriors (HD 3-7), chiefs (HD 59), wiccas or shamans (W or S 4-8), roam the
valley harassing Heldannic troops. They will
not be hostile to a Wyrmsteeth party, as their
lord Dominagon is nominally an ally of the
Dragon King, and theyll offer their help. If
their help is refused, theyll try to follow the
PCs as their ultimate purpose is to retrieve
the Rod and bring it to their master. The
Heldannic thieves too will run into at least
one group of such goblins, but will defeat
and scatter them. Survivors among the
goblins could point out the direction where
the thieves are going (south on the eastern
border of the valley).
People of the Mountains
Mountain rakasta of the Chogh Dene tribes
and some Mountain giants allied with them
are watching the Heldannic troops, fearing
they will eventually invade their mountains.
As written above, they distrust the
Wyrmsteeth kingdom that hasnt helped
them against Dominagon. Clever PCs could
be able to parley with them, promising help,
and obtain at least some assistance, shortcut
or direction to intercept the Heldannic party.
198
Issue #7
Such parties will normally be composed of 34 experienced rakasta warriors (F3-5), a thief
(T5 or AD&D ranger) and a shaman (S5-8) or
chief (F6-10) and 1-2 Mountain giants (HD
13-20). The Norwold party (see below) could
be able to obtain the Rakasta assistance, if the
PCs are able to ally with them.
Fair resistance
Fairy folk squads, mostly composed of
gremlins, pixies, pookas and satyrs are ready
to hinder the Heldann advance as soon as
they disturb the forest (such as cutting trees
to make large buildings20). Human druids
could also be among them, and treants. For
the moment probably fairy folk are just
keeping an eye on Heldann activities, but the
situation could escalate quickly. To protect
the forest, the fairies are ready to help the
goblins, with whom they have a long lasting
truce, but theyll also be open to an alliance
with Wyrmsteeth or Norwold, whatever party
guarantees more help in defending the
forest. If the Heldannic thieves encounter the
fairies however theyll be polite and
respectful with them, and the fairies will let
them pass.
Encounter #5
The Invasion
Heldann troops and some Mountain giant
mercenaries are quickly marching toward the
Ransarn river, and several groups are trying
20
Or may b e th e H el dan n ic Order wil l g et al on g

with th e fairies an d res pect th eir territory . Much
depen ds on h ow each DM wis h es to pl ay th e
Order in h is / h er campaig n .
to secure the forest, i.e. destroying any

residual goblin and monster presence.
Monster is for the Heldann quite a broad
category that includes almost all the nonhuman sentient races, except for some lupins
and the more human-like, such as elves,
halflings, dwarves, gnomes and giants. Such
Heldannic parties will be immediately hostile
to the PCs, easily recognizing them as
Wyrmsteeth spies, unless the PCs are almost
all humans and somehow disguised. If the
PCs try to pass as Norwolders or
Oceansenders, theyll be considered enemies
anyway. Even if they try to pass as Thyatian
agents theyll be questioned and, if they do
not fight back, taken prisoner. The Heldannic
thieves will send one such group against the
PCs as soon as they encounter one. These
groups of Heldann could be composed of
low level soldiers (F1-3) with a corporal or
sergeant (P4-5) or be more experienced
knights (P4-8) with 1-3 Mountain giants (1218 HD) and a lieutenant or captain (P9-12).
Norwolders
This party of adventurers have been sent by
King Ericall to spy the Heldann advance.
They know nothing of the Rod, but will try to
follow the Heldannic thieves nevertheless to
understand what theyre doing. If the
Heldann discover them, theyll try to kill
them or, failing that, theyll send another
Heldannic party as in encounter 5 against
them. If the PCs try to parley with them,
theyll be open to an alliance with the
Wyrmsteeth, as king Ericall by 1011 AC is
actively seeking a firm alliance with the
Dragon kingdom. The PCs are probably
199
Issue #7
aware of that too, and could therefore find

an agreement with the Norwold party. As the
latter one doesnt, in fact, know anything
about the Rod, theyll be happy to help just
to strengthen relations with a useful ally.
They also already have contacts with the
Chogh Dene Mountain rakasta, and could
guide the PCs to a shortcut in the southern
Lirovkas Alps that can bring them to the
Nordheim river avoiding the Heldann
surveillance of the Gnomsdal Gap.
Gnomsdal Gap
The Norwold party

The Norwold party is composed of one
female cleric, one male wizard, one male
elf, two male warriors, one female halfling
thief or rake. If appropriate for the DMs
campaign, they could be a group of
famous adventurers. They should be at
least around level 7 and have one magical
weapon +1, or magical armor, +1 or
magical ring +1 each, and also some
magical objects, as potions of healing,
speed, invulnerability, gaseous form,
defense, heroism, gauntlets of ogres
strength, and a wand of lightning.
The Gap will have a Heldann camp at the

centre and be heavily guarded by Heldann
troops. The Heldannic thieves will have an
ambush organized against the PCs by
Heldannic soldiers (at least 10 F or P4-8 and
a commander P7-11), to try to stop them.
Clever PCs could avoid the trap entirely if
they have obtained the help of the Norwold
party and the rakasta, and therefore are able
to take the shortcut mentioned above to
reach the Nordheim river. If not, PCs will
have to break through the Heldann block
with violence, to follow the thieves in the
Skarsholm.
200
Issue #7
ACT THREE
SKARSHOLM
This region takes its name from Skars, some
kind of ogress (or possibly even a hag) feared
by the few Heldanners and Heldann
Shepherds who lived here21. Orcs and
hobgoblins partially conquered this area,
harassing the local humans, Heldann
Shepherds and Foxfolk lupins. The arrival of
the Heldann has therefore been seen as
fortuitous by these latter populations, who
have established with the Heldannic army
various degrees of cooperation, alliance or
truce.
All the region could well be considered full
enemy territory, and the PCs should try to
move as stealthy as possible.
It will take for the Heldann party five days to
reach the road that crosses the Skaufskogr
hill.
As in Act II, all the encounters below can be
played or randomly determined, both for the
Heldannic thieves and the PCs, as the DM
prefers.
Pushed back to the Hettafjall Mountains by

the Heldannic invasion, theyre not inclined
to surrender yet. They are allies with the
Denagothian party below, that has promised
them aid from Vitriol and his black dragons
against the Heldann. Theyll not be
immediately hostile to the PCs if theyre able
to recognize them as Wyrmsteeth agents,
even proposing a momentary alliance against
the common Heldannic enemy. Their true
purpose however would be to drive the
Heldannic thieves and the PCs toward the
Denagothian party.
Lupins
Orcs
Numerous parties of orcs (HD 1-5) with
possibly some ogres (HD 4-9), fire giants
(HD 11) and mountain giants (HD 12-15) are
roaming the area, staging guerrilla warfare
against Heldannic troops and supplies.
21
A s des crib ed in Giampaol o A g os tas

Sk aufs k og r articl e in th is s ame is s ue.
Groups of Heldann shepherds with some

Foxfolk lupins (1d6+2 each HD 2-7) are
scouting the region to drive away orcs or,
failing that, pinpoint their position to return
with reinforces and the aid of Heldannic
troops. The lupins do not really trust
Heldann much, but they think an alliance
with them is the only option they have at the
moment. They could however be open to
switch to Wyrmsteeth and Norwold, if the
201
Issue #7
PCs can guarantee effective aid against the

orcs.
The Denagothian party
Theyll not stop the Heldann but will not

hinder the PCs either, and they could warn
them about the presence of orcs nearby.
There is also a 20% chance that they have
spied on the Denagothians and could warn
the PCs about them too.
The Dragonborn warrior should be at

least a F12, the female cleric a C10, the
others should be around level 10 too.
They could be famous (or infamous)
adventurers in their country and beyond.
They will have several magical objects,
beside weapons, armor and rings, such as
a wand of frost, scroll of conjure
elementals, potions of gaseous form,
speed, heroism, polymorph self, plant
control, dragon control, a rod of victory,
and a girdle of giant strength.
Denagothians
The Denagothian party is composed of a
Dragonborn warrior (son of Vitriol), a female
cleric of Idris, a human wizard, a human
warrior, a brute warrior, an orc warrior, an
ogre warrior, a goblin thief, and a thoul22.
Under the nominal leadership of the
Dragonborn, the party is in truth deeply
divided by Denagothian politics, with the
Dragonborn, the brute, the orc, ogre and the
thoul loyal to Vitriol, the female cleric and
the goblin to the Church of Idris, and the
human wizard and human warrior to the
Shadow Lord. Theyll present a unified front
however and it would be hard for the PCs to
play on their division, unless they already
have been in Denagoth and know the
situation of the country well. If the
Denagothians succeed in taking the Rod,
however, they could turn on one another
rather quickly once they have reached the
Gate of Henadin and thus are near to
Denagoth borders. When they encounter the
PCs for the first time theyll be friendly and
22
F or more detail s on Den ag oth races an d

pol itics , s ee th e Den ag oth l is tin g s at Th e
Vaul ts , an d ch eck Den iz en s of Den ag oth
Gaz eteer b y J TR .
offer their help, particularly if they have

already encountered the Heldann and been
defeated. Theyll claim to be loyal to
Denagoths dragons, here to establish good
relations with the Wyrmsteeth. If the PCs
accept their help, theyll turn on them as
soon as the Heldann are defeated and the
Rod is taken.

Alphatians
This human group of three wizards (one
female), one male cleric of Razud, three male
warriors and one female thief will present
itself as freedom fighters from Midway
Haven, now occupied by Heldannic soldiers.
Theyll recount dreadful stories about
Heldannic abuses on the colony and claim to
be here to search for allies among the lupins
and other local populations. The story is only
partially true. The three wizards, the cleric
and the thief, all clearly Alphatians23, claim to
23
I .e. a mal e wiz ard an d th e femal e wiz ard are
202
Issue #7
theyll assist until the Rod is retrieved, then

theyll turn on the PCs to take it for themselves.
The Alphatian party

The wizard and the thief, at least, could
be famous adventurers in the Empire, all
around level 11, while the three warriors,
around level 5-8, could be local
adventurers that have distinguished
themselves in the resistance against the
Heldann. The wizards and the thief will
have a lot of magical objects, mostly rings
of protections, at least a wand each, a
potion of flying each, a potion of gaseous
form each, a potion of healing each,
potions of human control, flying, speed,
growth, elemental form, and poison, and
scrolls of create monster, summon
elementals, spell catching, and seeing.
The warriors will probably have only
magical weapons and some potions of
cure serious wounds.
Theoretically at this point the PCs could have

goblins, Norwolders, orcs, Denagothians and
Alphatians with them, even if it would
require some amount of effort to have all
these different people get along. Should the
PCs retrieve the Rod whilst in the company
of all these groups, the goblins, orcs and
Denagothian will turn on them immediately,
while the Alphatians will remain momentarily
loyal, only to turn on them later. The
Norwolders however will not betray the PCs.
Any group obviously could take advantage of
the confusion to escape with the Rod or to
steal it during the night.
be colonists but really come from mainland

Alphatia, sent by other powerful wizards to
retrieve the Rod. They have been following
the thieves for days, but will claim that they
have only just spotted them and theyll offer
their help. The three warriors, one Cypric
Alphatian looking and the other two Antalian
looking, are really from Midway Haven but
will not expose the wizards as they are eager
to kill Heldannc knights for whatever reason,
and do not care about the PCs or the
Wyrmsteeth. Nevertheless, the younger
Antalian warrior could let something slip
about the Alphatians if the PCs talk to him a
bit. If the PCs accept the Alphatians help,
pure A l ph atian s with b l ack h air an d pal e s k in ,
wh il e th e oth er mal e wiz ard an d th e th ief are
Cy pric A l ph atian s with b rown h air an d b ron z e
s k in .
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Issue #7
ACT FOUR
SKAUFSKOGR HILLS
This region is mostly inhabited by lupins,
with some gnomes, elves and fairy folk
among them. Humans are rare and usually
are druids or rangers. The Heldann army has
to cross the hills going from Landfall to the
north, and the lupins, while at peace for the
moment, are quite worried.
The Heldannic party will cross the hills in
just two days, covering 32 miles on the
second day to reach Regjadur, where they
have fresh mounts waiting for them.
elves, Snoutzer lupins and human druids or

foresters could be present among the
Foxfolk. The lupins have a truce with the
Heldannic Order at the moment , i.e. they
have allowed the Heldannic army to pass
undisturbed. Theyd have preferred not to let
them pass, but the clans rightfully considered
that they could not resist alone, yet they are
very worried that the Heldann will be here to
stay, and will slowly begin to colonize and
cut their forest.
For this reason, theyre carefully searching
for allies among the nearby elves, gnomes,
Heldann Sheperd lupins, antalian freedom
fighters and even giants, orcs, bugbears and
gnolls.
Any Foxfolk group will not stop the
Heldannic thieves, but theyll be willing to
parley with the PCs and interested in
establishing stable relations with Wyrmsteeth
and Norwold, so theyll point out the
direction the Heldannic thieves have taken
and maybe even guide the PCs to avoid the
Heldannic troops.
Encounter #12
More Heldannic soldiers
Encounter #11
Foxfolks
More than one group of Foxfolk lupins can
be encountered in the hills, so that the PCs
should meet at least one. Each group will
have at least a Foxfolk druid (D5-10), with
possibly a shaman (S3-9) too and the rest will
be composed by warriors and rangers (F2-8)
(or foresters in BECMI rules). Forest gnomes,
It seems almost the entire Heldann army is

going north from Landfall, passing among
these hills. If the PCs havent reached the
Heldannic thieves yet, theyll do their best to
use the army as a shield between them and
the PCs. If the PCs reach the Heldannic
thieves in this area, theyll try to call nearby
troops to their aid, and there is a 50% chance
each round that 1d10+5 Heldannic soldiers
(One F7 and the others F2-4) will come in
aid.
204
Issue #7
Encounter #13
Regjadur
The Glantrian party
This town just south of the Skaufskogr hills is

normally inhabited by local Antalian humans,
but is now full of Heldannic troops and
carriages on the route from Landfall to the
north. The Heldannic thieves will stop briefly
at the town, just to change dogs (or horses)
and if they are aware they have been
followed (and they probably are, at this
point) they will send two groups of soldiers
(as above) after the PCs. There is a good road
to Landfall, so the Heldannic party will be
able to cover the 48 miles in just five hours.
They are a group of adventurers famous

in Glantri and beyond, notoriously often
working for Dolores and Jaggar. They
should be around level 9 and will have
plenty of magical objects too, such as
boots of speed, a potion of diminution, a
mirror of life trapping, a ring of truth, a
ring of quickness, and potions of healing,
clairaudience, clairvoyance, elemental
form, giant strength, polymorph self,
antidote, and dragon control.
If, despite this last encounter, the Heldannic

thieves are still ahead, they will reach
Landfall.
Encounter #14
Glantrians
The Glantrian party will be encountered just
south of Regjadur. Theyll try to stop the
Heldann, attacking them with certainty and
determination. The party is composed of
four wizards (two female), one thief and four
warriors (one female). Theyll be friendly
with the PCs, claiming to be representatives
of Western dragons, and willing to help. If
the Heldannic thieves have already been
defeated before, this group will follow the
PCs to take the Rod, but theyll always try to
befriend the PCs beforehand, and then theyll
try to steal the Rod during a rest or during
the night. They could also form a temporary
alliance with the Denagothians, if they get
the chance, but will eventually betray them.
They will fight the Alphatians on sight
however, and the Alphatians will do the same
with them.
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Issue #7
ACT FIVE
LANDFALL
ship in case the thieves manage to leave

Landfall.
RETURN AND ENDING

The city is occupied by a large contingent of
Heldannic troops, with Warbirds and ships in
the harbour. PCs could hope to enter it only
in disguise, and non-human PCs could have
serious difficulties, as normally only demihumans (elves, dwarves, gnomes and
halflings) and sometimes lupins, giants and
rakasta are accepted into the city, and
thoroughly questioned beforehand.
The Heldannic thieves will spend a night in
the city, at the Welcome Inn and Tavern on
Shayler Street24, heavily guarded as its now
the favorite place for Heldannic officers. The
next day theyll board the ship Glory of
Vanya II to Freiburg, and will reach the
Heldannic capital at the end of the fourth
day of sailing.
If the PCs have not yet retrieved the Rod then
stealing it from the tavern (a very difficult
task) or hiding in the ships hold could be
the last chance they have. One of the other
interested groups, mentioned before, could
have the same idea, if theyre not with the
PCs.
The Alphatian group has also hired the
services of an Ostland pirate, with whom
theyll try to board the Heldannic ship to take
the Rod. Obviously, theyll not share this
information with the PCs, unless forced to.
Resourceful PCs could try to obtain another
If the PCs fail, the adventure could still

continue with a desperate strike on Freiburg
before the Heldann can manage to use the
Rod. The Alphatians, the Glantrians and the
Denagothians could try the same thing too,
but they will not try it on Windreach, fearing
the wrath of the dragons. If another party
takes the Rod, that will mean a disaster for
the Wyrmsteeth.
If the PCs take the Rod any surviving
interested party will still try to take it from
them until they reach the safety of
Wyrmsteeth lands. Once the Dragon
Kingdom has the Rod again, theyll make
sure it will be impossible to steal again, but
surviving enemies could return in the future
in some other adventure. The adventure
could have follow-ups in aiding friendly
parties against the Heldannic knights, like
the Norwolders and the Lupins, and in the
continuing war for Oceansend and the north.
Also if Dominagons treachery has been
proved, the King will probably exile him to
Denagoth or beyond. The Dragon King will
also reward PCs handsomely, with
appropriate honours and riches, and their
status and fame in Wyrmsteeth society will be
greatly improved. Theyll certainly become
indeed the most famous adventurers of the
Kingdom.
24
F or more detail s on Lan dfal l , ch eck Th e

Streets of Lan dfal l Gaz eteer b y J TR . N ote
h owever th at th e Gaz eteer is s et b efore th e
H el dan n ic occupation .
206
Issue #7
The Grouzhina Flood
by Robin D
Grouzhina was originally created by Christian
Constantin in these articles available at the
Vaults of Pandius, and depicted in this map
(also available at the Vaults).
8 Yarthmont 1004 AC
Within the Kingdom of Grouzhina, several
miles East of Djuhra, near the Azhdakan
standing stones. Late Spring. It was dark that
night. The storm clouds blocked out the stars
again, yet no rain did fall for three days.
The Wildwood druid Glashbar frowned deep

within his beard, being sure not to awaken
the gerbil babies hiding within it. He took a
sip of Dalarquian Brandy, glanced up again,
and frowned even stronger. It is that I know
this be no magic cast from a fallen cleric
from Hule, or a decrepit adventurer from
the East. Not even a foul sorcerer from over
the Silver Sierras, nor a demonic Lich from
the Kingdom of the Dead in the North. No.
None of these had been seen in the region for
over three years now. Not that there was no
magic. No. Adventurers enough; Fighters
and Clergy from Kyurdukstan, Thieves from
Grouzhina, and even Dragonhunters from
the Wildwoods. Some Orcish Shaman from
Hule, perhaps, but neither of them no,
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Issue #7
The Grouzhina Flood
neither of them would be able to lock the

weather down in this region, without
making it rain. No. Nobody would be able,
or so stupid. The source must be natural.
But where?
The Mother gerbil arose Glashbar from his
pondering. The creature looked deep into
his eyes, as if a question had been asked. No
sadness, fear or anger was in its tiny beadlike eyes, but there was no happiness either.
Then it rapidly scuttled between the strands
of beard, climbing up to its litter, a squall
briefly arose, as the pups fought for their
nipple to suckle upon, then fell silent again.
Glashbar, felt the warm fur of the critters on
his chest, now and then the tiny claws
scratching his bare skin. He looked again at
the dark foreboding clouds. The storms
center was near, somewhere above the
village Illishian.
Tomorrow, yeah,
tomorrow Ill be there and find the
source.. yeah, tomorrow, it must be
tomorrow!
9 Yarthmont 1004 AC
Marla looked up from her stand. Between
the chalked spires of Kouriani, the dark
green clouds in the South seemed as solid as
a rock, which became brighter for a moment
with each lightning burst crawling inside.
No sorcerer had been seen in Grouzhina
the last year, or several miles around, yet it
felt as if,
here her thoughts stopped, frozen. For less
than a mere blink of an eye, within the fluid
moment between two seconds she felt as
being adrift. The world around her seemed
to change. She saw fish and trees flying
through the air, sand and stone above and air
below. Softly a voice spoke; Prepare to

leave, meet me at the Crystals of Merat. You
have two days.!!
Then all was as if nothing had happened, the
people around here were still selling their
wares as usual. The pigeons she used to send
messages were feeding upon the corn seeds.
The storm still raged on. Weird, isnt it? A
voice broke her reassining reasoning.
Huh? Ehmm Yeah. Yes . Weird. They
say in Illishian that it started three days ago.
Three days, and still no drop of rain. It must
be dem wizards beyond da desert plateau to
da east.
Worried she looked upon the merchant, a
local from Isiliath selling magic sand to
merchants travelling far away. She knew the
sand was used for magical creations, like
sandhours which always revealed the true
time, or sleeping sand for the sleep spell
research, or even the creation of Sand Golems.
His eyes dark and covered in dirtied
wrinkles, yet friendly. His mouth, dirty and
almost without any teeth. The wooden
208
Issue #7
The Grouzhina Flood
mouthpiece as replacements hung on a rope

beneath his chin. The dirtied clothing
revealed clearly his Sindian origin, one of the
few still roaming around here.
Yes, still no rain!...? she answered, voiced
more like a question than an affirmation.
Nahh, no even a drop
But, Hey... cannai send a message to
Illishian? I wanna know if me brats
continue digging up enough sand. I just
gotta new order. 15 bags o sand. Fifteen!!.
Thata bring me at least a 1000 gold. A 1000.
Yove eva seen a 1000 gold? Im becoming
rich ya know, and then I
Slowly Marla looked back at the clouds, and
tried to mix it with her vision. Nothing came
out.
He Ya I canna write, ya know. Grab da
feather anna start writing kid, ya wanna
earn ya money arent ya?
Ehh..Yes, sir. What is your message.30
words is the limit, since my pigeons arent
weightlifters, for only 3 silver..
10 Yarthmont 1004 AC
The Storm raged above Isiliath. Yet no drop
had fallen. Four days now. No strange magic,
no hard wind, no humanoids or dragons.
Nothing at all. Only the complete covering of
the sky. Blocking almost all daylight that
passed over the valley walls. Logan saw the
people, foreign as he was between them,
foreign they were to him. Most of them were
hauling crystals and crystallike sand in sacks
and carts. Yes, he was a foreigner. Far away
he came. His clergy ordained him to go to a
sorcerer who could teleport him here. In

Glantri he found one. 500 gold pieces. 500!!
Expensive. Why did the clergy want to spend
such an amount just to send him. He
unsurely looked around. His new warhorse
reined, and saddled, the merchant checking
another 80 gold pieces. Logan pondered;
Horses were rare here. Apparently. Some
other creature was more common. Some
kinda big bird. He saw many nests lining
the rocks, but the birds were gone. None
remained. The population was frightened,
yet hungry for more magical sand.
Thank You Sir said the merchant as he gave
the money.
Do you know a place of crystal known as
Merat? he asked.
Yeah.. ocourse. Go North. Along da river
and ya see it clearly. Its druid territory
though. I dunna think they wanna have
metal-bearers there. On da horse ya can
reach it in a day o two. Hope I Helped
ya. With a greedy outstretched palm,
eagerly for a coin extra, he looked beggingly
into the face of the Paladin.
Logan frowned; Of course, here best man,
may the Immortals be with you, and placed
a silver piece in the dirty hand. As he arose
the horse, the merchant mumbled something
under his breath, something unfriendly.
Greed in any form, is never good, but
always wrong, Mister. Yeah, yeah, ya
surely wanna never get another rich, mister
goodytissue.. further he could not, nor
wanted to, hear the words the man said. The
horse itself suddenly walked forwards. And
outside the village limits, it started to run.
Northwardsalong the river.
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Issue #7
The Grouzhina Flood
In the cave of the Malet Mountain, north of

Djuhkra, Vertigeribiil Darastrix suddenly had
a strange feeling. He was being summoned,
with his hoard. A sort of druidic summon, yet
he never was requested to do such a thing
with his hoard. Yet Glashbar had always kept
his promise. Never he sent hunters, thieves,
or other kin to slay him. He even awarded
the dragon when he helped. Vertigeribiil
Darastrix cast a few spells and his treasure
disappeared in a huge sack. Then he lifted it
and spread his wings. He looked over the
valley. In front of him he saw the river Merat.
And even the sparkles of the Crystal Vale
near it. The faint light from the north broke
through the dark-green and purple clouds.
Not even Vertigeribiil Darastrix did like this.
He felt the magic tingling in the air.
Something was amiss, so much for sure. His
wide wings spread, he took a step over the
edge, and jumped into the sky. A small circle,
as he looked back upon his lair. His home.
He had a feeling it would be his last moment
with it. Then he turned East. The 30 miles
were done in a few hours, and at nightfall he
landed near the Crystal Vale. He liked the
magic coming from it. It charged through his
muscles, giving him strength and healing. Of
course as a dragon he had more affinity with
nature than most species, yet it was always
weird to see how he could accept its powers
already at a distance, while humans and such
had to wear a Crystal shard.
Nobody here, he thought as he looked
around. I wait. The sack placed in the Vale,
for he knew humans would not dare to enter
a Crystal Vale. Then he stepped just outside.
Folded his mighty wings and tail. And sagged
down. Slowly he fell asleep.
11 Yartmont 1004,
Early morning
Marla had traveled by moose now. Horses
were way too expensive, and since moose
tended to function better in woodlands, this
tamed version would suffice. Or at least it has
too. With a bottom like a rock and pains in
her lower back she travelled day and night. It
was weird, as the moose was neither hungry
or thirsty, and did not get tired. As if
something important was to happen and the
beast knew it. Marla wished she had brought
her pillow, as the back of a moose was not
built to ride upon.
Then the first crystals could be seen. Single
elongated elliptical strands growing like
flowers from the ground. The Crystal Vale
was near. Very near. And then the glow of the
main source could be seen through the
crystalline trees. She halted the moose. But
as soon she grabbed her equipment, (the
tent from her grandfather, the dagger from
her sister, and the pouch with food from her
mother) the creature staggered back and ran
away, back into the north. The strings of the
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Issue #7
The Grouzhina Flood
bedroll securely strapped, the equipment fell

to the ground. Marla kneeled, and while
doing this, she sensed a strange smell. A
scent of chlorine, somewhat acidic, yet not
chemical, but still a strong natural smell.
Something she had never smelled before.
Logan tried to slow his horse down, but all
attempts were fruitless. The beast ran
forward like as if in a panic. As soon as it had
left the village Isiliath, it took up several
notches of speed. Only his experience held
him in the saddle. He saw the small village
disappearing from sight. In the darkness
against the rockwalls it was soon no more to
be seen. The forest itself was strangely easy
to pass, as if it helped. There were no
branches, no bushes in the way that seemed
to hinder the horse. And where they were, it
jumped over it. Then he noticed something.
He didnt spot it directly, but during the day,
he found out what was different; it was
silent, really silent. No birds singing, or other
beasts making sound, not even insects. He
did notice animals, but all were in some kind
of haste, though a clear chosen direction
could not be seen. The whole day and night
passed on this way. It was the morning sun
piercing over the mountains from the
Northeast that broke his dreary eyes. He was
completely awake instantly. Looking around,
the horse was still running. Panting it
suddenly fell. Logan tumbled over the horse.
The ground and his armor met with a loud
crash. Dizzy from the impact Logan arose,
directly turning his eye towards the horse.
With a last gasp of breath the creature looked
frightened back into his soul. What the
beast is dead? How? The horse had not
broken any legs, but was soaked in sweat,
and spilled foam from its mouth. Its body
was still feverishly hot. A Heart attack. Purely
from exhaustion. Logan hoped he was near

his intended destination, and grabbed his
equipment. With a stroke of his hand he
closed the horses eyes. Rest well, beast,
Rest well. The animal served him only once,
but he felt as if they were long friends, one
able to give life to save the other. In the
north he saw some smoke rising from above
the trees. Where theres smoke theres fire,
there is intelligent life. About a mile or so, he
estimated. It was in the main direction, so
why not.
Glashbar had ignited a fire, a secure spot,
only rocks and no wood within 50 yards or
so. He disliked it still, but knew it had to be
important. It was as if nature itself told him
what to do. He sat down. Ate some berries,
gave some to the gerbils, but they didnt
want to leave his safe and warm beard. He
drank some brandy, but it didnt taste as well
as he remembered. The cloud was darker
than before, he noticed that the rain had
started above Isiliath. At last. And yet
still he was bothered, something was still
amiss.
Lake Ishi
The mountain Fisher Amras was just south of
the great lake. He had said farewell to his
family, but couldnt understand why. His
thoughts were at first that the dangerous
climb to the lake could be his downfall, but
when he canoed over the lake he was sure it
was something else. Thousands of fish, were
jumping up from the water. A sight he had
never seen, carps as large as a horse were
jumping like a goldfish in hot water. Within
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Issue #7
The Grouzhina Flood
was somehow important to be here, remain

here. He noticed the rain falling. That must
be the beginning of, here he stopped, not
knowing what to think or to say. Then a
young human female came from around the
Crystal Vale. And behind her something else,
something big, very big.
the ruckus he succeeded to reach the

southern shore. Then the lightning bolts
struck the mountain. The purple sky was lit
for several moments as the several bolts hit
the northern side of the lake.
That musta be it... he mumbled ...they
musta sensed the weather. No moment for
me to return home. Thats a thing o sure.
He unpacked his canoe and set up his tent.
Then the rain fell. It was as if the heavens
opened and released a downpour. Within an
hour Amras noticed the water level had risen
a full yard. Thadda not normal. Id betta
hike up da mountain and find a dry cave or
somethin. Or Ill be needinn to learn ta
swim. And so he did. After strolling for a
hour up the mountains he found a cave a
hundred yards or so above the water level,
here he was at least dry and safe.
Vertigeribiil Darastrix suddenly awoke. He
heard something and his keen senses told
him his food had come. His favorite dinner;
Moose. But as soon as he arose, and
stretched his sleepy wings the scent was
gone. A Pity, such a fine dinner. Normally
he would have flown after it, but he knew it
Rumbark Questinor had been the local

protector of the region. All his life, but he
knew that was to change. The humans had
depleted the magic point south of Isiliath too
much. The balance was disturbed. The magic
spread, drawing upon the energies of the sky
in a balance to the powers of time it had in
itself. It sought for water, for time, but the
humans had diverted the river so it didnt
reach the crystal sands of the magical area.
Then they also stole away great amounts of
the crystal sands for acquiring yellow metal.
Pah. He had called a mighty summoning
spell to ensure the seeds of the forest would
be saved Two humans were called. One
druid and a maiden. Vertigeribiil Darastrix
was also called, and he succeeded to request
help from Ordana. She explained a hero
would be there too. Most of the animals he
urged to flee, away from the area, yet many,
so he knew, would not be able too.
He saw the girl, when she climbed down
from the moose, and as fast as a Treant could
walk he followed her to the Dragon. The wait
was only for the druid and the Hero.
Vertigeribiil Darastrix knew Rumbark and
settled down. Though they were not friends,
they had great respect for each-others Might.
The woman, however, was something
completely different. He knew her as the
Thief-merchant who sent sold messages by
pigeon, but often sold the messages to those
she saw profitable. He knew as he had
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Issue #7
The Grouzhina Flood
noticed her often in Kouriani in a human

shape. Why was she the maiden summoned?
Why? Rumbark noticed Vertigeribiil Darastrix
settling down, and cast a Calm spell on the
girl, just before she saw the dragon.
Logan noticed the rains too. A complete
downpour came down, dowsing the fire he
just saw. In the darkness of the rain he
stumbled further, when a greenish light
almost beckoned him further. A Druidic
Continual Light he thought, and removed his
helmet. And indeed he noticed a human
figure where the fire just was. A hunchbacked
bearded fellow who probably had never seen
the good use of a razor and a piece of soap.
Typically a druid.
Glashbar noticed the paladin long before he
was noticed himself. And cast a spell to
ensure they would come together. The rain
was so heavy, without light, you could pass a
house in 10 yards without noticing it, let
alone meeting one another. "Hello there.
Come. I made cover". He called, and directed
Logan to a makeshift roof of branches and
leaves. Before the man in armor could
respond he cast yet another spell
transforming Logan into a squirrel. That
would surely hasten our travel. He grasped
the animal and shape-shifted into a deer. A
bearded deer, but a deer nonetheless.
Rapidly he ran forward, and in the middle of
the night the magical lights of the Crystal
Vale became recognizable. He was baffled
when he saw the Treant Druid being there
together with the green Dragon Vertigeribiil
Darastrix and some unknown human girl.
When he halted, and returned to his self
again, he also transformed Logan back to his
human shape. Sorry for that fella, but when

Rumbark calls its important.
Rumbark acquainted the party and explained
to them how they could help. Rumbark was
slow and could not really help himself, but
he gave them a huge sack of seeds and
seedlings of rare and unknown plants. Go
North. Just west of the hills of the Wild Ogres
and south of the Wildwood. Find a good
hidden glade and plant the seeds, when
fully grown plant them here anew"
They went north as rapidly as they could,
using all their skills combined to reach the
specific destination Rumbark had given to
save these precious plants. He said farewell,
and then they suddenly knew. He was not
surviving this, whatever was going to
happen. With all the speed they had they
moved north. Hindered here and there only
by humanoids too stupid for knowing what
they should not do.
12 Yarthmonth 1004 AC.

about 12:00
It was Amras who first noticed a change. It
was a faint rumble within the mountain. The
water had risen 15 yards in total, and only
now the rain was somewhat lessening.
The people of Isiliath awoke in their richly
decorated houses. A minor shock awoke
them all. They remembered the words of a
Treant a week ago to leave, but almost
torched the thing for daring them to leave
their wealth. Was there something in what he
had said? But before they could act upon
these new fears, a great explosion broke
down the mountain. Millions of cubic feet
213
Issue #7
The Grouzhina Flood
broke through the mountain destroying

everything in its wake. The first were the
inhabitants of Isiliath and their precious
ownings. The wave slammed into the Malet
mountain, destroying all that was the lair of
Vertigeribiil Darastrix. The water rushed
onwards, filling the complete valley.
When the night fell, the water calmed down

a bit and slowly fell back into its riverbed, the
river had created over centuries winding side
by side. The high water lost most of its
destructive force north of Slashina in
Grouzhina, but the sudden high wave of
water was noticed far away in Gallanor and
even the Kingdom of the Dead. The dead it
brought with it were found all along this tract
of river.
The strange party succeeded in their quest.
Logan saw and spoke while the others were
just awed;
Greed in any form, is never good, but
always wrong.
They caused their own downfall by their own
greed. Nature cant be plundered without
repercussion. These are the words of
Ordana. Great Mother of the Forest. Pleased
shed be for saving us.
Rushing over the Crystal Vale only a single

turn after breaking through the wall of the
mountain. Engulfing the valley with several
yards of torrentuous water, destroying all in
its wake. Trees flushed away as if not being
there. Amras saw the lake literally
disappearing. The water slowed down near
Meratnishi, but left no stone unturned, no
building intact. Within a moment the second
village of the valley was completely destroyed
with almost all of its inhabitants. The
onrushing water fell back upon the side hills
of the valley, and flooded Kouriani. Even
here hundreds died in the massive wave of
water, mud, muck, trees, dead creatures and
evermore. Rumbark reverted back to a dead
stump of wood, was one of them.
The Druid and the party returned to the area,

and helped spawn a new forest with the use
of special magic granted by the Immortal.
The body of Rumbark was discovered and
returned to the ground. Within 8 months the
first trees sprouted up, and the Crystal Vales,
hit by the wave broke through the mud,
showing of their new splendor. The Young
Gerbils left the beard of Glashbar. Soon
other animals would accompany them,
chased by the dragon's awe into the valley.
A weird Party. Indeed.

A Good Cause to come together. Indeed
214
Issue #7
The Grouzhina Flood
Note;
mister goodytissue..
This is a local Grouzhina slang derived from
a small sentence Goody two-shoes, Local
meaning; A dandy rich individual, (hence the
tissues), presenting him/herself as overly
virtuous, and morally superior, at least in the
eyes of the user of this sentence.
Further see the Urban Dictionary definition.
215
Issue #7
Dark secrets of Ieronyx
by Francesco Defferrari (Sturm)
Beloved prince of the Lady of the Night, Lord

Keiros, ruled over Ieronyx, the sacred city he
had reclaimed for the Promise to be
fulfilled, because Ieronyx had another name
in the Powerful Age. It was the city of
Kosmoteiros, where the Lady herself had
inscribed The Signs. It was the treasure chest
of the most sacred gift the Lady ever made
for us, the Starlake. When well finally be
strong enough to defeat the Evil which now
defiles the sacred city, an ancient prophecy
says Lord Keiros will return from a long
slumber, to rebuild Ieronyx once again.
Because He who hopes in the Darkness of
The Lady will not forever die.
The army of the Light banished the Darkness

in the name of Pflarr and Ra, blessed be
their names, and the city of the undead was
buried, its passages closed, its abominations
destroyed, so that the dead could rest, and
the Sun could shine.
From Chronicles of Hutaaka, compiled
around 1300 BC
From The Legend of the Darkness, sacred

text of the Church of Nyx, compiled at
unknown date.
216
Issue #7
A powerful chief Hyvrok was a red orc, as

big as an ogre he was, and he defeated the
dogmen -no pup the dogmen werent
common gnolls, they were powerful, magical
beasts - and Hyvrok slew the humans who
served them, and he bathed in their blood
and ate their hearts and on their city he
built the greatest orcish city that ever was,
and he named it Rak. And from there the
red orcs ruled over a hundred miles, and
everyone bowed to us. Yes pup, the giants
too.
The red orc Hyvrok of the Rotting Snakes
clan, Western Karameikos, telling a bedtime
story to his sons to explain the origin of his
own name.
SECRETS OF KOSKATEP,
LEVEL 5
This level can be reached going down from
room 21 or 31 of Level 4 (Karrast, dwarven
gold, published in Issue 6 of Threshold
magazine). The PCs will find themselves in
Level 5, Ieronyx, a city inhabited by
followers of Nyx that later became part of the
hutaakan city of Ranekek and the red orc
city of Rak.
The text below repeats the original

description of this level in issue 1 of
Threshold Magazine (Mirror of Eternal Night
article). Read on to discover more on this
level of Koskatep!
Level FIVE, ORCS AND NOSFERATU

And as the orcs were an unending nuisance
on the eastern border of the Glittering
Realm, Loktal sent Wyrlum to destroy them.
And because he ended them quickly and
with few losses, Loktal granted him the city
of the orcs, and he renamed it Karrast, and
proceeded in cleaning it from orc filth and
built statues and houses. And he found an
ancient city below, once the home of
unknown people. Wyrlum however sealed it,
and ordered not to ever open the lower
levels again, because ancient evils dwelt in
the hungry darkness.
From Annals of the Glittering Realm,
compiled around 920 BC
This level was a short living orc city around

1000 BC. Whats left of it now are some
scratches and signs crudely drawn on the
walls. Before that, it was part of the hutaakan
settlement, mostly cellars, and before that it
was a city built by followers of Nyx and
nosferatu. A small host of undead orcs infest
the level.
The secret: Under an altar in this level there
is a sleeping nosferatu, Lord Keiros, more
than 2500 years old. When the hutaakans
seized the place he was wounded and forced
to hide. He will not automatically be hostile
and knows much about this level and the
217
Issue #7
others below, yet he is aligned with Nyx and

wants the place for his goddess. Lord Keiros
is very powerful and could be the only one
strong enough to confront the ancient evil
hidden in level 10 (see below)
Thanatos attack several times but are

defeated.
Relevant history (expanded

from issue 1 of Threshold)1
1412 BC: After the time of the Nosferatu

Kings ended with the Traldar crusades
against the undead, hutaakans took the city
from the powerful nosferatu Lord Keiros,
exterminating his followers, and renaming
the city Ranekek (Light over the Darkness).
hutaakans and Traldar settle the city, which
over four centuries establishes peaceful
relations with nearby giants and fairies.
Trade relations are established with the
newly-arrived Hin of Faerdinel2, as well as
the Nithian empire. The hutaakans build over
Ieronyx, using the original city of Lord Keiros
as storage and treasury, and are unable to
locate his hiding place.
1777 BC: To prevent Kosmoteiros from

falling into the hands of Thanatos, the priests
of Nyx destroy the city with a terrible
earthquake. Thousands die and the place is
abandoned for many years as seismic activity
increases in the area.
1257 BC: Wogars red orcs conquer and

enslave the people of the Atruaghin Clans, as
well as several cities in the area of modern
Darokin. Their raids also endanger Hin and
hutaakan lands, and some orcs occupy the
Western Cruth mountains and hills.
1664 BC: After the destruction of Taymora,

fairies of the Unseelie court take possession
of the place and try to use the Starlake, but
do not know of the hidden temple of Ixion
below.
1147 BC Alik Rokov of Corescon, a nosferatu

follower of Nyx, leads a rebellion against the
hutaakans and lays siege to Pflarkhepet
(Achelos) and Ranenek, but is eventually
defeated.
1597 BC: Lord Keiros, a Tal nosferatu and

follower of Nyx, conquers Koskatep from the
dark fairies. Keiros rebuild the city as Ieronyx
(sacred to Nyx). Vampiric followers of
1095 BC Hutaakans and Traldars establish

peaceful relations with the men of Minroth
who have colonised the southern islands.
Two Darker priests of Nyx, Lord Kivid and

Lady Ilena - husband and wife from
Specularum - will free Keiros if PCs do not do
it before, and will later inhabit this level with
him and five apprentices, two male and three
female
Several detail s of th is h is tory come from my

H is tory of Tral adara. Oth er h is tories may differ,
as th e on e pres en ted in is s ue 1 of Th res h ol d
mag az in e did (H is tory of K arameik os b y Simon e
N eri, pag e 3 7 ), b ut th is timel in e coul d eas il y fit
in to th em too.
1021 BC: The red orcs sack and conquer

Ranekek, renaming it Rak. Several hutaakan
priests survive by hiding in the lower levels.
They eventually become additional guardians
2
Modern F ive Sh ires , s ee Gaz 0 8 Th e F ive

Sh ires b y Ed Green wood.
218
Issue #7
of the hidden temple of Ixion (Level 13). The

orcs make the former storage and treasury of
the temple of Pflarr their main city.
1018 BC: An attempt by the hutaakans to
reconquer Ranekek from the orcs fails.
1000 BC: Gnoll invasion, Pflarkhepet is
sacked and hutaakans and humans are
enslaved. The red orcs of Rak ally with the
gnolls and maintain rulership of the city.
954 BC: Despite the successful campaign of
the Traldars against the gnolls, the west is
still in their hands and orcs still rule the city
of Rak. In these years a large dwarven
expedition reaches the Cruth Mountains.
After several battles, a dwarven army defeats
the red orcs and conquers Koskatep-Rak,
renaming it Karrast. The dwarves are soon in
constant warfare with the gnolls that rule
over the region. Level 5 is sealed by the
dwarves who are unable to completely
eradicate the undead orcs that infest it.
The Random Critters table of level 2B (in

issue 3 of Threshold magazine) and the
Wandering Parties table may apply here if
the DM wishes so. In this case there is a 1%
chance in each room that a Wandering Party
will be encountered.
The Followers of The Last One encounter
table of level 1 (in issue 2 of Threshold
magazine, page 122), can also still be used
here if the DM wishes so. One such follower
could try to join the PCs to explore this level.
Any Follower of the Last One will likely be
allied with the undead orcs that infest the
level, and will lead the PCs into a trap or will
try to capture and bring them in the presence
of The Last One himself (in Level 7). After the

Darkers take control (see issue 1) any
Follower of The Last One will obviously keep
a much lower profile and maybe even aid the
party against the Darkers to use them or lead
them to their deaths.
The initial layout of this level was the city of
Ieronyx that lord Keiros built. Level 6 below
(the dark fairies level) was too strange to use
as a normal city, and so he used it as storage
areas and laboratories. He also proceeded in
restoring Level 7, which contains the
Starlake. After the hutaakan occupation this
level was sealed, but when the orcs
conquered Ranekek they used it as the centre
of their city, the abode of the Orc king, his
chiefs, shamans and most of his forces. The
dwarves, unable to clear it from the
infestation of undead orcs, eventually
decided to seal it. After them, the gnolls and
the priests of Thanatos and Ranivorus among
them obtained from the undead orcs
permission to cross this level to reach and
study The Starlake in Level 7. Many undead
orcs were killed here during the attack of the
Church of Nyx in 841 BC, and were almost
exterminated in 603 BC when the Ogre king
Kulfan and the church of Nyx conquered
Koskatep. Some of the undead orcs however
were able to escape and hide in the many
forgotten tombs of this level. More undead
orcs were destroyed by the priests of Ixion
after 95 AC, yet some survived until 227 AC,
when The Last One arrived. He fully restored
this level to them, giving them magic and
powers to use them as guardians against
intruders that could try to reach Level 7,
where he now dwells.
219
Issue #7
least from Level 2 and below, particularly if

the PCs are of high level.
The layout of this level is mostly unchanged

from Lord Keiros times, because the orcs
decorated it extensively with objects and
paintings but didnt alter the structure. The
hutaakans used it mostly as treasury and
storage, while the orc city of Rak was
centered on this level and therefore many
orcish common objects still lay around in this
level, even if most of them are half decayed
and hardly recognizable.
Coming from area 21 and 31 in Level 4, this
level can be entered through stairs that arrive
at the left and right-hand sides of the
warehouses (area 7). The right-hand stairs of
area 7 go deeper to Level 6 too. In area 13
there is also a hidden staircase leading
directly to Level 7, thus permitting one to
avoid Level 6 entirely. Not even The Last One
and his minions know of this passage, but
Lord Keiros (buried in area 12) does. Indeed
when the Darkers invade Koskatep hell lead
them to fight the Last One using the hidden
staircase (see the Battle on this level at the
end of the article).
Spells that provide magical transportation,
such as teleport, passwall, dimensional door,
magic door, travel, gate and spells such as
clairvoyance and find the path do not work
on this level and those below due to
powerful wards placed by The Last One and
others before him. The DM could decide to
apply the same rule to the levels above, at
Depicted in grey on the map is solid stone

which is very difficult to dig. In white are the
open areas. Open should be considered a
relative term as much of the terrain is rugged
and full of debris. The area is completely
dark if PCs do not bring light. If they do
bring light, of course, it makes the party
quite visible.
The undead orcs of this level

The exact number and power of undead orcs
in this level will not be specified and will be
left to each DMs choice, to be adjusted
depending on PCs level. The description of
each room will include a random die to
generate the number of orcs, and some
special orcs and other characters will be
described.
All the undescribed orcs are red orcs, usually
dressed in the style of Atruaghin tribes with
feathers, beads and war paintings. Most of
them will have appropriate weapons, like
bows and stone hatchets, even if some, as
incorporeal undead, will not really need
them. The undescribed undead orcs could be
of any type of undead, from skeletons to
vampires, as The Last One raised them over
and over again, even after some were
destroyed in the past by enemies and
adventurers.
220
Issue #7
221
Issue #7
1 - The Entrance.
This area of about 40x80 meters was the entrance
of the city in Keiros times, and a great statue of
Nyx dominated it. Destroyed by the hutaakans, it
was replaced with a mound made of hundreds of
skulls and bones by the orcs. The mound was
destroyed or decayed during the centuries, but
lately the undead orcs have rebuilt it with the
remains of dead adventurers. 1d10+3 undead
orcs usually roam this area, under the command of
Evra, a large undead female orc (nosferatu,
shaman 9) that has 2 hellhounds (HD5) as pets.
Evra is loyal to The Last One and will fight to the
death.
(1) - There are some ancient carved

wooden red orcs figurines in Evras
hut, that she managed to preserve
and restore through the centuries.
She has also hid around 700 coins
from various nations of 1000-960
BC, which now will have a great
value.
The Darkers will clear this area of orcs and orc

trophies, but it will take time before Lord Keiros
and his new companions (see Area 12 below) could
put this area to a new use.
2 - The Workshops.
This area once had workshops and stores of
jewellers, leatherworkers, potters and many other
artisans that inhabited the city in Lord Keiros
times. The hutaakans abandoned it but the orcs
used the area again with the same purpose. Many
common objects can still be found in the area, even
if most of them are almost completely decayed.
Adud, a hutaakan wraith (HD6), roams this area.
The Last One has ordered the orcs to leave him be
in his sad state. Adud is almost mad with loneliness
and despair and will probably attack any intruder,
but patient PCs could manage to communicate
with him.
(2) - There is a huge chest of

treasure hidden in this area,
including a potion of invulnerability
and 2000 coins from various times.
The chest is quite hard to find.
The Darkers will try to communicate with Adud,

promising him a new body and a new purpose. The
wraith could accept their offer, unless the PCs have
succeeded in bringing him to their side before.
222
Issue #7
3 - The City palace.

This palace was the seat of the city government
and public offices. Abandoned in hutaakan times,
it was used by orcs as the house of females and
children. Crude orc toys still litter the area. The
other undead orcs avoid this place as its haunted
by a Vision (HD12) of dozens of orc females and
children, burned here by the dwarves when they
took the orc city. The Vision does not immediately
attack intruders but cries (with the power of a
banshees wail) and, after that, can also attack
physically with the powers of a poltergeist. The
orcs avoid this area because of the sadness and fear
it causes in them.
(3) - An old and, strangely enough,

uncrumbled doll made by red orcs
contain some gems someone hid
inside it in ancient times. The doll
has also the ghost of a female orc
child attached, however.
The Darkers will disarm the trap and give final rest
to the orc females and children. Some of them
(1d6+1) will then start working here to clean and
renovate the place, but it will take months, or even
years to bring the palace to a new use.
4 - The Market.
This area of about 30x30 meters, once adorned by
statues and columns, was the main market of the
city during Lord Keiros times. The hutaakans used
(4) - There is a shelf full of jars in

bottom right corner of this area, a
collection of clerical potions of
almost any kind created by Juvur
223
Issue #7
it for storage, and the orcs for weapons practice.

Five large gray oozes (HD4) have been placed
here by the Juvur (see Area 5 below) to hinder
intruders.
(see Area 5 below). None of them

however is curative, being that all
the orcs are undead.
The Darkers will keep and occasionally feed the

gray oozes, finding them useful as possible
guardians against intruders. They will also collect
all Juvurs potions.
5 - The Temple.
This was the main temple of Nyx in Lord Keiros
times. The hutaakans desecrated it but did not
rededicate it to Pflarr, rather using it as storage and
treasury. The orcs however dedicated it to their
dark immortals during their time. The Darkers, the
ogres and the priests of Ixion that reached this
level later desecrated the temple again, but in the
last centuries The Last One rededicated it to
Thanatos. Now a great statue of the entropic
immortal dominates it and Juvur (C16 of Thanatos,
nosferatu) ministers in it with four orc
apprentices (C5-10 all nosferatu). Juvur also has 3
hellhounds, always kept in the temple as
guardians. The walls are now decorated with more
images of Thanatos.
(5) - Juvur has a secret stash of

scrolls, 2000 coins, semiprecious
and precious stones, jewels and
several silver objects. This treasure is
hidden in a secret compartment of
the southern wall of the temple and
not even the apprentices know of it.
The apprentices have some coins
and jewels in their quarters below
the staircase on the western side of
the area. Juvurs room is located in
the same area too.
The Darkers will destroy Juvur and his apprentices,

along with the hellhounds. Juvur may be able to
escape to Level 6, when hell join The Last One.
The Temple will eventually be dedicated by Lord
Keiros to Nyx, and all Thanatos objects will be
destroyed. Yuri, a C7 priest of Nyx, will always be
here with 4 acolytes (C1-3), repairing and
renovating the temple.
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Issue #7
6 - The Theatre.
This area was the city theatre during Lord Keiros
times, the hutaakans abandoned it and the red orcs
utilized it as a fighting arena.
A group of incorporeal minions of The Last One
usually dwell here, this group may include any
number of wraiths (HD5), spectres (HD7),
phantoms (HD10) and ghosts (HD14) depending
on the PCs levels3. Hikros, a orc werewolf and
cleric of Thanatos (C13) is in charge of the
incorporeal undead in this area, and his job is also
to try to weaken the magical ward between this
level and the one above. He has two pet undead
giant scorpions (HD4 with ghoul touch).
(6) - Hikros has a treasure of coins,

gems, a potion of fire resistance,
potion of levitation, wand of enlarge
person with 7 charges. Hell
probably use the wand and the
potion of levitation in a difficult fight.
The Darkers will kill Hikros, his pets and minions,

unless hes able to escape down to Level 6.
7 - The Warehouses.
This great area has many warehouses that were
used as storage during Lord Keiros, hutaakan, and
orc times. The orcs have stored their treasures
here, mostly equipment taken from the corpses of
invaders and adventurers they killed. Depending
on the DMs generosity, several normal and
magical objects can be found here, along with
coins and other valuables, and precious books and
diaries of ages past.
In the north right corner of the area a great
staircase comes down from area 21 of Level 4, and
in the north left corner another, smaller one,
comes down from area 31 of Level 4. Both are
guarded by undead orcs and possibly other
minions of The Last One, who endlessly try to
(7) - The diary of Nuf, priest of Ssuma, is stored here along with a
bunch of other diaries and books
that do not interest the orcs very
much. There are also amulets and
many other red orc objects, some of
which can be magical if the DM
wishes.
Th is g roup coul d b e th e s ame pres en t in Level 4 ,

A rea 1 7 in is s ue #6 of Th res h ol d mag az in e, or a b ack
up party ready to join th os e ab ove. H ik ros coul d h ave
s ucceeded in weak en in g th e mag ic ward b etween th is
l evel an d th e on e ab ove, th us g ain in g an oth er acces s
to Level 4 . A n acces s th at can b e us ed h owever on l y
b y in corporeal creatures .
225
Issue #7
invade the level above from here. The north right

staircase has 1d10+2 undead orcs guards, while
the north left staircase, closed and much less used,
has only 1d4+2.
The overseer of this whole area is Tharb, a
revenant orc (15 HD) who dwells here with 4 orc
spectres and 2 orc ghouls, his servants. If a fight
with the orcs that guard the staircases last more
than 10 rounds, Tharb will join it with 3 spectres
and 2 ghouls, and will send the other spectre to
call for reinforcement in area 8. After 5 more
rounds, group of undead orcs will start to arrive
too.
The north right staircase goes further down,
directly to Level 6, inhabited by the dark fairies.
Eerie sounds and a thin mist seem to come from
below. The orcs have left this stair open as they
have a sort of alliance with the dark fairies, or at
least they were forced to keep the peace with them
by the power of The Last One.
The Darkers will destroy all the undead orcs who
refuse to join them. Tharb could be able to escape
to Level 6 to warn The Last One and stand there
with him. The Darkers will place here temporary
dwellings for the guards in area 8, five of them
(Four F1-4 and One C3), will always be here
resting.
8 - The Central Court.
This area of about 40x100 meters was the largest
open space of the ancient city, and now there are
always 3d20+5 undead orcs here, from ghouls to
vampires, ready to defend their city should
invaders arrive. Bruk, (F9, nosferatu) is their brutal
commander.
The remains of Elren (male, fighter, deceased) and
the wood elf, Yipki (male, cleric, deceased), part of
a group of Minrothaddan adventurers4 have been
(8) - Bruk has chain mail +2 and a

scroll of protection from magic, that
hell probably use in a fight if he has
the chance. He also has several
gems he carries in his clothes.
See Level 4 , A rea 1 0 in is s ue #6 of Th res h ol d

mag az in e.
226
Issue #7
hanged at the centre of the court, with armor,

weapons and possessions below them, and some
ghouls eating their flesh.
The Darkers will defeat Bruk and his orcs, but he
may be able to retreat to Level 6 when the battle
goes badly for his minions. Five Darker guards
(Four F1-4 and One C3) will always be posted here
afterwards.
9 - The Low city.
Here were the quarters of the common people of
the city during Lord Keiros times. The district
extended much more to the west and the south of
this area, but is now partially buried under the
earth. The hutaakans didnt use this area of the
city, but the orcs inhabited the houses again. Most
of the objects still laying around here are therefore
of red orc craftsmanship.
There are three trap pits filled with acid in the
area, constructed by the orcs as the area is difficult
to navigate and they cannot patrol it properly.
Some wraiths also dwell here, once humans of
Lord Keiros city, raised in the last centuries by The
Last One. Most of them are not fully aware of their
condition and its difficult to communicate with
them.
(9) - There are several underground

tombs in this area, as during Lord
Keiros times it was customary to
bury the dead under the house.
Some of them could still be intact,
have treasure and possible human
bodies that can be raised or will rise
from the dead if disturbed, as the
DM prefers.
The Darkers will explore this area extensively,

trying to recruit any undead into their fold. As most
of the undead in this area were probably followers
of Nyx in their past life, they could find several new
recruits here. After their takeover, at least 1d6+1
Darkers (Any class Level 2-4) will always be here,
along with 1d10+1 Uncorporeals5.
5
Th e U n corporeal are s pecial N y x g h os ts wh o can

pos s es s th e b odies of an y l ivin g peopl e or dead b odies
(an un wil l in g victim wil l ob vious l y b e al l owed a s avin g
th row), as ex pl ain ed in is s ue #1 of Th res h ol d
mag az in e, in Mirror of Etern al N ig h t articl e.
227
Issue #7
10 - The Beast market.

This irregular area of about 20x40 meters was once
the market for animals and many more common
objects, abandoned during hutaakan times and
used again as market by the orcs. Dugoth and
Vorokh, two brothers, both nosferatu and F8 keep
7 undead trolls (HD6 and mummy powers) The
Last One gave them as troops. They will come in
aid of the other orcs in area 8 in 1d4+5 rounds if
called.
(10) - There are the remains of

some orcs and ogres in this area
that look recently deceased, and
partially eaten by the trolls. They
were adventurers sent by the ogres
on Level 1. Golbag (See Level 1,
Area 9 in Issue #2 of Threshold
magazine) will be interested in
hearing of their fate and any other
information on this level and the
ones above.
The Darkers will destroy Dugoth, Vorokh and the

trolls along with other minions of The Last One,
unless they surrender or escape to Level 6.
11 - The Garden.
This area was the beautiful garden of Lord Keiros
palace during his time. The hutaakans abandoned
it, while the orcs used it as a pen for dangerous
beasts. Now its just an open space of grey dust,
hardly recognizable as the former garden. Hakrag
(nosferatu, F12), the orc pet master at the time,
has been revived by The Last One and recently has
received a giant undead Caecilia (HD10, plus
mummys touch) as a gift. He has also 2 undead
orc apprentices (nosferatu, F5-6) and is now
working on reviving some remains of rust monsters.
He hates Dugoth and Vorokh of area 10.
Sometimes he pits his monsters against the trolls of
the two brothers for the amusement of the king
and the other orcs.
(11) - There are remains of several

other creatures in the north east
corner of this area, where Hakrag
has a hut where he keeps remains
of creatures he wishes to revive,
someday. Hakrag also has coins,
jewels, several weapons and pieces
of armor and a bow with three
arrows of slaying and more normal
arrows. Hell use the arrows if
menaced.
The Darkers will destroy Hakrag, his apprentices

and monsters. Eventually Lord Keiros will rebuild
the garden, planting in it magical plants that can
live in the dark or in dim magical light.
228
Issue #7
12 - The Palace.
This was the palace of Lord Keiros at the height of
Ieronyx. The hutaakans used it for magic items
storage, then the orcs made it the abode of their
king Hyvrok. The king was slain here with his
shamans and bodyguards by the dwarves of
Wyrlum Lokar, but just a few days after he returned
from death as a spirit and began to infest the area.
Hyvrok was defeated two more times, but he
didnt find eternal rest and finally The Last One
brought him back from death again. Now he rules
again over Rak with a court of undead orc minions
(3d10+10 undead orcs from ghouls to vampires
are always here, including at least two nosferatu
orc shamans, level 9). Hyvrok is a HD20 Spirit
that can fight as a revenant but also leave his body
to escape or try to possess a victim (save at -1).
Hell wait for intruders to sit on his throne,
surrounded by his warriors. Hyvrok has a ring of
protection +2, a ring of counterspell with three
charges left and a wand of fireballs with 2 charges
left. Hell try to hit enemies from afar and will
escape if he sees that the battles goes bad for his
side, trying to reach more orcs in Area 8 and from
there the staircase leading down in Area 7.
Once Ieronyx had towers, but now only here in the
palace a second floor survives. It now contains the
sarcophagus and treasures of Hyvrok, who has
accumulated over the centuries a formidable stash
of weapons, armors, magical objects, gold, jewels
and much more. There are several traps protecting
the treasure, and 3 cockatrices (HD5) in the first
room up the stairs.
The Darkers will defeat Hyvrok and his minions
(but he may be able to escape to Level 6), then
theyll proceed to explore the palace, searching for
the tomb of Lord Keiros.
The Darkers in fact have gathered some clues
about the location of Lord Keiros tomb, during the
centuries, so theyll be able to find and revive him.
(12) - There is a hidden door in the

southern right room, very hard to
spot. Nevertheless, the room was
discovered by the undead orcs,
who didnt touch its content much
as they havent any use for it. Flesh
and blood visitors however would
be much more interested in the
coins, jewels, works of art and
magical objects that were the
personal treasure of Lord Keiros.
What no one knows is that under
an elaborate and surprisingly well
preserved, heavy chest of drawers
there is another hidden hatch,
leading to the hidden tomb of Lord
Keiros (C25 of Nyx).
The tomb is an underground
chamber of 5x5 meters, with a
massive stone sarcophagus in the
centre. Inside the sarcophagus,
Lord Keiros has slept for more than
2400 years. Mortally burned by the
hutaakans who attacked Ieronyx in
1412 BC, he was able to hide here
but couldnt regenerate his wounds
and fell into a long stasis. That
happened because the hutaakans
blessed and purified Koskatep, yet
their magic didnt destroy him
completely. Inside the sarcophagus,
Lord Keiros appears as a man of
indefinite age, with black hair and a
grey tunic reaching his ankles. A
black obsidian half moon rests on
his chest. Lord Keiros will awake
only if a drop of blood is shed on
him. A cleric of Nyx or a faithful of
the goddess will hear the voice of
the immortal herself, telling him or
her to do so.
229
Issue #7
Lord Keiros will immediately aid them to reach

Level 7 (see area 13 below) once hes brought up
to date with the occupation of Koskatep by The
Last One. Hell aid the Darkers in the fight and,
after their (temporary) victory6, hell inhabit the
Palace again, together with two Darker priests of
Nyx, Lord Kivid (C12 of Nyx) and Lady Ilena
(C15 of Nyx), husband and wife from Specularum,
and five apprentices, two male and three female
(C 1-6 of Nyx)
Once awake, Lord Keiros will ask

what happened during his sleep,
and hell be thoughtful for the long
time passed, but not daunted. Hell
aid any followers of Nyx to the
extent of his capabilities. Should he
be awaken by common adventurers
or followers of other faiths, Lord
Keiros will not be hostile, but will
calmly explain his convictions. If
PCs cannot be persuaded to join
him and Nyx, hell let them go,
pointing out that hell not resort to
violence, unless hes forced to.
13 - The Hill.
This steep hill once housed the most important
people of Ieronyx, but was abandoned in hutaakan
times and later became an area inhabited by
common orcs. The beautiful wall paintings that
once decorated the houses were mostly ruined by
6
See Mirror of Etern al N ig h t in is s ue #1 of

Th res h ol d mag az in e an d previous l evel s of K os k atep,
th e Dark ers wil l b e ab l e to defeat Th e Las t On e b ut
h el l n ot b e des troy ed as th ey th in k , b ut h el l h ide in
Level 1 0 , waitin g for th e rig h t time to s trik e b ack .
(13) - There is a staircase leading

up to a group of ruined houses,
once the abode of the most
important clerics and wizards of
Ieronyx. At the top of the staircase,
behind a ruined bas relief that orcs
covered with crude inscriptions
and feather decorations now
decayed, there is a secret door,
very hard to find, that leads to a
hidden staircase. This passage lead
230
Issue #7
the orcs, who put on their decorations, now mostly

crumbled to dust. 2d10+3 undead orcs always
dwell in this area.
directly to Level 7 and no one

knows of it anymore, except for
Lord Keiros.
The Darkers will find Lord Keiros and so theyll

know of the hidden staircase. They will indeed use
it to avoid Level 6 entirely and directly attack The
Last One on Level 7, guided by Lord Keiros himself.
14 - The Warriors houses.

This area was dedicated to the houses of Ieronyx
warriors at the height of the city. The orcs used it
more or less for the same purpose and in the area
there are still weapons and armor tracing back to
two thousand years ago, some in surprisingly good
condition. Several wraiths and wights dwell in
this area, humans, hutaakans and orcs randomly
revived by The Last One in recent centuries, or
former adventurers from the past 4000 years of
Koskatep history (the DM could randomly choose
the origin of an undead rolling 1d20 and picking a
date from Timeline of Koskatep in issue #1 of
Threshold magazine, from 3525 BC (Azcan) to 912
AC (Traladaran freedom fighters). If the PCs are
able to communicate with such undead (most of
them are angry and confused, so patience and
creative solutions could be needed) they could
discover many interesting facts about the history of
the ruins.
(14) - There are several magical

weapons and armor in this area,
that could be randomly decided by
the DM if the PCs spend at least
one hour searching. There is a 20%
chance for every hour passed here
that 1d6 wights or wraiths will
attack the PCs.
The Darkers will try to bring to their side every

undead still active in this area. Depending on each
undead background, some could accept their offer.
At least 1d10+2 wraiths and wights will be here,
loyal to the Darkers and ready to warn Lord Keiros
of any intruder roaming the area.
231
Issue #7
THE BATTLE IN THIS LEVEL

When the Darkers attack, theyll probably
come from the north right staircase in area 7,
destroying Tharb and all the other orcs,
unless some of them surrender and join
Nyxs faith. During the battle more orcs will
probably arrive from area 5, 6 and 8 (Juvur,
Hikros and Bruk), and eventually also
Dugoth and Vorokh from area 10 with their
trolls. The Darkers however will be strong
enough to defeat them, and theyll proceed
to the palace (area 12) where King Hyvrok
will make his last stands with his guards, the
undead orcs from area 13 and Hakrag from
area 11. Evra from area 1 could join this last
stand or try to escape in the confusion. As
the Darkers will block the staircase in area 7,
however, escaping down to Level 6 could be

unlikely, if not outright impossible, for the
undead orcs. While The Last One will expect
an attack from the staircase and through
Level 6, the Darkers will instead arrive
directly on Level 7, thanks to the Lord Keiros
aid in finding the lost passage in area 13. The
Last One will be surprised and defeated, also
because the Dark Fairies of Level 6 will not
come to his aid. Hell not however be
completely destroyed, and will hide on Level
10, as explained in issue #1 of Threshold
magazine. When he strikes back he may be
able to raise more undead orcs in this level
to fight Lord Keiros, his apprentices and the
other Darkers that will be here.
232
Issue #7
Times Travels
233
Issue #7
Times Travels
234
Issue #7
Artwork Sources and Credits
Front
cover:
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[Cover Image: Norwold castle]

Neuschwanstein castle via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: The Eagles Barrier from a clearing in the Dragon Spur
Hills]
Layers of Autumn, Menlo Park, USA, Photo by Steve Jurvetson, 2004
via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: Norwold climate zones]
Norwold climate zones, by Simone Neri (Zendrolion), 2014 [Used
with permission; based on maps from CM1 Test of the Warlord,
M2 Vengeance of Alphaks, X11 Saga of the Shadowlord, D&D
Companion Set, Dawn of the Emperors, TM2 The Eastern
Countries, Wrath of the Immortals, and on previous maps by the
author, G. Agosta, R. Dijkema, M. Fleet, B. Heard, and JTR]
[Image: Winter in the Katfjellene]
Winter at Fujufjallet National Park in Western Sweden, Photo by
Sascha Mnch Montebianco, 2008 via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: A valley in the Hettafjall]
Timber Creek in the Schell Creek Range, Nevada, Photo by LCGS
Russ, 1989 via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: The Tarbren Valley and the Pelon Peaks]
Alkavagge in Sarek National Park, Sweden, Photo by SiriusA [Public
Domain] via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: The frozen wastes of Norzee during winter]
Ice ridges in the Beaufort Sea off the northern coast of Alaska, by
Rear Admiral Harley D. Nygren, NOAA Corps, 1949 via Wikimedia
Commons
[Image: An Antalian sacrificial stone on Walrus Island]
The Stora Hammar I stone, Photo by Berig, 2008 via Wikimedia
Commons
[Image: An Antalian thing from a Thyatian bas-relief]
Germanische Ratsversammlung. Relief an der Mark-Aurel-Sule zu
Rom via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: An ogre kidnaps a young Antalian shepherdess]
Giovanni Lanfranco, Norandino and Lucina discovered by the Ogre,
c. 1624, Galleria Borghese via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: An Antalian chiefs farewell]
Frank B. Dicksee, The Funeral of a Viking, 1893, Manchester Art
Gallery via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: A battle of the Nithian civil war]
Ramesses II's victory over the Cheta people and the Siege of Dapur;
picture made after a mural in Ramesses II's temple in Tebes, 1907
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[Image: Lornasen during her days as a mortal]

An elf markswoman from the Wesnoth fantasy setting, by Kathrin
"Kitty" Polikeit, 2011 via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: Kaarjalan swamps]
The lake Syvri in Nilsi, Finland, by Paul Lenz, 2005 via Wikimedia
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[Image: Remains of a Thyatian fort near Lighthall]
Hardknott Roman Fort, Photo by Mick Knapton, 2005 via Wikimedia
Commons
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Oscar Wergeland, Norsemen landing in Iceland, black and white
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London, Harrap, 1909, by H.A. Guerber via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: A Yeti minion of Akra]
Illustration of a Yeti, by Philippe Semeria, 2009 via Wikimedia
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[Image: Mount Crystykk towering above the Karelides]
Mount Everest as seen from an aircraft from airline company Drukair
in Bhutan, 2012 via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: Cnute the Bold in the initial of a 7th-century Thyatian
manuscript]
Canute the Great illustrated in an Initial of a medieval manuscript,
c. 1320 via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: The upper course of the Sabre River]
A view to Geirangerfjord from rnesvingen, Stranda, Mre og
Romsdal, Norway, Photo by Ximonic (Simo Rsnen), 2013 via
Wikimedia Commons
[Image: An Alphatian noble family at the mercy of a cloud giant]
"I am the giant Skrymir" by Elmer Boyd Smith, from A. Farwell, In the
Days of Giants: A Book of Norse Tales, Houghton, Mifflin & Co, 1902
[Image: Giants look over their plunderings]
Arthur Rackham, "Hey! Come hither, / And stop me this cranny!",
1910 via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: Vatski warriors in battle]
Viktor Vasnetsov, Battle between the Scythians and the Slavs, 1881
[Image: The hordes of Frota]
A. De Neuville, The Huns at the Battle of Chalons", from A Popular
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John Everett Millais, The Knight Errant, 1870 via Wikimedia Commons
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[Image: A Heldannic castle in Nordurland]

Castle Bouzov, District Olomouc, Czech Republic, Photo by Marzper,
[Image: Trade between Heldanners and Vatski on the shores of
Lake Gunaald]
Viktor M. Vasnetsov, The Invitation of the Varangians: Rurik and his
brothers arrive in Staraya Ladoga, before 1913 via Wikimedia
Commons
[Image: A Vatski knyaz and his following in procession]
Aleksey Kivshenko, Joining of Great Novgorod Novgorodians
Departing to Moscow, 1880 via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: A newly-arrived Alphatian lord gathers his tribute]
S. Ivanov, A Basqaq arrives at a Russian city in the 13th century, 1902
[Image: A Heldanner chief takes hold of his land]
Johan Peter Raadsig, Ingolf takes hold of Iceland, 1850 [Public
[Image: An Icereacher warlord leads his host to battle]
John Charles Dollman, The Ravager, 1909 via Wikimedia Commons
Pge 50:
[Image: Quesas Massif as seen from Lake Vanern]

Denali - Mt. McKinley, photo of the Denali National Park Service, c.
[Image: The forested lands of Skogenvr]
Page 51:
Gauja River valley in Sigulda, Gauja National Park, Latvia, Photo by

Gatis Pvils, 2004 via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: A Norwolder fishing outpost in the Corsairs Coast]
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svr Fishing Museum at Bolungarvik, Iceland, Photo by Herbert

Ortner, 2003 via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: A Varaana house in Lnsimaa]
Samische Kta in der Siedlung Prek (Sareks Nationalpark), Photo
by kologix, 1983 via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: Reindeers grazing at the feet of the Raatovaarat
Mountains]
Reindeers in Sarek, Photo by Oskar Karlin, 2006 via Wikimedia
Commons
[Image: A Vatski knyaz holds court]
A.P. Ryabushkin, Feast of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich with the boyars,
[Image: The Ransarn River]
Atnsjen i forgrunnen og Rondane-massivet i bakgrunnen. Fra
venstre mot hyre: Illmanndalen, Storronden, Rondvasshgde,
Rondslottet, Langglupdalen, Sre Oksle, Hgronden, Storsvulten,
Source
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[Image: A clan of Azure Banner Viaskodas on the move]

rpd Feszty, Arrival of the Hungarians (detail), 1892-1894 via
Wikimedia Commons
[Image: The Najnarta queen and her handmaids]
Titian, Diana and Kallisto, 1556-1559, Scottish National Gallery via
Wikimedia Commons
[Image: An alpine mire in the Ironroot Mountains]
Piz Segnas (left) and Tschingelhrner (right) from north, Photo by
Jack3, 2003 via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: Tall redwood sequoias in the Scarlet Forest]
Sequoia sempervirens in Redwood National Park, NPS Photo
[Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: The Foxes River flowing through the Giants Cradle]
Katun river, Altay Republic, Russia, Photo by Ondej vek, 2007
[Image: A mountain lake in the Hettafjall]
A view to Djupfjorden in Moskenesya towards northwest, Lofoten,
Nordland, Norway, Photo by Ximonic (Simo Rsnen), 2010 via
Wikimedia Commons
[Image: A goblin family]
Arthur Rackham, "To make my small elves coats", Illustrations to
Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream [Public Domain] via
Wikimedia Commons
[Image: The northernmost tip of the Jagged Teeth]
Pierikpakte mountain in Sarek National Park, Sweden, Photo by
Grapetonix, 2007 via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: A giant raids a Norwolder village]
"Jack the Giant-Killer" by Arthur Rackham, 1918 via Wikimedia
Commons
[Image: The Wyrms Head Mountains]
Altay mountains (Belukha), photo by Vt Hnvkovsk, 2006 via
Wikimedia Commons
[Image: A slumbering giant troll]
A troll becoming a mountain, art by JNL via Wikimedia Commons
[Image: Map of Norwold (24-miles per hex)]
Map of Norwold (24-miles per hex), by Simone Neri (Zendrolion),
2014 [Used with permission; based on maps from CM1 Test of the
Warlord, M2 Vengeance of Alphaks, X11 Saga of the Shadowlord,
D&D Companion Set, Dawn of the Emperors, TM2 The Eastern
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Page 71:
[Image: The regions of Norwold]

The regions of Norwold, by Simone Neri (Zendrolion), 2014 [Used
with permission; based on maps from CM1 Test of the Warlord, M2
Vengeance of Alphaks, X11 Saga of the Shadowlord, D&D
Pages 73 - [Images: Maps of the regions of Norwold]
113:
As The regions of Norwold
Page 75: [Image: Catspaw Mountain in the Lirovkas Alps]
Mount Rainer, Cascade Range, Washington, Photo by Walter
Siegmund, 2005 via Wikimedia Commons
Page 77: [Image: The Mrkskog gives way to coastal plains]
Vasyugan River, Tomsk oblast, Siberia, Photo by Vadim tLS
Andrianov, 2007 via Wikimedia Commons
Page 81: [Image: The Eistrand on Wotandals coast]
Shore of Bristol Bay, Erin McKittrick, Ground Truth Trekking, 2007
Page 83: [Image: A section of the Pierced Crown]
Summer in Svaneti, Georgia, view of Caucasus mountains, Photo
by Ojj! 600, 2005 via Wikimedia Commons
Page 86: [Image: The Sabre River heading toward the Regents Ridge]
Columbia River Gorge, Photo by Bala of Seattle, 2010 via
Wikimedia Commons
Page 88: [Image: The Bloody Scythe, in the Wyrms Tail Range]
Panoramic view from Jackson Hole Valley taken from the Teton
Valley, Photo by Chriselliswest, 2007 via Wikimedia Commons
Page 90: [Image: The northern tip of the Azure Lake, with the Giants
Mountains behind it ]
Valley of the Ten Peaks and Moraine Lake, Banff National Park,
Canada via Wikimedia Commons
Page 93: [Image: View of the Isbreidd from Lake Gunaald]
Mount Robson's Emperor Face at twilight. Berg Lake, Mount
Robson Provincial Park, B.C., Canada, 2010 via Wikimedia
Commons
Page 94: [Image: Mount Einrick in the Ice Wall]
Aerial view of Aconcagua, Photo by Beatriz Moisset, 2011 via
Wikimedia Commons
Page 96: [Image: Winter landscape in the Jagged Teeth]
Galdhpiggen seen from Fannarki, Photo by Hvard Berland,
Page 98: [Image: The wide estuary of the White Bear River]
Vole d'oies blanches au-dessus du fleuve Saint-Laurent, la
hauteur de L'Islet-sur-Mer, au Bas-Saint-Laurent (Qubec), Photo by
Nicogag, 2009 via Wikimedia Commons
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Page 101: [Image: Sight of the Ljallenvals Mountains from the Sarkans
Plain]
Gulkana Glacier seen from Isabel Pass, about 12 miles north of
Paxson, Alaska, 2010 via Wikimedia Commons
Page 103: [Image: Sheep grazing on Itmaa Coast]
land: Ferry route Sdra Linjen from Kkar to Galtby,2004 via
Wikimedia Commons
Page 105: [Image: Lake Isojrvi, Kaarjala]
Koli, a ski resort in Finland, 2010 via Wikimedia Commons
Page 105: [Image: The Koleamaa taiga with the Karelides in the
background]
Picea glauca taiga, Denali Highway, Alaska, NOAA Photo by L.B.
Brubaker, 2007 via Wikimedia Commons
Page 107: [Image: A lake in the western Great Circle, under the
Thundering Peaks]
Caldera of Aniakchak Volcano, Aniakchak National Monument and
Preserve, Alaska, USA, 2005 via Wikimedia Commons
Page 111: [Image: The Valley of Icyclyn]
McKinley taken from the back of a Boeing 737 on an Alaska Airlines
flight from Red Dog Mine to Anchorage, 2003 via Wikimedia
Commons
Page 113 [Image: Summer in the Everwinter Lands]
Tundra bei Dudinka am Jenissej in Sibirien, Photo by Dr. Andreas
Hugentobler, 2000 via Wikimedia Commons
Page 114: [Image: Frosthavens southern coast during summer]
View on Scoresby Sund, East Greenland, Photo by Hannes Grobe,
Page 115: [Image: Norwold and surroundings]
Map of Norwold (non-hex), by Simone Neri (Zendrolion), 2014
[Used with permission; based on previous maps from D&D
Companion Set and LoZompatore]
Page 116: [Image: Nordersfjord in Vestland]
Fjord in Sunnmre, Norway, Photo by Erik A. Drabls, 2006 via
Wikimedia Commons
Page 117: [Image: A moor in Dunadale]
Brown Willy Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, Photo by Tom Corser, 2005
Page 118: [Image: View of the Mengul Mountains from the ridge of the
Denagothian Plateau]
Am Fu der Geispitze die Obere Sporaalpe. Im Hintergrund die
Zimba in der Vandanser Steinwand, Photo by Friedrich Bhringer,
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Black Forest track, Photo by Whatwouldiwant, 2014 via Wikimedia
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Page 120: [Image: Swamp of the Beast landscape]

Vasyugan Swamp, Russia, Photo by Vadim Andrianov, 2012 via
Wikimedia Commons
Page 121 [Image: The Qeodim Mountains in Qeodhar]
The mountain Baula in western Iceland, with the river Norur in
the front, Photo by Kvaale, 2014 via Wikimedia Commons
Page 122: [Image: View of the Kerothar Mountains from the Sound of
Ishme, Limn]
View of Cuernos del Paine in Torres del Paine National Park, Photo
by refractor, 2003 via Wikimedia Commons
Page 125: [Image: A view of the Spring Fair lists]
A View of the Lists, Eglinton Tournament, Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland,
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Page 126: [Image: A section of the Long Gallery in the Royal Palace,
Alpha]
Gilded sculptured guridons in the Hall of Mirrors, Versailles,
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N.C. Wyeth, "Sir Mador's spear brake all to pieces, but the other's
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for Boys by Sidney Lanier, New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1922
Page 128: [Image: A lady and her attendants]
Domenico Ghirlandaio, Giovanna Tornabuoni and attendants,
detail of The Visitation in the Tornabuoni chapel in Santa Maria
Novella church in Florence, c. 1488 via Wikimedia Commons
Page 129: [Image: The winners strike during a jousting competition]
Edward Henry Corbould, The Joust Between The Lord of The
Tournament and The Knight of The Red Rose, Eglinton
tournament, 1839 via Wikimedia Commons
Page 131: [Image: Jousting knights]
Medieval jousting from Ordinances of Chivalry, 1450's [Public
Page 132: [Image: Court scene in the Royal Palaces gardens]
Les Trs Riches Heures du duc de Berry, Avril (detail), Muse
Cond, Chantilly [Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons
Page 133: [Image: The winners reward]
Alexander von Wagner, King Matthias beat Holubar via Wikimedia
Commons
Page 134: [Image: The provinces of the Kingdom of Norwold]
The regions of Norwold, by Simone Neri (Zendrolion), 2014 [Used
with permission; based on maps from CM1 Test of the Warlord, M2
Vengeance of Alphaks, X11 Saga of the Shadowlord, D&D
Source
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241
Issue #7
Page 136: [Image: Oceansends Castle]

Panorama of Malbork Castle, uawy region, Poland, Photo by
DerHexer, 2011 via Wikimedia Commons
Page 136: [Image: The Gaudava River crossing the Vei Forest, Littonia]
View from Ladakanis hill, Lithuania, Photo by Wojsyl, 2005 via
Wikimedia Commons
Page 137: [Image: A Kaarjalan landscape]
Karula National Park, view from Rebasemisa tower, Photo by
Amadvr, 2009 via Wikimedia Commons
Page 137: [Image: The Dalselva River flowing through the Oppland Hills,
Westrourke]
Loch Monar, Scotland, Photo by Nick Bramhall, 2012 via Wikimedia
Commons
Page 141: [Image: King Ericall knighting a squire, from an illuminated
manuscript]
A medieval image of King David I of Scotland knighting a squire via
Wikimedia Commons
Page 142: [Image: Alphatian noblemen consider their purchase]
Ernest Normand, The White Slave, 1894 via Wikimedia Commons
Page 143: [Image: A marriage feast]
Rembrandt, The Wedding of Samson, 1638, Gemldegalerie Alte
Meister via Wikimedia Commons
Page 145: [Image: The Sirraen]
Carl Frederik Aagaard, A day in June in the woods near Lellinge, 1878
[Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons
Page 152: [Image: Foxfolk]
Foxfolk lupin of Skaufskogr Hills by I. Calvin [Used by permission
of artist]
Page 155: [Image: A bard entertains Vatski warriors]
Viktor M. Vasnetsov, Boyan, 1910 [Public Domain] via Wikimedia
Commons
Page 156: [Image: Stano]
Original work by Giampaolo Agosta
Page 156L [Image: Three knights from Stamtral]
Viktor M. Vasnetsov, Three Bogatyrs, 1898 [Public Domain] via
Wikimedia Commons
Page 159: [Image: Mountain Rakasta]
Mountain rakasta of Skaufskogr by I. Calvin [Used by permission of
artist]
Page 159: [Image: Centaur]
Centaur Hetmanates of Norwold by I. Calvin [Used by permission
of artist]
Page 161: [Image: Map of the Skaufskogr and the Ransarn-Vinisk Valley]
Giampaolo Agosta (Agathokles), Map of the Skaufskogr and the
Ransarn-Vinisk Valley, 2015 [Used by permission; based on earlier
maps from CM1 Test of the Warlords, Zendrolion, and JTR]
Source
Source
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Source
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242
Issue #7
[Image: The Wolkenberg]

Albert Bierstadt, The Emerald Pool, 1870 [Public domain] via
Wikimedia Commons
Page 168: [Image: Koshchey the Deathless]
Viktor M. Vasnetsov, Kashchey the Immortal, 1917-1928 [Public
Page 170: [Image: Map of the Skaufskogr and the Ransarn-Vinisk Valley,
Draconic Omens of Coming]
Giampaolo Agosta (Agathokles), Map of the Skaufskogr and the
Ransarn-Vinisk Valley showing draconinc omens of coming areas,
2015 [Used by permission; based on earlier maps from CM1 Test of
the Warlords, Zendrolion, and JTR]
Page 172: [Image: Low tide in the Bay]
Low Tide, Labrador, oil on canvas painting by William Bradford via
Wikimedia commons
Page 173: [Image: Map of Leehashire and the Western Great Bay]
Page 165:
Page 174:
Page 175:
Pge 176:
Page 177:
Page 180:
Page 182:
Paag 183:
Page 184:
Page 185:
Page 186:
Original map by JTR, based on official Norwold maps by Diesel and

D. Sutherland III and unofficial previous works by Dan Eustace,
Geoff Gander, Andrea Francolini, and the Italian MMB, as well as
on artwork by Thorfinn Tait.
[Image: White Bear river and Catsbergs hills at Sunset]
Sunset over the river by Albert Bierstadt via Wikimedia commons
[Image: The Jagged Teeth as seen from the end of Leeha Shire]
The Morteratsch Glacier Upper Engadine Valley Pontresina by
Albert Bierstadt via Wikimedia commons
[Image: A small bay on the Northern coast of Leeha]
The coming storm by Albert Bierstadt via Wikimedia commons
[Image: Small waterfall of the Calabras]
Minnehaha Falls by Albert Bierstadt via Wikimedia commons
[Image: Leeha halfling]
Hobbit by Antoine Gldel via Wikimedia commons
[Image:Barbarian chiefs meet under a tent]
Princely congress at Uvetichi by Sergey Vasilyevich Ivanov via
Wikimedia commons.
[Image: Barbarian Feast]
Monomakh's rest after the hunting by Viktor Vasnetsov via
Wikimedia commons.
[Image: Barbarian chief in armor]
Knight's ride by Viktor Vasnetsov via Wikimedia commons.
[Image: Young elf maiden]
Elvish portrait via Wikimedia commons
[Image: Wyrmsteeth Coat of Arms]
Coat of arms of Arms of the Breitbach Brresheim family via
Wikimedia commons.
Source
Source
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243
Issue #7
Page 187: [Image: Rod of Dragon Control]

Prototype for the Gold Dragon Scepter used by Empress Savina
(played by Thora Birch) in the 2000 Dungeons & Dragons movie.
Hand carved from wood, made by Three Brothers Productions in
the Czech Republic
Page 187: [Image: Dragon family]
Modified from Statues of male and female dragons holding a
dragon egg at Varna seaside via Wikimedia commons.
Page 192: [Image: Windreach column]
Hertogenbosch Rijksmonument 21852 De draak, via Wikimedia
Commons.
Page 194: [Image: Dog sled]
Fur Trader in Toboggan, oil painting by Cornelius Krieghoff via
Wikimedia commons.
Page 196: [Image: Ransarn river valley]
Mortimer Smith: Winter Landscape (1878)
Page 200: [Image: Gnomsdal gap]
Cathedral rock, Yosemite valley, by Albert Bierstadt via Wikimedia
commons.
Page 201: [Image: Elk herd in the Skarsholm]
Bull elks on snow via Wikimedia commons
Page 204: [Image: View of the Skaufskogr hills]
Great Smoky mountains view via Wikimedia commons
Page 205: [Image: Landfall harbour]
The Log cabin at Hamburg harbour by Valentin Ruchs (1848),
Hamburger Kunsthalle.
Page 207: [Image: Approaching Thunderstorm]
Approaching Thunderstorm by Engelberger Rotstock photos
[Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
License] via Engelberger Rotstocks web page
http://www.danielarndt.com/albums/2271/engelberger-rotstock
Page 208: [Image: Calm Before the Storm]
Calm Before the Storm by Krystian Olszanski [Creative Commons
Attribution 2.0 Generic] via Flickr
Page 210: [Image: Crystal Trees]
Crystal Trees, modified from http://pixabay.com/en/winter-treesforest-ice-frost-281246/ [Public domain] via Pixabay
Page 212: [Image: Mountain Lightning]
Mountain Landscape with Lightning by Jean-Francois Millet (1642
1679) [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons
Page 214: [Image: Dam Failure]
Teton Dam Failure from the U.S. Department of the Interior,
Bureau of Reclamation 5 May 1976 [Public domain] via Wikimedia
Commons
Page 215: [Image: Grouzhina Flood Map]
Grouzhina Flood Map by Robin D [Used by permission of author]
Source
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244
Issue #7
Page 216: [Image: Ruined halls of Ieronyx]

Agia Triada. Crete, photo via Wikimedia commons
Page 220: [Image: Survived Ieronyx wall paintings]
Bronze age fresco of women that are interpreted as adorants.
Excavation Site of Akrotiri on the Greek island Santorini, via
Wikimedia commons.
Page 221: [Image: Map of Karrast, Level 5]
Original cartography by Francesco Defferrari
Page 222: [Image: Red orc necklace]
Squash Blossom Necklace, Navajo, anonymous, Honolulu Museum
of Art via Wikimedia commons
Page 223: [Image: Red orc chest]
Box (birchbark with porcupine quills), Micmac, reportedly
collected in New Brunswick in 1829, Native American Collection,
Peabody Museum, Harvard University, via Wikimedia commons.
Page 223: [Image: Red orc doll]
Lakota doll circa 1890, via Wikimedia commons.
Page 224: [Image: Red orc jar]
Pueblo, Zuni Water Jar, Brooklyn Museum, via Wikimedia
commons.
Page 224: [Image: Statue of Thanatos]
Spulture cathelineau, cimetire de la charteuse Bordeaux, via
Wikimedia commons
Page 226: [Image: Red orc amulet]
Miniature contemporary, cross-in-circle gorget, via Wikimedia
Commons.
Page 227: [Image: Crater]
Crater from Phaistos, Crete via Wikimedia commons
Page 228: [Image: Bone breastplate]
Breastplate, bone, attributed to Big Mouth, Oglala, 1860s, Native
American Collection, Peabody Museum, Harvard University,
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, via Wikimedia commons.
Page 230: [Image: Lord Keiros sarcophagus]
The sarcophagus lid of Ibi, the chief steward of the Divine
Adoratrice of Amun, Nitocris. (reign of Psamtik I) From the
Egyptian Museum of Turin (Italy), via Wikimedia commons.
Pages
[Image: Lego comic]
233-234: Original work by John Calvin
Page 246
[Image: Cover of issue 8]

Cover by Giampaolo Agosta (agathokles)
[Back cover Image: Sea of Ice]
Sea of Ice by Caspar David Friedrich via Wikimedia Commons
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245
Issue #7
Next Issue
Also in the next issue an adventure in the wild

Skaufskogr region, who's who among the dragons
of the Wyrmsteeth kingdom and another level of
Koskatep!
Anticipated additional content includes King
Ericall's war on Qeodhar, an overview of North
Western Skothar, the Midlands of Brun, the
frozen lands of Vulcania in Davania, more
Mystaran books and an adventure in Threshold
to stop Bargle, expanding the historical Red Box
solo adventure!
WARLORDS OF NORWOLD
Anticipated contents include:
Claim your own corner of
Norwold in the next issue of
Threshold magazine, or maybe
support the claim of an ally, or
fight against the claim of an
enemy, in another article that
will provide more companion
content to the mythical CM1
module that introduced Norwold
in Mystara.
Test of the Warlords: an in depth view to the

claimants of CM1
The Skars' Legacy: An adventure in the
Skaufskogr
Politics and personalities of the Wyrmsteeth
Qeodhar, Skothar, Midlands and Vulcania
Mystaranomicon: books on the North
An adventure in Threshold to stop Bargle
Another level of Koskatep
Your Opinions?
The Editorial Team welcomes your feedback
on this issue of THRESHOLD are welcomed.
Please post your comments either by posting
in The Piazza Forums
Or by email to the Editorial address:

[email protected]
Please begin the subject line with the tag
[LETTER]
246
Issue #7
Submission Guidelines
Proposals
All proposal submissions can be sent by mail
to the editors at the following address
[email protected], and must be
received by the proposal deadline. The
Threshold editorial team will contact you
within 7 days of the proposal deadline
regarding the status of your proposal.
Submission proposals should be sent inline
in the mail, using the following subject format:
[ISSUE#][Proposal]<title of your article>
The mail content should include the following:
Proposed article title
The type of article being proposed (short
story, adventure, geographical location,
organization, etc...)
A one paragraph description of what the
article is about.
An estimated word count of the article
(articles should range anywhere from 1000
to 7000 words, depending on the type of
article submitted).
Manuscripts
Manuscripts should only be submitted after
you proposal has been accepted by the
Threshold editorial staff, and must be received
by the manuscript deadline. When submitting
a manuscript file, please use the following
naming convention:
threshold_#_your_title.<extension>
(extension: see below for recommended file
formats)
and the following subject format:
[ISSUE#][Manuscript]<title of your article>
The mail content should include the following:
The article title.
An attached document containing the
article contents.
The final word count of the article.
Other types of contributions: the editorial

team will consider on a case by case basis
other types of contributions. Please contact
us to inquire if and how we can accommodate
unusual contribution formats.
The following guidelines apply to different
types of submissions:
Illustrations: please submit art and maps in
lossless format (e.g., PNG).
Articles: manuscript submissions can be sent
by mail as plain text, doc(x) or odt, or shared
as Google Doc. The issue editor will create a
shared document (for each article) to allow
the author and editorial team to work on it.
Articles can be as short as a single page, or as
long as 6 pages, depending on the specific
content. The editorial team will do its best to
accommodate the contributions, but
especially long works may be split over
several issues.
Tables: Tables should be numbered (Table
X: Name of Table), and any references in the
article should refer to that table number (and
not to "the table below," for example).
Author Bios: Please include a short blurb (one
or two sentences) biography/blurb about
yourself for our "contributing authors"
section. It can be serious or silly, but don't
get too carried away with it, please.
Other types of contributions: the editorial
team will consider on a case by case basis
other types of contributions. Please contact
us to inquire if and how we can accommodate
unusual contribution formats.
Refer to Call for Contributions (page 5)
for next issue deadline dates.
#Insert relevant issue number in place of #
Issue #7
The Mystara Magazine
Exploring Norwold
Still lost in the Northlands? Do not worry, as this issue of Threshold
magazine features the most detailed description of Norwold and its
regions ever written for Mystara.
You will have the opportunity to learn more about Leeha and the
Skaufskogr, the southernmost region of Norwold, and will receive
a vital mission to defend the Dragon Kingdom of Wyrmsteeth from
the Heldann invasion.
You will also read about the terrible event of the great flood of
Grouzhina and will also discover more secrets of Koskatep, if
undead orcs do not eat you!
www.pandius.com
[email protected]

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#7

The Mystara Magazine

The seventh issue of Mystara's premier magazine continues our

Threshold: The Mystara Magazine is a non-commercial, fan-produced magazine. There is no

THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine

Midway through the North

The North is vast and full of secrets, but you

To complete this massive amount of material,

Another massive article by Zendrolion details

But our exploration of Norwold and the

Another Norwold region on which you will

Francesco Defferrari (Sturm)

Special thanks this issue to:

Shawn Stanley (stanles), Angel Tarragon

Threshold Editorial Team:

Thorfinn Tait (Thorf) - Editor Emeritus

This Issue s Contributors

This Issues Contributors

Simone Neri (Zendrolion) teaches history

JTR, (a.k.a. OldDawg) is the author of the

I. "Meandrathel" Calvin enjoys drawing

Even though Sturm (a.k.a. Francesco

Allan Palmer (aka AllanP) was first

Call for Contributors

The Threshold editorial team invites all fans

Articles about other topics are still

A Travellers Guide to Norwold

by Simone Neri (Zendrolion)

Welcome, dear traveller, to the untamed

And prepare to meet its inhabitants - oh no,

A Travellers Guide to Norwold

The Updated Norwold Map Used for this Article

The description of Norwold featured in this

5 - The shape of the north-western coastline

3 - The correct position of Norwold in

6 - The position of the Arctic Circle has been

A Travellers Guide to Norwold

10 - Despite point (4) above, a wide valley

X11 Saga of the Shadowlord, as well as

11 - Something resembling the Vinisk Valley

9 - Terrain types indicated for Norwold in

12 - Norwolds forests have been positioned

A Travellers Guide to Norwold

Climate and Weather

The climate of Norwold generally belongs to

15 - The Norwold region has received a

North of the Great Bay, climate turns

16 - The vast plain = empty hexes

North of the Landsplit River system and of

A Travellers Guide to Norwold

A Travellers Guide to Norwold

Mountains and of the Kithor Mountains that

area. The tundra is characterized by two

Mountains, Rivers, and Lakes

A Travellers Guide to Norwold

Diadem, and the Jagged Teeths are found to

south to the north the Lirovkas Alps, the

The fifth and last mountain system thus runs

The fourth system is the collection of several