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S K A A L H A F T A T A G L A N C E

Ruler:SvaadRuunGovernment:DynastyAlignments:LN,NPopulation:187(187humans)Notable Folk: Gremheks (Vaydmar’s Light), The Alchemist

(Wayhouse), The Poacher (Wayhouse), The Wizard(Wayhouse)

Languages:CommonResources&Industry:Alchemicalgood,rarecreatureparts

Skaalhaft is a whaling village, where the quarry are drakes,kraken and other magical aquatic beasts as well as moremundane prey. Each kill provides food and alchemical suppliesforweeks,bothforuse intheviillageandforprofitableexport.Whaling crews leave fordaysata time, returningwithakillorempty handed (or sometimes not at all). These warriors usespecializedtoolsandtechniquestotakeoncreaturesthatwouldslayfargreaterwarriors. Back in Skaalhaft, women and children work in a miasmicprocessingmill. Stone faced and silent, they separate valuablescales, blood andbone fromworthless refuse. Thebay is thickwithmutatedsharksfromtherunoffofsucharcanewaste. The citizens of Skaalhaft are strong, sombre and scarred,somemarkedwithglowingtattoos,carvedscrimshawnecklacesorstrangemagicgiftsfromthealchemicallychargedmealstheyconsume.While thevillage’smoodusuallymatches the stormygrey skies, a valuable kill is marked by raucous celebrationswhichcanlastmanydays. Sadly, mourning can be as frequent as celebration. Twomonthsago,oneofthevillage’sfourshipswentmissingatsea.SvaadRuunproclaimedthesoulsaboardlost,andamassfuneralisplanned.Thevillagedigsdeepintotheirtreasurytopurchaseanewshipevenasthelocalwitchinsiststhecrewstilllives.

Despite the insularatmosphere,strangersroam

thestreets.Atravelingwizardand alchemist, rich withgold from past misdeeds,make special requests ofthe whalers and pay theirhires well. An orphaneddaughter bent on revengeseeks her father’s killeramong the villagers. Andnow the PCs have

arrived…

V I L L A G E L O R E

A PC may know something about Skaalhaft, its history andsurrounds.APCmakingaDC10Intelligencecheckknowsoneormore pieces of information from the list below. A successfulcheckgainsalltheinformationrevealedbyalessercheck. DC10:The founderofSkaalhaftwas the legendarydragon-slayingheroVaydmar. DC 15: The blue light in the lighthouse is kept aflame byGremheksthewidowedwitch. DC20: At any given time, the stores beneath themill holdseveralthousandgoldpiecesworthofvaluableingredientsusedinvariousmagicalandalchemicalprocessesandrituals.

V I L L A G E R S

Appearance: Thevillagersare large,muscular,heavily tattooedand acid scarred. Their skin is pale, almost blue, but thickwithoutanysignofveins.Bothmenandwomeneithertietheirdarkhairinbraids,orcutitoffcompletely. Dress:Hereinthecold,thereislittledifferencebetweenthedressofmenandwomen.Villagerswearleatherandfurscraftedfrom both land and sea creatures alike.Manywearwhite andblackscrimshawnecklacesfromfamilialkills. Nomenclature: male Gunvor, Hakron, Magnor, Olvar,Ranghide,Torhyld;femaleFridys,Hyldys,Sigryd,Trygvin,Yngryd;familyBaas,Frys,Gurs,Mys,Ruun,Lyne,Ulf,Vyn.

W H I S P E R S & R U M O U R S

While in Skaalhaft, a PCmay hear one ormore rumours. A PCmaking a DC 10 Charisma check learns one rumour from thetable below. A PC exceeding this check learns an additionalrumourforeach5pointsbywhichheexceededDC10.

D6 RUMOUR

1* SvaadRuun, theburly chief, lost his arm fighting theblackkraken.(Hewasbornwithouthisrightarm).

2 Two of Skaalhaft’s wealthiest customers, theAlchemistandtheWizard,liveinthewayhouse.

3Late at night, the Poacher skulks around the villagespying on families in their homes. Patiencewith thisintruderwearsthin.

4 Gremheks of the lighthousebelieves shedeserves tobechief.Afterall,sheisadescendantofVaydmar.

5 TheAlchemistandWizarddisappearonenightandarenotseenattheWayhouseoranywhereinSkaalhaft.

6 Gremheks thinks the sailors aboard the lost shipBreakhelmarestillalive,butnonebelieveher.

*Falserumour

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N O T A B L E L O C A T I O N S A T A G L A N C E

Most of Skaalhaft comprises peasant homes. A few locations,however,areofinteresttoadventurers:

1. Black Room: Within the Wayhouse, the Wizard hasconstructedatinypocketdimensionforherdarkwork.Inside,she and the Alchemist store alchemical goods, piles of goldand their secret project. The pair use materials purchasedfrom Skaalhaft to slowly reconstruct and revivify their fallenleader:theantipaladinGreigard.

2. Blood Bay: All runoff from the mill flows into Blood Bay,chumming the water with foul arcane waste. Theoverwhelming smell attracts gigantic sharks that, over thecenturies, have grown misshapen with magical power. Eventheblacksandsandrocksarestainedwithacidandtheentireareasmellsofrottingfish.

3. Grey Mill: Within this massive warehouse, women andchildren process their kills. Drakes and other creatures aredivided into exportable products, which are stored in thebasementuntiltradersarrive.

4. House of Ruun: The house of Ruun is the ancestral homeofthe line of Skaalhaft chiefs. Here, the chief negotiates and

proclaims,usually to small groupsor individuals.Village-widemeetingsareexceedinglyrare.Thecurrentchief,aone-armedgiant of a man named Svaad Ruun, decrees with absoluteauthorityandlistensstonefacedtoanyconcerns.

5. Hunter’s Dock: Only ships which have killed a drake areallowed the honour of docking at this wooden pier. Untilrecently, thismeant four vessels docked here. However, theBreakhelmwasrecentlylostatsea,soonlytheSerpent,YgdrisandMoonbornremain.

6. Vaydmar’s Light: This craggy and misshapen lighthouse wasraisedoutof the rockby theheroVaydmar inancient times.Hisdecedentshavemanned iteversince,keepingthearcaneblue flame alight through storm and disaster. The witchGremhekslivesherenow,allaloneandsomewhatsenile.

7. Wayhouse:TheAlchemist,WizardandPoacherallstaywithinthe Wayhouse’s crumbling walls. The Alchemist and Wizardlive together and in relative comfort, while the Poacherrestlesslyprowlsthevillage.Theirtruemotivesremainuncleartothevillagers,buttheirgoldisgood.