The Vikings

Viking Culture - Mythology - New Spells - New Magic Items - Gods of the Norse - Norse Heroes - Norse Monsters

The Norse strike southward from their cold homeland in seaborne attacks that are as brutal and ferocious as they are unpredictable and fast.  Fierce beasts carved on their prows, a flotilla of longships filled with greedy and murderous warriors simply appears out of the morning mists. By nightfall, the town is burning, many of its inhabitants slain, and the raiders gone.  The ferocious attacks have become so common that most people view them as divine retribution for society’s sins. The fierce Viking marauders raid locations as far apart as Constantinople and York, the have overwhelmed cities as powerful as Paris and London, and burned towns like Aachen and Cologne.

To the common man, it must seem like these fair-haired killers call no place but the sea their home. That is not the case, however. They inhabit much the cold, bleak lands of Midgard.  The interior landscape consists of rugged, craggy mountains that makes travel difficult and agriculture all but impossible. Therefore, most Viking villages are located near the coast, where deep fjords offer protection from the harsh winter and shelter for fishing boats. Wherever they can find suitable land, they established farms, and there is an abundant supply of game for fresh meat. Their homeland is rich in natural resources: ivory, pelts, wood, and all of the essential items.

Without their legendary longboats, however, the Vikings might have remained little more than bothersome barbarians from the north. The longboat was a shallow-drafted galley equally capable of sailing the high seas or a relatively shallow river. A typical model was 70 feet long and 16 feet at the beam. It can carry up to 100 men who can man up to 30 oars. The vessel makes 10 knots under its single square sail, and is sturdy enough to make stormy ocean crossings. At the same time, it is light enough to dragged overland for short distances, and maneuverable enough to slip past shore defenses. It is not surprising that they often lavished the best of their spirited art on these marvelous boats, carving the heads of majestic dragons or wild beasts upon the prows.

The Vikings use these longboats for more than just hit and run raids. They are aggressive merchants, trading ivory, furs, and amber for silk, spices, glass, slaves, and other goods in mercantile centers as far away as Aegyptus. The Norsemen, as they are called, have also established colonies in Hibernia, Tears of Thor, Gallia, and other European areas.

 

Viking Culture

 

As fierce as they are, the Vikings are more than mere barbarians.  Although they live in villages scattered along the entire length of the Midgard shoreline, they share many traits that mark them as belonging to a common culture.

For most Vikings, life follows a simple pattern. After the snows melt in the spring, they prepare their fields and plant their crops. If the household is a wealthy one, this is done with the aid of the family slaves. Then the men turn their attention to the sea and go raiding, trading, or fishing while their young and women stay at home to tend the crops and herds. In the fall, the men who have gone to trade or raid return home, hopefully laden with treasure. After the crop is harvested and the snows came, they turn their attention to hunting and taking pelts, either for clothing or trading. Although there are certainly many variations on this basic pattern, the lifestyles of most Vikings no doubt follows the same seasonal patterns and incorporates the same elements of constant outdoor adventure.

Considering this lifestyle, it is no wonder that the Norse have a well-developed spirit of self-reliance and independence.  Although they acknowledge the classes of king, nobleman, freeman, and slave, they are fiercely individualistic and firmly maintain that all Norsemen are equal. It is not uncommon for a group of Vikings to demonstrate this essential truth by drowning or killing a king they no longer wish to follow.

Family ties are of great importance to the Vikings. The family is a large unit of kinsmen, including uncles, brothers, and kinsmen. It stands together in all things, and to attack one member of it is to attack the entire family. In the reverse, if one member of family commits a social transgression, the consequences often fall on the entire family. For instance, if a dwarf kills someone, the killer’s cousins might be called upon to pay blood-money to the victim’s family.

As the example above suggests, the Vikings have an elaborate code of laws. This code allows for divorce, property holding among women as well as men, orderly inheritance, mutual obligations between chieftain and follower, and all of the other relationships necessary to the orderly functioning of a society. Generally speaking, in their legal code Vikings respect honesty, loyalty, honor, generosity, and individual freedom. Outside of the legal code, they also admire warlike prowess, hardihood, and courage. Notably lacking in their legal code or personal value system is any concept of mercy.

The lack of compassion among the Norsemen is a function of their outlook on life, which seems as bleak and cold as the climate of their native land. Although they believe in a blissful after-world, Valhalla is a realm for warriors, and the only way to gain entrance is to die courageously in battle. Here, warriors spend their days fighting and their evenings feasting. Even then, the refuge offered by Valhalla is a temporary one. All the men and gods are doomed to vanish in Ragnarok, a final, terrible battle in which all the gods and dwarves are destined to perish. In the face of such certain doom, the only noble response is to fight honorably as best one could, and to take what pleasure is available in life.

Skalds

The Skalds are the bards and poets of the nation, a very important class of men in all communities. They are the depositaries of whatever historic lore there is, and it is their office to mingle something of intellectual gratification with the rude feasts of the warriors, by rehearsing, with such accompaniments of poetry and music as their skill can afford, the exploits of their heroes living or dead. The compositions of the Skalds are called Sagas.

 

Mythology

 

According to Norse mythology, at first there was only a great void. To the north of the void was a region of mist and ice, Nifleheim, and to the south a region of fire, Muspellheim. Where the two realms met, the heat melted the ice and formed a great frost giant, Ymir. He created a race of giants and, from glacial ice, a cow to feed them.

The cow was fed on briny ice, and, as she licked the ice, she uncovered a being name Buri. Upon being uncovered, Buri immediately produced a son, Bor, who had three godly sons, Odin, Vili, and Ve. As soon as the giants became aware of the gods, they started a war, which was ended when the three gods killed Ymir. After killing Ymir, Odin and his brothers made the earth from the frost giant’s body and the vault of the heavens from his skull. From the maggots in Ymir’s body, they created dwarves.

This done, Odin and his brothers created the home of the gods, Asgard, in the plane of Gladsheim. Then Odin created more gods, the Aesir, to populate Asgard. Another group of gods, the Vanir, appeared either shortly before or after the Aesir. Their origins are rather mysterious, but they seem to have populated Vanaheim, a land close to Asgard. For a time, a terrible war raged between the Aesir and the Vanir. A peace was finally arranged when the two groups agreed to exchange hostages. The Vanir sent Niord, Frey, and Freya to live with the Aesir, and the Aesir sent Hoenir and Mimir to live with the Vanir.

The entire plane of Gladsheim is inside by a giant ash tree, Yggdrasil. Its roots extend to Nifleheim (now a frozen netherworld), Jotunheim (home of the giants), Midgard (earth), and Asgard itself. The Midgard serpent surrounds the earth, devouring anyone who attempts to pass out of Midgard. Another giant serpent, Nidhogg, gnaws at the roots of the tree. When he finally kills the tree, at the end of time, the entire structure will collapse.

As Nidhogg gnaws away the last root of Yggdrasil, the giants and their allies will rise up against the gods. In a terrible battle called Ragnarok, they will defeat Odin, the other gods, and all the great warriors who have been living in Odin’s hall of Valhalla. At this point, Yggdrasil will collapse and the cosmos will come to an end.

Valhalla is the great hall of Odin, wherein he feasts with his chosen heroes, all those who have fallen bravely in battle, for all who die a peaceful death are excluded. The flesh of the boar Schrimnir is served up to them, and is abundant for all. For although this boar is cooked every morning, he becomes whole again every night. For drink the heroes are supplied abundantly with mead from the she-goat Heidrum. When the heroes are not feasting they amuse themselves with fighting. Every day they ride out into the court or field and fight until they cut each other in pieces. This is their pastime; but when mealtime comes they recover from their wounds and return to feast in Valhalla.

 

New Spells

 

Berserk (Enchantment/Charm)

When a berserk spell is cast upon a group of warriors, they change into the shapes of bears, although they retain the hands and eyes of men and continue to wield weapons. In this state, they lose all fear of death and enter a killing rage. They must attack any enemy they see and cannot be given any orders. Thus, any hope of coordinating an attack is completely lost. Due to their blind rage, they suffer a -4 modifier on skill checks involving Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.

During the duration of the berserk spell, the warriors are immune to the following clerical spells: charm person or mammal, all spells in the charm sphere, protection from evil, protection from evil, 10’ radius, and dispel evil. They are also immune to the following Wizard spells: protection from evil, protection from evil, 10’ radius, repulsion, all spells in the enchantment/charm school, and all spells in the illusion/phantasm school. In addition, they receive a + 2 modifier on all saving throws versus magic spells.

While under the influence of a berserk spell, the warriors receive a +4 adjustment to their Strength score, with the accompanying modifiers to their attack and damage rolls, and their AC is modified by a + 2 (so that, for example, AC 14 becomes AC 16). A berserk spell prevents the warriors from having to make a morale check, and renders them immune to fire damage.

Warriors who die while under the influence of a berserk spell are assured of a place in Valhalla. This spell can only be cast on fighters, and only if they are willing recipients.

 

New Magic Items

 

Sword of the Giants

When Beowulf followed Grendel’s mother into her watery lair, he found his own sword would not injure her. Fortunately, the glowing sword of the giants happened to be hanging on the wall where he could seize it. This sword accomplished what his own could not, and he slew the fierce ogress. It is not known what later became of the sword.

The sword of the giants is a vorpal sword +5 that glows with a constant golden light. In addition, it acts as a ring of free action and allows its possessor to breathe water.

 

Sword of Odin

During a banquet one day, a mysterious stranger (Odin in disguise) brought this gleaming sword to the Volsung’s hall and plunged it into a living tree, saying that whoever could remove it could have it. Only the hero Sigmund could pull it free. He later used it to avenge a terrible wrong done to his family, then passed it on to his son, Sigurd. Sigurd made good use of the weapon, using it to slay the dragon Fafnir and rescue the Valerie Brynhild from her imprisonment in a ring of fire. Unfortunately, the sword seems to have been lost after Sigurd’s death.

 

The sword of Odin is a dragon slayer, forged by the dwarfs of Asgard for the purpose of slaying red dragons. While the sword is normally a +3 weapon, against these terrible beasts it becomes a +5 weapon and does triple damage. The sword of Odin also shields its bearer against fire damage, whether normal or magical. It can only be wielded by one of lawful good alignment.

 

Gods of the Norse

 

Odin

Often referred to as the “All-Father,” Odin (sometimes called “Woden,” “Othinn,” or “Votan”) is the leader and creator of the Norse pantheon. Along with his brothers, Vili and Ve, he slew the great frost giant Ymir and made the earth out of the giant’s body. He also, directly or indirectly, fathered most of the Norse gods. Odin’s first concern is battle, but he is also the god of knowledge, wisdom, poetry, and inspiration.

Odin has many powers. When sitting on his throne in the hall Valaskialf, Odin can see anything happening anywhere.

Unlike most greater gods, Odin cannot raise the dead, and can himself be killed (but only during Ragnarok). Healing anyone forces him into a deep sleep for 1d10 days. Odin rarely uses this healing power, as Loki has demonstrated a great propensity for causing trouble when Odin is indisposed.

In his true form, Odin appears to be a man of about fifty with a patch over one eye (he traded the missing eye for a draft from the Well of Knowledge). He has a bald head and a long gray beard, and usually wears a gray tunic beneath a hooded cloak of blue. Two old wolves often accompany him and two ravens, which perch on his shoulder.

Heroic, proud, and stern, Odin resembles the typical Norse chieftain in temperament and outlook. He is primarily concerned with power — his own in Asgard, and that of his worshipers in Midgard. Only two things will make Odin angry with a worshiper: helping a giant or losing a battle.

Asgard consists of golden and silver palaces, the dwellings of the gods, but the most beautiful of these is Valhalla, the residence of Odin. When seated on his throne he overlooks all heaven and earth. Upon his shoulders are the ravens Hugin and Munin, who fly every day over the whole world, and on their return report to him all they have seen and heard. At his feet lie his two wolves, Geri and Freki, to whom Odin gives all the meat that is set before him, for he himself stands in no need of food. Mead is for him both food and drink. He invented the Runic characters, and it is the business of the Norns to engrave the runes of fate upon a metal shield. From Odin’s name, spelt Woden, as it sometimes is, came Wednesday, the name of the fourth day of the week.

Duties of the Priesthood

To be a priest of Odin, one must be a chieftain of a tribe. Odin’s priests must like fighting. In addition, they must be good tacticians and leaders of men. They must always be in the front lines during battle.

 

Frigga

Frigga is the goddess of the clouds, sky, married love, and wives. In her role as goddess of married love, she is sometimes prayed to for fertility. Frigga is the second but principal wife of Odin, being the mother of Balder, Hoder, Hermod, and Tyr. She can foretell the future, and has the power to control all forms of weather, to view any area that has a breeze blowing through it, to assume the form of any flying animal, to spin flax into gold, and to make any husband fall madly and permanently in love with his wife. In her true form, she is a mature woman of great beauty.

Though permitted to share the throne with Odin, Frigga spends most of her time in her house, Fensalir, spinning golden thread or weaving multicolored clouds. She often sends her avatar to attend to the welfare of mortal wives, either taking vengeance on cruel husbands or assuring deserving worshipers of a blissful marriage. Her wishes often conflict with those of her warrior husband, and she will not hesitate to resort to trickery to get her own way.

Frigga is a beautiful, somewhat matronly woman. She can call upon any school of magic for her spells.

Duties of the Priesthood

Priests of Frigga must be married women. They are expected to watch over their home and set a good example for other wives by not letting their husbands stray too far out of the marital fold. If the husband of a priestess of Frigga practices the common Norse custom of taking a second wife, the priestess must divorce him immediately. They must also serve as midwives.

 

Thor

Thor, the thunderer, Odin’s eldest son, is the strongest of gods and men, and possesses three very precious things. The first is a hammer, which both the Frost and the Mountain giants know to their cost, when they see it hurled against them in the air, for it has split many a skull of their fathers and kindred. When thrown, it returns to his hand of its own accord. The second rare thing he possesses is called the belt of strength. When he girds it about him his divine might is doubled. The third, also very precious, is his iron gloves, which he puts on whenever he would use his mallet efficiently. From Thor’s name is derived our word Thursday.

Once upon a time it happened that Thor’s hammer fell into the possession of the giant Thrym, who buried it eight fathoms deep under the rocks of Jotunheim. Thor sent Loki to negotiate with Thrym, but he could only prevail so far as to get the giant’s promise to restore the weapon if Freya would consent to be his bride. Loki returned and reported the result of his mission, but the goddess of love was quite horrified at the idea of bestowing her charms on the king of the Frost giants. In this emergency Loki persuaded Thor to dress himself in Freya’s clothes and accompany him to Jotunheim. Thrym received his veiled bride with due courtesy, but was greatly surprised at seeing her eat for her supper eight salmons and a full grown ox, besides other delicacies, washing the whole down with three tuns of mead. Loki, however, assured him that she had not tasted anything for eight long nights, so great was her desire to see her lover, the renowned ruler of Jotunheim. Thrym had at length the curiosity to peep under his bride’s veil, but started back in affright and demanded why Freya’s eyeballs glistened with fire. Loki repeated the same excuse and the giant was satisfied. He ordered the hammer to be brought in and laid on the maiden’s lap. Thereupon Thor threw off his disguise, grasped his redoubted weapon, and slaughtered Thrym and all his followers.

Duties of the Priesthood

Priests of Thor must be brave, friendly, and honest. They may never back down from a challenge unless it is made simply to force them into certain death.

 

Sif

Sif is the goddess of excellence and skill, as well as being a superb warrior-woman. Married to Thor, she is also the embodiment of conjugal fidelity. Loki once played a cruel trick on her by cutting off all of her beautiful golden hair. When Sif’s angry husband came to take revenge, Loki was forced to replace the hair with locks of real gold, which grew just like true hair. This hair had been crafted by a pair of clever dwarves who, flushed with their success, went on to create many other wondrous items, such as Thor’s hammer Mjolnir, Odin’s spear Gungnir, and his ring Draupnir.

Sif has the power to raise any character one level. She seldom does this, however, and will never grant this boon to an individual more than once in their life. In her true form, Sif is slender woman of great beauty. She has locks of pure gold, and often carries a long sword with her.

Sif looks after young warriors and all those dedicated to excellence in their pursuits. When such an individual is in dire need of aid, there is a 1% chance per level that she will send help.

Duties of the Priesthood

Priests of Sif must be dedicated to excellence in all things. If they are married, they must always behave within the boundaries of the conjugal relationship.

 

Aegir

Although more closely related to the giants than either the Aesir or the Vanir, Aegir is the god of the ocean and personification of its strength for good or ill. He lives in a great castle on the bottom of the ocean with his wife, Ran, and their nine daughters. Aegir is sometimes called “Alebrewer” because he often throws feasts for his friends, the Aesir. Aegir has the power to create or quell storms at sea. In his true form, he is a giant standing sixty feet tall. He has a long gray beard, and carries a tree-sized club carved in the shape of a maiden.

The only predictable thing about Aegir is that if ship captains don’t offer a valuable sacrifice to him when beginning a voyage, they are certain to feel his wrath. When he decides to sink a ship, he often sends his minions to smash it to bits. Other times, he simply destroys it with a terrible storm. He looks with favor upon raiders and pirates. If such men make the proper sacrifices to him, Aegir is 10% likely to aid them with favorable winds, or to conceal their approach with a storm or fog.

Aegir appears as a burly old man with a crazed expression.

Duties of the Priesthood

To be a priest of Aegir, a man must be a ship captain. Such men are usually stout warriors who worship Aegir and have been granted a few clerical powers on the side.

 

Baldur

The son of Frigga, Baldur is the god of beauty and charisma. He is also a warrior of considerable skill, and is as wise as he is handsome. He often serves as the patron of sages. As a young god, Baldur had dreams of doom, so his mother extracted promises from all things not to injure him, overlooking only mistletoe. The gods take great delight in his resulting invulnerability, and often make contests of bouncing axes and spears off his chest. Unfortunately, Loki plans to kill Baldur one day with a spear made of mistletoe. Baldur has the power to increase the Charisma of any being to 18.

Despite his attractiveness, Baldur is not a vain god. He is loyal to Odin and the other Aesir, and never fails to fulfill his obligations to them. When an ugly man or woman demonstrates his worth by performing a self-sacrificing deed of great importance, Baldur often rewards the individual by increasing his or her Charisma to 18. Omens from Baldur are usually delivered by a handsome or beautiful member of the opposite sex.

Baldur takes the form of an incredibly handsome fighter. He can call upon any school of magic for his spells. More often than not, he is followed by an entourage of several hundred women.

Duties of the Priesthood

Although priests of Baldur must themselves be extremely handsome or beautiful, they are expected to treat the less fortunate with compassion and kindness.

 

Bragi

Bragi is the god of poetry and song. The son of Odin and Gunlod, Bragi was born in a stalactite-hung cave, put aboard a boat made by the dwarves, presented with a magic golden harp, and set adrift. As the boat floated out of the cavern, Bragi took the harp and began to play the song of life. With his song, he has the power to make plants grow and bloom, and to charm any animal into doing his will. In his true form, Bragi resembles an old, white-bearded man with a sparkle in his eye.

Whenever people sing or recite poetry, they are worshipping Bragi. Since this is a favorite pastime in almost every hall, Bragi never lacks worshipers. He is a special friend to bards, often revealing to them the location of secret treasures. Most often, this revelation occurs as a sudden insight while the bard is singing before a large crowd. If the bard interrupts his song, however, he immediately forgets the location of the treasure.

Duties of the Priesthood

Most often, the village storyteller is a priest of Bragi. It is his duty to preserve knowledge of the gods and the past, passing it from generation to generation through heroic ballads and poems.

 

Forseti

The wisest and most eloquent of the Aesir, Forseti serves as the god of justice and the arbiter of divine disputes. No one has ever found fault with one of his decisions, and Odin often calls upon him to decide matters in which the chieftain of the gods feels he cannot be impartial. Forseti lives in Asgard in a radiant palace called Glitnir. Forseti knows when a lie is spoken anywhere in Gladsheim and has the power to make any mortal anywhere speak the truth, whether the individual wishes to or not. In his true form, Forseti is a handsome man dressed in a tunic of gold and breeches of silver.

Forseti is most concerned with justice and truth. Whenever a body of men gathers to make laws, there is a chance that Forseti will come to aid them.

Forseti takes the form of an ordinary looking man, save that he seems unusually calm and sure of himself.

Duties of the Priesthood

Forseti’s priests often serve as advisors to their chieftains, and are sometimes entrusted with full authority to administer the law. They must always be fair and consistent in their advice or decisions, avoiding any temptation to use their positions to further their own interests.

Frey

Frey is one of the most celebrated of the gods. She presides over rain and sunshine and all the fruits of the earth. His sister Freya is the most propitious of the goddesses. She loves music, spring, and flowers, and is particularly fond of the Fairies. She is very fond of love ditties, and all lovers would do well to invoke her.

Duties of the Priesthood

Priests of Frey are expected to do what they can to keep the peace. They are also called upon to perform marriage rites.

 

Freya

Freya is the goddess of love, unbridled passion, and human fertility. Like her twin brother, Frey, she is one of the Vanir sent to guarantee peace with the Aesir. In the sense that passion is a hot, consuming emotion, she is also associated with fire. She is the patroness of a type of magic called “seithr,” in which the sorceress enters a trance in order to answer questions about the future. As the goddess of fertility, Freya also looks after women in labor. She has the power to kindle passion in any being, to control fires anywhere on Midgard, to see the future, to bless any woman with a child, and to alleviate pain and injury. Freya also has a beautiful fur-lined cloak that allows her to turn into a falcon. In her true form, Freya is a voluptuous woman of entrancing beauty.

Freya is a rather vain goddess who enjoys flattery-though she is far from foolish enough to believe it. She is not above using her looks to acquire what she wants, such as her priceless necklace, Brisingamen.

Duties of the Priesthood

Priestesses of Freya are all “seithr,” itinerant women who travel the countryside telling fortunes. These women are seldom welcomed into a village by wives. They have the ability to change themselves into horses, in which state they have been known to commit acts against the law for human beings.

 

Heimdall

Heimdall is the watchman of the gods, and is therefore placed on the borders of heaven to prevent the giants from forcing their way over the bridge Bifrost (the rainbow). He requires less sleep than a bird, and sees by night as well as by day a hundred miles around him. So acute is his ear that no sound escapes him, for he can even hear the grass grow and the wool on a sheep’s back.

Duties of the Priesthood

Priests of Heimdall serve as guards for kings and other powerful men. They are expected to be unswerving in their duty, and must never allow someone to pass a post under their guard without their master’s permission. Heimdall’s priests hold bridges sacred and must avenge any act that destroys one.

 

Hel

Hel is the daughter of Loki and the goddess of death. She receives the spirits of those who die by diseases and old age, locking them behind the impregnable walls and gates of Nifleheim, the land of mists. Located beneath the roots of Yggdrasil, Nifleheim is not a realm of eternal punishment. Nevertheless, it is not a pleasant place, either. It is a land of eternal cold, mist, and darkness.

Hel can cause plagues and pestilence upon Midgard with a wave of her hand. Any mortal looking upon her face falls ill, suffering a permanent loss of 5 hit points per round until a cure disease spell is cast on them. Even after the cure, the victim never recovers the lost hit points. In her true form, Hel is a statuesque woman completely white on the left side of her body and black on the right side. The white side of her face has no features.

Hel is a grim and fierce goddess, mercilessly striking down those who offend her. Occasionally, she finds a mortal man attractive and will summon him.

Duties of the Priesthood

All priests of Hel must be women. Those of good alignment generally devote themselves to placating the goddess for the good of their village. Those of evil alignment use their powers for the acquisition of personal power. Both alignments are called upon to supervise the burial or cremation of the dead.

 

Idun

Idun is the goddess of spring. She is married to Bragi, the god of poetry and song. Idun is also the goddess of youth, and the keeper of the golden apples, which keep the gods of Asgard young. The body of anyone eating one of these apples becomes 10 years younger. Of course, Idun and her apples are coveted by races other than the Aesir, and the giants are constantly trying to kidnap her. Idun has the power to slow or reverse the aging process in any being, or to awaken any dormant or sleeping thing. In her true form, she is a youthful woman of great beauty.

Idun is a cheerful and friendly goddess who takes great delight in seeing things grow and remain healthy. She is extremely conscientious about making sure that every god eats one of her apples every ten years. Idun is especially protective of young girls.

Duties of the Priesthood

Only girls who dedicate themselves to Idun at a young age may become her priestesses. Their duties revolve around caring for orphans and blessing the spring planting.

 

Loki

Loki is the god of mischief and strife. A sly, vengeful trickster who is always causing trouble among the gods, he is tolerated in Asgard only because of the great services he has performed in the past, such as helping to create Midgard and the wall guarding Asgard. Loki has the power to change his shape into anything. If any being, including other gods, look at Loki for more than three rounds, he can exert his influence over them in the form of a suggestion spell with no saving throw. He also wears a pair of boots that allow him to walk on water, fly, and run. In his true form, Loki is a handsome young man who is always dressed in some combination of red and black.

As the god of mischief and strife, Loki is one of the most active and unpleasant of gods. Yet, there is also an attractive side to his personality: he is handsome, sociable, and has a good sense of humor. Loki is one of the few gods who is at home with giants and dwarves, and often turns to them for help in his schemes. He is invariably in some sort of trouble with his fellows and will not hesitate to turn to his worshipers for help in extracting himself. Omens from Loki usually come in the form of an illusion.

Duties of the Priesthood

In order to collect a large gathering of followers, Loki is rather loose in his requirements and generous in his gifts. Priests of Loki may be of any alignment except lawful, and are not required to perform any services except those occasionally demanded by the god himself. When a priest prays to Loki for some personal gain, there is a 1% chance per level that Loki will help the priest (but never more than three times in a lifetime).

 

Tyr

Tyr is the god of the sword and courage, and watches over battles with as much interest as Odin himself. He is also the godly law enforcer, using his impressive swordsmanship to uphold order.

Tyr has only one hand, for he lost the other in the service of his fellow gods. The mighty Fenris wolf was savaging much of Asgard, and the gods were unable to stop him until the dwarves forged a golden leash capable of holding the beast. The gods bet the wolf that he could not break the leash. The suspicious wolf would not agree to the contest unless one of the gods put a hand in his mouth to guarantee his release if the leash could not be broken. The fearless Tyr complied without hesitation, and lost his hand when the wolf realized he was trapped.

Try has the power to see invisible objects and to recognize any thief within his sight. In his true form, he is a bearded, fierce-looking warrior missing one hand.

As the god of swords, Tyr watches over the Valkyries and makes sure that they bring only the most valiant of mortal heroes to Valhalla. He is also the patron of courageous warriors. There is a 10% chance that he will grant an extra level to any hero of good alignment who risks his life by fighting a giant without help. He sometimes will punish extraordinary crimes, such as the murder of a king or the theft of a kingdom’s most precious treasure. Criminals surviving such an encounter need never fear retribution from Tyr again, however, for he admires courage and skill even more than he does the law.

Duties of the Priesthood

Tyr’s priests usually serve as a kingdom’s law enforcement officers. They are often dual class fighter/priests.

 

Norns

Although lesser goddesses, the Norns possess the most important power in Gladheim: they are the ones who dictate the fate of the newborn — for both men and gods alike. There are three Nnorns, all of whom are female. Urd embodies the past, Verdandi the present, and Skuld the future. Once they have decreed a being’s fate, no force in the universe can alter their decision. Of course, the Norns can see all things in the past, present, and future, but they employ these powers only among themselves or to answer questions of slight import for very large fees. They also have the power to assume any form they wish. In their true forms, Urd is a giantess, Verdandi a beautiful female elf, and Skuld a handsome female dwarf.

When a child is born, the Norns always appear, disguised as some combination of three animals, and pass their judgment on the baby’s fate. If the parents recognize them and offer all three great gifts, the Norns will be persuaded to dictate a great future for the child. This is an extremely hazardous undertaking, however. If the parents do not give gifts of equal value to the Norns, or happen to miss one by offering her gift to a mundane animal, the offended Norn will grow jealous and turn the gifts of her peers into a curse.

Duties of the Priesthood

The Norns do not support a clerical order.

 

Thrym

Thrym is both the lord and deity of the frost giants. He can plunge any part of Midgard into a state of extreme cold. Like all giants, Thrym hates the Aesir and is anxiously awaiting Ragnarok. He will lend his aid to any plan that troubles the Aesir. Thrym often grants the frost giants of Midgard the ability to use arcane magic.

Duties of the Priesthood

All frost giant shamans worship Thrym.

Surtr

Surtr is both the lord and deity of the fire giants. He can control any fire in Midgard. Surtr resembles an immense fire giant, with crackling flames for hair and eyebrows.

Like all giants, Surtr hates the Aesir and is anxiously awaiting Ragnarok. He will lend his aid to any plan that troubles the Aesir.

Duties of the Priesthood

All fire giant shamans worship Surtr.

 

Valkyrior

The Valkyrior are warlike virgins, mounted upon horses and armed with helmets and spears. Odin, who is desirous to collect a great many heroes in Valhalla, to be able to meet the giants in a day when the final contest must come, sends down to every battle-field to make choice of those who shall be slain. The Valkyrior are his messengers, and their name means “Choosers of the slain.” When they ride forth on their errand, their armor sheds a strange flickering light, which flashes up over the skies.

Duties of the Priesthood

Priests of the Valkyrior must be attractive, blond-haired women. These priestesses are always female fighters rather than clerics, though the Valkyrior are permitted to grant them limited spell use.

 

Norse Heroes

 Fjalar

In Norse mythology there are two races of Dwarves, the Durin and the Modsognor. They are similar in many ways, their chief difference being in the type of magic they create and to whom the give it. The Durin create magic weapons and will trade them to the Aesir or frost giants with equal relish. The Modsognor create magic items of a nonviolent nature and will only give them to the Aesir. Fjalar is the battle leader of the Durin dwarves.

Fjalar often defends his fellows against the fire giants, who prefer not to pay for their magic items and often try to steal them instead.

 

Skirnir

Despite Skirnir’s skill in battle, he is a peace-loving man who always looks for a nonviolent solution before drawing his mighty sword. Frey was so impressed by Skirnir’s dedication to peace that the god brought Skirnir to Asgard and made him his shield man.

Skirnir is totally dedicated to Frey. Once, when Frey was struck with love for the giantess Gerda, Frey won her hand for his master by threatening to turn the giantess into an old maid.

Sigurd

Sigurd was the son of Sigmund, the first wielder of Odin’s sword. After his father died, Sigurd found the two pieces of Odin’s sword and convinced the Durin Dwarves to forge it back together. He engaged in a great many adventures, including the awakening of the sleeping Valkyrie, Brynhild, and slaying the dragon Fafnir.

Beowulf

Beowulf was a great hero of the Geats who killed the monster, Grendel, who had been terrorizing the mead hall of King Hrothgar of Denmark. He also had to kill Grendel’s mother, which is how he came to hold the sword of the giants.

 

Norse Monsters

 

Fafnir

Fafnir was the son of the dwarf king Hreidmar. He killed his father for the king’s treasure, then ran off and hid so he wouldn’t have to share it with his brother Regin. Because of how he had acquired the treasure, he received no joy from it. After decades of brooding, he eventually turned into a red dragon — save that he had no wings and could not fly, and lacked the ability to cast most spells.

Garm

Garm is a huge dog with a disproportionately large head. He guards the entrance to the cavern Gniper, where Helvig, the long and troublesome road to Nifleheim, begins. Garm will allow any being to enter Gniper, but will not willingly allow them to leave.  When his mistress, Hel, is out collecting the dead and Helvig is closed, Garm is allowed to roam freely.

Fenris Wolf

This huge wolf is the offspring of Loki and a giantess, Angur-boda. Due to an agreement among the gods not to slay each other’s offspring, the wolf cannot be killed. He is so strong that he can easily break any chain placed around his neck. He wandered Asgard free for many years before the dwarves finally forged a leash he could not break. Forged from the roots of a mountain, the noise of a moving cat, and the breath of a fish, this golden leash is no thicker than a strand of silk, yet it is completely unbreakable.  Every now and then, however, the Fenris wolf slips his chain and travels to Midgard in pursuit of prey. Men often know when this has happened, for it is a time of terrible omens when the gods walk the land in search of the terrible beast.  According to the Norns, the Fenris wolf will devour Odin during Ragnarok.

Fossergrim

Fossergrim resemble normal men, save that they live in waterfalls and are never found more than a mile away from the one which they inhabit. They mate with women who come to bathe in the pools near their waterfall, and have been known to abduct innocent maidens when no willing partner comes to their pool.

If the offspring of a Fossergrim and a woman is female, the child is human in all respects, save that she can breathe water. If the child is male, he appears normal for 5d10 years, and is then overcome by an uncontrollable urge to find a waterfall of his own. Any being touching a Fossergrim can breathe water until contact is broken.

The Elves

The white spirits, or Elves of Light, are exceedingly fair, more brilliant than the sun, and clad in garments of a delicate and transparent texture. They love the light, are kindly disposed to mankind, and generally appeared as fair and lovely children. Their country is called Alfheim, and is the domain of Freyr, the god of the sun, in whose light they are always sporting. 

The Black or Night Elves are a different kind of creatures. Ugly, long-nosed dwarfs, of a dirty brown color, they appear only at night, for they avoid the sun as their most deadly enemy, because whenever its beams fall upon any of them they change immediately into stones. Their language is the echo of solitude, and their dwelling-places subterranean caves and clefts. They came into existence as maggots produced by the decaying flesh of Ymir’s body, and were afterwards endowed by the gods with a human form and great understanding. They are particularly distinguished for knowledge of the mysterious powers of nature, and for the runes, which they carve. They are the most skilful artificers of all created beings, and worked in metals and in wood. Among their most noted works were Thor’s hammer, and the ship “Skidbladnir,” which they gave to Freyr, and which was so large that it could contain all the deities with their war and household implements, but so skillfully was it wrought that when folded together it could be put into a side pocket.