Based on work by Howard Phillips Lovecraft

Cover and logos

Peter Frain

Interior artwork
Victor Koroyedov, Dave Allsop, Floyd Thompson III. Some artwork ©
2015 Dean Spencer, used with permission. All rights reserved.

Cartography
Glynn Seal, Garnett Elliott

Writing and layout

Garnett Elliott

Wyrd Sails and The Sea Bride © 2021 Garnett Elliott

Everywhen © Filigree Forge
Barbarians of Lemuria © Simon Washbourne
 Velkommen!
This is a free preview for Wyrd Sails, a setting book using the rules-lite, cinematic Everywhen system, based
on Simon Washbourne’s Barbarians of Lemuria. Herein you’ll find setting information, pre-gens, an initial
adventure, sample spells (‘Wyrd Runes’), and a character sheet. The full book contains much more, of
course, with new boons and flaws, Norse careers, Bestiary, Equipment, Genre Rules, and Magic chapters,
as well as several adventures. The complete setting book will be available early 2022, in both POD and PDF
formats.

The Everywhen core system is available here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/249193/Everywhen

Also, a free quickstart adventure, The Fomorian, is available here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/
product/369122/The-Fomorian
“Harken, you who would win fame through sword-deeds!”

The Dane reaver, Yngvarr Red Gloves, curls his hands towards the polar night.
He’s earned his name the hard way, the skin stripped from those clawed
fingers years ago. The pain of gripping spear-haft or tiller must be maddening,
but Yngvarr’s hollowed eyes are shorn of reason.
He nods towards the beach, where black water laps. “We’ve all heard the
rumblings beneath the wave-fields. We’ve seen, or smelled, the new islands
thrown up from the ocean’s belly, covered in her stinking bile. Some say these
are portents of End Times. That Yggdrasil trembles as its roots give way, and
the crone-priests of Ymir whimper dooms in the night. But I say we’ve been
granted a gift.”
He tugs up the sleeve of his tunic. Around his scarred bicep gleams a pale
gold serpent; an armlet fit for a jarl. Though beautiful, something about the
piece seems wrong—its twists and curves would defy even the craftsmen of
Miklagard. The hopefuls gathered suck in their breaths.
“Aye, and this is but a trifle. I’ve seen hoards heaped in the caverns of the
Sea Things. Soft, flabby creatures, fit only to wet a spear’s edge.” He turns to
gesture inland, towards hills of barren tundra. “Now winter bares her teeth.
Would you spend the days in your sod huts, starving by a peat fire? Tomorrow
I sail through the Maelstrom beyond the black rocks, to the fathomless oceans
of Nilfheim. By Hel’s bad side, I can promise an axe-quenching! Who’s with
me? Who would go a Viking with Yngvarr?”
Hoarse cries, as youth and the desperate pledge their lives for sea-filmed
gold. In omen the bivrost shimmers above, its weird radiance weaving shapes
beyond the kenning of men.
 SETTING
It’s 954 AD. The Viking Age. Norse settlers face more than bitter winters and poor soil.
Shifting tectonics have heaved up portions of the ocean floor, along with colonies of Deep
Ones—and worse. Among the forgotten hills, the remote, rime-covered islands, the touch of
eldritch horror still lingers. Ghouls haunt ancient barrow mounds, and deep within glaciers of
blue ice, the houses of the Star Jotun await.

4
Against these evils both Christian and Pagan
Gods have fallen silent. Even the spells of
Lapp shamans bring no aid. In desperation,
people turn to cults venerating monsters of
old: Ilthakwa, bringer of chill winds, and the
world-wyrm Yigdgard, whose children ruled
during warmer times. Corrupted jarls, like
Helgi Hastursson, seek the mind-rending
Wyrd Runes, powerful sigils carved in the
darkness of pre-human history.
But the Norse aren’t ones to hide while terror
stalks outside their steads. Brave Berserks
and Shield Maidens, cunning Skalds and
mail-clad Huscarls are eager to pit axe and
spear against squamous flesh, spurred by
rumors of wondrous loot. Some raiders take
the fight deeper, sailing their dragon-prowed
ships through the Maelstrom, a monstrous
whirlpool churning space and time.
In Wyrd Sails player characters are hardened
adventurers, not tea-sipping academicians.
Will the fury of the North prevail against
cosmic evil? And in the ensuing bloodshed,
who can say who is terrorizing whom?
DARK TIMES CALL FOR DARK MEASURES
. . . and it doesn’t get much darker than the
Viking Age. Unless, of course, you add cosmic
horror to the mix. Wyrd Sails offers a twist
on the now-familiar excursions into HPL’s
Mythos: Viking heroes more along the lines
of Conan than kindly Doctor Henry Armitage.
The grim, fatalistic worldview of the Norse
pairs well with Lovecraftian horror; a culture
5
ready-made for doomsday cults, with
its Ragnarok legends of monstrous evil
overtaking the world. And after all, doesn’t
Lovecraft’s most famous work, The Call of
Cthulhu, feature a climax where a “brave
Norwegian” rams the eponymous Old One
with his ship?
The focus of adventures shifts from
investigation to violent opportunism. Pore
through dusty libraries for clues? There
aren’t any, at least not this far north. Stop the
summoning of some dread Old One? No,
while the fish-things are busy chanting, we’ll
raid their treasure room. Close the extra-
planar gate? Huh-uh. We want it open, so we
can sail our longships through and plunder
the alien lands beyond. Chances are players
won’t have any problems with this approach.
That said, courage and a battle axe can only
get you so far against cosmic evil. Minion-
level creature like Deep Ones are one
thing, but 20’ monstrosities of non-terrene
protoplasm, bristling with serrated tentacles,
are something else entirely. While Everywhen
characters are heroic, they don’t have the
massive hit point pools and God-like, high-
level powers associated with a certain famous
RPG. Thus, players can feel real fear when
their creations are put in harm’s way. And yes,
running may be the best option!
Like other cosmic horror settings, Wyrd Sails
posits that supernatural forces exist—Mythos
forces, not the oft-whimsical beings of
human lore. No real alfar (elves), no dvergar
(dwarves), or Storm God priests blasting
their foes with bolts of Divine lightning.
However, some legends may have a kernel of
truth behind them, in the form of Mythos
origins. Stories about reclusive ‘Mound Folk’
for example, could be based on sightings of
ghouls. Monstrous creatures like jotun turn
out to be Elder Things, or gugs. And so on.
In a similar vein, Wyrd Sails features ‘hybrid’
cults of the Old Ones. These are Mythos
creatures perceived through the lens of
Norse culture. So Yig, Father of Serpents, is
repurposed as the monstrous world-wyrm
encircling Midgard, or Ithaqua as the vengeful
ghost of Ymir, the slain frost giant whose
corpse forms the mountains and sky.
6
So what does all this ‘heroic horror’ of
Vikings and eldritch forces entail? Well, in
Wyrd Sails players can:
• Compete for the hand of a mysterious
jarl’s daughter, who hails from a family
of Deep One hybrids (The Sea Bride).
• Journey to a slime-covered isle newly
risen from the sea, where great
treasure—and Mother Hydra—await
(The Bell of Bokrug).
• Stop a would-be warlord on the march,
using the corpse of an Elder Thing as his
banner (Army of Five Eyes).
• Discover the fate of a remote village
trapped beneath the Polar Night (30
Days of Nott).
• Grope through twisting ghoul tunnels
to defeat an ancient evil (The Saga of
Grimr Raven-Friend).
• Make an unholy ‘pilgrimage’ with the
notorious sorcerer, Gizur the White (At
the Mountains of Midgard).
• Heed Yngvarr’s call to go a Viking across
space and time, aboard his worlds-
spanning longship (Red Glove’s Last
Raid).
 “I have reached these lands but newly,
From an ultimate dim Thule—
From a weird, wild clime that lieth sublime,
Out of space—out of time”

Dream-Land, by Edgar Allen Poe

NYRTHULE
East of Iceland, south of Svalbard lies the ‘lost’ island Nyrthule (‘New Thule’). Hardy settlers
have established their homesteads here, fishing, hunting, and mining iron. The remote
location, hemmed on all sides by the unknown, is a liminal place where eldritch horrors claw at
the barrier separating Midgard from countless others.

7

Nyrthule first appears in written history
around 326 AD, mentioned in the travel
annals of Gnaeus Amulius, a Roman trader
from occupied Britain. Blown far off course
during an expedition to the Hebrides, Gnaeus
landed along the isle’s rocky northwestern
shores, near the distinctive mountain later
known as Hag’s Head Peak. His foraging party
penetrated far enough inland to discover
ice fields strewn with blue glaciers, before
being attacked by polar bears. Gnaeus left
post-haste and Nyrthule passed back into
obscurity.
The isle was ‘discovered’ again by Norse
explorer Arne Einarsson in 745, who sighted
the more hospitable southern tip. Arne
immediately noted the region seemed warmer
than it should. Heated by ocean currents and
nearby geothermal vents, there was actual
greenery and even a few trees.
Settlers were soon sailing for Nyrthule’s
shores, many prompted by the hard rule of
Harald Fairhair. The permanent settlements
of Skvallmark and Reijk were established,
and later, the iron mining village of Geirheim.
See the Adventures section for details
concerning these regions of the isle.
As it happens, Nyrthule has abundant eldritch
horrors, including an outpost of the Elder
Things and nearby Deep One colonies, which
have also taken advantage of the thermal
currents. Aside from its general remoteness,
however, there is another reason the isle is
such a hotspot for Old One activity . . .
8
SOMETHING’S BENEATH THE ICE!
Mentioned in obscure texts and whispers
of ancient historians is the legend of
Hyperborea, a mighty sub-continent once
dominating the Arctic Circle. In eons past,
before the cooling of the Earth, this area was
covered with dense jungle, thriving in the
fertile volcanic soil. The Serpent Men had
an empire here, and the Elder Things fought
their wars against myriad invaders touching
down from the black gulf of space. Humans
eventually arrived, and as the Serpent Men
waned with the decline of the jungles,
established a bronze-using, Pleistocene era
empire of their own, spanning the continent
and nearby island chains.
Though technologically advanced for the
time, the Hyperborean’s real innovations were
in the field of sorcery, aided by the discoveries
of their non-human predecessors, who left
behind arcane artifacts and writings amidst
crumbling ruins. Drawing on these resources,
the Hyperboreans created the Aklo alphabet,
later to form the twisting Wyrd Runes of the
present age.
But the cooling trend continued, and icebergs
began to scrape across the landscape, freezing
everything in their inexorable march south.
Entire cities were entombed in glaciers of
clear ice, and citizens scattered to warmer
climes. Then, a second cataclysm struck, as
the Earth shook and Hyperborea slipped
beneath the waves, taking all her mysteries
with her.
The northernmost tip of Nyrthule lies just
on the boundaries of this sunken sub-
continent, whose proximity exudes a kind
of supernatural fallout. Hyperborean relics
occasionally wash ashore, and the legions
of demons summoned by her sorcerers still
haunt remote sections of the isle, unbound
and masterless.
ALTERNATIVE SETTINGS
Of course, GM’s don’t have to restrict their
focus to the fictitious isle of Nyrthule.
Though it’s recommended to keep Wyrd Sails
adventures within the Viking Age, a campaign
can be run among the more traditional lands
of the Norse, or even elsewhere:
• The PCs are members of the Varangian
Guard, based in Constantinople
(Mikelgard). After a secret briefing with
the Byzantine emperor, Heroes are tasked
to investigate rumors of an ancient
temple ruin, newly risen from the Black
Sea. Possibly related to this occurrence,
a mysterious cult venerating a fish-like
deity has sprung up along the coast. The
emperor warns time is of the essence, as
the Persian sorcerer Ardavan al Khani
is also rumored to be organizing an
expedition to the ruins . . .
9
• The PCs are Celts, dealing with Viking
mass invasions. In order to turn the
fortunes of war, Heroes must seek out
the sinister Mound Folk living in caverns
beneath the ancient circles of standing
stones. Perhaps with these eldritch allies
they can fight off the Vikings . . . but at
what cost?
• The PCs are Arab traders and their
bodyguards, who through misadventure
find themselves in the frozen North.
While attempting to establish friendly
relations with the local jarl, Heroes can’t
help but notice the strange pagan rites
being carried out—dark rites, even for
the Infidel. Perhaps that copy of the Kitab
Al-Azif in the locked strongbox can shed
some light on the subject.
• The PCs are members of a doomed Viking
raid, perhaps about to descend on a
remote Skraeling settlement in Greenland,
or on an ‘undiscovered’ island in the
Hebrides, still inhabited by the mysterious
Picts. Wherever the location, the natives
have access to Wyrd Runes (see the Magic
chapter) and eldritch horrors—the ‘raid’
won’t go as planned. Defeated, their
longship destroyed, Heroes must discover
a way off this accursed isle!
starkad skrymir
Attributes Combat Abilities
Strength 2 Initiative 1 Lifeblood 12
Agility 2(1) Melee 2 Resolve 10
Mind 0 Missile 0 Hero Points 5
Appeal 0 Defense 1 (2)

Boons/Flaws Careers
Heirloom Sword Jarl 1
Inured Warrior 2
Obsession Sailor 1
Explorer 0

Grim, gaunt, and tall (his nickname, Skrymir, means ‘giant’), Starkad is the proud son of a jarl
killed by treachery. He managed to his escape his family’s burning longhouse with the sword
Barmrgnaga (‘Gut-Gnawer’), a gift from his father, and a mysterious stone chip of greenish-
mottled black, like no other stone on Earth. “Find the likeness from whence this was chipped,”
his grandmother, a seer, prophesized, “and you will find the gold—and the power—to reclaim
your father’s rule.”
Starkad is unusually dark-complected for a Norseman, with black hair and a well-trimmed
beard. As an Heirloom Weapon, Barmrgnaga does base d6H damage, has the Penetration
1 characteristic, and will fly from the wielder’s hand rather than break if Splintered Shield,
Shattered Sword is invoked. He wears a mail byrine (medium protection), plus helm and shield
(d6-1 total).

10
 yngvild ragnisdottir
Attributes Combat Abilities
Strength 0 Initiative 1 Lifeblood 10
Agility 1 Melee 1 Resolve 13
Mind 3 Missile 0 Hero Points 5
Appeal 0 Defense 2 Arcane
Points 11
Faith Points 2

Boons/Flaws Careers
Literate Farmer 0
Second Sight Healer 1
Lack of Faith Volva 2
Sorcerer 1

As a child, Yngvild was prone to the ‘falling sickness’ (epilepsy). During her seizures, she often
experienced prophetic visions, which drew the attention of the local Wise Woman. With her
prodigious intelligence, she soaked up all she was taught, and more. But when a rival Seidr
(an avatar of Nyarlathotep, in disguise) began to wreak havoc in her village, she found her
traditional powers useless against the creature’s alien magic. Out of desperation, her mentor
taught Yngvild the ‘true craft’ of Wyrd Runes, and she has been on the trail of eldritch horrors
since.
Yngvild has golden-red hair kept in elaborate braids. Though she harbors doubts about the lore
of her upbringing, she still wears a Volva’s blue cloak.
See pg. 36 for sample Wyrd Runes.

11
reidar the shunned
Attributes Combat Abilities
Strength 3 Initiative 0 Lifeblood 13
Agility 1 Melee 3 Resolve 10
Mind 0 Missile 0 Hero Points 4
Appeal 0 Defense 1 (2)

Boons/Flaws Careers
Berserkergang Hunter 1
Fearsome Looks Berserker 2
Hard to Kill Outlaw 1
Notorious Wanderer 0

Reidar is the last of the Sykling clan, a notorious family of outlaws and treacherous warriors.
Birthed in the wild, he grew strong rather than succumb to the fury of the elements. The
blinding rage of berserkergang came easily to him. His contacts with civilization led to fights,
and eventually, a reputation as a duelist. Now, Reidar seeks to join the retinue of a powerful jarl.
Perhaps if he travels far enough, he’ll find a place where his reputation hasn’t preceded him.
Reidar has long brown hair and a wild, matted beard. He wears the bearskin cloak and hood of
his martial order (d6-3 protection). Comfortable with many weapons, he favors the battle axe
(d6 + Strength damage) and shield in combat.

12
 THE SEA BRIDE
Vidar the Bald is hosting a betrothal feast for his daughter, Groa, who has recently come of
age. Any suitor she chooses stands to gain a rich dowry. Hopefuls from all over Nyrthule are
flocking to the celebration, where a series of contests have been prepared. Though reclusive,
Vidar is known for his prosperity, and several days of flowing ale, roast meat, and rich gift-
giving are anticipated.
What most don’t know is Vidar’s true heritage. The jarl’s family has been in league with Deep
Ones since arriving at the isle generations ago. The attractive ‘Groa’ seen about the settlement is
only a decoy; Vidar’s real daughter is a monstrous hybrid kept in seclusion beneath his hall. The
jarl intends a clever switch on her wedding night, after the groom has been selected. However,
events won’t proceed according to plan . . .

13
The Sea Bride makes a good starting
adventure for a Wyrd Sails campaign. The
public nature of the feast can draw PCs
together if they don’t share a common
background, and several prominent NPCs
make an appearance (see Cameos, pg. 23),
allowing the GM to foreshadow future events.
The situation allows for plenty of roleplaying
opportunities, while the numerous checks
involved can help orient newer players to the
rules. Though the scenario is presented in
a linear fashion, it’s expected Heroes will go
‘sandbox’ at some point as they try to thwart a
marriage spawned in the darkest depths!
BACKGROUND
It’s May, 954. The whole Nyrthule archipelago
is abuzz with news of the feast at Vidar’s hall.
As snow and ice have thawed, travel across the
islands becomes relatively easy. Those who
are able plan to make the trek to the coastal
settlement of Skvallmark, established by
Vidar’s grandfather nearly a century earlier.
Some 300 souls call the windy village home,
making it second only to Reijk in population.
Most everyone’s livelihood is connected with
the sea, fishing when the season allows, and
hunting seals out on the ice. Even the children
are tasked to scour the beaches for precious
driftwood.
Though Skvallmark met with difficulties
when first settled, it has since gained a
reputation for unrivaled prosperity. The nets
of its fishing boats writhe with generous
catches. Vidar himself seems to have an
inexhaustible supply of gold, which he doles
out to his favorites in the form of rings,
armlets, and torcs.
14
The jarl is equally famous for his seclusion,
living with close kin in a hall separate
from the rest of his subjects. Known as
Skvalldomstol (“Squallcourt”), this structure
consists of a large knarr with a longhouse
built atop its deck. During winter the ship
is hauled ashore, but in warmer months
remains moored in the bay, aloof and
foreboding. An impressive seawall protects it
from frequent storms.
All this prosperity has come at a cost,
however. Vidar maintains the contract made
by his grandfather with the Deep Ones, even
as he undergoes his own slow transformation.
By confining the practice of ‘mixing’ to his
family, he has managed to keep this unholy
arrangement under wraps. For their part,
his human subjects are aware something is
amiss, but remain complicit in maintaining
the status quo. They’ve done well under Vidar,
and their elders have made ominous hints of
a price paid. Thus, they turn a blind eye to
the occasional disappearance of livestock or
unpopular member of the community.
Groa Vidarsdottir has tolerated her seclusion
up to now, but has made clear an eagerness to
mate. Worried he can no longer contain her
appetites, Vidar hatches a desperate scheme
to find a hardy candidate and continue the
family line.
History of the Skvallmark
The following timeline is presented for the Keeper’s reference. Some of this history is known
to the common folk and can be gleaned from conversation (see Rumors on pg. 19), though
Vidar’s family has taken pains to conceal the Deep One presence.
867 Vidar’s grandfather, Ville, establishes the colony on Nyrthule’s western shores. The area
he selects is plagued by strong winds, but provides a deep natural harbor. The remains of an
Inuit encampment are discovered nearby.
869 Poor fishing followed by a hard winter nearly wipes out the settlement. After an Inuit
hunting party shows up, Ville and his warriors kill them for supplies. However, he spares the
life of an ancient shaman who shows him Deep One jewelry.
870 In the midst of another terrible winter, Ville and his shaman captive head out onto the
ice. Holes are cut with axes, and Ville casts several metal disks into the water.
871 Excellent fishing relieves starvation at the settlement. Conditions stabilize.
874 Now prosperous, the colony begins to attract additional settlers. A seawall is built to
protect the harbor in record time, with secret assistance by Ville’s new allies.
877 In addition to occasional sacrifices, the Deep Ones demand the right of ‘mixing’ with
their human subjects. Ville offers up his own family to keep this practice secret. For greater
privacy, he builds a new hall atop his knarr.
879 The Skvallmark’s first human hybrid, Valdi, is born to Ville’s mistress, whom he promptly
declares his own son. Ville dies of a heart attack later that year, and Valdi goes on to become
jarl.
910 Vidar is born by Valdi’s human wife. The elder jarl eventually makes a complete
transformation and returns to the sea, following a mock funeral in which his ‘remains’ are set
adrift.
938 Vidar’s daughter, Groa, is born, killing her human mother in the process. An aberrant
hybrid, Groa’s origins are immediately obvious, and a nursery is prepared below decks of the
Skvalldomstol.
949 The Danish raider Yngvarr attacks the settlement and is captured by Vidar. For
punishment, the jarl strips the skin from Yngvarr’s hands and throws him in his lamprey pool.
However, Yngvarr’s men engineer a daring rescue. The raider, now known as Red Gloves, vows
his revenge.
954 Present. Vidar actively begins seeking a mate for his daughter.

15

MAJOR NPCs
Vidar the Bald
Chief antagonist. A tainted jarl, intent on
keeping his family’s dark secrets at any
price!
Groa Vidarsdottir
Vidar’s only child, ‘blessed’ with a hideous
form.
False Groa
Vidar’s faux daughter, actually a distant
cousin to the family. She’s being presented
to suitors as the bride.
Broddi Bjarnson
A strapping young suitor, smitten by Groa’s
decoy.
Eyarr the Tragic
Vidar’s cousin, another aberrant hybrid
cursed with a monstrous appearance.
Hrolfr
Vidar’s champion, a hybrid berserk on the
cusp of full transformation.
INVOLVING THE HEROES
Word of Vidar’s feast has spread far. Because
of the event’s public nature, Heroes don’t
need to have established previous links with
each other (though this is still preferable).
The GM can simply arrange for PCs to meet
up as they approach Skvallmark, perhaps on
an overland trail from Reijk or aboard ship.
16
Though the chance to eat and drink to excess
works as an adventure hook, Heroes may have
other motivations for attending. An obvious
one is seeking Groa’s dowry for themselves.
This sets up additional conflict, especially if
PCs are competing with one another! More
subtle reasons could include a Skald seeking
patronage, a Warrior attempting to hire on
with Vidar, or a Volva tasked to perform the
wedding ceremony. Large gatherings tend to
attract less scrupulous types as well, including
Rogues.
Finally, PCs with the Taint (Deep Ones)
background may be a relative of Vidar’s
family, and expected to show. In this case it’s
recommended the Hero be a distant relative,
without intimate knowledge of Vidar’s clan.
This makes the adventure’s final reveal more
horrific.
START
Norse hospitality means PCs arriving at
Skvallmark are treated like honored guests.
The settlement consists of several steads
arranged near a small, earth-walled ringfort,
with smaller dwellings for newer families.
Rows of fishing boats line the beach. A stone
jetty curls out into the harbor, protected by
a seawall, with an imposing knarr moored at
the end. Unlike typical Norse ships, this craft
has an upper deck and no sail. Even more
surprising, a narrow longhouse has been built
atop it.
Though players might be familiar with the
concept of a houseboat, Heroes should find
the arrangement puzzling. Why live aboard a
ship when so much land is available? And why
render such a fine old knarr un-seaworthy?
If asked, the locals only shake their heads.
“That’s our jarl,” they say. “Vidar likes his
privacy.”
For simplicity, the GM can have all the Heroes
lodged in the same hall (not Vidar’s). Broddi
Bjarnson and his elderly parents will be
resting a couple benches down. More guests
are arriving hourly, with the locals bustling
about in preparation for the feast. Heroes
have the rest of the day and night to poke
around Skvallmark (see Investigation, pg.
18).
Notably absent is Vidar himself. If asked,
villagers cast a dubious glance at the knarr,
perhaps rolling their eyes. A jarl Hero
requesting audience with Vidar will be met
by the false Groa instead, who makes pleasant
chit-chat long enough to apologize for her
father’s breach of protocol. Aside from being
a stunning beauty, she wears enough gold
to hire a warband. Truly, her dowry must be
substantial!
BRODDI BJARNSSON
Shortly after their arrival, heroes meet a
handsome Icelander named Broddi. This
muscular youth is taking great care of his
appearance, frequently combing his blond
hair and wearing a fine linen shirt. Broddi
boldly announces he will have the honor of
claiming Groa’s dowry, though he seems just
as interested in the maiden herself.
17
Proper Attire
Heroes will likely want to go about wearing
armor and shields, with weapons at the
ready. Though such gear is appropriate
for war, it’s not the norm during a feast.
Most people just carry a knife or perhaps a
walking stick. Heavier weapons should be
kept stowed in a longhouse, with a chest
made available for valuable armor like mail.
If PCs insist on donning apparatus belli,
they will be met with suspicion. Vidar’s
huscarls and Hroflr will keep a wary eye on
them, making any discrete investigation
difficult.
Swords are a notable exception. As a status
weapon, these are worn proudly, meant to
be talked about and examined. There is a
tradition of exchanging swords as gifts at
weddings.
Broddi’s parents, Bjarn and Solvi, don’t seem
quite so enthusiastic. In fact, they sadly shake
their heads as Broddi preens. The family
arrived here two days ago and has caught on
something’s not quite right with Skvallmark.
Bjarn and Solvi know one disquieting
rumor between them (see Special Rumors
table, pg. 19), which they readily disclose. If
befriended, Solvi asks heroes to keep an eye
on her impressionable son. “I’ve been having
dreams, lately,” she confides, “that something
awful is going to happen to him.”
Broddi serves as good-natured competition
for Heroes seeking Groa’s hand. And unless
events prove otherwise, he will end up getting
what he wants–much to his dismay.
Broddi Bjarnsson, Smitten Suitor
Attributes Combat Abilities
Strength 2 Attack +1 missile
Agility 0 Damage by weapon
Mind 0 Defense 1
Appeal 0 Protection 0
Lifeblood 7 during preparation for the feast. However,
The son of Icelandic settlers, adventurous
young Broddi has finally found a worthy goal:
the hand of Vidar’s daughter! At home he won
fame for himself after climbing the volcano
Fagradalsfjall, while semi-active.
Broddi is a rank 1 Homesteader and Explorer.
He has the Athletic and Attractive boons, as
well as the Naive flaw.
INVESTIGATION
With time to kill before the feast, Heroes
are free to explore Skvallmark and chat up
locals. Gleaning rumors generally requires a
Moderate (0) Appeal or Mind check, modified
by socially oriented careers (e.g. Jarl, Skald, or
Trader) and various boons/flaws. A Tough (-2)
check reveals particularly juicy information
(see the General and Special Rumors
table, pg. 19). Not surprisingly, most of the
gossip pertains to Vidar and his household.
Roleplaying these interactions can help keep
the process from becoming a simple question-
and-answer session.
In addition to gathering rumors, heroes may
stumble across several brief encounters prior
to the feast. These serve to build tension,
18
while reinforcing the idea that Skvallmark
harbors a dark secret. Depending on time
constraints, the GM may wish to run only one
or two instead of a whole sequence.
The Skvalldomstol
Vidar’s floating longhouse is off-limits
nosy Heroes may try to get aboard anyway.
A group of Vidar’s huscarls (1 per PC) blocks
access via the jetty. The hybrid warriors
gruffly order visitors away. Any protest brings
Vidar’s berserk, Hrolfr, lumbering over to
investigate. The GM may wish to remind
players that Norse hospitality works two ways:
guests are expected to honor their host’s
authority, especially during a celebration. If
necessary, False Groa puts in an appearance
to try and smooth things out, using charm
rather than intimidation.
Hybrid Huscarls (Toughs)
Attributes Combat Abilities
Strength 1 Attack +2 melee
Agility 1 (0) Damage by weapon
Mind 0 Defense 0 (1)
Appeal 0 Protection d6-1
Lifeblood 6 Fear Rating 1
Vidar’s household warriors are all Deep
One hybrids, with webbed fingers, faintly
translucent skin, protruding eyes, etc. (treat
as the Unsettling flaw). They wear leather
armor sewn with metal scales, helms (to hide
their features) and carry shields, spears, and
axes. Treat as rank 1 Sailors and Huscarls.
Their Fear Rating only takes effect if seen
unclothed.
GENERAL RUMORS
• Vidar is also called the “Hard-Starer” because he never seems to blink.
• Yngvarr Red Gloves attacked here five years ago. Vidar’s huscarls defeated his band, and
Vidar took him prisoner. He stripped the skin from Yngvarr’s hands and threw him in the
lamprey pool, but the raider somehow escaped. That’s how Yngvarr got his nickname.
• Groa will bestow a carved drinking horn as a prize at the end of the contests.
• The remains of an Easterling hunting camp are near here. You can still see it, just past the
midden piles.
• This settlement almost didn’t make it. The first two winters were hard, but after that our
luck changed and the fishing has been plentiful since.
• Vidar’s favorite dish is lampreys. They’re going to be a major course during the feast.
• The final contest is a wrestling match, but I hear something special’s planned to make it
more exciting.
• The seawall has remained strong over the years. Funny thing, but I don’t think I’ve ever
seen anyone repairing it.
• Frida’s sickling daughter went missing last month. Since then, they’ve been sending the
children out in larger groups to gather driftwood.
• No one swims in the harbor! Einar tried it a week ago and said he felt something big and
slimy brush up against his leg.

SPECIAL RUMORS
• Vidar’s knarr reeks like rotten kelp, especially below deck. I hear he sent for incense to
help cover up the smell.
• Vidar has become more reclusive over the years. He used to get out more, but now people
say he just sits and stares at the sea. Maybe he wants to go a-viking.
• Vidar lives with a cousin named Eyarr, but you never see him without a hooded robe. He
has some kind of terrible skin disease.
• Smedi the smith works gold given to him by Vidar. Smedi won’t talk about it no matter
how much ale he drinks.
• Vidar’s champion is Hroflr, a berserk. He’s a hunchback, but I swear he wasn’t like that a
couple years ago.

19
Heroes might get the bright idea of swimming
up to the knarr, likely under the cover of
night. Vidar keeps a pet to guard against such
incursions, however; a monstrous 20’ lamprey
named Tsentallach. This slimy horror lurks
near the knarr, and attempts to attach itself to
the closest swimmer. Any commotion in the
water alerts the huscarls, who lean over the
ship’s sides to warn off intruders.
Tsentallach, Monstrous Pet
Attributes Combat Abilities
Strength 4 Attack +2 melee
Agility 0 Damage see below
Mind -2 Defense 0
Appeal -- Protection 1 pt. skin
Lifeblood 9 Fear Rating 1
This hellish creature has grown to gigantic
size thanks to Vidar’s loving attention–and
constant feeding. It attacks by attaching it’s
toothy disc-mouth for d6L initial damage,
plus a d3 every round after, as it sucks out vital
fluids. Tsentallach’s slimy skin provides 1 pt.
of protection.
At night, in the murky water of the harbor,
the giant lamprey is extremely difficult to
detect. Treat as having the Camouflague
creature boon (see Everywhen, pg. 94).
Additionally, fighting in the water with
slashing or bludgeoning weapons entails a
penalty die on attack rolls.
20
Assuming the lamprey can be circumvented
without causing a ruckus, PCs still have to
clamber up the knarr’s 9’ sides–a Tough
(-2) Agility check, modified by careers with
climbing experience. Sneaking around the
ship requires a Moderate Agility check,
modified by stealthy careers (e.g. Rogue,
Scout), minus the attentive huscarls rank
of 1. There is 1 hybrid huscarl onboard per
PC, in addition to Hrolf, Vidar, d6+2 thralls
(Rabble), and 2 more huscarls guarding access
to below deck. See The Knarr sidebar, pg.
27, Troubleshooting, pg. 26, and Wedding
Night, pg. 29 for more details.
If Tsentallach is slain and hauled ashore,
Heroes make a disturbing discovery. Gold
rings and other Deep One jewelry adorn the
creature’s mottled flesh! Though Vidar will
avow no knowledge of the beast, he secretly
marks for vengeance anyone who kills his
beloved pet.
Censers from Byzantium
Heroes close to the knarr might spot one of
Vidar’s thralls, carefully swinging a metal ball
attached to a length of chain. The ball gives
off clouds of sweet-smelling smoke. PCs with
ranks in Explorer, Sailor, or Trader will likely
recognize this strange substance.
Vidar procured incense from far-off
Miklagard to try and mask the odor of Groa
and his cousin, Eyarr, for the feast. Though
not entirely successful, the stench won’t be
strong unless below deck.
Lamprey Pool
A rickety shed stands a discrete distance from
the other buildings. PCs notice any locals
nearby stolidly ignore the structure, refusing
to even glance at it.
The shed encloses what looks like a stone
well, roughly 3’ high and 12’ in diameter,
covered by a heavy wooden lid. The lid
requires a Demanding (-4) Strength check to
shove aside, though Heroes may pool their
Strength scores for the attempt. Beneath lies
an 8’ deep pool of murky, evil-smelling brine.
Sinuous gray shapes occasionally break above
the surface.
Vidar keeps the pool stocked with lampreys,
his favorite delicacy. However, the creatures
serve another, more ominous purpose; the
jarl has been known to throw the occasional
outlaw or traitorous subject inside, before
replacing the lid. This grisly ‘punishment’
has been very effective in maintaining order
among the village.
The shed will soon be dismantled, and the
pool put to another use (see Holmgang, pg.
25).
Inuit Camp
To the south of Skvallmark lies an open
area covered with refuse, mostly piles of
fish bones. The midden partially conceals
an old camp used by nomadic Inuits, who
hunted seals here during winter. All that
remains are the char marks of ancient fire
pits, the occasional seal skull, and discarded
stonework.
A dedicated search and a Tough (-2) Mind
check yields something else; a flat, green
stone bearing a leaf-shaped rune on one side.
21
CHARM AGAINST DEEP ONES
This ancient Inuit talisman requires Arcane
Points to use. When ‘powered’ with 2 AP,
the leaf-shaped rune glows with an eerie
greenish-white light. Deep Ones and
hybrids won’t willingly approach the bearer
of the talisman as per the First Magnitude
Seal of Gardr rune (see the Magic chapter).
This effect is negated if the bearer attacks
the creature(s) so warded.
Pet Food
Flies buzz above the bloated corpse of a goat,
washed ashore. Examining the body reveals
a puckering, disc-shaped wound on the poor
creature’s belly. A PC versed in fishing or sea
lore can deduce the wound was caused by a
lamprey, albeit a huge one.
The goat is the remains of Tsentallach’s last
meal.
Strange Glow
This encounter occurs at night. Any Hero
awake and near the shore will spot the
phenomenon. Otherwise, sleeping PCs with
ranks in Shaman, Sorcerer, or Volva, or with
the Taint (Deep One) or Second Sight boon
awaken from fitful dreams and feel compelled
to walk along the beach.
The sea is weirdly calm. A keening sound,
mournful yet haunting, can be heard over the
quiet lap of waves. Suddenly, a section of
distant water flashes phosphorescent blue-
green, somewhere below the depths. The
display lasts only a few seconds and does not
repeat.

THE FEAST
The morning after heroes arrive, Vidar the
Bald finally makes an appearance. He comes
hobbling down the jetty and gives a short,
gruff speech by way of opening ceremonies.
The jarl praises his daughter for her beauty,
dutifulness, but most of all headstrong will–
so like, he recalls sadly, her late mother’s. He
then announces the contests; a footrace along
the beach, axe and spear-throwing, drinking,
boasting, and finally, a climactic wrestling
match between champions. Groa will judge,
and in the evening announce her selection
of groom. A brief wedding ceremony aboard
the knarr will follow, along with four days of
revelry.
Vidar claps his hands. Casks of foamy ale are
hauled out, as well as platters heaped with
smoked salmon and lamprey. The feasting
begins!
VIDAR AND COMPANY
Though only in his mid-forties, the years
have not been kind to Vidar the Bald. He
walks with a shuffling limp, explained away
as gout. His hairless head gleams smooth
as an eggshell; even his eyebrows are gone.
When he speaks his voice has a hoarse,
gurgling quality.
Bad as this is, Hrolfr looks even worse. His
torso stoops forward at a pronounced angle,
making his muscular back and shoulders
prominent. Filthy bandages completely
cover his left hand. These conceal fingers
fused together into a pincer-like claw,
useless for gripping a shield. Hrolfr always
wears a helm with a mail coif, hiding the
prominent gill-slits on either side of his
neck.
Soon, both these hybrids will be ready for
the sea.

22
Cameos
If running The Sea Bride as part of a
campaign, the GM can link it to later
adventures by having important non-player
characters attend the feast. Good candidates
are Saevar, the jarl of Reijk, as well as Helgi
Hastursson and his wife, Igun. These
NPCs play no major role in this adventure,
and will be conveniently ‘off-camera’ when
significant events occur. Their sole function is
foreshadowing.
THE CONTESTS
Heroes are free to enter the challenges even
if they’re not seeking Groa’s dowry. It’s all in
the spirit of friendly competition–most of it,
anyway. If no PCs are interested, the GM can
simply describe several colorful outcomes
without rolling dice. Broddi Bjarnson soon
emerges as a top contender. Groa offers the
winner of each contest a drink from a carved
walrus tusk, which will itself become a prize.
The Keeper can run the contests in any
particular order, though it’s recommended
the Holmgang be the final event. While it
isn’t implicit Groa will choose her husband
based on who wins the most, emerging
victorious certainly puts a suitor in a favorable
light. If Heroes are competing, they’ll need to
roll against Broddi and d6 Rabble suitors for
each contest. Broddi is generally the man to
beat.
23
Generic Suitors (Rabble)
Attributes Combat Abilities
Strength 0 Attack +0 melee
Agility 0 Damage d3
Mind 0 Defense 0
Appeal 0 Protection 0
Lifeblood 3
Treat these hopefuls as rank 1 Homesteaders,
Sailors, or Warriors.
Footrace
Contestants run two miles along the shore to
a marked spot, then turn and run back. The
race emphasizes endurance over speed, as the
beach’s wet sand proves tiring. Heroes need
to pass a Moderate (0) Strength check for the
first leg; failure means they become winded
and drop out. The check becomes Tough (-2)
for the final half, with the highest successful
roll winning. At the GM’s option, Heroes can
add the highest rank they possess for a career
that emphasizes endurance (Thrall, Warrior,
etc.)
If only NPCs are competing, Broddi wins this
match handily.
Axe-Throwing
Contestants take turns hurling a bearded axe
at a stump 30’ away. Treat this as a normal
ranged attack with a Hard (-1) modifier for the
distance, modified by ranks in Missile combat
ability. If no one scores a Mighty Success, the
highest successful attack roll wins. A Mighty
Success beats a normal one and a Legendary
Success trumps a Mighty. Compare the

modified attack rolls in the event of ties,
with the highest result winning. A Mighty or
Legendary success cleaves the stump in two,
drawing excited shouts from spectators.
If Heroes aren’t competing, Broddi loses to a
grizzled warrior.
Spear-Throwing
Spears are hurled for greatest total distance
rather than accuracy. This is a Strength or
Agility check, modified by Missile combat
ability. The highest successful check wins,
with ties and Mighty and Legendary Successes
resolved as above.
Unless challenged by PCs, Broddi also wins
this contest.
24
Drinking
A cask of strong mead is broached for this
event. Contestants are required to stay
upright as they alternate rounds of drinks.
Each cup requires a Strength check, starting
at Very Easy (+2) and moving through
the task difficulties by one category (Easy,
Moderate, Hard, etc.). The Carouser boon
allows a bonus die to the check, and careers
associated with hard drinking like Warrior
or Jarl add their rank as a positive modifier.
On a Calamitous Failure the PC projectile
vomits, taking d6 fatigue damage and causing
spectators to roar with mirth!
Unless opposed by heroes, Broddi wins this
one, too–more by virtue of his hardiness than
alcohol tolerance.
Boasting
This contest is best run after the drinking
bout, when everyone is in an expansive mood.
Contestants take turns bragging about their
heroic deeds, unsurpassable virtues, and
general prowess. This also means tossing
insults at rival suitors. Embellishment of
events, real or imagined, is the norm here.
Players who have invested time in their Hero’s
backstory should have a chance to shine. If
impressed by a PC’s monologue, the GM can
simply assign a level of success instead of
asking for a roll. Otherwise, contestants make
an Appeal check, modified by their highest
rank in an appropriately heroic career (e.g.
Hunter, Sailor, Warrior). Boons or flaws may
play a role as well. The highest successful
check wins.
Given Broddi’s general lack of worldliness, he
fails the contest.
Holmgang
By evening, the contests reach their climax
in a wrestling match between two final
contenders, chosen by Groa. If two PCs have
managed to distinguish themselves thus far,
they should be chosen. If only one Hero has
competed, the other opponent will be Broddi.
If no PCs entered the contests, Broddi and a
Rabble suitor square off.
Traditionally, a holmgang is a duel fought
atop a piece of cloth cut to specific
dimensions. The loser is the first to shed
blood or step off the cloth. Because the
25
betrothal contests don’t involve an actual
feud, no weapons will be used in this match.
To make things more interesting, however,
Vidar has converted his lamprey pool into
a makeshift arena. A 7’ square platform is
suspended by planks over the pool’s surface,
leaving plenty of room for someone to fall
into the slimy water.
Contestants strip down to their breeches and
climb atop the platform. Unarmed Melee
proceeds at this point; at the GM’s discretion,
Heroes can use Strength instead of Agility
for their attack rolls. Any damage done is
fatigue. The GM can use the dueling options
presented in Genre Rules chapter, or run
this like any other combat. A successful
grapple (see Everywhen, pg. 40) can be used
to toss an opponent into the pool, if the
restrained target fails to break free the next
round. Having the Grappler boon is a definite
advantage here!
Hungry lampreys attach themselves to anyone
in the pool at a rate of D3 per round. However,
conscious PCs can scrabble out in a single
round with a Moderate (0) Agility check.
Onlookers pull everyone else out in two. The
lampreys drain 1 lifeblood apiece and require
careful removal due to their numerous teeth.
While death is possible from these injuries,
Vidar’s intent is to humiliate the loser rather
than kill them.
If no Heroes compete, Broddi narrowly wins
this match. Groa presents the walrus tusk
to the victor, and invites everyone aboard
the knarr for dinner. The jarl explains his
daughter will make her final selection there.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Heroes may decide to skip the contests altogether, taking advantage of the distraction to
sneak aboard the knarr. Also, if they feel they’ve figured out what’s going on, they may try to
challenge Vidar openly, in front of his subjects. While PCs shouldn’t be prevented from taking
a direct course of action, they shouldn’t have an easy time of it, either.
Access to the jetty won’t be blocked, as it was prior to the feast. However, the hatch leading
below deck will have two hybrid guards posted, along with a wary Hrolfr. No amount of guile
persuades them to allow entrance. The sentries must be distracted and/or dispatched, quietly,
or their shouts will bring the rest of the huscarls running. For more information, see the
Skvalldomstol map on pg. 35 and The Knarr sidebar on pg. 27. Below deck areas are detailed
in Wedding Night, pg. 29.
Challenging or insulting Vidar will be met with a counter-challenge. The jarl appoints Hrolfr
to represent him in a formal duel to the death. Needless to say, this dampens festivities.
Regardless of the duel’s outcome, villagers won’t be swayed to action without substantial
proof of Vidar’s Deep One connections (see If It All Goes South, pg. 32). As noted before,
they already know something is wrong, but choose to pretend otherwise as the settlement
prospers.

WEDDING DINNER
With the contests over, feasters are uncontrollably–though not for joy. An
invited aboard the longhouse known as ancient volva then presides over the wedding
Skvalldomstol. This is a singular event; most ceremony, brief by even pragmatic Norse
villagers have never set foot here. The benches standards. As a new son-in-law, Broddi (or the
have been polished and whole sturgeons roast PC) is expected to swear allegiance to Vidar.
above the oblong hearth. Bright mead flows, After vows are exchanged, both Groa and
along with un-watered wine for distinguished her groom share mead from the same cup,
guests. A vague stench, like rotting kelp, is signaling dinner to begin.
just barely discernable beneath the aroma of
good food.
Solemn-faced, Vidar announces his daughter
is prepared to make her choice. The suitors
file forward, hopeful. Unless PCs have
competed for Groa’s hand, Broddi is chosen.
The Icelander’s mother begins weeping

26
Uninvited Guests
As the wedding dinner proceeds, Vidar’s
thralls bring out a stock of pale green wine.
Though it has a briny taste, the stuff is very
potent, and guests soon grow somnolent
or pass out from partaking. A hired skald
then gets up to deliver a stirring re-telling of
Vidar’s victory over Yngvarr and his band of
raiders. Shortly thereafter, a stooped figure
in a hooded robe comes lurching into the
hall, pursued by a huscarl. The figure has
just enough time to recite a few lines of epic
verse in an oddly sibilant voice, before being
ushered back out again.
This is Eyarr the Tragic, Vidar’s cousin.
The jarl hastily apologizes for his relative’s
drunkenness. However, Eyarr isn’t the only
one crashing the wedding.
Unable to resist the temptation of so many
humans packed together, several Deep Ones
have swum into the harbor. Whenever a
PC leaves the hall (which they should do at
some point, if only to relieve themselves),
the GM can ask for a Moderate (0) Mind
check, modified by any Keen Senses boons or
Alertness. On a success, a faint splashing can
be heard from the water below. Peering down,
the Hero spots a spiny form climbing up the
anchor rope towards the deck. A Deep One!
Once sighted, the creature swiftly dives back
into the water. Alternately, PCs can come
across the Deep One just before it claims a
victim, a woman leaning over the side to be
violently sick. The creature will dive to safety
once detected, as above.

THE KNARR
With no sail or oars, Vidar’s ship functions solely as a houseboat. Long as a drakkar, it
measures some 165’ in length, with a wide beam of 30’, and a freeboard of 9’. Normally,
Norse ships are ‘open,’ without a deck, but the knarr has a platform built across the top to
accommodate the longhouse. This hall is narrower than most; only 20’ wide, though it runs
nearly the length of the ship. There are four entrances through the sides, front, and rear.
Vidar’s ‘throne’ is an elevated chair at the far end of the hall, with his sleeping loft overhead.
As a precaution against fire, the hearth has steep sides, and there are buckets of sand within
easy reach. Painted shields decorate the walls, along with a sea motif of nets, barbed spears,
and ornamental anchor stones.
There is only one entrance to below deck, an iron-bound hatch at the ship’s stern. This is
guarded at all times by at least two hybrid huscarls. Vidar also keeps a small group of thralls
aboard to manage the household. These are all frightened and tight-lipped, kept silent with
threats of being sacrificed to Tsentallach or the Deep Ones; threats Vidar occasionally makes
good on.
For more information about the below deck area, see Wedding Night, pg. 29.

27
Vidar tries to quiet any alarm raised, claiming
the Hero(s) must be drunk and imagining
things. Attempts to prove otherwise by
rushing people outside meets with failure, as
the Deep Ones have mysteriously vanished.
Snickering ensues.
Vidar the Bald, Hybrid Jarl (Rival)
Attributes Combat Abilities Boons/Flaws Careers
Strength 1 Initiative 1 Lifeblood 11
Agility 0 Melee 2 Rival Points 5
Mind 2 Missile 0 Resolve 12
Appeal 1 Defense 1 (2)
Boons/Flaws Careers
Hybrid (Deep One) Jarl 3
Inspire Warrior 0
Dark Secret Sailor 1
Enemy Rogue 0
Vidar, AKA ‘The Hard-Starer,’ is a Deep
One hybrid nearing the time of total
transformation. Though still ruthless, some
of his former temperament has mellowed as a
colder, ichthyoid mentality takes over.
If expecting trouble, Vidar dons a fine quality
mail shirt (d6H-3 protection) and grabs a
shield (Defense total 2). He always carries a
sword with a scalloped motif (d6+1 damage).
Despite his personality, Vidar has genuine
affection for his daughter, huscalrs, and
pet lamprey. Everyone else is just fish food,
however.
28
Hrolfr, Hybrid Berserk (Rival)
Attributes Combat Abilities
Strength 3 Initiative 1 Lifeblood 13
Agility 1 Melee 3 Rival Points 5
Mind 0 Missile 0 Resolve 10
Appeal 0 Defense 0
Hybrid (Deep One) Berserker 2
Berserkergang Sailor 1
Unsettling Huscarl 1
Temper Rogue 0
Hrolfr has served Vidar as both an enforcer
and champion since reaching manhood. Like
Vidar, some of his primal fury has cooled with
the onset of transformation, though he can
still achieve a berserkergang state.
Aside from a leather cape and mailed helm
(d6-2 protection), Hrolfr shuns armor,
wearing the aforementioned pieces to hide
his transformation. Unlike most berserks, he
long ago abandoned the traditional bearskin
cloak, as he finds the sensation of fur against
his piscine skin utterly alien. Hrolfr favors an
axe (d6+3 damage) in combat.
WEDDING NIGHT
After dinner has drawn to a close, Vidar
announces it’s time for the happy new couple
to retire. By this point many of the revelers
have fallen asleep or passed out, slumped on
the hall’s benches.
If False Groa chose a hero as groom, she leads
him to the hatch at the knarr’s stern, where
the hybrid guards allow them to pass. The
smell of rotten kelp is particularly strong
below deck, though not overpowering. False
Groa’s sleeping chamber (area B on the knarr
map), has a straw bed and a single guttering
seal-oil lamp. She demurely douses the light,
plunging the room into darkness before
she sneaks out of the chamber. Moments
later comes the wet slap of tentacles as the
real Groa crawls from her quarters (area C)
towards the bed, mewling in anticipation.
29
Vidar has naively assumed a combination of
darkness and mead could somehow mask
his daughter’s physical presence. Heroes will
likely not be fooled, however. Neither will
Broddi. If the Icelander was chosen as groom,
he lets loose a bloodcurdling scream and flees
the chamber. A jilted Groa pursues.
Broddi’s scream (or shouts from any terrified
PCs) can be heard above deck. Vidar tries
to pass this off with a joke (“They’re really
getting carried away down there!” or
something similar). If Broddi was chosen
as groom, Bjarn and Solvi beg Heroes to
intervene. Most of the other guests are too
drunk to do much, even if they had the
inclination.
Vidar, Hrolfr, and the huscarl Toughs (1.5 x
PCs number, round up) fight to keep anyone
from going below. That said, crafty Heroes
can simply sneak out of the hall or excuse
themselves, then make their way to the stern.
Provided the two guards can be overcome
without much noise, the hatch can then be
opened.
Below deck is dark, and the ceiling relatively
low (6’). Heroes coming down the steps notice
light flickering from under a leather curtain
that screens area A. At some point they
also run into the real Groa as she doggedly
crawls after her groom. The GM can have this
encounter occur immediately, or wait until
PCs have had a chance to explore the other
chambers, heightening tension with a gradual
reveal.
Groa Vidarsdottir, Aberrant Hybrid
(Tough)
Attributes Combat Abilities
Strength 4 Attack +2 melee
Agility 0 Damage see below
Mind -1 Defense 0
Appeal -- Protection 1 pt. skin
Lifeblood 12 Fear Rating 1
Groa was ‘blessed’ with partial transformation
at birth. Both her legs branch into a pair of
powerful tentacles, banded black, gold, and
red like a coral snake’s. Her upper torso is
emaciated, and she already has the bulging
eyes of a full-grown Deep One. Groa can
speak haltingly, though prefers to express
herself through hisses and physical gestures.
30
Though she swims well enough in water
(Agility 1), she can only crawl about slowly on
land. Her aberrant form grants her the Tough
as Nails boon.
Any show of revulsion or disgust from
humans plunges Groa into a murderous
rage. Though her tentacles constrict with
tremendous strength (d3+4 damage), she
suffers a penalty die when fighting on land
due to her prone position.
Verses in the Dark
The cramped space at the knarr’s stern
serves as Eyarr’s quarters (area A). Anyone
approaching hears the skald softly muttering
verse as he composes an epic. Literate, Eyarr
is writing in Younger Furthark (runic script)
on pieces of valuable paper, by the light of
a seal-oil lamp. A pacifist, he is pointedly
avoiding any conflict between Groa and her
new husband. In fact, if disturbed he asks PCs
to leave him alone so he can write in peace.
The sole exception to this self-absorption is
meeting another Skald. In this case, he talks
shop, discussing obscure authors and the
finer points of writing eddas, as he seldom
gets the opportunity. He might even go so far
as to share some of his poetry.
Pacifist or not, Eyarr fights in his own defense
if attacked. Like Groa, his great strength
makes him more dangerous than he might
seem. Any PC who incurs a Calamitous
Failure while in combat with Eyarr knocks
over the lamp, spilling burning oil onto his
papers. The hybrid flies into a berserk rage
(bonus die on attack rolls) as his work is
consumed. Worse, unless extinguished, the

flames turn into a conflagration, eventually
burning the knarr to the waterline (see If it
All Goes South, pg. 32).
Eyarr the Tragic, Pacifistic Hybrid (Tough)
Attributes Combat Abilities
Strength 3 Attack +1 melee
Agility -1 Damage see below
Mind 1 Defense 1
Appeal -- Protection 1 pt. skin
Lifeblood 8 Fear Rating 1
Eyarr is another aberrant hybrid born to
Vidar’s clan. Particularly hideous, he has
the flat, sleek head of an albino moray eel.
However, he can neither swim properly
nor form gills, cursing him to an eternal,
miserable existence on land. Treat as a rank 1
Skald, with the Artistic boon and Lumbering
flaw.
Eyarr’s bestial appearance masks the soul
of a poet. To ease his pain, he has taken
to composing verse, and fancies himself
something of a skald. The urge to perform
prompted his untimely appearance at dinner.
Eyarr is a pacifist who abhors violence, but
will fight to defend himself (d3+3 fatigue
damage). If slain, he chants his own death-
litany as a final act. This necessitates a Tough
(-2) Resolve Check for anyone listening, who
will realize the full extent of Eyarr’s humanity.
31
Groa’s Chamber
The real Groa’s sleeping room (area C on the
map) contains a large bronze cauldron filled
with fetid brine. Groa normally bathes here
during the day. At night she is sometimes
allowed out into the water, where she frolics
with Tsentallach and wistfully watches
humans along the shore.
If discovered here prior to the events of
Wedding Night, a startled Groa will rear out
of her cauldron and hiss, extending all four of
her 5’ tentacles. She can attack after spending
a round crawling free of her bath, but suffers
a penalty die from fighting prone. If Groa
is killed and Vidar finds out the feasting
immediately stops; her aggrieved father
will seek revenge in the most direct manner
possible (see If It All Goes South, pg. 32).
Transitional Room
Area D serves as quarters for hybrids who
can no longer conceal their transformation,
but must bide time before they can take to
the sea. Nominally this chamber is empty,
but at the GM’s option there are d3 hybrids
in advanced stages of the process. These have
the same stats as hybrid huscarls, but carry no
weapons and are unarmored.
If empty, this room makes a good spot to stage
an encounter between Groa and PCs as she
pursues her husband.
Treasure Chamber
This storage area (E on the map) also serves
as strong room for Vidar’s hoard. Prominent
among the bolts of cloth, timber, rope, and
other valuables are two iron-bound chests.
The first contains heaps of Deep One jewelry,
in its usual alien configurations. The second
has more conventional torcs, rings, and
brooches carefully re-worked by Vidar’s
smith. Taken together, the gold in both chests
weighs over two thousand pounds!
Next to the chests lies a stone tablet wrapped
in several layers of wool. Though broken into
three pieces, the tablet is easily re-assembled
and depicts a series of Deep One glyphs.
These can bestow one rank of Sorcerer with
appropriate study and expenditure of XP (see
the Magic chapter). Vidar procured the tablet
from his Deep One masters, planning to give
it to Eyarr as a present.
False Groa (her real name is Greti) will be
hiding here behind a bolt of Icelandic cloth,
after sneaking away from the bedchamber.
She initially refuses to speak about her
involvement in Vidar’s ruse, but if promised
safety by PCs can be coaxed otherwise.
Greti’s testimony can be used to convince the
villagers of their jarl’s true evil (see if It All
Goes South).
32
Greti, Human Decoy (Tough)
Attributes Combat Abilities
Strength 0 Attack +0 melee
Agility 0 Damage d3
Mind 1 Defense 2
Appeal 1 Protection 0
Lifeblood 5
A distant cousin of Vidar’s, Greti has no
Deep One taint in her bloodline. She lives in
perpetual fear of the jarl and longs for a more
normal existence. Treat as a rank 2 Thrall
with the Attractive boon.
IF IT ALL GOES SOUTH
At some point during the adventure, Vidar
will no longer be able to keep his alliance
with the Deep Ones secret. If PCs are trying
to expose the jarl to his subjects, some type
of physical proof (e.g. a body, or captive
of Vidar’s family), plus testimony from
False Groa or the household thralls will be
necessary to spur a revolt. In this case, the
GM can require a Tough (-2) Appeal check,
before the villagers start lighting torches and
grabbing pitchforks. If Vidar is present to
provide his own defense, this roll becomes
Demanding (-4). The jarl reminds his subjects
of their prosperity under his rule, as well as
the successful defense of Skvallmark against
Yngvarr.

Other actions may force Vidar’s hand. If the
knarr burns down, or if Groa is killed, the jarl
pulls out all the stops. He, and any hybrids
near him, tilt back their heads and loose an
ululating call that seems to echo out far over
the water. Roughly twenty minutes later,
hordes of Deep Ones come boiling out of
the harbor, to swarm Skvallmark and drag
victims back into the sea. Quick-thinking PCs
can rush villagers into the ringfort, before
arranging a suitable defense. The GM can
run a few combats to simulate this attack; the
Deep Ones, unequipped to mount a siege,
eventually withdraw.
Vidar himself won’t stick around to face the
wrath of a mob. If the odds look bad, he
makes for open water and attempts to swim
away, while his loyal huscarls fight a delaying
action. The jarl’s gills have reached a point
where he can remain submerged for hours.
Finally, if Broddi is chosen as groom and
Heroes fail to intervene on his wedding night,
the Icelander is (eventually) cornered by Groa
and killed. People become suspicious when
the new husband fails to show the next day;
Bjarn and Solvi grow hysterical. To cover up
the incident, Vidar kills False Groa and has
the Deep Ones take both her and Broddi’s
corpses far out to sea. He then claims, in
mock surprise, that the couple must have
eloped, pointing out that a fishing boat is
conveniently missing. No one really buys
it, but unless challenged, things eventually
return to status quo at the Skvallmark.
33
Deep Ones (Rabble)
Attributes Combat Abilities
Strength 1 Attack +0 melee
Agility -1 Damage d3
Mind 0 Defense 0
Appeal -- Protection 1 pt. scales
Lifeblood 4 Fear Rating 1
These stats are for Deep Ones appearing in
hordes; when encountered singly or in small
groups, treat as Toughs instead, with Strength
2, Agility 0 (1 in water), 7 lifeblood, and a +2
melee attack with either d3+2 claws or a d6+2
spear. All Deep Ones have the Lumbering flaw
on land and the Night Sight boon.
CONSEQUENCES
Killing or deposing Vidar creates a power
vacuum, with the jarl Saevar eventually
claiming rulership over Skvallmark. If PCs
displayed significant valor in the course of the
scenario, and/or recovered a goodly portion
of Vidar’s loot, they gain Saevar’s (positive)
attention, along with a formal invitation to
visit Reijk. This sets up the Bell of Bokrug
adventure.
Yngvarr Red Gloves will also learn of Vidar’s
downfall. Initially angered to be deprived
of vengeance, Yngvarr’s temper eventually
cools, and he will seek out Heroes as potential
‘allies’ in the Red Glove’s Last Raid adventure.
Without the aid of the Deep Ones, citizens of
Skvallmark will have to depend on their own
skill and luck to survive. Unfortunately, the
fishing for many seasons to come will be poor.
 THE SKVALLMARK
Skvalldomstol
Lamprey Pool

Steadings
Seawall

Old Inuit Camp Ringfort

34
 SKVALLDOMSTOL
Hatch

Longhouse
C

Lower Deck Upper Deck

35
 Sample wyrd runes
In the Wyrd Sails setting, real magic comes from runes—and not the ones you’re thinking of,
either. The Wyrd Runes have their origins in pre-human history, adapted from the glyphs of
the Deep Ones and Serpent Men, the ciphers of the Elder Things, diligently transcribed by
Hyperborean sorcerers before their continent sunk beneath the Arctic Circle. They form the
basis of the ancient Aklo script, and vaguely resemble Elder Futhark runes. However, unlike the
wholesome, angular strokes of the latter, Wyrd Runes twist and branch into fourth dimensional
space. Their carven images appear to writhe, crawling with eldritch power. The sounds these
symbols represent were never intended for human vocal cords, and the guttural, wholly alien
syllables require careful practice to intone.

Bone from Bone, Sinew from Sinew (First/Second Magnitude)

This unpleasant rune rips apart the flesh of a single target, doing d6 lifeblood at First
Magnitude and 2d6 at Second. The target’s Protection value is considered 0, as the spell
tears from the inside. The caster can opt to ‘juice’ the damage on a successful Arcana Roll by
expending additional AP; every 1 AP spent over the base cost increases minimum damage by
1. So, a Sorcerer casting a First Magnitude version who pays 4 extra AP will do a minimum
of (4+1) 5 lifeblood casting this spell. The damage can’t be increased beyond the maximum
possible. Difficulty for First Magnitude is Moderate (0) and requires Line of Sight and Obvious
Technique. AP cost is 3. Difficulty for Second Magnitude is Tough (-2) and requires Resolve Loss
and Miscast. AP costs is 8.

Freezing Breath of Ginnungagap (First Magnitude)

This rune tears a jagged hole in the fabric of reality, within range of the caster’s sight. Howling,
freezing winds pour from the black breach, inflicting vacuum environmental damage (2 pts.
Normal lifeblood) per round to anyone within 10.’ Eldritch horrors inured to the rigors of space
(i.e. Elder Things, Boreal Demons, etc.) are not affected. Additionally, the noise and wind inflict
a penalty die on all actions to targets in the area. The breach cannot be moved. Difficulty is
Hard (-1) and requires Line of Sight, Obvious Technique, and Resolve Loss. Cost is 2 AP, +1 AP
per round after the first the breach is maintained.

36
 career Rank
____________________________
name ____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
strength agility ____________________________
____________________________

LB cOMBAT ABILITIES
initiative
melee
Missile
mind appeal Defense

Boons / Flaws
____________________________
____________________________
Hero / arcane / faith Points ____________________________
____________________________
/ / ____________________________
____________________________

weapons damage equipment / notes

____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
ARMOR / Shield Protection
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
XP:
 IT’S PRONOUNCED ‘KUH-THULE-loo’
It’s 954 A.D. Rumblings beneath the waves heave up sections of sea floor,
along with colonies of Deep Ones — and worse. But these eldritch horrors
might have surfaced in the wrong spot. Because their neighbors aren’t the
usual breed of Lovecraftian investigators. They’re Norse. And they smell
gold!

A heroic horror setting for the Everywhen RPG system.

Coming soon!