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Longing Calling
A Vaesen mystery brief

INTRODUCTION: Everyone desires something or someone. We struggle to

satisfy our heart’s needs. In this mystery the investigators will dive into a
disaster sprung from love, hurt, greed and sorrow. What will you do to
prevent a village being consumed by a soul’s thirst?

Written by Tobias Kröger, Editing by David Whitworth

This product was created under license. Vaesen and its logo are trademarks of Fria Ligan AB and Johan Egerkrans.

This work contains material that is copyright Fria Ligan AB, Johan Egerkrans and/or other authors. Such material is
used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Free League Workshop.

All other original material in this work is copyright 2022 by Tobias Kröger and published under the Community
Content Agreement for Free League Workshop.
 LONGING CALLING
Within this booklet you will find an outline for a mystery
that you can use to develop your own story. Please use it
to spark your imagination and expand upon what has
been created here. You will find a short summary of the
story and background, a countdown, descriptions of
NPCs, the Vaesen and the necessary ritual.
There are many amazing stories about Sjora that can
be used for inspiration to expand upon what is written in
this short scenario. The story presented here has themes
of love, loneliness, kidnapping and loss of agency. Before
play starts make sure that everyone is ok with these
themes. There are parts of the story that involve at least
one Investigator (player character) and several npcs
having something happen to them beyond their control.
This can be left out from the mystery easily if anyone
feels uncomfortable. The main aim of the game is for
everyone to have fun and feel included and comfortable
with the events in the mystery.
Background (Main conflict)
Nils Gustafson lives in the small fishing village of
Enslighet, on the shores of a mountain lake, Sjö Dröm.
The lake is full of fish and keeps the inhabitants of
Enslighet well fed. One night as Nils is returning from
his secret haven on one of the isles he witnesses a
beautiful maiden emerging from the floods and instantly
falls in love with her. But she is no ordinary maiden, she
is one of the three sisters living at the bottom of the lake,
a Sjora or lake wife. His desire for her drives him to bad
decisions. To gather his thoughts he often rows to a
ruined abbey on another of the islands where he finds
buried within some old scriptures a ritual to bind the
Sjora. With a burning and aching heart, he lures her onto
his boat and takes her to his hiding spot. There his trap
is laid and he binds her with the ritual. He then tries to
live a happy life. Unfortunately, the two remaining Sjoras
miss their sister and great pain befalls them. They
express their pain and longing in a song that can be
heard from time to time in Enslighet. People start to
hum it and one after the other their own wishes and
desires are overwritten with only one goal. To meet
these sisters and join them in their lament. A death
sentence, the Sjoras exact their revenge on the villagers,
who they believe took their sibling, guilty or not.
·2·
Human desires
Ask your players what their
characters desire. Discuss this on the
journey before arriving at the village.
Let everyone describe what they are
longing for and how his drives them
forward.
This information can be used later
to offer them glimpses of the mystery.
Maybe one or two of these things can
be offered by the Sjori in a
confrontation.
Complications (Secondary
Conflict)
There is a new carpenter in town. After her father died,
Linda Bergstrom returned home from the having lived
by the coast of Sweden. She brought with her new ideas
for better fishing nets, nets that are better at catching
fish than any of the traditional nets. Traditionalists in
Enslighet say that her nets disturb the ground and take
too much from the lake. Also, Linda’s disregard for
superstitions, like making sacrifices to the lake, spreads
to the people working for her. All of this could bring bad
luck and the wrath of the “voice of the lake”. Some of the
younger folk, like Nils and his friend Thomas Wallin, are
happy to work with her. Others, like Astrid Hintze, the
de facto spokesperson of the village, are trying to get rid
of her. A recent storm tore not only some of the fishing
boats apart but also a few building, like Lina’s workshop.
Tensions, blame games and ramping up of hostilities
prevent any cooperation. To make matters worse,
Astrid’s daughter, Helma, seems to be drawn to Linda.
Siding with one of the two women means losing the
support of the other.
Invitation
Dear gentlepersons,
I am writing to you out of desperation and in a scarce
moment of silence. Something has changed our village. The
people behave strangely, and during the nights more and
more forsaken souls leave their beds, vanishing into the
darkness. In a futile attempt to make sense out of this
madness I am willing to believe that there is something in
lake Sjö Dröm. Something that is calling us. Last night, I
 LONGING CALLING
heard it too, it draws on my soul. Please come to Enslighet,
help us! Don’t let me become the fifth person to disappear!
With probably my last regards
Sven Magnusson
Clues
What is happening?
Speaking to Sven Magnusson he can tell the PCs,
that over the last two weeks 7 people have vanished.
(Three more have disappeared since they sent the letter.)
Sven himself is on the brink of a break down. He knows
that Nils was the first to go. After he vanished Sven
noticed the some villagers started to hum a strange tune.
Many of the villagers now hum this strange song,
nobody truly knows or remembers it upon being
questioned and at first the victims don’t notice they are
humming. For the first few days they act irrationally and
seem follow their impulses and desires, making quite the
scene. These scenes get more dramatic as the days go by,
until after humming for a number of days, they
disappear. Sven knows all this, but bits can be gleaned
from other villages who are not cursed with humming.
Nils suggests his best friend, Thomas, who might know
more.
To speak with Thomas Wallin the players will need
to get the assistance of Linda first as she won’t let them
into the workshop. Thomas is repairing one of the
workshops that was damaged in the storm that belongs
to Linda. Helping with the repairs is one way to get her
cooperation but allow the PCs to be inventive about
seeking her help.
Once the PCs are able to talk to Thomas he tells them
that his friend was a loner and that he was often alone on
the lake dreaming. Further questioning will reveal that
he had several hiding spots on the isles in the lake. A few
weeks ago, Nils told Thomas that he fallen in love with a
mysterious girl, she has enchanted Nils, but he never
mentioned her name. Afterwards he appeared more and
more stressed. Nils has always been a fatalist, but
Thomas became really worried about his friend. He
began to say things like “I need to be with her or there
can’t be a life for me anymore” but never explained why.
Nils’ home is a small place. To enter the players will
need the help of Astrid Hintze. She has access to the
keys to open the house for investigation. Pressuring
Linda to help with the boat repairs secure the aid of
Astrid.
Investigating Nils’ house, the PCs can find, alongside
the usual belongings of a fisherman, some books about
folkloric practices, Mermaids and Necks. Also, there are
·3·
dried plants (a Learning test can be made to recognise
them as from the bottom of the lake), rope made from
these plants and human hair (necessary for the binding
ritual). On a note nearby are the scribbled words: “Oh
Lord, father, protect me. I can’t escape from the
melody.”
Talking to the Other villagers they mention strange
dreams of the lake or long forgotten desires, the
humming. Some talk about something old that lives in
the lake called the “voice of the lake” and how it is
customary to make small sacrifices (coin, fish, etc) to the
voices. But lately some of the younger folk, those
working at Linda’s place, tend to “forget” their duties.
There are muttered words blaming Linda, saying she has
angered the voice and now it wants revenge. There are
rumours of people going mad as they try to confess their
love for someone or stealing sentimental items belonging
to their secret love.
Places
 Mountain path: void of people, flowers, cold
wind
 Tavern: “The sad Trout”, gathering place of
people trying to mute the singing and heart
aching, weird looks
 Nils’s home: dusty, untidy, like a prison
 Linda’s workshop: well equipped, half
destroyed, busy place
 Astrid’s home: dried flowers, nicely
decorated, a little aloft
 Isle of the abbey: mist, trees, twilight, reed
 Abbey: ruins, contorted, cold
 Shore of Sjö Dröm: so much reed, whispers,
bones
 Sjö Dröm: dark, deep, calling
Countdown
 ON ARRIVAL: An oxen cart nearly tramples the
investigators, the driver is daydreaming and
humming a melancholic melody.
 AFTER the second time they talk to an NPC, that
person starts humming, not being aware of it.
 FIRST TIME at the shore of the lake: A drowned
body is found, covered in lake grass, with
strangulation marks caused by delicate fingers on
the neck.
1. One of the investigators starts hearing the song, and
quietly begins to hum.
2. One of the humming villagers tries to find the
source of the song in the lake and is in danger of
drowning.
 LONGING CALLING

3. The humming PC is drawn to the lake and has a
vision of fulfilment of their wishes.
4. During the night, the song intensifies, it is now
audible to all investigators.
5. The next morning many villagers begin to gather at
the shore, eyes glazed over, humming.
6. DISASTER: The villagers begin to wander into the
wet grave.
Their song echoes over the lake and can be heard from
time to time around Enslighet. It has happened again
however, with Nils, she tried to stay away, but he caught
her and bound her.
Might 7 Body Control 9 Magic 9 Manipulation 10
Observation 9 Fear 1/1

Magical Powers
The final confrontation  Enchant
Nils hides with the Sjora within the old abbey. He had
 Curse
stockpiled a lot of food so that he wouldn’t need to  Summon Fogg, Wind and Waves
return across the lake for a long time. Only two of the  Learn the desire of a mortal
rooms in the abbey are decorated with rudimentary  Hallucinations
makeshift furniture. The Sjora is held within one of  Lowering the inhibition threshold to follow
them, the ritual rope tied to her and the ramshackle one’s desires
 Charm
bath. Gone half mad by his desires, which still haven’t
Conditions
been fulfilled, and by the songs of the lake sisters, he is
fast to use violence, against not just strangers, but also  The water stirs
the Sjora or himself. The Vaesen tries to answer the call  Luring +1
of her sisters night after night but is prevented by the  Indignations about being hurt +1
 Colouring the water red with blood -1
ritual. Though she is still able to use her powers against
 Hurt and raging -2
the Investigators. Fearing they might bring further harm
 Trying to drown everyone +2
to her the Sjora panics and will use her powers against  Turning into foam and reform at next
the players. She hast lost most her trust for mortals but sundown
can be calmed by true empathy. This can be played as a
rescue mission with a hostage that misinterprets the Combat
helping actions of the players as a threat. Attack Damage Range

Claws and teeth 1 0

The Vaesen: Sjora
Like the wood wife, the lake wife rules over a certain
body of water. Her skin is pale and hair of a deep, dark
green. Unlike a mermaid she has the body of a beautiful
woman, and with a simple gesture she can make mortals
fall for her. The three sisters of the singing lake have
their own shoals of fish and lake cows and don’t usually
interact with the humans in the village much. They don’t
usually walk on land, aside for the occasional sacrifice,
which is answered by a rich bounty of fish for the
villagers. They know secret melodies and words that
enthral their listeners, unleashing their deepest desires,
or subverting their wishes. They brings dreams of beauty
and fulfilment. One look into a mortal’s eyes tells the
Sjora their deepest desires. Fog, waves, and wind are
theirs to command. A long time ago, the youngest sister
fell in love with a monk. As we all know, these stories
always end tragically. And even though she told him the
ritual to enable her to live on land for a year, it ended.
So, she swore to never give her heart to a mortal man.
Drown 2* 0
* Being dragged under water does 2 damage per turn to the
player character.
The Rituals
The secret to the rituals can be found within the old
library of the abbey, though Astrid is aware of them and
knows hints and rumours as to what or where they
might be.
To bind: Weave your hair with lake grass to make a
strong rope. Make a knot for every day of the week and
tie in an iron nail for every month of the year. Use the
rope to encircle a body of water for the Sjora to reside in.
The last step, tie some hair of the Sjora to each nail. To
set her free the PCs need to untie her hair from the nails.
To pacify: The sisters sing a song with one stanza
missing. The missing stanza drives the people in
Enslighet mad. A player hearing the song and feeling
touched by it can, over the course of the adventure,
become aware of the missing stanza, and learn how to

·4·
 LONGING CALLING
complete it. It must be about something they long for
and have given up the hope to ever achieve. The two
sisters will then know that they are not alone in their
pain and leave the people of the village alone.
The Cast
Nils Gustafson
"You must be mine!"
Loner, daydreamer, cause of the troubles. He found
his true love, but she wasn’t willing or able to stay with
him. At first, he tried to resist, but in the end, couldn’t,
and he came up with a plan to kidnap the Sjora. Learning
about her weaknesses, he managed to take her from her
sisters. The magic did its part but don’t take Nils as the
victim in this story. Instead of seeking help or a
mundane solution he used (mystical) violence to archive
his goals.
• Physique 3 Precision 2
• Logic 3 Empathy 2
• Close COMBAT 2 Force 3 LEARNING 2
VIGILANCE 2
• Mental Toughness 3 Physical Toughness 3
• EQUIPMENT: Fishing knife (2 dmg), net, some
booze, cord made from his hair and lake grass
Linda Bergstrom
"I had to leave to find my way back home. But now that I am
here, I will stay and care for my family!"
Strong willed, ready to fight and hoping to better the
fate of her family. During her teenager years her parents
told her that she wasn’t their biological child. She went
in search of her real parents. But over the years the trail
went cold, returning home she took her place in the
village. If Astrid learnt of this secret, it could help get rid
of Linda or be used to blackmail her. Linda longs to
finally feel accepted in her home and not like an
imposter.
• Physique 3 Precision 4
• Logic 2 Empathy 2
• Agility 2 Force 1 LEARNING 2 Observation 2
• Mental Toughness 4 Physical Toughness 3
• EQUIPMENT: handkerchief with the initials of her
birth parents and added initials of her adopted
parents in Enslighet, a set of good tools
·5·
Astrid Hintze
"It takes more than a pretty face and money to run a village.
You need the will to cut out the bad ones to get through the
winter to be respected as a leader.”
Astrid’s mother, her mother, and the mothers before
them have led Enslighet through troubled times. They
have made sure that the traditions were upheld. They
watched so that nobody wandered from the path. They
guided those who struggled and waivered. Those who
questioned the way were made compliant or banished.
Astrid loves her village and won’t accept harm to it any
longer. She longs for her daughter Helma to lose interest
in Linda and take her place as Enslighet’s warden of the
traditions.
• Physique 2 Precision 3
• Logic 3 Empathy 2
• LEARNING 2 Vigilance 1 Inspiration 2
Manipulation 2
• Mental Toughness 3 Physical Toughness 3
• EQUIPMENT: notebook with a list of all debts in
the village, a bunch of keys (one of them to Nils
house, why?)
To see one example of how you can play this
scenario, you can see the author run the game on
youtube (link below). Only some of imagined places were
used and the story went in a completely different
direction. One of the things the author tried for the first
time was singing the song of the Sjora, which plays an
important role in the mystery. He picked a song, that he
felt had the right tone and sang it to the players. Should
you feel like that is something you could do, try it! This
mystery is only a guideline for your own stories to be
told with a new Vaesen, the Sjora.
https://youtu.be/avX5a6mhtPc