Founding of Kyrdanna (Faalor VI)

Last Updated: PST.

Start Date:  Prelude: Dec. 16th, full campaign will begin Jan. 6th 2007

Printable Campaign Notes (12/29/06)

Full map with Area Transitions (1/27/07)

Setting

The main setting for this campaign will be the Island of Kyrdanna at the time of the first Teussian invaders.  The island is sparsely populated by orcs and some reclusive elves.  Thick forests and unspoiled shores make up this virtual wilderness.  The PCs have a short time to hack out a living from the island as winter approaches.

Player Characters

The Campaign

Players are free to choose any alignment they wish but 'morality' as understood by these people is very different from the modern Faalorian dualism.  As discussed elsewhere, Teussians followed the 'Old Ways' and society was ruled by the strong.  Leadership passed from father to son,. While dynasties were common, any freeman may challenge the chieftain for control of the village.  Only the winner would remain alive.

Basically, the Teussians are based on the Viking people. I had hoped there was some new research on pre-Christian Viking society to link out to but I'm not sure there really is much historians can say with certainty (at least that was the state of the question when I was 'doing school' aside for certain religious issues.  If someone finds something useful, let me know.  So, we'll just make things up more or less.  Think 'The 13th Warrior' and we'll be close enough.

This could prove to be a tricky campaign to play as the mentality of the Teussian people may be a bit alien to us today. They also are easily provoked to a fight to the death (and player deaths may occur as a result of an insult or even a stray look), so caution must be exercised. Life is cheap in Vilha and cheaper still in the wilderness of Kyrdanna. 

That said, the entire campaign will depend on cooperation, honorable living (as much as can be expected without being 'boring') and avoidance of Angst. None of the Teussian NPCs will have any tolerance whatsoever for angst. (I know that that's a tall order for this group of players!!! hehe) 

Some of my first thoughts about the campaign made me think this might be a short one as players rub each other wrong. And Teussians being Teussians, we'd end up in a PvP battle royale'. We all play the game to enjoy ourselves and that may even mean killing another player or being killed by another player. If you decide to go down that path, I'll let the cookie crumble as it may. You guys will have enough trouble with goblins, snow, elves and other nasty NPCs to trouble with another PC though. 

The players would start at 2nd level and progress will depend on their successes in establishing the future city of Kyrdanna.  The PCs will be leading members of the expedition, children of the chieftain, shaman, head craftsman, etc..  They will in all likelihood represent the bulk of the tribal leadership assigned to the colony.

Because of the the setting, a number of character classes probably won't work.  The following list represents all the classes that seem to be logical.  Of course, if you think there are other possibilities, let me know and we'll debate your idea.  At least half of the NPCs will be Barbarians, or multi-classes thereof.  I have ordered them here by their probable percentage found in the general Teussian population.

• Barbarian
• Ranger
• Fighter
• Rogue
• Druid
• Bard
• Sorcerer
• Paladin (mystic warrior)
• Cleric

Level advancement will be slow.  Multi-classing will be very slightly penalized; triple-class characters will get a good-sized penalty.  In this campaign, you can add the barbarian class (as your second or third class) with no penalty.  So, if you want to be a multi-class with barbarian, take your non-barbarian class first.  I'm not anticipating getting past 10th level, so prestige classes probably shouldn't be a issue.  Not only because of the probable max level, but classes should be logically limited by the setting and story.  If you wish to take on prestige classes, you are welcome to but remember: there will be an xp penalty.  

Special note on skills:  You may choose one area of specialization (woodworking, leatherworking, mining, metalworking, rune-writing, herbology, religious ceremonies, etc.) not specifically covered in any skill or feat (craft armor, brew potion).   This becomes your Lore skill.  Make a note of that on your character sheet when your character is first created.  Some pre-campaign discussion might be needed so the entire party aren't lumberjacks.  Bear in mind, being a crafter (in the UO sense) still wouldn't be a great idea for this campaign.  Your character will be part of the main 'warrior' class, but in certain circumstances you may need to have specialized knowledge.  NPCs will probably be the real experts in the crafting/resource-gathering arena.

The Teussian language has no alphabet (this comes later with the help of the dwarves, elves and Simsulani people), so all Teussians cannot read or write.  Teussians do have a rune-set language.  This is not used to recreate sounds or words in a formal sense. Rather, it is a magical language used to unlock supernatural powers.  Each rune corresponds to elemental, divine, infernal or other 'powers'.  This language is a closely guarded secret used only by very small minority of spell-casters.  Spell-casters use runes to transcribe their magical energy into curses, blessings, warnings, even potions and other magical objects.  For purposes of this campaign, it is most useful in creating magical scrolls.  Runes are conduits for great power and those who lack the ability to manipulate magical energy in any form, are well-advised to leave them be.

The obvious race would be human of Teusse tribe, but players might find it interesting to play any other race (beside, obviously, half-orc or half-elf, as humans haven't been around long enough to interbreed).  Problems may arise if you wished to play another race though: Faalorian elves, gnomes and dwarves MAY be in direct opposition to the main PC party and they probably won't have much to do until the main party gets to the Island.  A fairly large community of dwarves live in Vilha so it would be possible that dwarves accompany the PC party.

Try to come up with a Viking/Norse/Teutonic sounding name for your character.  Here's where I learned about Viking names, though I'm sure you could easily find more or you can always make something up (just be sure to get the flavor right):

• Viking Answer Lady
• Viking Name Generator
• 300 Viking Names
• Ravensgard Norse FAQ (good general info)

Starting equipment. I would encourage you to put together a custom outfit of some kind.  Try to make it as 'barbarian-ish' or Viking-like as possible.  You are also welcome to create or suggest a magical item.  Make sure it is not over-powered or has significant downside to its use, for example, Arwin's staff can cast some pretty high level spells once a day, but it reduces his constitution by 5 for a period of time.  In general, I'll let you have a +1 item or two depending on the item.  No regeneration items please. If you decide to create something a bit more powerful and/or has little or no downside, I may wait until later in the campaign to let your character have the item; only after questing for it, will you find it.  These magical items are not automatically given to your character at the start of the campaign.  In fact, you may never see it.  These items will be acquired as the result of significant events in the campaign.

Campaign Background

About five years ago, the weather took a turn for the worst.  The inhabitants of Vilha, used to the cold of the northern climes, began to have difficulty feeding themselves.  Fish began to migrate south and crops could not grow due to the short-lived warmth of summer. Livestock froze where they stood.

This only increased the infighting between the various tribes of Vilha.  Living inland from the Teusse, a great warrior named Joerund rose to power in the Vaeringjar tribe and began a war with the Teussians for their scarce resources.  Late last year, Joerund took the keep of Thorkatla which commands the heights above the fiords of the Teusse.  Many of the Teussian people fled to regions to the south, but Tarmic, the Chieftain of Graothr (the village where you live) has stood defiant.

Religion & Morals

Teussian morality is based on personal honor, loyalty and self-sufficiency. 

The ancestors may watch from a distance, the gods only have dealings with humans when it suits their purposes and nature itself is indifferent to human survival. Because Teussian worldview does not emphasize loving, active gods and powers, men and women must take care of themselves in a hostile world.  At the core of this is the ethic of self-sufficiency.  A man or woman who cannot pull his or her weight is considered worse than a coward.  While all sorts of contributions to the community are recognized (wisdom, trade, strength in arms, etc.), all must be able to see to their own basic needs.

Life in the northlands is tenuous at best and demands that everyone look after their friends and relatives.  Everyone is expected to show unfailing loyalty to the family, village and tribe (in that order) or be considered an outcast.  No one is expected to be loyal to any one person, for example, the chieftain or king, rather to the needs of the community. Those who do not defend their families and friends are cowards and should be shunned.  Anyone who threatens the survival of the community will be banished.  

The only value a man or woman has in the world is their personal honor.  Teussian honor is measured in truthfulness, bravery, wisdom, initiative, and self-control.  A good man will live life in moderation, helpful to his friends and family and show the utmost in patience in face of hardships.  On the other hand, a person with no honor would betray a friend, fail to fulfill a vow, or complain without asserting himself to seek a solution.  Enemies are really not enemies, they are opponents.  Teussians see warfare in much the same way we today think of professional sports.  It is a way of life, a measurement of your strength, resourcefulness and honor against others. Great warriors are admired, but flaunting your strength before your friends and allies is considered distasteful.  It is customary to give honor to defeated enemies if they fought well, cleverly or bravely.  Teussians see no distinction though between professional soldiers and civilians.  Women and children can be slain in battle with little thought (and can make solid warriors in their own right).  Obviously though, the number of captured or enslaved non-combatants is in itself a measure of a man's strength in arms. Vengeance or retribution is not a crime, but rather a way of regaining honor.  Hasty and ill-conceived vengeance though is considered bad form; the most honorable thing to do is to wait for the perfect time, months or even years later, to spring the trap.  

Teussians give great respect to their ancestors.  A person's honor is partially derived from the honor of his or her ancestors, but the state of the ancestor's current afterlife is often dependant on how upstanding their descendants are.  This means that, while your personal honor is yours alone, particularly nasty falls from grace can cause eternal consequences for those you loved.

The gods to the Teussians can be helpful, but only helpful when the gods deemed fit.  Therefore, religion as we understand it does not exist for the Teussians.  People can give honor, seek guidance and protection of the gods, but most don't really expect the gods to act in a consistent or even helpful way.  This returns to the ethic of self-sufficiency.   You really can only count on yourself and those around you.  Blasphemy against the gods is a common and accepted occurrence, as a result of these beliefs.

The Red Raven, a powerful spirit sent from Thyrkh, the god of the outdoors and berserkers, watches over the Teussian people.  The symbol adorns the armor of the house guard and other important people in the tribe.  (This can be found on robe option of the CEP expansion if you wish to use it on any of your custom armors.)

List of Teussian gods:

• Eldacar - God of travelers, sea-farers, explorers (not unlike a combination of Meili & Njord)
• Fraeva - Goddess of love-seekers, schemers, parent-to-be and wife of Ulnthar (Norse: Freja, Lofn & Sjöfn)
• Thyrc (Thyrkh)- God of the outdoors, berserkers, animals (father of the Red Raven) (Norse: Ullr, Odin) 
• Ulnthar - God of honorable warriors (Norse: Tyr, Thor)
• Relki -The Trickster, murderers, dishonorable warriors and assassins (Norse: Loki, Hel)

Teussian NPCs of Note (people you know in your village)

• Tarmric, Chieftain.  The Chieftain is getting older and his dozen or so children are beginning to plot his downfall.  Even so, he enjoys great respect from the village and is a personal friend of King Alfred.  He is powerful still in battle and his judgments are solid and almost always to the benefit of his people.
• Teit Tarmricson, Chieftain's youngest son.  Teit is a shrewd, calculating fellow, with quite a bit of experience in combat and in the workings of politics.  He is grown to an age now when he seeks to supplant his aging father as Chieftain.  He is not as strong or brave as his other brothers, but he is a worthy opponent nonetheless.
• Jeryssa, Seeress.  Jeryssa is an ancient crone living on the outskirts of town.  She is known for her potions, healing skills and the ablilty to foresee the future.  No one really knows how old she is or where she came from as she's been living out there for as long as the oldest person in the village can remember.  
• Glaeben, Merchant .  Glaeben is a real pain in the ass most of the time.  He is often combative, especially when drunk (which is most of the time).  He is though a very valuable asset to the community as he has extensive contacts with merchants throughout Vilha and beyond.  He is fair in his business dealings for the most part, but he values money more than almost anything else.
• Flosi, Blacksmith.  The village is lucky to have a renown blacksmith in Flosi.  He creates some of the best armor in the region.  His weapons, armor and other implements of war are of the highest quality.  He takes his craft very seriously, seeing something mystical about the transformation of bits of 'rock' into lethal implements of death.  He has a wicked sense of humor as well.
• Frelda, Flosi's, the blacksmith, wife.  Frelda is a practical and stout woman with a fierce heart and an independent spirit.  She is an expert tanner and seamstress.  Unlike her husband, she is extremely serious and levelheaded.
• Finna Flosisdottir, 14 year old girl. Moody and mischievous (like her father, the blacksmith), Finna is a typical Teussian girl of 14 years old, not quite old enough for marriage but even now on the look-out for the perfect man to marry.
• Halibjorn Flosison, A typical boy of 9 years old, Halibjorn enjoys playing "adventure". While he has not quite mastered the are of true combat, he will soon be a strong warrior capable of handling himself in any situation.
• Ergthred (played by The Beggar), 21 single man. Ergthred is a young and rather romantic fellow.  Light of heart and quick to see the gods in everything.  He is brave, yet naive at times.  He is friendly to all and generally tries to be helpful.
• Klingmuld, Old man. Klingmuld is a bent and feisty old man.  He has seen his fair share of war and politics.  Now, in his late 80's, he has become a trusted advisor to the Chieftain.
• Adrik, old warrior.  Adrik has been at Tarmric's side since they both were boys.  He is now in his late 40's, but is still a powerful warrior in his own right.  While Klingmuld is the voice of wisdom and caution, Adrik is the voice of action.
• Beilrosch, the Waterman, Beilrosch is a huge man, a sailor and adventurer for many a long year. He is among the first to make raids on Faalor as but a lad. He loves his drink, his song, and his woman with passion. Above all, he longs for the open ocean and swinging his heavy warhammer down on the head of an enemy.
• Ketill, the Quick, Ketill is a brash and confident young man, seeking to prove his worth to the world.  He is known for his ability to run great distances without tiring.  He lost his left eye in a brawl.  He is also very skilled at carpentry and all sorts of woodcraft.
• Griss, the Soft, Griss is a towering warrior, fighting with a fury seldom seen even in Teussian warriors.  He is brave and honorable, yet there is something not quite right about the man.  He often gets confused, loosing his sense of direction or train of thought.  He will never live down the time he got a company of soldiers lost in the woods.  He sometimes appears to admire men more than women. Possibly homosexual (see The Vikings and Homosexuality on how I will handle homosexuality)
• Hlovir, Sometimes called "the Bear", Hlodvir is a huge man with fiery eyes and a mangy beard.  At home in the woods, he was the village hunter for many a long year.  He has proved himself time and again in battle, yet he can be kindly and friendly to those he respects.
• Mjoell, Hlovir's wife. Mjoell is a beauty from a neighboring village.  She is silently resentful of the fact that Hlovir won her in a wrestling contest.  On the other hand, she can be gracious and serves a fine feast.  She is a little snobby sometimes, yet she is tolerated because of her great beauty and (often forced) charm.
• Framdrir Hlovirson, Proving to have his father's knack for hunting, this 12 year old has become a major food provider for the village.  He is bright, enthusiastic and an expert marksman.
• Skallagrim Hlovirson, 8 year old boy. Still too young to be an active part of the community, Skallagrim spends much of his time playing swords and getting in peoples' way. He is extremely curious and tries to be "helpful" in any way possible.
• Small number of (unnamed and generic) Teussian freemen and thrall some of which may be PCs.

Possible Campaign Outcomes

As with any of my campaigns, I like to build in significant consequences to the players' actions.  It will definitely be possible for this first attempt at colonization to fail.  Because this campaign represents the very first human settlements on Faalor, the campaign history would not be altered at all if you fail, as subsequent attempts not played out will succeed.  Your characters and their actions just won't have any influence on history. It will be possible for the colony to starve to death, be overrun by orcs or piss off the local elves to the point they themselves destroy the colony.  On the other hand, the colony could begin to thrive and spread out as word of Kyrdanna's successes reach 'home'.  

Technical Details

Please update your NWN program to the latest version. Here's the haks I'm using at this time.  If you have any other suggestions, please let me know.

• Community Expansion Pack II (CEP v2.0) (or just grab the cep2_full.rar--sorry, I had the wrong thing on there before Dec. 16th)
• JXP_Mountains (need mountains)
• fdo hills (nice forested areas)
• BTH Forest?Rural (kinda the same as 'fdo hills' w/more green and huts)
• Alhambrie - Tileset 11 v1.10 (deep primeval forests)
• BTH Swamp (thar be stinky things)
• Longships (SoU) (Teussian ships!)

and Portraits:

• Aldulfr Aldviosson
• Valdemar
• Yngvild Adriksdottir

Rule Changes

You will be required to find a place to camp, tell the DM what measures you are taking to secure the site, then, if the DM sees that you have taken proper precautions.  In safe areas, you may be able to rest as often as you like, depending on the situation.  One resting period will be allowed per game day and, if you rest, it requires 8 hours of game time.

Magic items will be very rare, and would be the main focus of a quest if they are to be found at all.  Some relatively weak magic items may be part of your starting equipment though.  There will be a number of 'quest-level' items that players may be given, find or create as the campaign progresses.

Healing will now be based on several factors.  Class (druids, clerics, paladins, monks and rangers get bonuses), feats (healing domain, healing focus, potion making) and your base healing skill all contribute to the amount healed.  That means characters that are not traditional healing classes can still heal, it will just be weighted toward the healer classes.  If you fail your heal check, there will be a second check at a lower DC; if you fail that check, you will actually cause more damage to the patient.  You will need a healing kit, which can be made by combining three wild herbs.  Of course, healer types and those that focus on healing will have a much better chance of making them.  Low level fighters, for example, may not be able to make them at all. Needless to say, healing spells will be the most effective way to affect healing.  Healing kits do not counteract poisons or diseases.

Players have the opportunity to gather several resources, but I don't think it very interesting or helpful (in a story-sense) to have players gathering firewood, water or mining, for example.  While players go looking for those items as part of a story element, I won't create specific systems for their use.  There are two main resources players can have a direct hand at harvesting: animal products and herbs.

Anyone can track game, but the following factors, from most important to least important are used in the scripting routine:

• Class (rangers have a massive advantage, druids some advantage, rogues & barbarians very small advantage)
• Animal Empathy skill
• Spot
• Listen
• Certain feats (Animal Domain, Favored Enemy: Animal, certain feats relating to detecting, hearing, woodlands)
• Current level

Obviously, some characters will have almost no chance of scaring up game, while others will naturally come to the skill.  Others will become better as they advance.   Once game is tracked, players may then hunt them; they won't be catchable until a skilled hunter finds them.  After an animal is killed it may be dressed and players may obtain meat, hide, bone and internal organs.  Meat, obviously enough, will be used to feed your group.  Hides can be used to make new leather armor, clothing and is the main ingredient in making magical scrolls.  Bones and organs may have other uses you may discover as the campaign progresses.

The other items that is harvestable for PCs are herbs.  Various herbs will be primarily needed for healing kits, but they may have other uses.  Because I don't want to make resource-harvesting too tedious, I have created a plant placable that can be searched by any player.  Obviously, some players will have a better chance of finding anything and the following factors are used to determine if you have found anything:

• Heal skill
• Lore skill
• Class (druids, rangers, clerics, barbarians get bonuses, listed in order of bonus level)
• Skills (search & spot)
• Total level

Again, obviously, some characters aren't going to be able to find much and they may even do more harm than good.  Each time a shrub is checked by anyone, there is a reduced chance that you will find anything.  Eventually, the shrub will be exhausted of its fruit or will be damaged by the process of collecting the herbs.  A random herb will be found on the shrub each time it is successful searched (because I'm lazy and don't want to script X number of different herb plants).

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