HYPERBOREA Referee's Manual

HYPERBOREA

GIBBERING FIELDS River Okeanos: The Hyperborean Sea is moderately
These grasslands are renowned for their poppy and windy. Prevailing air currents tend to circulate betwixt
lotus fields, steam vents, and violent geysers. The Gib- the 18th and 36th parallels, an effect referred to as River
bering Fields are grazed by aurochs and woolly mam- Okeanos. Here the winds flow in opposing belts, loop-
moth herds; these herbivores attract fearsome beasts, ing and crisscrossing at different junctures depending
including giant hyænas, sabre-tooths, and dire wolves. on seasons and other conditions.
Too, hyæna-man tribes roam these grasslands; their These wuthering airstreams are a navigational night-
hysterical, gibbering laughter is cause for fear and mare to most. Veteran mariners (viz. Amazons, Ixians,
madness. The Gibbering Fields reputedly are haunted Vikings, and Zangeriosans) understand the River
by malevolent spirits. Tales speak of weird, iridescent, Okeanos and use it to their advantage. In Tempest
vampiric clouds rising from the boggy meadows. Old (Year 4), River Okeanos is plagued by deadly whirl-
standing stones, crumbling foundations, and dried wells pools. Sea ice forms from Coda (Year 12) to Genesis
have been found in the grasslands, the ruins of a better (Year 1), and icebergs are a constant threat.
age before the Green Death devastated the realm.
ISLANDS OF THE APE-MEN
HYPERBOREAN SEA Most ape-man tribes populating these isles exhibit the
Oral legends of the Esquimaux and Half-Blood Picts ability to create stone tools, including spears, arrow-
speak of an age when the Hyperborean Sea was man- heads, and other implements. They also appropriate
tled almost entirely in ice; mainland Hyperborea, too, weapons of iron and steel, but the science behind
was covered by massive ice sheets. The Esquimaux, their founding, the riddle of steel, remains a mystery
Lapps, Tlingit, and Yakuts are reckoned to have been analogous to sorcery in their savage minds. Individual
amongst the first peoples to migrate mystically from tribes number as many as 200 ape-men and usually
Old Earth. These resilient folk clung to survival in include a shaman, from whom they glean the wisdom
those few coastal regions where the ice did not flow. of Xathoqqua or Yug.
Over the ages the ice melted, and the other races be- The ape-men of these islands are notoriously hostile to
gan to emerge, but by then the Esquimaux nearly had humans and to one another. Terrible blood feuds erupt,
wiped out the Lapps and Yakuts and were at war with provoked by circumstances scarcely understood by
the Tlingit. people. In their tribes, a dominant male almost always
Much has been postulated regarding humanity’s posi- enjoys all mating privileges. Note that during the win-
tion in the hierarchy of intelligent life on Hyperborea. ter years (mid-Twilight to mid-Renaissance), a land
Although it is generally agreed that mankind main- bridge of ice may form betwixt the main continent and
tains a semblance of authority on the surface world, the these islands. At such times the ape-men will venture
depths of the sea are an entirely different matter. It is as far as the Kimmerian Steppe and the Fields of Vol,
understood that fish-men (“deep ones”) once populated raiding and pillaging as is their wont.
vast underwater metropolises, and likewise the elder
things. Evidence suggests that the artificial species ISLE OF GHUL
known as shoggoths turned against their otherworldly This cursed, desert island is the domain of a heretical
masters, the elder things, and may have effected their necromancer who purportedly commands a horde of
ruin. Whether these races have persevered over the undead minions. The isle is surrounded by reefs and
æons, and at what level of success, is largely a specu- shews high cliffs from which rise granite towers. A
lative exercise. Certainly, the crab-men who dwell in spire of basalt ascends from the island’s centre, said to
the depths near Crab Archipelago are more actively be dwelling place of the dread necromancer. Doomed
involved in the affairs of mankind. They oversee the are the vessels that maroon on the Isle of Ghul.
activities of certain Picts and Esquimaux (the so-called
“crab-kin”). ISLES OF MAEDSID
Regardless, the Hyperborean Sea teems with life. The main three isles of this archipelago rise some 300
Seals and whales ply these waters rich with plankton, feet above the sea. Due to tempestuous winds and tur-
cod, and haddock. Also, halibut and crabs lurk in the bulent waters of the River Okeanos, jagged shoals, and
shallows. Amongst the feared sea creatures are the impossible cliffs, the Isles of Maedsid are avoided by
giant crab, giant crocodile, giant octopus, sea serpent, most mariners. Too, they are said to be inhabited by an
great white shark, giant squid, and killer whale. eccentric sect of druids unaffiliated with the mainland
hierarchy.

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ISLES OF THUR Most tribes of the Kimmerian Steppe number from
These volcanic islands are inhabited by Vikings whose 500 to 1,000 individuals. Three of the largest tribes
ancestors were exiled from Vikland for their refusal to have semi-permanent villages in the arm of the Spi-
submit to Ullr and Ymir. The Vikings of Thur live a ral Mountain Array that penetrates the Kimmerian
harsh existence, shunned by kinsmen and gods alike. Steppe. The barbarians, despite their lack of formal
Worse still, the isles’ volcanoes are active, and at least education, comport themselves well when dealing with
once in their history, nearly all the exiles were wiped outsiders. Kimmerian saddlers and armourers are the
out; too, the Green Death did not treat them kindly. most highly regarded throughout the realm; a suit of
Still, 500 or more Vikings persevere here, fiercely inde- gold-chased Kimmerian plate mail, for instance, can
pendent, despite Vikland’s decree that they may build fetch thousands of gold pieces.
ships no larger than a færing. Essentially this con- Krimmea: This vast underground city is ruled by an
straint precludes the inhabitants of Thur from crossing eccentric subculture of Kimmerians who closed off all
that hazardous stretch of the Hyperborean Sea known relations with other people—including their steppe
as River Okeanos. Thurssonns (as they oft refer to nomad kinsmen—when the Green Death ravaged the
themselves) view this stricture as intolerably unjust, realm. In the last century, these catacomb dwellers
citing the threat posed by the nearness of Minotaurios. have emerged to engage their cousins of old, trading
rare ores and edible fungi. During the intervening age,
IX they evolved in ways their surface-dwelling kin neither
At the Rim of the World lies the fabled isle of IX, where understand nor appreciate. Notwithstanding, these
the most precocious Ixian sorcerers observe forbidden strange, brooding people are less savage than their
rites and practice unspeakable atrocities. Here the surface-dwelling kin.
walking dead are said to outnumber the living, witches The people of Krimmea do not admit outsiders into
hold terrifying covens, and the ruling necromancers their underground city. Their numbers are unknown,
are infected with a species of incalculable madness. IX for none can fathom how acutely they were impact-
is cradled by the Black Gulf, for the Rim of the World is ed by the Green Death. Some suggest the catacomb
fractured around this wicked isle, and a cold, dreadful dwellers to be in league with creatures of otherworldly
wind blows perpetually across the island’s summit. or netherworldly origin.
Ominously from the sea rises the island, 200-foot cliffs Mount Forp: Kimmerian oral legends speak of an age
of black gneiss atop which grows sparse and wan veg- when their race, driven by their enemies of old, the
etation. Squat stone towers and bastions are carved Scythians, entered a foggy vale within the Caucasus
in the mountainous cliff sides, and manors carved of Mountains of Old Earth. Their traditions say the fog
the same black stone stand atop the isle. The island took sentience, becoming a glowing, sparkling entity.
is surrounded by wind-blasted black shoals on which Within the confines of those eldritch mists sounded a
many a ship has been wrecked. The fate that befalls terrible piping that effected potent vertigo, to which
the passengers and crew of such vessels is unfathom- they each and all succumbed. When at length the Kim-
able to the sane. merians stirred, they found themselves in lost Hyper-
borea, at the summit of this impossible, snow-capped
KIMMERIAN STEPPE peak of glittering black gneiss. Witches, poets, and
This cold, grassy region is roamed by large herds of madmen suggest that Mount Forp remains an umbili-
aurochs, camel, and wild horse. Musk oxen, woolly cal cord to other worlds and times, but only when the
mammoths, and woolly rhinoceroses are plentiful too, stars are right.
so it is a strong resource for ivory and furs. It is es-
timated that a dozen nomadic tribes of Kimmerians KITASION ARCHIPELAGO
range the Kimmerian Steppe, each with its own hered- Few villages dot this vast island chain, for it is home
itary chieftain. These horsemen are esteemed as the to terrible monsters of legendry, including harpies
finest cataphracts in the realm, their thunderous onset and manticores (and, in the deeps of seaside caves,
nigh unstoppable. basilisks and gorgons). Passing betwixt the islands
Prior to the Green Death, Kimmerians controlled the is a risky proposition for any vessel; to wit, the most
Fields of Vol, but that region is now dominion of the feared threat is the cyclopes: savage, one-eyed giants.
Kimmeri-Kelts, a hybrid race whom Kimmerians view Notwithstanding, some hardy folk eke out a meagre
with disdain. As a consequence, the borderlands be- existence here.
twixt the Kimmerian Steppe and the Fields of Vol are
hotly contested, the wars bloody and easily provoked. LARCHMERE YYS
Furthermore, Kimmerians cling to generations-old Four and two-score years ago, this frontier valley region
blood feuds and oft war with one another. betwixt the Spiral Mountain Array and Dagon Bay was

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settled by a sect of Apollonian pilgrims. Fleeing cultural with lean bodies and long arms. Their skin ranges from
and religious persecution in the City-State of Khrom- a light tan to a jaundiced complexion, and their hair is
arium, they built their village along the River Yys and straight and dark. The eyes of Lemurians are slant-
fenced it with massive larch timbers. The people of ed and likewise dark. Men oft wear long moustaches,
Larchmere Yys Village (pop. 300) are successful crop goatees, or beards, notoriously thin and wispy. They
farmers and righteously religious, unwavering in their are assayed to worship many deities unknown to the
conviction that theirs is the true Hyperborean faith. rest of Hyperborea, but years of trade reputedly have
In recent years these folk have engaged in trade with introduced the ubiquitous Xathoqquan orthodoxy.
the residents of a small, reindeer-herding village of
Esquimaux discovered upriver, whom they hope to LENG PLATEAU
convert to Apollo. Conversely, the Apollonians have This vast, hostile, desert plateau is deemed uninhabitable.
avoided the uncanny folk who inhabit the fishing vil- Reputedly it is frequented by the enigmatic men of Leng,
lages of Dagon Bay, for the latter are of an unsettling whose leaper camel sojourns to the region are ill under-
breed with dubious religious practices. Tensions with stood. On the highest windswept tables, they blow their
these Dagonites have escalated of late, a consequence haunting pipes, singing the terrible “Song of Azathoth.”
of missing persons and other suspicious affairs. Some of Hyperborea’s largest herbivores (musk oxen
and woolly rhinoceroses) inhabit the Leng Plateau.
THE LEMURIAN REMNANT They attract fearsome predators, including all manner
The Lemurian Remnant consists of a large island sur- of bear, tiger, and wolf. People scarcely visit the Leng
rounded by a number of smaller keys, which sit at the Plateau, though Esquimaux, Lapp, and Yakut tribes
very edge of the world. The archipelago exists within a chase game here; oft they will halt at the foot of the
spatial anomaly: The Remnant seems to encompass a plateau region, fearful of its otherworldly inhabitants.
hexagonal space no more than 24 miles across. Howev-
er, once ships pass through the surrounding tempests LIZARD COAST
to enter Lemurian waters, they find themselves in a These coastal marshlands are inhabited by reptilian
tropical island region 180 miles wide. humanoids known as lizard-men, though how they re-
The Lemurian Remnant is said to be populated with flora fer to themselves in their own sibilant tongue cannot be
and fauna unlike anywhere else in the realm. Of the cit- vocalized by humans. These creatures are intelligent
ies, towns, and other sites of relative importance, little is but not particularly advanced. They are presumed not
known; in sooth, even the finest seafarers of Hyperborea to have solved the riddle of steel, yet nearly every tribe
prefer to avoid the region. Notwithstanding, Lemurian protects its semi-aquatic lair with modern weaponry.
traders have visited Khromarium, bringing their valu- Too, many lizard-men of this region ride giant draco
able jade, emeralds, pearls, rare silks, and fruit wine. lizards, which they fit with saddles.
Somewhat similar to the people of Mu, Lemurians are Lizard Coast is inhabited by many species of aquatic
a small people, averaging just over five feet in height and semi-aquatic monsters, especially giant snakes and
the oft-sought thew waggons. Massive species of giant

elk dwell here, too. Lizard Coast is
notorious for several deadly forms of
lotus, which nefarious people seek for
various diabolical schemes. Other re-
ports mention deadly plants and trees
perhaps tainted by Evil, as well as
restless spirits and like horrors.
Expeditions into Lizard Coast are no
doubt perilous, for although lizard-men
typically avoid people, they can become
violent upon intrusion. Whether the
lizard-men make war on one another is
unconfirmed. They are understood to
engage in ancestor worship and vener-
ate Xathoqqua, whose ancient shrines
are scattered about the coast.

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LUG WASTELAND a ghost city soon mantled in ice hundreds of feet thick.
This vast stretch of boggy peatland and coastal marsh Millennia later the ice thawed, and the Hyperboreans
is a breeding ground for lumbering beasts, enormous emerged to reclaim the jewel of their erstwhile empire.
insects, and gargantuan monsters. Notwithstanding, At length they discovered that their realm had lost its
doughty folk harvest peat, hunt big game, and prospect connexion to Old Earth and that it was crawling with
for resources here. In winter, from mid-Twilight (Year the savage races of mankind. Regardless, they re-
11, Mammoth) to mid-Renaissance (Year 2, Fish), this claimed the ancient city and once again basked in their
entire region freezes solid. The spring years are re- physical and intellectual supremacy. They took the less-
markable for fire beetles (oft called jigs) that cavort er races of mankind for slaves, arena gladiators, and
about the bogs. Scores upon scores emit their fulvous test subjects for scientific and sorcerous experiments.
phosphorescence, as the standing males “jig” on their Over time, the Hyperboreans took to chewing lotus
hind legs in most ostentatious displays. leaves and yielded to unspeakable perversities. Too,
Perhaps the most treacherous region of the Lug they even experimented in druidism, as they esteemed
Wasteland is its expanse of bubbling tar pits, where the heathenism of the barbaric Kelts strangely attrac-
dwell formless abominations that feed on the flesh of tive. The Hyperboreans had become a lax and deca-
warm-blooded creatures, including humans. Aban- dent people, consumed by their own devices. As the
doned shrines of Xathoqqua lie here, tangled, over- Hyperboreans of Khromarium lolled in stagnation, the
grown, and haunted by all accounts. Hot springs also barbarians without progressed.
can be found amongst the tar pits; certain druids and Then came the Green Death. The Hyperboreans had
shamans claim these pools possess supernaturally re- ignored the prognostications of their last remaining sib-
storative and rejuvenescent properties. yls; hence, few families escaped the city before the great
City-State of Khromarium: Once regarded as the plague took its toll. Khromarium was left a lifeless husk.
jewel of the Kingdom of Hyperborea, the City-State of Centuries later, during the Dark Age that followed the
Khromarium demonstrates a history that predates the Green Death, barbarians claimed the lifeless city. The
rise of mankind. Little doubt exists that this is the oldest barbarians multiplied, fortified, and grew in power; they
city in the realm. Indeed, sages posit that Khromarium’s were the antecedents of the more civilized folk of today,
spiral towers of black gneiss were not carved by human the likes of whom chronicle this very gazetteer. When
hands. Neither were they intended to accommodate the last of the Hyperborean race emerged yet again,
bipedalism, but rather something altogether inhuman. they were powerless to reclaim authority, a cultural
Regardless, for untold millennia Khromarium served as curiosity in the city whence they once ruled an empire.
the capital city of Hyperborea. Here reigned the Hy- Presently Khromarium is a dismal, seedy place, choked
perboreans, a human race that ascended to sorcerous, by the smoke of its factories. Some 30,000 or more indi-
scientific, and cultural heights theretofore unseen. As viduals reside in the city. As poverty and homelessness
the Hyperboreans rose to prominence, they drove back are alarmingly high, reckoning an accurate census is
the former rulers of the continent, the savage vhuurmis. difficult; estimates of 10,000 itinerants and vagrants
Whilst Hyperborea was still just beyond the North are not deemed hyperbole by the wise.
Wind of Old Earth, deities such as Apollo and Artemis Regardless, the bulk of Khromarium’s populace dwells
frequented this paradisal land of endless summer. The at the south side of the city, close to the harbour. Twist-
Hyperborean kingdom was vast and powerful, and ing towers of black gneiss dominate the north side of
from coevals Atlantis, Lemuria, and Mu it accepted Khromarium. This district is called the “Old City”;
tributes. In that bygone age, Khromarium was regard- here large groups live on the streets in tents and ram-
ed as the premier cosmopolitan city of the world. shackle dwellings, afraid to enter the towers (which
The Hyperboreans delved in mysteries, arts, and sci- commonly are held to be haunted).
ences scarcely essayed by lesser folk. They unearthed Khromarium is ruled by an oligarchy comprising the
Yothic manuscripts and learnt of the terrifying lost city’s most powerful knights, nobles, and guild masters.
races that had descended from the stars in primordial At present (576 CÆ) Gill Sampatose, Master of the
times. Eventually they came to glorify the Old One Mariner’s Guild, serves as Lord Mayor. Khromarium’s
known as Xathoqqua, who taught the most erudite populace is largely Neutral, though many lean toward
Hyperborean sorcerers the eldritch secrets of Saturn. Chaos. Although the city is not without the influence
In time the sibyls of Hyperborea presaged the advent of of Law, justice seldom is served with any semblance
the Ashen Worm. After all the portents of its arrival were of equality; i.e., the accused had best have the proper
met, the Hyperboreans fled to their fastnesses beneath connexions or potentially suffer abuse, shame, or death.
the Spiral Mountain Array. Khromarium was abandoned,

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Khromarium has the largest harbour in the realm, the ner of contests and blood sports are engaged during
greatest population of any city, and the broadest repre- festival weeks. Temples and fanes are scattered across
sentation of racial diversity. It is perhaps the only city in the city, most being dedicated to Xathoqqua, of course.
the realm where all the races of humanity might be met, Nominally, the City-State of Khromarium holds do-
though this heterogeneity does not diminish the enmity minion over the whole of the Lug Wasteland, including
some races reserve for one another; e.g., it is not unusu- the towns of Port Greely, Stonebrook, and Swampgate.
al for a Kimmerian to bury his axe in the skull of a hated These towns are ruled independently, however, and in
Ixian should the two meet in a back alley. The Xatho- sooth the city exerts little authority over its holdings.
qquan orthodoxy dominates the city, and toad-sloth Portions of the Lug Wasteland are farmed, and the
effigies are found in many homes and establishments. peat-harvesting industry provides fuel for the city,
Other cults and mystery societies are spread about the particularly during the lean years of winter dark.
city. Druidism is disfavoured, for many associate the old Port Greely: This fishing town of some 1,200 or more
Keltic religion with the coming of the Green Death. inhabitants has in recent years withdrawn from trade
From coast to coast, like a great semicircle, Khromari- with other folk. The people of Port Greely are believed
um is walled, protecting it from the beasts and horrors to engage in clandestine practices hidden from the eyes
of the Lug Wasteland and the savage barbarian nations of outsiders. Too, they have become increasingly noc-
farther north. All manner of siege engines are mount- turnal; by day the town may seem all but abandoned.
ed on the walls, and where the walls and towers meet Before the strange times commenced, Port Greely was re-
the sea, these weapons may be unleashed on enemy nowned for its fishing industry. The people of Port Greely
vessels. The watch has been doubled in recent years, primarily gathered shellfish at Greely Shoals, a small clus-
and patrols increased, for Viking raiders have vic- ter of islets to the south of the town. Though the village
timized various Khromarium establishments. (These once boasted several taverns and at least two popular
raids officially are “unsanctioned” by the Over-King in inns, they presently are believed to be closed to outsiders.
Erikssgard.) Furthermore, during Nightfall (Year 13, In the last century, an uncanny trend began to mani-
Bat) of recent cycles, Kimmeri-Kelts of the Fields of fest, which may or may not have contributed to Port
Vol have traversed the frozen Lug Wasteland to assail Greely’s isolationism. The people exhibit strange and
the city. These invasions have been repelled, but sub- disconcerting abnormalities: Their heads have taken
stantial cause for concern remains, as the Northerners to an odd shape, their necks thick and folded, their
reserve an irrational contempt for civilized folk. eyes bulging. With each passing generation, these mal-
In immemorial times, the city of Khromarium doubt- formations appear more pronounced. Ugliness alone,
less was met by many roads. Presently much of the however, is not cause for such seclusion; sages posit
old North Road remains betwixt the city proper and that something more sinister is at work in Port Greely.
Swampgate; all other roads have been scraped away by Stonebrook: This town is located at the foot of a
glaciers or swallowed by the bogs. Overland conveyanc- castle that stands on a high bluff above the open sea.
es include horses, camels, woolly mammoths, and thew Stonebrook is the hereditary holding of a line of dukes
waggons. Natheless, overland travel is but a secondary and duchesses, also including lands radiating 20 miles
mode of transport, as most commerce is engaged by sea. from the town and castle. Traditionally the nobility of
Commercial enterprises from the cities of Erikssgard, Stonebrook is accorded all the rights and privileges of
Fazzuum, Gal, Pandoros, and Port Zangerios access this Khromarium’s ruling oligarchy, but not official seats.
massive port, as do countless towns and villages. Stonebrook is home to nearly 2,000 individuals, though
The Khromarium harbour is lined with factories, ware- its numbers slowly have decreased in recent years ow-
houses, taverns, inns, bawdy and gambling houses, ing to a series of untoward events surrounding its noble
shops, and services (craft and merchant). These busi- lineage. The architecture of the castle, its catapults and
nesses largely are controlled by the ruling elite: the ballistæ, and the sheer height of the cliffs afford Stone-
knights, nobles, and guild houses. Of these latter, three brook nigh-impregnable defence from attack. Further-
are notable: The Thieves’ Guild has its hands in sev- more, the town is high walled in stone to shield itself
eral operations; the Sorcerers’ Guild is a clandestine from landward incursion.
organization with tangential political influence; and Swampgate: Ostensibly this township of some 1,000
the Sages’ Guild, a politically neutral society, consists inhabitants is under the protection of the City-State
of the finest, most erudite people in the entire realm. of Khromarium. Here dwell farmers, loggers, hunters,
The Khromarium shipyard is the largest in Hyperborea, herders, miners, and peat cutters. The town is high
and the expert technologies of the Vikings, Amazons, walled with a wooden pallisade. Rangers patrol the
and Esquimaux are employed with success. The inner
city boasts the greatest arena in the realm, and all man-

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hostile borderland, holding the frontier from savage Khromarium. The minotaurs of Minotaurios are the
tribes of Kimmeri-Kelts (who have abused these good, hereditary enemies of mankind hunted to nigh extinc-
simple peat farmers for reasons absurd), and protect- tion ages ago. However, they proved immune to the
ing it from the otherworldly horrors that dwell in the horrors of the Green Death; hence whilst mankind
shadows of the Lug Wasteland. floundered, the minotaurs flourished. These humanoid
monsters are not without culture; indeed, they are
MINOTAURIOS renowned for crafting elaborate suits of armour and
Lairing within the subsurface of these volcanic islands some of the finest earthenware in the realm. Despite
is the largest-known concentration of minotaurs. In their notoriety as merciless slavers and eaters of hu-
seaside caves they maintain appropriated vessels: man flesh, the minotaurs of Minotaurios engage in
Viking longships, Amazon carracks, and galleys from trade with humans when it suits them.

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MU MINOR settlements for men deemed proper breeding stock.
In ages past this tiny island was about ten times its They developed a culture predicated on the tenets of
present size. When the Hyperborean sorcerer-kings Law. At length, their kingdom spread to the Floating
and witch-queens were at the height of their power (ere Island of Paradoxon, where spectacular sorcery-sci-
the coming of the Ashen Worm), the isle was settled by ences were developed (or, as some sages would suggest,
people from mystical Mu. The men of Mu paid tribute rediscovered). Over time, clandestine factions formed,
to Khromarium and sought the incalculable wisdom of Amazon cults that refused to comport themselves to
the Hyperborean sages. However, shortly before the the rigidity of Amazon society.
whole of the realm was mantled in ice, a volcanic erup- The Green Death did not spare the Amazons despite
tion destroyed most of Mu Minor. Survivors were few. their remoteness; pockets of survivors endured, but by
Presently a small village of descendants endures, a and large their society was decimated. For many Am-
diminutive, ebony-skinned people with broad noses, azons, the precepts of the founding mothers were lost
slanting eyes, and straight black hair. The men and to a bygone age. Presently the rulers of New Amazonia
women of Mu Minor garb themselves in long, dun-co- vigorously endeavour to reform their kingdom of old,
loured smocks, and both sexes crop their hair identi- but much remains to overcome. Their population is a
cally. They are a reclusive people who speak a secret fraction of its former self, and the Amazons who have
tongue (Muat, a language of 814 words) and abide re-established the Floating Island of Paradoxon refuse
strange customs. They do not favour foreign visita- to recognize the authority of the Amazon Queen.
tions, and they do not savvy the Common tongue of In New Amazonia, a form of gender discrimination ex-
mankind. Furthermore, the island is difficult to locate, ists in which men largely are considered second-class
for the blasting winds of the River Okeanos carry ves- citizens, and many are treated as slaves (albeit priv-
sels far off course. ileged slaves). Most Amazon men accept this status
as natural; they seem to favour the Amazon gynarchy.
NARATH AND TARATH New Amazonia boasts some unique trade goods, such
These two islands are inhabited by cave-man tribes as fruits, nuts, saps, gums, and exotic spices. Too, its
whose subterranean lairs are held to be unassailable. copper, iron, and gold mines are productive, and its
Their numbers are unknown, though their population woodlands contain a unique tree species, the fibres of
seems to swell and recede in cycles that mirror the 13- which make for resilient ropes. The Amazons’ most bit-
year calendar. During the time of perpetual darkness ter enemies are the Ixians, whom they have detested
they appear to thrive, emerging from the subsurface to from the times of Old Earth.
bay at the stars and wage bloody wars against one an- Pandoros: This is the capital city of New Amazonia,
other (Narath versus Tarath). The savages of Narath a society of Law ruled by an autocratic queen. Her
(south) and Tarath (north) are regarded as servants of 10,000 Amazons worship Artemis, whose shrines and
Yug and Azathoth, and their sorcery-wielding shamans fanes are found within the city and without. The Grand
are esteemed formidable opponents. Temple of Artemis is most notable amongst these, built
of marble, with fluted pillars that stand some 67 feet in
NEW AMAZONIA height. Apollo also is acknowledged, but not in a posi-
This gynarchic nation was founded by lost Amazons tive light; indeed, he appears to be an object of ridicule
from Old Earth’s Caucasia. In Hyperborea they arrived in plays, poems, and songs.
at a wild coniferous coast (possibly Black Forest or Pandoros’ markets are rich of fruits, herbs, spices, and
somewhere along Dagon Bay). Here the displaced Am- rare woods, and travellers come from far and wide to
azons built a trio of warships and set out to find home. patronize these. Cultivating the fibres of its unique
On the icy Hyperborean Sea they were assailed by indigenous trees, the city boasts some of the finest
leviathans. By land they were greeted by the brightly ropewalks in the realm,. Pandoros also is renowned for
feathered arrows of warlike savages (possibly the Tlingit its shipbuilding techniques, perhaps surpassed only by
of the Savage Boreal Coast). For a year they sailed, until the Vikings of Erikssgard. Pandoros conducts vigor-
at length they sought the fabled Rim of the World. When ous trade with Erikssgard, Gal, and Khromarium, but
doom seemed certain, they chanced upon the lush islands less often with Port Zangerios, as the Amazons take a
they would settle and come to call New Amazonia. dim view of the Zangeriosan lifestyle.
The Amazons had established a new home, but they
needed mates, so they raided Hyperborean mainland

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NEW PICTLAND Fidib is remarkable for its massive, black stone temple
When the Picts of Old Earth’s Caledonia were swept dedicated to Tlakk-Nakka. The citadel’s harbour is
to Hyperborea by the sorcery of their ancient sha- filled with war canoes. The people of Fidib brook not
man, they arrived at the main isle of an archipelago the visitations of non-Picts, as they consider them-
they called New Pictland. Here the Picts throve, selves at war with the world.
eradicating small pockets of Esquimaux and Tlingit Across the Pictish Channel, most Pictish tribes of the
whose presence on the island was limited. Over time Savage Boreal Coast no longer pay tribute to the High
this once-small cult of tattooed diabolists exploded into King. These Half-Bloods are considered enemies of
a populous race that spread all about New Pictland New Pictland; indeed, even those who continue to offer
(though some travelled abroad as well). A kingdom was fealty are regarded with distaste by the High King and
founded and a king was chosen. He ruled the kingdom his many kinglets. Other Picts who have made lives for
from the city of Fidib, and he took his counsel from the themselves outside of Pictdom oft are regarded as ren-
ancient shaman, called Ptarmigan. egades, too, even if their initial pilgrimages were out of
The Picts of New Pictland waged a long, brutal war with interest to expand New Pictland. The High King feels
the Tlingit of the Savage Boreal Coast, across the Pic- these émigrés are too far removed from his influence;
tish Channel. It is said to have lasted more than three in many cases his assessment is likely true.
centuries, but the Picts prevailed. Systematically they Ptarmigan Rock: This village of some 400 Picts is
began to eradicate the native Tlingit population, but noted for the sacred rock on which the original Pictish
then a fascinating phenomenon was discovered: When- immigrants mystically arrived from Old Earth. Ptarmi-
ever unfortunate unions betwixt Pictish conquerors and gan Rock thus became the first colony of New Pictland,
Tlingit women transpired, the progeny were twins. The but at length its popularity was supplanted by the more
rulers of Fidib concluded that the best way to ensure the favourably located Fidib. Notwithstanding, Ptarmigan
colonies’ prosperity was to execute or castrate Tlingit Rock remains a significant religious and cultural site.
men and assign Tlingit women as wives to the Pictish Ages ago, long before the Green Death swept across
conquerors. The strategy was a success, but a species of the realm, the rock’s apex was carved in the likeness of
contempt soon grew for these “Half-Blood” Picts. Ptarmigan, the white-bearded shaman who led the Picts
When the Green Death struck, the Picts proved to Hyperborea. The image shewn on this effigy has long
amongst the most resilient of races; their population since faded, though some say that the stone transmits
merely halved. Sages suggest environment, diet, and mystical protections to full-blooded Picts. Lastly, Ptar-
sorcery as potential explanations. Presently many migan Rock is a rookery for a most peculiar breed of
tribes and fortress villages are found throughout New seasonally camouflaged grouse able to mock human
Pictland; each has its own kinglet, but in the walled speech. Pictish shamans esteem these birds sacred, to
citadel of Fidib resides the high king. be sacrificed to forest spiders when both moons are full.
New Pictland is a land of significant resources. It
may well have the most plenteous mines of electrum NEW VINLAND
and silver in the realm. Likewise, the islands produce New Vinland is a land of rolling hills rich with wheat,
furs and rare woods. The Picts are not active traders, elderberries, and blackberries, though it is perpet-
however, for they believe they are the supreme race of ually vulnerable to stormy weather off the Hyper-
the realm. Notwithstanding, clandestine cults are said borean Sea. This peninsula and extending islands have
to exist in New Pictland whose members subscribe to switched hands amongst Vikings, Kelts, dispossessed
druidism, a forbidden religion. The islands’ woodlands sea reavers, and ultimately Vikings again. History
are reputed to be festooned with webs, and astonish- shews that the Vikings were first to settle the region
ingly massive spiders have been reported; the latter after a series of conflicts with local skrælings (loosely,
are regarded with disturbing reverence. “foreigners”); sages believe these may have been Es-
Fidib: This massive citadel of wood and stone with ad- quimaux, Lapps, Tlingit, or Yakuts.
joining city is the capital of New Pictland (pop. 12,000). In that bygone age after the ice thawed, yet before
Here rules the High King, a savage, intractable war- the Hyperboreans emerged from their mountain fast-
rior whose thirst for domination will not be slaked. His nesses, the Vikings built their sturdy longhouses in the
chief advisor is a seemingly ageless, white-bearded hills. By all accounts they throve. When the Vikings
shaman known as the Ancient One; some dare whisper made inland forays and were met by the Kelts, numer-
that this is Ptarmigan himself, undying. ous skirmishes ensued, and the races became bitter en-
emies. Unfortunately for New Vinland, Vikland lacked
the resources to support the colonies continuously.

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At length, the Kelts were victorious, overthrowing the New Vinland elderberries and blackberries are popu-
Viking settlements of New Vinland. The Kelts bred lar trade products, oftest used for wine and jelly; too,
cattle in New Vinland and harvested its wheat and the Vikings harvest bountiful wheat crops. They also
fruit. Druidism flourished in the region, and menhirs raise goats, pigs, sheep and domesticate aurochs. Last-
were erected all about the hills. Then came the Green ly, a few copper and silver mines also are worked.
Death, and the Kelts of New Vinland were annihilated. Sea-Wolf Island: Sea-Wolf Island is dominion of Ragnarr
Centuries later, bands of reavers settled the penin- the Sea-Wolf. It has two small forests, which are utilized
sula and islands. Theirs was a lawless, bloody society, for their timber and other resources (game, etc.), and a
predicated on murder and robbery. When they sought copper mine that yields significant copper and a lesser
to control the waters surrounding their lands, a recu- amount of other precious metals. In addition to the typical
perating Vikland would not suffer their aggression. resources of New Vinland, whaling is a sporadic resource
A short-lived war ensued, the Vikings driving off the for the Vikings who inhabit this island.
unorganized reavers. It is believed that many of the Ragnarrheim: This town is ruled by the feared and be-
surviving reavers settled the Brigand’s Bay region. loved Viking warrior Ragnarr the Sea-Wolf. The jarl’s
Presently New Vinland prospers again, with five steading is hemmed in by walls of timber and stone,
longhouse villages, each of 800–1,200 inhabitants. and it boasts a prominent longhouse within which the
Each town is its own petty kingdom, owing fealty to Sea-Wolf presides. Ragnarrheim is home to some 850
the Over-King in Erikssgard, for New Vinland is con- or more Vikings: thewy, broad-chested men, long-
sidered an annex of Vikland. Relations with the local limbed women, and hardy children. Ragnarrheim over-
Kelts are better, and healthy trade proceeds. looks a small bay where the jarl’s drekar (longships)
lie moored. Smaller farmsteads dot the island, bringing
another 150 or more Vikings under the Sea-Wolf ’s rule.

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ONJA COT suggest that Kthulhu dwells in a lost city deep below
This small, forested island lies within the confines of the frozen Plain of Leng.
that most treacherous belt of ocean currents known as
the River Okeanos. Named after its seemingly immor- RED DESERT
tal shaman, Onja Cot is the dwelling place of Pictish This vast, cold wasteland is composed of dry, rocky,
cannibals whose abominable customs are shunned even sandy terrain with patches of steppe. Humans are not
by the Picts of New Pictland. Naked but for masks wo- known to settle the Red Desert, but iron, lead, and salt
ven of leaves and grasses, these savages file their teeth mines are established from time to time; these oft come
to points and roam as beasts do; notwithstanding, they to unfortunate ends. Other people seek the rare forms
are cunningly intelligent. of lotus reputed to grow amongst the steppe scrub.
The savages of Onja Cot produce fine war canoes that Wild asses, camels, goats, and horses dwell in the Red
they use to pillage mainland Hyperborea, abducting Desert. Reptiles of many species inhabit the desert,
men, women, and children for their unspeakable rites. including giant lizards, snakes, and crocodiles (where
They are said to grind the flesh of their victims, de- the two major rivers flow). Tribes of hyæna-men are
vouring it raw after mixing in dried lotus leaves and said to roam the Red Desert, and packs of blink dogs
other spices. This engorgement excites them to re- have been reported.
ligious fervour as they cavort about their island and
engage in terrible orgies, all under the watchful eye of SAVAGE BOREAL COAST
their living god: the shaman Onja Cot, whose coffers This temperate evergreen rainforest is rich of firs, hem-
are said to be laden with ivory and gold. locks, pines, and ancient redwoods (the tallest in the
realm at 400 feet), with an understory of ferns, mosses,
PLAIN OF LENG and shrubs. The area is perpetually foggy and presents
Excepting the lofty heights of the interior Spiral Moun- the most precipitation in the realm, conditions attribut-
tain Array, no place in Hyperborea is colder than the ed to the position of the Barrier Mountains. The Savage
Plain of Leng, for the winds are relentless. This frigid Boreal Coast originally was settled by the Tlingit, who
tundra is considered uninhabitable by most people, found the region sufficiently familiar to their tastes.
except the doughtiest Esquimaux, Lapps, and Yakuts. They built plank-house villages fronted by brilliantly
The Plain of Leng is roamed also by musk oxen, woolly carved and painted totem poles. Oft they skirmished
rhinoceroses, and woolly mammoths. with Esquimaux, but most disputes were internecine.
Dog-sledding tribes (mostly Esquimaux) herd rein- Then came the wild, tattooed, red-haired savages from
deer and hunt mammoth on the tundra, and oft they across the sea: the Picts. In a long and brutal war that
give chase to the elusive black fox, the pelts of which lasted three centuries, the Picts systematically crushed
fetch rich sums. The tribespeople also ice fish through- the Tlingit. The conquerors soon concluded that the
out winter years. They are known to build igloos or expansion of their empire could not succeed without
erect tents framed by mammoth tusks and covered in Tlingit manpower. Thus, Tlingit males were castrated
mammoth and musk ox skins. They trade furs, skins, and enslaved, or put to the sword, and Tlingit women
fish, and ivory; on occasion they harvest gems. were taken as wives; consistently and unfailingly these
On the Plain of Leng, Esquimaux, Lapp, and Yakut unions produced twins. So was born the hybrid race
alike are said to leave offerings to Ythaqqa, the god present in the region today, a race that has recovered
of the abominable snow-men. After centuries of blood- from the Green Death more quickly than others: Half-
shed, unassailable diseases, and general misfortune, Blood Picts.
the Lapps and Yakuts have largely been conquered by Predictably, a cultural divide grew betwixt the Picts
the Esquimaux, but small family groups of these races of New Pictland and the Picts of the Savage Boreal
are said to thole dreary existences. Coast. The Half-Bloods were influenced by their ma-
Astounding creatures thrive in this waste, from fear- ternal ancestry and learnt to carve totem poles, masks,
some tundra beasts, to roving abominable snow-men, and elaborate war canoes. The Picts of New Pictland
to perhaps the most enigmatic species of all: the men of were interested solely in the war canoes and at length
Leng. Whether the men of Leng are of Earthly origin forbade totem poles.
or not is a matter of conjecture. They are a nomadic In due time many coastal tribes of the Savage Boreal
race of satyrs who communicate via music and empa- Coast renounced their ties to New Pictland. Presently,
thy. On their leaper camels, they traverse the sheeted few continue to pay tribute to Fidib, where the brood-
plains (and likewise the Leng Plateau). It is said they ing High King reserves great contempt for the Half-
follow winds that produce spectral harmonies, the Bloods. War is inevitable but unnecessary so long as
terrible “Song of Azathoth.” Some poets and madmen the savage Half-Bloods continue to battle one another.

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Many Half-Blood Pictish-ruled villages subsist lands known as The Tors, that rise to the center of
throughout the Savage Boreal Coast. These are high- the island into a low mountain range comprising three
walled affairs because of the constant threat of forest notable peaks: Shaa Ch’aak’ (Mount Eagle), Shaa
monsters. Most contain 800–1,200 individuals (or some- Gooch (Mount Wolf), and the central Shaa Yéil (Mount
times more). They still venerate the spider goddess Raven).
Tlakk-Nakka, but many pay obeisance to Xathoqqua
as well. They also revere the totem spirits of animals SCYTHIUM
(most notably Raven) and their ancestors. Too, clan- This sickle-shaped isle at the Rim of the World is home
destine cults are said to offer human sacrifices to “The to Ixians. They are ruled by necromancers and priests
Dimensional Dweller” known as Khalk-Xu (Kraken). of the snake god, Yig (Apep), though some exalt Mor-
Because the Half-Blood Picts of the Savage Boreal Coast dezzan or Tlakk-Nakka, too. Ixian slaver galleys are
have no common king, they tend to keep themselves in feared and renowned about the realm, as they always
check, as tribal warfare is prevalent. To the Sages’ Guild carry sorcerers who enchant and ensorcel the unwary.
of Khromarium they are deemed to be volatile savages, With the exception of slaves and concubines, non-Ix-
dangerous by all accounts. Notwithstanding, the Half- ians are forbidden to roam the island of Scythium; they
Bloods are more apt to trade with outlanders than are may visit Fazzuum, however.
their cousins across the Pictish Channel, who consider The island is semiarid and imports much of its wood
themselves at war with the world. The Half-Bloods’ from other isles, though most structures are built of
region is bountiful with bear, crab, salmon, and seal, sandstone. Fields of wheat and rye thrive on the is-
and the bordering mountains rich with gold, electrum, land, which is also rich in mineral resources, such as
silver, copper, and gems. Lastly, in the foggy depths of copper, electrum, iron, and platinum. Several species
the Savage Boreal Coast, where loathsome monsters of lotus are cultivated throughout Scythium, utilized
lair, thrives the most potent plant species of the realm: by sorcerers who create deadly powders from the pol-
the black lotus. len and dried, ground petals of these plants.
Wolf ’s Head Island: This island has the distinct shape Fazzuum: This is the capital city of Scythium, home
of a wolf ’s head facing south; thus, some Half-Blood to some 15,000 freemen and an estimated 2,000 slaves
Pictish tribes and most outsiders call it Wolf ’s Head of various racial derivations. The city is noted for its
Island. The island’s geography is a mix of thick tem- massive ziggurats dedicated to Yig (Apep). Fazzuum
perate boreal rain forests, amid boulder strewn hill trades spices, lotus leaves, platinum, and slaves. Its
merchants visit cities such as Khromarium and Port

Zangerios; too, they might be the only
humans to engage the ape-men of Kor
and the orcs of Orcust.
Non-Ixian visitors are permitted in Faz-
zuum, but the city is regarded as danger-
ous (particularly at night). Owing to the
frequency of disappearances, travellers
are advised to arrange for safe lodgings
and abstain from impairment. Travel
beyond the city limits is forbidden to
foreigners.
Fazzuum is ruled by a mysterious cabal
of powerful sorcerers said to be descen-
dants of Green Death survivors. Many
received their sorcerous instruction on
the fabled isle known as IX; to have sur-
vived this ordeal is a testament to their
aptitude, dedication, and power. These
unseen rulers issue decrees from sub-
terranean depths below the ziggurats;
here lurk the deadliest and most colossal
snakes in all of Hyperborea.

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SHARATH descendants. Villages were established, but relentlessly
This cold desert peninsula is one of the least forgiving were they assailed by beasts and unspeakable horrors.
regions in all of Hyperborea. Here, at the Rim of the The settlers were hard-pressed but soon gained the
World, terra firma converges with the illimitable Black succour of strange, corpulent humans of pink skin
Gulf. At the very precipice, one of the six Great Obe- and porcine countenance. The unsightly people com-
lisks rises some 555 feet from the ground—the only manded power and respect in the hostile wilderness,
Great Obelisk that emerges from land, not sea. and thus they readily were accepted. So too were their
Sharath is blasted relentlessly by the boreas, which gods, netherworldly beings of no uncertain power.
here finds a singular point of ingress to Hyperborea. The strange, porcine people were not quite people at
The winds blast down like an interminable maelstrom. all; in sooth, they were swine dæmons able to assume
As a consequence, Sharath is coated with the grey the quasi-appearance of men. In short order they took
dust of corroding planets and the black ashes of ex- as wives the daughters of Half-Blood Pictish settlers;
tinguished suns. Orb-like formations rise from the rip- so was born the abominable orc race. The young wom-
pled and cratered desert landscape; sages posit these en bore litters of from three to six creatures; their vi-
to be half-buried star stones. olent deliveries oft killed the human mothers of those
Sharath long has served as an interstellar port of call earliest generations.
for arrivals from Saturn, Yuggoth, other worlds (and Presently orcs control the majority of the Skarag
netherworlds), and extra-dimensional planes. Too, Coast, except for the tar pits (the domain of brutally
dæmons, night-gaunts, and other nameless horrors violent, cannibalistic cave-men). Notwithstanding,
arrive at Hyperborea via Sharath. Sharath’s black, Skarag Coast generally is considered dominion of Or-
dust-impregnated soils support small forests of mutat- cust. Under the iron fist of their king, the orcs of the
ed scarlet cacti. Likewise, patches of leprous lichens Skarag Coast mine iron, copper, and lead.
and other strange, russet-coloured vegetation some- City-State of Orcust: This stark city of timber and
times are harvested by Ixian necromancers. stone is home to some 8,000 orcs who uniformly vener-
In days of yore, Sharath was traversed by the first ate the Dæmon Lord, Thaumagorga, and the dæmon
Ixian arrivals, sorcerers who sought to achieve lost princes who serve that dark fiend. The orcs of Orcust
Hyperborea. For many generations the Ixians called are a violent, despicable race constantly at war with
Sharath their home. They built high-walled citadels mankind, raiding, murdering, and raping. Their weap-
that enclosed massive ziggurats, but ultimately the onsmithing and shipbuilding techniques are inferior to
land proved too hostile, so they abandoned Sharath in those of humanity, but what they lack in craftsmanship,
favour of Scythium. The cities were swallowed by the they offset in brutality, industriousness, and fecundity:
dust, and those who remained behind were entombed. The orcs breed as animals do, producing litters that
Presently Sharath is a haunted land. The cold, swollen grow to maturity in short years (usually a decade).
sun presents as a nebulous, ruddy glow, for the land The City-State of Orcust is known to engage in trade
is ever aswirl in a miasmal haze. When the howling with Ixian city of Fazzuum. Sages of Khromarium
boreas quavers and undulates over Sharath, its vibra- posit that under the rule of the right leader, Orcust
tions can be heard in distant lands. Certain bards of eventually could rival any of the last great nations of
esoteric learning are acute to this phenomenon; they Hyperborea. Fortunately for humanity, infighting and
call it the “Song of Azathoth.” disorganization thus far have precluded this develop-
When people venture to Sharath (usually not of their ment. Presently Mag Nor is the orc king of Orcust, a
own accord), most never are seen again. A few return massive humanoid who eats the raw flesh of his ene-
withered, white-haired, and wild-eyed, babbling of mies and any servants (or family) who instigate him.
nameless horrors, immemorial cities, and massive gem Wold Phellora: Betwixt Skarag Coast and the Dia-
formations said to glisten beneath the dust. Poets and mond Desert lies a river-fed bay hemmed in by misty
madmen tell of liches aimlessly drifting across the fens. Here on the banks of the River Vhuurmis can
dust-thick deserts of Sharath. be found the secluded village Wold Phellora, found-
ed some two-score years ago by a priest of Kthulhu
SKARAG COAST named Guthlak. This tall, sallow-skinned ecclesiastic
During the Dark Age that followed the Green Death, the led his followers here, to the site of an outré, green-
Half-Blood Picts of the Savage Boreal Coast migrated black stone sculpture. The effigy is carved to portray a
east and founded new villages in a region the Tlingit bloated, corpulent, octopodous being set on an oblong
called Skarag Coast. In their oral tradition, the Tlingit pedestal etched with indecipherable characters.
regarded this region as dæmon-haunted, but this super-
stition would not dissuade their venturesome Half-Blood (continued)

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The wicked people of Wold Phellora are said to harvest Mount Vhuurmithadon: This colossal, treble-peaked,
a strange brown mould, the spores of which they intro- extinct (or dormant) volcano rises from the epicentre of
duce to their food and wine. In high concentrations this the Spiral Mountain Array. Largely composed of black
infusion produces an hallucinogenic effect that intensi- gneiss and rising some 40,000 feet in elevation, Mount
fies their dream-quests to liberate Kthulhu. Presently, Vhuurmithadon is named for its extensive population
inbreeding in Wold Phellora is cause for some disturb- of vhuurmis, though many seekers refer to it as the
ing deformities; hence, the cultists are reputed to ab- Black Crown of the North. The vhuurmis, humanoid
duct outsiders so as to preserve their abominable ways. beast-men, lair in caves that pock its black, glassy face
at lower to middle elevations.
SPIRAL MOUNTAIN ARRAY All meridians intersect at Mount Vhuurmithadon;
The most prominent geographical feature of Hyper- hence it is not only the centre of the Spiral Mountain
borea, the Spiral Mountain Array is named aptly for Array, but the very axis of the entire realm. Notwith-
its shape, a central axis from which appurtenant arms standing, the Black Crown of the North is not found
extend. In the centre of Hyperborea the mountains are easily. Contained within the impossible undermoun-
highest, averaging 25–30,000 feet in elevation and com- tain depths of Mount Vhuurmithadon lies a cyclopean
posed largely of granite and black gneiss. Here exist mega-dungeon of Underborea where dwell gods, mon-
the most powerful and frigid winds, with blasts cold sters, and otherworldly races. Here may be found un-
enough to freeze a person solid on contact. told mysteries and treasures beyond comprehension.
Glaciers grip the axis of the Spiral Mountain Array,
forming a polar cap. Substantial glaciation also extends STRIPED GULF
along the arms of the range, with icebergs breaking off The Striped Gulf is renowned for its bounty of striped
where the glaciers touch the sea. The limits of the polar bass and shellfish. Esquimaux tribes and the crab-kin
cap flex with the seasons, expanding during the winter of the Crab Archipelago ply these waters; thus, con-
years, stagnating during the spring and fall years, and flicting territorial claims sometimes result in blood-
shrinking during the summer years. Hyperborean shed. In the subaqueous depths of the Striped Gulf,
history asserts that the polar cap was spawned by the crab-men are said to breed giant crabs.
coming of the Ashen Worm in that bygone age when
the continent was part of Old Earth. THAUMAGORGA’S TEETH
The extent of the Spiral Mountain Array is evinced by This extinct volcano chain emerges from the waters
the island chains that extend from the Hyperborean at the Rim of the World. Barren cones rising sharply
mainland all the way to the Rim of the World. Signif- from turbulent waters, they are named after the cruel
icant volcanic activity persists throughout the Spiral Dæmon Lord, Thaumagorga. Some dare whisper that
Mountain Array; violent detonations shake the entire the Dæmon Lord himself maintains a secret lair with-
realm and sometimes mantle the atmosphere in vast in; too, legend tells of him holding conclave here with
clouds of ash for weeks, months, or longer. the six dæmon princes.
In the icy depths of the Spiral Mountain Array dwell Many unfortunate vessels have been driven to Thauma-
some of Hyperborea’s most enigmatic species. These gorga’s Teeth, to certain doom. Through the ages, many
creatures of otherworldly origin have laired under a captain has confronted a difficult choice: fall off the
ice and stone since times immemorial; their purposes Rapids at the End of the World, or face shipwreck and
remain unfathomable to even the most sagacious folk. eventual starvation on these barren slopes. Pterodac-
Only the peerless Hyperboreans are known to have tyls seem to favour this impossible region, building their
plumbed the antediluvian depths of these mountains. eyries high on the cliffs; the winged lizards fly down to
Legend has it that ancient cities lay hidden under the pick the bones of castaways or feed them to their young.
ice of the Spiral Mountain Array, the work of other-
worldly builders. These elder beings arrived from the THORGUNNA’S ISLAND
Black Gulf long before mankind arose from the lowly This shunned, volcanic isle is the domain of a feared
depths of apedom, when Old Earth was but a steaming and maligned Viking völva (witch), Thorgunna, and
morass bombarded by meteors. her naked horde of lotus-chewing wild berserkers.
This odd mix of Vikings and Kelts regard her as their
goddess. She is reputed to have dwelt on this isle since
before the first Vikings arrived in Hyperborea.

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TINSAAR attempt to descend these impossible cliffs, believing
Essentially, Tinsaar is a piece of rock thrust from the sea. the floor to be a few hundred feet below, but usually re-
The isle is blasted by high winds, for it lies on the verge of signing to failure after no bottom is achieved. A bard’s
River Okeanos. It supports no forest, soil is minimal, and song tells of a bubbling lake at the bottom of the valley
the grasses are scraggly. Notwithstanding, it serves as whence the mists are birthed. Half-Blood Pictish sha-
a key port of call for Amazons and those who trade with mans say that a god called Khalk-Xu dwells below the
New Amazonia. Consequently, Tinsaar is loosely under mists. Descriptions of this god and his appalling appe-
the ægis of the Amazons, despite its independence. tites suggest him to be one and the same as Kraken,
Port Tinsaar: This port once served a pirate outpost, “The Dimensional Dweller.” His worship in this region
the formidableness of which proved unassailable. Hun- is traced back to people of Yakut lineage, considered
dred-foot cliffs surround Port Tinsaar, which made it nigh nearly extinct, though recent reports indicate tribes of
impenetrable to invasion; too, the pirates set the cliffs Yakuts convening at this site when both moons are full.
with catapults and ballistæ. Regardless, the Green Death
accomplished what no warships could—wiping out the VIKLAND
entire population of the island. During the last century, This island group is regarded as the heart of the Vi-
Port Tinsaar has been resettled by a mix of merchants, king kingdom in Hyperborea. Here is where the lost
traders, expatriates, and rogues. Mostly these are racial ships of Erik the Red’s fleet touched land after being
admixtures, with a decent amount of Viking and Amazon swept away by the North Wind. Those 350 men, wom-
blood in the mix. Fewer than 1,000 permanent settlers en, and children called it Vikland, and here they settled
dwell here, one-third of whom comprise the militia. and built their longhouses. They named their village
Erikssgard after their lost (presumed dead) leader.
TROG INLET Soon the Vikings were graced by the presence of Ullr,
This narrow firth is considered hostile waters, con- the exiled god who once sat on Hliðskjálf, the throne
trolled by the ape-men of the City-State of Kor. The of Odin. The Vikings offered to him their handsom-
gnarled humanoids patrol these waters on their crude est daughters in return for his favour. Ullr walked
war canoes. Too, the ape-men range the coastline of amongst those early Vikings for a time, and they soon
Trogos, and from their wooden towers they send vol- learnt that he paid tribute to Ymir. Thus it came to be
leys of arrows, bolts, and sling stones at trespassers. that the frost giant god became their supreme deity,
During the winter years, Trog Inlet freezes solid, and the precepts of the Æsir were abandoned.
thawing by mid-Renaissance (Year 2, Fish). Eventually the Vikings struck afar to víking, raiding
the villages of the Esquimaux and Half-Blood Picts
TROGOS (both of whom they called skrælings). They avoided
This forest is cut by deep slot canyons where streams the old ghost cities, such as Khromarium, still vacant
and waterfalls flow. Ferns and stunted evergreens line since the coming of the Ashen Worm. When at length
the moist walls of these impossible gorges, whence rise the Hyperboreans returned to reclaim the jewel of
rolling mists that fill the whole of the forest Trogos. their former empire, the Vikings largely kept their
Rare woods and strange herbs are cultivated in the distance. Then came the Green Death. The Viking race
surrounding woodlands. was devastated by the plague, yet they persevered.
Besides roving bands of ape-men from the City-State Vikland is on the cusp of the River Okeanos, a span of
of Kor, no settlers live in the forest Trogos, at least not latitudinal degrees within which hazardous whirlpools
since the immemorial time prior to the Green Death. manifest and strong belts of wind persist. The Vikings
In the canyon streams, however, some prospectors have mastered these winds and use them to their ad-
have made their fortunes panning for gold. No one vantage, circling the realm in their drekar (longboats)
ever has accounted fully the abysmal depths of the slot and then veering landward to targeted destinations.
canyons of Trogos, whence terrifying creatures are Shipbuilding is a major vocation in the kingdom, and
reputed to issue—particularly the lamp-eyed troglo- shipyards are found in nearly every village and town,
dytes. Other reports speak of the Oon, a strange sub- all of which are ruled by jarls who answer to the Over-
terranean race, emerging from the canyons. It is said King in Erikssgard. The woods teem with wild beasts,
that surface-roaming Oon oft are preyed upon by the so furs and skins are valuable commodities, too. Lastly,
otherworldly, insectan phoongh. Vikland is an excellent source of iron, copper, silver,
gold, and gems; mining operations are extensive.
VALLEY OF MISTS Erikssgard: This is the capital city of Vikland, whith-
Hemmed in by glaciated mountains and volcanoes, this er all Vikland jarls pay tribute. It boasts a population
massive chasm billows a steady flow of frigid vapours. of some 11,000 Vikings, all derived from the initial
The valley’s black gneiss slopes fall precipitously; too,
they glitter with tongues of solid ice. People sometimes

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350 settlers, and perhaps 2,000 more thralls. It is es- settlements are here, though hunting trips are encour-
timated that some 40,000 inhabited this city before aged (and sometimes the god himself deigns to join the
the Green Death. The city is 95% pure Viking stock. hunt). Viking sages and shamans take long sojourns
Non-Viking men are forbidden to have relations with here—sometimes never to return, other times returned
Viking daughters; failure to abide this law results in the wiser. To maintain his favour, jarls and riddere
the guilty being shackled to a wall as an axe-hurling (knights) send Ullr the fairest of their daughters.
target. Likewise, Viking men known to have relations
with non-Viking women face exile. XENADON
Erikssgard is not viewed favourably by other cities This small, lush island is the domain of the witch-wom-
and towns due to persistent, “unsanctioned” Viking an Lur, a red-haired, green-eyed vixen of freckled,
raids. Notwithstanding, the city engages in trade with milk-white skin. Astonishingly comely, the witch-wom-
Gal, Khromarium, Pandoros, and Port Zangerios. The an is ever immune to the ravages of time and ageing.
finest shipbuilders in all of Hyperborea call Erikss- She commands a league of renegade Amazons, as well
gard their home. as a host of savage beasts reputed to intuit her will. In
Mount Ymir: This island is the dwelling place of the immemorial times, a prosperous city of Xathoqquans
god Ymir, most hallowed amongst the Vikings, but also throve on the island of Xenadon, but now it lies in ruin,
venerated by some Kelts and Kimmerians. The island swallowed by the snake-infested forest.
features one enormous peak, which rises some 20,000
feet above the sea and to which cling no fewer than XIN
20 glaciers. The whole of the island is gripped by ev- This windswept, arctic plateau is hostile and uninhabit-
er-shifting ice and is constantly aswirl with lashing, frig- ed, a place where whispering winds, howling banshees,
id winds. The coast is locked by ice sheets from which and frightening, scorpion-like humanoids preside. Xin
great bergs detach. Even the sturdiest of icebreaking is renowned as a place where monks (of Law, Chaos,
vessels cannot achieve three miles of the coast. and Neutrality alike) journey for spiritual illumina-
Somewhere within Mount Ymir dwells the brooding, tion. Some indeed return enlightened, albeit aged and
irascible god himself, who seldom condescends to va- weathered, whereas others return raving lunatics;
cate his fastness. Few people have seen Ymir’s terri- others still are seen neither hide nor hair of again. It is
ble face, but the god Ullr is known to ski Mount Ymir said that the most brilliant of auroræ spring from Xin,
to receive the frost giant’s decrees. Some whispers leading some religious scholars to posit that this place
suggest that Ymir takes counsel from a cabal of elder is favoured by Aurorus, “The Shining One.”
things that he thawed from antediluvian ice.
Ullr’s Island: This wild and pristine isle is the dwelling YTHAQQA PLATEAU
place of the god Ullr. Per Ullr’s decree, no permanent This frozen, wind-blasted tableland is inhabited by
abominable snow-man tribes. These despicable hu-
manoids bring female human captives to their canyon
cave lairs. Here unspeakable atrocities occur, resulting
in the births of further abominable snow-men—always

male, and always
killing their hapless
bearers.

White apes and other
horrors that share the
uncanny capacity to
withstand the frigid,
relentless climate are
said to lurk here, too.
Esquimaux legends
say the deity Ythaqqa
abides here. Weath-
erworn effigies of
the god lay scattered
about the region, as
well as strange totem
poles carved from
black gneiss.

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ZAKATH DESERT overland trade ensured the continuous flow of wealth
This windswept waste is dry and cracked, dotted with into the city, resulting in impressive innovations and
patches of scrub. Within scattered, spring-fed oases grow astonishing insights. Contrastingly, only the inner
the finest pomegranates in the realm (popularly used to quadrants of the town now are occupied; the insatiable
make wine). Rich deposits of rubies and sapphires are desert sands never rest in their consumption of the
sprinkled throughout the Zakath Desert, buried beneath local plains (and thus the ancient city).
the hard-packed sand. Renegade nomad tribes roam the Most Xambaalan buildings are drab and dust-coloured,
region; they are the bane of all mining outfits, sabotaging constructed of mud-baked brick with a plastered
operations and destroying equipment. These tribes are exterior. Older structures reflect the city’s wealthy
largely said to be of mixed ancestry, though horse-riding antiquities; they are assembled of stone (oft marble)
Moor tribes have been reported. and tiling. Homes of the affluent are decorated with
City-State of Yithorium: The City-State of Yithorium frescoed walls and painted using locally sourced dyes.
(pop. 8,000) is ruled by the iron fist of a witch-queen The crumbling outer districts of Xambaala are re-
who is as cruel as she is beautiful and voluptuous. Fed served for the enslaved. This broad area comprises
by natural underground springs, Yithorium was origi- ruins: dwellings of long-dead families, governmental
nally a lush oasis settlement in the centre of the Zakath buildings, monuments, academies, forums, crypts, and
Desert. It was a place of commerce where people could marketplaces. Here the slaves erect crude shacks and
find sanctuary from the horrors of the desert. excavate old buildings to occupy as squalid homes.
No one knows what hands built the original structure
discovered in the centre of the oasis. The hundred-foot ZANGERIOS ISLANDS
tower carved of grey-black alien stone featured ar- These isles are renowned for their bounty of shell-
chitecture unlike anything theretofore seen, and its fish and cod. Fishermen of indistinct lineage first
interior divisions betrayed a race undoubtedly alien. settled here ages ago. They were esteemed humble,
Still, the place was vacant, so people occupied and hard-working people, but they reserved a dark secret,
built around it. Over time, bloodshed erupted, and the as demonstrated by the lewd and nameless stone-
settlement underwent several shifts of authority. Then carved effigies recently unearthed.
came a ruinous earthquake, followed by the Green Regardless, for countless generations the fisherfolk of
Death. Yithorium was a dead city. the Zangerios Islands throve—until the Green Death
During the Dark Age that followed the Green Death, swept through, nearly decimating their population.
the ruins were claimed by a doughty band of merce- In the subsequent centuries, the island people slowly
naries led by the ageless beauty now known as the recovered. At length, though, their society was over-
Witch-Queen of Yithorium. Still she dwells in that im- run by a steady influx of pirates and freebooters who
memorial tower. On occasion, when it suits her whim, ultimately assimilated the customs of the natives.
she takes a lover, but never do these puppets long sur- Today the people of the Zangerios Islands embrace an
vive, so tales speak. eccentric tradition of mask wearing, which stretches
The City-State of Yithorium nominally controls the back to the centuries-long Dark Age that followed the
breadth of the Zakath Desert and oversees all mining plague years. Indeed, the citizenry wear upper face
operations. Independent prospecting is encouraged, masks on all public and most private occasions; don-
but the Witch-Queen requires ample remuneration. ning a domino (loose cloak) is an optional embellish-
The City-State considers the desert nomads enemies ment in most circumstances. To go without one’s mask
to be slain or enslaved. is considered an act of indecency (particularly in Port
Xambaala: This large town has a population of ap- Zangerios) and is punishable by flogging and public
proximately 2,000 persons, more than half of whom are humiliation (pillories and stocks).
slaves. It is governed as a satrapy, being part of the Zangeriosans possess a multiplicity of masks for a
expansive and outlying territories of the City-State of variety of occasions; they effectively shew mood, in-
Yithorium. Xambaala once was renowned for its exten- tent, festivity, religion, social caste, affiliation, and/or
sive wealth and affluence; now, decadence and decay occupation. The most elaborate masks are carved of
depict the town more accurately. mammoth ivory or moulded of precious metal and set
Prior to the Green Death, Xambaala was a cosmopoli- with valuable gems, rare feathers, and so forth. Out-
tan city filled with the sage knowledge of its prodigious siders likewise must abide this eccentric tradition and
occupants: architects, astronomers, mathematicians, thus are instructed to wear masks that indicate them
scholars, and sorcerers. Widespread seagoing and as foreigners; typically, these are provided before pas-
sengers alight.

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Port Zangerios: Oft called the “City of Masks,” this NOTABLE RIVERS AND LAKES
small, overcrowded port of some 20,000 inhabitants
is regarded as wild, lawless, and corrupt. Thickets of Numerous rivers and lakes variegate the Hyper-
masts routinely crowd the harbour; a hundred or more borean landscape, almost all the result of expanding
tall ships of all makes can be moored here at any time. and receding glaciers. Rivers oft freeze during the
From these, Port Zangerios can call upon a formidable winter years and begin to thaw by early, middle, or
navy of privateers, some of whom are sanctioned by the late spring. Many lakes present as cloudy, mineral-rich
governor to make “appropriations” when duty calls. bodies; they too are subject to winter freezing. Most
The city is a haven for cutthroats, gamblers, lotus Hyperborean rivers and lakes are abundant with salm-
chewers, prostitutes, slavers, thieves, and traffickers on, trout, and crayfish, attracting predators mundane
of all manner; the mask-wearing tradition seems to and supernatural alike.
exacerbate current trends. Violence on the streets
can erupt at any time, and competing leagues, associa- RIVERS
tions, and guilds vie for control of the city. Power shifts Black River Yleil: This dark watercourse, fed by the
can occur overnight; the seat of governor is never long Barrier Mountains, cuts across the Black Waste and
tenured and oft esteemed unenviable. ultimately feeds the River Leng. Numerous beasts and
Port Zangerios is reputed to monsters frequent the Black River Yleil, but where it
be a favourite dwelling place cuts through the Leng Plateau, the river is deemed
of the god Rel, who is said haunted. The ancient Hyperborean King Yleil is said
to enjoy the revelry of the to roam the banks of the river, a lich of uncertain pow-
city’s culture with its many er, yet ever lost in the bottomless depths of his own
doxy and gaming houses. black thoughts. Notwithstanding, he has galvanized
The deity himself is said to other restless beings: ghasts, ghosts, ghouls, skele-
don a variety of elaborate tons, zombies, and other liches, all of whom await King
masks. These visitations, Yleil’s bidding. Soothsayers presage a time when King
however, do little to impinge Yleil will emerge from his preoccupations to gather his
on the otherwise prevalent undead horde and lay waste to mankind.
Xathoqquan orthodoxy of
Port Zangerios.

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Bloody River: The Bloody River is born high in the that flock to its banks throughout Tempest (Year 4) of
Spiral Mountains and crawls slowly across a bleak and every cycle. These degenerate quasi-men are conjec-
dreary landscape before emptying into Black Gull Bay. tured to journey from their cliff-side lairs in Mount
Along the west bank of the river rise rocky hills, where Vhuurmithadon out of some instinctual racial memory
sanguinary mists are wont to cling long after Helios that they are compelled to obey. (Some assert that the
has risen each day, whilst from the swampy east bank beast-men are urged to trek to their traditional mating
stretch fields of sickly yellow grasses that are gradual- grounds.) Regardless, even in Wold Phellora, the dis-
ly overgrown by dark and gloomy pine forest. The riv- turbing vocalizations of these degenerates can be heard
er’s surrounding landscape is nigh-silent, save for the for several months of Tempest.
droning of misshapen insects and the sardonic cries of River Vol: This river forms a boundary between the
the black gulls circling endlessly overhead. barbaric Kimmeri-Kelts who roam the Fields of Vol
Nod’s Chain: From the hoary heights of the Spiral and the ape-men who rule the City-State of Kor. The
Mountain Array to the glaciated foothills below, Nod’s river is named after a bloody Kimmerian chieftain who
Chain is a winding waterway, each bend likened to once conquered his rivals and for a time ruled the sur-
the links of a chain. From Deluge (Year 5) to Drought face-dwelling Kimmerians.
(Year 8) of the 13-year cycle, the river flows freely and River Yys: This cold, mineral-rich river is fed by the
feeds Lake Nova, from which massive trout (as much Spiral Mountain Array. It cuts through the valley re-
as 200 lbs.) migrate to spawn. During the intervening gion known as Larchmere Yys and ultimately feeds
years, the surface of Nod’s Chain remains frozen. Dagon Bay.
Kimmerian hunters and trappers sometimes prowl the
frozen hills through which Nod’s Chain runs. However, LAKES
eerie lights, uncanny footprints, windborne whispers, Abbicca’s Mere: This broad, shallow lake is enclosed
and weird piping are cause for even the doughtiest by hills, fens, and ancient woodlands. Steam wisps
barbarians to avoid the cold banks of Nod’s Chain. from its tepid waters, and sometimes the water boils;
River Leng: This, the longest river in the realm, be- too, geysers are said to erupt most unexpectedly and
gins in the reaches of the Spiral Mountain Array; Ice spectacularly. Abbicca’s Mere is named after the im-
Lake and Black River Yleil serve as major tributaries. mortal witch Abbicca, who is said to protect the lake
The northern half of the River Leng, where it cuts and the beasts that inhabit it.
across the Plain of Leng, is ever frozen except from Some say Abbicca is not human, but of some forgotten
Deluge (Year 5) to Drought (Year 8). Ultimately the antediluvian race of reptilian humanoids; others sug-
River Leng empties into the Striped Gulf. gest she is of otherworldly origin. Regardless, Abbicca
River Maedbh: This slow-moving river empties into is reputed to dwell on a small, lush island hidden in the
a fjord-etched firth of New Vinland. It generally is mists, her whims unpredictable. Indeed, local Esquim-
viewed as the western boundary of the Gal Hills. The aux routinely avoid Abbicca’s Mere, ever fearful of the
Keltic village of Bogrest lies on its bank. witch’s caprice.
River Omo: Viking legends speak of Old King Omo, a Ice Lake: The area surrounding this frozen lake is pop-
warrior-king who settled mainland Hyperborea in olden ulated by five semi-nomadic Esquimaux tribes. Many
times. The enemy of skrælings (presumed to be Esqui- generations ago these Esquimaux abandoned the pre-
maux, Lapps, Tlingit, or Yakuts), Old King Omo was cepts of their Kthulhu-worshipping cultish ancestors.
renowned as a bloody crusader who annihilated local Here they adopted a simpler life, where Ice Lake (and
tribes. He was heralded as a champion by fellow Vikings other local lochs) is a primary resource for survival.
and denounced as a brutal murderer by others. By his However, they never were able to escape their occult
axe Old King Omo repelled Keltic raids for untold de- roots; eventually they began to make offerings to the
cades. Several sagas attest that he reigned more than extra-dimensional being known as Kraken.
100 years; even Keltic verses speak of his astonishing Ice Lake thaws for the two years of High Sum-
longevity. When Old King Omo finally fell (in battle, of mer Waxing (Year 6) and High Summer Waning
course), legends say the tears of his people formed the (Year 7), but is always bountiful with fish. When the
River Omo, which feeds the Black Forest Inlet. lake is frozen, the locals bore into the ice to fish its
River Vhuurmis: The upper reaches of this river are depths. In recent years, the tribes have expanded to
frozen throughout the winter years but thaw by early include some people of Half-Blood Pictish ancestry,
spring, flowing freely from Vernal Equinox (Year 3) to which is cause for further racial admixture.
Autumnal Equinox (Year 10). River Vhuurmis is noto-
rious for its preponderance of vhuurmis, “beast-men”

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Lake Nova: The surface of this bountiful lake thaws NORTH WIND (Boreas)
from Deluge (Year 5) to Drought (Year 8), though is In immemorial times it was the North Wind (boreas)
frozen throughout the remaining years. Lake Nova is that hemmed in Old Earth’s realm of Hyperborea.
fed by Nod’s Chain and drains into Brigand’s Bay of Upon crossing its frigid currents, one entered a mythic
the Hyperborean Sea. The lake supports several boggy, land of endless summer. Here the people were a bless-
wooded islands. Lake Nova is rich with enormous trout ed race of nigh-immortal, preternaturally gifted sor-
and catfish. However, attempts to ply its waters typical- cerer-scientists known as the Hyperboreans. Gods and
ly result in disaster, for the lake is inhabited by a colony heroes visited the realm, for Hyperborea was deemed
of aquatic hydræ of extremely aggressive temperament. the finest nation in the world, taking tributes from its
A legend regarding Lake Nova dates back to the cen- coevals Atlantis, Lemuria, and Mu. Then came Yik-
turies-long Dark Age that followed the Green Death. korth, “The Ashen Worm,” and all was changed. The
It speaks of a saucer-shaped sky ship that burned how and why are left to speculation.
down from the firmament and here crashed. A group of Presently the North Wind roars beyond the edge of
intrepid adventurers from Khromarium is rumoured the realm, several miles outside the six corners delin-
recently to have located the crash site on one of the eated by the Great Obelisks, past the Rapids at the
islands. It is told they unearthed terrible weapons that End of the World. Indeed, the North Wind is met by
unleash death rays of fire. the great vacuum that is the Black Gulf. Unceasingly
it lashes around the realm in two opposing hexagonal
MARVELS AND WONDERS belts. It often ushers in people, monsters, dæmons, and
OF HYPERBOREA otherworldly beings from various times and places. It is
said to house the deity Boreas (though some religious
Hyperborea abounds with ultramundane topographi- scholars posit that in sooth the god is imprisoned within
cal phenomena that both astonish and terrify. the North Wind). Also, the North Wind is reputed to be
home to other beings; specifically, hordes of night-gaunts
GREAT OBELISKS are said to glide its endless streams.
These pillars of black stone stand at the six corners
of the world, each marking 0° latitude at the edge of RAPIDS AT THE END OF THE WORLD
the Black Gulf. Each Great Obelisk stands 555 feet in Loci of fear and veneration to seamen, the Rapids at
height and measures 55 feet along each of its four sides the End of the World are where the waters of the Hy-
at the base. The sides taper as they rise 500 feet to perborean Sea spill from the Rim of the World to the
the base of the pyramidion (small pyramid at the top infinite Black Gulf. Within 12 miles of the edge, these
of the pillar). Each side of the pyramidion measures falls pull with unmatchable power, sucking any vessel
34 feet, and each pyramidion rises 55 feet to its apex. to her doom. Vessels are tugged at about 10 knots,
Five of the Great Obelisks obtrude from the sea at the which means the doomed have about one hour to con-
verge where the Rapids at the End of the World spill. sider their mortality.
Each is believed to stand on a pedestal of stone with a Whither goes all the water that cascades off the edge of
flat top at sea level. The sixth Great Obelisk rises from the world, none can say with any certitude. Some sages
the dusty desert peninsula of Sharath. suggest the North Wind captures the water and pulls
The Great Obelisks are composed of otherworldly it up into the Hyperborean atmosphere to at length
black stone consistent with minerals derived from fall as precipitation. Others suggest that it curls to the
Yuggoth. Each is graven with curvilinear designs and underside of the realm, an airless land of volcanoes,
strange geometric patterns. Native Hyperboreans acidic oceans, and constant earthquakes, where dwell
claim that these ancient enigmas are not amongst Old dæmons and other nameless horrors. The water that
Earth’s marvels and must have risen when (or shortly seeps up through this hostile area purportedly pushes
after) the Ashen Worm laid its icy curse. through the Hyperborean Sea, though also feeds the
Sages, sorcerers, poets, and madmen alike concur that underground lakes and seas of Underborea. Little evi-
the six Great Obelisks were produced by otherworldly dence corroborates these suppositions.
or extra-dimensional beings. Amongst them, the elder
things, Great Race, and mi-go oft are held culpable
for the creation of these astonishing constructions.
Whether or not the pillars are hollow remains a matter
of conjecture; if so, these structures conceivably could
harbour beings of otherworldly origin.

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R’LYEH UNDERBOREA
Forbidden texts aver that this loathsome city æons ago This is the mythic realm of legendry, a vast subterra-
was fashioned by colossal, shapeless beings from other nean kingdom where dwell gods, dæmons, monsters,
dimensions. Certain Pnakotic fragments suggest that and netherworldly beings. Poets and madmen relate
R’lyeh is a metropolis of nightmares, with cyclopean wild tales of vast cities and impossible cavernous
vaults housing slimes, oozes, and other amorphous depths populated by untold races. Learned folk find
life forms. Most notably, it is the dwelling place of wholesale acceptance of these claims troubling. They
the dreaming deity Kthulhu, where he sequesters his can agree, though, that evidence supports the exis-
unspeakable hordes of aboleths, fish-men, and more tence of subterranean societies of indeterminate ori-
otherworldly horrors. gins, including the uncanny ghost-men called the Oon.
For millennia, tracing back to Old Earth, the following But perhaps the most storied portion of Underborea is
phrase has been repeated by Kthulhu’s raving cultists: that which exists beneath Mount Vhuurmithadon, the
Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Kthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn. Black Crown of the North.
Loosely translated, this apophthegm means, “In his
house at R’lyeh, dead Kthulhu waits dreaming.” In
days of yore, it was held that R’lyeh lay hidden be-
neath the South Pacific Ocean of Old Earth, but other
locales have been reported. In Hyperborea, where the
scarlet sun bloats thicker and sheds less warmth, and
as the stars grow dimmer, R’lyeh is rumoured to lie in
the ocean deeps of Dagon Bay. However, certain Es-
quimaux shamans insist it lies within a black reservoir
beneath the ice sheets of the Plain of Leng.

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RELIGIONS OF HYPERBOREA

As a component of faith, some religions seek to organize through the establishment of fanes and temples. Others
erect menhirs and megalithic stone circles. Others still perform sacred ceremonies in tree rings or sites of his-
torical significance—perhaps where a star stone fell from firmament, or where a great king perished in battle.
Some make offerings at the foot of a mountain, or even the mouth of a volcano. Priestly raiment varies according
to religion from simple to elaborate. Too, variety is found in holy symbols, mask-wearing customs, body paint,
incense use, holy oils or waters, and so forth. Traditions are limitless.

The deities of Hyperborea do not comprise a pantheon; we the Sages’ Guild are largely uninformed, we have
rather, they are a disparate group whose connexions to elected to include the only one of which we have been
one another vary. Some are reputed to have dwelt in adequately apprised. Several deities are derived from
Hyperborea since an age when Earth was a steaming Old Earth, whilst others are of alien or extra-dimen-
morass of primordial soup. Some are said to have risen sional origin. Dæmon worship also is known, though
to prominence before and during mankind’s ascension typically manifesting in the form of a clandestine cult.
from the lowly depths of apedom. Furthermore, other Of course, not all deities are tangible entities that pro-
deities watch from outré dimensions and nether places vide gifted adherents with sorcerous powers. Indeed,
afar, or planetary bodies in relatively close proximity. savages have been encountered who will venerate an
The gods are not without their conflicts and struggles idol, a stone, a tree, or a mountain; too, some will view
with one another, but these affairs scarcely involve their king or chieftain as divine.
mankind.
The deities oft are esteemed to be aligned loosely with APOLLO
Law, Chaos, or Neutrality, and thus they are present- This deity of Law is associated with light, the sun,
ed with such attributions. Most sages agree that the healing, archery, swordsmanship, music, and poetry.
moral strictures and principles of mankind (right and He is the twin brother of Artemis and is said to walk
wrong, Good and Evil) are largely alien to them. In amongst mankind, oft feigning mortality as a gold-
sooth, even the attributions of Law, Chaos, and Neu- en-haired youth whose wont is to join the ranks of com-
trality may well be dubious distinctions. mon soldiery. When depicted with bow in hand, Apollo
Each deity is associated with shapes, forms, states, is identified with death, distance, terror, and awe;
events, and other sundries. These associations are when depicted with the lyre he is identified with music,
neither exhaustive nor exclusive. Individual cults and poetry, and dance. Some scholars posit that Apollo has
religions will have unique interpretations of deific taken many mortal women as his lovers and that his
agendas; so too will opposing races of humanity and demigod progeny are scattered about Hyperborea.
the various subhuman and inhuman species.
Chief amongst objects of worship in Hyperborea is ARTEMIS
Xathoqqua, whose faith reassumed prominence in the This deity of Law is associated with hunting, forests,
aftermath of the Green Death. Kthulhu is likewise hills, chastity, fertility, and independence. She is said
significant, for his Chaos cults flourish as the centu- to manifest as a regal warrior-woman and is reputed to
ries dwindle and the cold, scarlet sun deepens and favour huntsmen and matriarchal societies. The twin
swells. Although most people of Hyperborea worship sister of Apollo, Artemis is said to dwell amongst the
Xathoqqua, this overarching orthodoxy does not pre- forests of Hyperborea, especially those of New Amazo-
clude the veneration of other deities in lieu of or in nia and the Floating Island of Paradoxon. Some believe
addition to the toad god. For example, the Esquimaux she watches Hyperborea from Phobos, the smaller of
chiefly worship Kthulhu, but when sledding across the Hyperborea’s moons.
Plain of Leng, they might pay tribute to Ythaqqa to
spare themselves of his hunger. Vikings almost always AURORUS, “The Shining One”
pay tribute to both Ymir and Ullr. People who worship This deity of Chaos is associated with auroræ, stars, me-
Artemis oft worship Apollo, too—though most Ama- teor showers, comets, sorcery, and witchcræft. Aurorus
zons are reputed to regard Apollo as a fool. is reputed to be a formless goddess who typically mani-
The following deities do not comprise an exhaustive fests as a swirling, sparkling mist. A commonly held be-
list. Other divinities are worshipped in various corners lief is that Aurorus dwells within the most shimmering
of the realm; indeed, in the remote Lemurian Rem- of auroræ that oft fill the Hyperborean sky. Three-faced
nant, several deities are said to be worshipped, but as effigies are carved to represent Aurorus, but these
are nothing more than imagined representations. She
speaks with a tripartite female voice and grants knowl-
edge in exchange for animal and human sacrifice.

279

HYPERBOREA

AZATHOTH HELIOS, “The Sun”
This deity of Chaos is associated with confusion, en- This deity of Neutrality is quite literally the sun.
tropy, infinity, insatiable hunger, madness, vibrations, Helios is associated with light, warmth, fire, rebirth,
ceaselessly beating drums, and haunting flutes. Aza- righteousness, blood, and power. He oft is depicted
thoth is reputed to exist outside the ordered universe, as a scarlet-skinned giant with a beard of fire, and in
a blasphemous, amorphous blight of bubbling Chaos. artistic renditions he also is portrayed riding a golden
It is said to dwell at the centre of infinity, beyond time chariot pulled by a team of flame-hoofed horses. Some
and space, ever gnawing and ever hungry. Azathoth sages posit that Helios is but another aspect of Apollo,
represents mindless, unspeakable horror and is be- though Helios’ mystery cults reject this notion. Oth-
lieved to infect with madness the psyches of those who ers suggest that Helios (cold, scarlet, and bloated) is a
invoke it; the wise speak not its name except in hushed dying god, whose fate is dictated by forces he is pow-
tones. Notwithstanding, certain bards and shamans erless to command. Of course, his followers refute this
tap into mystical vibrations associated with this Sultan view, too, for they believe Helios one day will assert his
of Chaos through use of percussive instruments and power and consume all in unquenchable fire.
flutes. These techniques oft are learnt from the enig- KRAKEN (KHALK-XU), “The Dimensional Dweller”
matic men of Leng. This deity of Chaos is associated with extra-planar
travel, outré dimensions, cosmic hunger, energy ab-
BOETZU, “The Celestial Serpent” sorption, human sacrifice, time travel, illusion, duality,
The ancient Lemurian deity of Law, Boetzu is associ- and reincarnation. Kraken dwells in a negative dimen-
ated with the sun, light, law, agriculture, society, pro- sion and is said to manifest as a colossal octopus when
tection, duty, enlightenment, and the circle of life. The invoked by his high priests. When a human sacrifice
philosophy of Boetzu includes ideas about filial piety, is chained to Kraken’s altar, a mauve tentacle reaches
hierarchy, stoicism, loyalty, and proper government. forth from elsewhere to touch the sacrifice, at once
Boetzu is said to manifest in the guise of a gargan- absorbing it. Frighteningly, Khalk-Xu might in sooth
tuan, serpentine dragon, or as a grizzled old sage in be one of many Krakens, an entire race of deific ex-
the garb of an itinerant monk. Lemurian ecclesiastics tra-dimensional beings whose worship may have been
claim that Boetzu’s celestial dwelling lies in the three introduced by the Yakuts.
mythical Shamballa Mountains. Scholars of mainland
Hyperborea purport that these mountains are none KRIMMR
other than the treble-peaked Mount Vhuurmithadon. This deity of Chaos is associated with horses, volca-
noes, smoke, ash, courage, bloodlust, iron, and steel. It
BOREAS, “The North Wind” is told that Krimmr is a gigantic, bearded warrior with
This deity of Chaos is associated with arctic blasts, massive thews of stone and eyes that bleed lava. He is
the North Wind, blizzards, and captivity. Boreas man- said to dwell in a magma-filled hall of stone and deigns
ifests as a bearded, massively built warrior swathed to shew himself only to those followers who have been
in swirling winds and wielding a spear. Legends say slain in unwinnable battle. Krimmr favours the bold
he is cursed and controlled by Yikkorth, “The Ashen and despises the weak; those who beg his favour are ei-
Worm”; some Amazons aver that he was slain by Ar- ther ignored or levied with a curse. Kimmerian proph-
temis and now exists as a mindless entity of perpetual ecy speaks of Krimmr one day mounting his enormous
wind. Boreas is believed to dwell within the confines steed of black granite to battle insurmountable foes.
of the North Wind, whipping about the perimeter of
Hyperborea in a hexagonal pattern. Once he dwelt in
the Hyperborean Mountains, which at length came
to be called the Spiral Mountain Array. He might be
glimpsed by those who journey to Hyperborea from
elsewhere, or whose ships are pulled to their doom by
the inexorable Rapids at the End of the World.

Apollo Artemis Aurorus Azathoth Boetzu Boreas
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KTHULHU RAVEN
This deity of Chaos is associated with sorcery, nec- This deity of Neutrality is associated with trickery,
romancy, deviltry, witchcræft, nightmares, madness, creation, gluttony, healing, hunger, licentiousness,
exhilaration, destruction, and havoc. He presents as light, selfishness, sorcery, and transformation. He
a winged octopodous being, immense in size. Through changes form frequently, but usually manifests as a
nightmare visions he is reputed to whisper to his cult- giant raven with a 17-foot wingspan. To be subjected
ists, particularly those who handle his idols or engage to a Raven prank—or to be lured into one of his mis-
in ritual drum dances around great sacrificial bonfires. chievous escapades—is considered a rare blessing.
Poets and madmen speak in tales and verse of Kthulhu Raven chiefly is observed in the region where he most
dwelling in a lost city in the ocean depths of Dagon is celebrated in totemic sculpture: the Savage Boreal
Bay; others suggest a black reservoir beneath the Coast. Some shamans there recount stories of two
frozen Plain of Leng. There he is said to slumber, wait- Ravens, brothers of opposite temperament: One is
ing for the bloated red sun to cool. Kthulhu cults are wise and powerful (“Creator”), the other childish and
scattered across the realm and seem to be growing; wicked (“Trickster”). This notion further is attested by
Xathoqquans, too, oft honour Kthulhu, viewing the Thurssonns, exiled Vikings of the Isles of Thur, who re-
dreaming god as part of their distinct orthodoxy. port visitations by Odin’s ravens, Huginn (“thought”)
and Muninn (“mind”).
LUNAQQUA
This deity of Neutrality is associated with moons, REL, “God of Thieves”
moths, cycles, time, tides, seafaring, lunacy, lycanthro- This demigod of Neutrality is associated with thievery,
py, and sorcery. Lunaqqua is said to manifest as a vo- banditry, swindling, gambling, deception, backstab-
luptuous naked woman with glowing blue skin, yellow bing, ale, beer, luck, and gems and gold gained by
hair, and lambent white eyes; or, if enraged, as a colos- means stealthy and nefarious. Rel is said to assume
sal moth of frightening visage. Lunaqqua is notorious many faces, usually male, though sometimes female.
for ignoring her followers, though she is believed to He is reputed to have been granted immortality after
divert them from disaster at sea. It is commonly held impressing Xathoqqua with an impossible theft; others
that she dwells on the larger of Hyperborea’s moons, suggest him to be the by-blow of Apollo. Rel presents as
Selene; in fact, the association is so strong that some a swarthy, handsome sort. He wears a broad-brimmed
devotees refer to Lunaqqua as Selene. hat and winged sandals that he uses to fly at impossible
speed; the latter lead some sages to posit that Rel is
MORDEZZAN in fact Hermes, messenger of the gods. Amongst the
This deity of Neutrality is associated with death, Kelts (particularly druids) he has been called Teutates.
graves, charnel houses, dogs, ghouls, ghuls, hyænas, Rel is a “god of the people” and is said to dwell amongst
hyæna-men, jackals, and carrion. Mordezzan presents mortal humans, oft in underworld societies posing as
as a giant, emaciated, ghoul-like being with obsidi- a common thief of no great repute. Presently, Rel is
an-coloured skin and eyes like burning coals. From believed to favour Port Zangerios.
his elongated arms extend skeletal talons shaped like
scimitars. Mordezzan is said to manifest in catacombs
beneath the charnel houses where his worship thrives.
There he takes as his provender the cadavers of people
prepared by his most puissant priests.

Helios Kraken Krimmr Kthulhu Lunaqqua Mordezzan

281

HYPERBOREA

THAUMAGORGA XATHOQQUA
This deity of Evil is associated with Hades, dæmonism, For human and beast, this deity of Chaos is the princi-
torture, slavery, violence, war, bellicosity, and blood- pal being of worship in all of Hyperborea. Xathoqqua’s
letting. Thaumagorga manifests as a massive, heav- worship is incalculably older than mankind, for this
ily armoured dæmon-warrior who wields a flaming deity landed on Hyperborea when Old Earth was but a
two-handed scimitar. He wears a great horned helm steaming morass with a single, algæ-covered continent.
that obscures his features in blackness, save a pair of Xathoqqua is reputed to dwell within the deeps of the
flaming coals for eyes. Notorious as the most potent Spiral Mountain Array, specifically the hoary depths of
of all dæmonkind, Thaumagorga sits upon a throne of Mount Vhuurmithadon, a treble-peaked extinct (per-
human bones in the nameless depths of Underborea. hpas dormant) volcano. Religious scholars—through
He is said to be lord and master of six powerful dæmon painstaking translation of sacred mystery texts—re-
princes. Druids sometimes advocate his worship, con- veal that Xathoqqua arrived via Saturn, where some
vinced that he was once the Keltic deity Cernunnos of his relatives may yet remain. Prior to this time, his
(the “Horned One”); sages from Khromarium associ- origin is extra-dimensional. Xathoqqua is associated
ate him with Ares, the God of War; and fell paladins with life, death, reincarnation, pestilence, disease,
regard him as a paragon of the Lawful Evil aligment. luck, misfortune, cruelty, savagery, mischievousness,
and sardonicism. He is reputed to communicate di-
TLAKK-NAKKA rectly with his followers through oracles and animated
This deity of Neutrality is associated with spiders, idols or statues. He sometimes binds his supplicants
death, poison, predation, murder, witchcræft, dreams, with irrevocable contracts that oft seem nonsensical:
and fate. Tlakk-Nakka is an arachnid goddess reput- Some are incredibly generous, others grossly unfair.
ed to beguile her followers into obeisance. She is said To his servitors (oft identified as Xathoqquans), he will
to manifest as an enormous spider with the head of a grant antemundane secrets from outlying planets and
crowned, raven-haired woman shewing jewel-black realms extra-dimensional. Xathoqqua is portrayed as
eyes. It is told that Tlakk-Nakka dwells in the impos- a colossal, sloth-bodied toad covered in brown-black
sible depths of Mount Vhuurmithadon, the dead, tre- fur. From his broad back projects a pair of massive,
ble-peaked volcano that rises from the centre of the membranous wings that he may utilize to glide across
Spiral Mountain Array. There she eternally weaves, the gelid winds of the Black Gulf. In sculpture his bul-
taking her provender from that which finds itself en- bous, sleepy eyes are stylized as narrow slits. Oft he
snared in her webs, be it human, beast, dæmon, or god. is depicted with an enormous tongue and sometimes
other attributes deemed offensive or obscene to those
ULLR of delicate sensibility.
This deity of Chaos is associated with Viking long- N.B.: Some of the most furtive and ferocious beasts
ships, skis, shields, swordsmanship, bows of yew, are said to frequent Xathoqqua’s ashen altars lost
rune sorcery, wolves, bears, sabre-tooths, piracy, and in the nameless depths of the wilderness. Here they
raiding. Ullr is reputed to favour Vikings and those grunt, howl, sibilate, or whine their inarticulate suppli-
who praise Ymir, for he himself pays tribute to the cations. Examples include apes, aurochs, bats, bears,
all-powerful frost giant. He inhabits an ancient castle boars, crocodiles, dogs, elk, frogs, hyænas, lizards,
on Ullr’s Island, Vikland. Ullr oftest presents as a woolly mammoths, pterodactyls, rats, woolly rhinocer-
Viking berserker, and he has been known to join the oses, sloths, sabre-tooths, toads, weasels, wolves, and
Vikings’ most daring raids. For them, Ullr is the last wolverines.
remaining deity of the Æsir. This waning does not stop
them from passing down tales of the old gods such as
Baldr and Thor. However, Ullr has been known to slay
skalds who weave tales extolling Odin, for he reserves
no small enmity for the erstwhile Viking god supreme.

Raven Rel Thaumagorga Tlakk-Nakka Ullr Xathoqqua
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YIG (APEP), “The Great Serpent” YOON’DEH
This deity of Law is associated with snakes, reptiles, This deity of Neutrality is associated with aurochs, elk,
sorcery, necromancy, resurrection, and reincarnation. mammoths, migration, nature, wine, wild passion, and
Yig is a cruel, serpentine god reputed to bless his fol- sacrifice (animal and human). Yoon’Deh is the princi-
lowers with forbidden knowledge. He is fabled to grant pal deity of the druids. She is said to manifest as an
his most puissant priests the ability to shed their skin elk, a mammoth, or an antlered nymph, appearing
and assume the forms of terrifying snakes. Yig is said in sacred groves or henges when both moons are full
to manifest as an enormous python that traverses the and her altars are wetted with blood. Just prior to the
gargantuan tunnels of Underborea; some say that he Green Death, the worship of Yoon’Deh overshadowed
gnaws these tunnels himself. Xathoqqua’s, but not so in the aftermath. Yoon’Deh is an
anthropomorphic goddess reputed to be a former wife
YIKKORTH, “The Ashen Worm” of Cernunnos (the “Horned One”). Some sages identify
This deity of Neutrality is associated with glaciers, Yoon’Deh with Cybele, the ancient Phrygian mother
icebergs, and cataclysms. Yikkorth presents as a gi- goddess, or sometimes Demeter, the Greek goddess of
gantic, pale white, wormlike god that delegates its will grains. Druids say Yoon’Deh traverses Hyperborea’s
through a cabal of sorcerer-priests. It is said to dwell forests, hills, and grasslands in bestial form, though she
in a great hall of ice within the confines of an impossi- ever remains elusive to even her most devout followers.
bly massive iceberg. Yikkorth is reputed to exert dom-
inance over other deities, including Boreas, Ymir, and YTHAQQA, “The Wendigo”
Ythaqqa; in fact, non-Viking sages posit that Yikkorth This deity of Neutrality is associated with abominable
begot Ymir. The Ashen Worm is notorious for spawn- snow-men, arctic winds, tundra, doom, ill fate, hope-
ing the cruellest of winters and instigating the most lessness, lost travellers, and misbegotten fools. Ythaqqa
unforgiving ice ages. It also is reputed to impregnate manifests as a gigantic, hairy, vaguely humanoid creature
glacial ice with dæmonic forces that, when unleashed, with glowing red eyes. Bloodthirstily it preys upon the
prey upon mankind. Yikkorth is held culpable for one lost and the damned, ever prowling the Plain of Leng
of the most devastating curses levied against Hyper- and the Ythaqqa Plateau. Ythaqqa’s cultists oft leave sac-
borea: In preternatural ice it once mantled the whole rifices to appease the god, as well as stone-carved idols
of the realm. Ages later, when the ice thawed, Hyper- intended to honour it. Ythaqqa sometimes is regarded as
borea’s connexion to Old Earth was no more. The sun an ice dæmon vassal of Yikkorth, the “Ashen Worm.”
was no longer yellow and the sea spilled from the rim
of a world hemmed in by the blasting North Wind. YUG (YOG)
This otherworldly deity of Chaos is associated with
YMIR darkness, void, cannibalism, shapeless spawn (ooz-
This deity of Chaos is associated with mountains, snow, es, slimes, jellies), and like mutable forms (moulds,
ice, mists, blizzards, and unbridled rage. Ymir is said spores, and other fungi). Reputed to roam the illimit-
to manifest as a blue-bearded frost giant with a tre- able depths of the Black Gulf, Yug manifests as a dark,
mendous axe of ice-blue steel. Non-Viking religious protean mass, a nebulous cloud of yellow-brown spores
scholars posit that Ymir is the offspring of Yikkorth, that can swallow worlds. Yug is said to be the progen-
“The Ashen Worm.” Viking skalds reject this notion itor of the primordial material from which shoggoths
as absurd; in fact, they espouse Ymir as the primæval and other amorphous beings were formed; some as-
deity who created the world from which Hyperborea sert that he is the originator of all life. Yug (sometimes
is derived. Ymir is believed to dwell in the depths of called “Yog”) is suggested by some religious scholars
Mount Ymir, near Vikland, though scarcely does he to be supreme amongst the deities, and likewise that
deign to shew himself. Xathoqqua and Kthulhu serve as his high priests.

Yig Yikkorth Ymir Yoon’Deh Ythaqqa Yug

283

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APPENDIX A: 285
WEATHER IN HYPERBOREA

Hyperborea is a flat, hexagonal plane that revolves around a giant red sun.
A single revolution requires 13 Old Earth years to complete; during this circuit are one year
of complete light and one year of utter darkness. These circumstances, geography, and other
dynamics contribute to Hyperborea’s weather, as illustrated hereafter.
The referee may use this appendix to determine temperature, conditions, and wind force.
These factors are presented in broad strokes for the following four latitudinal ranges: in-
terior mainland, coastal mainland, River Okeanos, and Rim of the World. However, certain
parts of the realm (Abbicca’s Mere, IX, Sharath, and the Valley of Mists) are exceptions to
the norm. These areas are warmer or colder than their latitudes would suggest; their condi-
tions and winds likewise are anomalous. Alternatively, the referee may select temperature,
conditions, and wind force to suit his or her campaign.

TEMPERATURE
To determine the base temperature, cross-reference the
current year with location, and then roll as indicated. Note
that wind force (see Table 268) can decrease the effective
temperature.

Table 264: Base Temperature

Latitudinal Range

Year Interior Coastal River Rim of
Mainland Mainland Okeanos the World
(~72°N) (~54°N) (~36°N) (~18°N)
(1d20)+60°F
1 (2d20)−35°F (2d20)−10°F (1d20)+30°F (1d20)+65°F
(1d20)+70°F
2 (2d20)−25°F (2d20)−5°F (1d20)+40°F (1d20)+70°F
(1d20)+75°F
3 (2d20)−15°F (2d20)°F (1d20)+45°F (1d20)+75°F
(1d20)+75°F
4 (2d20)−10°F (2d20)+10°F (1d20)+50°F (1d20)+70°F
(1d20)+70°F
5 (2d20)°F (2d20)+20°F (1d20)+55°F (1d20)+65°F
(1d20)+60°F
6 (2d20)+5°F (2d20)+30°F (1d20)+60°F (1d20)+60°F
(1d20)+55°F
7 (2d20)°F (2d20)+25°F (1d20)+60°F

8 (2d20)−5°F (2d20)+15°F (1d20)+55°F

9 (2d20)−15°F (2d20)+5°F (1d20)+45°F

10 (2d20)−25°F (2d20)°F (1d20)+40°F

11 (2d20)−35°F (2d20)−5°F (1d20)+35°F

12 (2d20)−40°F (2d20)−10°F (1d20)+30°F

13 (2d20)−45°F (2d20)−15°F (1d20)+25°F

Latitudial Range Examples:

‘ Interior Mainland: Barrier Mountains, Death
Valley, Plain of Leng, Spiral Mountain Array, etc.

‘ Coastal Mainland: Lizard Coast, Lug Wasteland,
Skarag Coast, Zakath Desert, etc.

‘ River Okeanos: Crab Archipelago, Kitasion
Archipelago, Mu Minor, Zangerios Islands, etc.

‘ Rim of the World: Atlantica, Isles of Thur,
New Amazonia, Scythium

HYPERBOREA

CONDITIONS
Precipitation conditions in Hyperborea are predicated
by the seasons, which stretch for years at a time in the
13-year cycle. The seasons are defined as follows:
‘ Low Precipitation: Years 8 to 11½
‘ Moderate Precipitation: Years 6 to 7; 11½ to 2½
‘ Heavy Precipitation: Years 2½ to 5
Use Tables 265, 266, and 267 to determine low, mod-
erate, and heavy precipitation. If the temperature is
below freezing (32°F or less), precipitation is snow. If
the temperature is above freezing (greater than 32°F),
precipitation is rain. If the temperature is on the mar-
gin of freezing, precipitation could consist of sleet or
freezing rain.

Table 265: Low Precipitation Season

d% Precipitation Effects
Result

01–75 None clear, partly cloudy,
cloudy, foggy

76–80 Light 1d6 hours of
light precipitation

81–85 Mild 1d6 hours of
mild precipitation

86–90 Heavy 1d4 hours of
heavy precipitation

91–95 Stormy 1d4 hours of
stormy precipitation

96–00 Extreme Refer to Table 269

Table 266: Moderate Precipitation Seasons Table 267: Heavy Precipitation Season

d% Precipitation Effects d% Precipitation Effects
Result Result

01–55 None clear, partly cloudy, 01–35 None clear, partly cloudy,
cloudy, foggy cloudy, foggy

56–65 Light 2d6 hours of 36–50 Light 3d6 hours of light
light precipitation precipitation

66–75 Mild 2d6 hours of 51–65 Mild 3d6 hours of mild
mild precipitation precipitation

76–85 Heavy 2d4 hours of 66–75 Heavy 4d6 hours of heavy
heavy precipitation precipitation

86–95 Stormy 2d4 hours of 76–95 Stormy 4d6 hours of stormy
stormy precipitation precipitation

96–00 Extreme Refer to Table 269 96–00 Extreme Refer to Table 269

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WIND FORCE 287
Wind force is variable during calm and stormy weather. To determine wind force, roll a d12 on the table below. If
the weather condition is heavy precipitation, add 1d2 to the roll. Add +2 if it is stormy precipitation.

Table 268: Wind Force

Modified Wind Force mph Effects
1d12
Result

1–2 Becalmed 0–2 —

3–5 Light breeze 3–12 —

6–7 Moderate 13–21 —
breeze

8–9 Strong breeze 22–31 Missile fire at −2; flying creatures at ½ MV unless moving with wind

10–11 Gale 32–46 No missile fire; flying creatures grounded

12 Strong gale 47–63 10% chance per hour of 3d4 hp damage (avoidance save negates);
10% chance of damage to structures

13 Storm 64–73 15% chance per turn of 3d4 hp damage (avoidance save negates);
25% chance of damage to structures

14 Hurricane 20% chance per turn of 3d4 hp damage (avoidance save negates);
74–136 50% chance of damage to structures

For winds of moderate breeze or greater, the referee is at liberty to lower the effective temperature (wind chill)
as deemed appropriate. For winds of strong gale force or greater, the referee is at liberty to impose structural
damage to any buildings, vehicles, and vessels as deemed appropriate.

EXTREME WEATHER
Extreme weather condition is determined by rolling a d%. Depending on location, environment, and season, other
extreme weather situations may occur, such as avalanches, flash floods, tidal waves, and so forth.

Table 269: Extreme Weather

d% Extreme Effects
Result Weather

01–20 Cold/Heat Add or subtract 20°F. For potential effects of extreme cold/heat, see Appendix B.

21–30 Hail/ Intense hail or ice falls for 1d10 turns. Exposed creatures sustain 1d3−1 hp dam-
31–35 Ice storm age per turn; DR from armour applies.
36–80
Hurricane See Table 268 for hurricane wind effects.
81–90
Thunder and lightning occur for 1d4 hours. On a 5% chance per turn, lightning
91–98 strikes nearby. If so, chance to be struck is 10% if wearing non-metal armour, 15% if
Thunderstorm wearing metal armour, and 20% if wielding a length of metal (rod, sword, etc.). Bolt
99–00 causes 6d8 hp damage (no saving throw). During a thunderstorm, wind force (see
Table 268) is determined by 1d10+4 in place of the standard method.

Tornado Tornado manifests at random time of day for 1d12 minutes. Creatures of 1–2 HD in
its path must make avoidance saves or be swept away, suffering 3d8 hp damage, be-
ing hurled 1d10×10 feet in the air, and falling for another 1d6 hp damage per 10 feet.
Creatures of 3 HD or more must make avoidance saves or sustain 3d8 hp damage.

Volcano/ Nearest volcano erupts or earthquake opens at random time of day, preceded by
Earthquake 1d3 tremors at 1d10-minute intervals. Make avoidance save or fall prone if within
three miles. Volcanic eruption blankets all in thick ash, potentially suffocating its
victims. Earthquakes can cause tsunamis.

Fortean event Examples include rain of acid, blood, or frogs; unnaturally coloured, toxic snow;
radioactive fog; eerie lights (ghostly invasion); howling aurorae; ball lightning;
falling meteors or spacecraft; or “frozen air” that causes asphyxia when inhaled.
Referee creativity and deviousness are encouraged.

HYPERBOREA

288

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APPENDIX B: 289
HAZARDS OF HYPERBOREA

Described hereafter are several examples of the environmental perils adventurers may con-
front whilst traversing trackless wildernesses. Note that extreme cold/heat can be generated
using Appendix A: Weather of Hyperborea. The referee is at liberty to place other hazards as
deemed appropriate to the environment, perhaps at a 1-in-6 or 1-in-12 chance per day of travel.
The referee likewise is encouraged to devise new dangers unique to his or her campaign.

BLACK FLIES MUD/TAR PITS AND QUICKSAND
In all seasons save winter, in the wilderness and some- These hazards can be actively detected by charac-
times in cities and towns, a cloud of biting, swarming ters with the wilderness survival ability (barbarians,
pests can harass mammals for a period of 2d6 turns huntsmen, and rangers) on a 2-in-6 chance of success,
(20 to 120 minutes). During this time, attacks are made or 3-in-6 for characters of 16+ wisdom. Otherwise, on
at a –1 “to hit” penalty. a standard surprize roll, a character will blunder into
the hazard and begin to sink; note that the chance to
EXTREME COLD be surprized is reduced by 1-in-6 for those subclasses
At an effective temperature of 0°F or lower, exposed possessing the alertness ability: barbarians, huntsmen,
characters must make tests of constitution at pre- rangers, and scouts. If a character slips into ample mud,
scribed intervals or lose 1–4 hp. Note that effective tar, or quicksand, he or she will completely submerge in
temperature implies actual temperature and wind 5 rounds and begin to drown. Stranded characters can
chill. The intervals are as follow: be pulled out with a rope or branch by a companion with
‘ At 0°F, once per hour 13 or greater strength. Unless safety measures are tak-
‘ At −20°F, once per half hour en (such as several allies chaining together), the rescuer
‘ At −40°F, once per turn risks a 1-in-6 chance to slip in as well.
‘ At −60°F, once per five minutes
‘ At −80°F, once per minute STEAM VENTS
‘ At −100°F or lower, once per round Volcanic regions are replete with apertures that emit
The referee may roll damage randomly on a d4 or sim- scalding gasses. If a steam vent erupts near a PC, an
ply assign a damage number based on the degree of avoidance saving throw must be made or 1d6, 2d6, or
exposure. (A brazen barbarian in a loincloth will suffer 3d6 hp damage is sustained. The referee can either se-
more damage than his companion clad in heavy furs.) lect the intensity of the eruption or dice for it. Exposed
Such damage simulates the effects of frostbite and hy- characters must also make a death (poison) saving throw
pothermia; more specific injuries might be assigned, or suffer intense coughing and burning eyes: −2 penal-
per referee discretion. ties “to hit,” damage, and saving throws for 2d6 rounds.
N.B.: A barbarian, huntsman, ranger, or scout has a
EXTREME HEAT 1-in-6 chance to notice the hazard before it erupts,
Though extreme heat seldom is experienced in the frig- granting a +4 bonus to the initial avoidance save.
id Hyperborea interior, high temperatures sometimes
are observed amongst the lush tropical islands near the SWAMP GAS
Rim of the World. For such eventualities, the following Trapped within the soft mud of some boggy terrain are
rule is suggested: At temperatures of 100°F or higher, pockets of deadly vapours. Should a PC traverse such
physically active characters must make tests of consti- ground, this swamp gas might be released in a 10 × 10-
tution once per hour. An armoured PC makes these foot area; a base 1-in-8 chance per hour of travel through
checks at a penalty to the chance-in-six equal to the DR such terrain is suggested, should the referee wish to
of their armour (e.g., a −1 penalty in chain mail). A fail- place swamp gas in a region of boggy terrain. The gas
ure indicates the character is stunned from heatstroke. will persist for 3 rounds before dispersing. Characters
The character may continue exerting him- or herself caught in the gas must make death (poison) saving
(at half MV) but must thereafter pass an extraordinary throws or fall unconscious for 1d4 rounds. Even if saves
feat of constitution for each additional hour of activity are successful, the characters will become nauseated for
or collapse from exhaustion, effectively defenceless. 1 turn, incurring −2 penalties “to hit” during that time.
Unconscious victims will suffer the same effects after
awakening. The sound of the PCs’ retching may attract
nearby predators, at the referee’s discretion; further-
more, some predators are savvy to the effects of swamp
gas; these opportunistic feeders oft lurk nearby.

HYPERBOREA

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APPENDIX C:
WATERBORNE EXPEDITIONS

Hyperborea’s roiling seas are unpredictably windy and teem with frightful leviathans. The realm is flat, its seas
perpetually spilling off the edge of the world in massive falls. Ice sheets consume many bays and inlets during winter;
icebergs present more often in spring; and in summer, storms at sea are more frequent. The following guidelines
are presented for the referee to utilize during waterborne expeditions. Accounted for herein are water vessels, wind
at sea, man overboard!, icebergs, whirlpools, lost at sea, encounters at sea, naval combat, and underwater combat.

In Hyperborea the enormous red sun never rises to a true zenith; rather, it wheels around the horizon, rising and
falling in subtle degrees. Measurements are taken by employing a type of sextant, subtle differences in the sun’s
position relative to the horizon indicating heading (although skilled seamen can find their bearings without need
of an instrument). On the open sea, celestial navigation generally is easier, though no less hazardous.

WATER VESSELS Water Vessels Table Defined:
Several types of vessels may be found in Hyperborea. ‘ Type: The basic vessel name; full description
Typically, they are available for purchase in port towns
and cities. Of course, an Esquimaux fishing village may and cost included in Vol. I, Player’s Manual,
sell only canoes and kayaks, and a Viking settlement Chapter Six, transportation.
may only sell Viking vessels, but the City-State of Khro- ‘ Movement (MV) per Round: Speed by the
marium will have almost all types available. Viking and round may come into play when attempting to
Amazon ships are esteemed the finest by most seamen; pursue or evade another vessel or perhaps an
hence their technology oft is imitated by other cultures. aquatic beast. Where two values are listed
(separated by a virgule), the first value is for row-
Table 270: Water Vessels ing, and the second for sailing (assumes sailing
with or across the wind in a light or moderate
Type MV per MV per AC Hull breeze; see wind, hereafter). Note that backwater
Round Day Points speed (reversing oars) is at ½ movement.
(Feet) ‘ Movement (MV) per Day: Where two values
(Miles) are listed (separated by a virgule), the first value
is for rowing, and the second for sailing (as-
Amazon Carrack 90/150 21/90 7* 5d6 sumes sailing with or across the wind in a light
or moderate breeze; see wind, hereafter).
Barge, River 30 12 9 1d6 N.B.: Rowers are assumed to rest 1 turn
(10 minutes) for every 5 turns spent rowing.
Boat, River, Sailing 60 36 7 3d4 ‘ AC: The vessel’s armour class if attacked by a
ram, catapult, or ballista; likewise, certain spells,
Canoe 60 24 7 1d4 hazards, and of course leviathans of the sea are
capable of damaging a ship’s hull.
Canoe, War, Large 60 24 8* 7d4 ‘ Hull Points: Similar to hit points, hull points
represent how much damage a ship can sustain
Canoe, War, Small 60 24 8 5d4 before the hull is breached and the vessel takes
in water. When a ship reaches 0 hull points, it
Coaster 150 90 7 4d6 will sink in 3d6 rounds. Also, at 0 hull points, a
ship no longer can move or use any of its mount-
Cog 120 72 8 6d6 ed weaponry. As concerns giant sea beasts, treat
every 4 hp damage inflicted as 1 hull point.
Esquimaux Kayak 90 36 6 1d2 Few water vessels are appropriate for open sea expe-
ditions. The finest include the Amazon carrack and the
Esquimaux Umiak 60 24 7 1d2 large Viking longship (drekar); other sizeable vessels
such as the cog and galley are fine seaworthy ships,
Galley, Large 90/120 18/72 8 6d6 though usually do not operate on the that portion of the
Hyperborea Sea known as the River Okeanos.
Galley, Small 90/150 18/90 8 5d6

Galley, War 60/120 12/48 8* 7d6

Lifeboat (of galley or cog) 30 16 7 1d2

Raft 30 12/24 7 1d3

Rowboat 30 12 7 1d4

Viking Færing 60/90 18 7 1d6

Viking Sexæring 60/90 18 7 1d8

Viking Knarr 60/120 18/90 9 5d4

Viking Longship, Large 90/150 21/90 7* 7d4

Viking Longship, Small 90/180 21/90 7* 6d4

* Vessel gains +1 AC bonus if captain is 1st to 4th level,
+2 AC if 5th to 8th level, or +3 AC if 9th to 12th level. Other
vessels might be afforded similar bonuses if outfitted for war.

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HYPERBOREA

WIND AT SEA ‘ Strong gale: Heavy impact, tumbling waves,
The movement values for sailing vessels in Table 270 foam; heavy airborne spray reduces visibility.
are for light to moderate breeze winds. When winds be- Sailing movement is doubled. 10% chance of torn
calm, galleys and longships will be dead in the water sail and/or fouled rigging; 10% chance of man
and must switch to oars. Stronger winds may increase overboard (q.v.); 5% chance of broken mast and/
sailed movement; extreme winds can capsize a vessel or or beams; 2% chance of capsizing.
spin it out of control. Roll a d8 for wind direction at sea:
‘ Storm: Considerable waves and significant
Table 271: Wind Direcion at Sea foam; severe airborne spray reduces visibility.
45% chance of torn sail and/or fouled rigging;
d8 Result Wind Direction 50% chance of man overboard (×1d2);
25% chance of broken mast and/or beams;
1 North 20% chance of capsizing.

2 Northeast ‘ Hurricane: Tremendous waves; blinding
airborne spray. 65% chance of torn sail and/or
3 East fouled rigging; 70% chance of man overboard
(×1d2); 45% chance of broken mast and/or
4 Southeast beams; 40% chance of capsizing.
MAN OVERBOARD!
5 South
A man overboard has a 1-in-20 chance of drowning if
6 Southwest unarmoured, 4-in-20 if clad in light armour, 16-in-20 if
clad in medium armour, and a 19-in-20 chance if clad in
7 West heavy armour. If one’s armour is magical, the chance of
drowning is decreased by three (−3) for every “plus,”
8 Northwest to a minimum 1-in-20 chance. Each wind category
above strong breeze increases the chance-in-twenty of
Wind direction can shift at the referee’s discretion. drowning by a cumulative +4, so +4 for gale, +8 for
Furthermore, wind direction can enforce vessel move- strong gale, and so on, to a maximum 19-in-20 chance
ment, or, as best judged by the referee, hinder move- of drowning. (A natural 20 always permits survival,
ment if tacking to windward (sailing into the wind). conditions notwithstanding.)
Next, roll 3d6 to determine wind force. N.B.: When A swimmer has a 5-in-6 chance to remove light armour
a vessel is betwixt the 18th and 36th parallels (River before drowning, a 4-in-6 chance for medium armour,
Okeanos), reroll any 1s. and a 2-in-6 chance for heavy armour. Of course, any
bulky items such as backpacks, longbows, large weap-
Table 272: Wind Force at Sea ons, and the like also must be removed to tread water.
Swimming for 6 turns (1 hour) requires a test of con-
3d6 Wind Force mph stitution; swimming for two or more hours requires an
Result extraordinary feat of constitution for each additional
0–2 hour.
3 Becalmed 3–12 The chance of drowning must be checked every turn
13–21 until the swimmer is rescued or gains purchase on a
4–6 Light breeze 22–31 suitable flotation device. These checks assume the
32–46 swimmer has basic natatorial knowledge.
7–12 Moderate breeze 47–63
64–73 ICEBERGS
13–14 Strong breeze 74–136 The Hyperborean Sea is scattered with icebergs, in-
credibly dangerous hazards with which mariners must
15 Gale contend. Icebergs may present as single mountains of
floating ice, or as 1d10+10 smaller masses clustered
16 Strong gale together and breaking away in pieces. In regions
where the coast is glaciated, a ship has a 1-in-6 chance
17 Storm per day to encounter an iceberg; otherwise, the chance
on the open sea is 1-in-10.
18 Hurricane Even if a lookout is posted, an iceberg surprizes on a
base 5-in-6 chance; with no lookout, impact is unavoid-
Wind Force at Sea Table Defined:

‘ Becalmed: No sailed movement.
‘ Light breeze: Sailing at normal movement;

more attention to trimming (sail adjustments)
required.
‘ Moderate breeze: Sailing at normal movement.
‘ Strong breeze: Sailing at +33% movement if
moving with or across the wind. 5% chance of
torn sail and/or fouled rigging.
‘ Gale: High waves with breaking crests; con-
siderable airborne spray. Sailing is at +50%
movement if moving with or across the wind.
10% chance of torn sail and/or fouled rigging.

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able. If an iceberg is espied, and contact is imminent, at a range of 300–500 yards, depending on conditions; 293
the captain may circumvent this hazard by rolling his in the thickest of fog, a ship may not be espied until it is
or her wisdom score or lower on 3d6; for every five within 50 yards. Many sea monsters, per referee discre-
years’ experience at sea, increase the captain’s effec- tion, may be viewed at 4d6×10 yards distance; however,
tive wisdom score by one (+1). Icebergs that are not giant squids and the like might emerge from below.
evaded cause 1d6 points of hull damage. Each hull
point of damage effects a 1-in-10 chance that a hole SURPRIZE: A ship can be surprized by monsters be-
is punched into the hull. (Treat as warship ramming low on a typical d6 surprize check, a 1 or 2 indicating
damage; i.e., 7d4 hull points.) surprize. Unless a ship is immersed in fog and gliding
quietly over the water, one ship usually cannot surprize
WHIRLPOOLS another on open water.
Betwixt the 18th and 36th parallels (River Okeanos)
of the Hyperborean Sea, whirlpools can form at any EVASION: Evading a sea encounter is quite possible,
time, quite unpredictably. Many ships are swallowed particularly when a well-built craft seeks to escape the
by these hazards, never to be seen again. On the River approach of pirates or the like. The likelihood of evad-
Okeanos, a whirlpool manifests near a vessel on a 1-in- ing a pursuer is predicated on the difference betwixt
6 chance per day. Roll a d4 to determine whirlpool size: vessel speeds. This chance, however, may be modified
by wind and/or visibility, as adjudicated by the referee.
Table 273: Whirlpool Size
Table 275: Evasion at Sea
d4 Whirlpool Size Movement Difference Chance of
Result per Round Evasion
Pursued vessel is
1–3 small whirlpool 19:20
(will swallow vessels up to 50-foot length) 61+ MV per round faster 18:20
Pursued vessel is 16:20
4 large whirlpool 12:20
(will swallow any vessel) 31–60 MV per round faster 10:20
Pursued vessel is 8:20
The captain may avoid this hazard by rolling his or her 7:20
wisdom score or lower on 3d6; for every five years’ ex- 1–30 MV per round faster 5:20
perience at sea, increase the captain’s effective wisdom Pursued vessel is 2:20
score by one (+1).
same MV per round as pursuer
LOST AT SEA Pursued vessel is
Unless a coastline is in sight, a ship lacking a proper
captain or master stands a 2-in-6 chance per day to 1–30 MV per round slower
become lost at sea. Notwithstanding, even the sharp- Pursued vessel is
est old salt still is subject to a 1-in-6 chance of failure
without use of a sextant, or if stormy conditions pre- 31–60 MV per round slower
vail. If indeed a vessel loses its way, the referee should Pursued vessel is
roll a d6 on Table 274 to determine deviation from the
intended course. Such deviation will progress for one 61–90 MV per round slower
day before a new check may be made to either correct Pursued vessel is
the course or continue in error.
91–120 MV per round slower
Pursued vessel is

121+ MV per round slower

Table 274: Course Deviation (Waterborne) Evasion at Sea Table Defined:

d6 Result 1 2–3 4–5 6 ‘ Movement Difference per Round: The move-
ment rate difference betwixt the pursuer and the
Deviation 90° left 45° left 45° right 90° right pursued. Be certain to account for sailing versus
rowing, when applicable, and the effects of wind
ENCOUNTERS AT SEA and weather.
Encounters at sea may involve other ships (including
ghost ships manned by skeletal pirates) or the beasts ‘ Chance of Evasion: The chance a vessel has to
of the sea; too, otherworldly species such as the fish- elude its pursuer. If evasion is successful, the
men (“deep ones”) inhabit the sea, as well as other target has escaped the sight of the pursuer. Of
eldritch horrors. course, this chance assumes the pursued and the
pursuer each have a capable captain and crew;
VISIBILITY: In general, land can be seen at a distance otherwise, the referee is at liberty to adjust the
of 24 miles with the naked eye. Fog or rain can severely probability.
limit visibility. Another vessel typically can be sighted

HYPERBOREA

NAVAL COMBAT To determine a catapult hit, make an attack roll using
On rivers, lakes, and sea, combat with other ships or the fighting ability (FA) of the weapon’s finest artiller-
aquatic beasts is a strong possibility. Combat with ist (e.g., whilst a 9th-level fighter may be present on a
damaging spells and giant sea beasts is adjudicated vessel, if he has no skill or training with naval catapults,
normally, treating every 4 hp damage inflicted as 1 hull and a 5th-level fighter/artillerist is present, FA 5 applies,
point. When naval combat involves one or more oppos- as logic should prevail). An artillerist who is a fighter
ing vessels, the following guidelines are suggested. (or fighter subclass) may develop catapult mastery,
in which case the typical +1 “to hit” and damage rolls
MISSILES: Missile fire typically occurs prior to applies, but neither the increased rate of fire nor the
ramming/boarding. Depending on the missile weapon point-blank range category apply. Since most attacks
and vessel, more than 1 round of missile fire may be affect a 10 × 10-foot area, the attack roll may apply to
exchanged prior to vessel convergence. N.B.: Missile multiple adjacent targets. Weather and wind can penal-
fire in naval combat might suffer a −1 to −4 “to hit” ize or even preclude the use of catapult fire, per referee
because of rough seas. discretion. Catapult damage is as follows:

Bows, Crossbows, Slings: Once an enemy vessel or ‘ Hurled stones: Affect a 10 × 10-foot area,
monster moves into range, handheld missile launchers inflicting 3d6 hp damage versus humans and
may be fired as normal, using outdoor ranges (i.e., monsters and 4 hull points versus ships.
measured in yards).
‘ Flaming pitch: Affects a 10 × 10-foot area,
Ballistæ: Large crossbows built on pivoting mounts causing 3d6 hp damage, +1d6 hp per round for
that shoot arrows of four- to five-foot length to a range 3 rounds; also, it inflicts 1d6 hull points damage
of 150/300/450 yards (short/medium/long), at the typi- per round for 3 rounds, and 1 hull point per round
cal range penalties of ±0/−2/−5. Ballistæ cost 150 gp for a further 3 rounds. On average, 5 people can
to build. Rate of fire is determined by the number of extinguish a pitch fire in 5 rounds, 10 people can
people working the ballista: douse the pitch fire in 3 rounds, and 15 people
can quench the pitch fire in 1 round. If the target
Table 276: Ballista Crew Efficiency vessel’s sails are lowered, they will ignite on a
2-in-6 chance, destroying them in 1d4+1 rounds
Crew Size 4 3 2 unless doused as noted above (or, the referee may
1/6 call for a class 10 item saving throw). A single
Rate of Fire 1/2 1/4 shot of flaming pitch costs 150 gp to acquire and is
a hazard to store on any ship.
The d20 attack roll uses the ballista shooter’s fighting
ability (FA) and missile attack modifier, if applicable. RAMMING: The war galley is outfitted with a ram,
The ballista inflicts 1d6+6 hp damage to enemy com- though other galleys (or even a carrack) also may be
batants, or 1d3 hull points of damage versus a vessel. It equipped thusly. A war galley will have a built-in ram
is possible for a fighter (or fighter subclass) to master or a lowerable mast that functions as a ram. Rams can
the ballista, gaining the typical +1 “to hit” and damage be used to attack other ships or even the leviathans of
rolls; point blank damage applies, but rate of fire is not the sea. An attack roll is made as an FA 1 combatant;
improved. note that weather can cause a −1 to −4 “to hit,” de-
pending on severity. Damage is as follows:
Catapults: Light catapults (or stone-hurling ballistæ)
mounted on ships can hurl stones or flaming pitch to Table 278: Ramming Damage
distances of 150 to 300 yards. The catapult features
a large wooden framework with a “spoon” affixed by Vessel Type Damage vs. Damage vs.
tension ropes. The spoon is loaded with shot that is Sea Monsters Other Vessels
fired when the tension ropes are released. A catapult 6d4 hull damage
cannot be used to target close targets (hence the 150- Galley, Large* 5d6 hp damage 5d4 hull damage
yard minimum range); neither can it be used to target 7d4 hull damage
a sea monster, unless the creature is the size of a ship Galley, Small 4d6 hp damage
and is surfacing. A crew of six is required for the great-
est efficiency; four is the smallest possible crew. Light Galley, War 6d6 hp damage
catapults cost 300 gp to build.
* or Amazon carrack outfitted with a ram

Table 277: Catapult Crew Efficiency A small or large galley stands a 2-in-6 chance to sus-
tain 2d4 hull points of damage if it delivers a successful
Crew Size 6 5 4 ramming attack; a war galley has a 2-in-6 chance to
1/8 sustain 1d6 hull points of damage. Regardless of the
Rate of Fire 1/4 1/6 outcome, the ramming ship must backwater (back up
at ½ oared MV) at once, or risk going down with a sink-
ing target (2-in-6 chance).

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GRAPPLING AND BOARDING: When both vessels ‘ Hafted weapons (axes, clubs, flails, hammers,
wish to do so, grappling is automatic, though may re- maces, etc.) are extremely difficult to swing, im-
quire 1d4 rounds. If one ship tries to grapple and board posing an additional −8 “to hit” penalty and halved
whilst the other attempts to evade, grappling stands a damage dice (modifiers applied afterwards).
2-in-6 chance of success. Grapple attempts may be made
each round so long as the two vessels are adjacent. ‘ Spears and other spear-like weapons (pikes,
Once grappling is established, melee combat ensues as pole-arms, long tridents, etc.), as well as
normal. However, those in the act of boarding suffer thrusting weapons such as short swords and
−2 penalties “to hit” and armour class. These modi- daggers, suffer no additional penalties (beyond
fiers apply only to the round in which boarding takes the standard −4 “to hit” penalty incurred by all
place, not subsequent rounds. surface dwellers).
OAR SHEARING: When any vessel passes alongside
an oared vessel, the latter’s oars on that side will be ‘ Missiles are ineffective except when launched
sheared. From 10% to 40% (1d4×10) of the applicable outside of water into water, in which case their
oarsmen will be lost as a result; if the oarsmen are penetrative thrust is reduced to half of their
slaves chained to their oars, casualties will be 50%. If shortest range (in feet), and a −5 “to hit” penal-
both vessels are oared, each will suffer the same con- ty applies. N.B.: Some undersea denizens might
sequences unless the oars are shipped. have specially engineered missile weaponry.
SHIP DAMAGE AND REPAIR: The damaged hull
of a vessel can be repaired at a rate of 1 hull point per ‘ Spells cannot be cast unless some dweomer
hour per five crewmen. Only half of the hull damage allows the caster to clearly speak the incanta-
can be repaired at sea, with full repairs typically occur- tions. Spells associated with air and wind, or fire
ring at port. The cost of full repairs might total 10–40% and heat, are ineffective regardless, but spells
of the ship’s price. Other considerations are as follows: that are allowed may have enhanced, reduced, or
‘ Loss of Crew: A ship that loses a significant alternative results as adjudicated by the referee.
For example, a lightning bolt might spread in a
portion of its crew cannot maintain normal radius away from the caster, not unlike a fireball.
movement rate. Referees should take a moment to consider the
‘ Loss of Oars: A vessel that loses half its oars environment and the spell cast, and judge with
will be dead in the water for 3 turns; afterwards, logic and fairness.
it may row at half speed. A vessel that loses all
its oars must depend on sails for movement.
‘ Loss of Sail: If a ship loses its sail, it will be
dead at sea unless it is oared. Stranded thusly,
the fate of the ship and her crew will depend on
the tides.

UNDERWATER COMBAT
The realms of possibility in games of sword-and-sor-
cery are nigh infinite, and so too are the stages on
which battles may take place. Fighting underwater is
difficult, though not impossible. Such battles may be
as brief as a person can hold their breath, or as long as
any land-based combat if sorcery obviates the need to
breathe air. Consider the following guidelines:
‘ Surface dwellers suffer −4 “to hit” when fight-

ing underwater. This penalty may be reduced
over time if the campaign features extensive
underwater adventuring.
‘ Swords (other than short swords) are difficult
to use. They suffer an additional −4 “to hit”
and reduced damage dice: d8 becomes d6, d10
becomes d8, and so on.

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HYPERBOREA

APPENDIX D:
WARFARE AND SIEGE

Although HYPERBOREA is derived from the original fantasy role-playing game, which in turn evolved from
miniatures wargaming, it is not intended to be a full-fledged wargame that accounts for all the strategies, tactics,
and variables appropriate to such play. Notwithstanding, determining the results of large-scale battles in this
milieu may become necessary. Presented herein is a simple and robust system designed for just that purpose.

Warfare and Siege is designed to resolve large-scale battles. It can work with any number of troops, particularly
when melee combat resolution is too cumbersome for the referee to manage; typically, this method is recommend-
ed when opposing forces each exceed 20 combatants. This system requires the use of a pencil and paper; too, a
calculator can be useful, though not necessary, as the arithmetic is simple. Warfare and Siege is predicated on (but
not limited to) the following assumptions:

‘ Capability: Experience (of leader and troops), ‘ Health: Sustenance, fatigue, and troop morale
outfitting (e.g., armour, weapons, mounts), and all factor into the effectiveness of an army.
special abilities (e.g., flight, sorcery, science)
all contribute to capability. The sheer size of an ‘ Luck: Sometimes luck can decide a battle.
army is also a factor in its capability. N.B.: This is a simple system mostly handled in the
abstract. It does not require players to have special
‘ Environment: Terrain and weather can dra- knowledge of strategy and military tactics. Once all
matically impact battles—and particularly troop the relevant factors are calculated, the dice (i.e., the
movement. Defending a castle can be effected luck factor) have the final say.
with a much smaller force, for example.

STEP 1: CALCULATE BASIC WARFARE RATING

To determine the basic warfare rating of an army, use a pencil and paper to calculate the follow-
ing simple formula:

A + B + C + D = ——————

Table 279: Basic Warfare Rating Calculator
A. Leader: (Level/HD + reaction/loyalty adjustment) × 2
A = ———
B. Average HD of Army:

+20 if force has average HD <1
+30 if force has average HD 1–2
+40 if force has average HD 3–4
+55 if force has average HD 5–6
+65 if force has average HD 7–8
+75 if force has average HD 9+
B = ———
C. Army Composition:
+10 if force comprises 20% or more cavalry (+15 if heavy)
+10 if force comprises 10% or more flyers
+10 if force comprises 20% or more heavy infantry
+10 if force comprises 20% or more missile shooters (+15 if longbowmen)
+10 if force comprises 20% or more pikemen
+5 for each sorcerer or sorcerous monster of levels/HD 5–8
+10 for each sorcerer or sorcerous monster of levels/HD 9+
C = ———
D. Average Maximum Weapon Damage:
D = ———

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Basic Warfare Rating Calculator Table Definitions: straction that assumes these combatants exercise their
Leader: A feared and/or respected PC or NPC. If the abilities, whether hurling offensive spells, casting other
leader should fall, his or her portion of the basic war- spells that may enhance their allies, or the like. PCs
fare rating must be subtracted, as well as any morale may participate in individual combats within the larger
modifiers. In some instances, a new leader might at battle (see the role of the PCs in warfare and siege).
once assume the role. Sometimes this change effects Average Maximum Weapon Damage: This figure is
an improvement: Consider an insufferable general calculated easily by taking the maximum damage of
killed on the field to be replaced by a captain, a barbar- each of the army’s weapon types and averaging them.
ian warlord who inspires his people to greatness. Example: A force of 950 soldiers has 300 longbowmen
Average HD of Army: Simply add all the troop HD (max. damage = 6), 325 spearmen (max. damage = 6),
types and average their levels. Example: An army with and 325 pikemen (max. damage = 8). The following
500 troops of ½ HD, 600 of 2 HD, and 300 of 4 HD equals steps should be resolved:
2,650 HD total. Divide the HD total by the number of 1. Multiply each troop type by its maximum
troops (1,400): 2,650 ÷ 1,400 ≈ 1.89. This quotient qual-
ifies for HD 1–2 (+30 basic warfare rating). weapon damage:
Army Composition: These numbers are cumulative, so 300 longbowmen × 6 = 1,800
if the army comprises 20% or more heavy infantry and 325 spearmen × 6 = 1,950
20% or more pikemen, +20 is added to the basic war- 325 pikemen × 8 = 2,600
fare rating. In regards to NPC sorcerers and monsters 2. Total the weapon damage:
with magical capabilities, specific spells and abilities are 1,800 + 1,950 + 2,600 = 6,350
not used to affect the outcome of the battle; rather, the 3. Divide the weapon damage by the total number
respective bonus to the basic warfare rating is an ab- of troops: 6,350 ÷ 950 ≈ 6.68
4. Round to the nearest whole number; hence,
average maximum damage for this army = 7

k k

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HYPERBOREA

STEP 2: DETERMINE CIRCUMSTANTIAL MODIFIERS

The basic warfare rating is a baseline figure that is modified further. Use the following formula to
determine any circumstantial modifiers that may affect either force involved in the battle:

E + (F or G) + H + I = ——————

Table 280: Modified Warfare Rating
E. Troop Ratio:

+20 if ratio is at least 3:2
+40 if ratio is at least 2:1
+50 if ratio is at least 3:1
+60 if ratio is at least 4:1
+70 if ratio is at least 5:1
+80 if ratio is at least 6:1
+90 if ratio is at least 7:1
+100 if ratio is at least 8:1
+125 if ratio is at least 9:1
+150 if ratio is at least 10:1

E = ———
F. Environment / Terrain: (open battlefield only)

+10 if battlefield environment is favourable
+25 if battlefield environment is exceptionally favourable
−10 if battlefield environment is unfavourable
−25 if battlefield environment is exceptionally unfavourable

F = ———
G. Siege Warfare: (one side defends from advantageous position)

+20 if defending on higher ground (e.g., hill, mountain)
+40 if defending against a foe that must ford a deep river or stream
+50 if defending a bottleneck (e.g., bridge, defile, pass)
+10 if defending a holding (e.g., low-walled village, fort)
+50 if defending a stronghold (e.g., castle, fortress) with moat and 10-ft.-thick walls
(+60 if well-stocked with ballistæ, catapults, and trebuchets)
+2 for every 1,000 gp in siege equipment (used for attack or defence)
+10 if attacking a stronghold and equipped with 20+ ladders

G = ———
H. Fatigue:

−10 if force is fatigued (e.g., long march, hard labour)
−30 if force is seriously fatigued (e.g., forced march, brutal labour)
−10 if provisions are rationed to less than full normal amount
−20 if provisions are severely limited

H = ———
I. Morale:

+10 if force is defending or fighting to regain native domain
+10 if force has defeated this foe before
+10 if leader is renowned or venerated for past deeds/victories
−10 if force comprises 20% or more mercenary troops
−15 if force comprises 20% or more levied troops (semi-regulars)
−25 if force comprises 20% or more levied peasants
−20 if renowned or venerated leader is killed or captured

I = ———

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Volume II: Referee’s Manual a

Modifed Warfare Rating Definitions: tle may be held for weeks, but once food supplies are
Troop Ratio: The ratio of one army to the other must exhausted, the defenders must storm out from their
be calculated. The result can increase the modified holding to attack, or starve to death. Siege warfare
warfare rating of the larger force. Example: A force of also may incorporate siege engines. To derive the mod-
4,600 barbarians faces a force of 1,675 knights and bow- ifiers associated with siege engines, all equipment and
men: 4,600 ÷ 1,675 ≈ 2.75. This quotient corresponds ammunition costs must be maintained. Refer to siege
to a ratio of at least 2:1 (but less than 3:1), providing a equipment hereafter for more information.
+40 modified warfare rating. Fatigue: How well-rested and well-fed an army is.
Environment/Terrain: Environment and terrain Morale: Fervent troops fight with increased valour and
impact warfare on an open battlefield. The referee ferocity, and demoralized troops fight with decreased
must adjudicate what constitutes favourable or unfa- courage. Troops of poor training or troops apathetic to
vourable conditions. Example: If an army of horsemen a cause (levied peasants and the like) similarly degrade
confronts an army of lizard-men in shallow, marshy army morale. Conversely, troops emotionally invested
terrain, the lizard-men might enjoy exceptionally in a cause and troops who venerate their leader enjoy
favourable circumstances (+25), whilst the horsemen certain advantages; so, if a renowned or venerated
might suffer unfavourable circumstances (−10). How- war leader is killed, not only is the +10 bonus he or
ever, if in hills suited to a barbarian horde, the barbar- she provided lost, but also a −20 penalty is suffered.
ians might enjoy favourable conditions (+10), whilst Other Warfare Rating Modifiers: In worlds of sword-
their enemies might not realize any modifiers. Referee and-sorcery and weird science-fantasy, any number of
discretion is required. other factors can modify an army’s basic warfare rating.
Siege Warfare: Battles in which one side protects a Largely these modifiers must be determined by the ref-
defensible position. The referee is at liberty to adjust eree, using the foregoing guidelines as a basis for adjudi-
the defence rating of a castle. Perhaps it has succes- cating the unpredictable. Imagine, if you would, a force
sive walls and a massive moat or is set in an unassail- of mammoth-riding Esquimaux driving to meet a small
able position; or perhaps its walls are crumbled, and army of Viking barbarians on a frozen plain. Depending
it has no moat. Regarding unusually long sieges, the on how many mammoths are involved, the referee might
provisions of the besieged must be considered; a cas- assign a +40 circumstance modifier to the Esquimaux.

299