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Dwarves and Elves As a rule, these beings are a secretive and
mysterious lot. They live in the world of spir-
The dw ar fs had first emerged and co me to life its and gods, and therefore have little commu-
in Ymir’s flesh , and at that time were m aggots. nion with the world of men. T heir desires and
But b y the decree of the gods they acquired goals are not those of humanity. They are sel-
hum an unde rstanding and the appearance of dom susceptibleto bribes of gold or jewels. In-
men, although they lived in the earth and stead they may seek marriage or affairs with
rocks. humans and sometimes take children to raise
as their own. Dwarves of all types are usually
The Prose Edda neutral or neutral evil in alignment.

The dwarves and elves of V&ng myth, leg- One of the most feared traits of such crea-
end, and folktale are a far different breed from
ttuairne”s),isthbeerhtaagbnitinogf (l”utraiknigngorinstoteathliengmmouenn-,
those presented in the AD &W d e s . In the Vi-
king imagination, dwarves and elves are more women, and children away from their homes.
or less lumped together. The words are used Men lost in the forests are often lured into
somewhat interchangably to indicate any of a mountain halls by bright lights and feasting,
sometimes by the allure of a seductive spirit.
variety of strange beings with supernatural Women are sometimestricked into marrying a
dwarf or elf. Infants are stolen from their cra-
powers. Thus, dwarf refers to many types of dles, sometimes replaced by an elf-child
humanoid earth or woodland creatures. (changeling) or a wooden doll. Those taken
are either never seen again or disappear for
In a Viking campaign, the words dwarf and years, only to return dazed and slightly mad
elf can refer to any number of beings-usually
an A D& W dwarf, elf, or drow. Ignoring their from their experience. Very rarely, a few re-
differences in appearance, all dwarves and turn blessed with strange powers and go
elves are considered to be more or less the fortune.
same type of being. Known by a variety of
names (alfr, dvergar, dock-alfar, and more) Dverge
they are hlghly magical and mysterious crea-
tures. Some live on the surface and are consid- The dverge is the closest in appearance to
ered fair, others live underground and are
called dark. All are older than mankiid, hav- the dwarf described in the Monstrous C o m -
ing lived since the beginning of the world. pendium, except for their crow’s feet. They

In game terms, a dwarf or elf can be any are usually short and skinny, often grotesque
number of different beings, dependmg on its in appearance. A few can pass for normal,
behavior and appearance. Regardless of its though stunted, men. Some sport wild beards.
name and appearance, the dwarf o r elf has the
abIilnitya,dtdhietiodnvetrogethaerier tchoenfsiindeesrtaobflealml cargaifctas-l
aspredll(-cIads8tin+g3a)b.il(itVieiskoinf ga 4dtwhatorv1e1stharleevhelawrdilzy-
men for making magical devices. T
strangers to magicl) Furthermore, all dwarves
and elves can fight and use armor without re- cally have and use magical devic
striction. weapons, clothes that make the wearer
ble, and statuettes that come to life are fav
Dwarves o r elves can never be player char- ite items.
acters, although in very rare circumstances a
The dverge are almost never encoun
dwarf might join a party. These NPCs will Most meetings are with travelers lost
deep mountains. Dverge are never fo
never remain for more than a single adven- Iceland and rarely in other lands of Sc
ture, however. Dwarves are seldom con-
cerned in the affairs of men. 51/106

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-

ia, although they are more common to east- making all manner of magical things, includ-
em lands such as Karelia, Permia, and Gar- ing swords, armor, rings, and horns.
dariki. These beings usually live underground
and are sensitive to sunlight, which causes Most huldufolk, as one of their other names
them to have a -1 penalty on all die rolls implies, live in the numerous mounds and bar-
when in the sun. Many dverge live in the oth- rows found near farms and homesteads. Al-
erworldly realms of Niflheim and all have the though their choice of domicile suggests it, the
power to cross from the normal world to the huldufolk are not undead creatures. Instead
otherworld. their homes are magical realms reached only
be entering these mounds. Others live just be-
Dock-Alfm yond the realm of men, in invisible lands at
the edges of farmsteads. There they have their
The dock-alfar, or dark elves, are similar to own farms and houses, often in imitation of
&ow in abilities and appearance. They live their human neighbors. The huldufolk possess
beneath the earth and shun the llght. Unlike the ability to pass from one realm to the other
drow, the dock-alfar are not quite as mali- and can take those they choose into this
cious or evil. They are neutral to evil in be- realm. Those with second sight can see into
havior, in general preferring to remain out of this realm when the huldufolk are passing
human affairs. They do not use javelins or from one to the other.
crossbows of any type, carry adamantine
maces, use poison, or have any of the cultural For the most part, huldufolk remain distant
particulars of &ow. The dock-alfar live in un- from the affairs of men. If they are spoken of
derground communities organized much like with respect and undisturbed, they can be
good neighbors, performing little services for
normal human communities. Like the dverge, the farm when no one is around. They may
dock-alfar tend to only be encountered in the bring back cows that have strayed or help a
little in the harvest. On the other hand, if
loneliest of mountain regions. So infrequently treated disrespectfully or bothered, the huldu-
folk use their powers to cause havoc and suf-
are they seen that humans consider them more fering for their human neighbors. Huldufolk
legend than fact. The dock-alfar are never tend to be neutral or chaotic good.
found outside Norway and Sweden.
Like all of their kind, the huldufolk canno
Huldre be held to human standards. They have their
own reasons and motives for doing things
The huldufolk (‘hidden people”) are quite Male and female huldre are fascinated with
similar to elves as described in the AD&D” humans of the opposite sex and will some-

Monstrous Compendium, and the ability ctiommeisnugseththeeiryppaorwamerosutors.trTichkohsuemsoanrosminatnocbeed
are typically taken back to the huldufolks
kscnoorwesn oafseltvhees aclafnar,behuulsderde,. Tvahtetyar,aruendalesro- realm to live. There time passes much differ-
ground folk, or people of the mounds. Unlike ently, such that years may pass outside for a
elves, the huldufolk can become invisible at single night within the mound. There is no se
will or polymorph themselves into copies of pace; the time variation is different on each
humans, including people known to the char- occurence. Sometimes a day is a month,
acters. Such a transformation is never perfect,
however. There is always a distinguishingfea- sometimesit is a year. As stated earlier, those
ture to reveal the huldufolks true identity, be who return from bertagning are never the
it a cow’s tail, merging eyebrows, or a ridge
instead of a dimple under the lip. Like the same. Some gain the power of second sight or
dverge, the huldufolk are accomplished inhttp://slidepdf.com/reader/full/add-vikings-campaign-sourcebook good fortune, while others are simply52/m106ad fo

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the rest of their days. Giants
Th e huldufolk are found throughout nearly
Odin said: Hail, Vafthrudnir I am here i
all the lands settled b y the V i k i i s . Some say yo ur hall to see what yo u loo k like,

these beings liv ed there first; others maintain I have come to find out if they call you wis
the huldre followed their neighbors to these rightly or wron gly, giant.
ne w lands. The Lay of Vafthrudn

Maahiset The giants of Nor se belief are some of th
best known of all the strange and wondrou
This type of dwarf is identical in appearance creatures in their mythology. It was a gian
to the standard A D & P game dwarf, although
wh o built the wall around Asgard, land of th
ditvsedrgrees, sthisesmimapalheirseatndlivmesoruenbdaerrbgaroruicn. dLiaknedthise gods. It was the giant Utgard-Loki w h o trick
seldom foun d on the surface. t seldom carries ed the gods Thor and Loki in contests o
weapons and typically wears rustic clothii. strength. It is the giant Surt, lord of Mus
The maahiset are all elementalists, especially pelheim, wh o w ill destroy the earth in the las
fond of earth-based spells. As a rule, they are battle, Ragnarok.
juspicious of strangers. The maahiset are found
Norse giants come in a broad range of guise
~ n l yn Karelii, Tafestaland, and Permia. from the cunning and clever to the brutish an
stupid. Although similar in many ways to th
Dwarf Names Fjalar NSi giants presented in the A D & D Monstrous Com
Frosti NYr pen di u m, even the least of the Norse giants i
greater than his A D & D game cousin.
AAliberich FGuanladrin NOyinr a S
Alf Ganndilf Onar In the Viking age, fe w giants, if any, lived in
Althj6f Ginnar Ori Scandinavian realms. Onc e they wer e popu
Alvis Gloin RassviS lous and lived throughout the land. Man
Har Regin landmarks-a precariou sly balanced boulder
Andvari Haur Rekk an oddly shaped mountain peak, or a curi
Austri Heptifili SkafiS ously shaped lake-were created (usually ac
Bifur HleSjolf skirvir cidentally) or placed b y giants. Wit h the ris
Bifur Hugstari SuSri of men, however, the giant population dwin
Bombor Sviar dled and their race retreated. O f those on
Brokk Ingi Thekk earth (Midgard), most dwell in fabled land
Dain Iwaldi far to the east beyond Permia. This land i

DDoolnghvari LKiitli TThhjoordinrorir kGniaonwtnlandb, yandmthaenyGlasniar mPleasin-Js.otOutnhheresimli,v
far north in the frozen wastes, in places lik
Draupnir MjoSvitnir Throin Svalbard and Groenland. In mythic al lands
giants abounded, again to the east of Asgard
Duf MoSsognir Thror and to the south in Muspelheim.

Durin Mondul Vali As a rule, giants share the worst characteris
tics of humans. They are deceitful, often cun
Dvalin Niin Vestri ning, greedy, malicious, jealous, and violent
Some are quite clever and skilled in magica
Eikinskjaldi N i r Vig
a r t s All giants are evil, though they may be
Eitri NiSi V inndi
53/106
Fa1 Niping Virvir

FiS NorSri Vit

Fili Nori Volund

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Giant Names be devious and suspicious of strangers. Th e
are seldom openly hostile, but wil l sometime
(Fem. indicates giantess) attempt to trick or ambush humans wh o ente
their territory. In general, cliff giants are neu
Aegir Hymir tral evil.
Idi
A r k e f i a ( fem. ) Im Frost Giants
Aurgelmir
Aurnir Lodin Frost giants live in the uncharted froze
Beli Menia (fern.) lands north of Scandinavia and in the col d en
Bergelmir trances to Niflh eim. Frost giants are identica
Bestla (fern.) I
Bolthorn in ability and general appearance to those de
Eggther Mimir scribed in the A D & D Monstrous Compendi
Egd Mogthrasir um although they stand 25' to 30' tall. The
Fenja (fem.) are much more intelligent than their A D & D
Fjalar Mu pell game cousins, with intelligence scores from 1
Fornjotr Neri to 15. The frost giants of V iking myth do no
Gerd (fem.) Norvi have shamans or witchdoctors, but 20% o
No tt (fem.) their kind are mages up to 10th level in ability
Gunnlod (fern.) Rind (fern.)
Skrogg The frost giants live in cold and dimly li
Gvmir Skrymir longhouses. Their groupings are tribal, usu
Hiti ally consisting of a jar1 (chieftain), his men
HddU Skuld
Hlebard Suttung and their families. T he giant jar1 in turn owe
Hrimgerd (fem.) Svarang
Hrimgrimnir Thiassi his allegience to the jNten Fom jotr or Thrym
Hrunnnir Thiazi both kings. Because the frost giants live in dis
Thklgelrnir tant, icy lands, they seldom become invo lve
Hr ym Thrym in the affairs of men. However, they hav
Ulf more than once boiled out of Niflheim an
Utgard-Loki threatened the safety of Asgard and the othe
Vafthrudnir realms.
Verdandi
loten
Mfing
Ymir These giants are among the most powe rfu
and wisest of their kind. Most are nearly a
Cliff Giants
old as the beginning of the wo rld. Th ey hav
The c li f giants are one of the more common near godlike powers and abilities. Because o
types of giant, frequently encountered in the their mythical background, the joten are o nl
lands to the east. Cliff giants have the same found in the legendary lands of the othe
statistics and abilities as A D & P game stone realms-Niflheim, Muspel, and Jotunheim.
giants. In appearance, however, they stand
25' to 30' tall, h av e long hair and thick beards, In appearance, the joten are truly majestic
and indeed look much like their Viking They have the general appearance of storm gi
counterparts. They are also very intelligent ants from the A D & D Monstrous Com pend
(10-12). ome cliff giants serve under power- um but easily stand 75 to 100 eet tall. Th
ful chieftains of their kind, staying at his hall abilities of each of these giants are unique, bu
as retainers. Others li ve with their families on are similar to those fo r Surt and Th yrm pre
sented in the AD & D 2nd Edition Leg54e/1n06ds an
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Lore rulebook. It is doubtful that even the range of civilization. They are most common
most heroic of player characters would ever on the fringes of Karelia and the heart of Ta-
encounter one of these giants. festaland and Permia.

Kalevanpojat Sea Giants

These giants, found only in the regions of These special giants dwell below the waves.
Karelia, Tafestaland, and Permia, are a bane They are similar in size, appearance and abili-
to the farmers who have settled there. In ap- ties to AD&D game cloud giants. Sea giants
pearance the kalevanpojat look like hill gi- can breathe in air or water equally well and
ants. They have the same ability scores as swim or walk at the same movement rate.
these creatures. However, the kalevanpojat
They can predict weather at will. They do not
can transmute rock to mud and transmute
earth to stones, each three times per day. (The have priests among their number, although
they can be 9th level wizards. They fight with
latter power has the same range and area of their hands or spears, on those rare occasions
when they give battle.
effect as transmute rock to mud. It changes
Sea giants are believed to dwell in halls be-
earth into small boulder-sized rocks.) neath the waves. This is only supposition,
The kalevanpojat live at the edges of the since their homes have never been visited by
man. They dress in ordinary clothing, draped
wilderness in simple log houses hidden well in seaweed and often adorned with treasures
away from strangers. They enjoy their soli- from the ocean floor. Their hair is normally a
tude and will use their powers to plague set- pale blond-green.
tlers who expand into giant territory. Dry land
becomesinexplicably swampy, no matter how Sea giants have little interest in the affairs of
many times it is drained. Good fields fill and men or anything else that occurs on land.
refill with stones, making plowing impossible. They also tend not to involve themselves with
The kalevanpojat are neutral evil in align- the fleets of fishermen and Vikings that ply the
ment. waves. However, the sea giants have been
known to make rare appearances at the sur-
Thursir face. Sometimes they warn of impending
storms, particularly if the captain is blessed
These ill-tempered brutes are enlarged ver- with good luck or the ship is protected by
sions of the AD&D@game hill giants. They runes. For the unlucky and the disrespectful,
have the general abilities of the hill giant, al- the sea giants appear by seizing the gunwales
and dragging the vessel down.
though they can cam e disease or madness up
Because there is so little contact between
to three times per day. Their appearance is not man and sea giant, it is almost impossible to
say what the motives of these beings are. They
quite so primitive as the hill giant. Thursir are neutral evil in alignment, although, as has
been noted, they are known to perform help-
stand about 20 atond25unkteamll.ptTahnedir hair eaanrds
beards are wild their ful acts for a lucky few.

are noticeablely large. They dress in crude, Trolls

rustic clothing, often heavily patched, and The most common creatu
out the Viking lands are trolls, but they are far
fight with cudgels fashioned from trees. different creatures from those described in the

The thursir have lived for as long as the jo- 55/106

ten. However, they are not nearly so blessed

with intellectual ability or power as their

brother giants. The thursir tend to be slow-

witted and easily tricked or enraged. They live

by themselves in wildernesses just beyond the

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A D & D @ Monstrous Compendium. Trolls of great asset on the battlefield.
Scandinavia range fro m hideously ugly, huge,
and hulking to human in size and appearance. Trow
Yet even these normal-seeming trolls are ve ry
different fro m humans. The trow is a sea-troll, most often foun
around the O rkn ey and Shetland islands. It
Scandinavian trolls have the same statistics neither a handsome nor friendly creature.
as ogres as defined in the AD & D Monstrous has the abilities and general appearance of a
Compen diu m. They are not the creatures de- ogre, but it can function equally well on lan
scribed as trolls in those products. M ost im- and sea. The trow can breathe air or wat
portantly, the trolls of Scandinavia do not and swims at the same speed it can mov e o
land. The t row hate humans, especially tho
regHeonwereavteer,dalimkeagme.ost other creatures of the wh o venture into their fishing territory. It ty
region, the Scandinaviantroll is highly skilled ically attacks by overturning the fisherman
boat and then drowning the crew. Tro
in magic. Of those encountered, 50% are homes are usually found in the rocky clif
highly intelligent wizards of 5th to 13th level. along the sea-shore.
This in particular makes them cunning and
dangerous, since they have little l ov e of man- 56/106
kind who has usurped their position on the
Earth.

In appearance, the troll varies greatly.
Those found in Norway, the British Isles, and
distant eastern lands are comm only huge and

ugly. As such, they look like ogres although
they dress better, wearing the clothes of their
region (not crude skins or furs). They fight
with the same kinds of weapons and armor as
their human neighbors, although these are
scaled for their larger size.

In Sweden and parts of Denmark, the troll
looks almost human, like one of the troll-
born. They tend to be som ewhat bigger than
humans, though not remarkably so. These
trolls are not particularly ugly and a few can
even be described as handsome. However,
they are still trolls, and therefore dangerousto
humans.

Trolls are not social creatures. Each fami ly
(for trolls hav e wive s and children, too) lives
more or less by itself. Their homes are found
in deep woods, rocky sea-cliffs, high moun-
tains, and deserted heaths. A troll wi ll some-
times seek out a human mate, although why
they feel the need is a secret only they know .
A fe w troll wizards have been known t o ally
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Though the Vikings did quite a lot of raid Trade Go od Appro ximat e Cash Valu
and pillaging, they also settled and colo-
various areas. A s an outgrowth of this 6 yds. o f Icelandic cloth 102. of silv
a1 maturation, they discovered the ne-
1 lave 10 2 of silv
essity of commerce. The reasoning goes
mething like this: I have expanded to nearly Finally, the Vikings also used silver f
e limit of m y ability to travel. In the course trade. Mints were established by kings
Scandinavia, England, and Ireland and the
,f m y exploration, I have encountered other produced a variety of silver pennies and ha
Jeople with things I would like to have. Some pennies. Although by tradition these coin
If these people I have been able to beat into were all supposed to be the same size an

Isuwbamntis. sOiotnh,efrosrcIihnagvtehenmott. oIghiavveemaelstohedtihscinogvs- wSiel&ve,r diinrhaacmtusalfproramctiAcreatbhieay wvaeriigehdegdrematol
ered that there are people who may be able to than local coins. The same mint mlght low
beat me into submission to get things they the weight o f its ow n coins if the king neede
want. Perhaus there is another wav to do money. Scoundrelsand thieves would "shave
silver coins, literally cutting aw ay a bit of th
things . precious metal t o melt do wn and thus lowe
ing the value of the coin.
This line of reasoning leads to commerce.
Comm erce, in time, leads to Because of all this, the only way to us
coins was to weigh them and price everythin
Money t o according to weight, not number of coin
Merchants carried collapsible scales for ju
The people of the Viking age used many dif-
this purpose. Paying by weight had the add
mieraennyt,winayfasctto, tsheatttleitbcuosuinldesbsetcraonmseacqtuiointes-csoon- tional advantage that a man or woman cou
fusing in a campaign. For simplicity, these are wear their wealth as silver jewelry. Men an
reduced to three methods: debts of honor, women commonly wore silver armbands, o
barter (what w e call "swapping" or "trading"), ten in the pattern of coiled snakes or dragon
2nd cash. Then, when money was needed, a portion
the armband could be cut of f and weighed
A debt of honor is fairly simple and payment. These armbands and other silver o
straight-forward: I do something for you, and naments were called hack-silver, since th
were literally chopped to pieces. The sam
someday you will repay me in kind. This con- fate was in store for silver coins that wer e t o
large.
cept applies to all games and all cultures. Ob-
viously, this type of arrangement is only made For convenience to players and D M s lik
between people wh o trust each other or have the Scandinavian monetary system is som
no other choice. Players can work this how- what standardized here. While the weight
ever they want. coins and equivalents given here are not pe
fectly historical, they are close enough to ke
For barter the Vikings had a variety of use- the feel of the Viking age. Certainly it will
fulgoods that could be exchanged. These in-
cluded cattle, sheep, land, ships, fish, and a far easier fo r players and DMs if they do n
whole variety of other goods. Bartering relies
on the intrinsic skill of the buyer and seller, so have to calculate everything according t o t
there is no absolutevalue fo r a c ow, fo r exam- price of a sheep or co w Table 3: Vikin
ple. Howeve r, the fol low ing relationships can Welghts lists the different names fo r welgh
be used as a guideline. and their m odern equivalents. Table 4:58/106 Vikin

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erage weight for buying items, and the ap- the prices listed below.
proximate AD&D@game equivalent. The
equivalent allows the DM to convert the Available Equipment
prices of items listed in the AD&D 2nd Edition
As noted above, the Viking age is techno
Player's Handbo ok into prices usable in a Vi- logically and culturally different from th
king campaign. Finally, Table 5: Coin/Weight standard AD&D fantasy campaign. Not ever
item on the Weapon and Equipment lists wi
Conversions lists the number of available be available. Some of it had not yet been in
coins needed to equal the Viking weights al- vented in the times of the Vikings. Other
ready given. were beyond the resources of the Vikings o

Table 3: Viking Weights and Coins tthheeyir anreeigehxbtroerms.eSlyomraereit.ems can be found, bu

Vi@ Weight Modern Equivalent In addition, the equipment lists in the Play
er's Han dbook do not include some items pe
Pennigar ' / 3 0 OZ.
Otrogar culiar to the Viking age, particularly th
Ore v 3 oz.
Mark ~varieties of ships the Scandinavian craftsme
1 ounce built.
unces ( V 2 lb.) The two tables below reflect these differ
ences. Table 6: Equipment Adjustments list
Table 4: Viking Coins those items not found or rarely found in a Vi
king campaign. This table is for use with th
Coin Type Average Game equipment lists presented in the AD&D 2nd
Weight Equivalent*
Edition Player's Handbo ok. Price adjustment
HSialvlfe-rPPenennnyy(x(PP)) 1/40 oozz.. 51CSPP
1/20 2 SP are marked for some items, using Viking
weights (and equivalent silver penny costs)
Arab Dirham 1/10 02. Any item marked N/A is not available for us

* The gold piece, electrum piece, and plati- in the campaign. (The DM may want to pho
num piece have no equivalent coins in the Vi- tocopy the lists in the Players Handbook and

king age. They convert to silver penny as mark the changes on these copies.) The secon
list presents new items that can be bought in a
follows: 1EP = 5 P; 1GP = 10 P; and 1PP = Viking campaign.
50 P.
Calculating the cost (in Viking terms) o
Table 5: Approx. CoinMreight Conversion any item not listed below is relatively simple
For expensive items, divide the gp cost by 16
Half-penny Pen. Otr. Ore Mark
Penny 1 12 40 320 The result is the equivalent number of mark
Arab Dirham 20 160 for the item. Prices listed in silver pieces can
l/2 6 10 80 be converted directly to silver pennies, one fo
one.
l14 3

Because coins could vary greatly in weight 59/106

either from manufacture or fraud), the DM

n vary the coidweight conversions by as

ch as 25% any time he so desires. ("Well,

these pennies are little light. It's going to take

25 of them to make an ore.") This can affect

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Table 6: Equipment Adjustments I 10 Marks (1600 P)
N/A
Sedan chair

Clothing cost Miscellaneous Equipment
Item
Silk jacket 10 Marks(1,600 P) Item cost
Toga N/A Block and tackle
Chain (any, per f t .) N/A
1Mark (160 P )

Daily Food and Lodging Glass bottle 4 Ore (80P)
Lantern (any) N/A
Item cost Lock, good N/A

City rooms N/A*

Common wine (pitcher) 1 Otrogar (6 P) Poor 6 Marks (960 P)

Inn lodging N/A* Magnifying glass N/A
Merchant’s scale 1Ore (
Household Provisioning Oil, greek fire
Paper N/A*
Item cost
N/A

Figs (per Ib.) 1Mark (160 P) Papyrus N/A
Parchment N/A*
Raisins (per lb.) 1Mark (160 P)

Salted herring (per 100) 1Otrogar (6 P) Rope, hemp (50 feet) 1Ore ( 2 0 P)
silk
Spice, exotic (per Ib.) 5 Marks (800 P) N/A
Spyglass
Rare (per lb.) 3 Marks (480 P) Thieve’spicks N/A
N/A**
Uncommon (per lb.) 1Mark (160 P)

Tun of good wine Water clock N/A

(250 gal.) 4 Marks (640 Writing ink N/A*

P)

Tack and Harness Animals
Item
Barding, half padded cost Item cost

half scale N/A* Camel N/A
all other types N/A* Elephant
Yoke, horse N/A Horse, draft N/A
N/A N/A

heavy war N/A
Hunting cat N/A

Transport cost Peacock N/A
Item Pigeon, homing N/A
Canoe (all types) N/A

CCaarrraivaegle (all types) NN // AA WIteemapons cost
Arquebus
Chariot (all types) N / A Blowgun N/A
Bow, composite N/A
cog N/A
Drakkar long bow N/A
1,500 Marks Crossbow (any) N/A
Lance, heavy horse N/A
(240,000 P) N/A
Jousting N/A
Dromond N/A* Mancatcher

Galleon N/A

Great eallev N/A

Knarr 100 Marks (16,000 P)

Longship (large) 150 Marks (24,000P)

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Polearm, awl pike NIA Table 7 : New Equipment
Bec de corbin NIA
Bill-guisarme NIA Item 10 Marks (1600 P)
Fauchard-fork NIA Bearing dial
Glaive-guisarme NIA Cauldron and tripod 1Otrogar (6 P)
Guisarme-voulge NIA Comb
Hook fauchard NIA Ships 1Otrogar (6 P)
NIA 10 Marks (1600 P)
Lucerne hammer NIA Faering
Ranseur NIA Longship, small 15 Marks (2400 P)
Scourge NIA Sexaering
Staff sling Skates
NIA Skis
Sword, khopesh N/A Sleigh
Scimitar NIA Wagon
Two-handed

Armor cost EquipmentDescriptions
Item NIA
Banded mail NIA Bearing Dial: This simple device looks
Brigandine NIA something like a top, and is an important aid
NIA for navigation. It is a flat wooden disk with a
Bronze plate mail N/A handle on the bottom and a pin and pointer
Field plate NIA on the top. Around the edge of the dial are
Full plate N/A markings for the different directions. To use
Helmet, great helm NIA
Plate mail N/A* sthigehtbienagrionng tdhiealr,istihneg csaupnta(ionr wNoourtlhd Statkare aat
Ring mail NIA night), aligning the east mar- on the dial to
Scale mail his slghting. He can then set the pointer to any
Splint mail other direction and thus show his new head-
ing. While a seemingly simple device, the
* These items are not available in Scandinavi- bearing dial was a great advance in ocean nav-
igation at the time.
an lands. City rooms and inns may be found
in large trading centers or cities of the Frank- Comb: Combs were valuable trade items
ish and Byzantine empires. Dromonds, scale and gifts, simply because they were hard to
mail, horse barding, and scimitars may be make. The teeth were carved from a thin piece
found in Byzantine or Arab lands; Greek fire of wood, whalebone or other material. This
was a secret of the Byzantines. Writing ink
and parchment can be found at centers of sheet was then mounted between two other
learning, such as monasteries or courts out- pieces of wood, ivory, amber, antler, or other
side Scandinavia. ornamental material to make the handle.
Combs were often elaborately decorated with
* * With locks uncommon, there is no devel-
-silver or gold fittims. These were treasures in
oped ar t for picking locks. The DM can allow
a collection of small saws and blades useful their own right.
Faering: The faerin
for breaking and entering. Still, such a kit
sleek, sturdy boat fitt
would not be found in Scandinavian lands. ried no sail. The ship
four to six and their ge
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200feet per round. The faering was sometimes walking man. (Hillsand valleys tend to cance
used as a ship's boat, towed behind the long- each other out.)
ship.
Sleigh: This is another important item fo
Longship, small: This ship was similar to its winter travel, since a man on skis cannot hau
larger cousin, differing only in the overall much. A small sleigh could carry up to 300
length and slightly narrower beam. The small pounds. The sleigh could be pulled at half nor
long ship was an average of 60 feet in length. mal movement rate by one reindeer or two
It had the same speed and performance as its men wearing snowshoes or skis. Dog team
slightly larger brother, but oars were limited were not used by Vikings.
to about 1 6 to a side. The standard crew was
30 sailors, but it could carry a maximum of 75 Wagon: V k n g wagons were small and of
ten highly ornamented. They were mainly
to 100. Cargo capacity was limited to 30 tons.
Sexaering: The sexaering was a small fish- tursaendspfoorrtcefroermwonelila-lbpruerdpowseosmaennd. aTshmeyeanwseorf
only effective where there were roads, an un
ing boat, approximately 40 feet long. The ves- common feature in the rugged mountain land
sel was fitted with six oars and a small mast. It of Scandinavia. Most often hitched to an ox, a
normally carried six to 10 comfortably, but wagon can carry up to 500 pounds and move
could load up to 30 sailors if needed. It can at the beast's normal movement rate.
travel 60 feet per round, either rowed or
sailed. The cargo capacity was about two Treasure
tons. The sexaering was a common working
ship found on the coasts. Although relatively Since the Vikings did not have a coin-base
seaworthy, sailors did not sail it out into the economy, the treasure hoards characters may
open seas.
fcionndvienntiheenitrsatdacvkesntoufrgeosladreansdelsdiolvmerg.oAincgetrotabi
Skates: Viking skates were simple but prac- portion of a treasure will be silver pennies and
tical affairs made of a bone blade fastened to a dirhams, but in a large hoard the bulk of th
leather shoe. Just like the ones today, they al- treasure will be items valued for their crafts
lowed one to move across frozenwater at nor- manship as much as their material. Jewelry
mal movement speed (or greater). Skates must goldwork, woodcarvings, silversmithing, and
be removed when not on ice, however. glassware all represent sources of treasure in
the Viking age.
Skis: Viking skis, unlike the slick, highly re-
fined and expensive downhill skis of today, The list below gives some indication of th
were more along the lines of today's snow- variety of forms such treasures can take. No
shoes or cross-country skis. Speeding down- monetary value is assigned to any of these ob
hill was unknown to the Norsemen. In
general, their skis were broader and the bind- jects, since 1 it is impossible to know how
ings were loose. A single pole was used, car- valuable these items really were, and 2) th
ried like a high-wire artist. To climb the
slopes, seal-skins were tied to the bottom of value of similar items can vary greatly de
the skis, giving the climbers traction. No lift
tickets here pending on the skill of the craftsman. Th

Skis allow a character to move across snow items listed here are representative of actua
with greater ease. On level ground and small
slopes, the skier can travel at his normal finds from Viking hoards and burial mounds
This list could be expanded by many items
movement rate. Going up slopes is done at since many things did not survive burial
These include fine cloths and tapestries, fur
half the normal rate. For long distance travel, walrus ivory, and wood carvings. Further
a skier can move as fast and far as a normal more, there were items taken from othe

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lands. Crucifixes, reliquaries, chalices, book- ing when converted to terms suitable to a Vi-
mounts, crozier-heads, and much more were w campai
looted from the west.
500 dirhams
Amber beads and pendants from Wendland
Bone comb-case One gold armband (2,000 P)
Braided gold neck rings
Braided silver arm rings Four silver brooches weighing 5 ore each
Carolingian gold coins converted to pendants
Carved jet pendants from England (100P each)
Carved wood horse collars with gilt-bronze
One small gold and silver casket set with gar-
Carvefidttwinogos den chest
Gilt-bronze and silver caskets nets (4,000 )
Gilt-bronze, chased bridle mounts
Gold and walrus ivory casket This certainly makes for a more colorful trea-
Gold arm rings sure hoard
Gold disks (bracteates)
Gold filigree brooches Magical Items
Gold rings
Gold spurs I've a sword called Tyrfing, made b y d w a m
Gold pendants who swore it could bite anything, even iron
Multi-colored glass beads from Rhineland and rock.

Necklace of crystal and carnelian Arrow-Odd
Necklace of crystal beads set in silver
Viking lore is filled with all manner of magi-
Painted woodcarvings cal items, from dwarf-forged swords to silken
shirts with magical powers. Many saga heroes
Rheinish glassware carry weapons that can "bite through iron"

Sheets of embossed gold foil eavnednwmeaorraermfaonrtatshtaict "trneoaisruornescacnanbitbee." hOatdhebry,
Silver and cloisonne enamel brooch those bold enough or worthy of such rewards.
Silver bowls
Still, the number of magical items in a Vi-
Silver cauldron king campaign is probably nothing like that
Silver cloak pin found in the typical AD&D game world. The
Silver engraved cup player characters (or NPCs) are not going to
Silver filigree brooches be carrying bundles of scrolls, potions,
wands, and miscellaneous items. Most magi-
Silver rings cal items will be weapons and armor, with just
a sprinkling of other items. This mix reflects
Silver Thor's hammer pendant the warrior culture of the period.
Silver-inlaid axe head
Spear head decorated with silver Existing Items
Sword hilt decorated with silver
Not all magical items listed in the A D b D
Walrus ivory gaming pieces Dungeon Master's Guide are appropriate to a

The DM is encouraged to use his Viking setting. Including the vast array of
imagination in creating a treasure hoard. For tomes, wands, scrolls, dusts, decanters, and
example, the player characters might discover the like only detracts from the unique cam-
a troll's hoard (worth 720 GP in standard paign world of Viking fantasy.
AD&D@ ame terms) that contains the follow-
Table 8: Viking Magical Items should be
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ing the general type of magical item found. priests only. However, the DM can allow cer-
The table here has important differences,par- tain items to be used by an y character. For ex-
picularly in the absence of certain categories of ample, a runecaster might discover and learn
items (such as scrolls).
the use of a stuff of curing. In this case, the
Table 8 : V i n g Magical Items
ability to use the item is rationalized as a gift
dlOO from the gods.

Roll Category Table 9:Unavailable Magical Items

01-05 Potions and Oils Potions and Oils

06 Rings AClnimimbailngControl
Staves Diminution
07-10 Misc. Magic: Jewels &Jewelry Dragon Control
11-12 Misc. Magic: Cloaks & Robes ESP
13-18 Misc. Magic: Boots Gloves Giant Control
19-20 Misc. Magic: Girdles Helms Human Control
21-22 Misc. Magic: Household Items Levitation
23-25 Misc. Magic: Musical Instruments Oil of Elemental Invulnerability
26-30 Viking Items Oil of Etherealness
31-35 Armor and Shields Oil of Impact
36-55 Weapons Plant Control
56-99 Special Polymorph Self
Rainbow Hues
00 Treasure Finding
Undead Control
n withii these tables, not all magical
Rings
are available. Table 9: Unavailable
Blinking
ical Itemslists those things not found in a Chameleon Power
Djinni Summoning
mpaign. Although the list of exclud- Elemental Command
Feather Falling
may seem restrictive to a fantasy Human Influence
Mammal Control
ers must accept certain limitations Mind Shielding
Shooting Stars
their characters' magical power. The Vi- Telekinesis
Water Walking
g realm is a world of men and women who Wizardry
X-Ray Vision
nost often stand or fall by their own abilities.
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Because an item is excluded by Table 9 (or

ble 8 above) does not mean it can never ap-

ear in play. However, before it is introduced

o the campaign, the DM must think of a

ar explanation for why and how the item

ot to where it is. For example, a ring of djinni

oning just might be found - f the play-

racters were adventuring somewhere in

region of the Caspian Sea and had come

ss the treasure of an Arab wizard. (Ele-

tals are far more common to the mythol-

- g y of southern lands.)

A number of magical items are usable by
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Staves Household Items

Command Braziers (all)
Magi Mirrors (all)
Power Rugs (all)
Swarming Insects
Musical Instruments
Jewels and Jewelry
Chimes (all)
Amulets (all) Horn of Bubbles
Medallions (all) Horn of the Tritons
Phylacteries (all) Lyre of Building
Scarab versus Golems Pipes (all)
Talisman of the Sphere
Talisman of Zagy Armor and Shield

Cloaks and Robes Onlv armor tvoIes available to the Vikin"e
campaign can be found. Thus, there is no
Cloak of Arachnida magical plate mail, field plate, e
Cloak of Displacement
Cloak of the Bat Weapons
Cloak of the Manta Ray
Robe of Eyes Crossbows (all)
Robe of ScintillatingColors Nets (all)
Robe of Stars Scimitar of Speed
Tridents (all)
Boots, Bracers, and Gloves Sword of the Planes

Boots of Levitation New Magical Items
Boots of Varied Tracks
Boots, Winged The new magical items listed below ar e only
Bracers of Brachiation part of the strange and wond rous things de-
Slippers of Spider Climbing scribed in sagas and legends. In particular,
there are numerous dwarven-made items not
Girdles, Hats, and Helms included here, since these devices were the

Girdle of Femininity/Masculinity urouertv of the gods. Plaver characters have
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Helm of Telepathy 65/106
Helm of Teleportation
Helm of Underwater Action

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ble 10:Viking Magical Ite nary material, it has no special powers unt
the command word is spoken. when act
d20Roll Item
vated, the cloak molds to the wearer’s bod
1 Bottomless Drinking Horn
and shapechanges its owner (and all his pos
2 Cloak of Dryness sessions) into a falcon. The character has
3 Cloak of Fire Resistance
4 Feathered Cloak flying speed of 33, maneuverability class B

5-6 Gusir‘s Gifts The feathered cloak functions for 2d12 turn
and then immediately shuts down for on
7 Helm of Terror
8 Mirror of Transformation turn. After this pause, it can be activate
again.

191-1-102 RNeeecdk-l Sactaelkof SPpreoatrec tio n ..roGwussfior‘usnGd iifntsb: uGnudsleirs’sofglifdt3s .aTrehemyaagriecaflina
13 Riding Stick
14 Ringo fMo ney looking examples of the fletcher‘s craft wi

15-16 Silken Shirt of Invulnerability golden feathers and wonderfully wrough

17-18 Sleep-Thorn shafts. If detections are made, they appear t
19-20 Stone Arrows
be + 1 arrows and do give this bonus to a

tacks. However, after hitting their target, th

arrows magically streak back to their owne

Magical Item Descdptlons returning to the quiver where they can be use

Bottomless Drinking Horn This device is a again. Each arrow possesses only l d 4 charge

large, fine-looking dr nking horn with silver- however. Each shot with the costs

charge and when all the charges are spent, th

iwnosirdkea. rUoupnodn tuhteterirmin.gRtuhneesse arrueneetsc,hethdeonhothrne lose their magical properties.
The arrows are called Gusir’s Gifts becau
fills with mead or beer, as the owner chooses.
they were Once property of King Gusir o
It remains filled but not overflowing, no mat-
Lapland, He, in turn, got these arrows fro
ter how much is drunk, until the owner gives
the cunning dwarves who made them.
the command once again. At that point, the
Helm of Terror: This powerful magical ite
horn can be emptied as a normal cup.
is one of the most famous of all treasures. Ac
‘lo* Of This long ‘‘Oak
cording to the Prose Eddu, it originally b
is of exquisite manufacture. Its magical prop-
longed to Hriedmar, to whom the gods we
erty is such that anyone wearing it will not be-
, forced to pay a of gold. Hriedmar
come wet Or ‘Old, no matter what the
turn was killed by his sons, Fafnir and Regi

Feathered Cloak: This cloak is made from The helm of terror is an awe-inspiring item

falcon feathers fixed together to form a long, Upon command, it can cuuSe fear in all wh
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armor class. Upon uttering a second com- streams are passable. Upon another command
mand word, the wearer can become invisible. word, the stick confers invisibility upon anyone
touching it. This power only works so long as
There is no limit to the number of times per the character holds the stick and it is not used
for any other purpose. The lattertwo uses of the
day these powers can be exercised. stick require one charge each. When ound, the
stick contains 3d10 charges. T h e tick cannot be
Howev er, the helm of terror was part of a recharged, and when all charges are spent it be-
comes a club 2.
treasure and as such carries a little bit
evil w ith it. So long as a person owns Ring of Money: This gold ring is a very
valuable magical item, a treasure beyond all
, whether it is with him or not, the
r suffers rom bad luck as defined in wfuollrtdha.y,Etahcehrienvgencirnega,teasftIder8bneoinnmg awgoircnalfcoorpa-

m o r of Transformation This mirror ies of itself. Each cop y is worth 1ore (20 P).

nlsikloeoak ihniggihnltyopitowliislhl esede pnioetcheinogf usniluvseur-. There is a 5 % chance with each use that the
n truth, it has two functions. First, if the ring will fail. W hen this happens, the ring of
money loses all magical properties, although
nd word is spoken when a person is it still has a value o f 1 ore tself.

nto the mirror, that person can be po- Silken Shirt of nvulnerability: This m agical
ymorphed as the owne r of the mirror desires. item can be found in a variety of fabrics and
styles, ranging from simple woolen cloth to
te that the owner of the mirror is not neces- lustrous silk trimmed with gold. The powers
ily the person looking into the mirror. If a of these shirts can vary greatly and when
econd command word is spoken, all those
ftooudnedt,ertmheinDe Mthe hitoemul’ds reoxlalcotnntahtuertea.ble below
g at the mirror must make a saving
ow vs. death or be permanently blinded. 1-3 +1 protection
ose who make the saving throw are unaf- 4-6 A C 4
7 Immunity to poison
e Oatnalynyongievefunntcimtioen. of the mirror can 8 Immunity to fire and cold
klace of Protection This necklace, 9 Immunity to missile weapons
10 Immunity to drow ning
f silver, crystals, and beads, confers
e benefit as a ring of protection +1. Immunity to fire and cold applies only to
Stalk Spear: This magical weapon ap- natural sources (flaming buildings and arctic
ars to b e nothing m ore than a harmless and
cold included). Th e character suffers no dam-
sy reed, such as could be found in any age fro m these. For magical attacks, the char-
sh. In actuality, it is a spear I , causing acter suffers half or n o damage, depending on
Ld6 +1 points of damage per attack. The reed his saving throw. Immunity to drowning
stalk spea r can be thrown twice the distance of means that character can stay at the surface of
a body of water indefinitely; the shirt will
3 normal spear. keep him afloat so long as the character is no t
carrying more than his maximum weight lim-
n Riding S t i c kthThainsamcargoicoakleidtemstiackp.peTahres to be it. O f course, if the character we re trapped in
o t h i i more stick a sealed barrel with n o access to air, the shirt
would b e of little value.
has several powers. If used as a weapon, it is
equal o a club 2 . Straddledand activated by 67/106
a command word, the riding stick cames the

character along at a movement rate of 32. It can

maintain this speed for ld6 turns after which a
ful turn must pass beiore it can be activated

again. T h e haracter does not fly, but skims ust
above the ground. It cannot be used to cross

large bodies of water, although rivers and

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Sleep-thom This magical item appears to Viking Swords
be the thorn of a plant about three inches
long. It is dry and smooth to the touch, giving In addition to magical powers, w e a w s
no indication of its venomous capabilities. especially swords, had names a nd historie
When pricked by the thorn, the victim must of importance. These often explained th
nature of the swords power or affected it
make a saving throw vs. paralyzation. If it career in some way. Below are some exam
ples of magical swords from myth and leg
fails, the character falls into a deep slumber. end.
He will not awaken unless attacked or roused
by another person. Noises, even those of bat- Gram-Sigurd's sword, made by Regi
tle, will not rouse the victim. from the shattered pieces of the swor
Odin gave to Sigmund, Sigurds father.
A small number of these thorns (5%)are
even more extreme. Any character affectedby Hroffi-Fafnir's sword which became par
these falls into a state of suspended animation. of his treasure hoard. It passed into th
The victim (and his gear) does not age or hands of Sigurd when he killed Fafnir.
change in any way. When pricked by one of
these, the victim can only be awakened by ei- Mimming-Sword made by the gian
ther a specific circumstance defined by the Mimir.
person using the sleep-thorn, or a wish spell.
(In some versions of the Volsung saga, Odin is Refil-Regin's sword, which he used to ki
said to have used one of these sleep-thorns to his father.
punish the valkyrie Brynhild, decreeing that
she could only be awakened by a man who Snidil-The finest of weapons, it belonge
to Simir, who had many adventures i
knEewacnhothfoeranr.)can only be used once.
Stone Arrows: These weapons are identical TytrhfeinEga-Mst.ade by the dwarves, it wa
stolen by King Svafrlami who lost it t
to normal arrows, except they are made of Angrim. Angrim gave it to his son
stone. They are normally found in bundles of Angantyr, who died on Samso. Th
ld 3. Each arrow can only be used once. They dwarves supposedly cursed the sword s
can be shot from any normal bow. When that it would bring death to its owner.
used the archer whispers the name of his tar-
get to the arrow and then fires the shot. The
arrow flies as a + 5 arrow toward the target
named a nd ignores all range modifiers. If the

+arrow hits, it causes 3d6 5 points of damage.

Regardless of whether the ar row hits or
misses, it shatters at the end of its flight.

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CHAPTER
‘

The age of the Vikings was a vastly differ- DMs preparing a Viking campaign shoul
ent world from those generally portrayed in read through this chapter carefully, since th
the A D & W rules set. Many of the common information here is important when creating
pieces of equipment an d nonmagical devices fully realized world. Details of dress, food
found in a standard fantasy world simply shelter, home life, customs, and law are de
were not available in either the Norse lands or scribed in basic detail here. Unfortunately
anywhere in Europe. With the decline of the this single chapter cannot adequately cove
great empires of Rome and Byzantium, many every detail of Viking culture. Numerou
scientific and technological wonders disap- books, for every age and degree of seriou
peared into the bleak maw of the Dark Ages. ness, have been published describing the V

tecIht nios laogcyomwmithonbamribsatraiksemt.oFeaqiluuartee tloacbkuiolfd kenincgosuraagnedd ttohecihrecwk aaylocofal lliibfera. ryDoMr sbooark
the printing press does not make a people illit-
erate savages. The lack of technology needed store for additional background material. A
to build one does not mean they are primitive.
Many people only look a t the lack of crafts, list of suggested titles was given at the end o
machines, a nd sciences and from these decide Chapter 2.
the Vikingswere coarse ruffians who lived on-
ly t o loot and pillage. Ivar’s Year

Viking culture was primitive, but not always To best illustrate what Viking life was lik
barbaric. It was shaped by the land and needs
of the people. The Viings were masters at this section follows a year in the life of Iv
Olafsson. Ivar is a young fighter and this yea
crafts important to their lifestyle, using the ma- A.D. 841, marks his first voyage oversea
terials they had commonly available. That
they lacked centers of pottery-making or book- mNaotruertaolllyeharenh. aWs mhiulechnotot ebveeerxycthitiendgatbhoaut thaan
writing does not imply backwardness, only pens to Ivar would really happen in the spa
that the resources needed were not available. of a single year, his adventures will serve
illustrate many important points of Vikingli
Up to now, with chapters describing raids and culture. As Ivar’s adventures unfold, e
an d warfare, warriors, monsters, a nd magical planations and game information are given
weapons, readers can be forgiven if they as- the screened sections of the text.
sume the Vikings and their kin were barbaric
savages who lived for nothing but blood and Ivar is the third son of a minor hersir (n
bleman) named Olaf of Sogn. His two old
warfare. The Vikings did raid and conquer; it brothers, Halfdan and Egil, have already bee
to Dublin and Hedeby several times. Ivar,
is pointless to deny this. However, by focus- 16, has been asking for permission to go on
ing so much on their violent exploits, it is easy voyage for several years. As the spring a
to lose sight of the gentle and sophisticated as- rives, his father Olaf agrees to let the youth g
pects of Viking life. abroad.

Besides being warriors, the Vikings were al- However, there are conditions and comp
so farmers, explorers, statesmen, judges, po- cations that must be dealt with before Ivar c
ets, craftsmen, merchants, and artisans. Not leave. Olaf won’t let any of his sons leave f
everyone who took to the longships was a Vi- several months. Worse still, Ivar has a reput
king; not every Viking was uncouth. Kings tion as a “coal-chewer.”Halfdan, Iv70a/1r0’6s olde
and chieftains included skalds among their
crews, even as they sailed into battle, to see
an d report on their glories. (Making the skaldshttp://slidepdf.com/reader/full/add-vikings-campaign-sourcebook

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Ol af can only outfit a single ship, Iv ar won ’t
be oining any raids this year.

Still, it was much more common for a Sure enough, Halfdan sails without Ivar.
youth to remain at home until he was 16 or
18, when he was mature e n o u g h to go vi- Not surprisingly, the would-be warrior is in a
king (the term for raiding). As in Ivar’s
case, a youth would travel under the pro- foul m ood and has few kind thoughts fo r his
tection of an older brother, father, uncle, or
other relation. brother. A few days later, tw young neigh-

Olaf‘s insistence on waiting for several bors, Thorir and Einar, arrive at the farm.
months is based on practicality. During They are a rough and unpopular pair, boastful
winter, early spring, and late fall the Nor th of their own abilities. They challenge several
Sea is far too stormy for safe sailing. The other youths to a ball game. The challenge is
brothers must wait until the sailing weather taken up, and on the first day Th orir and
improves. Second, the ship must be outfit- Einar break the arm of one of the players. O n
ted for the voyage. A k o , there is much the second day, they almost kill another play -
work to do around the farm. Winter dam- er and their boasting grows even worse. Fi-
age to the fences and barns must be re- nally, on the third day, they try Ivar. In
paired. F a d s must be plowed and planted
with the seed set aside from last year‘s har- danefdenksilel,sIhv aimr .crEaicnkasraresttuonrnesotvoerhTishoorwirn’shhoemade
vest. This takes a lot of work, most of and tells what has happened. O n ly after some
which is done by the thralls, but the famify difficulty does Olaf negotiate a settlement.

http://slide pdf.c om/re a de r/full/a dd-vikings-c a mpa ign-sourc e book Ivar has no w gained a small reputation that
stands him in goo d stead when a duelist from
Sweden arrives. Finding some small offense,
the duelist challenges Olaf to a holrngangu, or
duel. Olaf of Sogn is getting old and knows he
could lose. Seeing the chance for fame, Ivar
offers to fight in O la fs stead. Since there is no
one else, Ola f reluctantly agrees. Af te7r1/a106fierce

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exchange of blows, Ivar prevails and kills the an, the two established the condi
hat was to be forfeited by the
duelist. Pleased with his son, Olaf adranges a
s was often half the other man's
ship for Ivar. He will get to o abroad iafterall. It was not necessary to fight t
because a man could surrender
stained the cloth. The winner

uel claimed the prize. If one o
as killed, the winner usually
o compensation to the family

rticularly fierce and daring fight
nally worked as "hired guns."
like the duelist above, would
and hope to win property from '

themselves or a sponsor. Such
eldom popular.
is success in the duel, Iva

a long way toward changing his "
er image. The neighbors are
re confident in the youths ability.

friends form a drengr, a br

young men sworn to each

to a street gang today). Wi
and the huskarlar Olaf sends
ar has enough crew to outfit a

http://slide pdf.c om/re a de r/full/a dd-vikings-c a mpa ign-sourc e book Summer

After an exciting spring, Ivar has his knaa
and is ready to sail. Olaf provides a small car
go of trade goods. Among the crew is Hrolf

Ivar's foster-father. When wind and tide ar

right, Ivar sets sail for Denmark.

onAe fotfertsheevecrraelwdasypsootfs saailloinnggaslhoinpghtheaedceodasit
their direction. One of Ivar's fellow dreng
who has the s e c o n d sight says the approachin
ship has no luck. Encouraged by this, an
since they are slower than the warship, Iva
brings the knaar about and orders his men t
get ready to fight. The battle at first look
hopeless, but the dreng's prediction hold
true. Ivar and his crew prevail, taking a num
ber of prisoners.

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After the battle, Ivar puts in at the nearest
island to bury his dead and get oaths from his
prisoners. After this is done, Iv ar divides his
crew between the two ships and t a b them
both to Hedeby.

Luck is not goo d at Hedeby. Ivar does not
get much for his cargo and so decideis to sell
the knaar. H e doesn't have enough we w for
both ship anyway. Although Hedeby is an
exciting place, it quickly prove s too much for
Ivar. With a fully crewed longship under his

cinogmamloanngdt,hIevacoraasntnoof uEnncgelsahnde.pTlahnesctroegwoargariede-
that this is a fine idea.

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ading towns like Hedeby, Kaupang, remain for the winter. Ivar and some of his
Birka were major centers. The town crew remain, while the remainder of his men
,would be impressive to a farmboy, al- go to their relatives on other islands through-
' hough it was nothing mor e than a collec- out the Orkneys. T hey all agree to return here
tion of simple one-story houses, in the spring.
surrounded by gardens and l i n k e d by
:plank ed streets. A n earth rampart and

Iwooden palisade surrounded the town to
protect it from raiders. Here, merchants
,from Frisia, Wendland, Ssxland, and be-

yond came to buy a n d sell. Christian mis-
sionaries sought new converts. Gaels,

iScots, and Slavs p a s 4 through the slave '

markets. There was even the occasional
traveler from Arab ia. By the mid-season,
though, many of the merchants would
have already finished their business and
started fo r ho me.

Fall 75/106

Striking out across the open sea, Ivar and

hthise mcoeanstm, athkeeygporoodwtilmaelofnogr Eitnugnlatinldth. eSyigchotmineg
upon a small village. Their supplies are start-

ing to r unlow, so Iva r decides to make a raid.

Landing on a beach just out of sight, the crew
surprise the villagers. The battle is swift and
one-sided. Ivar's men wo rk quickly, befo re the
local militia can muster and arrive.

Loaded with booty, Ivar proceeds up the
coast, ma @ several mo re raids. Alon g the
way he meets Halfdan, his brother, also raid-
ing the coast. Ivar, having long since forg iven

his brother, joins forces with him. Together
they continue going north, but luck gradually
goes against them. Finally, Halfdan proposes
they sail fo r home.

Turning their ships back out o nto the ocean,
the tw o vessels become separated by a storm.
After several harrowing days, Ivar finally
sights land. Struggling with his damaged ship
alon g the coast, I va r learns he has been blow n
to the Orkneys. There Ivar and his crew are
taken in b y a prosperous farmer and invited t o

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even the household slaves, lives in the long
house where it is almost comfortable and
warm. Ivar can only wonder if his brothe
Halfdan made it home safely.

Finally the weather breaks and spring ar
rives. Messengers are dispatched to the othe
farms and Ivar's crew is reassembled. Gener
ous gifts are exchanged between Ivar and hi
host. Eager to return home. Ivar Olafsson set
sail for Norway.

time to rest and endu

eparations were made before th
oze and the weather closed in.

for the fires, while others sco
ches for driftwood. On the
e were precious few trees and

of the hay was brought in from
s. After this, the fences to the f

stubble. Livestock was butchered

meat was smoked, pickled, salted,
d. Fish were dried on racks in the w

Winter e were some
re all valuable trade goods.
Winter m e s quickly in the Orkneys. ys, seals and possibly walrus
There is much to be done before the weather hunters' game. Winter was t
closes in, so Ivar and his men help where they
can. Except for a little bit of hunting and fish- 76/106
ing on good days, there is nothing to do when
the icy cold and snow finally settle over the
islands. The men pass the days fixing tools

and ship fittings, making wood carvings, tan-

ning hides, and playing games. Everyone,http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/add-vikings-campaign-sourcebook

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was very scarce. work his land. Even a small property, it was
During cold winter nights, everyo felt, should have at least three thralls.

lived in the same house, almost the Thralls did much of the heavy farm work.
room. In this way they conserved The men spaded fields, herded cattle, watched
and fuel. Beds were made of thick sheep, tended pigs, spread manure, dug peat,
built walls, and harvested crops. Women
Social Rankings churned butter, milked cows, ground wheat,
and cooked meals.
Like nearly all medieval cultures, the Vi-
kings were highly class-oriented. Not every- Thralls were not without some rights,
m e was born equal; some individuals were though these were few. Thralls' lives were
ilearly superior to others. Viking society gen- counted as no more than those of cattle, ac-
m?raanllyndoibvliedmesani,ntaondfokuirngc.laEssaecsh: csllaasvse,hfardeea-
different set of rights and responsibilities. cording to law. If they were killed, the master
Thrall
could not pursue a blood feud nor demand a
repayment equal to that of a freeman. Thralls
could not inherit or leave property to their
children.

Still, the thrall was not without some pro-
tection. In some places, a man who killed an-
other's thrall was subject to banishment for a

period of years. If he was wounded, the thrall

was entitled to a third of the compensation
paid his master. (Aslands became more Chris-
tian, it became a crime to sell a Christian

thrall.) In general, thralls were allowed to
own a little property and livestock and even
engage in business. Thralls were generally
well-treated, although their lives were not
easy.

Thrallry was not inescapable. The law al-
lowed several ways for a thrall to gain his
freedom. First and foremost, he could be freed
by his master, usually for loyal service or
some particular deed. The master, in the pres-
ence of witnesses, could free a thrall, perhaps
with a small legal ceremony. Another person
could by a thrall's freedom, paying the master

an agreed price. Finally, a thrall could buy his

freedom. With the money he earned, the thrall
organized a feast with meats and beer for his

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~

had bought his freedom) or received only half es. f the freeman became unhappy, he could
the compensation from an y lawsuit. These re-
strictions lasted only throughout the ex- switch his allegiance to another nobleman. Of
thrall's life; his sons were treated as freemen course, this might anger his old ally and so it
an d received all the rights of that class.
was an action not lightly taken.
Freeman
Nobles
"We shall never submit to anyone at all, nor
eve r cleave to an y servitude, nor accept favors Above the freemen were the men of author-
from anyone. That favor pleases us best
ity - ocal chieftains and earls. These were
wofhbicahttwlese."wi n for ourselves w ith arms and toil
Norse re ply to an emm issary of the Franks the men who kept huskarlar. They were the
commanders in battles, had influence on the
The largest social class are the free farmers,
streilbeuctteio, nteonfdetdhethleokcianlgl'sawesstpaeteask,earnsd, ecnolfloerccteedd
the karlykn or freemen. Unlike the lands of the king's decrees.

the Franks and the Saxons, the farmers of There were general types of nobles. The
Scandinavia were truly free. Their farmland lesser, sometimes called chieftains, were the
was owned outright. Earls and kings had no
claim on a man's land. (Elsewhere a peasant hersar (sing. hersir) or "landed men." They re-
farmer's land belonged to a nobleman.)
ceived their authority (along with a grant of
A freeman enjoyed full protection under the land) from the king. Unlike nobles of other
lands, the position of hersir was not heredi-
law, although lawsuits at this time depended tary. The king gave the title. Once given, it
could not be taken away, but the title did not
on power and alliances. Most karlykn were necessarily pass on to the son at death. The

farmers. Others were retainers, smiths, war- king had to confirm the transfer, again by
riors, merchants, shipwrights, skalds, wood- making a grant of land.
carvers, an d any number of other trades.
The second noble was the jarl or "earl." Sec-
All player characters begin the game as sons
ond only to the king, the jarls had a great deal
and daughters of b o n d i, unless the DM of power and authority. Many were indepen-
dent of the local kings and did as they pleased.
chooses otherwise. Bondi were independent They kept large numbers of huskarlar, collect-
farmers, not hired hands. These landowners ed tribute of their own, and ruled over dis-
ha d among the highest rights of all freemen.
tricts. It was only gradually that the jarls
Another important group of freemen were
submitted to the authority of the kings.
the huskarlar or house-carls. These men Iceland was unique in that it had neither

served as retainers to a nobleman, forming his hersar or jarls. No noblemen settled on this is-

hird or household. These men served as his land and the freemen who came there did not
want them. Instead the Icelanders chose 36 go-
bodyguard an d the core of any arm y the noble di (which roughly means "priest") to act as
might need to raise. Player characters may as- chieftains. These men had both religious and
pire to become part of a nobleman's hird or secular duties but mostly the latter.
gain one for themselves.
The number of hersar, jarls, and godi was
Although a bondi or other freeman was not never large. In all of Norway there were per-
tied to a particular nobleman, he usually al- haps no more than 100 hersar and about 16
lied himself to a local earl or king. The noble earls (at their largest numbers). Sweden had
assisted in lawsuits and protection. The free- numbers probably similar to Norway. Den-
man served in the noble's army an d paid tax- mark was hardly large enough to have equa

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numbers of nobles to Norway. Iceland, with was still subject to the pleasure of his subjec
its 36 godi, was not over-populated with no- The king was their leader in war. He was t
bles. The smaller islands of Orkney had at grand judge for disputes that could not be s
most only a few hersar and an earl. The Fa- tled any other way. He collected tribute fro
roes an d Shetlands had even fewer nobles. neighbors.

Player characters who aspire to the ranks of Player characters can never hope to becom
hersar and jarls will not find abundant oppor- kings (unless something truly extraordina
tunities. The player character will have to be occurs in the campaign). However, they c
extraordinary in deed and character to attain fill many roles in either the service or defian
entrance into these ranks. of a king.

Kings The Warrior’s Way

The h&est levels of Viking society were the The warrior was a central part of the Viki
culture. One of the ways a man earned respe
kings or konungr. The title of king was both was through his sword. Combat was not t
only way, but it was perhaps the easiest. It d
hereditary and democratic at the same time. not require special study, inborn talents,
Kingship descended from father to son (or ille- even a heavy investment for equipment. An
gitimate son or even brother), but the freemen one with a club could become a brave warrio
voted for their choice of king. Thus, if there Most, though, preferred a stout shield and
were three sons and a brother of the late king, good sword.
all were candidates to become the new king.
Since the freemen had the final say, the choos- A warrior could follow his occupation in
ing of a king was always a highly charged and
velairsite, tay hofusdciaffrel,reonrtawsaoycsie: tays-ma efamrbmeerr. (l), a d
ptooltihtiecasltraofnfagiers. tA, ms ionsmt cousnt nthiningg,so, rthme otisttlepwopeun-t In a sense, every farmer was a warrior, T
lar. The system also encouraged a king’s sons
to battle or murder each other. After all, if the home had to be defended in times of troub
other contenders were eliminated, the choice of so every farmer was a part-time fighte
king was greatly simplified. Farmers, however, did not have much wc
sion to practice their fighting skills, so th
The idea of one king to all of Scandinavia were far from being highly-trained killing m
was foreign to the Vikings. Much of the region chines.
was divided between kings, earls, and chief-
tains, all of whom ruled over separate dis- A talented, if unethical, warrior cou
tricts. In Norway, things changed around 890
when Harald Finehair established himself as make his living as a duelist as described ear
er). This, however, was not a way to ga
King of Norway. Thereafter, the Norse recog- friends or to ensure a long life.
nized a sole king over all the other nobles.
Swedenhad its own king during this time, and Third, a fighter could seek to become a hu
the process of unifying Denmark had already Carl. This would ensure that he was fed a
been completed. For the centuries that passed, housed. However, at that point the figh
however, these kings and various pretenders was no longer his own man. Now he was su
and earls contended with each other, keeping ject to the edicts and commands of his lord
warfare and intrigue alive.
A final choice was to become a member o
The king’s most important function was to warrior society. These quasi-military grou
oversee the protection and honor of his sub- organized warriors under a strict set of law
jects. Whether elected or hereditary, the king Home was a military camp, normally a ca
fully laid out set of longhouses surr79o/1u06nded
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an earthen rampart. During the tenth centu- afford any better. Added to this was a larg
round, wooden shield, usually brightly pain
ry the Danish kings built a series of perma- ed with a large metal boss in the center. Late i
the Viking age, some warrior adopted th
nent fortresses. These fortresses were curved triangular shield. Both would count a
carefully laid out camps with barracks and large shields.
defenses. Trellborg is the most famous of
these fortifications. Those who could afford better armor wor

Of the warrior societies, the most famous a byrnie. This was a long chain mail tunic tha

(and probably least accurately documented) of reached to abou t mid-calf or the knee. T h
all these groups were the redoubtable Jomsvik- sleeves were short. The helmet was a simpl
conical dome, sometimes fitted with a fac
i n g s of Jomsberg. Their laws were strict. N o
mask and nose guard. A few even had chee
man under 18or over 50 could join them; every
man had to avenge his fellows like a brother; protectors. Helmets were often elaboratel
decorated with bands of chased silver an
they must never speak or act in fear; all loot was brass. Wearing it, a warrior would look quit
fierce.
to be brought to the commander for division;
no woman could enter the camp nor could a Scale mail was the rarest of all. Only a few
well-traveled warriors had this fine armor.
man be gone for more than three nights; and no was not made in any land close to the Viking
man was to create trouble among his fellows. but came from distant Miklagard (Constant
nople). Only truly wealthy warriors or forme
No one could join their society unless a member members of the Varangian Guard, the Byzan

spoke up for the applicant. wtinaerrEiomrsp,emroirg’shtepliotesstirboloyphoafveRsuuschanadfiVneiksiun

Supposedly the Jomsvikings were merce- of armor.
naries, feared throughout Scandinavia. They
Viking Women
fought bravely in many battles, but finally
The da c e of women in virtual
pgiivckenedthtehechloasnicneg tosidbee.trCayapthtuerierdc,otdhee,ybwuteirne pean medieval society was not a desirabl
truly heroic Viking fashion (at least in the sa- one. Their world was male-dominated. This i
an inescapable fact. In the Viking world, how
gad) refused to a man. As a consequence ever, they had many more rights than else
where.
many of them were executed, and (according
to the sagas) they faced their deaths bravely. conAtmrool nogf aprowpoemrtayn.’As iwmopmoratannct oruilgdhtisnhwerai

While it is unlikely that anything quite like lands either from her father or husband, if n
.heJomsvikingsever existed, warrior societies male heirs survived. She kept her own nam
and never broke ties to her family. She migh
are useful for a fantasy campaign. Player even side with her family against her own hus
iharacters could form the nucleus of a society, band. A woman could not take part in a law
gradually expanding as they gained henchmen suit, although a man could represent her caus
and followers. Perhaps, in time, they could at the assembly.

coTmheetotoroivlsalotfhethgelowryarorfiothr’es Jomsvikings. Many sagas and historians note the out
trade were his spoken and independent behavior of Vikin
women. It appears they had little 8h1e/10s6itatio
weapons. The Vikings favored a small selec-

tion: broadsword, spear, battleaxe, halberd,

shortbow, and darts. They also used a weap-

on called a s e a x , a cross between an axe and a

heavy-bladed knife. Skill with the spear was

greatly prized, and it is said there were men

who could throw two spears at once, one with

each handf

For protection, leather or padded armor

was most commo n. Many warriors could nothttp://slidepdf.com/reader/full/add-vikings-campaign-sourcebook

  Ad&d Vikings Ca mpa ign Sourc e book - slide pdf.c om

5/21/2018 Stong Farmhouse &eland

aking their minas or interfering in Deep-Minded was queen of Ireland after h
politics and blood-feuds. Indeed, this gave husband died and it was under her guidan
rise to the proverb, "Cold are the counsels of that the entire household left f or Iceland. Fo
women," as a way of warning. time there was a band of Irish Vikings led by
leader only known as "the red girl." Be
As time went on and Christianity spread known of all were the mythical valkyries, t
through the north, the role of women deterio- "choosers of the slain." The valkyries, less
rated. Their independence gradually de- gods, were warrior maidens who plucked h
creased and they became more subservient to roes from the battlefield and carried them
their husbands.
lVeaglehnadllsa,oOf dwina'srrihoarl-lqiuneAensgsa, rbdo. tThheinreEanreglaal
Female Adventurers
and Scandinavia.
To most minds of the age, a woman's work
was as nursemaid, weaver, embroiderer, and Female warrior characters are going
cook - .e., to see to the household. Maidens
learned the necessary skills they would need cause two reactions in male NPC s. The first
after marriage. A wif e m&t manage the farm
while her husband was gone raiding, but this surprise and scorn. The NPC will have a ha
wa s uncommon. Of te n a brother or son
wou ld see to this task. time accepting the female character, since
How ever, w omen in positions of pow er andhttp://slidepdf.com/reader/full/add-vikings-campaign-sourcebook
woman's place is at home. It is not that she

not necessarily capable, but that she is n

supposed to be sailing on raids or battlin

monsters. Certainly this attitude will ma

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liellehrg-style Barracks A

play er character's advantage. N PC s will alsr were usually along the coast, sincemost of tne
vie w female warriors with a certain amount 0 :
superstitious awe. The only warrior wom en peop le were both Vikings and fishermen.
most NP Cs are likely to know of are the Val
kyries. These maidens are the agents of Odin, The center of the farm was the house. In

leader of the gods. A certain amount of infer- Scandinavia proper it was made of wood and
usually roofed with shlngles or thatch. In lands
ence is therefore bound t o happen.
Female characters are not limited to war- where woo d was scarce, such as Iceland, houses

riors, of course, and other roles are less unu- were built from sod along the same lines.
sual. The sagas make mention of several
wizardesses, some favorably. While awe-in- Th e typical wealthy man's longhouse was
spiring simply for their abilities, a wizardess
wo uld still be a rare occurrence. Th e same ap about 30 yards long and 8 yards wide. Run-
plies to the other classes. ning the length of the inside walls w ere raised

Houses and Farms platforms. These were used for seating and

http://slide pdf.c om/re a de r/full/a dd-vikings-c a mpa ign-sourc e book sleeping. During the day, tables could be set
up on trestles. Chairs and chests were also

used as seats. Besidesthe chests there was little

other storage space. Weapons, tools, and sup-

plies wou ld be hung on the walls, posts, and
rafters. The central floor was dirt, strewn with
straw or sweet-smelling grasses. A fire pit

filled the center of the hall, prov iding w armth

and light. W oo d o r peat was used fo r the fire

and was kept stacked nearby. Coo king was of-

ten done in a side room.

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f privacy was needed, sections of the hall raw. Fish, of which there was plenty, was
o d d be closed off with simple curtains. Usu- cooked in much the same way. It could be fla-
ally the master and mistress had a large bed at vored with mustard, juniper, cumin, horse-
one end of the hall. In some houses, this bed radish, or other simple seasonings. Exotic
was actually transformed into a closet with spices such as pepper were very rare.
doors that could be closed and shut from the
inside. Other blankets and pillows were Milk was churned into butter and pressed
packed away during the day and the space into cheese. Curds and whey were common.
used for other purposes. Milk was a common drink.

A poor man's o r a thrall's hut was much Breads were flat, unleavened, and made of
barley, rye, or peas. The poor ate bread made
smaller and meaner. Generally made of wood from the husks of these grains. Breads would

5orytaurrdf swliothnga tahnadtcrheecdtarnogouf,lairt winasshaabpoeu.t T3 htoe pthreobgarbinlydiinngclsutdoenea afaloirngamwoiuthntoothf egrrsittrfarnogme
furnishings were few, if any, and the space substances, like pine bark and ashes.
was very cramped.
Vegetables were not common. Peas and
Other buildings to complete the farm in- beans were grown in gardens, along with kale.
clude barns, workshops, thrall huts, boat Other greens were gathered from the wild.
houses, saunas, fish-drying sheds, and grain Fruits were picked from the wild. These in-
stores. Most of these are simple buildings. The cluded berries, apples, and other orchard
grain store, however, would be built on stilts fruit.
with a ladder to the door. This was necessary
to keep vermin (including bears) out. The main drink was either mead, an alco-
holic brew made from honey, or beer. Wine
In addition to the main farm, there was an- was a great rarity. Whatever they had, the Vi-

tohtheesre, diseor.laDteudrbinugildthinegsiunmthmeehrigthhemlievaedsotowcsk, akmingosunstesemfreodmtowboeodabelne ctoupdsrionrk dimrimnkeinnsge
were kept at these meadows to graze on the horns.
mountain grasses. Usually a bondmaid o r ser-
vant lived in the seder and tended the herd. Trade
These lonely cabins were prime targets of ban-
lits and huldafolk, so regular visits were Raiding and warfare were not the sole occu-
nade to ensure that all was well. pations of the Vikings. Indeed as time passed,
prime raiding targets became places for settle-
Food and Drink ment and trade. In the early part of the Viking
age, Vikings relentlessly struck at the English,
Since the Vikings were farmers, they grew, French, and German coasts. Gradually these

ftiimsheesdo,forhcaardusghhitpm, oonstlyofwthineeirafnodods.pEicxecsewpterine rtlaeiddsinbethcaemseerelegsisonfrseaqnudendtisacsotvheerVediktihnegms soerte-
imported. Meat, fish, dairy products, bread, profitable advantages of trade.
and vegetables were the daily fare.
Trade was vital for the Vikings because
Meat was lamb, beef, pork, goose, venison, their own homeland was poor in many neces-
sary goods and skills. Trade was conducted
rabbit, and whatever else could be brought for both useful and luxury goods.

down in the hunt. Meats were boiled in caul- Fortunately, although poor in some things
irons, roasted on spits, surrounded with hot the Scandinavians had many desirable re-
;tones and covered with dirt, or broiled by sources to trade. These included thralls, iron,
hot stones in wood-lined pits. Meat could also horn, furs, walrus ivory, honey, ropes, fish,
be eaten dried. salted, uickled, smoked or
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and timber. What they wanted in exchange had Celts, Gaels, Saxons, Franks, and Wend
re silver, glassware, swords, woolens, salt, as thralls. They also did not neglect their ow
~c es , ilk, and wine. people. Danes took Norwegians as thralls
Trading goods were normally carried by
Norwegians to ok Danes. As a general rule, th
hip t o market towns such as Hedeby. Th is sea
ade only encouraged piracy, which was al- people one didn't take as thralls we re people o
wa ys a hazard. Storms and misfortunes at sea the same district or region. Raiding nearby dis
added to the cost of shipping goods. On ce at tricts resulted in bloo d feuds and lawsuits an
market, the goo ds were usually sold to a mid- generally did not make for good ne*bors.
dleman who in turn sold the goods to mer- Not everyone captured in raids was taken bac
chants from the rest of Europe. to tend the farm. The Vikings sold more o
their thrallsthan they actually kept. The majo
theTshee Vtriakdininggs, tpoewrhnasp, sdneovtecloopnetdentnteowretlryaodne
routes in the wake o f their raids. Some sailed mmaarrkkeettstwowhenrseotfheHVedikeibnygsanbdroBuigrhktathheaidr gtohoradl
with goo ds up the Rhine, but the greatest ad- to sell to Western and Arab merchants. Thrall
venture was in Russia. Several major trade sold by the V i ere taken south to th
'outes crossed the wh ole of Russia from the Moslem lands on the Mediterranean.
Baltic to the Black Sea. On e inv olve d sailing
down the Dvina River, hauling goods and As the western nations became Christian
boats overland to the Dnieper River, and sail- ized, the source of thralls shifted east. Thes
ing to Gnezdovo or Kiev. The adventurous countries refused to sell Christian thralls t
could from there continue their voya ge for six the Arabs, but had no similar qualms abou
weeks all the way to the Black Sea and fabled pagans. Slavs from Gardariki (Russia) and
other pagansfrom the Baltic were n ow the tar
Miklagard, as Constantinople was called. A gets i f Giking raids. Christian thralls w
second river route started at the end of the
Gulf of Finland, sailed up the Neva to Lake kept t o w ork the Norse farms.
Ladoga, then down the Volchov to Novgorod.
From here a Viking could continue down the Law
Lovat , and once again drag his ships overland
t o the Dnieper. The third great route began For all their warlike behavior, the Viking
like the second in the Gulf of Finland. From were a very legal-minded people. Although
there the intrepid Viking could either choose they had a king and nobles, the people
to go to Novgorod or Lake Onega. Once founded semi-democratic assemblies virtu-
again, an overlan d portage was required, this ally ev eryw here they went. These assemblie
time to reach the great Volga. This mighty riv- existed to hear and settle disputes between
men and to pass laws concerning the gover n
er carried the Vikings all the wa y to the Caspi- ing of the district.
an Sea. Here they met with Ara b traders from
Baghdad and caravans traveling the 5,000 An waassseamnbalsyswemasblkynoofwfrneeams ean.thJeinaglo.uTshoe
mile Silk Road fro m China.
thing
These were not rare voyages. The Vikings
plied these rivers enough to found towns and their rights, the people enforced special law
states. Indeed Rus and Viking fleets threat-
ened Constantinople and raided ports o n the restricting hersar and jarls fro m these assem
Caspian Sea
blies. The things existed to hear lawsuits
Thralls were normallv taken in raids. Thus.
brought by one man against another. After lis
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tening t o arguments and witnesses from both

sides, the assembly made a judgement on the

case.

O f course, the wh ole procedure and func

tioning,of things was much more comulicated

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than this. Although the thing existed to settle ant and plaintiff. If either side refused the
matters in a given region, a difficult case could settlement, he was considered an outlaw.
be sent to a different thing for settlement
(much like a change in jurisdiction in the Unlike modem courts, the thing seldom
courts today). Special things existed to settle tried to punish the guilty. No r were there any
differences between men of different districts. prisons to send the criminal away to . Instead
the assembly's goal was to reach a settlemen
Th e things were held at a permanent assem- between the two parties, ensuring peace in th
bl y place. This was sacred ground. When the neighborhood. Settlements usually require
thing was in session, drawing weapons was payment f or damages and fines on the person
forbidden. The thing met at certain times of voted to be in the wrong. Indeed, many cour
the year, often in conjunction with festivals.
Me n of the district would travel to the thing cases were brought in the hope of winning a
and set up tents at specific places, often hand- judgement and increasing one's ow n wealth

ed down from father to son. A thing would A thing might best be compared to a politi

last several days, during which cases would be cal convention of today, rather than a court
presented and judged upon. It would also, room. The object was to get the freemen of th
quite naturally, be a time for meeting old assembly, or the judges, to vote for your sid
friends and feasting. Of course, it was also a (rather like getting delegates to vote fo r you
time to meet old and new enemies, hence the candidate). This involved a lot of persuading
restrictions on w eapons and fighting. negotiating, and private conversations amon
the tents of the freemen. Like a political con
The leader of the thi ng was the lawspeaker. test, a more popular and powerful man ha
greater influence on the outcome. (Remem be
He was responsible for seeing that the rules and
itshsauter.e) aFcrhieinndgsahSipesttwleemrenotf,tennotmjuasdtieceo,r wbaroskteh
epnrocceeadtutrhees wtheirnegf.oTllhoewleadw,sapnedakheardwgarseacthinosfleun- at the thing.
by the freemen in attendance. The position
went to people of importance and standing. In cases of killing, peace could be made (a

All manner of cases could be heard at a least on the surface) by reaching a settlemen
and paying a weregild, a "man-price." Th
thing. A n y dispute between t wo p eople was amounts paid were set by tradition and law
likely to be presented. These included argu- and varied according to the relationship of th
ments ov er prop erty lines, divisions of inheri- slain person to the complainant. Of course
tance, killings, thefts, insults, and divorce men of power and influence could deman
settlements. A woman could not bring a case (and often get) more than the customar

to the thing, although any man - usband, amounts.

brother, son, or father - ould represent her forIet wthaestnhoint gn.eAcessseattrlyemtoebnrtincoguelvdebrye creaasechbee

in Cthaeseissswueer.e settled by the vote of the thing. outside the assembly at any time. For exam
In theory, both sides presented their argu-
ments and witnesses. The freem en of the thing ple, Thorolf has accidentally killed Bjorn's
then deliberated fo r a day or tw o and finally
reached a decision. Howeve r, since it was of- youngest son. Rather than wait for the nex
ten impractical for the entire assembly to
work out an agreement, cases were usually as- thing, letting the bad blood between them
signed to three judges chosen b y the assembly
and approved by those involved. These grow, Thorolf wants to make peace quickly
judges would decide the terms of the settle-
ment an d present their decision to the defend-http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/add-vikings-campaign-sourcebook Therefore, he asks Snoni, his friend, to ap

proach Bjorn about a settlement. After som

negotiation on both sides an agreement i

reached. Thorolf pays the settlement and th

issue is dropped. 86/106

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Again, the choice of negotiator was a care- The Many Names of Odin
ful and political thing. Ideally the person cho-
With the variety of people and practlces,
sen should favor your side and be powerful nothing about religion was straight-
enough to persuade the other to accept the forward or clear cut. The following list
terms. It helps if the mediator is on friendly shows just how varied even the names of
terms with the other party, too. Of course, the gods could b
this is not always possible. If the injured party
Allfod - All-Father
was a very powerful man, a wise decision
would be to let him fix his own terms. This Baleyg - Flame-eyed One
show of generosity and humility could go a Biflindi - Spear Shaker
long way toward soothing feelings. Bileyg - One-Eyed
Bolverk - Worker of Evil
ofIaf tsheettilnejmureendt,ptahretyn daidbnloootda-cfceeupdt the terms
could re- -Farmagud God of Cargoe
-Farmatyr God of Cargoes
sult. At that point it was war between the two
Fjolnir - Much-Knowing
families. It was not necessary to kill the guilty Fjolsvid - Very Wise One
Grani - Horsehair
person to gain revenge. Any member of his Grim - Masked One

family was generally sufficient (although Grimnir - Masked One

women were seldom targets of such feuds). -Hangagud - God of the Hanged

This killing would naturally lead t o a counter- Haptagud God of the Gods
Har - High One
attack and it would continue back and forth
Harbard - Greybearded One
until either everyone on one side was dead or Helblindi - One Who Blinds with Death
Herjan - Raider
a settlement was finally reached.
-Herteit - Glad of War
f a man refused to honor the terms of a
Hjalmberi Helmeted One
judgement reached by the thing, or if he had Hnikar - Spear Thruster
committed too terrible a crime to be settled, Hnikud - Spear Thruster
i.e., treason or kin-slaying, he was outlawed, Jalk - Gelding
banished either for three years or life. The Jafhnar -Just as High
outlaw was allowed a reasonable amount of Omi - One Whose Speech Resounds
time to leave the land, usually long enough to Oski - Fulfiller of Desire
return home and outfit a ship, although this Sanngetal - One Who Guesses Correctly
could be extended if the sailing season was
bad. After this period, the criminal was never SSiiddshkoetgtg- -DLeoepn-gH-BoeoadreddedOOnene
to return (unless the sentence was only for Sigfod - Father of Battle
Svipall - Changeable One
three years). If discovered in the country, he Thekk - Pleasant One
could be killed without fear of a blood-feud or Thridi - Third
Thund - Thin One
weregild. Of course, friends could be expected Vak - Alert One
Veratyr - God of Men
to shelter an outlaw, even though this in turn Vidrir - Ruler of Weather
would bring the law down on the friend. Ypg - Terrible One

Religion 87/106

."Thorolf threw overboard the high-seat pil-

lars and declared that he would settle at
an y place in Iceland wh ere Tho r chose to send
the aillars ashore."

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Nordic religion and its practices is a particu- these sites and other times at a farmhous
larly mysterious subject. T h e Vikings left little which also doubled as a local temple.
in the way of chronicles of their religious rites
an d with the rise of Christianity the old ways There were generally three main ceremonie
were suppressed.At the same time, later poets each year: one in the spring, one at mid-sum
left behind rich descriptions of the adventures mer, and one in the fall. These ceremoni
and foibles of the gods. The result is an inter- were marked by sacrifices of animals (an
sometimes humans) and ritual feasting. A
esting paradox - more is known about the were intended to ensure fertility for the farm
Sometimes the summer festival included pray
Nordic gods th an how these gods were actu- ers for victory in war and raiding. Oracle
ally worshipped. were consulted and offerings to the gods we

The Norse gods, always popular in AD&W made. Each festival lasted several days.
campaigns, are not described here. Complete At home, each family usually had a sma
details on these powers can be found in the
AD&D 2nd Edition Legends and Lore rule- number of wooden statues or rune-carve
posts, the high-seat pillars, that represente
book. DMs who want to have the gods take the gods. Prayers and offerings were left fo
these whenever the need arose. There is no e
an active and involved role in the campaign idence that there were formal rites for these
world should look to this rulebook for infor-
mation. Finally, of course, the wise man took care

Few men worshipped a single god only. see that his neghbo rs - is invisible ones -
There is an occasionalnote that a warrior was
a man of Thor, but common-sense people were placated. This included leaving sma
worshipped a variety of gods depending on bowls of food for the nisse and avoidin
the need and situation. AD&D game players things that might offend the huldafolk an
should use the areas of control listed in the other spirits. Since in a fantasy campaig
Legends and Lore rulebook to determine these creatures are real, player characte
which would be most appropriate. must devise their own methods for dealin
with otherworldly neighbors.
There were few proper temples to the gods
in Scandinavia. However, there were many Judgingfrom the sagas, not all Vikings we
sacred sites out-of-doors. These included a fiercely devout group. Many saga hero
mountains, islands, fields, rocks, and groves. loudly proclaimed they ha d no need for go
Ceremonies would sometimes be conducted at and then set out to prove their point. E
Skallagrimsson, mourning the loss of his so
http://slide pdf.c om/re a de r/full/a dd-vikings-c a mpa ign-sourc e book blamed Odin for his grief and wished he cou
take vengeance on the sea gods. Worship w
something like a bargain. In exchange for d
votions, the gods were supposed to give som

thing in return. If they did not, the pact w

broken.
This does not mean, however, that Vikin

were atheists. They had a rich web of supers
tion and belief. It is just that, unlike man
other religions, the Norsemen did not crea
religious institutions like the Church or th
temples of Rome. In general each man was r
sponsible for his o w n faith in the gods.

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8

In the Viking setting, as in any other realms were created. First of these was
4 D P game milieu, the player characters Niflheim, a realm of co ld and darkness. Nin e
Ire going to travel t o strange lands and distant worlds were supposed to fo rm Niflheim , and
settings. T his chapterprovides a brief descrip- it was here many of the dead were sent. Sec-
tion of the many lands, both real and imagi- ond came Muspellheim, a land of heat and
nary, that make up the world of a Viking fire. This is the home of the giant Surt (or Sur-
campaign. The places described in this chap- tur) w ho will destroy M idgard at Ragnarok.
ter can be found on the players' map (the large
map sheet bound in the back of this bo ok ) o r A t the boundary of the tw o worlds, where
on the detailed maps included in this book . heat met ice, was a warm river. From this was
born the giant Ymir o r Aurgelmir. From other
Astute players will notice the fold-up map is ice were born other giants and from one of

nisont oatnmacecaunrtattoebreep. rIenssetnetaadt,ioint iosf athme awporolfdt.hIet sthire.seOgdiianntasnwdashbisorbnroOtdhemr,s esaledwer Yomf the Ae-
wo rld as the Vikings might have envisioned it, from the giant's bo dy made the wor ld.
had they made maps. Scandinavia and its
coastlines, areas best known t o the Vikings, ". rom his bloo d the sea and la kes, from his
are almost correct. A s one m oves farther from
this center, the map becomes less and less ac- flesh the earth, from his bones the mountain;
curate, reflecting the increasing lack of first- rocks and pebbles they made from his teeth
hand knowledge the Vikings had of these and jaws and those bones that were broken."
distant lands. Ultimately, those countries at
the outermost edges are lands of fantasy and The Prose Edda
vonder, home to giants and other mythical
Ymir's skull became the sky, supported by
-out map is based in part on a map four dwarves, one for each direction. The
" in 1965. This map was presented
s a cop y made around 1440 of an older map, sparks blow ing up from M uspellheim became
n ow lost. Th e map was unique, showing Ice- the sun and stars. With Ymir's eyebrow s, the
land, Greenland, and parts of Vinland, some- gods built a wall to the keep the giants out of
thing never before seen on a medieval map. Midg ard and the giant's brains became the
e discovery was quickly dubbed the clouds. Thus was the earth created.
nland Map" and a great deal of scholarship
was spent arguing fo r its authenticity. Unfor- The World According to Rolf
tunately, tests showed the map w as a forgery
made n o earlier than 1917. Still, the map con- In a com er of the player's map is an inset
showing a map of the entire world-at least
tains many features thought to have existed the way the Vikings understood it. This map
during the Viking age and is perfectly suitable is the "scientific" vi ew of the world , as op-
fo r play.
pgloosbeed. Atoll tthhee msaymtheicitahl ausnmdearnsytamndyitnhgicaolf etlhee-
The Making of the World ments and can be seen as one map of Midga rd,
the Middle Wo rld of men.
There are several Viking legends that ex-
Th e wo rld is seen as a fla t disk, surrounded
Adulain the existence of the world. but the most by the great wo rld ocean, Uthaf. Beyond the
edge of this ocean lived the Midzardsormr. the
popular tells of the life deaih 9f the giant MLdgard Serpent, a beast so large it could en-
Ymir. Before the creation of the Earth (known circle the world. Beyond that no one knew
what lay, although legends said Muspellhei

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At the center of the world is Jerusalem, re- Denmark was a low-lying flat land of bogs,
flecting Christian belief. The continents were heaths, and sand dunes, although parts were
divided into three-Europe (the smallest), Af- covered with forests of beech and oak. Every-
rica, and Asia (the largest). Greenland was where was close to the coast, causing one
thought to connect in the far north to Europe, chronicler to note the Danes ”live in the sea.”
while Vinland did the same with Africa. The
river Tanais was the Don and divided Europe At the base of the peninsula is Hedeby, one
from Asia. of the most important trading centers in Scan-
dinavia. Here Franks and Germans met to buy
The Lands of the Vikings the goods of Norsemen. The town was protect-
ed by an earthen rampart. Not far from it was
ViAkifnrgicsa:hOadf tkhneoewntlierdegceonoftinoennltyofthAefrsimcaa,lltehset the Danevirke, an earthen fortification that
portion-the Mediterranean coast of North
Africa. With its warm temperature and bright separates Denmark from its southem neigh-
sun. the few exulorers who traveled so far of- bors. Other towns include Viborg, Ribe (an
ten believed th iy were nearing the fabled land other trading center), Schleswig, Arhus, and
Jelling (where the king resided). From the be-
gh never visited, the Vikings ginning of the V i k i i age, Denmark was under
it h the lands of Ara bia the rule of a single king. Late in the Viking age
these kings built several fortresses at Aggers
ourrh their contact with Arab merchants. borg, Trellborg, Fykat, and other places.
Viking fleets sailed on the Caspian and traded
with merchants from Baghdad. The main England: England was known to the Vi-
kings well before the start of the Viking Age
trading centers in this region were Itil (at the At the beginning of the Age, England was un-
mouth of the Volga) and Gurgan (at the south- der the rule of a number of petty Saxon kings
em end of the Caspian). Here Vikings sold and nobles and the land was divided into a
furs and slaves for silk, spices, and silver from number of different kingdoms; Mercia, Eas
Arabia, India, and China. Anglia, Northumbria, and Wessex were the
most prominent. Gradually the lords of Wes
Byzantium: The great empire of Byzantium sex (in the south) brought the other kingdoms
was known to the Vikings. Their own name under its control, though not without warfare
fo r the capital Constantinople was Miklagard and struggle.
(“the Great City”). More than once, Viking
ships sailed and raided on the Black Sea only England was the target of both raids and
to be defeated by either bad luck or the myste- conquest. Rich monasteries at Jarrow, Lindis
rious Greek fire. Eventually trade treaties fame, and Whitby were choice targets of
raids, along with a number of cities. More im
were formed between the Rus of Kiev and the portant, however, was conquest. The Dane
law came to be the name for those lands
Byzantines. From about 980 on, Viking mer- controlled by Viking kings or adventurers
cenaries formed the elite bodyguard of the The exact boundaries varied with the fortune
Byzantine emperor, the Varangian Guard. of war, but usually included Northumbria and
East Anglia. In the Danelaw, Viking settler
Denmark This small land is one of the three established their own laws and traditions
countries that make up Scandinavia. During Outside of it, English kings exercised thei
the Viking age, Denmark included the south- rule. York, in Northumbria, was the center of
eastern coast of Sweden-Halland, Skane,
and Blekinge. Sometimes Danish rule extend- 90/106

ed to the Vik, now Oslofjord in Norway. TO

the south of Denmark were the Wends.

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I 91/106

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The Faeroes: These islands are steep, tree- peace. This and became Normandy. Ironical
less hills rising from the ocean. Known from ly, it was the Normans who would bring
the beginning of the Viking age, the Faroes about the end of the Viking age.
were first home to Irish monks who lived on
Gardariki: Meaning "land of fortified
these bleak islands. The Norsemen colonized towns," Gardariki was the Viking name fo

these islands during the early 80 , driving the modern Russia and surrounding lands. Al
hermits away. Buildings were made of turf
an d field stone. Crops grew poorly, but sheep though most of the population w as Slavic
an d cattle were raised. T h e hardy settlers also Swedish princes established themselves i
relied on fishing, game birds, and whaling. Holmgadr Novgorod), Aldeigjuborg (Staraj
During August, the men would drive the Ladoga), Gnezdovo, Chemigov, and Kiev
whales ashore and slaughter them for their There they became known as the Rus. It wa
meat and bone. through Kiev that trade with the Byzantine
passed.
Frankland: Also known as the Empire of the
Gardariki was also a land of wonder and
Franks or the Frankish Empire, Frankland mystery. Little explored, it was rumored to b
(no w modern France, the Low Countries, and
filled with monsters, giants, and horrible crea
parts of Germany) was, at the start of the age tures. Undead spirits lurked in the vast wilder
the most powerful kingdom of northern Eu- ness, along with evil trolls and sorcerers.

rope. Charlemagne the Great, who led his em- Groenland: Discovered in the early 900s
pire to its pinnacle of power and learning, was Groenland (Greenland) was not settled unti
still alive. However, he died near the begin- sometime aroun d 985 when Eirik th e Red led
ning of the Viking age, and within only a an expedition there. Named Groenland fo

hshisorhtetiirms es,quhaisbbglreedataenmdpfioreugfehltl fionrtocdoenctrloinleoafs ithtsevna),stthmeeiasdlaonwd sd(idit ewvaesnstuoamlleywshuaptpwoartrmtwe
the land. main are as of settlement, th e Eastern Settle
ment around Brattahild, and the Western
Still, Frankland was an impressive place to Settlement at G odt hab fjord. These were th
the Vikings. For the first few decades of the only areas with adequate grazing land fo
period, Viking raiders were effectively farm ers. With out trees, bui ldings wer
stopped by a system of fortresses and watch- made of turf and stone. Life was hard and
relied on imports from Iceland and furthe
towers set up by Charlemagne. These allowed east. In exchange, the Greenlanders sold
wool, seal hides, furs, walrus ivory, an
the local lords to quickly strike at raiders. fierce falcons.
When the system collapsed, the rich lands of
Frankland were ripe for plunder. Groenland was also a land of fierce frost gi
ants and other icy terrors. At its furthes
Because of large rivers like the Loire and
reaches it was thought to give entrance to th
Seine, the Vikings were able to strike at more
than just coastal towns. Their raids went as cold, dark land of Niflheim.
far inland as Paris (then only a small city on
an island) and Orleans. The local lords, too Helluland: Meaning Slabland, this region
busy fighting each other, could not prevent
the Vikings from plundering. Instead, they is believed to be Baffin Island today. It to o
used the same solution as the English and paid
the Vikings vast sums to go home. its name from the huge slabs of stone tha

As with England, the Vikings began settle- formed the land. It was little visited or ex

ment of Frankland. They became so numer- plored, since apparently nothing but foxe
ous and powerful that eventually the emperor
was forced to gra nt t hem land in exchange forhttp://slidepdf.com/reader/full/add-vikings-campaign-sourcebook lived there. Of course, so far north, it to

was also home to frost giants and other evil

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I

Ireland: Ireland was well known to the Vi- seals, eider-down, and hides. They imported
ey ruled over parts of the island lumber, grain, and luxury goods. As a people,
they were fiercely independent; many were
ed many settlements there. Most outlaws from Norway, having incurred the
of these were Dublin and Water- wrath of the king there. These men brought
their families to join them in Iceland.
f Viking power on the island.
Although it was a harsh life there, the island
Vikings invaded Ireland in the early BOOS, was also noted for its skalds. All of what was
nquered the island. Wars be- later written down came from the Icelanders.
They had a great love of words.
gs and Irish Kings were com-
mon, though the kings were far from united. Karelia: This eastern land is now part of
Some sided with the Vikings, others against
mesotsd,elrankFesi,nlaanndd abnodgsR. uTshseia.nIattiivsea Flainndnsofthfeorre-
oaosdosu. rIcteisoaflssolaavgeosoind had their own kings, although large parts of
in the near-constant the land were subject to Swedish kings who
and between the Irish. crossed the Baltic and settled on Karelia's
Isaland, or Iceland, was settled by shores.
om Norway, the Shetlands, Ork-
eroes, and British Isles. The first The Finns were noted for theirpowers of
oyages were around 860, when a few Irish sorcery. Many a Norse wizard learned his arts
from a Finnish tutor. Inland the co untry was
nks were found living there in solitude. Se- overrun with giants and trolls, some of whom
s colonization began in 870 and lasted for had their own kingdoms. Karelia was also a
good source of timber and furs.
about 60 years.
Kurland: This region lies along the southern
The land is mostly meadow with only coast of the Baltic. Although there is a large
areas of forest. Volcanic vents and lava native population there, it has been heavily
colonized by the Swedes, since the Dvina riv-
some crops were the principal ways of life on er, an important trade route to Kiev, passes
the island. The people lived on scattered farms through the land, The trading towns of Gro-
bin and Truso were once of particular impor-
no towns of consequence. tance, although these towns declined early in
om the farms, the only other sites of the Viking age.

ance were the things, the assembly Kurland was seldom the target of raiders,
since there was little wealth in the land. The
Iceland had no king or single ruler. The most useful things that could be taken from it
rmers were independent freemen. Govern-
were slavesand amber. The amber was carved
g was conducted by the thing and the 36 go- into figurines and used for jewelry. Slaves
from the region, since they were pagan, were
of the land. For convenience, the island was sold in the markets of Hedeby (which would
vided into four quarters, one for each direc- not accept Christians as slaves).

had its own assembly and, Markland: This is the second of three lands
was divided into three districts. Three discovered beyond Groenland. The name
means "forest-land and was probably the
s were noted for many goods, coast of Labrador or Newfoundland. It was
rich in timber, but the forests were filled with
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.,

ous name for the Indians there) and giants. were well-sited for the Vikings, close to Caith-
Little effort was made t o settle this land, al- ness (northern Scotland) and only a shor
though ships sometimes sailed there from vo ya ge across the north sea to No rw ay . Trav-
Groenland to gather timber. elers from Iceland, Ireland, and the Faeroes
often wintered over at the Orkneys when
Norway: One of the lands of Scandinavia, storms were too fierce to venture on the open
Norway is a MITOW strip of mountainous sea.
land. The coastline is a jagged series of fjords,
waterways that cut like gashes through the The islands, like many in the north, were
steep slopes. It is along these fjord s that most relatively treeless. Houses were made of turf
of the people lived, making use of the and stone and the men lived b y herding, fish-
cramped farmlands. This rugged land is one ing, and raising crops of barley and other har

wing of the Viking homeland. dy grains. Trade was in thesegoods, especially
Nor w ay divides into several regions. In the malt (roasted barley) sent to Iceland.

south, around modern Oslo, is the fjord The Orkney islands were ruled by heredi-
known as the V i , ossible source of the Vi-
tary earls. While supposedly subject to the
king name. The Vi kin was home to the kings Norwegian king, the earls of Orkney ruled
of Norway. Here was the best farmland in the pretty much as they pleased, since there was
country and it was a close connection to the little the Norwegian lord could do to them.
kingdoms of Denmark and Sweden. At its The earls had close, though not always friend
ly, ties to the lords of Scotland, particularly
mouth was the town of Kaupang, an impor- those of Caithness.

tant trading center. Dividing the Vikin from Permia: This is a cold and snowy land of
western Norway is a range of jagged moun- mystery and monsters, sometimes calle d B j u r
tains. Low passes reach to Trondelag, but
voyages along the coast were much more m u l u n d . Reached by making the dangerou
practical. voy age around the north of N orw ay, Permia

The Norway peninsula, which stretches was a hostile land. Its kings and nobles were
down from the Vikin, is a rugged region, al- wizards, while giants and monstersroamed it
most inaccessible by land. Here there are forests. Still, the people there had great trea
many isolated valleys almost completely inde- sures. Large numbers of valuable furs cam
pendent of all others. Bergen, on the coast, out of Permia's dark wo ods. Greater still
was a small center of trade and the starting there was said to be a mound deep in the fores
point f or many v oy ag es west. Finally, north of where the people left offe rings to the dead-a
Bergen along the coast was the Trondelag re- handful of silver for every man who passed
gion. This was another region with sizeable away. Getting these treasures, however, was
not easy, since the Permians hated the Nors
ftahremVs anid gnodoSdwceodmemn.uItnwicaastitohne. sPeaastsoesf mleadntyo and wo uld attack them on sight. Alth ough n o
nearly as well armed and armored, the Permi
impo rtant jarls. an wizards presented a great threat to any
North of Norway is Lapland. Although in- raiding party.

dependent, the Lapps were required to pay Sadand: This land lay just south of Den
tribute to the earls of Trondelag. The Lapps mark and was part of the Frankish empire. It
we re well-known for their skill in sorcery, al- most important town was Bremen, a tradmg
though they could seldom withstand the Vi- center on the coast. This made it a rich targe
kings in battle. for raiders. Kn owing this, the Saxons fort ifie
the tow n with earthworks and palisades.
Orkney Islands: These islands, just off the
coast of Scotland, were settled early in (or The Saxons were noted as merchants. The
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of those traders who came land Meaning perhaps "grassland
of vines," the Vinland explored by Lie
ging glassware and other goo ricsson and others is now believed to be
to sell in Denmark. Newfoundland and parts of the coast furthe
and: North of Northumbria were south. A small settlement was established on
and untamed people of Scotland. the shore, but was attacked by skraelingar. I
were a mixture of many people-P did not thrive and was eventually abandoned
ts, and Norse. The fiercely independe or wiped out. The stories of this land describe
kings often faced their Sa it as filled with riches, although giants a nd
arts in border battles. For these hostile skraelingar abound. Ultimat
V i a n d proved too far from civilization
s sometimes formed alliances wi
ir Norse neighbors in Northumbria, proper settlement.
Wendland: Located southeast of De
d, and the Orkneys. At other times t
ired Norse mercenaries. Although there is the land of the Wends. These German
ple lived just beyond the borders of the
raids on the Scottishcoast, the land w ish empire. Like the Saxons, the Wends traded
and not a very good target. Only a f with the Vikinns. Danish and Swedish settle
nasteries, Iona for one, founded by Ir
nks on the Hebrides, were popular raid Oder, another important river route.

..

argets.
Sweden This is the third nation that fo

Scandinavia. Sweden roughly divides
three parts. The southern section is m
bw-lying plains, rich with rivers, lakes,

Baltic and the lands of the east. Thus,
settlements are found in Finland and
The middle section was likewise an
forest and plains and is known as Sv
'Fhis was the center of Swedish power

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fo go "straight to the source" should read a Grundir: This earldom lies between Risa-
translation of The Prose Edda. For other land and Jotunheim. Its ruler is Earl Agdi and
lands, little or no details exist. DMs can fill he makes his residence at Gnipaland. The earl
out these countries with whatever seems mos is said to be a powerful sorcerer. His retainers
appropriate. are not men but great trolls, much to be
feared.
Imaginary lands, being imaginary, have no
place on any map. At best, there are vague in- Jot unh eim This is another of the celestial
dications of where these lands can be found realms, the home of the jotens, the great gi-
("east beyond Permia") but not even anything ants of folklore. It is a wild and wooded place,
as good as sailing directions exists. Player somewhere east of Asgard. The giants of this
characters reach these lands by crossing over land are hostile to the inhabitants of Asgard.
some invisible border between the real world
and the Other Worlds. The border may be Mirkwood: This is a vast forest that lies just
marked by a fierce storm that blows the ship to the south of settled lands. [t is semi-mythi-
off course or a broad swath of trackless forest. cal, since it might lie south of Midgard as a
The Other Worlds can exist anywhere, even whole. It might also describe the vast forests
Jmong the farmer's lands. A sudden look to that covered Germany. Mirkwood separates
the left or flicker in the moonlight may be all Muspellheim from the rest of the world.
that's needed to reveal this hidden realm. Mirkwood has earned its name; it is a dark
place filled with serpents, trolls, and giants.
Alfheim Virtually nothing is known of this Few venture there who do not need to.
land, the home of the elves. It might be part of
Muspellheim Muspellheim is a mythical
AsAgasgrda,rdb:uAt sigs amrdorise tlhikeehloymcleoosef tthoeitA. esir, the land of fire and heat to the south. It is from
12principal gods of the Vikings. It is said to be
above or in the middle of Midgard, the world wheirlel sthoamt efdiraeygaisasnatus lctoAmseg.aTrdheansodnbsroinf gMaubsopuetl
of men. It is described as a plain marked by the end of the world. It is quite possible that
rivers and guarded by cliffs. Twelve palatial Muspellheim grew from early reports of the
halls, homes of the gods, exist there. In addi- desert lands of Arabia a nd Africa.
tion, there ar e lesser halls for their followers.
The most famous of these, Valhalla, is Odin's Niflheim: This is the last of the celestial
hall for the fallen warriors he has chosen. On realms, the land of the dead. It is described as
the da y of the final battle, Ragnarok, these being to the north of Midgard, across the
men will fight (and lose) in the war against the ocean, and underground. It is made up of nine
different worlds. Here all dead but those cho-
giants. sen by Odin are sent. Niflheim is a cold and
Geirrodargardar: Meaning "Geinodstown," dark place. Its halls have rafters coiled with

this is the capital of Risaland, or Giantland. venomous serpents and agonies await those
The king lives here along with his retainers. who are sent here.

GlasisvelIir: Known as the Glasir Plains in Noatown: It is unknown where this town
English, this country is ruled by giants. It is lies. Although it is ruled by a king, Noatown
found somewhereeast of Permia. Although it is known for its fierce amazons.
has its o w n lung, Glasisvellir is forced to pay
tribute to the giant king of Risaland. A great Risaland: Located to the east of Permia ..
river, Henna, separates the two lands. The Risaland, or Giantland. This is a powerful
king of Glasisvellir is always called God- kingdom ruled by giants. The capital is Geir-
mu nd, regardless of his true name.http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/add-vikings-campaign-sourcebook rodgardar. Beyond Risaland lay Jotunheim.

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Longship Deck Plan (&be

on actual excavations)

dlev find 92' X 15'

Oseberg find 70' x 16'

Ocean-going Knarr ( S k u d e v find) 53' x 15'
5 iI6 rio 5 r s

Saexring 39 xa Coastal h a m Skudlev findj 43 X 10'

http://slide pdf.c om/re a de r/full/a dd-vikings-c a mpa ign-sourc e book 4 vlana 5 1 ~ ~ ~

For use with miniatures, enlarge these deck plans on a
photocopier. Listed beside each deck are wo lengths fo

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Viking ands and settlements

  itiesandtowns A A salt spices

.- Silk y wheat

Silver Weapons

---- Wine

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On little shores and little seas

live people of little sense;
ne has equal wisdom
e the world is half as wide.
Sayings of the High One

.:.,.- < . . . A . .

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