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The Dverger and the Nuckelavee

The following text contains two myths/scenarios organized along the lines of the text in Mythic Bastionland. These myths will be used in an upcoming open-table game set in a Mythic Ireland shortly after the Norman Invasion.

The first of these, The Dvergr is heavily inspired by the Dwarf myth from the Mythic Bastionland but more culturally specific (i.e. Norse) and tying into larger political issues in the realm and other myths. The second is again using a Norse-inspired creature sourced from the Norse settlements on the Orkney Islands that has unfortunately washed up on the North Coast of Ireland.

The Dvergr Description

The Dvergr awoke from its slumber. A forgotten spirit inhabits a disturbed statue commemorating its once fleshy form. It cares not that this land is not its own, nor that these people know not its name. It carves its world from the rocks deep beneath the earth, creating relics and wonders that inspire all who see them into single-minded frenzies. Rulers and usurpers fight for the bounty of this talented spirit's crafts. Soon, the thunder below will be joined by the thunder of boots marching to war.

Omens:

  1. The Mountains and Valleys shake with thunderous blows from beneath the earth. Landslides, tumbling rocks, and even sinkholes terrorize the landscape. From one mountain, a thick black smoke filters out.
  2. An incredible infrastructure project is underway. Local laborers awoke one day with a vision to create a great work. They toil to the detriment of their own health, but it is a majestic creation. They refuse to explain what they're doing beyond frustrated grunts.
  3. Every smith within the vicinity of The Dvergr's forge has disappeared, having wandered off in their sleep. They now contribute to the thunder beneath the earth.
  4. A knight in the region awakes to find a marvelous weapon has been left for him. It is made of a material unlike any other seen, and its use quickly draws the attention of local men of violence.
  5. The ruler of the area is now accompanied by a retinue of ten stone soldiers, loyal only to him and The Dvergr. They are almost impervious on the field.
  6. The Dvergr grows bored of the work. They collapse their tunnels and disappear deep beneath the earth once again. The earth rumbles one last time. All of the masterworks are buried alongside the artisans that assisted in their crafting.

The Dvergr:

VIG: 15 | CLA: 15 | SPI: 12 | 7GD | A5 (Made of Stone) | Hammer (3d10 slow)

Craves Novelty and Great Works, is completely uninterested in the lives of men. Refuses to speak to those he deems boring. He has not spoken in this century. Always at work in his forge beneath the earth.

Can tell the history of any manufactured item upon touch. Accepts rare and impressive crafting components as offerings. A servant will try their best to discourage visitors from interrupting his work.

Stone Guard

Statues shaped as Norse warriors of legend with stone armor and armaments trapping the souls of those they were carved to represent. They have both a weakness and a vulnerability, but are otherwise unrivalled on the battlefield.

Vig: 18 | Cla: 10 | Spi: 5 | GD: 7 | A6 (Stone body and Armor)

Damage: All damage is weakened against them, unless inflicted by tools suitable for mining or fall damage in which case they are enhanced.

# Weakness Vulnerability
1 They cannot see, hear, or smell outside of a tremor sense. They freeze in direct sunlight.
2 They are terrified of dogs. They lose form in water.
3 They pursue gold always. Their gem eyes hold life.
4 They are terrified of magic. A rune carving holds life.
5 Dumb as rocks. A specific song will destroy them.
6 They crave burial. The destruction of their original bodies will kill them.

The Wondrous Weapon and Its Wielder:

Sir Arywald the Unworthy:
A Norman knight who was mistakenly knighted for acts of bravery actually carried out by his brother that fell in the battle. His lord is too embarrassed to rectify the mistake even though it has become common knowledge. He now uses the Wondrous Weapon to humiliate some of his harshest critics. It is immediately obvious to outsiders that he lacks fundamental combat skills, but the weapon is evening the odds.

Vig: 11 | Cla: 7 | Spi: 7 | GD: 2

Form Ability
Spear Can throw the user three times the distance of a regular jump.
Hammer Its impacts sound like screams of thunder and the wails of women (Force opponents to make an immediate morale check upon the first kill they witness).
Sword It can cut/break through any material with ease (Reduce armor effectiveness by 1 every hit as pieces are removed, ignores 3 points of armor).
Sharpened Whip It can be thrown extreme distances, returning when its name is called.
Dagger One wounded by this weapon is doomed to die terribly within a fortnight. They are immediately wracked with pain.
Axe The weapon can dig through rock and metal when the runes upon it are read.

The Nuckelavee Description goes here

A large stone sarcophagus covered in Norse runes, symbols, chains, and wrapped in seaweed approaches the shores of Ulster. It calls out in nightmares and dark omens. It offers power and freedom for those that free it from its prison so that it may avenge itself on the Mither' of the Sea and forever end Summer.

The seaweed that keeps the creature imprisoned can only be cut by a blade of evil construction and purpose. It has set the Horn Knight, leader of a local Fianna band, about the desecration of a stone axe in exchange for giving him and his family the power to overcome death.

Omens:

  1. Those who rest near the Giant's Causeway will hear terrible screams upon the wind, and nightmares will haunt them for days upon hearing the noises.
  2. A well-regarded Fianna band turns to wanton acts of banditry and depravity, its leader creating atrocities with a stone axe claimed from the sea.
  3. Rotting carcasses of fish and beasts lost to time begin to wash ashore, some still alive. Every day, 1d3 living Rejected Beasts emerge from the sea. Fishermen swear it to be the end of days as their bounties turn to poison.
  4. Freshwater in the area begins to turn to salt as the Nuckelavee's Sarcophagus washes ashore at the Giant's Causeway. Nightmares spread across the realm.
  5. If released, the Nuckelavee will ride to the nearest settlement to harvest the blood necessary to strengthen itself.
  6. So long as the creature rides, pestilence will carry upon the wind. Corpses will rot in their homes. Nature rebels against it, trying to protect life from the hateful beast's rampage.

The Nuckelavee:

VIG: 16 | CLA: 5 | SPI: 5 | 5 GD
A5 - Reduced to A2 if covered in freshwater.
Attacks: Trample and grab - 2d10 or d12 blast.

Vulnerable to fresh water and cannot cross fresh waters. Greatly enraged by the smell of burning seaweed. Can be reasoned with by proposing more entertaining acts of cruelty, but only a madman would trust its word.

Seeks to destroy a long-dead nature goddess from a foreign land and defeat Summer forever.

Rejected Creatures of the Sea

# Form Oddity
1 Dolphin Made of Stone (A5)
2 Crab Covered in Runes (Can cast a spell carved on their flesh generated via the Vaarn Quality and Form table)
3 Shark Inside out (Forces morale checks upon encountering)
4 Humanoid (But Wrong) Speaks in Norse Riddles heralding the Nuckelavee (Curses, attacks SPI of those who hear it)
5 Shaggy Dog Suicidal (Will destroy itself in horrific ways, attacking the SPI of those who witness it)
6 Seabird Burrows into flesh and dirt alike.

The Ageless Hate:

'Forged' from a rock and a heavy heft of rotted wood. It is heavy with sins more ancient than the rocks it is found buried beneath.

Damage: 2d8 heavy, if the second die is 6+ this inflicts a wound as well as damage.

#creatures #mythic bastionland #scenarios