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"Blood and Mead" is a HârnMaster campaign, which was run intermittently as a secondary campaign when other players assumed primary GM responsibilities.
The campaign follows the adventures of the player characters on the continent of Hârn, in the northland of Orbaal. The campaign story is plot-based, and limited to the individual encounters since episodes can be few and far between. The first episode was played on November 1, 2025, and continued sporadically on Saturday evenings until CURRENT, when the primary campaign was not being run. The campaign entailed a 5 episode story arc, ending when the consistent interruptions to the primary campaign ended.
Since a primary campaign was already in effect, participation in the campaign was sporadic, and ranged from two to five players per episode. The list of players included David, Jerry, Joe, Kelli, Michael, and Tommy. The position of Games Master is performed by Joel. The campaign meets irregularly on Saturdays. Game sessions are played at David and Melisa's home, James and Leigh's home, and Joel and Lisa’s home.
Campaign Setting
Campaign Setting
The year is 720 T.R. (Tuzyn Reckoning) and Orbaal, a turbulent kingdom in Hârn’s northern frontier, is characterized by rugged mountains and fjords. The region is inhabited by the Jarin people, who remain resilient despite ongoing conflicts with the Ivinian Viking conquerors. Approximately 8,000 Ivinian forces currently control nearly all of the kingdom's fortresses and govern over 65,000 Jarin inhabitants. A significant rebellion took place less than two decades ago, and tensions between the two cultures persist. These tensions are further fueled by an active but fragmented Jarin resistance movement. Life as a Viking is shaped by the sea, the seasons, and the strength of one’s kin. Invinians rise early to tend farms, forge tools, and prepare ships for trade or raiding. Long winters were spent indoors telling stories, crafting weapons, and honoring the gods. Summers bring voyages across dangerous waters in longships, seeking wealth, land, and adventure. Community matters deeply; loyalty to family and clan ensures survival. Though often fierce in battle, the Ivinians are also skilled traders, explorers, and farmers, living lives balanced between hardship, courage, and deep respect for tradition.
Player Characters
Player Characters
The main function of this campaign is a plot-driven story line with character just trying to survive the harsh environment when away from civilization. At the outset of the campaign, each player will start with one character. Stats were rolled. All players will roll randomly on the background charts for up to three opportunities to determine which path their character might take. Disadvantages will also be rolled, but once dice are tossed, the results are final. Humans are highly recommended as Orbaal is not known for its non-human folk; save this when playing Dungeons and Dragons. The HârnMaster core box set will be the primary source of rules with additional downloadable primers being made available. Unlike other level-based campaigns, a level "floor" is unavailable as skill increases stem from actual game play.
Important NPCs
Important NPCs
Orbaal refers to the region of Hârn located north of the Anoth River and northeast of Himod. Historically, this area was known as Jara and was inhabited by the Jarin people, who migrated from the Lythian continent. In the mid-19th century, the region was invaded and conquered by Ivinian raiders. The first Ivinian king subsequently named his kingdom Orbaal, establishing it as a distinct political entity.
As the campaign is self-contained with the area of Orbaal, the players have an opportunity to meet and establish a variety of NPC contacts, allies, and enemies. All NPCs have an equal importance to the campaign, as each one tends to add enrichment with major NPCs might only be seen from afar if the characters to not have the family name to influence. Most NPCs are solitary folk with one primary base of operations as it is dangerous to travel outside of established towns and cities.
Episode Guide
Episode Guide
Each weekend, the players assembled to play what has been designated as an episode. Each week, a recap of the most recent episode’s happenings was posted to allow those who have been missing for many or few episodes to get a feel for what they have missed. Any postings on this website have the same information given out each week via social media, although much of the personal commentary was left out.
Places of Note
Places of Note
Hârn is an island lying 160 km off the northwest coast of the continent of Lythia, on the edge of the Haonic ocean. Compared to other regions of northwest Lythia, Hârn is a wild, barbaric land, where pockets of civilization are surrounded by large tracts of wilderness.
Orbaal is the name given to the region of Hârn north of the Anoth River and northeast of Himod. For centuries, the area was known as Jara and was the domain of the Jarin people who had emigrated from the Lythian continent. It was conquered by Ivinian raiders in the middle of the last century; the first Ivinian king named his fractious and unruly kingdom Orbaal.
At the outset of the campaign, the PCs live in Hralderstadt in western Orbaal in the area known as Himod, defending their clan from other aggressive clans. The PCs are called upon by the clanhead to help track down and missing prince, along with a longship holding a tribute to King Alegar II.
Rules and Redundancy
Rules and Redundancy
The main goal of the campaign is to have fun. Unfortunately, there are times when rules can come into conflict when players are attempting to achieve their goals. House Rules allow for situations like these to be mitigated when there is insufficient information to deal with specific encounters. The Redundancy aspect reflects on additional content which adds depth and complexity to the campaign and clears up any gray areas.
Weapons Locker
Weapons Locker
Core rule books contain a plethora of melee and ranged weapons for the players to choose from. However, there are times when the characters encounter weapons and items of power that go beyond the scope of what is readily available for purchase. Herein lies an inventory of non-standard items encountered throughout the campaign, from the mundane to the spectacular.
"Blood and Mead" by Gustavo H. Banck, "Important NPCs" by RPG Dynamite, "Places of Note" by Peter Kmiecik
All artwork on this page falls under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
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