Important NPCs of

Blood and Mead

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Important NPCs of Blood and Mead

There are several NPCs who are important to HârnMaster. Each has a unique relationship with PCs; some are allies, some are antagonists. Each NPC has a clear motivation which impacts motivations in the campaign. While all NPCs allow for the flavor of any campaign, only the NPCs listed below have had a clear impact upon the characters.

Einar Asgersson

Human male undead draugr of Siem

Einar Asgersson was born in Geldeheim, the first of five children, but only one of two to survive infancy. He was born to Girtha Morgause, the daughter of an apothecary, and Odrik Asgersson, a warrior for Clan Taareskeld. He roamed the heather fields with a wooden sword, chasing shadows of imagined foes. The local warriors humored him at first, but they quickly realized the boy possessed a startling instinct: his strikes were precise, his balance uncanny, and his resolve unshakable. By the age of ten, he trained alongside his father and other members of Clan Taareskeld. However, court politics changed his life with the marriage of King Alegar II to Bryna Telthaal, a blood relative of the Asgerssons from Ivinia. Looking to cement allies in the region, Einar’s father was directed to become the valhakar of Hraldarstead in western Himod, to continue the clan bloodline which had no direct male heir. With his younger brother, Sweyne, his parents and family retinue left the capital and traveled west to take control of Hraldarstead Manor. The residents of the hamlet received the new family as expected: content that Alegar II had provided a way to continue the family line, but cool to the idea it was an outsider. Regardless, the Asgerssons took control, with Einar’s father making known to the surrounding families of the new leadership. One of the first tasks was to empower Einar (now head of the thrangaad) was sending him to smaller family enclaves in the area to remind them of yearly taxes which would resume with the new valhakar. Returning from one such meeting with a local family, Einar came upon what he supposed was a human sacrifice by a forest Sindarin (elf) dressed over a bloodied female. Quick to action, Einar drew his blade and struck down the witch without a thought. Only after his bloodlust subsided did he realize the witch was binding the wounds of a lost weaponsmith named Ylina, who had a confrontation with local Taelda hunting party. With her final breath, the Sindarin cursed the young Asgersson for his deed in the name of Siem before succumbing to her wounds. Asgersson collected Ylina, and brought her back to Hraldarstead to heal, but never spoke of the witch nor the curse she placed upon him. Then the nightmares came, robbing him of much needed sleep, causing him to fall into bouts of depression while mixing in angry outbursts at imagined slights. While his mother asked healers to provide him peace, Einar’s father felt responsibility would help focus his “busy” mind. As timing had it, the annual royal tribute was nearly late as autumn abated and winter slowly crept into the region. Tasked with taking the tribute by a longboat, called the White Bear, to the capital, the younger Asgersson left during poor weather conditions which pushed his ship and crew farther into the bay. The curse from Siem caused the madness to overcome him, and Asgersson slew his crew as the White Bear became trapped in packed ice. During his fit of madness, Einar took his own life to end his suffering, but Siem was not done with the young Asgersson yet. His body and the crew’s bodies were raised as a draugr undead who collected the silver coins, and mindlessly trekked across the frozen bay to remain guarding the tribute in the Lunareth Hollow.

Odrik Asgersson

Human male valhakar of Hraldarstead

Now in his late 40s, Odrik Asgersson has risen far from his humble roots. He is the middle child of seven from a large family in Chélemby (although not born there), but the only bastard. His father was the captain of a merchant vessel traveling from Ivinia to Arone, and his mother worked in the town brothel. Hardly acknowledged by his father when his mother surprised the sailor with a bundle of joy after his returning the next year to Arone after some time in his homeland, Odrik’s mother gave him the Asgersson surname in hopes her child would rise above his station. To escape the brothel life, his mother encouraged him to join the Peonian Order of the Balm of Joy. However, once training began, he realized it was not for him. His martial instincts were more in line with the warriors in the field than with the gentle Peonians, although his pride often outpaced his wisdom. Two years into his training, he left the order. He applied and was accepted as a town guard in Arone. During his training, he proved to be a natural fighter and discovered a love for horses. It was during this time that Asgersson caught the eye of Skarde Hulthard. He saw great potential in Asgersson and asked for him to be assigned as his common housecarl. Ulfrik’s Conflict was in full swing by this time and Hulthard travelled west to volunteer against the Jarin uprising. Asgersson followed and fought at his side through the campaign. He survived where so many died. After the Battle of Soxax, Hulthard “knighted” him for his loyalty and extreme heroism. When other’s quaked, Asgersson had stood his ground and protected his badly wounded master against the notorious Jarin warlord, Dagr the Ruthless. With coins in his purse and name for himself, Asgersson decided to continue west, further separating himself as the son of an Arone prostitute, to find glory, eventually making his way to Geldeheim where he served with the warriors of Clan Taareskeld. He found Girtha, the daughter of an apothecary and a woman of sharp intellect and sharper ambition, and took her as his wife, bringing him up five children, although only two boys survived: Einar and Sweyne. The court of King Alegar II was a place of shifting loyalties and whispered schemes, and even as a child, Einar learned that strength alone was never enough. With the introduction of King Alegar II’s sixth wife, Bryna Telthaal, the newest queen was quick to acknowledge the Asgersson house name. As the daughter of powerful Telthaal merchant guild from Ivinia whose marriage to Alegar II was more of an alliance than for true love, Queen Bryna recognized she would need to collect allies in Orbaal to help maintain her hold place among the other queens. When word of Lord Hrarldar passing away with no direct male heir, Bryna was quick to suggest Asgersson as a courtly representative from the king’s clan to take his place. Promoted to valhakar, Asgersson gathered his family and retinue traveling into farther west into Himod to take his place as the family head at Hraldarstead. His rule as clanhead was cemented with him taking a second wife upon his arrival at Hraldarstead, Signe the former wife of the deceased Gustaf Hraldar. Satisfied with what the gods have graced him with, he looks to rule in peace and carve out his own family line in Orbaal.

"The Mighty" Toutatis Conanson

Human male expert of the mystic arts and dimensional traveler

Ebenezer Dabble was born November 7, 1961, in Phoenix, Arizona to Leander and Cosima Dabble, a pair of modern-day nomads living a bohemian lifestyle while traveling around the country. Although his father was a “musician” by trade, Dabble’s parents raised Ebenezer while living on the road, traveling from town to town doing day labor. Running low on funds and never “making it big”, Leander and Cosima traveled to the West Coast to connect with family in Northern California. The trio alternated between San Francisco and Sacramento living out of a van, while embracing the developing psychedelic hippie music scene. A precocious young man, Dabble traveled with his parents who found he had a love for school, and did not want to deter their son’s development, especially when he diagnosed with dyslexia at the end of second grade. However, with their inclination to move around, young Ebenezer struggled in making connections with his peers as he often went through half a dozen schools each academic year. Realizing the long-term harm of their personal family choices, Ebenezer’s parents gave temporary guardianship to Leander’s younger brother Arthur Dabble who lived in Sacramento. Although he loved his parents very much, the stability of Arthur’s family is what Ebenezer craved, making new friends at school which followed his through his academic career. With Arthur as the owner of a Sacramento magic shop, Dabble had plenty to do after school, cleaning the shop and working the counter, while learning from his uncle about magic and performing. A retired magician, Arthur Dabble was a staple of the northern California community of entertainers, specializing in close-up magic and party magic, performing for both kids and adults. Young Dabble adored his uncle, choosing to learn to become a stage magician rather than get a college degree. However, the tricks his uncle used to amaze audiences with were not what modern-day audiences longed for and Dabble performed for more children’s birthday parties and local carnivals than his heart could take. As fate would have it, at the end of an evening performance at a local Sacramento retirement community, he was attacked by a supernatural creature, only to be saved by a mysterious stranger who arrived out of the shadows. Begging his savior to show him this “magic” he had witnessed to save him, the stranger imbued Dabble with an unknown energy before disappearing. The next couple weeks, Dabble found he was able to access simple tricks without any props, filling him with the desire to learn more. As his power grew but his audience didn’t, he was content with helping others when he could. Things drastically changed in August 1986, after watching an opening night showing of "The Transformers: The Movie" in Sacramento, California with his date, Annie Norris, Dabble and his blue 1973 Volkswagen Type 2 (T2B) Bus drove through what he could only understand to be a dimensional rift, increasing his power tenfold, but landing himself and his vehicle on the northern reaches of the island of Harn. Realizing he could not return home, he found his power had changed allowing him to easily access ancient Earthmaster magic. Claiming to be the resurrected Chun-Jabad (or Toutatis to others), he saved a coven of Jarin witches from a group of Ivinian aggressors, allowing himself to take charge of his “harem”, and living across an ancient Earthmaster portal allowing them access Clymthiel with three families mostly composed of women.

Thrain Wolfeye

Human male valhakar of Bjargheim

Thrain Wolf-Eye was born as a prince of the High Kingdom of Seldenbaal royal house, son of King Gedervill, raised alongside his elder brother Gunnlaug, who possessed the charisma and martial prowess expected of a future ruler, while Thrain developed a reputation for intelligence, patience, and political calculation. Although both were respected as capable warriors, Thrain often found himself overshadowed by his celebrated brother. The kingdom they inherited was one of scattered settlements, coastal strongholds, and competing tribal loyalties. As both brothers matured, Gunnlaug distinguished himself in battle. His victories against neighboring rivals increased the prestige of the royal family and earned admiration among warriors throughout Seldenbaal. These triumphs culminated in his marriage to the noblewoman Jodis, a union that strengthened political alliances and produced a son named Ornulf. The birth of Ornulf further diminished any possibility that Thrain might someday inherit authority through peaceful succession. Thrain’s ambitions convinced him he could govern more effectively than his brother. In a land of brutal politics, none were surprised when Thrain murdered Gunnlaug and seized control of the kingdom. Thrain’s actions violated both family loyalty and sacred custom, making his crime especially infamous, which did not sit well with Seldenbaal and as he assumed his ascendancy would be complete with the removal of Ornulf, his brother’s bannermen united in support of Ornulf and ousted Thrain not long after his coronation was completed and his attempted marriage to Jodis. Fleeing Seldenbaal with only the cloak on his back, Thrain traveled across the Haonic Ocean to Ivinia where he failed to parlay political clout with local leadership; this failure often leading to drown his sorrows in mead. Looked down upon as a patricidal failure, Thrain chose to use his martial prowess to make a name for himself, travelling further away from Seldenbaal with Viking raiders as they invaded the northern Harnic coast of what is now the kingdom of Orbaal. Although he fared well on the battlefield and found a wife to bear him children, Thrain remained intent on leadership, catching the eye of Valhakar Ydraan Kyrodwe of Wethom who needed bold men to establish settlements south of the Peliryn River. Thrain’s history in the royal courts was just what Kyrodwe desired to expand his holdings but remain mindful not to disturb his Ymodi neighbors. Assigned as thrangaad to Suit Bjarg and sent into the wilderness with a small cadre of men, Bjarg and Thrain removed an Equani tribe which had invaded the Ymodi territory, and established Bjargheim for Clan Kyrodwe. Years later, Bjarg and his sons died during a “hunting accident” involving a giant boar, leaving leadership to Thrain (Wolf-Eye for his shrewdness), who consolidated his authority with remarkable speed, taking on Suit’s wife Ingulfrid as his second spouse. Thrain continues to rule Bjargheim recognizing potential threats and seeking to eliminate them with calculation rather than haste.

Supporting NPCs of Blood and Mead

King Alegar II

Crowned king of Orbaal in 714 CY, he is the younger son of Alegar I and currently married to four wives. The kingdom he inherited was far from united; clans warred or allied with each other as they saw fit and many paid tribute to the king with considerable reluctance. The new king’s policies have done nothing to restore a spirit of unity.

Girtha Asgersson

The daughter of an apothecary and a woman of sharp intellect and sharper ambition, she is the first wife of Odrik Asgersson, bearing him five children although only two have survived, and provides council to her husband while in Hraldarstead.

Torvald Hjael

An exiled Bjarg warrior, Torvald joined Thrain’s march to Hraldarstead, looking to redeem himself in the eyes of his valhakar. Needing spare bodies for a mission, he was ordered to join Karl “The Grey” Torbensson in retrieving the missing Hraldarstead silver no matter the cost. His overconfidence was his downfall, slain by the draugr in the Lunareth Hollow.

Sven Ironhand

A former raider turned Bjarg clan blacksmith, he was tasked by Thrain Wolf-Eye to join Karl “The Grey” Torbensson in retrieving the missing Hraldarstead silver no matter the cost. His overconfidence was his downfall, slain by the draugr in the Lunareth Hollow.

Verborga Ravensong

A young seer of Siemana, she was stolen from her home by other viking raiders. To prevent herself from becoming a shield-wife (or worse), she chose the path of Siemana which kept the hands of men away from her. Too timid for combat, she was sent with Karl “The Grey” Torbensson in retrieving the missing Hraldarstead silver no matter the cost but has shown a deftness to avoid getting hurt.

Ingrid Skald-Dottir

A fierce shieldmaiden and devout follower of Siema, she was tasked by Thrain Wolf-Eye to join Karl “The Grey” Torbensson in retrieving the missing Hraldarstead silver no matter the cost. Although she survived the draugr in the Lunareth Hollow, she did not survive the flock of vlasta who attacked her when unconscious.

Bryna Telthaal

King Alegar II’s newest wife, she is deeply involved with placing Odrik Asgersson as valhakar in Hraldarstead and sending Astrid Vilrun away from the capital after one of Alegar II’s other queen died under mysterious circumstances.

Karl "The Grey" Torbensson

A veteran huscarl and loyal clansman to House Bjarg, he was originally sent by Thrain Wolf-Eye to take back the Hraldarstead silver if the PCs found it first. His overconfidence was his downfall, slain by the draugr in the Lunareth Hollow.

Yrsa of Ebein

A devout follower of Siem, she is Hraldarstead’s seer for those who seek her counsel, for her wisdom on matters unknown, and her visions which show portents of things to come.

"Einar Asgersson" by Laurent Corvus, "Odrik Asgersson" by Dominik Figlhuber, "Toutatis Conanson" by Alexey Yagovkin, "Thrain Wolfeye" by Alexey Yagovkin..

Artwork for this page falls under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

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