Player Characters of

Blood and Mead

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Player Characters

The main function of this campaign is a plot-driven story line with characters just trying to survive the harsh environment when away from civilization. At the outset of the campaign, each player will start with one character. All players will roll randomly on the background charts for up to three opportunities to determine which path their character might take. Disadvantages for additional points 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 for when playing Dungeons and Dragons. Unlike other level-based campaigns, a level "floor" is unavailable as skill increases stem from actual game play.

Sigvald Bjornson [Nathan]

Human male thief with a missing right leg and musophobia

Sigvald of Shiran, known as "Sigvald the Spider," was raised as the son and apprentice of a struggling thatcher. He was a clever and energetic youth with an extraordinary sense of balance and the ability to cling to treacherous surfaces. His family enjoyed a moderate degree of prosperity until his father tragically died from a fall during a routine landing attempt. Following this loss, Sigvald and his older brother Ornvald, who was also remarkably agile, were abandoned by their mother and taken in by the Lia-Kavair thieves' guild. Ornvald eventually departed for the sea, but Sigvald’s skills proved valuable to his new associates. He undertook increasingly challenging tasks, including burglaries of affluent households considered impenetrable by others. Rumors circulated in the city about "the spider that steals the sleep of honest men," and Sigvald, to some extent, relished this reputation. One moonless night, while entering a tall, narrow residence through a round window, Sigvald was bitten by a large spider. The venom caused his left leg to burn and swell as it spread. During the ensuing confrontation, Lord Ironheart and his hulking servant Jax uncovered a lantern, revealing their presence. Following a sincere and heartfelt exchange, Jax returned with a spider in a box, while Lord Ironheart obtained information concerning the Lia-Kavair. Sigvald, severely injured, was promised immunity from pursuit if he survived a fall after Jax had thrown him from an upper-story window. Miraculously, Sigvald survived, but he was further crippled when he fell on his injured leg. He sought medical assistance, and the healers of Shiran diagnosed that he could recover fully if he remained bedbound for several months. However, Lord Ironheart used the information obtained during their conversation to pursue other Lia-Kavair contacts who had robbed him in the past. Aware of Ironheart’s aggressive tactics and motivated by the threat to his guild, Sigvald made the difficult decision to have his leg amputated to prevent further infection. He fled Shiran, fully aware that remaining would likely result in his death. With the help of strangers' kindness, Sigvald managed to stay ahead of bounty hunters. He arranged for a wooden prosthetic leg to avoid the use of crutches, which would have impeded his mobility. Recognizing that complete disappearance was his only chance for survival, he adopted the surname Bjornson (and the nickname “Stump”) while traveling through Leriel and Geldeheim, employing his legerdemain skills to evade detection. Eventually, Sigvald booked passage aboard the Jaskal’s Hind, unaware that it would be the ship’s final voyage to Arathel.

Alvor Bloodbreath [James B.]

Human male hunter with sterility and algophobia

Alvor’s mother, Soremay, was only sixteen years old when she gave birth to him. His conception resulted from a midsummer festival celebration and an affair in the woods with a traveling huntsman. Forced to marry a widowed sheep farmer with three young children, Soremay chose to raise Alvor alongside the farmer’s children. However, her husband's family was less welcoming, and at age seven, Alvor was placed under the care of another herding family despite Soremay’s protests. His foster parents, elderly and dependent on him, entrusted him with tending their flock. Through this experience, Alvor developed independence and resourcefulness, learning how to protect himself and the sheep from the elements, hunger, and predators. His heightened senses and vigilance proved valuable in his duties, and the outdoors provided him with a sense of relief and purpose. At fifteen, Alvor left his foster home and traveled to the forest of the Shire in search of his father. He knew only his given name, Will, and kept a wooden trinket carved by the hunter for Soremay. After half a year of searching, he successfully located his father, Eshur of Chesek from Daenshire. Eshur recognized the boy’s features as his own and listened carefully to his story while examining the wooden owl in Alvor’s hand. Neither of them initially intended for Alvor to stay, but Eshur, an experienced ranger among the Uthriem Roliri, took him on as an apprentice. Under Eshur’s guidance, Alvor learned to worship Siem, understand the ways of the forest, and became proficient with a bow. When Eshur was promoted to the position of Guardian three years prior, he entrusted Alvor with patrolling a wilderness area and gifted him a finely crafted yew longbow for his safety. However, Alvor’s travels awakened a desire for exploration and adventure beyond his current pursuits. While he initially found satisfaction acting as a guide or scout, collecting and selling herbs for extra income, his enthusiasm waned over time. His true passion lay in confronting human threats rather than merely hunting game. Ultimately, he turned to bounty hunting as his profession. Originally satisfied with moments away from civilization, he eventually became a seasoned hunter motivated by monetary gain. To better integrate into Viking culture and facilitate his work, Alvor adopted the surname Bloodbreath. He traveled north to Orbaal in search of employment, establishing connections with Ivinian and Jarin communities, particularly with Clan Serewyn in Marby, where he pursued clansless outcasts and Jarin individuals who had committed violence against their Orbaalese overlords. Upon hearing of opportunities near Arathel, Alvor secured passage aboard the vessel Jaskal’s Hind in Gyfen, unaware that it was destined to encounter misfortune.

Ragnar Gunnarson [Jerry #1]

Human male viking warrior with parasites

Gunnarson’s family moved frequently across the expanding Harn frontier, from Sorkin to Nuthela in 600 and then to Himod in 699. Growing up in this rough environment, Ragnar Gunnarson learned hunting, fishing, horsemanship, and survival skills. He and his brother Olav became fluent in Harnic and Jarin, which was useful when surviving in Orbaal. The Gunnarsons were deeply involved in land speculation and slave trading, enterprises that promised wealth but carried legal and moral ambiguity. Hagined, the Taareskeld clanhead and most likely considered the leader of the invading Ivinians, encouraged the Jarin slave trade in Geldeheim creating a lucrative black market, and the Gunnarson family participated in it with other members of their clan. Ragnar’s fame began not in 720 CY but earlier in 715 CY when he took part in the infamous Holmgrim’s Flailing, a chaotic brawl that erupted after a duel between two other clans. Gunnarson was stabbed multiple times yet managed to kill a wergild with a boar spear. Olav Gunnarson later claimed he had designed the spear for his brother’s protection, but whether Ragnar or Olav invented it remains debated. Regardless, the spear’s fame became inseparable from Ragnar Gunnarson’s identity. He moved to Wethom in 718 CY after royal authorities questioned the legitimacy of many of his land claims. In the west, he reinvented himself, and became a Pjagel citizen, converted to Siem, and courted the daughters of several nobles to give himself social standing and political influence, particularly to Brigyth, granddaughter of Valhakar Skudrin Baelinsen (the elder). Tragedy struck in 719 CY, as Brigyth and her parents died in a cholera epidemic. It was during this time Gunnarson was infected with zhura worms, something the healers of Pjagel were never able to cure. Gunnarson, devastated, threw himself into frontier pursuits, including a failed expedition to locate the legendary Khuzdul silver mine of Zigardmere. Though the mine was never found, Gunnarson’s small party successfully repelled a large Taelda attack, enhancing his reputation for toughness and leadership. As tensions between Orbaalese settlers and the conquered Jarin people escalated, Gunnarson joined the military, and distinguished himself at the Battle of the Randgrid's Wake and the Jarin uprising near Thay, earning recognition as a bold and effective commander. Seeking another new start, Gunnarson accepted a hirdman position with the new leadership sent by King Alegar II to Hrarlderstead, to replace the current family line which had no direct male descendant.

Invar Hrim [Mike]

Human male hunter with a missing left leg

Invar Hrim was born on the Isle of Balakas, the fourth child and only son of a yeoman household. When he was just a child, his father was killed in a hunting accident by the local valhakar of Sherwyn. To make amends, the valhakar provided for the family and took Hrim into his service as a huntsman when he was old enough. After a several years of duty, Hrim developed a serious case of wanderlust. He sought and was granted permission to take leave of his duties and travel. Since that time, he has travelled throughout Hârn. While in Orbaal, he spent time at the Peonian church in Gwaeryn. The priests took a liking to him, and he spent several months there working as a lay brother. Later, he escorted an iterant priest, Father Albyn, for nearly a year, crisscrossing Orbaal. When his work was finished, Hrim then took his leave again and headed west. Skilled in the wilderness, Hrim has little trouble feeding himself in the rough country. However, living in the wild is not without its own set of dangers. While visiting the areas outside of Pethwys, an overly paranoid manor lord had heard rumors of a wild man, possibly a brigand, living in the woods, stealing his livestock. No one had been able to find him, and Hrim was hired to hunt him down. Evidence indicated the wild man posed no threat and Hrim sought to scare him from the area. When he finally did track down the wild man, Hrim found the brigand being feasted upon by an enraged she-bear, who turned her eyes on the fresh meat which had just arrived. Realizing this was not a fight he was prepared for, Hrim did the right thing and fled after wounding the bear, but not before being severely gashed on his left leg. Throwing himself off a cliff into an estuary of Lake Feben, Hrim was able to evade the wounded animal, and cling to driftwood until he was able to make it to shore. Weakened from blood loss, he fell unconscious only to awaken three days later at the manor lord’s home with his leg amputated because of infection. After many weeks of healing, Hrim chose to leave and drifted from region to region, finding work as his money ran out and taking odd jobs. Learning of new leadership in Hrarlderstead, Hrim traveled farther west into Himod, finding the rugged country to his liking and the game to be plentiful. Contacting several Taelda tribes in the area for safe passage, Hrim presented himself to the new valhakar of Hrarlderstead, Odrik Asgersson, pledging fealty to the new lord. Although others of the clan welcome Hrim with skepticism, as would most for a one-legged ranger, Odrik received him warmly as an outsider who would add value to the new Hrarlder family line.

Ylina Likebeyonce [Lisa]

Human female shieldmaiden and weapon smuggler

The daughter of an Orbaalese weapon crafter and his Jarin war bride, Ylina Likebeyonce was raised in the Sarajinian faith and became a shieldmaiden at age 15 after a drunken Ivinian sailor tried to take advantage of her and she killed him with his own shorkana. In 714, during her visit to Lorkin, Ylina observed the harsh treatment that Clan Geldestaar inflicted upon the Jarin. She attempted to intervene on behalf of a Jarin woman but was ultimately compelled to flee from Lorkin after killing one of Jaus Geldestaar’s associates. Since that incident, she has lost faith in Sarajin, discontinued using her clan name, and has engaged in weapon smuggling into the Jarin territories. She has also significantly improved her physical condition, becoming lean, resilient, with minimal body fat, and driven by a sense of anger. Her strongest adversaries, aside from Clan Geldestaar, are the Crimson Dancers. From a distance, she is sometimes mistaken for a teenage boy. Ylina maintains contacts among the Jarin in Azadmere, who assist her in procuring weapons for her smuggling operations into Orbaal. She has also provided Noren with Khuzan-made weapons to facilitate safe passage through his territory. Typically, she transports weapons in small quantities with one or two mules at a time to maintain a low profile. She often presents herself as a traveling weaponmaker, and although she is not a master craftsman, she is competent enough to convincingly maintain this facade. Occasionally, she employs Taelda or others to help with moving her cargo. Historically, rebel groups have paid her what they could, and she has sometimes smuggled stolen goods on their behalf. Much of her life path changed when she accepted a job to move weapons into the uncharted areas of Himod, south of Wethom Keep. The coin was too good to pass, and the rebel cause seemed like something to align with. However, winter was coming and the push to get weapons into the hands of the Jarin made her take shortcuts she normally would not have. One was to take an overland path through uncertain territory, which landed her on the losing end of a confrontation with a rogue Taelda hunting party. With her weapons and mules stolen, Ylina was left behind grievously wounded. While bleeding out as the first snow of the season fell about her, she was scooped up by Prince Einar of the Hrarlder clan and brought back to the clan manor, where she was nursed back to health over several months. Although she insisted upon leaving as soon as her health returned, Ylina still serves the Hralderstadt community after three years.

Astrid Sigrun [Kelli]

Human female Hrarldar huscarl

Astrid was the only child of a stable hand at a Laranian chapter house in Geldeheim. Her father, Melvold, was responsible for tending the horses, and from a young age, Astrid enjoyed assisting him. She bears numerous scars on her arms and hands from burns sustained while working at the forge for the farrier. Growing up without the support of a guild, her peers were predominantly children of soldiers; they engaged in mock combat and various physical activities. She is tall and strong, resembling her father, and could overcome most boys her age. Unfortunately, Melvold passed away unexpectedly when Astrid was 14. The physician attributed his death to heart failure caused by overexertion. Her mother, Nemeria, served as a cook at the chapter house and hoped Astrid would help in the kitchen. However, Astrid was primarily interested in combat. She possessed the physical build, courage, and a considerable amount of anger and sadness that she sought to channel through fighting. At age 15, she was accepted as a recruit and trained for five years at a manor outside the capital. The military lifestyle suited her well, fostering discipline and resilience while giving her a strong sense of purpose. Facing challenges directly helped develop her mental strength and adaptability, enhancing her confidence and sense of responsibility. She learned to manage uncertainty and pursue her objectives with unwavering focus. Though not affiliated with any guild, her valuable experience led to a transfer westward to assist Odrik Asgersson when King Alegar II dispatched a contingent to replace the valhakar of Hrarldarstead, whose noble lineage lacked a male heir. During this assignment, she actively participated in combat against gargun and barbarian enemies. Her performance earned her a promotion, and by age 25, she was appointed a hurscarl, or "Chosen Man," responsible for undertaking special missions for her clan, often operating undercover as a mercenary. Astrid exhibits many typical soldier traits: she can consume alcohol in moderation, uses coarse language, and has a notably bawdy sense of humor. She has never married; her closest relationships are with fellow soldiers. She has demonstrated unwavering faithfulness and resilience in challenging situations. As a huscarl, she frequently travels by horseback, and many observers mistake her for a mercenary. She remains loyal to her clansmen and her manor, but is also capable of handling matters independently. Her personal motto is: “Act first, ask forgiveness later.”

Arton Tandir [Jerry #2]

Human male cartographer with parasites

Being the cartographer of Viking province where clans are the focus of virtually all economic, social, and political activity. is not easy, but challenges are nothing new for Arton Tandir. Born a bastard, he is the second son of an Orbaalese valhakar. Although acknowledged by his father, he was denied his father’s name and wealth enjoyed by his legitimate half-siblings. The son of a jeweler's daughter, Tandir, whose surname comes from the settlement he was born in which was one of the strongest stone fortifications in Jara when the Prince of Tyralyr built it in 556, never starved, but his conservative guildsman grandparents treated him like a burden and looked down on him. When he was fourteen, Tandir decided he had no interest in becoming a jeweler. If he couldn’t be a part of his father’s family, the only other option was to be an explorer. Despite being infected with parasites and not being the most athletic applicant, he was in the right place at the right time. The Cartographer’s Guild was searching for adventurers among the upper class, and the bastard son of a valhakar was better than nothing. Once in school, he proved a natural mapmaker, spending the next five years at the King’s Academy in Geldeheim. There, he got plenty of opportunities to put his skills to the test in the constant low intensity competition between his classmates and the other guild factions in a settlement ripe with discontent. After completing his cartographer training, Tandir travelled to Lorkin Keep as part of an exchange between schools. There, he saw an up-close view of Jarin culture for the first time. Instantly enamored by it, and freed for the first time of the stigma of being seen as a bastard first and a mapmaker second, he blossomed. In reward for redoubling his efforts, he was given royal certification shortly thereafter. As a new cartographer, he was sent back to Geldeheim to share his learning. Even as Tandir returned to the Geldeheim, he was quickly tasked to travel with updated maps of Jarin Bay for distribution to the settlement of Gyfen. Traveling overland by himself was much more of an arduous experience than he first believed possible, as the sounds of wild animals and monsters throughout the journey gave him pause. Upon arrival in Gyfen, he was tasked again (the disadvantage of being young and new to a profession) to travel even further west to Arathel. With colder temperatures arriving because of fall, Tandir chose to travel by boat instead of overland, booking a fate passage on Jaskal’s Hind, an Orbaalese longship.

Bjorn Thorson [David]

Human male Hrarldar huscarl with parasites

No one took Bjorn Thorson seriously for the first fifteen years of his life. Cruel jokes and taunts about his height abounded. Thorson heeded his father’s advice and never showed how deeply these jokes affected him. Instead, a reservoir of tightly controlled anger grew within his heart. His prayers to Sarajin always ended with a request to give him an opportunity to prove his worth to his fellow family and friends. Clan Ekkert pirates attacked the coastal thran near Sherwyn where he lived on his fifteenth birthday. During the fighting, all the years of rage coiled up inside him boiled over, and Thorson took a spear and attacked the invaders without concern for his own safety. The other warriors from his thran watched in awe as Thorson, in a berserker rage, cut down seven men in as many heartbeats and forced the remaining raiders to retreat to their ship. His clansmen had to restrain him when he started to chase the ship into the sea. Three full days passed before Thorson opened his eyes again. It was several weeks before he fully recovered from the injuries he had unknowingly received during the battle. When his recovery was complete, the Valhakar elevated him from clansman to hirdman and gifted him with the weapons appropriate to his new station. Since that day, no one has dared utter jokes about his stature. Thorson has become even more devoted to the worship of Sarajin since his elevation to hirdman, and never made another request, realizing that the icy lord’s boons come with a price. However, Sarajin might not have been done with him yet, as the short warrior who at fifteen was just about four feet tall, began to grow unnaturally at about an inch each month. This seemed a blessing to Thorson, but thran seers saw this as a bad portent of things to come. This was complicated by the constant itching which came along with the growth spurt, coming from parasites which seemed to infect him and no one else. Even with his growth and renown gained from turning away the pirates, Thorson was asked to find other climes rather than possibly infect his thran. He found the first longship out of Sherwyn, and headed west. With his journey depositing himself at Wethom, he found a new liege lord in Hrarlderstadt and immediately went to work clearing out any raiding Taelda barbarian clans in the area nearly single-handedly and quickly becoming a hurscarl. The short teenager filled out to be nearly six feet tall with broad shoulders, and even when his lord died, he maintained loyalty to the family, carrying his master’s body to the funeral pyre. Still today, even with new leadership of the clan, he remains a loyal warrior looking to protect his new family.

Astrid Vilrun [Tommy]

Human female cook/spy with scars (back)

Astrid Vilruns’s real name is unknown; not even she knows. She was kidnapped at age 11 months and raised by the members of a Navehan temple. While in the temple, she was simply called Astridranatha, which means “tall shadow.” She passed her ritual of passage eight years ago, killing her opponent, an acolyte she had shared a room with for ten years, without hesitation or remorse. Three years ago, after a dispute with the Arasha (chief deacon) over a mission she felt should have been hers, Astridranatha was subject to the Herth-Akan (punishment ritual). She was given an hour’s head start and had to evade the murderous pursuit of seven temple brothers for three days and nights. Not only did she succeed, but she also managed to kill four of his pursuers plus the inferior assassin and intended victim that were the subject of the dispute. The three surviving pursuers committed suicide. Astridranatha and the Arasha are now mortal enemies; eventually they will fight to the death. Realizing her life was targeted because of this conflict, Astridranatha left the temple, and changed her persona to Astrid Vilrun, a humble servant for nobles. She eventually traveled to Orbaal to truly escape the oversight of the Navehan, finding work as a cook for the royal family in Geldeheim. Even with her darker skin tone and quiet demeanor, King Alegar I was quick to recognize Vilrun was more than a simple cook and used her unique skillset to eliminate political opponents. Even after the king had passed in 714 TR, and his son, King Alegar II, took the throne, Vilrun acted as someone who only answered the king himself. However, sometimes secrets only last so long, and when the newest wife of Alegar II, Bryna Telthaal, learned of what Vilrun was capable of after spying on her husband, she ordered Vilrun to eliminate Mythyl Weymyss, Alegar II’s fifth wife, then find freedom farther away from the capital. Mythyl’s body was found at the foot of the eastern tower of Caer Geldeheim in the winter of 719, and Vilrun soon after received a position in the household of Odrik Asgersson, second cousin to Queen Bryna, who swore if Astrid disappeared from Geldeheim, no blackmail would be used against her. Although Odrik does not know exactly what Vilrun did to Mythyl, he realizes his second cousin has sent him a deadly confidant which Odrik takes great pains to maintain her anonymity. So far in Hrarlderstead, there has been to need of knifing as the Hrarlder family has received the new leadership warmly. Vilrun has been content with keeping an eye out for trouble from her place in the kitchen of the manor house but will rise to the occasion when the time is needed to eliminate any threats.

Herthon Voss [Leigh]

Human female weaponsmith with acrophobia

The Voss Clan of Asax has been making weapons for generations and are among the finest weaponcrafter clans in all of Ivinia. The wealthiest members of Ivinian society seek to buy their weapons and armor. Herthon Voss, unlike most young Ivinian women, spent a few years of her youth travelling for both trade and the Viking lifestyle. Her mother envisioned her becoming a lady of the court after her father would create a great battleword to be given to a worthy valhakar, and that lord would have a valiant son who sought to have a wife to bear him many children. Her father had a similar dream. As a parent without sons, he hoped the tough life he provided for Herthon would turn her into an accomplished shieldmaiden that would travel to the battlefield and claim glory for her parents and clan. It started out as both parents wished for with Herthont taking up the family heritage of weaponcrafting at a young age, but the zeal to go forth and make a name for herself in Orbaal overcame her parents’ desire to stay home. She often played more roughly with the other boys of her clan than her mother desired, but her father was far from admonishing her. When word came to her peers about a great boar hunt outside of Marby, Herthon was quick to jump at the opportunity. An accidental spear wound to her left leg convinced her to return to her thran and settle down. Since then, she has become one of the best weaponcrafters of her generation and possibly the best the clan has ever produced. She specializes in swords and daggers, making weapons that are strong, light and very well balanced. Her swords are especially favored by Shieldmaidens because of how easy they are to handle; as she once dreamed of becoming a shieldmaiden for a valiant valhakar. A few weeks ago, Voss started having a strange recurring dream. In the dream, she used a strange misshapen piece of iron to forge a sword. She tried to put the dream out of her head, until a man showed up at her forge wanting to sell a piece of iron he had found on a glacier field. It was the metal from her dream. Voss purchased the metal and that night, under the light of a full moon, started forging a sword. She labored for three days and nights, non-stop. His clan thought that she was possessed, but seeing what was taking shape in the forge, they left her alone. When she was done, Voss had produced the finest sword anyone in her clan had ever seen, a blade of both beauty and deadly functionality. Once she had recovered from his ordeal, Voss knew that there was one more thing to be done. She needed to take the sword to Himod to seek Sarajin’s blessing of the weapon.

"Alvor Bloodbreath" by RPG Dynamite, "Sigvald Bjornson" by RPG Dynamite, "Invar Hrim" by Julius H. Grotjahn, "Ylina Likebeyonce" by Kelly Edwards, "Astrid Sigrun" by Omar Tapia, "Arton Tandir" by José Luis Cruz García, "Bjorn Thorson" by Joel Fazhari, "Astrid Vilrun" by Elise Ducasse, "Herthon Voss" by Elise Ducasse.

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

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