Although not among the vile and deceptive Jötnar that scheme and devise means to destroy the Nine Worlds, Ægir, or Hlér, is a friend of the gods. He holds the annual feast for them deep in the sea whereupon they partake on the special mead that grants them their immortality, its secrets only revealed then. Ægir’s family is large, mainly populated with daughters who tempt sailors and cause his wrath in turn. During his feast, however, he uses a special gift to heat and serve his brew and food in for his guests.
SKÁL HAF (‘Sea’s Bowl/Toast’) Given to Ægir by Þór and Týr as a gift for his kindness, this massive, one mile wide cauldron can feed thousands at one time. It was taken from the giant Hymir, Tyr’s father, for the brewing of beer originally but passed to Ægir out of kindness. Its metallic form is shaped from dwarf and elf crafted plates, gilded and bejeweled, with scenes glorifying the Æsír and Vanir and the Nine Worlds with the center piece being Yggdrasil. Its properties rest in being able to make edible anything placed into its interior once it is cooked over roaring flames. Only the strength of the gods, giants or hundreds of mortals can lift and convey it, otherwise it weighs a thousand tons.
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NgrboðaThe infamous Witch of Járnvíða often personified in the guise of a monstrous wolf and mother to Fenrir, Hel, and Jörmun- gandr by Loki, Angrboða is a terrifying force. In her time alive, she led a large circle of witches whose influence spread over many worlds but, ultimately, led to her own demise. She was the mother to monsters, trolls and the creator to wolves. Her other name was Járnvidia. She is entombed in the dark earth below the Iron Wood where her spirit speaks and dreams to Loki and others through nightmares. Many dread her return, knowing it will occur after Ragnarök.
SVARTUR VENDI (‘Black Wand’), also her
Gambanteinn (‘magic wand’), is formed from blackened
human femur bones and etched with runes. This dreaded item houses her focus of power. When Angrboða died, its location was lost, assumed to be buried with her in her tomb somewhere in the Iron Wood. The Svartur Vendi is full of temptation for the weak willed and draws them to it against their control or knowledge (requiring a charisma check for anyone near her tomb or the Wand). Angrboða’s wand will make its user commit evil deeds, if they are not by nature, with no preference to their Alignment, slowly turning them to that life over time. The Svartur Vendi is a 10th level Illusionist/Wizard capable wand holding these Illusionist spells: Ghost Sounds, Change Self, Charm Person, Darkness, Hypnotism, Minor Dark Chaos, See Invisibility, Dark Chaos, Eyes of Fire, Illusionary Wolves, Scare, Suggestion, Charm
SYSTURSTEINN (‘Sisters’ Stone’) Built and enchanted by Fenja and Menja but taken by King Froði, the millstone is capable of wondrous feats. The king first forced the sisters to grind it endlessly to produce wealth from its use creating gold, silver and gems on an immeasurable scale. Quickly, the king used this advantage, and his kingdom prospered, but the sisters started to lose their health. Next, he realized that through their enchantment they could produce ready-made armies from the stone, and the king pushed the sisters to create massive forces to begin invading his rivals beyond the borders of Sweden. This broke the king’s legendary period of peace in the process and forced the stone to shatter as well. If fixed, the Systurst- einn could churn out untold wealth with each grind and even magically animated warriors depending on the Castle Keepers’ need for it in the story.
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elShe is the daughter of Loki and troll-wife Angrboða cast into the dark, abysmal realm of Niflheimr by Oðin (to be named Helheimr in her honor). She claims the souls of the dead who have not perished in battle but by disease, age, treachery and other weak and frail means. The wicked are sent to her exclusively where she gathers them and prepares them into a massive army of the Dead to attack the other worlds on the day of Ragnarök.
NAGLFAR (‘Corpse Boat’) Moored on the dark seas of Helheimr, this massive Dreker vessel is formed from the discarded finger and toe nails of the dead. Its size grows daily because death continually occurs in the Nine Worlds. When Gjallrhorn is sounded and the chaos of Ragnarök begins, Loki will navigate while King Þrym will command it. Inside the hold will be hordes of the Dead, armed for battle and filled with vengeance, ready to fight for their evil masters. Queen Hel will set the ship free from her docks before she sets out on her steed to the uplands of Helheimr and beyond to undertake her part in the war to come. Draugr berserkers man Naglfar at King Þrym’s orders and will terrorize and plunder any in their path as they reach the seas of other worlds toward Vígríðr to confront the gods. Naglfar is invincible and cannot be destroyed by other vessels – only the floods caused by the death of Jörmungandr will capsize it in the end. It would be extremely unlikely that any player character could control or even command Naglfar alone without awful consequences. Queen Hel would send her Draugr and other Dead to stop such an action and to severely punish the thieves.
DÓMUR (‘Judgement’) is Hel’s long, metal staff enchanted with her terrible magic, able to determine the Dead’s fate brought before her. With but a tap to the Dead’s head, Dómur can send the slain to one of several fates: to the infernal pits to be devoured by worms, to Naglfar, to attend her feasts within her palace (or one of them) perpetually, to be transformed into a monster (or another malicious being) to serve her diabolical needs or to be transformed into a Draugr or another Undead
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árbaUTiThe father of Loki, he is a wild, fiery giant famous for causing forest fires in his furious rages. Like his infamous offspring, he plots the downfall of Ásgarðr and Vanaheimr with the other Jötnar. Of the giants, Fárbauti is very intellectual in his approach to his scheming but terribly brutal when forced to be. The Dark Elves crafted for him many items in his war against the gods to put him on par with Þór.
LOGIGREIPR (‘Flame Gloves’) Forged by the Dark Elves, these black, iron gauntlets give Fárbauti the ability to create fi- ery blasts with his hands on command. From the hottest fires in Múspellheimr, the essence of the element of fire is captured within the metal. The wearer is immune to all sources of fire while donning these gloves, magical or otherwise, and can hurl fire at frightening distances. Merely touching with these gloves on can cause 10d20 damage with a 7 in 10 chance of igniting flammable objects it contacts. These gloves can throw a Fireball with a distance up to a mile, doing 1d50 damage with each blast and has a 75% chance of igniting everything around it into flames instantly or melting.
HVÍTT BOLTINN (‘White Bolt’) This deadly long spear has captured the mighty lightning inside its sleek form, a deed the Dark Elves are proud of greatly. Fárbauti is not as frightened innately of the storms as his kindred (because of Þór) and so has turned it back on the other peoples of the Nine Worlds in a destructive manner. Runes are carved deeply into every inch of the wood and metal encasing the energy until it is about to burst, causing it to glow. Hvítt Boltinn is a +5 weapon that causes 5d20 damage in addition to its lightning charge per strike of 2d10. The spear can also hurl deadly lightning bolts at the foe with a range of 500 ft. doing 10d8 per Combat Action with a 6 in 8 chance of paralyzing its target for 1d10 turns.
VÖRÐUR DÖKK (‘Dark Guard’) This Dark Elfen, smoky shield protects Fárbauti from attack and the sight of others. Initially, the Vörður Dökk appears as nothing more than a disk shaped, metallic piece of armor on the forearm over the Logrigreipr, but on command, it summons a black, cloudy shroud that covers the wearer. This smoky shield blends the wearer into the surroundings if there is a fire or other smoke as a cloak in one turn and defends them against attack on another, giving them an AC +10.
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eNJa aNdM
eNJaThey were two sisters descended from mountain giants, once famous in past battles for their glorious deeds as Shieldmaidens, and, in Sweden, captured by King Froði. The king led them to a mill by force to produce much wealth for his realm. By this time, they were both too weak to resist him and did as he commanded. King Froði’s want of what they could create by their magic stone could not be sated and increased by the weeks until the sisters’ health and conditions worsened.
“Gleipnir, at last, By Dark Elves cast,
In Svartalfheim, with strong spells wrought, To Odin was by Skirmir brought:
As soft as silk, as light as air, Yet still of magic power most rare.”
Vahalla, J.C. Jones
GLEIPNIR (‘Open One’) This is a silken ribbon made by the Dark Elves to hold and bind the devilish wolf Fenrir after no other plan by the gods worked. As it was an impossible task to bind and control this demonic beast within the cave tucked away in Niflheimr, the dwarfs, likewise, had to undertake six impossible criteria to make it work:
• A bird’s spit. • A fish’s breath. • A bear’s sinew. • A mountain’s roots. • A woman’s beard. • The sound of a cat’s step.
HELSKÓR (‘Hel Shoes’) These special made shoes have two meanings in the Nine Worlds. The first regards mortal war- riors who normally shod their feet in special boots or shoes that prepare them for their journey to Valhöl. Once there, they take them off to hang them from the branches of a Lindon tree near Oðin’s hall as they are escorted inside among their fellow slain brethren to feast. The second meaning to this refers to the en- chanted and rare horse hooves that must be made and placed onto a steed’s hooves if they were to ever tread in Helheimr. Without them, they would be incinerated by the fiery and dan- gerous environment. Only a few dwarfs, Dark Elves and even fewer other beings in the Nine Worlds know the secrets of how to forge Helskór. Once made, they only last for a single trek to Hel’s realm before being disintegrated.
SKÁLDSKAPAR MJAÐAR (‘Mead of Poetry’), also called Suttungmjaðar, this is the rare mead concoction devised by the two dwarfs Fjalar and Galar. They had slain Kvasir, a crucial element to their formula, mixed with a rare honey and prepared in an enchanted pot named Boðn, Són and Óðrerir. Whoever survives this mead either becomes a scholar or poet from its gifts (granting any player character or NPC a +10 to charisma or intelligence).
being to serve her with evil intent. It is not known where Hel had this staff wrought, but it is crucial to her court. She is never separated from it if she can help it as it aids her in ruling her vast, dismal kingdom.
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arðgreiPrShe was a giantess that possessed magic and an empathy toward mortals. She was fond of mortal men and used her magic to change her size, when needed, to remain among her own kind and to fit in better with mortals. Harðgreipr seduced a refuge prince of Norway, Hadingus, and used her abilities to aid him in his return to power but, in the end, sacrificed herself as the vengeance from her own kind returned, and she was torn apart by giants while in human form. DAUÐUR TALARA (‘Dead Talker’) Harðgreipr pos- sessed a spell that enabled her to imbue a wooden stick with the ability to make the dead speak one time if placed under their tongue. Runes must correctly be etched as the spell is incanted before this is done. Once under the tongue, the dead will speak and answer all questions for 30 minutes, if needed, and even foresee events in the future if they are dire and involve one or more of the player characters or NPCs present. How the player character(s) arrive at acquiring the secret of Dauður Talara is up to the Castle Keeper and the nature of their particular game.