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• Kamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870

  September 2016

  Obskures has done an interview with Riotminds about their current kickstarter project, which may shed some light for those who are not familiar with Drakar och Demoner/Trudvang Chronicles.
  
  

  Trudvang Chronicles RPG: An Interview with Theodore Bergquist

  
  Trudvang Chronicles RPG: Game Master Guide (Image: Riotminds)
  
  Finally, the printed Trudvang Chronicles RPG is coming in English!
  
  About one year ago, I backed on Kickstarter The Fabulous Art of Trudvang – a gorgeous and inspiring fantasy artbook with images by Paul Bonner, Alvaro Tapia, Justin Sweet, Jonas Vallentin and Niklas Brandt (among others).
  
  I contacted Riotminds, the project creators, during the Kickstarter campaign for an interview. After some mails we decided to postpone it. The artbook contains beside fantastic illustrations some tidbits of information about the setting. I really like what I saw and read.
  
  A few days ago, they launched their Kickstarter for the printed Trudvang Chronicles RPG and I backed it without any hesitation. Since the fine The Fabulous Art of Trudvang I want to know more about the Trudvang Chronicles RPG. After pledging on Kickstarter, I asked Theodore Bergquist, one the founders of Riotminds, for an interview again. I hope you enjoy his answers.
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTeXpCzdhWs
  
  What are the major aspects of the Trudvang Chronicles RPG? Please give us an elevator pitch of the system and the setting.
  It’s Nordic fantasy at it’s best. Norse and celtic myths in a dark mood is something different than what’s out there today. The artwork is ”some of the best artwork I’ve ever seen in a roleplaying game” to quote Angus Abranson writing for ENworld. How the art sync with the story and rules is something we’re very proud of. With inspirational sources like Beowulf, Kalevala, John Bauer and the old Norse sagas, it’s something that can’t go wrong!
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa_b1Cwrnf8
  
  You describe your game “as a skill-based BRP-clone” (BRP = Basic Role-Playing Game, Call of Cthulhu, Runequest, etc.). What makes the Trudvang Chronicles RPG system-wise unique?
  Wow, that’s a broad question. I’d say how the rule system is linked to the setting is one thing. Combat is pretty unique with ”dynamic” capacity whereas the player decide from round to round how many attacks, parries, move etc, is drawn from a pool of Capacity Points. Damages can be “open-ended” (if you roll 10, roll again) which mean that even the smallest guy can defeat the biggest troll.
  
  
  Drakar och Demoner Trudvang (Image: Riotminds)
  
  Also what’s quite unique is how we handle religion and faith. Each race and even humans have their own gods and powers, it’s not a generic system for all races. Magic is more down to earth, more shaman-like with different kind of styles to weave magic (singing, chanting, stave-magic, etc.).
  
  
  The Fabulous Art of Trudvang (Image: Riotminds)
  
  How would you describe a typical Trudvang Chronicles “adventure group” and what makes them interesting? Which cool classes, races, powers, etc. can players expect?
  A typical group would be pretty much the same as in all RPGs (a warrior, a mage, a bard, a thief), but what really differs is the context they play in. This game is far from dungeon-crawl and endless search for more treasures, it’s more about taking part of something bigger, a saga. The main villain might not be that big green dragon, it may as well be the evil forest, or the icy plains. Nature and spirits of nature play an important role in the setting. At the same time, not all sagas are big, some are just short and mysterious.
  
  Races and classes are also pretty much same as in any other game, but what makes them different is the depth and the story behind. How a dwarf is born, why the dark elves are dark, why the Stormlanders shave their head, that kind of stuff. The stories behind are the cool stuff I’d say. It gives each character more meat on the bone than just “+5 on this, or that”, or “this cool power for this”.
  
  Trudvang Chronicles RPG is based on Norse and Celtic myths and sagas. How does this affect the game? What are stories that players will tell? Which kind of threats will they likely have to oppose?
  It affects the mood of the game. This is a grim and dark saga, just like the old Norse and Celtic sagas. The ”otherworld” is always present, it’s always there reaching out for the players, drag them into the mist – kind of feeling. Also, the Bestiary is pretty unique Scandinavian I’d say. We include monsters never seen before in fantasy games, and they got a story too.
  
  
  The Fabulous Art of Trudvang: Giants (Image: Riotminds)
  
  It’s more than playing a game, it’s like taking part of a saga.
  
  Who or what is Riot Minds?
  We’re a bunch of people who started 16 years ago with the ambition to create good quality games for the Swedish market. We’ve produced numerous of games and books, both for Trudvang but also for Götterdämmerung (an 18th century, mystery game) and a local game called Drakar och Demoner. The founders are Magnus Malmberg and myself (Theodore Bergqvist). I’ve spend 12 years in the PC gaming business founding Paradox Interactive and Gamersgate, but that’s all history now.
  
  
  Götterdämmerung (Image: Riotminds)
  
  After the Kickstarter, what kind of further development can fans expect? Any other projects you want to share?
  Yes, aside from expanding Trudvang Chronicles with world setting books and campaigns, we plan to release a Kickstarter campaign for Götterdämmerung. It’s an 18th century dark mystery/horror game with secret societies, occultism, faith against science kind of game. It was hailed as “The game of the year” in Sweden when it was released. We’re so looking forward to this one. It’s build on the same rule system as Trudvang and thus the setting and rules are very much connected. Most likely to launch that campaign beginning of 2017, but may be earlier. News on our FB-page.
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc3u0PNwZPA
  
  Why do you think fans should support the Kickstarter for Trudvang Chronicles RPG right now?
  Well, if you like Nordic and Celtic fantasy, the artwork from Paul Bonner and Alvaro Tapia, 6 books, one map, one adventure and more for $ 70, it’s a pretty solid package. This is an award winning game and I think people will say ”hey, that’s truly something I have not seen before.” Quality and hand-craft is exceptional, if I may say.
  
  
  Trudvang Chronicles RPG (Image: Riotminds)
  
  Finally, how do you explain the international success of so many Swedish games (KULT, Mutant: Year Zero / Genlab, Coriolis, Mutant Chronicles, Symbaroum)? Please tell us more about Swedish roleplaying scene.
  I guess the no 1 thing is that role playing games was really big in Sweden in the 80´, and I mean really big. It’s always been there since then. When we released the first version of Trudvang 16 years ago we set a new standard with high quality books and everyone could see it was doable. Kult is a story of itself I think. It was big outside Sweden even back then. If you haven’t checked out Symbaroum, it’s also pretty cool. Love the art-work! Or just wait for Götterdämmerung!
  
  
  Götterdämmerung RPG (Image: Riotminds)
  
  Thank you, anything else you want to add?
  I want to thank all our backers. They are our gods! They made a dream come through! Thanks for your support!
  
  You can support the Trudvang Chronicles RPG project until 2. Okt 2016 on Kickstarter. I did …
  

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• Troodon80 Member, Developer Posts: 4,110

  September 2016

  ... Another Kickstarter I'll probably contribute to. Last one was The Dark Eye.

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• Kamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870

  September 2016 edited September 2016

  It's been a while. And there has been some rather exciting news about Trudvang Chronicles' campaign going on!
  
  For one, a brand new pledge level has been added for those who prefer .pdf's over physical books (+ involved shipping costs/customs taxes).
  
  As shown above, for only 400 SEK (€42, £35,50, $47) you get seven books. The books consist of 3 main books, two supply books, and two adventures. It has been hinted at that each book will have ca. 120 pages.
  Plus you get access to their RiotOnline service for up-to-date information about rules and the setting.
  
  
  
  The biggest surprise was the revelation about the not-quite-stretch-goals-but-close Easter Eggs, a little extra from RiotMinds to their backers:
  
  

  EASTER EGGS!

  Hey all backers! First of all, super-thanks for your great support in this campaign. We can’t say enough how happy we are to share this setting and game with you. In just a few days we ”ran out” of stretch goals thanks to a fantastic momentum and your support. Even though we do have material and further plans we want to avoid a logistic nightmare, both compiling all the material and to send it out. We’re already stretching the cost for shipping. Therefore, we will not include any more stretch-goals in this campaign…
  
  HOWEVER! We introduce a set of EASTER EGGS along the way. Consider the EASTER EGGS as “icing on the cake”, something extra, a bonus for all the backers and a way for us to say THANK YOU for supporting us.
  
  Egg #1. CRACKED!!! Tales from Trudvang
  
  "Greetings, brave adventurers. I trust that you are tired and weary. Your journey must have been a most arduous one. Come closer now, warm yourselves by the hearth and treat yourselves to some mead, I want to hear all about it. The world of Trudvang is a vast one. For thousands and thousands of miles its great landscape stretches on from the elven archipelago of Soj in the south to the blistering cold wasteland of Icy plains in the farthest north. It is the home of sagas, the deep forests and great adventure. For many a century thousands of brave heroes have come and gone as they together have sought to uncover the hidden places of this world and repel the dark forces that seek to claim them as their own. They have loved, lost, sacrificed and lived their lives by the sword from Wildheart to the Silferspiir mountains and beyond. Living lives of solitude in the vast wilderness it is to them that the denizens of Trudvang owe their lives.
  
  The Tales from Trudvang are the stories they tell, the adventures they have endured and the sagas they have written. Tales from Trudvang is an anthology, stories told by the true heroes, compiled in a pdf OR embedded in the rules and setting in the core rules. By: Max Herngren Derpich, also the author of The Elven Horn. Approx: 20-30 pages."
  
  
  Egg #2. To be cracked at SEK 1.250.000
  
  Egg #3. To be cracked at SEK 1.500.000
  
  Egg #4. To be cracked at SEK 1.750.000
  
  Egg #5. To be cracked at SEK 2.000.000
  

  
  
  Trudvang Chronicles is currently at 1.222.915 SEK thanks to the support of 1.411 backers. Meaning the second Easter Egg will be reached with just a further 27.085 SEK. As one can guess, the tension is high amongst the fans of what RiotMinds will cook up next for us.

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• Kamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870

  September 2016

  Trudvang Chronicles has entered the last 55 hour phase. And wow, the momentum this campaign has received so far was excellent!
  
  Even all the post-stretch goal Easter Eggs were cracked by the steady influx of backers:
  
  

  Egg #2. CRACKED! SOUNDTRACK
  
  We just cracked another great easter egg and we give you 6 composed Trudvang themes for your play. Composed and produced by Simon Kölle, a long time Trudvang-fan. Here you can see his full work. https://waerloga.bandcamp.com/album/drakar-och-demoner-trudvang-ost
  
  Egg #3. CRACKED - PAUL BONNER
  
  3rd egg cracked and we let Paul Bonner out of the cage once more. We let him produce some additional-not-planned-for-Trudvang-exclusive art. Maybe a new cover, some interior art or simply a bunch of single figures.
  
  Egg #4. CRACKED - DESKTOP IMAGES
  
  We give you a set of very cool hirez desktop images to have as backgrounds on your computer, just to be able to check out every little detail. First and foremost the Bonner art, but also a compilation of Alvaro Tapia's art.
  
  Egg #5. CRACKED - QUICKSTART ADVENTURE
  
  We give you a quick-start-adventure from David Malmström, a long time fan and member of the ”extended” RiotMinds family.
  
  The quick start adventure will be a smaller adventure for the beginners with rules and examples integrated with the adventure so that you and your group can start playing without having to dig into every detail of the game once it’s released. The quick start adventure will be released in pdf format for download.

  
  
  There are still a bit over two days to pledge for those interested.
  2.585 backers already did with an astonishing amount of SEK 2.160.287 !

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• Kamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870

  October 2016 edited October 2016

  Aaaand it's funded! Yay~ :-)
  The end result? 3.273 backers contributed 2.709.837 SEK to make the English localization of Trudvang Chronicles a reality. I hope everyone who planned to back this campaign here got their chance.

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• Kamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870

  January 2017

  TRUDVANG CHRONICLES - THE Most Anticipated RPGs of 2017!

  "We took nominations. We held a massive poll, and nearly 5,000 people voted. And now we have the definitive list of the Top 10 most anticipated tabletop roleplaying games for 2017."
  
  TRUDVANG CHRONICLES IS #1, and we're DAMN proud of it!
  
  http://www.enworld.org/forum/content.php?3781-And-Here-Are-The-Official-10-Most-Anticipated-RPGs-of-2017!

  
  You read right!
  Just now, Trudvang was nominated and won the top spot for EN World's Official 10 Most Anticipated Tabletop RPGs of 2017~
  No doubt it's a great honor for RiotsMind indeed!
  
  Also, here is the list of this year's contesters for those who are interested:

  1. Trudvang Chronicles
     
  2. Tales from the Loop
     
  3. Kult: Divinity Lost
     
  4. Star Trek Adventures
     
  5. Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of
     
  6. Starfinder
     
  7. Witcher
     
  8. Coriolis
     
  9. Delta Green Roleplaying Game
     
  10. Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea 2E
      

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• ThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235

  January 2017

  Okay, that artwork is amazing.

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• Kamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870

  June 2017

  There is now an exclusive preview of the most anticipated RPG 2017 at EnWorld. Namely Trudvang Chronicles's pre-edited GM-Guide. Here is a part of the article (due to the forum character limits). So please check out the article linked above for the full read.

  
  
  RiotMinds Trudvang Chronicles was voted the Most Anticipated RPG of 2017 by ENWorld Readers earlier this year. Part of the ongoing Swedish Invasion Trudvang Chronicles was translated into English after an incredibly successful Kickstarter that wrapped in October 2016. Now the game is finished and about to be released to the masses and we’ve managed to get some sneak peeks of the game courtesy of RiotMinds Theodore Bergquist and Magnus Malmberg. We’ve split the preview in to two parts. This first part looks at the world of Trudvang…
  
  
  
  Welcome to Trudvang Chronicles, a roleplaying game set in a world of fairy tales, heroic deeds, trolls, and dragons, where much of the land is covered in primordial forests full of darkness and mystery.
  
  Trudvang, a world of sagas, legends and myths. A place where nature rules over all with greater power than men, elves, dwarves, and Wildfolk combined. A world of magnificent mountains, roaring rapids, and deep, enchanted forests.
  
  

  
  
  
  Wilderness and ancient tradition
  It is a land of extreme wilderness and ancient tradition. Trolls lurk behind moss-covered rocks and pierce the cover of night with their yellow eyes in search of unwary travelers on the muddy Darkwood roads. Great horsemasters thunder across the plains of Mittland with swords and shields upon their mighty steeds, in search of conquest that will allow them to take their place among the heroic kings of old. To the east, in the Stormlands, a hard and grizzled folk shed blood in the name of the gods of storm and chaos. Bound by ancient customs, they seek to honor their forebears and clan in defying the untamed wilderness that they call home. To the west the Viranns sit in lofty towers of stone, seeking ancient knowledge that mankind thought lost forever, while in the south the elves seek to understand why their gods once left them in their time of greatest need. Under mountain, rock, and stone, the sons of soot hammer away at their anvils by the roaring logi furnaces in the underbelly of the world. And to the farthest north there is only The great ice plains, a place so cold and dark that it is said that none can remain alive there longer than they can remain awake.
  
  As a campaign setting, the world of Trudvang is imbued with great mystery and adventure but also sadness and weariness to a certain extent. In contrast to many other fantasy worlds, Trudvang is highly influenced and colored by Norse and Celtic mythology and history in all forms. In creating the world, great inspiration has been drawn from many places, but none are more apparent than the art of John Bauer, the Finnish national epic Kalevala, and the story of Beowulf.
  
  The Lands and Peoples of Trudvang
  Trudvang is made up of the Stormlands to the east, Westmark to the west, and Mittland between the two. There is also the archipelago of Soj in the south where the elves make their home, and the wild Nhoordland to the north where trolls, Wildfolk, and all sorts of unsavory characters dwell in the shadow of the great mountain range called Jarngand and the deepest forest of them all: Darkwood. To the farthest north, where only hrimtursirs roam, there is the Great White, where few dare venture. To travel across such a vast continent is no light matter. Merely traveling from city to city or from forest to forest can be the focus of an entire campaign. The wanderers and heroes who undertake such a magnificent trek will soon find that nature itself can prove to be the mightiest adversary of all.
  
  Mittland
  Mittland is, above all else, a land of great heroes and mighty deeds. A place sprung from legend and myth where plains of high grass spread out as far as the eye can see, upon which wild horses roam, majestic and free. Gryphons soar above mighty mountain peaks that cut open the red sun in the sky as if it were an open wound. Rapids thunder forth and grow ever wider as they slither across and around the hills and cairns that stand testimony to the lost warriors and kings of old that all Mittlanders seek to join in glory. Mittland is a place almost frozen in time, greater and wider than any other realm in Trudvang. A place where danger is as connected with death as it is with the chance for glory and great deeds. A place where skalds record and immortalize the people who lead their lives by the sword in search of the moment where all will be counted and they will go down in history for what they have done. It is an awe-inspiring place unlike any other, savage and civil all at once, caught between the Stormlands and Westmark not only geographically but also in spirit. To the east the faith in The Eald Tradition is strong, but from the west the influence of Westmark and the One god Gave grows ever stronger. Just as religion unites the Stormlands, it divides Mittland.
  
  Mittland is also very fertile, considered to be the greatest farmland in all of Trudvang. Wheat and rye and a man’s harvest will determine his riches, and the greatest families and clans are often made by the land that they own and farm. So even though Mittland is iconic by its tradition of heroes and legends, its true power lies within the earth and sets it apart from other lands as a place of prosperity and great fertility.
  
  But even so, the Mittlander is defined by battle. Here all men and women are created equal under the sun as long as they can wield a weapon and use it to strike down their enemies. Courage and bravery are considered to be traits that all great Mittlanders must possess, and death by old age or sickness is considered a great dishonor. This is perhaps why most Mittlanders welcome death in battle gladly, as it might be their chance to claim a glorious end. This has led to many Mittlanders using their shields to deal blows instead of parrying them.
  
  However, no death is worth much unless it is sung of by a skald. The skalds are as revered as dimwalkers (the name for holy men and holy women) might be in other cultures, as they hold the power over people’s destinies. Legends told by skalds have come to define Mittland and its people, as many religions, gods, and systems of belief have been sprung from them. In this fashion, most things are legendary and mythological in Mittland. Beasts, people, objects, and poems all hold power and legacy.
  
  The Eald Tradition
  The Eald Tradition is a complex belief system that still rules over the eastern parts of Mittland, while the western parts are slowly but surely being converted to The Tenet of Nid. What started as a simple worship of Whote has developed into a pattern of myths and customs that are deeply connected with nature and the four seasons. The Eald Tradition has evolved into the worship of great deeds and battle due to the hostile climate of Mittland. Gryphons soar high in the sky, lindwurms lurk in the marshes, and thornbeasts come down from the mountains to swallow people whole.
  
  Thus, The Eald Tradition is centered around reverence of heroes and their accomplishments. Bravery in one’s heart is the greatest trait that one can possess, and lone warriors and heroes often have more power and respect than kings and lords that hold great riches. The old hero kings who lived their lives by the sword before they rose to power are truly respected. One will often hear in the songs of the skalds that a battle was won by a single hero or a beast was slain by a lone warrior. The greatest wish of a warrior from Mittland is to have a song or tale written about their deeds. To reach such status is the ultimate proof that you will live on forever.
  
  Not only are heroes revered within The Eald Tradition, but so too are the weapons and objects they wield. They are inscribed, decorated, and given names and legends of their own. Items are often passed down from generation to generation and continue the legacy of a family or clan. It is not uncommon that such a weapon or object will become more famous than the hero who wields it. People out to make names for themselves as heroes of Mittland often seek such items.
  
  Some of the most prominent gods, heroes, and nature spirits renowned within The Eald Tradition are Whote the restless wanderer, Othwolk the guardian of Othwa, and Shurd the lord of darkness and dragons.
  
  
  
  Whote
  The great wanderer, maker of the ancient tree Yggdhraasil and the father of all mankind. Whote was the one who would not sit and hearken, but instead he abandoned the other gods and spirits and with his ravens and great spear he wandered out into the world to experience it for himself. He is often depicted as a great and huge man even though he is seldom worshipped or prayed to. He loves man most as they are his creation and he often concerns himself with their business - which he learns a great deal about through his raven messengers.
  
  Othwolk
  Othwa is the realm of heroes and the kingdom of the fallen, and Othwolk is its undefeated guardian. He takes the shape of a great wight with cuirass of skulls and a huge axe, or as a black lindwyrm that lurks in the shadows. In the mists in between Othwa and Trudvang he stands watch. He only enters Trudvang to retrieve the ones who have left Othwa, for no one has that right. He is the great warrior who will meet the fallen and judge them at the gates of Othwa. He is both feared and respected.
  
  Shurd
  If Whote is the protector and guardian of mankind, Shurd - his son - is its greatest enemy. Shurd is a dark lord and master of great beasts such as dragons. He battled the gods in the Age of Dreams and forged bindings of shadow to shackle mankind. He loathes all that is synonymous with light and life and always seeks to thwart the prosperity of the world. Only dark and obscure cults dare worship shurd today, as he is shunned by most people.
  
  Muspelheim
  But Nhoordland is also inhabited by another people, the dwarves of Tvologoya in the realm om Muspelheim. They are steadfast and durable like the mountains they live under. They do not allow themselves to be bothered or moved by arbitrary things and events, standing where they always have unlike the humans that wage war or emigrate for even the smallest change. The sons of soot and stone value that which is lasting, that which remains and is as it always has been, like the mountains. This is perhaps because the dwarves have been here for so very long, some people even say longer than the elves. It is said and sung that the dwarves came from the sparks that were emitted when the shaper Borjorn struck his mighty anvil with his hammer and created the world. When these sparks hit the ground, they took the shapes of worms that slithered about and hid beneath rock and stone. Borjorn noticed the sparks and was fascinated by their transformation. He started to shape the worms and bestow them with a consciousness, the power to craft, and strong and sturdy souls. Ever since that moment when the worms became what we today call dwarves, there have been three types in Trudvang: the Buratja, the Borjornikka (gray dwarves), and the Zvorda (troll dwarves).
  
  Today the dwarves live in the underbelly of the world known as Muspelheim. They keep to themselves and hammer away by the burning logi furnaces, forging things of such might and beauty that ordinary folk cannot fathom the craftsmanship. But the dwarves, however stubborn, have no choice but to commune with the outside world, and it is most often the Borjornikka that deal with traders of the northern Stormlands or the parts of Mittland that exist in the shadow of Jarngand.
  
  The Buratja keep to themselves and labor by the lava rivers of the deep chasms. They do not seek to commune with or understand others and are perfectly happy to simply do that which they do best: craft. They spend so much time by the anvil and the logi furnaces that their very skin has evolved to withstand their heat. The Buratja are the greatest crafters of all the dwarves.
  
  The Zvorda dwarves are sometimes called troll dwarves by common folk. This is because of their immense size and strength and their more brutish appearance. These dwarves often labor as warriors, masons, or tunnel diggers and lead lives of great unrest and weariness. This may have to do with the fact that, until The Age of the Iron Dragon, the Zvorda were few in number and were very lonely folk.
  
  Thuuldom
  The dwarves of Muspelheim worship the mountain itself. They believe in the stone, in its inner workings and the precious metals within. Holy dwarves are known as rune smiths, or Thuuls. They are the ones who hold sway over the mountain and the art of shaping it into things so precious and near-divine that not a living soul in Trudvang could hope to mimic them. Thuuls have learned the secret ways to study and refine the mountain and its raw materials. This art is worshipped by all dwarves. The rune smiths can spend days, weeks, and even years to find the perfect materials and components for their divine craft. It is as if they seek precious stones and metals that were made by Borjorn himself for the sole purpose of being used by the Thuul.
  
  This is by far the most important mission that the Thuuls have in the everyday lives of dwarves. Certain minerals, gems, and ores have a single purpose. Some are meant for weapons, and others for armor, houses, or tools. Not until a Thuul receives a vision of what a certain piece of rock should be used for can it be drained by other dwarves. When a Thuul receives such a vision, they place a rune upon that rock and its purpose is then known to all. Some parts of the mountain remain unmarked for long periods of time, sometimes entire ages. These mineral deposits and their purposes are unclear to the Thuuls and thus remain untouched. The dwarves have deep respect for such deposits, fearing what slumbering power resides within, and avoid them until they are marked by a Thuul.
  
  Borjorn
  The great maker and shaper, Borjorn is the one who is believed to have created the dwarves and perhaps even the very mountains themselves. When Borjorn struck his great anvil with his mighty hammer, sparks erupted. From those sparks maggots appeared and they crawled around at the feet of Borjorn. The maggots slithered away to dig nests and homes under the rock. Borjorn quickly grew fond of the maggots, as he did with all his creations. He saw that they loved the rock, the soot and the mountain and that they seemed to be in connection with it. He gave them a soul and little hearts of their own and the power to shape the rock that they loved so much. He also gave to them the kingdom of Muspelheim where the dwarves now dwell, deep in underbelly of the world.
  
  The Mountain
  If there is one thing that his holy to the dwarves, it is the mountain itself. It is their home and the place from which they draw their power. Their entire culture is centered around the mountain and the stone that makes up its shape. Therefore, mountain is revered in a greater way than anything in the dwarven culture. A mineral or rock can only be mined and shaped once its purpose has been revealed and understood. For even the smallest pebble and grain of dirt has a destiny. Such destinies can be as mighty as being the jewel in the king’s crown or to be a step in a stairwell. The ones who can decipher the destiny of the mountain are called Thuls and once they have decided what role a stone or mineral has to play, they will place the mark upon it in the form of a great rune. There are some rocks that never have their purpose revealed and such rocks are feared and respected. The dwarves do not know what events might be set in motion or what forces might be called upon if they should dare tinker with it. Therefore, entire cities can sometimes be constructed around a single block of stone or a deposit of minerals that have no known destiny.
  
  
  
  Nhoordland
  Nhoordland is untamed wilderness. It is the greatest landscape to the far north and stretches from the shorelines of the west to the cold forests of the east. In its midst sits the great mountain range of Jarngand that splits the land in half like a great tooth, its peaks so high and inaccessible that not even the greatest giants or well-traveled dwarves have managed to tame them or master them. Like a great wall, the range stretches across all of Trudvang and protects the world from the dark forces of the unexplored north.
  
  Nhoordland is home to the legendary and mythological forest of Darkwood, which is known far and wide as a dangerous and treacherous place. Under the covers of its gnarly and twisted branches, tribes of trolls and wurm-like dragons keep secrets untold, unfathomable by humans, dwarves, and elves.
  
  The Great White is also considered part of Nhoordland, a region of icy plains where no human, dwarf, or elf dwells. Here the land is so cold, dark, and ancient that it is nearly uninhabitable. The snow lies so deep and cold that most people cannot summon the strength to wander through it. The mountains reach so high and are so ice clad that no explorer could hope to climb them. Many a brave adventurer lies buried beneath the ice and snow, slain not by foe but by weather. Here the great frost giants, the hrimtursirs, roam the landscape and build great castles of ice. Here the wind bites the skin like a thousand icy daggers and moves great mounds of snow with such fury that some say Stormi himself seeks to subdue the landscape. The Great White is the true domain of the wild.
  
  Nhoordland is so vast that many people and creatures call it home, including dragons, Wildfolk, trolls, and many others. But when people talk about Nhoordland, most speak of two kingdoms: one above ground and one below. Arkland is the name of the kingdom in western Jarngand, where the wild Arks roam with their horrid thorn beasts. Tvologoya is the kingdom beneath the mountains in Muspelheim, where the dwarves of soot and stone dwell.
  
  The Wildfolk are a barbaric and untamed people that live all across Nhoordland, from the deep forests and inaccessible mountains of the Stormlands to the coasts of Sylvan and the war-ravaged land of Thoorkal in the west. They are often viewed as unsavory characters with a nature more like that of beasts than of humans. They view themselves differently and call themselves “Hwelpor,” or the Wildborn. Comprised of smaller groups and peoples connected by their savage way of life and culture, they include Amurs, Bults, Kandovs, and Arks.
  
  Wildfolk live in hidden places that others find hard to access. They dwell in deep forests, high up in the mountains, and in abandoned castles and cairns far from the watching eyes of others. Their way of life is barbaric and primitive, and they value strength and conflict as the only true meaning in life. Most Wildfolk live like nomads, moving from place to place without settling for too long in one spot. They are also held together by Haminges, the dark faith.
  
  Haminges
  Haminges is the dark and barbaric faith practiced by the wild and troll folk of Nhoordland. The backbone of the religion is simple: strength. Followers believe that the soul has power and that within every living creature resides its strength and might. They believe that this soul can be controlled and whipped into submission and, in the end, consumed. When you kill a body in which a soul resides, that soul and all its power will be transferred to the one that struck the killing blow.
  
  Those who practice Haminges worship violence, battle, bloodlust, death, and chaos. To be strong and hold command over others are awe-inspiring traits in the religion. The wild and troll folk that follow Haminges have started many a war and slain many foes in the belief that by doing so they grow stronger. This is also why many Wildfolk, trolls, barbarians, and other evil creatures don the skulls and remains of their slain foes, not only to display their power but also to enhance it. Because of this, Haminges is often connected with cannibalism.
  
  The most prominent gods in Haminges are Gellti the dark mother, Vigan the giant, and Mastru the deceiver.
  
  Gellti
  One can say that the goddess Gellti is the aspect of life for those who follow the dark traditions of Haminges. She is the great devourer and the dark mother. Gellti both gives life and takes it away as she eats from the corpses of the dead and then gives birth to new life from her womb. She is heavily connected with the earth and all that grows, but also that which withers away and fades.
  
  Vigan
  The leader and destroyer. Vigan is often depicted as a great giant wearing a bone mask and he is often sacrificed to when one wishes for power in battle or victory. His great strength comes both from his size and brawn, but primarily from the wailing souls he gathers and consumes as he treks across Trudvang.
  
  Mastru
  The master of lies and deception. The great deceiver. Mastru is an untrustworthy in ill-thought-of god that is most often depicted as a slender and crooked man with a ram’s head. He holds the power of falsehood and truth and since no one can truly know the ways of Mastru or how he wills things, no one trusts him. However, it is impossible to ignore him and not respect since he holds way over luck and those who cast him aside will often find their luck failing them.
  
  
  
  Soj
  It is known by all people on Trudvang that the elves live on Soj, a mythic archipelago far in the south in the stormy Althissea. They came from beyond the rim of Trudvang, where everything is dark and cold and silent. Like spears of burning starlight, they blasted down upon the surface of our world with their gods and makers, the Vanir. When the elves and the Vanir came to Trudvang, many things had already been shaped and crafted. But this new people of starlight came to grow and make many things of their own. They laid seeds in the earth that soon blossomed into forests deep and enchanted, and thus together with their gods they created much of the world that we know today, including their home of Soj. They made it into a place of untamed nature unlike many other places in Trudvang. The stormy Althissea smashes against great jagged sea rocks that rise so high that those who have never seen them could not fathom their enormity. The forests are so deep and the gnarly dwarf pines grow so tightly next to each other upon dark lyktgubbe moss that not even the most skilled adventurer can hope to traverse them without risking becoming lost forever within.
  
  The land has been allowed to become like this since so few humans have settled upon Soj. Apart from the island of Dalheim (ruled by Stormlanders) and parts of Edras (settled by Thronelanders), elves rule supreme on Soj. They do not interfere with nature. They do not farm the land or cut down trees to fuel furnaces. No, they live in harmony with the land, and they do not stay in one place very long to avoid harming the flora around them. Like nomads, they move from place to place, ever seeking to uphold the balance of nature.
  
  To understand who the elves are today, one must understand their history and their relationship with their gods, the Vanir. For the times of prosperity and beauty would not last for long on Soj. The wurms, dragons, came from their blackened pits and spread their dark wings to take Trudvang as their own realm of chaos. The elves and the Vanir rushed to defend their creation and defy the dragons. The two battled side by side, the Vanir seemingly unscathed by dragonfire, and together they turned the tide and held back the oncoming darkness. But so it was that one day the elves went to do battle, and the Vanir did not join them. The elves were abandoned by their makers and had to face their foes alone. The Vanir watched from afar as many elves fell to the fire of the dragons hiding in the shadows. And so, in the end, the elves paid a mighty price for their hard-won victory against the dragons. When the elves sought the Vanir to ask why they had turned their backs in their people’s hour of need, the gods were not there anymore. The Vanir had left Trudvang and returned to the cold darkness whence they came. Unable to follow their gods, the elves could do nothing but watch the stars grow ever smaller in the night sky as the Vanir drifted farther and farther away.
  
  And so the elves were left to themselves. They wandered, unsure what to do with themselves now that the Vanir were gone. Soon they found that they were beginning to grow old. Time had caught up to them, for when the Vanir left, they took with them the elves’ immortality. The elves began to die, as they had never done before. Generation by generation, their bloodline grew thinner and thinner and the lives of elves grew shorter and shorter. From this almost cataclysmic change, two groups began to take shape: the bright Illmalaini and the dark Korpikalli. The star elves and the dark elves. The two peoples were divided in their view of the gods. The dark elves cursed the Vanir and raised their fists in anger toward the makers that had left them, vowing never again to acknowledge the gods or call upon them. The star elves, however, sought to understand the gods and why they left Trudvang. They view this time as a trial that they are meant to overcome, so they must persevere and not lose faith.
  
  Very few elves remain on Trudvang from the time of the Vanir. Those that do can be found only in dreams and visions.
  
  Toikalokke
  Toikalokke is the name for the divine practice learned by elven stargazers and priests (though the elves call them the high gifts, after the high gods). Those who master these gifts are called Ihana. The Ihana decipher the stars with the help of their star harps to contact the departed gods, the Vanir. By doing so, they learn the ways of the gods, what trials they have placed upon the elves, and how the elves might again walk in their bright starlight. Some elves decipher the stars to understand current events, to draw power, to gain advice on what to do next, or simply to meditate and calm their senses.
  
  The Vanir and the stars
  When the elves arrived to Trudvang they shot down upon its surface like great spears of starlight together with their gods and shepherds, the Vanir. Together the elves and the Vanir made many a thing of great beauty and magnificence and they brought into existence deep forests, roaring rapids and chirping birdsong. But when their hour of need came, when dragons of soot and fire marched out from their deep pits to battle the elves - the Vanir were not there. The elves had to endure this great war alone and even though they stood as victors when the end came, they had payed a mighty price. Alone and confused the elves wandered the surface of Trudvang. There were those who shunned the Vanir and turned to the deep forests - but there were also those who wanted to understand the gods.
  
  The elves believe that the stars that shine upon the night sky are in fact signs of the Vanir, drifting in the void. The ones who seek to decipher the patterns of the stars too gain understandings of the Vanir are called Ihana. By using their star harps they can know if the gods are coming closer or drifting farther away and perhaps what their intent is.
  
  Stormlands
  From the Wildfolk of the north there came a people that today are known as Stormlanders. This grizzled and hardy folk, bound by their traditions, customs, and faith in the great storm, live and do battle against the forces of nature that seek to overthrow their settlements in the eastern parts of the world known as the Stormlands. The Stormlands is the most iconic and wild land that often comes to mind when thinking about Trudvang. With roaring rapids, deep and untamed forests, snowy mountain peaks, and treacherous alpines, it is a hard land where nature still rules with a greater power than in other parts of the world. Here one lives in close contact with nature, both in spirit and in labor, as there is no other choice for the people who have decided to live in such extreme environments. The summers are short but fruitful, and the winters are long, barren, and dark. It is religion, above all else, that binds the Stormlands together as one. Before Gerbanis came to be adopted by the Stormlanders, most folk simply worshipped loosely connected nature deities and their forefathers. No raid, ruler, or common cause was so great that it would unite the peoples of this harsh land. In the end it was the god Stormi, blood gifting, and belief in the great storm that united the Stormlanders as one people.
  

  
  
  

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