Tuesday 26 November 2019

[D.R.E.A.D.] Legacy of the 1st Age

Fragments of knowledge concerning the mythical 1st Age

Bragi, holding a harp, sings before his wife Iðunn (1895) by Lorenz Frølich.

Rules

Characters proficient in history, and Elves, can start the game with one fragment of knowledge about the first age.
Read the skill check result first on the general knowledge table here, then on the specific one.
On the general table, the characters knows all entries up to his result, on the specific, he only knows that one.

Reference

This article refers to the 1st Age of the setting, the Age of Yggdrasil

General Knowledge Table:

History check Knowledge
12+
The Gods created Middellærd and the Elves, the Jötnar created the Giants. Elves and Giants fought a 1000 year warThere was a 3rd side to the “eternal war” - Asgardians vs Jötnar vs Vanirians (“gods” vs “titans” vs “primal spirits”)
14+
Asgardians & Vanirians were allied at first, but treachery tore them apart
16+
The Gods certainly created the Elves, but Middellærd was created before (this opinion is considered to be blasphemous for the elves)
18+
The Eternal War went on for over 1000 years and ended in the “Trinity compact”, which strongly limits the influence of divine beings on Middellærd
20+
The Eternal War was sparked by the abduction and desecration of Idunn, the asgardian Goddess of Apples and Youth
22+
The young Jötunn Thiazi had abducted Idunn as a reprisal for the abduction of his daughter Skathi by the Vanirians


Specific Knowledge Table:

History check Knowledge
12
The Elves of the first age were mostly organised under the influence of three very important families, all wearing the name of the first important member of the family (the Nerijorites descending from Nerijoriel, the Tanevonites descending from Tanevyr, and the Alrindelites descending from Alrindel)
13
Nerijoriel was the “First Elf”, supposedly created by Odin himself, using branches of Yggdrasil, a scale of the Jörmungandr (the world serpent) and a tear of Jord (the Jötunn / Titaness of earth)
14
Tanevyr was the “First Mother”, at least the first to bear a child from a non-divine being, and organised the first clan, therefore was also known as the "First Matriarch"
15
Alrindel was known as the “the Wisest” after receiving the gift of knowledge after pledging himself to Mimir, thus also becoming the “First Cleric
16
After the war, Idunn (asgardian Goddess of Apples and Youth), Skathi (jötunn Titaness of bowhunting) and Bekkra (vanirian Archomental of Sea Life) created together an apple orchard as a symbol of appeasement. The salty apples grown there are supposed to give eternal life and the trees' branches make the best possible bows
17
The “Trinity compact” was negotiated by Jorodiel of the Nerijorites, Loki disguised as a Giant named “Ikolag”, and Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, representing the Vanirians
18
At the end of the Eternal War ruled the very talented King-General Jorodiel of the Nerijorites. His armor is supposed to make unvulnerable to mundane weapons
19
Triandel “Jötunn-Slayer” was an exceptional archer and the “First Assassin”. After proving himself to Bragi, God of Poetry, the god offered him a magic brooch, to help him assassinate the Jötunn Thiazi, who had abducted Idunn, Bragi’s wife (thus asserting “revenge” as a poetic notion)
20
Evondiel “the Trapper” is known to be the first non-divine being capable of trapping a Vanirian and tap into his elemental powers for his own profit.
21
Idunn’s orchard is protected by the “Trinitan druidic Order of the Avellenau Orchard
22
Freyja gave her amber mirror (named Spegillsokr) to Völfyr of the Alrindelites, thus giving her the gift of glimpsing in amber the fate of her petitioners. Volfyr was the first of the “Seidrakona”, the amber seeresses, able to foretell the future. They must be female and virgins to keep their gift
23
Foreseeing death all around the world, Hel decided to build the Gjallarbrú as a network of invisible gates (to the living) leading to the bridge, and appointed Modgud as the guardian of the Gjallarbrú. One such doors lies at the bottom of the Œdramarr (the Lake of Madness)
24+
Roll twice 1D12+11 and give the player both results

Who's who and What's what


  • Odin the All-Father: Patriarch God of the Argardians. Creator of the elves.
  • Bragi: asgardian God of Poetry (married to Idunn)
  • Idunn: asgardian Goddess of Apples and Youth (married to Bragi, abducted by Thiazi)
  • Thiazi: jötunn and notorious for his abduction and desecration of Idunn (Father of Skathi)
  • Skathi: jötunn associated with bowhunting (daughter of Thiazi, she was married to Soffereim, the Sapphire Dragon as compensation for her fathers assassination)
  • Nerijoriel the “First Elf”: founder of the Nerijorites lineage
  • Tanevyr the “First Mother”: founder of the Tanevonites lineage
  • Alrindel the “First Cleric”: founder of the Alrindelites lineage
  • Hel: God or Jötunn (unknown) of the Underrealm, watcher of the unworthy deads
  • Modgud: guardian of the Gjallarbrú, the bridge over the river Gjöll, which encloses the underworld
  • Gjallarbrú: bridge to the underworld
  • Œdramarr: the Lake of Madness, where a door to the Gjallarbrú is situated
  • Loki: the most well known Jötunn, infamous for his uncanny capacity to fool all beings. His spectacular misdeeds outweight his goods deeds, but he is not per se an evil character
  • Middellærd: the continent that saw the birth of the Elves and the surprising arrival of the humans
  • Avellenau Orchard: the holy apple tree orchard founded by Idunn, Skathi and Bekkra, after the Eternal War
  • Bekkra: vanirian Archomental of Sea Life
  • Bahamut: vanirian Platinum Dragon, king of the good aligned dragons
  • Soffereim: vanirian Sapphire Dragon (married Skathi after the war)
As always, remarks, comments and questions are welcome !

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