Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales

Map of the Barony

Player Notes

Homebrew Elements

Sundria

Dragons

Ships

Magic Academy

Gods and Metaphysics

Barony Laws

Miscellaneous Lore

His soul kept in a chest.

Body and soul torn apart,

Still the lich cheats death.

Cackling with laughter.

First they dance and then they sing,

The danger coming after.

To earn her keep she'll cook and wash, if she wants to stay,

And all us other children, when the supper-meal is done,

We'll sit around the kitchen fire and have enormous fun.

We listen to the creepy tales that Annie tells about,

How the Hobgoblin will getcha, if you don't! watch! out!

Once there was a little boy who wouldn't say his prayers,

And his Mommy heard him scream one night, all the way upstairs,

And when they turned the covers down, he wasn't there at all,

Just his toys and rocking-horse, and little rubber ball.

They'll never find that boy again, no matter how they shout,

Cuz the Hobgoblin will getcha, if you don't! watch! out!

And once there was a little girl who used to laugh and grin,

And make fun of everybody, even blood and kin,

And as she kicked her heels, and turned to run and hide,

There was a great big Black Thing, standing by her side.

He snatched her through the ceiling before she could even shout,

Oh the Hobgoblin will getcha, if you don't! watch! out!

And Little Orphan Annie says, when the fire is blue,

And the lamp-wick sputters, and there's maggots in the stew,

You'd better pay attention to what your parents say,

And light a holy candle, and maybe even pray,

Because if you aren't careful, if you cry or pout,

The Hobgoblin will getcha, if you don't! watch! out!

### **The Seven Ravens**

A man has seven sons and wants a daughter. When she's finally born, he sends his sons to the well for water for her baptism. The sons accidentally drop the jug into the well, and are afraid to return home without the water. Meanwhile, the father grows impatient and shouts, "What a bunch of birdbrains!" A few seconds later, seven ravens fly overhead. The fairies had made it true.

The girl grows up without knowing about her brothers until she overhears someone say that she is to blame for their fate. She asks her parents to explain, and they tell her the truth. She sets out to rescue her brothers, taking only some food, water, and a gold ring.

She travels to a forest where the trees grow candy and chocolate. Her food is running low, and the sweets are very tempting. A voice whispers, "Try some," but she ignores it and continues onward.

She comes to a shallow pond of crystal clear water, with a jeweled necklace at the bottom. It would be so simple to wade in and grab the necklace. A voice whispers, "Take it," but she ignores it and continues onward.

Then she comes to a small clearing, with a circle of mushrooms in the center. She lays down her ring in the middle of the mushrooms, and backs away. Then a small fairy appears. "You're clever," the fairy says. "What is it you want?"

"I want my brothers turned back into humans," the girl says.

"We were only playing a little trick," says the fairy with a smile.

"All the same, I want you to undo it."

"Undoing magic is harder than doing it." the fairy says. It pulls a chicken bone from its pouch and hands it to her. "Your brothers are at the iron mountain. Use this as a key to get inside."

The girl journeys to the iron mountain, but when she arrives, she discovers that she's lost the chicken bone. So she cuts off her little finger and uses it as a key.

Inside the iron mountain, she finds a table with seven plates and seven glasses. Soon after, she hears a flurry of wings, and she hides in a closet. Seven ravens sit down at the table to eat, then one of them sniffs the air. "Brothers!" the raven says. "Someone is here!" The girl gasps with joy and emerges from her hiding place. As she embraces each raven, it turns into a human again. She returns home, brothers following behind her.

### **Dragonslayer**

Once upon a time there was a man who wished to become a dragonslayer. He knew that the greatest dragonslayer in the world was named Korick, and he traveled for hundreds of miles, asking everyone he met, before finally finding him in a small village at the foot of a mountain. "So you wish to be a dragonslayer? It is good that you are persistent," said Korick when they met. "That may help you." They set out together to kill dragons.

First they traveled to a swamp, where they happened upon recently broken eggshells, thick and hard as stone. "An infant dragon is surely near," said Korick. Just then, a black four-legged serpent came running out to meet them. The man swung once with his sword, and chopped its head off. "You are not a dragonslayer yet, but it is good that you are strong," said Korick. "That may help you."

Then they came upon a cave, high on a snowswept peak. The bones of a dozen bears were strewn about the entrance. "A young dragon is surely near," said Korick. Just then, a white four-legged serpent came running out to meet them. It spewed a wickedly cold wind from its throat, but the man dodged it, swung once with his sword, and chopped its head off. "You are not a dragonslayer yet, but it is good that you are quick," said Korick. "That may help you."

Then they went to a forest, and at the base of the tallest tree were the bones of a dozen men. "An adult dragon is surely near," said Korick. Just then, a green winged serpent came flying down to meet them. It sprayed poison from its throat, but the man dodged it. Again it sprayed, and again he dodged. Soon the dragon became frustrated and landed to finish him off, but the man swung once with his sword and chopped its head off. "You are not a dragonslayer yet, but it is good that you are patient," said Korick. "That may help you."

Then they took a boat to a remote desert coastline, where they found the hulls of a dozen wrecked ships. "An old dragon is surely near," said Korick. Just then, a blue winged serpent came flying out of the sky to meet them. It spat lightning from its throat, but the man dodged it. Again it spat, and again he dodged, until it grew frustrated and landed to finish him off. The man swung with his sword, but the old dragon was wily and evaded the blow. It snapped at the man and left a gash in his arm. But the man swung his sword anyway, and chopped its head off. "You are now a dragonslayer, and it is good that you are tough," said Korick. "That may help you."

"Am I not a dragonslayer? Have I not killed this old wily dragon? What do I need help for?" said the man. Korick only smiled. They traveled back to Korick's village at the foot of a mountain. "At the top of this mountain is an ancient dragon that not even I can kill," said Korick. "If you kill it, you will be the greatest dragonslayer in the world."

The man climbed the mountain and found a cave. He entered, and passed places where steam rose from the earth, and molten rock spewed from the ground, but saw no signs of dragons. The cave went deeper and deeper, but still he went on. The cave got colder and colder, but still he went on. He was about to turn back when a glimmer caught his eye. Further in the cave he saw the fortunes of a dozen kingdoms. Vast piles of gold and jewels, and magical artifacts strewn about carelessly. He marveled at the sight.

Just then, a red winged serpent burst out of the gold, breathing fire from its throat. "Persistence will not help you," said the dragon. The man dodged its flame, and the dragon laughed. "Quickness cannot help you," it said. Then it landed in front of him, and when the man swung his sword, the dragon's hide did not give way. The dragon laughed again, and said "Strength cannot help you." It snapped its jaws, and gave him a gash on the leg right back. The man kept swinging, but the dragon laughed. "Toughness cannot help you." They fought back and forth for hours, but the man knew the dragon was only toying with him. "Patience cannot help you," the dragon said. "Now I am bored, and will eat you."

When the man did not return from his quest, Korick knew what had happened. He lit a candle for the man, but did not truly grieve. For one man a year was a small price to pay, for peace with an ancient dragon.

### **Bearskin**

A young wizard comes home after a war to find his village destroyed. He wanders the land, but times are hard and he cannot find a job. Finally, he draws a summoning circle in the dirt and summons a devil. "You would make an amusing slave," says the devil. "If only I could break this circle!"

"Give me a purse of gold that is always full," says the wizard. "I agree," the devil says, "but in exchange you must must wear a bearskin, pray to no gods, and neither wash nor cut your hair for seven years. If you survive, you can keep the purse freely, but you come with me to the Plane of Fire to be my eternal slave if you die." The wizard goes about in a bearskin for four years, giving away gold and asking everyone to pray to the gods for him.

Then, he rescues an old man from prison by paying his debt. "You are such a noble man!" says the old man. "You may marry one of my daughters." The older two daughters are disgusted and reject him. He is dirty, hairy, and he smells of bearskin, but the youngest sister is wise enough to see that only a good man would have saved her father, and agrees to the marriage.

The wizard gives her half of a ring, and tells her that he will return in three years, or be dead, in which case she is free to marry someone else. For three years he survives in the same way he did before, and cleans himself up before visiting the old man again. Everyone is taken by how handsome he is, and no one recognizes him, though the youngest daughter sits quietly in the corner. When the young wizard says he will marry one of the daughters, the older girls go to pretty themselves up. Just as they get back, he shows the youngest the other half of the ring, and they get married.

Some days later, envious and cunning, the older sisters approach their new brother-in-law and ask how to draw a summoning circle. They intend to summon a devil and order it to kill him out of revenge and spite. The younger sister sees through their plan and warns the wizard, so he leaves his explanation incomplete.

The older sisters draw their circle, and the same devil pops through. "You will make amusing slaves," says the devil. "What fortune, that the circle was broken for me!" He snatches the sisters and drags them to the Plane of Fire, and the wizard and his wife live happily ever after.