recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Roman Christianity

Chaste, Forgiving, Merciful, Modest, Temperate

The Roman Church is a hierarchical, inter-kingdom organization with its head in Rome, who is called the Pope. The primacy of the Pope is only about 150 years old and established in the Roman Bible. It is modeled on the medieval Roman Church in its appearance and rites. It stands wholly apart from the secular leadership hierarchy.

The Roman Church first came to Britain when King Lucius invited missionaries to come to Londinium and teach around 150 e.v. The priests Faganus and Dyvanus established a church in Londinium, which still stands, and began their teaching. They first confined their preaching primarily in the cities, and many parts of rural Logres have churches with semi-educated priests who allow semi-pagan practices to continue.

Almost 200 years ago, in 306 e.v., the greatest Roman Emperor departed from Britain and conquered the corrupt Roman Empire. He was Constantine of Britain, the only Roman Emperor ever titled the Great, who later was made into a saint. He converted his empire to Christianity and gave over much of its administration to the Church. Since that time, their bishops have held political power (especially in the cities) even though the empire has fallen.

The Roman Church holds its own property. They have a separate judicial system called Canon Law, which oversees legal issues within its membership. They hold property that is often in free alms, which means they are not responsible to any secular lord for it. They also hold property by the normal grant of fief, like lords and knights, and those who do must supply troops for those holdings.
Norse paganism

Norse Paganism is similar in many ways to its Saxon counterpart. Pagan Scandinavians believe that our world, called Midgard, is only one of nine worlds joined by the sacred ash tree, Yggdrasil. Among the other worlds are Hel, the grim abode of the dead, and Asgard, the home of the gods. The most popular god is Thor, the bluff, warlike, god of thunder, while the mysteries of Odin, brooding king of the gods, are reserved for chieftains and nobles. It was Odin who gave humans the art of poetry and mastered the secret of seidr (sorcery). Norse pagans believe that the world will end at Ragnarok ~ a massive battle between gods and giants, and that a new world will rise from the ruins.

## The Gods

There are many gods and goddesses in Norse belief. Some of the most significant are:

* Odin, king of the gods, god of magic, and father of the slain.
* Frigga, his wife, queen of the gods.
* Thor, god of thunder, strongest of the gods.
* Tyr, god of war.
* Heimdall, watchman of the gods.
* Freyr, god of fertility, one of the tribe of gods called Vanir.
* Freyja, sister of Freyr, goddess of love.
* Njord, father of Freyr and Freyja, god of the sea.
* Aegir, another god of the sea.
* Bragi, god of poetry.

As important, if not more so, than the gods are the spiritual creatures that inhabit the world, who can bring health or sickness, good luck or bad, and even help humans foretell their own fortunes. One of the most important is the fylgja, an animal spirit that represents a person. If a man whose fylgja is a goat sees a dead goat, for instance, this might be an omen of his coming death.

Norse pagan rituals vary from place to place but traditionally they were an important part of public life, with feasts and sacrifices to mark holidays and commence public events such as legal proceedings. Offerings may include gold and silver or homelier gifts, like food or cloth. Worshippers of Odin hang animal sacrifices from trees in memory of the time the god himself hung upon Yggdrasil to gain wisdom; offerings in multiples of nine, the sacred number of Odin, are particularly holy. The most powerful sacrifice, practiced at the holy site of Uppsala in Sweden, is the sacrifice of nine different kinds of living creature (including human beings).

Norse pagans believe that an individual’s fate is fixed before death by supernatural beings called norns and that nothing can change this outcome. Fortune-telling to discover one’s fate by casting bone or stone tablets carved with runes or spattering blood from twigs and examining the patterns is a common practice in Norse communities, even Christian ones. Like Germanic pagans, Norse pagans believe that the dead sometimes walk and speak even after death. Slain Vikings might rise from their graves to demand vengeance or warn their descendants of impending doom.
Shub-Niggurath

## Perceptions of Shub-Niggurath

* Shub-Niggurath is the Magna Mater, the great mother. The bountiful fruit that sprouts from her loins is diseased and foul at its heart.
* Shub-Niggurath is the rot and fungus that blights crops and drives men mad. Burning the fields does nothing to stop the spread.
* Shub-Niggurath is Mary, mother of the Christ child, and the Magdalene. She is virtuous and debased, promising greatness for all of mankind while slowly rotting away the core.
* As the bringer of fecundity and fertility, Shub-Niggurath is also the spoiler in the shed, and that which rots food and sickens children.
Pontius Pilate

Pontius Pilate is anything but a traditional vampire, dwelling at the bottom of the lake on Mons Fractus. Insanely strong, Pilate is able to toss most humans around like toys. Much to the dismay of knights, the cross, a symbol of the man he persecuted, has no effect. Pilate is also not affected by daylight and can summon storms to aid him. He still wears the robes of his office, although it has been a thousand years since he officially held a title and they now hang in tatters.

Rumors say the serpent people of Mons Fractus are in possession of a dragon stone that allows the possessor to overcome Pilate’s ability to reform. Pilate maintains a group of thralls deep within the caverns beneath the lake in order to maintain his magic points.

PONTIUS PILATE, vampiric lord of Mons Fractus

STR 150

CON 70

SIZ 80

DEX 105

INT 90

POW 180

Move: 12

Hit Points: 15

Magic Points: 36

Damage Bonus: +2D6

Build: 3

Magic Points: 36

Combat

Attacks per round: 1

Fighting 60% (30/12), damage 1D4+DB

Bite 70% (35/14), damage 1D6; D10+2 STR; automatic worry\*

Gaze Opposed POW roll\*\*

Dodge 45% (22/9)

\*Bite: +1D6 blood and +2D10+2 STR drain per round thereafter (Pilate gains +1 magic point per STR point consumed). Opposed STR roll to dislodge the fiend.

\*\*Gaze: Oppose POW roll; if Pilate is successful, the target is hypnotized and will follow simple, non self-destructive commands. If a self-destructive command is given, the victim is allowed an INT roll to break the hypnosis.

Armor: Impaling (Extreme) attacks inflict normal damage to a vampire; other attacks are reduced to half of rolled damage. Pilate reforms when reduced to zero hit points. Means to permanently kill Pilate are left to the Keeper’s discretion.

Spells: Pilate knows Alter Weather and 1D4 more spells at the Keeper’s discretion.

Sanity Loss: 0/1D4 to see Pilate flash his fangs.
Seal samhladh

Seal lives in the broad waters of the Otherworld, surrounded by a chorus of his descendants. Seal is the largest animal in the North, and Seal clans are renowned for their stature and their singing, especially in chorus. Seal clans are found mostly along the west and north coasts, among the islands and sea-lochs.

## Geas

* Defend your land
* Return to your birth-land at least once a year

## Powers

### Clan's Benefits

* +3 Love (Family)
* +1 SIZ
* +10 Swimming

### Fiosaiche's Benefits

Fiosaiches gain the ability to breathe underwater for up to 15 minutes before surfacing to take a breath. The fiosaiche must make a successful Trusting roll to use this power.
Market town

A market town has a royally-sanctioned market that collects local goods for resale, and also sells specialty goods from nearby. Once a year it sponsors a great fair, to which people come from the whole region. These are called the “liberties of market and fair.”

All market town residents have free tenure, which means they are not ordinary villein tenants, but burgesses (more or less “citizens of the settlement”). Such a town is sometimes called liber burgus, or “free town.” The burgesses are “free” only in comparison to their neighbor villeins and serfs. Burgesses never have to do duty for their lord, but still have similar duties in the hundred, county and church, and to their town now as well.

The burgesses pay their collective fee farm to a resident royal bailiff, who is locally responsible to enforce the law, oversee all collections, and seek violators of the law.

These rights basically allow the town members to recirculate their profits for the town’s improvement, and to pay the same fixed ferm amount each year to the king. Otherwise they are free from the king’s interference.

Only royally-sanctioned markets obtain this freedom of ruling their own affairs. The process requires the members of a seigniorial town getting burgage status from its lord (for a price), and then petitioning the king (and paying a fee), to acquire market town status. During this process the seigniorial lord essentially gives away part of his holding to the king to become a market. He doesn’t lose out, however, because the benefits of having a market town far outweigh the few libra that he might get as seigniorial lord. More products are readily available and close by for him and his tenants. This savings is expressed as positive income to the landholders. Lords also typically own buildings, called haws, in the towns, and collect more rent by leasing them out in a market town than a village.
Sigeric

Saxon, age 27, poor ceorl

STR 70 CON 65 SIZ 50 DEX 60 INT 70

APP 65 POW 50 EDU 75 SAN 50 HP 11

Damage Bonus: 0 Build: 0 Move: 9 MP: 10

Combat

Brawl 35% (17/7), damage 1D3, or knife 1D4

Dodge 55% (27/11)

Skills

Animal Handling 30%, Fast Talk 55%, Jump 50%, Listen 60%, Natural World 30%, Own Kingdom 45%, Persuade 35%, Spot Hidden 45%, Status 5%.

Armor: None.
Silchester County

A county of Logres, consisting of portions of the modern counties of Hampshire, Surrey, and Berkshire

## Silchester County

### Kingdom

Logres

Part of the Roman bishopric of Silchester

## People

* Lady Eleri ferch Ysgarran
* Lady Ellen ferch Gwylon
* Sir Gwylon, the Baron of Wynchbank
* Lady Meleri ferch Ysgarran
* Meriawn, the Abbot of St. Martin's
* Metellus, the Bishop of Silchester
* Lady Pomponia, the Baroness of the Sand Dunes
* Sir Straterius, the Baron of Thornbush Castle
* Sir Ulfius, the sheriff
* Valerius, the Abbot of Riverford Abbey and Lord of Riverford
* Sir Ysgarran

## Locations

There are 28 hundreds in Silchester

* The Bright Skull, held by the Duke of Cornwall
* Forest of the Badger
* Levcomagus, held by the Duke of the Vale
* The Sand Dunes

### Castles

* Riverford, held by the Abbot of Riverford Abbey (owes 2 days to the King's Progress)
* Stoneheight Castle, held by the Duke of Glevum (owes 0 days to the King's Progress)
* Castle Thornbush (owes 0 days to the King's Progress)
* Castle of the Woodland, held by the Abbot of Westminster Abbey (owes 0 days to the King's Progress)
* Castle Wynchbank, a royal demesne (owes 3 days to the King's Progress)

### Church Sites

* Riverford Abbey, an abbey and baron of Roman Black Monks and Nuns (£136 income, provides 1 eschille; owes 5 days to the King's Progress)
* St. Martin's, an abbey of Roman Curtal Monks (£47 income, provides no eschilles)

### Civitates

* Silchester, in Cornerhollow Hundred, castle is the county castle, held by the sheriff (the bishopric owes 4 days to the King's Progress while the civitas owes 6 and the castle owes 0)

### Market Towns

* Astolat, in Astolat Hundred, the castle is a royal demesne (castle owes 1 day to the King's Progress)
* Redford, in Redford Hundred

### Pagan Sites

* Oldtown Lake, a small bottomless lake dedicated to agricultural spirits patronized by the Baron of Stone and Stag

### Royal Forests

* Havern Forest (shared with Salisbury and a tiny bit with Gentian; £50 income)
* Llud's Forest (shared with Salisbury; £50 income)
Serf

A modified form of slavery that is prominent in continental Europe during the Dark Ages. Commonly known as “villeins,” a serf rents a house, with or without land, from a landlord. Their dues are paid in wheat and other services. A villein spends a specified amount of time farming his lord’s land, repairing fences, and working around the manor. Serfs are forbidden from hunting his lord’s forests and fields.

Serfs do have some rights. Any produce grown on their rented land is theirs to dispose of as they see fit, and some serfs sell enough at market-days to amass a tidy sum. Serfs are allowed to pick up deadwood from the forests on the landlord’s property. The children of serfs have the option to pay additional taxes to be allowed to inherit their father’s land and responsibilities when he dies. A lord cannot dispossess his serfs without a valid reason, which is usually an inability to pay taxes. The lord is also expected to protect his serfs from violence and provide charity in times of famine. The greatest difficulty for a serf is that his lord’s work takes priority over his own. When the lord’s fields are ready to harvest, the serf must work them first before he can harvest his own, running the risk of his crops dying in the field.

Serfs can end their servitude. If a serf escapes and stays away for a year, he is considered free. Unfortunately, he has lost all means of support. Many escaped villeins turn to crime. Industrious serfs can buy their freedom, if their lord permits it.
Athilda

The vampire Athilda, former wife of Oswyn, and thrall of Lilith, hides in the catacombs that run under the Roman ruins outside of Totburh. She preys on anyone foolish enough to come seeking the gold. Athilda also returns to Totburh periodically to feed on Oswyn, slowly weakening him. She does this less to feed and more for vengeance. She detests having been denied entrance to Heaven and hopes to see Oswyn fall from grace, at least in the eyes of his hearthweru. It is possible that Athilda may create a clan of vampires in time, if no one takes steps to stop her.

Saxon, age 33, young vampire

STR 90 CON 65 SIZ 70 DEX 105 INT 90

APP 70 POW 90 EDU – SAN – HP 13

Damage Bonus: +1D4 Build: 1 Move: 10 MP: 18†

†1+ magic point per STR point consumed.

Combat

Attacks per round: 1 (claw, bite)

Fighting 50% (25/10), damage 1D6+1D4

Bite 65% (32/13), damage 1D4; 2D10 STR; automatic worry\*

Gaze Opposed POW roll\*\*

Dodge 50% (25/10)

\*Bite: if the vampire strikes home, it hangs on and worries its victim with its fangs, continuing to do 1D4 damage + 2D10 STR drain automatically per round thereafter. A successful opposed STR roll will dislodge the beast.

\*\*Gaze: make an opposed POW roll; if Athilda is successful, the target is hypnotized and will follow simple, non-self-destructive commands. If a self-destructive command is given, allow the victim an INT roll to break the hypnosis.

Skills

Charm 70%, Jump 70%, Stealth 80%.

Armor: Impaling (Extreme) attacks inflict normal damage to a vampire; other attacks are reduced to half of rolled damage. Athilda reforms when reduced to zero or fewer hit points.

Spells: Alter Weather and 1D4 more spells at the Keeper’s discretion.

Sanity Loss: 0/1D4 to see Athilda’s true form.
Magic

Magic in the Dark Ages is a means to affect an end, using powers beyond man’s normal ken. Historically, a great deal of magic revolved around healing, as well as divination and astrology. Seers, mediums, and lot casters are also common. Even when a sorcerer summons demons or angels, it’s usually to extract information ~ not to create a war machine. Essentially, people are interested in what the future holds as with that knowledge comes power: the power to shape the future. Some folkloric magic also centers on predicting the future but which can also be used to negatively impact someone, typically through curses.

Verbal charms, amulets, and the manipulation of objects are the norm. Talismans based on astrological timing or rituals of what in the modern day we’d call ceremonial magic might be found in Arabia or Constantinople, respectively.

## Practitioners

* **Healers:** also known as “cunning folk,” and “wise men or women,” have a fixed role in rural society. They perpetuate the belief in spirits and ancestors, may secretly or openly follow pagan ways or adhere to Christian beliefs ~ often revering a saint who has been conflated with a fertility deity. It is unlikely they will know Mythos magic but may know some folk magic, being more able to dress and heal a wound than summon a ghoul.
* **Hermits and “exorcist” priests:** sometimes able to perform Mythos and/or folk magic, albeit under a religious guise. They may be orthodox or heretical in outlook.
* **Magi:** secret practitioners of the “eight disciplines” after the Quadrivium and the Trivium, usually under the elusive patronage of some “magician king.” Possibly able to perform Mythos and ritual magic. They know the names of many demons, real and imagined.
* **Witches and sorcerers:** cultists worshipping Nyarlathotep and able to perform Mythos and folk magic, as well as ritual magic.

## Punishment

Where the Church disapproves of magic, its use is punishable. The most common forms of punishment involve penance. Penance varies, and there is no hard and fast rule as to what type of magic results in what type of penance. Common forms include the wearing of hair shirts, pilgrimage, joining a monastery, or showing good works, such as building a church. The duration of the penance also varies from weeks to years. In most cases, the matter is decided by the local priest. Magi, malefici, and witches can be killed for practicing magic. The most common forms of execution are drowning and burial alive. If a person is buried alive for witchcraft or maleficium, they are buried face down. The Inquisition does not exist as yet, so it won’t be hunting down witches.
Lambor County

A county of Logres, consisting of portions of the modern counties of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Rutland

Part of the Roman bishopric of Huntsman

## People

* Sir Anian, the Baron of Stonetown Castle
* Sir Bryn, the Sheriff of Lambor and Wuerensis
* Sir Cadawg, the Baron of the Beautiful View
* Sir Gynnfardd, the Baron of Horsemane Fort

## Locations

There are 10 hundreds in Lambor

* Bran's Town, ruled by the Duke of the Marche

### Castles

* Castle of the Beautiful View, guards the border with Cameliard (owes 0 days to the King's Progress)
* Horsemane Fort
* Castle Lambor, the county castle for Lambor and Wuerensis (owes 3 days to the King's Progress)
* Leir's Castle, held by the Duke of the Marche (owes 3 days to the King's Progress)
* Castle at the Slippery Ford, which houses one of the royal treasuries
* Stonetown Castle (owes 0 days to the King's Progress)

### Church Sites

* Kingstown, abbey of British Black Monks patronized by the Count of Salisbury (£42 income, provides no eschilles)
* Leirstown, abbey and elector of Roman Black Monks (£25 income, provides no eschilles, owes 7 days to the King's Progress)

### Royal Forests

* Rivallo's Forest (£50 income)
	+ Willowgrove Lodge
Privy council

The king’s privy council is composed of his private advisors, a completely informal group also called his favorites. To decide matters of state the king generally holds an open council for all his warlords and court, listening to each comment and opinion. He then retires to his private quarters with his favorites to discuss and make decisions.

## Aurelius Ambrosius's Privy Council

* Sir Prince Uther ap Constantin
* Sir Bellias, the Captain of the King's Guard and the king's bodyguard
* Abbot John, the royal chancellor
* ??, the royal chamberlain
* Sir Eliezier the Strong, a constable
* Sir Argan ap Maelgad, a constable
* Sir Gwyllim of the White Tower, the Constable of the White Tower
* Sir Sadinal, dapifer and herald
* Sir Do de Carduel, the forest justiciar
* Sir Ulfius, the marshal
* Sir Gaudifier, the royal cupbearer
* Sir Goreau, the seneschal
* Sir Yvo, the standard bearer
Kingdom of Garloth

Ruler: Herawd ap Cunedda Wledig

Culture/Religion: Cymric/Pagan.

Vassal of:

Army: Around 100 knights, 100 soldiers.

This kingdom is the one that will seem most familiar to knights from Logres. Though pagan, the kingdom is at least feudal and relatively civilized. Castles are plentiful here, including several with impressive modem designs. Windesan is a fine, if small, city and well worth a visit.

Garloth is prosperous and safe. Relations with its neighbors are good.

Garloth is the homeland of the Votadini tribe. The famous King Cunedda went south in 455 to drive the Irish from Gomeret.

Much of the population of Garloth occupies the fertile Tweed river valley.

## Places

* Bamburgh
* Bewcastle
* Bremenium
* Calally
* Cartington
* Cheviot Hills
* Chillingham
* Dirleton
* Dolorous Garde
* Dunbar
* Edin's Hall
* Eildon Hill
* Habitancium
* Harbottle
* Holystone
* Linton
* Morpeth
* Norham
* Pelownes
* Seaton Delaval
* Three Stone Burn
* Warkworth
* Windesan
* Yadlee
* Yeavering Bell
* Yester
Lydney

Along the west bank of the Severn are the ruins of a Roman castra (military defensive position) and an abandoned temple to Nodens. There are also the ruins of an Iron Age promontory fort overlooking the river.

The current inhabitants, degenerate descendants of the Romans, live in ramshackle huts in the shadows of the temple, worshipping a pair of nightgaunts that roost in the ruined castra.
Perth

This small city situated on the banks of the River Tay has been a settlement for as long as anyone can remember. Legend has it that when the Roman soldiers of Agricola came in sight of the Tay they mistook it for the Tiber, such is its magnificence. This is the largest city in Benoic. The rulers are often in residence here at the small stone castle. A large monastery has grown up around the church founded by St. Ninnian. Perth is a thriving port and has a permanent market. To the north and south are two broad meadows called The Inches.

**Ruler:** the clan chieftain of the Fortrenn.

**Vassal of:** Benoic.
Linlithgow

This old-style castle stands quite close to the eastern edge of the Antonine Wall. The castle is said to haunted by a rather disturbing ghost (an old man in a blue gown), who has occasionally appeared to visiting knights and accurately predicted the time and place of their death. This is something of an embarrassment to the castle's ruler.

**Ruler:** Castellan.

**Vassal of:** Baron of Stirling.
Montrose

A small town built on a spur of land. To the west is the tidal Montrose Basin and to the east the North Sea. The town is a port and the residents are good shipbuilders. A small stone castle has just been completed. To the south of the basin are the beautiful Hills of Craig and Rossie, said to be sleeping giants.

**Ruler:** the Vevicones clan.

**Vassal** **of:** Escoce.
Loch Pityoulish

A black horse lives in this loch. The fisher people are careful never to fall in as it drowns anyone who puts their head below the water. The horse has been known to graze beside the loch. Anyone tempted to touch it find themselves stuck to it and are then dragged to a watery death in the loch. A young boy in the nearby fishing village proudly shows passing knights his left hand which has no fingers, as he cut himself free from the beast!
Kingdom of the Orkneys

Ruler: .

Culture/Religion: Pict/Heathen.

Vassal of: No one.

Army: Possibly 100 knights, many fierce warriors and countless creatures of Faerie.

Orkney is the most northerly land in Caledonia. It is made up of many small, inhospitable islands, of which only a handful have a population. The Picts of this land are wild and uncivilized. They have never even heard of feudalism!

This is the land of the Northern Isles. Caithness is a vassal land of the Orkneys.

The Isles are greatly feared by the other peoples of Caledonia as a place of dark magic and terrible faerie creatures. They say that many of the brochs house faerie creatures ready to answer the kingdom's beck and call.

Only twenty of the isles which make up the Orkneys are inhabited, the rest being pasture holms or skerries ~ reefs of rock nearly awash with water at high-tide. The Isles are predominantly heath and moorland, but provide ample agricultural land for the Pictish population. They are surprisingly warm considering their northern location and snow is less frequent than on the mainland. At midsummer there is hardly any darkness.

## Clans

* Orchadians (Golden Eagle samhladh, at its zenith on summer solstice)

## Places

* Dunnet Head
* Gurness
* Ladykirk Stone
* Maes Howe
* Mid Clyth
* Mid Howe
* Netlater
* Orcanie
* Oxtro
* Ring of Brodgar
* Sandoyne
* Stones of Stenness
* Stromness
* Tigh na Tom Dreis
Orcanie

This is the only city in the Orkneys. It would barely rate as a town in Logres, but by Orkney standards it is huge. The monarch maintains a small castle (a walled keep) in the city. It is here that she holds court. The castle is lavishly furnished. The city has a small, but busy market which attracts people from all over the Orkneys and Caithness. Occasionally a vessel will arrive from further afield, bearing luxuries and news from the south.
Regular Canons

Christian clergy are divided into two types, canons and monks. Canons are priests, those who are training to be priests, and the higher ranks who are also priests (bishops, archbishops). They have all taken the sacrament of Holy Orders in order to lead worship services and perform the clerical duties of the Roman Church hierarchy. Every Roman church that offers the sacraments in church service have at least one priest presiding.

All canons are trained the same, and so they are all of a single type, although the recently formed Black Canons differ slightly. They are all trained in minsters, and go through a series of steps leading up to their ordination. However, their training is not equal. Commonly priests from the common class are destined for the smaller churches, and receive less training. Thus the hundreds of village churches tend to have priests with minimal training in theology and doctrine.

Canons outnumber monks significantly, however they rarely go far from their churches and so the monks seem to be more numerous largely because they are more visible.

## Fighting Clergy

The Bible forbids any man of God to shed blood. Nonetheless in Britain at this time a number of clergy either disobey this deliberately, or just as likely are ignorant of it. Those who willingly disobey use maces, not swords, because a mace is less likely to draw blood. Those who don’t know any better bear swords if they have them, or any other weapon they have laid their hands upon. These men tend to be found in groups. Bishops and abbots generally disallow this practice within their fellowship. If they turn a blind eye then their institution would attract those priests and monks who bear arms. A couple of bishops bear arms themselves and likely have fighting followers who do likewise.
Linden County

A county of Logres. consisting of portions of the modern county of Lincoln

Part of the Roman bishopric of Huntsman

Produces salt

## People

* Sir Celyn, the Baron of Woodgrove
* Sir Corneus, the hereditary sheriff, Duke of Lindsey (the north), Count of Linden Pool, and Baron of Linden Pool
* Dyfan, Lord of New Works Castle and Bishop of Camulodunum
* Lampades, Abbot-bishop of Linden Pool

## Locations

There are 25 hundreds in Linden

* Humberside, held by the Duke of the Marche
* Flax Spring
* Thorns

### Castles

* King's House, the county castle, royal demesne held by the Duke of Lindsey (owes 4 days to the King's Progress)
* New Works Castle, held by the Bishop of Camulodunum (owes 2 days to the King's Progress)
* Woodgrove Castle

### Church Sites

* Bards Abbey, abbey of British Russet Monks patronized by the Duke of the Saxon Shore (£53 income, provides no eschilles)

### Market Towns

* Linden Pool, in Wolfcoppice Hundred
* Llud's Stream, in Louthash Hundred

### Roads

* Fosse Way, connects Linden Pool and New Works Castle
Linden Pool

In Linden County

Equivalent to modern Lincoln, in Lincolnshire

The walled town is on a hillside, across a waterway.

In the rich lands of Linden Pool, one square mile equals four plowlands

As a bishopric, owes 3 days to the King's Progress

During Roman times, the Valens family had been declared homo sacer (banned or accursed) for their violent rituals to Magna Mater. The family went into hiding. When Lindum Colonia was abandoned, the Valens reemerged and resumed their old ways. The family continued to inbreed and crossbreed with some of the monstrous entities attracted by their rituals over the centuries, producing degenerate offspring.

## Locations

* Linden Pool Abbey, baron and elector of British Black Monks patronized by the Count of the Linden Pool (£58 income, provides 1 eschille; owes 7 days to the King's Progress)
* Linden Pool Castle, county castle held by the Duke of Lindsey (owes 6 days to the King's Progress as a baron and 3 days as the county castle)
* St. Ninnian's, abbey of British Russet Monks patronized by the Baron of Linden Pool Castle (£54 income, provides no eschilles)
Saxon language

## Pronunciation Guide

This is a quick pronunciation guide to Saxon to help players sound authentic. If a letter is not listed, it’s pronounced as in modern English.

### Vowels

Pronounce vowels individually, including a final “e.” Stress usually falls on the second sound, typically in odd numbered syllables:

* a as in aha.
* æ a single sound, as in hat.
* e as in bed.
* i as in bid.
* o as in body.
* u as in bull.
* y as in bid.

### Dipthongs

* ae “a” as in hat followed by “a” as in Cuba.
* eo “e” as in met followed by “o” as in poetic.
* io “i” as in bit followed by “o” as in poetic.
* ie “i” as in bit followed by “a” as in Cuba.

### Consonants

* c as in chin if followed by an “i” or an “e.” Else as in can.
* f as “v” if between vowels. Else as in father.
* g as “y” if followed by “i” or an “e.” If at a syllable end as “ch”
* in cachet; else as gate
* h as “ch” in loch if at a syllable end. Otherwise as in hand.
* r as in rudiment. Often trilled.
* s as “z” if between vowels. Else as in soon.
* j, q not used.

### Double Consonants

* cg as in “dg” in ridge.
* ng as in finger.
* sc as “sh” in shout.
* th as in anthill.
* ð as thorn between vowels. Else as in then. Capital is Đ
* þ as in thorn.
Saint

An important element of Dark Ages Christianity is the veneration of saints, “friends of God.” A saint is someone who is revered through an exemplary life, a sacrificial death, or both, and is rewarded with everlasting life. It is important to note that saints are worthy of dulia, veneration, not latria, worship. Only God is to be worshiped. Anything else is idolatry.

The most important of all saints is the Virgin Mary. Other saints are associated with professions, locations, or protection and assistance of individual Christians. Most saints are celebrated with a public celebration on their heavenly birthday ~ their date of death. Some people also carry small tokens of their saint for protection.
Kingdom of the Out Isles

Ruler: King of the Dragon

Culture/Religion: Attecotti/Heathen.

Vassal of: No one.

Army: Hundreds of wild warriors.

The Out Isles are a bleak and desolate place to live. The land offers little opportunity for agriculture. Life for the population is tough. However, this does not excuse the extreme savageness of the population, the Attecotti. They are renowned along the west coast of Caledonia as fierce, ruthless marauders. No coastal settlement is safe from their sea-borne raids, and if defeated the settlers can expect no mercy from these terrible fiends.

Any knight fool enough to visit the Out Isles will at best be imprisoned and ransomed by the King of the Dragon. It is more likely that he will never be heard from again.

The Attecotti dwell on the flat and desolate Out Isles. Legends say that they were the original inhabitants of mainland Caledonia, but were driven out by the Picts. Culturally, they are similar to the Picts, but far more savage. The Attecotti make the seas around the Out Isles a dangerous place to sail. They prey upon shipping, plundering and looting any vessel that cannot out-run them. Along the west coast of Caledonia, watches are kept for the sails of the Attecotti, for they gather into large raiding parties to attack the coastal communities. They are a brutal and heartless people who slaughter or enslave whole villages, stealing the livestock and burning all that they cannot take. Even the north coast of Ireland is not safe from such raids. Their king has nothing but scorn and hatred for the Pendragon. Any knight foolish enough to visit his court will surely be captured for ransom, or worse still, put to the sword!

These isles are flat, windswept and barren. The soil is extremely poor so agriculture does not thrive here, despite the mild climate. The Out Isles are home to a race of wild, heathen warriors known as the Attecotti. Their raids are a constant threat to shipping and to the coastal settlements of northwestern Caledonia.

## Places

* Amol
* Bayable
* Berneray
* Borvermore
* Callanish
* Clach Mhor a Che
* Clettraval
* Cnoc Fillibhir
* Dun Bravat
* Dun Buidhe
* Dun Carloway
* Dun Cromore
* Dun Torcuill
* Garynahine
* Heisgeir
* Hunder
* Rudha na Berie
* Stornaway
Penny

A silver coin in use in the Occident known as a denier or denarius elsewhere (and thus abbreviated d). Fictitious monetary units used for accounting but rarely minted are the sou/shilling/solidus (12 deniers) and the livre/ pound/librum (20 solidus). The Byzantines use the nomisma, and the arabs use the dinar, both gold currencies.
Praesidia Finium

In Latin, by Lollius Urbicus, 155 e.v.

Parchment rolls relating the mysterious events that took place during the Roman occupation of Britain, including the killing of a faceless winged being (in which over 50 soldiers lost their lives).

Sanity Loss 1D2; CMI +0/CMF +1 percentile; MR 3; 2 weeks to study and comprehend.

Spells: none.
Nigg Bay

The sands of this bay cover a low-lying fertile valley which once contained a village. During a furious storm a couple years ago, the sea came in and covered the land. Local fishermen have begun to report occasionally seeing the houses below the waves. A few have claimed they still see people tilling the fields in their watery grave.
Theory of Limited Good

The Theory of Limited Good is an anthropological concept that posits some societies believe there is only so much good in the world and if something good happens to you, something bad will happen to someone you know. If a farmer has a bountiful harvest, he knows that someone else in his village will lose all his cows.

This idea is alive and well in the Dark Ages. It usually manifests itself in people not drawing attention to any good luck they receive, or even resenting lucky breaks that come their way. It also had the consequence of sharing. If a farmer has a bountiful harvest, he shares it with the community to help deflect attention away from his good fortune. By sharing his good fortune, he spreads his luck to the entire village; hopefully bad luck will fall on another village. It also leads to animosity and suspicion when one person has a run of good luck. Other members of the community worry about what harm will befall them and what the fortunate person is doing to deserve his success.
Púcel

Commonly called “Will-o-Wisp,” “Devil’s Eye,” and “Friar’s Lanterns,” these creatures are also known to the Saxons as “Púcel” and to the Cymri as “Pwka” or “Pooka.” These foul creatures are manifestations of the fell being, Horig, formed from the remains of creatures Horig has feasted upon.

Most times, a pucel only appears as a bobbing light, late in the darkest hours of the night. If someone sneaks closer, a small, dusky figure can be discerned, wearing a hooded robe and holding a light aloft. Under the hood, the pucel is a disfigured little man with a wide mouth of broken teeth, red hate-filled eyes, and wisps of scraggly hair.

## Mesmerizing Light

Anyone who sees a pucel’s light must make an opposed POW versus the pucel’s POW: if failed, the individual feels compelled to follow the light, wherever it might lead. The pucel try to lead travelers to Horig’s grove where the god can feast upon the unlucky victim(s). If an investigator doesn’t fall prey to the pucel’s light trick, he or she is safe for the night.

## Child-like appearance

Pucel have the ability to appear as a human child for a number of minutes equal to their POW. They run, joke, and laugh, trying to lure travelers from their friends.

## Infection

Being a spawn of Horig, a pucel can spread the entity’s disease. When a pucel is killed, it explodes into its component pieces; an investigator might see bits of human, wolf, bat, or bear in the remains. The explosion itself can cause 1D3 damage from bone shrapnel to any within 10-feet of the dying pucel. If the damage is sufficient to overcome any armor, the investigator is infected with Horig’s disease

PUCEL, a light in the dark

STR 50-55 3D6 ×5

CON 50-55 3D6 ×5

SIZ 65 (2D6+6) ×5

DEX 85-90 5D6 ×5

INT 80-85 (3D6+6) ×5

POW 85-90 5D6 ×5

APP 15-20 1D6 ×5

Move: 8

Hit Points: 11-12

Av. Damage Bonus: 0

Av. Build: 0

Av. Magic Points: 17

Combat

Attacks per round: 1 (by weapon)

Brawl 60% (30/12), damage 1D4+DB, or knife (1D6+DB)

Brandish Torch 60%, (30/12), damage 1D6+1+DB, plus 1D4 fire damage

Dodge 40% (20/8)

Armor: 2-points of heavy robes and ropy skin. If killed, investigators within 10-feet must make a Dodge roll to avoid being struck by the pucel’s exploding remains (causing 1D3 damage and the risk of infection).

Spell-like Abilities: Pucel may appear as human children for a number of minutes equal to their POW.

Sanity Loss: 1/1D3 to see a pucel. 1D3/1D6 to see them explode into component parts.
Peebles

This small town is the center for the Gadeni tribe who tend their herds of cattle and sheep in the surrounding land. It is the favorite haunt of the tribal chieftain who spends most of his time hunting in the nearby forest. In June, virtually the whole tribe assembles at the town which swells as they pitch their tents all around it. They come to mark the summer solstice and celebrate with many festivals and hunts. There is a motte and bailey castle here.

**Ruler:** chief of the Gadeni tribe.

**Vassal of:** Gorre.
White Monks

White Monks are found only in the Roman Church. It is a relatively new order and was founded by men who thought the Black Monks had become too worldly. They avoid noble offices and loyalties; instead they favor working with their hands, often seeking and obtaining land in waste places of no value to commoners. This provides them with isolation and a measure of security.
Salisbury County

A county of Logres, consisting of portions of the modern counties of Wiltshire and Hampshire

Part of the Roman bishopric of Silchester

## People

* Sir Amig, the comital dapifer
* Sir Bedwor, the Sheriff of Salisbury and Gentian
* Sir Briant, styled of the Open Hand
* Sir Daerid, called the Benevolent
* Dilwyn, the Abbot of Ambrius's Abbey
* Sir Duach, the Baron of Wereside
* Sir Jasper ap Hewgon
* Count Roderick, the count
* Sir Uhtred, called le Beau

## Locations

There are 25 hundreds in Salisbury

* Freemantle Lodge
* Gloom Forests
* Salisbury Plain, has deposits of bog iron

### Castles

* The Castle of the Rock, held by the count, elector (owes 8 days to the King's Progress)
* Castle on the Borders, held by the count (owes 2 and 3 days to the King's Progress)
* DuPlain Castle, held by the count (owes 1 day to the King's Progress)
* Hillfarm Castle, held by the Duke of Glevum (owes 0 days to the King's Progress)
* Llud's Hall, the county castle, held by the sheriff, holds one of the royal treasuries (castle owes 6 days to the King's Progress and treasury owes 3)
* Vagon Castle, held by the count (owes 1 day to the King's Progress)
* Woodhouse Castle, held by Sir Madoc (owes 2 days to the King's Progress)

### Church Sites

* Ambrius's Abbey, an abbey, elector, and baron of British Black Monks patronized by the King of Logres (£199 income, provides 2 eschilles, owes 2 days to the King's Progress)
* Borders, an abbey of Roman Black Monks (£34 income, provides no eschilles)
* Abbey of the Rock, an abbey of British Russet Monks patronized by the Count of Salisbury (£41 income, provides no eschilles)

### Market Towns

* Floodriver, in Birchford Hundred
* Sarum Rock, in Ambris Hundred
* Streamfield, in Dovesfield Hundred
* Wereside, in Wereside Hundred

### Pagan Sites

* Oaks Fort, an enclosure dedicated to Amathon and agricultural spirits patronized by the Count of Salisbury for £2
* Westfort White Horse, a white horse cut into turf of hillside dedicated to Epona
* Fire Hill Circle White Horse, a white horse cut into turf of hillside dedicated to Epona

### Royal Forests

* Badger Forest (£50 income)
	+ Badger Lodge, hunting lodge and royal demesne (owes 3 days to the King's Progress)
* Clarendon (£100 income)
	+ Cloverhill Lodge, hunting lodge and royal demesne (owes 8 days to the King's Progress)
* Havern Forest (shared with Silchester and a tiny bit in Gentian; £50 income)
* Llud's Forest (shared with Silchester; £50 income)
Skedemose

The center of Oland is sunken to form a bog. Local Cimbri use this site as a place of offering, where they give arm- and neck-rings, pottery, wooden utensils, and weapons (all broken and burned) to the spirits. Regular ceremonies consist of horse racing and fighting, and a feast of horse flesh. Religious practices take advantage of the bog's Life Force (Ambient 4d20, Animal Friend 2d20, Bless 2d20).
Old Man of Storr

This stone pillar on the Isle of Skye is the petrified remains of an old man. Whilst fleeing a magical giant he glanced behind him and was turned to stone. His wife, who suffered the same fate, lies beside him. The giant still wanders this desolate part of Skye and is blamed for all mysterious happenings nearby.
St. Albans

In Hartland County

Equivalent to modern St. Albans, in Hertfordshire

## Locations

* St. Albans Abbey, abbey, barony, and elector of British Russet Monks patronized by the king of Logres (£210 income, provides 3 eschilles), owes 12 days to the King's Progress
* St. Albans Castle, bishopric and elector, held by the Abbot of St. Albans, owes 0 days to the King's Progress
Sir Brychan

Per pale dancetty or and vert

Sir Brychan, the Deputy Marshal of Logres, has a deep, booming voice that inspires those he leads. He is a large man, with black hair and beard and blue eyes. He braids his hair and beard and wears the arm rings of the warriors he has killed to appear more fearsome to his Saxon enemies. Brychan is also the Baron of Longridge, in Clarence.

During Aurelius Ambrosius’ raids in Frisia, Brychan famously continued his attack despite losing his right hand, breaking through the Saxon defenses and burning their ships using only the torch in his left hand. He hates cowardice and always makes time for the valorous.
Sir Duke Ventrius

Per fess embattled gules and sable, a fasces in pale or banded of the first, the axe or

## Family

### Holdings

Duke of the Saxon Shore, Baron of Fort Bran, Seafort, Old Fort, Fort Brutus, Broadstream Fort, Harborkeep, Buna’s Island

## Position

### Holdings

Duke of the Saxon Shore, Baron of Fort Bran, Seafort, Old Fort, Fort Brutus, Broadstream Fort, Harborkeep, Buna’s Island

He is scion of a most distinguished Roman family which still holds broad lands and powers from long-distant imperial days. His ancestors permanently gained ownership of the Dukedom of the Saxon Shore, and Ambrosius allowed him to marry the heiress of Caerwent, with all the pleasures and responsibilities of the office
Sir Gaudifier

Gules, a cup argent

Sir Gaudifier is the royal cupbearer, and at great feasts stands behind the king and pours his wine. He is the royal taster too, although he has several subordinates who he allows to do this job. At mealtime, Gaudifier greets people before they meet the king and makes sure they are aware of minimal protocol (kneel, speak only when spoken to, back out slowly), determines if any special honors are required for the person and oversees the trumpeters, honor guard, translator, pages, and every other functionary. His duties have expanded to include oversight of the entire hall. He hires musicians and acrobats, decides who sits above the salt, and more. The great hall has many purposes, but here is primarily concerned with serving meals.
The four humors

### Personality

Generally depressed, introverted, and thoughtful, but can be seized by bursts of creative energy. They are very self-reliant.

## Blood

### Personality

Impulsive, shameless, and hedonistic. They’re boisterous and very charismatic, but prone to daydream.

## Phlegm

### Personality

Relaxed and quiet, possibly even lazy. They are accepting and affectionate toward others, and prefer stability over change.

## Yellow Bile

### Personality

Ambitious, full of aggression, energy, and passion, but balanced by cycles of deep depression. They tend to be either highly organized or disorganized with no middle ground.
Mildoina

Saxon, age 25, apiarist

STR 55 CON 70 SIZ 60 DEX 50 INT 85

APP 65 POW 85 EDU 60 SAN 85 HP 13

Damage Bonus: 0 Build: 0 Move: 7 MP: 17

Combat

Brawl 45% (22/9), damage 1D3

Dodge 25% (12/5)

Skills

Art/Craft (Apiarist) 65%, Art/Craft (Candle Dipping) 55%, Art/Craft (Potions) 45%, First Aid 55%, Insight 25%, Medicine 20%, Persuade 50%, Religion 60%, Status 35%.

Armor: None.
Reindeer samhladh

Reindeer roams the high moorlands of the Otherworld, surrounded by his large family. Reindeer clans strive to moderate their behavior, so that they decide their own fate, rather than be ruled by their emotions. Reindeer's ability to change his coat with the season allows him to hide from his hunters, and he has the speed to out-run those who see through his disguise.

## Geas

* Do not fight over a woman
* Have no trait over 15 other than the ones dictated by your samhladh.

## Powers

### Invocation

-3 to a non-religious trait, or +1 Movement Rate, or +5 Hunting

### Clan's Benefits

* +1 SIZ
* +3 Love (Family)
* +5 Hunting

### Religious Bonus

Keep one Trait pair at 10/10 (Player's choice, but cannot be changed later).

### Fiosaiche's Benefits

Reindeer aids his fiosaiche's ability to change a thing's appearance; +3d20 Glamour
Æsa Sveinsdottir

Dane, age 16, shield-maiden

STR 65 CON 75 SIZ 60 DEX 70 INT 70

APP 65 POW 80 EDU 40 SAN 80 HP 13

Damage Bonus: +1D4 Build: 1 Move: 9 MP: 16

Combat

Brawl 60% (30/12), damage 1D3+1D4

Axe 45% (22/9), damage 1D6+1D4 (+1D2 if thrown)

Spear 65% (32/13), damage 1D6+1D4 (+1D2 if thrown)

Shield 65% (32/13), damage 1D3+1D4

Dodge 60% (30/12)

Skills

Art/Craft (Orate) 40%, Climb 40%, Insight 45%, Intimidate 40%, Jump 40%, Navigate 35%, Natural World 45%, Other Language (Old English) 40%, Own Language (Norse) 55%, Persuade 60%, Religion 55%, Ride Horse 45%, Status 55%, Track 30%.

Armor: Chainmail and helm (1D8) + wooden shield (1D3).
Lady Wynflaeth

Every court has a ruthless, conniving woman who is trying to get ahead. Wynflaeth is she at Uther’s court. She is the daughter of Sir Mataban the White, one of the old, established court knights who serve as the backbone for proper behavior and decorum. She is his only child and he has doted on her for all of her young life, leaving her feeling privileged beyond her station. Her position gives her some protection, for Mataban has the ear of the dapifer, Sir Sadinal, and she is not afraid to exploit the connection. She serves as a maiden-in-waiting for Sir Sadinal’s wife, who is also very protective of the young lady.
Wihtgar

Saxon, age 34, market reeve of Totburh

STR 65 CON 60 SIZ 65 DEX 65 INT 85

APP 60 POW 70 EDU 55 SAN 70 HP 12

Damage Bonus: +1D4 Build: 1 Move: 8 MP: 14

Combat

Brawl 55% (27/11), damage 1D3+1D4

Spear 65% (32/13), damage 1D6+1D4

Dodge 35% (17/7)

Skills

Accounting 55%, Appraise 60%, Insight 65%, Intimidate 60%, Listen 45%, Other Language (Latin) 30%, Own Kingdom 75%, Persuade 40%, Read and Write (Old English) 45%, Religion 35%, Ride 45%, Spot Hidden 55%, Status 50%.

Armor: None.