Five Heroes From Haven

Elements from different fantasy games have been buzzing around my head over recent weeks. Not least of these has been the desire to use some of the ideas found within “Beyond the Wall”, a fantasy roleplaying game designed to be picked up and played in a single session. At the weekend, given some unexpected free time, I decided to see where those ideas would take me.

Initially, I was tempted to play the game using “Beyond the Wall” itself, not least because it uses a game engine based on classic Dungeons & Dragons. I’ll also admit that I was tempted to crack open Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2^nd Edition with a view to experiencing the system first-hand; the thought was that it might help with converting materials over to Mythras Classic Fantasy. Of course, in the end, sanity prevailed and I decided to simply apply the ideas I liked to set up a Classic Fantasy solo game.

From “Beyond the Wall”, I decided to utilise the playbooks for character creation and one of the two scenario packs. These provide random tables to help generate both characters and an outline adventure. From the ideas that came from the playbooks, I created the characters for an adventuring party using the Mythras Classic Fantasy rules – this was a lot of fun!

Welcome to Haven

Deep within the forest lies the village of Haven. The village has endured all the years since the Fall, unnumbered decades lost to memory. Outside the walls, hunters risk their lives in the hostile gloom of the forest while others gather the fruits of the wild from the nearest places, such as the river and the bushes that grow along its length. What has helped the people to survive has been the blessing of the All-Father, whose Church daily provides bread and water to the faithful who gather to worship.

Some within the village gather lost lore and seek to bring civilisation to the people, but by and large the village endures through faithful adherence to tradition. Only the occasional visit from a trader, those wandering waggoneers who ply goods between settlements, gives any clue as to the world beyond. The tales are too terrifying for most. The world fell into shadow, with fell demons and monstrous creatures bringing fear and death to the people. Only behind sturdy walls with brave souls to protect them can the people survive and the village endure.

To help with preparation, I used a pre-drawn village map from Raging Swan Press – they call it Black Wyvern – and used it as the basis for my own setting. I chose that map because it was the first one I came across with a palisade and nearby forest. Some of the village details were interesting, so I pinched one or two of those too.

Haven Village and Locale

Type: Fortified Village

Population: 153 (humans)

Government: Alderman Council, led by Earl Theomund

Reaction to Outsiders: Suspicious but welcoming.

Economic Outlook: Poor, famine looming.

Prices & Taxes: High prices for many goods; local taxes are fair.

Settlement Issues: Famine and strange events.

Threats: Orcs and Goblins; The Hidden Cult

This is the initial village map for Haven:

Earl’s Meeting Hall (1)

Earl Theomund lives in this ancient wooden long house. The main part of the building is a traditional meeting hall wherein stands the Earl’s throne and the table for the Alderman to confer. Most decisions are taken by the community in here and everyone of age has the right to speak. The Earl’s rooms are towards the east of the hall, behind the throne.

The Hunter’s Respite Tavern (2)

Local meeting place for the hunters of Haven and a welcome inn for travellers from the south. Sitting opposite the village well, the tavern is well-appointed and does a lively trade with local folk.

Haven Mercantile House (3)

This general trading store provides for many of the needs of the villagers and acts as a trading hall for visiting waggoneers. The north-west corner of the building provides a watchtower that can be used to defend the road from the north gate.

Lumber Mill (4)

Firman’s lumber mill and yard serves the community with wood for building and maintaining the structures of Haven. Additionally, Firman trades lumber to visiting waggoneers and makes a fair living. Because the Lumber Run requires a second gate on the north side, Firman’s yard is protected by an inner palisade.

Watch House (5)

The village militia mans the watch house and watch towers in the centre of Haven. Providing quarters for those men on duty, the watch house is mainly used for training in the large main hall. There are two watch towers rising from the roof of the watch house, both kept manned night and day.

Execution Tree (6)

Justice in Haven is important and despite the traditions of Wergild for crimes against the people, there stands a place of execution on the hill on the north side of the village. This is the place of hanging and is shunned by most villagers. The ancient oak tree from which criminals are hanged is the oldest known to the villagers. It is said that in ages past, worshippers of The Green Man performed mysteries here.

Lumber Run (7)

Trees felled by the loggers are skidded down this track to the lumber yard. The wide track runs steeply from the forested hill on the north side of the village.

Palisade Wall (8)

This palisade protects the village from the local orcs and goblins. It is patrolled by the watchmen day and night.

Forest (9)

The villagers make their living from the woods, but must be on their guard against orc and goblin attacks. The place is dark, gloomy and brooding. Most villagers regard the forest as haunted and only go there when they must.

Creating Heroes

To create the adventuring party for the game, I decided to use the playbooks from “Beyond the Wall” and adapt them for my purposes. By default, the game offers a low-fantasy flavour with a distinctly Celtic or Old English vibe. In regular play, each player would use a playbook to create one of the core characters for the game. As I am playing solo, I opted to create all of the heroes in turn and imagined each were sat around the table so that I could utilise the instructions about “the player to your right” or the “player to your left”. I went around this imaginary table clockwise and rolled up each hero in turn: a magic-user; a thief; a cleric; a ranger; and a fighter.

Wistan the Wizard

Wistan’s parents used to gather the herbs and berries that grow in the forest, going out with the gathering party through the south gate into the forest on the other side of the river. Wistan learned to do this with them as a child and quickly developed an interest in the wild things of the forest. As he spent time with the different village folk, Wistan learned a little bit of everything from everyone.

As Wistan grew up he eventually got a job working with the blacksmith, Jeffrey, and found that this took his mind off his troubles with the other children of the village. While the other children found Wistan strange, Jeffrey became the young boy’s friend. Although he never formally learned the trade, Wistan would help around the forge and do his best not to end up under foot.

I decided to add Jeffrey’s Forge to the village map, marking it as location 10. It’s not far from the lumber yard.

One day, while sitting beneath the Execution Tree and pondering his fate, Wistan noticed the edge of what looked like a small box buried under the shade of the ancient oak. Digging it up, Wistan took it home and, with some help from his friend Samir, opened it up. Inside was a beautifully decorated tome covered in ancient runes and bound within a leather cover. Wistan spent many months deciphering the strange writing within, occasionally consulting with a travelling wizard who would ply the village with alchemic delights. To his delight, Wistan discovered the tome was an ancient spell book which belonged to the long-dead leader of an ancient secret order of magi. The book detailed a series of enchantments and offered a guide to the intricate politics of the order. In time, Wistan mastered the spells within and began his road towards magic use.

Wistan gained access to five spells: Charm Being; Detect Magic; Read Magic; Magic Missile; Identify.

In time, Wistan’s power grew until he was attracted the attention of a spirit of Chaos, drawn towards the young man. The spirit attacked Wistan while he was out with Samir one day, and the pair were exposed to the dark risks that come with power. Wistan was not without recourse to protect himself and, summoning his strength, focused his power on a mystical amulet of protection given to him by Jeffrey some years before. Samir stood behind Wistan while the young wizard focused his strength on a necklace his friend wore. Together, shielded by the power of Wistan’s enchantments, the two boys stood until the spirit grew weak and withdrew. From that day forward, Wistan cloaked his powers and bound Samir to keep his secret.

Wistan gained the Protection From Evil spell.

Not long after the encounter with the spirit of Chaos, the wizard from the south returned and sought out Wistan. On that day, the wizard performed a naming ritual and engraved a secret mark upon a silver ring. Giving the ring to Wistan, the wizard told him to wear it as a sign of his power.

You can grab Wistan’s character sheet here: Wistan the Magic-User

Samir the Thief

Samir grew up in the village and worked the loom, making fabrics and learning the stories about the Fates. Children often fight but Samir never lost, whether by using his cunning or his strength to overcome their assaults. He won the attentions of the blacksmith’s daughter, Megan, and lost his heart to her not long after. Although she eventually spurned Samir’s desires, he never gave up hope of winning her love.

Samir learned how to steal from an old pickpocket who came with the waggoneers from the city to the south. Over the years, as travellers from faraway places passed through the village, Samir practiced his skills by taking interesting baubles from their purses. It was when Samir’s boldness got the better of him that he attempted his first job of thievery – to steal from the fat chests carried by a merchant – and everything went wrong. Caught by the mercenaries guarding the merchant’s wealth, Samir had to fight for his life and run for the safety of the village. Having persuaded his friend Ulfstan to stand watch, the pair fought a brief skirmish before running for the gates of Haven. Thankfully, none of the mercenaries could identify the two boys and Ulfstan’s reputation allowed Samir to take refuge in the Church until the whole matter blew over.

Samir’s greatest triumph to date came when he discovered another thief from the Guild of the Iron Hand was staying at the tavern. Creeping into the man’s room at night, Samir stole this guild thief’s fine lockpicks without being detected. The young Samir uses them even today and smiles every time he unrolls the leather packet within which these very well-made tools reside.

Samir gained a set of well-crafted thieves’ tools and lock picks, which I deem to be more efficient as tools. They grant the user +5% on tests while using them.

You can grab Samir’s character sheet here: Samir the Thief

Ulfstan the Cleric

Ulfstan’s father was a merchant, travelling between the villages dotted across the wilderland, and Ulfstan learned to name his price or charm his customers from these early days on the road. Ulfstan solved everyone’s problems and never mentioned his own, continuing in this manner when he chose to stay and settle in Haven with one of the grizzled mercenaries who once travelled with his father. Those first couple of years allowed Ulfstan to learn a thing or two about village life while the old mercenary, Manton, taught him how to defend himself and treat minor wounds.

Decided to add Manton’s house to the village map as location 11. It’s just opposite the Earl’s Meeting Hall.

Ulfstan met Haven’s priest, Oswald, when the young man got involved with tending the wounds of some hunters who’d been ambushed out in the forest by Goblins. Liking the work, Ulfstan visited the Church many times and helped the priest to tend the illnesses that arose in the village too. The young man’s compassion for the poor and sick impressed Oswald and, over time, the priest taught Ulfstan more and more of the ways of healing and the body.

As Ulfstan approached his majority, Oswald worked him hard but the young acolyte worked calmly and patiently, and never questioned the priest’s wisdom or authority. When things were tough, Ulfstan’s friend Eardwulf would stay and calm him whenever frustration got the better of him. Eventually, recognising the acolyte’s dedication to the All-Father, Oswald ordained the young man as a Cleric and presented him with an ancient holy symbol of the god.

Ulfstan gained a Holy Symbol of the All-Father, the sign of a Cleric and protector of the Church.

The priest still lives in the village and Ulfstan serves at the Church, tending to the sick and injured, but also being prepared to go forth into the world to bring the light of the All-Father to the heathen.

You can grab Ulfstan’s character sheet here: Ulfstan the Cleric

Eardwulf the Ranger

Eardwulf’s mother kept the old stories and his head is full of them – of The Green Man and the protectors of the forest who served the ancient order of Druids. Growing up, Eardwulf’s empathy towards others made him a sought-after confidante with the village, especially among the troubled children. In time, Eardwulf was permitted to go camping with the hunters. The woods call to him even today and he spent most of his time away from the village.

Decided to add the Hunter’s Lodge to the village map, marking it 12. It’s the large house across from the tavern and forms a base for the Brotherhood of the Hunt.

Eardwulf wandered the wilds, usually in the company of the hunters, but increasingly alone. He would nary make a sound and learned the paths through the forest made by the wild beasts. His talents turned to learning the simple skills of the wilderness, including tracking and trapping. Eardwulf has earned respect from most of the villagers because during the winters, when stores are often low, he brings in extra meat to help tide Haven through the lean times. Last winter, out hunting with his friend Asger, the young ranger brought down a wild boar single-handedly with his spear.

Eardwulf has met an odd friend in recent weeks, a strange old man who wears a green robe and seems to know older roads than the ranger. He dwells in the forest somewhere to the north, but no one else in Haven seems to know about him. The old man’s name is Edred and he might well be a Druid.

Eardwulf gained an ally in the form of the Druid Edred. Not sure how he’ll get involve in the story, but he’s an intriguing addition to the cast.

You can grab Eardwulf’s character sheet here: Eardwulf the Ranger

Asger the Fighter

Asger’s father was a watchman on the palisade wall, stern but fair with children and strangers alike. Growing up, no secret escaped the young warrior as his father’s gossip and the talk of the children filled his ears day by day. Wanting to keep Asger out of trouble, his father encouraged the lad to help the old widow Devona who needed a pair of hands around the house.

Added the old widow Devona to the village map, marking it as location 13. She’s on the south-west side of the village in one of the smaller houses.

In time, Asger befriended an old war hero named Wulfgar and spent many hours working with the experienced warrior to learn to fight with sword and shield. The veteran taught Asger everything he knew about the longsword and, when he came of age, gifted him with his own fine blade. Practicing daily with the sword and shield, Asger became confident and recognised as one of the better warriors in Haven.

Asger came to fame when he bested a foul and unnatural monster which came out of the forest while he was on duty watch near the stone bridge. The monster pursued the gathering crew across the open ground between the forest edge and the river, and Asger ran forward to meet it while his watch mate quivered with fear. Engaging the Chaotic beast in melee, Asger pierced the beast’s neck and let it bleed out upon the ground before him. Hailed as a local hero, Asger has since enjoyed the affections of the watch guard as a young protégé for the defence of Haven. In honour of his achievement, Asger was gifted a house of his own within the village walls – a high honour for one so young.

Added Asger’s house to the village map, marking it at location 14. It’s the small house near the north wall, behind the tavern: small but cosy, and a luxury for one so young as Asger.

Only one thing blots Asger’s life, a secret known only to Wistan: once, many years before, the young men were out for a night’s celebration with some travelling merchants and their mercenaries. Drunk and wandering over the bridge back towards their camp, Asger got into an argument with one of the young mercenaries; the young fool challenged Asger to a duel, and they met before dawn under the Execution Tree to trade blows. As the fight progressed, the young mercenary slipped and fell down the scree to break his neck at the bottom. Although Wistan helped to bury the body and promised never to tell the truth, Asger carries the guilt of the death to this day.

You can grab Asger’s character sheet here: Asger the Fighter

With all the heroes done, my next step will be to set-up the first adventure and have at it!

Here’s the final village map for Haven:

Game on!

To find out how the adventure began, check out The Hidden Cult, Episode 1…