Narva 1241 - full session prep notes

Jank · July 13, 2020, 6:57am

People

General description of local people, use random snippets from this to describe NPCs as they are met.

	Look	Outlook
Estonians	Square faced and strong jawline, potato peel coloured hair. Stocky. They wear off-white linen embroidered with flower or geometric motifs. Strong brow line.	forced to convert to Christianity a generation ago they hold to a mix of Catholic and pagan beliefs. Farmers, fishermen
Ingrians	Slightly shorter and rounder than the Estonians, but look similar. Mostly differentiated by the embroidering in their off-white linen tunics. Older balding men show a more egg like head shape.	Split into the Votes (mostly still pagan) and the Izhorians (mostly Orthodox, more Karelian dialect). Farmers, fishermen, shoemakers.
Local Russians	Freckled, taller than average, mostly blond to auburn. A few have rounded head with a small face and a rounded nose. Others look more like the Estonians or even slightly Swedish or Finnish, if you've seen such people before. They speak with the Novgorod dialect.	Orthodox, traders or fishermen in Ust-Narva.
Danes	Hard looking experienced soldiers. Mostly dressed in leather armour with local linen poking underneath. Carry the traditional Danish longaxe. Hard facial features, mostly Scanian dialect. Hair colour varies from very dark to very blond	Catholic, warriors.

Languages:

Estonian (Northern) to Finnish (ingrian): -1 to both speakers. -2 for other dialect combinations
Low German (Saxon) to Danish: -2 to both parties, -3 for other dialects
High German (Saxon) to Danish: -4 to both speakers

NPCs

Heron of Virtue

Str|2| Sta|-1| Dex|2| Qik|3| Com|-1| Pre|0| Cun|0| Per|2|

Virtues/flaws/animal traits:
Accomplished Flyer
Aggressive
Amphibious
Imposing appearance
Pack Leader
Magic Animal
Way of the Land (riversides)
Warthful (major)

Magic Might 15

Magic powers

Fear of the Heron
2 points, Mentem
R: Eye, D: Diam T: Ind
Creates an overpowering fear in one person of a Herons
(10 spell levels: Base 4, +1 Eye, +1 Diam)

Harden the feathers
2 points
R: Pers, D: Sun, T:Ind
Grants +3 soak as featehrs harden
(10 spell levels: base 4, Sun+2)

Combat

Weapon	Ability	Skill	Init	Atk	Def	Dam
Beak	Brawl	6	5	10	9	7

Hermann, German knight, 25 years old

Still quite young and new to the region, came here to replace his older cousin who held this position before him. Short dark blond hair and moustache, barely above average height but solidly built. Is the second highest ranking man in the region. Unmarried. Reckless, uninterested with outdoors activity that are not battle. Wants to mount raids across the river but the lord won’t let him. (his shield is green with a white crown and a white jug).

Attribute|Score

Str|2, Sta|1, Dex|2, Qik|1, Com|0, Pre|0, Int|-1, Per|0

Virtues: Knight, Warrior
Flaws: Reckless, Ability Block (Survival/hunting/non military outdoors)

Abilities:

Animal Handling (Horses) 4
Area Lore (Virumaa) (Farms) 1
Area Lore (Holstein) (Nobles) 2
Athletics (Endurance) 4
Awareness (in Battle) 2
Brawl (Wrestling) 2
Leadership (in battle) 2
Great Weapon (Longspear) 5
Low German (Saxon) 5 (effective 3 with Danes)
Ride (in battle) 4
Single Weapon (Lance) 5
Russian (Novgorod Dialect) 2
Estonian (Northern dialect) 2

Paulus, German priest and preacher of the Teutonic Order

Of average height, he has a massive paunch. He has the tonsure (that marks him as a clergyman) burned into his short light brown hair. He remains clean shaven as much as possible and wears a green cape marked with the black cross of his order in all occasions. He enjoys the company of Hermann. He is a drunk who will socialise with the PCs when deep in his cups.

Stats:

Attribute|Score

Str|0, Sta|0, Dex|-1, Qik|0, Com|1, Pre|2, Int|2, Per|1

Virtues:Brother Chaplain (against the dark p82), Educated
Flaws: Gluton (as Greedy), Obese

Area Lore (Kiel) (Citizens) 2
Area Lore (Virumaa) (Farms) 2
Artes Liberales (Grammar) 1
Canon & Civil Law (Papal decrees) 2
Carouse (Power Drinking) 5
Charm (First Impression) 4
Etiquette (Church) 2
Folk Ken (Cityfolk) 4
Low German (Saxon Dialect) 5
Latin (Church Usage) 4
Leadership (Inspiration) 1
Philosophiae (Metaphysics) 1
Profession (Preacher) (New Converts) 4
Estonian (Northern Dialect) 3
Church lore (Politics) 2
Theology (Biblical knowledge) 5

Danish soldiers (Reskinned version of the Flemish pikemen which I had posted in my grog thread)

While in average in their mid-20s, these are experienced fighters, covered in scars. They are used to enforcing by violence the will of their lord. They are quick to start fights and the locals remain wary of them. A few of them have married local women already. They have participated in battles and know how to maintain their gear and to treat their wounds in the aftermath. They have one job: to pacify Estonia, and something tells you that they are scarily good at it.

Stats:

Attribute|Score

Str|2, Sta|1, Dex|1, Qik|1, Com|0, Pre|0, Int|0, Per|1, Siz|1

Virtues: Large, Warrior
Flaws: Disfigured, Wrathful

Abilities:

Area Lore (Virumaa) (Farms) 1
Athletics (Endurance) 3
Awareness (Mounting Guard) 4
Brawl (Dagger) 2
Carouse (Beer) 3
Chirurgy (Binding wounds) 4
Craft (Iron) (Repairs) 4
Folk Ken (Villagers) 2
Estonian (Northern Dialect) 2
Great Weapon (Pole Axe) 5
Guile (Intimidation) 3
West Norse (Danish) 5
Ride (Speed) 2
Survival (Forests) 2

Waterfall nymph: Joala

Magic Might: 30 (Aquam)
Characteristics: Int 0, Per +1, Pre +5, Com +5, Str –2, Sta –1, Dex +2, Qik 0, Size: 0

Combat:
Dodging: Init 0, Attack n/a, Defense 0,
Damage n/a
Soak: +5
Wound Penalties : –1 (1-5), –3 (6-10), –5
(11-15), Incapacitated (16-20)
Powers:
Magic Nature : As a Spirit, does not suffer from Fatigue, nor is she affected by diseases or old age. She can understand any languages, and can be understood by anyone. She has the Second Sight Virtue, and gain the benefits or penalties of any supernatural aura when using their magic powers, according to the Realm Interaction table (see Ars Magica 5th Edition, page 183). She sees through water perfectly (clear sight of the Naiad permanent)
Control Water , 1 point per magnitude, Init +0, Aquam: The spirit of the waterfall may cause any Creo or Rego Aquam effects up to 30th level, at a cost of 1 Might per magnitude of the effect.
Form of Water , 10 points, Init +3, Aquam:
She can transform herself into water and slip into the Narva river. While in this form she will regenerate 5 Might points per hour (four times her usual rate), and she will recover from wounds in minutes, hours, or days (for Light, Medium, and Heavy wounds, respectively), rather than days, weeks, and months. This makes her almost impossible to kill.
Vis: 6 Aquam, in blood
Appearance: An exceedingly beautiful blue skinned maiden, clothed only in her long, water hair.

Not really a Rusalka (as Tritons)

Faerie Might: 5 (Aq)
Characteristics: Int, 0 Per 0, Pre +2, Com 0, Str +1, Sta +1, Dex +1, Qik +1
Size: 0
Virtues and Flaws: Greater Faerie Powers; Faerie Sight, Faerie Speech, , Personal Faerie Power; Sovereign Ward (folk charms), Restricted Might (on land); Aloof, Incognizant.
Personality Traits: Cheerful +2, Vengeful +2
Combat:
Brawl : Init: +3, Attack +3, Defense +1, Damage +5, Throw things : Init: +3, Attack +6, Defense +1, Damage +5
Soak: 0
Wound Penalties : –1 (1-5), –3 (6-10), –5
(11-15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead
(21+)
Abilities: Area Lore: Fishing Grounds 2 (productive spots), Awareness 2 (fish), Bargain 2 (for catches), Brawl 1 (underwater), Charm 2 (fisherfolk), Faerie Speech 5, Folk Ken 2 (fisherfolk), Guile 2 (about origin), Music 2 (singing), Profession: (fisher) 3, Swim 3 (endurance), Thrown Weapon 3 (things)
Powers:
Push of the Gentle Wave : 2 points Init –1,
Aquam: Similar to the spell of the same name ( ArM5 page 124), but has a longer effect, allowing the faerie to appear to tow small boats or swim assisted by a magical current. Costs 15 spell levels
(Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Sun)
Conversing with the lake: 3 points, Init –2, Aquam.
Allows the faerie to ask questions of its local part of the ocean. Similar to Voice of
the Lake , ArM5 page 122, except that faeries can converse with portions of genuine lakes and seas. Costs 25 spell levels (Base 15 +1 Touch +1 Concentration)

Equipment: Fishing gear (Rod, bag over shoulder, personal trinkets)
Vis: 1 pawn, rusty fish-hooks
Appearance: Fine looking naked men and women they frolic around the edge of the lake mostly invisibly. If spotted by second sight then they will materialise. Either aggressive by nature or willing to take players with a Pre+Charm or Pre+Etiquette TN 9 down to their underwater regio for feasting. PCs will wake up on the shore the next day not entirely sure of what happened but they’ll have a peaty taste in their mouth, dirty hands and feet but a fresh catch of rainbow trout with them.

Players can try to steal a fishing rod to force them to return to Saaremaa with them as their spouse or to trade for something. This will turn the other lake spirits against the party.

Farmer/Fishermen

This is a backup character in case a PC gets too injured to continue adventuring, drowns etc Also acts a basic opponent if the PCs end up brawling with locals.

Characteristics: Int –1, Per +1, Pre –1, Com –1, Str +3, Sta +3, Dex 0, Qik –2
Size: 0 Age: 25 (25) Decrepitude: 0 Warping Score: 0 (0)
Virtues and Flaws: Peasant; Enduring Constitution; Greedy (Minor).
Personality Traits: Greedy +3, Loyal +2, Brave +1
Reputations: None
Combat:
Fist: Init –2, Attack +4, Defense +2,
Damage +3
Soak: +3
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, –1, –3, –5,
Unconscious
Wound Penalties : –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5
(11–15), Incapacitated (16+)
Abilities: Estonian (Northern Dialect) or Russian (Novgorod) 5, Russian (Novgorod) or Estonian (Northern Dialect) 3, Animal Handling 4 (cattle) or Swim 4 (sea), , Athletics 1 (run), Awareness 3 (search), Bargain 1 (Fish or Farm goods), Brawl 3 (fist), Carouse 3 (power drinking), Climb 2 (trees), Virumaa Lore 2 (farms or waterways), Craft: Farmer 4 (plowing) or Profession Sailor (Fisherman) 4 , Folk Ken 3 (peasants), Guile 3 (lying to authority), Survival 2 (coastal area or forest), Narva Lore 2 (people)
Equipment : Undyed linen clothing with a little embroidery at the cuff, farming or fishing tools

Lots of names, in case you need to name an NPC fast:

Men

Estonian

Aivar
Jaak
Jueri
Indrek
Paavo
Edward
Meelis
Kristjan
Nigul
Olev
Margus
Ott
Peeter
Priidick
Rasmus
Taavi
Uelo
Viktor
Valter
Toomas
Tarmo

Russian

Bogdan
Fyodr
Lev
Miroslav
Pasha
Vadim
Boris
Sasha
Anastas
Artyom
Bolesalv
Fedot
Gena
Gavriil
Ilya
Ivan
Lavrenty
Matfey
Nikolai
Oleg
Roman
Segey
Semyon

Danish

Ragnar
Alfred
Konrad
Bengt
Aksel
Birger
Dag
Torben
Vilhelm

Women

Estonian

Anna
Kaisa
Kaya
Age
Laggle
Laine
Kuelliky
Kersti
Katrin
Liisi
Maarja
Tiiu
Tuuli
Loviise
Mare
Margit
Sirje
Taimi
Ene
Eha
Anneli

Russian

Anna
Verochka
Stefaniya
Sonya
Sashinka
Slava
Rada
Petia
Natalya
Yevgeniya
Mila
Nadeszhda
Lyuba
Ksenia
Isodora
Teofanya
Ira
Julia
Larisa
Ludmila
Nastya
Roksana