Cultures of Hrimgate: Vandal

This culture was created by Rich Forest for his War in the North Campaign last year. The original can be found at Superhero Necromancer. 

Vandal (Civilized Culture; Language: High Atlantean)

Standard Skills

Athletics, Endurance, Deceit, Influence, Insight, Locale, Willpower

Combat Style: Vandal Levy

Primarily fight with spear and viking shield; also trained with longspear, javelin, dagger, hatchet, and battle axe. [Cultural Style - Lower]

Combat Style: Vandal Soldier

Primarily fight with spear and viking shield or sword and viking shield; also trained with longspear, javelin, dagger, hatchet, battle axe, jǫtunn axe (great axe). [Cultural Style - Upper]

Formation Fighting (Vandal Soldier Benefit)

Permits a group of three or more warriors to draw into close formation, placing more open or disordered opponents at a disadvantage (provided the ‘unit’ cannot be outflanked) and thus reducing each foe’s Action Points by one if they engage.

Professional Skills

Art (any), Craft (any), Courtesy, Language (any), Lore (any), Navigation, Seamanship, Streetwise

Specialist Careers

Seafarer, Varangian, Viking

Cults

Societies: Diggers College, Magisterium 

Mystic Cults: The Society of Paragon Seafarers

Sorcery Cults: The Atlantean Conclave

Theist Cults: Old Hoary Beard, Sail Filler, Tree Breaker

The Vandals first served as mercenaries in Atlantean armies hundreds of years ago. Today, there is a Vandal kingdom on the northwest coast of Atlantis itself. Vandals still fight alongside Atlantean Kingdoms against the rising threat of the Asturian Empire, with its undead hordes. 

Vandals are common along the northern coasts of Atlantis and southern coasts of Borea. When seen, it is often in the company of Atlanteans, either as traders, as bodyguards, as mercenary recruiters, or as scholars. Most Vandals speak High Atlantean, but their scholars and elites study the old Vandal tongue, which was closely related to the tongues of the Hothar, Iotar, and Thiudar. These scholars travel the world to learn the legends of Old Hoary Beard, the Sail Filler, the Tree Breaker, the one northern god still worshiped among the Vandal people.

Cults of Atlantis: The Society of Paragon Seafarers

The Society of Paragon Seafarers

The City of Atlantis is a city of seafarers. The people of Atlantis are the people of the sea. The highest expression of the god within is expertise, excellence, and prowess. Is it any wonder that among the Atlanteans the Paragon Seafarers have arisen? It is not. 

Paragon Seafarers have sailed Atlantean vessels around the entire circle of the world. Wherever Atlanteans are found, seafarers are among them, for it is the seafarer who brought them safely across dangerous waters. 

Sailors

Starting Cultures: Atlantean, Vandal

Starting Careers: Seafarer
Standard Skills: Boating, Endurance
Professional Skills: Craft (Shipboard Specialty), Meditation, Mysticism, Navigation, Seamanship

Students, Disciples, and Masters

Student: Augment Craft (Shipboard Specialty), Augment Endurance, Augment Navigation, Augment Seamanship
Disciple: Aura (Calm), Denial (Rain and Storms)
Master: Adhesion

Careers of Atlantis: Paragons and Seafarers

The following are two specialist careers for RuneQuest 6 characters using the Atlantean culture posted yesterday. These were created by Rich Forest for the world of Hrimgate.

Paragon (Atlantean Career)

Many Atlanteans seek unity with their own God Within. A paragon is one who has found it. Through this search the paragon gains great mastery of one or more skills and even of their own mind and body. Paragons are respected as heroes, leaders, and guides in Atlantean communities. 

Standard Skills

Athletics, Customs, Endurance, Influence, Insight, Perception, Willpower

Professional Skills

Craft (any), Culture (any), Language (any), Literacy (any), Lore (any), Meditation, Mysticism

Seafarer (Atlantean, Vandal Career)

Paragon Seafarers have sailed Atlantean vessels around the entire circle of the world. Wherever Atlanteans are found, seafarers are among them, for it is the seafarer who brought them safely across dangerous waters. 

Standard Skills

Athletics, Boating, Brawn, Endurance, Perception, Swim, Willpower

Professional Skills

Craft (Shipboard Specialty), Culture (any), Language (any), Meditation, Mysticism, Navigation, Seamanship

Cultures of Hrimgate: Atlantean

This culture for the Magisterium Campaign is a slightly tweaked version of the Atlantean culture posted to Superhero Necromancer last year for Rich Forest's War in the North Campaign. 

Atlantean (Civilized Culture; Language: High Atlantean)

Standard Skills

Customs, Influence, Insight, Locale, Perception, Ride, Willpower

Combat Style: Atlantean Civilian

A more limited style, using quarterstaff, dagger, and knife. At range, sling or short bow.

Combat Style: Atlantean Guard

Quarterstaff. Also dagger, knife, shortsword, and trident and net. At war, pike, glaive, longspear. At range, sling or short bow.

Cautious Fighter (Atlantean Guard Benefit) 

Can use the Change Range action to automatically withdraw from engagement with no need to roll.

Professional Skills

Art (Any), Commerce, Craft (any), Language (any), Literacy, Lore (any), Navigation, Seamanship

Specialist Careers

Paragon, Seafarer

Cults

Societies: Diggers College, Fraternity of Inner Light, Magisterium 

Mystic Cults: The Society of Paragon Seafarers, The True Atlanteans

Sorcery Cults: The Atlantean Conclave, The Atlantean Mysteries

Theist Cults: Sol Invictus (worshipped by the Mehari, Atlanteans from the Northeastern High Countries)

Atlanteans originally hail from the city of Atlantis, far to the the distant south in a land of glittering cities, steaming jungles, and sorceries undreamt of in Borea. The Atlantean Kingdoms fight a war on two fronts, one with the rising Asturian Empire that sits between them and the North, and another with the Serpent Kingdoms that sit at the heart of the continent of Atlantis.

There are many Atlanteans in Andrassos. Most who appear are merchants. Some are here to recruit Andrassan and Varangian mercenaries for their armies. Some are here to keep an eye on the Andrassans and their dabbling with the Vanoran sorceries of old. The Atlanteans remember their one and only war with Vanor and do not wish to see the Exarchate follow in the footsteps of Asturias.

Atlanteans do not worship the gods, nor do they worship Sol, nor do they worship the spirits of the land. Each Atlantean worships “the god within.” They believe themselves to be a divine people, and through proper rites and practices, their divinity can be brought forth into the mortal world.

Cultures of Hrimgate: Iotar

This is an updated version of the Iotar culture originally published by Rich Forest on his Superhero Necromancer blog last year. The Iotar are one of the main cultures of his War in the North campaign, which also took place in the world of Hrimgate. This has been polished up for inclusion in the Magisterium Campaign.  

Iotar (Barbarian Culture; Language: Iorsk)

Standard Skills
Athletics, Boating, Brawn, Endurance, First Aid, Locale, Perception

Combat Style: Iotar Fighting
The purview of karls in Iotar society, this combat style uses spear and viking shield, with additional training in dagger, hatchet, and battle axe. [Cultural Style - Lower]

Combat Style: Iotar Shield Wall

Primarily fights with spear and viking shield or sword and viking shield; also trained with javelin, dagger, hatchet, battle axe, jǫtunn axe (great axe), short bow, long knife. [Cultural Style - Upper]

Shield Wall (Iotar Shield Wall Benefit)

Allows a group of three or more shield users to combine their protection, adding one to the number of locations which can be protected with passive blocking, and resisting Knockback, Leaping attacks and Bash as if using the Brace action.

Professional Skills

Commerce, Craft (any, esp. Farming, Animal Husbandry), Exhort, Lore (any), Navigation, Oratory, Seamanship, Survival

Specialist Careers

Varangian, Viking

Cults

Societies: Diggers College, Magisterium

Theist Cults: The most common cults among the Iotar are the Cult of the Nine Winds and the Cult of the Bock. Traders and travelers often favor Sail Filler or the Steady Hand, and raiders and vikings favor the Gullet, the Reavers, and Black Eagle. Those Varangians who fight for glory favor Eagle Head.

The first Iotar raiders came to the shores of the North over one hundred years ago, crashing upon those lands in waves, conquering and making them their own. They are the chieftains of most of the north, but currently face a strong challenge from the Snow Elf hegemony. Those Iotar in Andrassos and the Inner Sea are mainly Varangians, seeking fame, fortune, and freedom, with the dedicated huscarls of the Exarchate’s Varangoi Guard considered the most elite.

Cultures of Hrimgate: Vanoran

Vanoran (Civilized Culture)

Standard Skills
Conceal, Deceit, Drive, Influence, Insight, Local, Willpower

Combat Style: Citizen Legionary
[Cultural Style] Vanoran citizen legionnaires wield the shortsword and scutum. They carry a dagger at their side, and fight also with shortspears and javelins. They too have archers trained in the short bow.

Formation Fighting (Benefit)
Permits a group of three or more warriors to draw into close formation, placing more open or disordered opponents at a disadvantage (provided the ‘unit’ cannot be outflanked) and thus reducing each foe’s Action Points by one if they engage.

Professional Skills
Bureaucracy, Commerce, Craft (any), Courtesy, Engineering, Languages (any), Lore (any), Oratory

Once citizens of a continent-spanning empire of old, today Vanorans populate many scattered lands throughout central Borea. Some have blended with other local peoples and become indistinguishable from the rest, while others have clung to their longstanding culture and heritage, confident old Vanor will rise once again from ruin to stand astride Borea.

Hardy and industrious, glory-seeking and arrogant, Vanorans have found it difficult to accept their current place in Hrimgate. Those who have moved on, as in Asturias and Andrassos, have embraced new covenants and creeds, new traditions and superstitions. But for many throughout the Riverlands, Transtygia, and the Southern Reach, the older ways remain strong. And deep within mist-shrouded Arborea, tens of thousands still live amid the ruins of Vanor itself.

The dreams of empire die hard.

Cults of Asturia: St. Vacuna, the Golden Shield

The Cult of St. Vacuna, the Golden Shield
The patron saint of victory, sacrifice, and protection in the Solian Creed, St. Vacuna was once a noted bodyguard of the third Vanoran Witch-King, Marcian the Reclaimer. It was she who issued the witch-king's personal challenges on the battlefield; kept him alive during his headlong charges into the fray of a large battle; and died in battle taking a blow meant for the witch-king during the old Vanoran wars for the North. Once very popular amongst the Asturian legions, it has lost its favor and prominence since the rise of the Black Sun cult. Before battle, Asturian soldiers dedicated to the cult will hurl a flaming spear at the enemy lines and bellow "Ad Vacuna! Ad Vacuna! Ad Vacuna!" in Old Vanoran as an offering to the saint for her favor.

Lay Members
Standard Skills: Brawn, Willpower
Professional Skills: Combat Style (Asturian Legionnaire), Devotion, Exhort
Folk Magic: Alarm, Bladesharp, Demoralise, Firearrow, Fireblade, Protection

Initiates, Acolytes, Heroes, and Priests
Initiate Miracles: Aegis, Fortify, Shield
Acolyte Miracles: Clear Skies, Consecrate, Sunspear
Hero/Priest Miracle: Rejuvenate
Gift: Sanctuary (Heroes/Priests Only)