Spes Magna Games

The giant stone swords of Agmundr stand on a rocky outcropping along Sverdsfjord, one of the southernmost bays in that rugged, northland known locally as Izotz. Centuries ago, two kings vied for control of Izotz. Ecgberht and Hildebrand waged war against each other, and the conflict grew increasingly bitter and lawless as both kings sought the advantage over the other. Villages were burned, and their citizens put to the sword. Sacred places were defiled. The blood of innocents cried out for justice, but ambition and malice deafened both Ecgberht and Hildebrand. Into this chaos from out of the ice-locked north strode Guđbrandr.

Haunted by visions of those innocents caught in the conflict between the two kings, Guđbrandr swept into the borderlands between the kingdoms. The opposing armies broke against Guđbrandr’s righteous fury. Others, war-weary, flocked to Guđbrandr’s banner. Before long, Ecgberht and Hildebrand found themselves on the defensive. When winter came and the polar bears arrived to support Guđbrandr, the warring kings decided that perhaps peace was a better option.

In the dead of winter, Guđbrandr met with Ecgberht and Hildebrand at Agmundr by the frozen Sverdsfjord. Guđbrandr took the kings’ swords and thrust them into the rocks. Then he took his own blade and did the same with it. The two kings knelt and swore fealty to Guđbrandr and amity between themselves. The witnesses to this agreement stood awed as the three swords turned to stone and grew to enormous size. The largest sword belonged to the victorious Guđbrandr, and the two smaller swords to the defeated kings Ecgberht and Hildebrand.

Since that day, those northern lands are ruled by a triumvirate of kings descended from Guđbrandr, Ecgberht, and Hildebrand. Each king’s coronation takes place at Agmundr, and the ancient oaths of fealty and amity are repeated in that god-touched place.

Anyone who dedicates himself to a cause or quest may journey to Agmundr and swear an oath on the power of those stone swords.

Barbarians of Lemuria

Upon swearing an oath on the power of Agmundr to accomplish some task, a hero gains 1d6 Fate Points. The hero can use these Fate Points to grant himself a one-off boon, just as if he were a priest.

Dungeon World

When you bolster yourself prior to swearing an oath on the power of Agmundr, you gain preparation as normal, plus you gain hold equal to preparation+2. If you violate your oath, the power of Agmundr will make its displeasure known. As long as you act to fulfill your oath, you may spend hold, 1 for 1, to choose an option:

• Defy danger as if you rolled a 10+ instead of rolling the dice.
• Heal damage equal to half your max HP.
• Inflict maximum damage with an attack.
• Use an advanced move appropriate to your class one time as if you were one level higher.

Swords & Wizardry

A character who swears an oath on the power Agmundr to accomplish some task gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls and saving throws until that task is fulfilled. If the character does not diligently work at performing the task, a deadly weakness sets in (50% reduction in Strength), and an attempt to entirely abandon the quest incurs a curse.

Tags: Barbarians of Lemuria, Dungeon World, places of power, Swords & Wizardry

The House
No family in the region had a worse reputation than the Stadgaar clan. The list of deeds attributed to members of the clan reads like a catalog of infamy: murder, treachery, torture, extortion, demon worship, et cetera. When at long last the family line declined and vanished with the death of the dowager Grenda Stadgaar more than a decade ago, the family mansion fell into disuse and disrepair.

Locals give the Stadgaar lands and ancestral home wide berth nowadays. Eventually, they say, the wilderness, time, and the elements will blot out the evil stain left on the land by the Stadgaars. Until then, foul spirits haunt the mansion, and only the foolish or the wicked would trespass on the estate.

The Things in the House
Yes, the Stadgaars were a wicked clan, but their wickedness had nothing to do with demon worship, murder, or torture. Theirs was a more common sort of wickedness: greed, emotional cruelty, dishonest business dealings, et cetera. Rumors of infernal activities started among the locals as malicious gossip, and the Stadgaars did little to discourage such rumors. Some family scions reveled in the dread they saw in people’s eyes. Over time, what started as gossip took on a life of its own, becoming part of the oral history of the region.

The decaying mansion and surrounding woods are not haunted either. Rather a family of fayeryes have moved onto the estate. Fayeryes are a type of woodland faerie with a fondness for places abandoned by humans and halflings. Secretive and territorial, fayeryes use their magical powers to discourage intruders. If that doesn’t work, they hide and wait for the intruders to leave. Fayeryes avoid violence unless attacked or their youngs’ nurseries are threatened. In the latter case, fayeryes become especially fearsome.

For Swords & Wizardry:

Fayerye
Hit Dice: 1
Armor Class: 7 [12]
Attacks: Bite (1d3)
Saving Throw: 17
Special: magical abilities, stealth
Move: 18
Alignment: Neutral
Challenge Level/XP: 3/60

Fayeryes appear to be a cross between a long-tailed monkey and a wild cat. It would be easy to mistake a fayerye for a beast of the forest but for their large, intelligent eyes and expressive faces. Once per day each, a fayerye can “cast” darkness 15′ radius, hold portal, sleep, and mirror image. At will, a fayerye can “cast” phantasmal force. Fayeryes are stealthy and fast. They can hide in shadows and move silently (85% both). They infallibly climb walls and vegetation. When defending their young and/or a nursery, fayeryes can “cast” monster summoning I once per day. These summoned monsters fight with a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls.

Tags: monsters, places of power, Swords & Wizardry