Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Irrisen—Land of Eternal Winter 9781601254863

Citation preview

Author• Mike Shel Cover Artist• Daren Bader Cartography• Robert Lazzaretti Interior Artists• Dave Allsop, Eric Braddock,

Table of Contents

Kate Maximovich, Ryan Portillo, Maichol Quinto, and Robbie Trevino Creative Director• James Jacobs

lrrisen

2

Editor-in-Chief• F. Wesley Schneider

A brief look at lrrisen's culture, society, and history, including a detailed timeline

Senior Editor• James L. Sutter

of major events and an exploration of lrrisen's six winter-bound provinces.

Development Leads• Adam Daigle and Rob McCreary Editing• Judy Bauer, Logan Bonner, Christopher Carey, and Ryan Macklin Editorial Assistance• Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Mark Moreland, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Patrick Renie, and Sean K Reynolds Senior Art Director• Sarah E. Robinson Graphic Designers• Sonja Morris and Andrew Vallas Production Specialist• Crystal Frasier Publisher• Erik Mona Paizo CEO• Lisa Stevens

Bleakmarch

8

Feyfrost

14

Hoarwood

20

Thronehold

26

The Verge

32

Wintercrux

38

Plots and Perils

44

Chief Operations Officer• Jeffrey Alvarez Director of Sales• Pierce Watters Sales Representative• Adam Lovell Finance Manager• Christopher Self Staff Accountant• Kunji Sedo Chief Technical Officer• Vic Wertz Senior Software Developer• Gary Teter Campaign Coordinator• Mike Brock Project Manager• Jessica Price Customer Service Team• Cosmo Eisele, Erik Keith, and Sara Marie Teter

Details on several adventure sites and other plot hooks in the dangerous wilderness of lrrisen, as well as afflictions and hazards that threaten visitors to the Land of Eternal Winter.

Bestiary

50

A catalog of a dozen creatures found in the cold lands of the north, including random encounter tables for lrrisen's six provinces and its waterways.

Warehouse Team• Will Chase, Michael Kenway, Matt Renton, Jeff Strand, and Kevin Underwood Website Team• Ross Byers, Liz Courts, Lissa Guillet, and Chris Lambertz

Reference This book refers to several other Pathfinder Roleplaying Game products using the following abbreviations, yet these additional supplements are not required to make use of this book. Readers interested in references to Pathfinder RPG hardcovers can find the complete rules of these books available online for free at

Advanced Player's Guide

APG

Lands of the Linnorm Kings Paths of Prestige

LLK

paizo.com/prd. Ultimate Combat Ultimate Magic

UC UM

POP

This product is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game or the J.5 edition of the world's oldest fantasy roleplaying game. Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version i.oa, Section i(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content or are in the public domain are not included in this declaration.) Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo

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paizo.com

Publishing game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming License version i.oa Section i(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission.

PothfinderCompaign Setting: lrrisen, LandofEternot Winter© 2013, Paizo Publishing, LLC.All Rights Reserved. Paizo, Paizo Publishing, LLC, the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, Pathfinder Society, and GameMastery are registered trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC; Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder Campaign Setting, Pathfinder Module, Pathfinder Player Companion, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and Pathfinder Tales are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC. Printed in China.

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"Though some of his thanes objected, the great love and respect the ailing King Ethered had won over his many years ruling Raemerrund carried the day. And so his eldest son, scholarly, introspective, and decidedly unmartial, would assume the Elkhorn Crown, despite possessing neither the prowess nor the intent to slay the linnorms that gave those rough lands their name. Jarguut was clever and sensible, said the old king, and he would lead Raemerrund with wisdom. But fifteen years later, the evil crone Baba Yaga, marching down from the windswept glaciers of the north with her monstrous army, met a kingdom ruled by a Linnorm King who had never earned that title-a king now known as Jarguut the Weak, Jarguut the Unready, and Jarguut the Last." -From The Conquering Cold: A Brief History of the Winter War

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early 1,400 years ago, the Witch Queen Baba Yaga and an allied army of trolls, frost giants, winter wolves, and icy fey minions swept down from the Crown of the World to crash upon the easternmost Lands of the Linnorm Kings like an apocalyptic avalanche, slaying their formidable Ulfen defenders by the thousands. The first hammer's blow of the Winter War landed on the Linnorm Kingdom ofRaemerrund. Under the leadership of studious King Jarguut-a Linnorm King who inherited his crown without performing the legendary quest that title traditionally demands­ Raemerrund collapsed like fractured ice in a mere 6 days. The squabbling thanes of the Djurstor Confederacy to Raemerrund's south managed to resist the onslaught for 17 more days, but they too fell to the otherworldly witch's irresistible army. In under a month, Baba Yaga conquered two independent kingdoms that had stood for centuries and remade them into the nation of Irrisen, a land swathed forever in bitter, supernatural winter. But Baba Yaga soon lost interest in her newfound realm. She left Golarion, handing power to her eldest daughter, Jadwiga, who proved herself every bit as capable and cruel as her mother, and established the nation of Irrisen as it's known today. Queen Jadwiga divided her nascent kingdom into four provinces-Bleakmarch, Hoarwood, Thronehold, and Wintercrux-and directed the construction of new cities to serve as provincial capitals, built by the conquered and enslaved Ulfen inhabitants. The new queen awarded her most trusted daughters authority over these lands, granting them the title of duchess. She awarded a fifth province to the capricious and cruel fey who had aided her mother in conquest, granting them the land north of the Frozen Road-now called Feyfrost-and allowing these unpredictable allies to do whatever they wished. A sixth province, the Verge, was later carved out ofWintercrux to guard the border with the Lands of the Linnorm Kings . The many pastoral Ulfen villages that dotted the countryside before the Winter War died cruel deaths from isolation and neglect over time as Irrisen's endless winter limited travel, eliminated game, and prevented all agriculture. With few exceptions, only towns along the nation's rivers or the shores of Glacier Lake managed to survive in this stark new environment. They rely on fishing and shipments of imported grain and other staples that make the journey along the frigid waterways and snowy land routes from surrounding nations where the seasons still dance through their eternal cycle. During the century following the Winter War, Queen Jadwiga's armies , led by her male progeny, made many attempts to expand the new kingdom's borders , but the Linnorm Kings and Mammoth Lords on Irrisen's borders kept vigilant watch over their belligerent neighbor and

N

Witch-Trees of lrrisen Aft er 1, 400 yea rs of winter, nea rly a l l growi n g t h i n gs i n l rrisen a re l o n g dead o r locked i n ete r n a l h i bernati o n . T h e great b i rches, el ms, a n d o a ks o f the forests a re b a re of leaves, a n d o n ly ta l l evergreens such as fi rs, p i n es, a n d sp ru ces provide a green b reak t o the e n d l ess b l ues a n d wh ites o f ice a n d snow. T h e co niferous winteryew tree, believed to h ave been brought to G o l a ri o n fro m some far-off world by Baba Yaga, is a bsol utely esse nti a l to the s u rviva l of m a ny species of I rrisen. Wi nte ryews' cones prod uce ed i b l e seeds year-ro u n d , a n d t h e i r ba rk, which grows back even i n l rrise n's fri gid temperatu res when stri pped fro m the tru n k, p rovides n utriti o n fo r other a n i m a ls, i nc l u d i n g h u m a ns. Were it not for the winteryew, known co l l oq u i a l ly as the " witch-tree," no wi l d l ife co u l d s u rvive i n t h i s wintry l a n d .

resisted further invasion. Many blamed Queen Jadwiga's failure to continue the conquest of northern Avistan for causing Baba Yaga to return to Golarion 100 years later. Baba Yaga removed Queen Jadwiga and the first generation ofher children from Golarion, and crowned the deposed queen's sister Morgannan as Irrisen's new queen. Those descendants of Queen Jadwiga who had held positions of prestige and authority were pushed aside by the offspring of the new queen. Jadwiga's descendants, who resented this affront but were unable to oppose it, assumed lesser roles in the hierarchy, venting their anger upon the enslaved Ulfen folk who made up Irrisen's peasant population and scheming with and against one another for privileges, luxuries, and revenge. This ritual has been repeated every hundred years, with Baba Yaga returning to replace one daughter with another, and taking the deposed queen and the queen's children with her when she leaves Golarion. Elvanna is Irrisen's current queen, and her own centenary creeps closer with every pas sing day. Baba Yaga's descendants are known today as Jadwiga, taking their name from Irrisen's first queen, though many outsiders incorrectly translate the term as "children of the witch-mother." By all appearances human, the Jadwiga are a vain, arrogant, and cruel people, proud of their bloodline and the authority and privilege it brings. The many petty rivalries and bloody feuds between Jadwiga clans are all that enables the oppressed lower orders to survive in Irrisen. Although there are rare exceptions to the rule, female Jadwiga winter witches run the nation's government. These Jadwiga make up the ranks of the White Witches, who are much feared both within Irrisen's borders and without. Male Jadwiga command Irrisen's military.

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Ultimately, though, all answer to the reigning queen, whose ruthles s vindictivenes s is legendary. Most are careful not to earn the ire of their ruler and her most influential progeny. Sitting at the summit oflrrisen's rather severe hierarchy are the offspring of the reigning queen. Holding positions of power and prestige in the government and military, they are haughty and disdainful of all lower classes. Below this elite are the descendants oflrrisen's previous queens. These Jadwiga make up the broad upper and middle classes oflrrisen, and they are a varied lot. Though most are proud and vindictive, they give reluctant public respect to the Jadwiga Elvanna, lest they anger an aristocrat of real authority and venom. They vent much of their bile upon the unfortunates at the bottom of the hierarchy. Monsters such as ice trolls, ogres, snow goblins , winter wolves, frost giants, and cold fey come next in the pecking order. Allies of the Jadwiga, these creatures live either in the maj or cities of Irrisen or in scattered tribes across the snowy wilderness. Those living in settlements tend to keep themselves largely separated from the Jadwiga and Ulfen residents, and despite their lower rank, most Jadwiga treat them with a measure of respect, fearing their well- earned reputations for impulsive violence. Navigating the widely varying cultures of these monstrous citizens is one of the more dangerous aspects oflife in Irrisen. Merchants, visiting scholars, and other foreigners (including adventurers) make up the next rung of the social hierarchy. These folk tread very lightly in Irrisen if they are wise, and are rarely seen outside the nation's major cities. Their presence in Irrisen is tolerated for the most part as essential for the nation's economic health, but this does not mean that individuals can't run afoul of their betters. The potential rewards for trade with Irrisen are immense since the land depends so heavily on imported foodstuffs, lumber, and other goods whose production is taken for granted by nations that experience four seasons. But the dangers in this strange place are legion, and there are countles s tales of those who came to the Land of Eternal Winter thinking to make their fortunes and found their dooms instead. Still, those who master the contradictory art of being at once bold and cautious can reap enormous wealth.

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Descendants of the Ulfen survivors of the Winter War lie at the bottom of lrrisen's brutal hierarchy, though their resemblance to the Ulfen people of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings has been utterly erased. Their culture is now an inward and frightened one, filled with primitive superstitions and odd customs. This peasant class makes up the bulk of lrrisen's population, scraping out a meager existence in towns and villages along Glacier Lake and Irrisen's rivers. Most Jadwiga consider these settlements insufferably backward and dull, and a posting to one is seen as exile or worse-few Jadwiga live in such places willingly. The peasant citizens of these towns, a group that includes dwarves, half-ores, and a smattering of other races in addition to humans of Ulfen stock, understand their dubious position. While nominally free as long as , they serve their function, they can instantly become the property or playthings of any Jadwiga who takes a fancy to them-in a word, they are serfs, and they live their lives in fear. By contrast, those native Ulfen and other races residing in lrrisen's larger cities have no illusion of freedom. They are slaves , at the very bottom of the social hierarchy, existing only to serve the Jadwiga and the Jadwiga's monstrous allies . Though the common trappings of slave- owning cultures-such as slave pits, auction blocks, and branding-are largely absent from Irrisen, there is no doubt about the servile condition of these city­ dwelling folk. The organization of most Irriseni provinces is similar: Several towns of Ulfen peasants (generally ruled by a local White Witch barones s or countess) work to supply the provincial capital (ruled by a White Witch duches s who controls the entire province) with imported goods, lumber, and other raw materials . These peasants are more serfs than slaves , but they exist in a state of abject servitude to the Jadwiga aristocracy. As signed roles in their communities and forced to pay oppressive taxes, they have no real freedom. Marriages, movement to another settlement, even the construction of minor buildings must all be scrutinized and approved by the local Jadwiga noble or her designated agent. This arrangement was put in place during the reign of Queen Jadwiga and has continued uninterrupted for centuries.

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lrrisen Time line The following timeline describes the major events in Irrisen's 1,400 -year history. 3413 Date

3 3 04

3 3 12

33 13

33 1 4 337 0

3 37 3

Event

Ki n g Eth e red of t h e L i n n o r m Kingdom of Raemerru nd d i es and is succeeded by his bookish son, Jarguut, despite gru m b l i n g from a n u m ber of t h a n es t h at the n ew ki n g has not slain a l i n n orm. Seve r a l of R a e m e r r u n d's thanes d e m a n d i n d e p e n d e n ce fro m Jargu ut's r u l e . T h e ki n g q u i etly accedes, a n d t h e l a n d s constitut i n g what is n ow t h e southern h a l f of T h ro n e h o l d j o i n t h e Dj u rstor Confederacy, a loose a s s o c i a t i o n o f b i c keri n g t h a n e d o m s . T h e n o rthern l i ghts fl a re so brightly d u ri n g t h e s u m m e r that t h ey a re s o m e t i m e s m i st a ke n fo r t h e s u n . T h e winter i s m o re bitterly c o l d t h a n a n y o n record, w i t h swo rds s h atte r i n g i n t h e fri gid temperat u res. Sc h o l a rs later name these o m e n s of what is to come. The Winter Wa r. B a b a Yaga i nvades Raemerrund a n d the Dj u rsto r Confederacy, conquering both i n a m ere 23 days. The n a t i o n o f I rrisen is b o r n , with Baba Yaga's el dest daughter, Jadwi ga, crowned q ueen. The land is divided i nto five provi nces: B l e a k m a rch, Feyfrost, H o a rwood, Thronehold, a n d Wintercrux. Feyfrost is given t o the co l d fey w h o a i d e d Baba Yaga's co nq uest. The cities of Algidhea rt, Redtooth, and Vonosh a re fo u nded to serve as provi ncial capita ls. The H o lvirga n g U prisi n g. An gered by the erratic and m a l i c i o u s cond uct of the fey of Feyfrost, seve r a l frost giant c l a n s from H o lvirgang declare war a n d descend fro m the n o rth. Queen Jadwiga s u ccessfu l ly p uts down t h e frost giant re be l l io n , but a lters t h e borders of Feyfrost so that it is n o l o n ger in close p roxi m ity with t h e m aj o r frost g i a n t stro n g h o l d s o f t h e Winterwa l l G l acier. T h e fey s i g n Jadwiga's I ce Com pact, agree i n g to esta b l i s h a m o re traditi o n a l c a p i t a l a n d restra i n t h e i r m o re a n a rc h i c b rethren fro m a ntagon izi n g t h e gia nts. C h i l l b l ight is b u i l t on t h e Frozen Road, i m itati n g a h u m a n c i t y but crafted s o l e l y fro m ice. The B r u m a l Lords refuse to re l i n q u i s h t h e i r rights to torment whomever they l i ke a n d retreat to t h e i r pal ace i n the northeastern reaches of Feyfrost. Queen Jadwiga descends on the B r u m a l Lords a n d sea ls t h e i r p a l a ce with the Lock of Pajari. Yea r of the T h ree Riders. A trio of myste rious fey rid i n g sorcero us m o u nts is seen across l rrisen. Rumor has it they a re pass i n g judgment o n those ---

3374 3412

3444

3445

3449

3 512

3 513

3 51 4

who h ave fai led to keep faith with Baba Yaga. Queen Jadwiga puts a p rice on the Riders' heads, to no ava i l . Baba Yaga returns t o l rrisen, deposes Queen Jadwiga, a n d p l aces her d a u ghter M o rga n n a n on the t h ro n e as l rrisen's second q ueen. Baba Yaga takes Jadwiga and the fi rst generation of her c h i l d ren fro m G o l a ri o n ; their fate is u n known . M o rga n n a n d iscovers a p l ot by descenda nts of Queen Jadwiga i n the city of Vo nosh, though not i n time to p revent the death of h e r d a u g hter, the Duch ess Anisya. M o rga n n a n descends o n the city i n righteous fu ry, putti n g a l l o f Jadwiga's 1, 3 00 offs p r i n g dwe l l i n g there a n d over 3 , 000 oth e r i n h a bitants to the sword without tri a l , a n d o b l iterating the city. M o rga n n a n co m m a nds that the new capital fo r H o a rwood be ca rved from a gigantic oak in the H o a rwood Forest. The H o a rwood Rebe l l i o n . The U lfe n peasa nts of H o a rwood, led by their d r u i ds, atte m pt to stop the desecratio n of the giant oak ordered by Queen M o rga n n a n . H u n d reds of the rebels a re rit u a l ly exs a n g u i n ated, t h e i r blood fed to the roots of the great o a k, ki l l i n g it. Although the rebe l l i o n is s h o rt­ l ived, an u n dergro u n d m ovement known as of the Heralds of S u m m e r's Return is born of its ashes. Com p l etion of the city of H o a rwood. Osi l l a M o rgan n a n , t h i rd d a u ghter o f t h e rei g n i n g q ueen, is i n sta l led as the new D u c h ess of H o a rwood i n a n extrava gant ceremo ny. C l a n desti ne m e m bers o f the Heralds of S u m m er's Return m a n age to disrupt the ceremo ny, a n d D u c h ess Osi l l a l oses her left eye i n the violence. Osi l l a's fi rst official a c t as H o a rwood's d u c h ess is to h ave every U l fen peasa nt's l eft eye put out across the entire provi nce. Seco n d Yea r of the Th ree Riders. Repeati n g the events of 3412, the B l ack, Red, a n d Wh ite Riders rea ppear i n l rrisen, roa m i n g the cou ntryside a n d accosti ng t h o s e who h ave fa l len s h o rt. The Riders a re seen as a sign that Baba Yaga wi l l return i n a yea r's t i m e a n d take M o rga n n a n with her. M o rga n n a n scoffs at these r u m o rs a n d has seve ral pro m i nent seers th rown from the wa l l s of the Royal Palace i n Wh itethrone fo r predicti ng as m uc h . Baba Yaga returns, deposes M o rgan n a n , a n d p l aces her d a u ghter U rva l a n e on the throne as l rrisen's t h i rd q ueen. U rva l a n e s p l its Wi ntercrux i nto two provinces. The western h a lf, n a m ed the Verge, cont a i n s the old capital of Redtooth a n d is pl aced i n the h a n d s of U rva l a n e's seco n d son, Kazi m i r. H e is cha rged with h a rrying the Li n n orm Kings across the western border. U rva l a n e m a kes the U lfe n town of M o rozny

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Queens of lrrisen The d a u ghters of Baba Yaga form a n u n b roken dynasty t h at has lasted for 1,400 yea rs. Listed below a re a l l of l rrisen's q ueens a n d the dates of t h e i r reigns. Reign

Queen

3 3 13-3 4 13

Jadwiga M o rga n n a n U rva l a n e Pja l l a ra n e Ael e n a H a rcat h a Sascha Ka ri n a Tash a n n a Vel i kas Ksen iya Betyri n a Yel izaveta Elva n n a

3 4 13-3513 3513-3613 3 6 13-3713 3713-3813 3813-3913 3913-4013 4013-4113 4113-42 13 42 13-4313 4313-44 13 44 13- 4513 4513-4613 4613-4713

3713

Wintercrux's n ew capita l , res u l t i n g i n t h at city's su bsequent growth . Baba Yaga returns aga i n , deposes U rva l a n e , a n d p l aces her d a u ghter Pja l l a ra n e on the t h rone as l rrisen's fo u rth queen. This eve nt fi rmly est a b l ishes that each of Baba Yaga's d a ughters has but a century to rule, at which time the Witch Queen wi l l return to take the deposed queen a n d the fi rst generation of her c h i l d ren away from G o l a ri o n . B a b a Ya ga ret u r n s to d e p o s e Pja l l a r a n e , b u t Pja l l a r a n e a n d h e r c h i l d re n resist. B a b a Ya ga ruth l essly p uts down t h e re b e l l i o n i n a s i n g l e d ay, n ow known as t h e 24- H o u r Wa r, a n d p l aces h e r n ext d a u g h ter, Ae l e n a , o n t h e t h ro n e as l rrisen's fift h q u e e n . Baba Yaga returns, deposes Ae lena, a n d p l a ces her d a u ghter H a rcatha on the t h rone as l rrisen's sixth q ueen. I n contrast to her predecessor, Ae l e n a serenely a n n o u nces t o her c h i l d ren that they wi l l g o with h e r mother t o exp l o re stra nge worlds a n d p l a nes. Ael e n a a n d the fi rst generation of her offspri n g l eave l rrisen without resistance. H a rcatha reduces the levies a n d taxes on peasants by a t h i rd, fea r i n g t h at the onerous demands of previous monarchs a re ruining the economic health of the provi nces. When word reaches Wh itethrone that l rrisen's peasants a re ca l l i n g her " H a rcatha the Kind," the q ueen o rders h e r sold iers to go fro m town to town, cutti n g off the l ittle fi nger on the right h a n d of every peasant fa m i ly's yo u n gest c h i l d .

3937

4013

4079

4155

4159

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H a rcatha is no l o n ger referred to as " ki n d ," but taxes rem a i n l owered. Baba Yaga returns, deposes H a rcatha, and p l aces her da ughter Sascha o n the t h rone as l rrisen's seve nth q u e e n . Queen Sasch a's fi rst act is to raise levies and taxes to their p re- H a rcatha levels. T h e H a rcatha Rebe l l i o n . T h e desce n d a nts of Queen Harcatha attem pt to wrest control of l rrisen fro m Queen Sascha and her progeny because of pe rceived i n d i g n ities visited u p o n t h e m by t h e Jadwiga S a s c h a . The rebe l l i o n u l t i m ately fa i ls, a n d m a ny Jadwiga H a rcatha a re put to t h e swo rd. A n u m b er of s u rvivors of t h e confl i ct retreat to t h e Witchcaves i n southern H o a rwood. B a b a Ya ga ret u r n s , deposes S a s c h a , a n d p l aces her d a u g hter l