Glory of the Svartrsung

Glory of the Svartrsung: A GURPS Vikings One-Shot

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Jarl Brynjar One-Eye of the Gunnardung has challenged the clans to a great contest at his mighty hall Seggrhalla, by the little coastal town of Fiskrfjordr. Over the course of three days, teams will compete in running, spear-throwing, glima (wrestling), riddles, archery, hnefatafl (board games), lausatök (team unarmed combat), poetry, and hunting. All participants must compete in all contests. Nine finely-worked armbands of pure gold will be awarded. Their names are “Shining”, “Precious”, “Treasure”, “Freya’s Hair”, “Beautiful”, “Wonderful”, “Winding”, “Desire” and “Hero’s Portion”.

The Svartrsung have seen better days. You are proud descendants of Svartr Foe-Burster, trusted huscarl to Harold Fairhair, King of Norway. But today you are a small and unimportant family, doggedly hanging on to what remains of their ancestral territory. More powerful clans than yours plan to take those rings for their own glory. The Gunnardung, rich and powerful Vikings and traders. The Skogralfings, who carve their farmsteads out of the dark forest. The dour Halvordung of the frozen uplands. The islander Kjeldings, those lovers of the oar, whose eyes turn always to the sea.

Volunteers of good Svartrsung blood are to assemble at Jarl Olafir’s hall, Spjǫrheimili, on the first day of Sólmánuður, in the height of summer.

Characters[edit]

Havardr inn Rakkr[edit]

("the Upright", also sometimes "inn Rakki", with the same meaning, but similar to rakki for "the Dog", and by extension "the Cur". Patronymic: Gangradarson, from Gangradr.)

Havardr is the second son of a branch family of the Svartrsung, two years junior to Stigandr. Whereas the elder son showed a talent for song, Havardr took to words and the oral tradition. When Stigandr left with Bjorne to apprentice in the skaldic arts, their father took the opportunity to keep Havardr close to home and learn the ways of the law. Their father was quite conscious regarding the minor place of the family in an obscure clan that was once heralded across the land, and he meant to change that. If one son was to become a skald, a noble thing among the people of the land, then the other would become a law speaker, and become counsel to jarls or even kings. Thus, under his father's watchful eye and strict tutelage, Havard learned the histories that informed their people and their law. Rather than tales of glory and riches, Havardr learned accounts of petty murder that ended at execution blocks and of how slights to honor could be repaired by gold.

Thus did the boy grow to become a man severe in both countenance and conduct, earning Havardr the byname "inn Rakkr", the Upright. However, this did not make him an easy man to get along with, and among those who chafed at his manner he was called "inn Rakki": the upright, the dog, the cur. He soon came into the service of Jarl Olafir, where he rendered just service and hard counsel, earning him the jarl's trust and an unimpeachable reputation for honesty, but little warm feeling among the others in the service of the Svartrsung.

For all that, however, Havardr thought he had carved for himself a place within the Svartrsung. Yet when Stigandr returned to the jarl's halls, Havard's older brother immediately won the respect of the jarl for his talents and the love of their fellows for his easy bearing. Havardr had long nursed an envy of his brother, who left to new lands and allure of adventure, the romance of the skaldic arts, but he had thought them subsided with his brother's long absence in the Jutland. Now, though, he experienced the jealousy as fresh as if Stigandr had boarded the ship with old Bjorne only yesterday. Now he is more determined than ever to win greater glory for himself within the Svartrsung, and he bears the names of Havardr the Upright and Havardr the Cur with covetous pride, so long as his name is known.

Havardr's long study has given him the knowledge and the force of will to adjudicate upon the laws of the Norsemen, as well as the history and traditions that inform them. As counsel and houseman to the jarl, he is an able warrior, best with a spear but trained in the use of the usual weapons, and fit to stand in a shieldwall. Apart from that, he has a little education in medicine, and in other matters that would be useful counsel for a ruler.

Attributes [180]
ST: 12 [20]
DX: 13 [60]
IQ: 14 [80]
HT: 12 [20]

Secondary Characteristics
HP: 12
Will: 14
Perception: 14
Fatigue Points: 12

Basic Speed: 6.25
Dodge: 9
Basic Move: 6
Basic Lift: 29
Damage: 1d-1 t/1d+2 s
Reaction bonus: 3 (+1 Status, +1 Reputation, +1 Attractive) (situational +4 from Lawspeaker)

Social Background [17]
TL: 3 [0]
Cultural Familiarity: Scandinavia [0]
Languages

Norse: Native Speech, Writing [0]
Swedish: Accented Speech, Accented Writing [2]
Danish: Accented Speech, Broken Writing [3]
Latin: Accented Writing [2]

Wealth: Average [0]
Status: 1 (old family) [5]
Reputation: 1 (for honesty) [5]

Advantages [44]
Appearance: Attractive [4]
Empathy (roll against IQ to get a feeling for someone) [15]
Talent: Lawspeaker 4 [20]

Small group talent: Area Knowledge, History, Law, Philosophy, Public Speaking, Writing. Provides a reaction bonus among other lawspeakers or when adjudicating matters of the law.

Fit (+1 to HT rolls and recover FP at x2) [5]

Disadvantages [-100]
Bad Temper (Make a self-control roll in any stressful situation. If you fail, you lose your temper and must insult, attack, or otherwise act against the cause of the stress.) [-10]
Code of Honor (Lawspeaker's) [-10]

The Viking Code of Honor, with the following addition: if a lawspeaker has adjudicated in good faith on a dispute or matter of law outside of a thing, another lawspeaker must not contradict it; the thing is the proper forum for disputes. To do otherwise is to besmirch the other's honor, do damage to one's own if the contradiction is weak or false, and invites feuding.

Compulsive vowing [-5]
Duty (to Jarl Olafir, often) [-10]
Great Vow (and nothing but the truth) [-15]

A lawspeaker must give honest counsel regarding the law when asked in good faith, regardless of who asks. To fail to do so in informal conditions is still enough to do great damage to one's personal honor. To fail to do so when formally requested or during a thing, depending on the severity of the omission or falsehood, is punishable by death. Additionally, if formally requested by a person to whom homage is owed or during a thing, a lawspeaker must render honest testimony, with the same penalties for failing to do so.

Honesty (must obey the law, and must assume others are similarly honest in this respect unless otherwise shown) [-10]
Jealousy [-10]
Obsession (get out from Stigandr's shadow) [-10]
Selfish/Prideful (make a self-control roll whenever you experience a clear social slight) [-5]
Sense of Duty (Svartrsung, large group) [-10]
Truthfulness (make a self-control roll whenever you lie by omission, at -5 if you must tell the lie) [-5]

Quirks [-5]
Pessimistic [-1]
Sweet tooth [-1]
Responsive (to the underdogs, weak, or otherwise overshadowed) [-1]
Severe (resists carousing) [-1]
Staid [-1]

Skills [64]
Acrobatics (DX/H)-2 (11) [1]
Animal Handling (IQ/A)-1 (13) [1]
Area Knowledge (Norway) (IQ/E)+1 (19) (+4 from Lawspeaker] [2]
Area Knowledge (Sweden) (IQ/E)+0 (18) (+4 from Lawspeaker] [1]
Brawling (DX/E)+1 (14) [2]
Climbing (DX/A)-1 (12) [1]
Crewman/TL (IQ/E)+0 (14) [1]
Diagnosis/TL (IQ/H)-2 (12) [1]
Diplomacy (IQ/H)-2 (12) [1]
First Aid/TL (IQ/E)+1 (15) [1]
Games (hnefatafl) (IQ/E)+1 (15) [2]
Hiking (HT/A)-1 (11) [1]
History (Scandinavia) (IQ/H)+0 (18) (+4 from Lawspeaker) [4]
Interrogation (IQ/A)-1 (13) [1]
Jumping (DX/E)+0 (13) [1]
Law (IQ/H)+1 (19) (+4 from Lawspeaker) [8]
Literature (IQ/H)-2 (12) [1]
Leadership (IQ/A)-1 (13) [1]
Merchant (IQ/A)-1 (13) [1]
Naturalist (IQ/H)-2 (12) [1]
Navigation/TL (IQ/A)-1 (13) [1]
Observation (IQ/A)+0 (14) [2]
Philosophy (IQ/H)-2 (16) (+4 from Lawspeaker) [1]
Physician/TL (IQ/H)-2 (12) [1]
Public Speaking (IQ/A)+0 (18) (+4 from Lawspeaker) [2]
Riding (DX/A)-1 (12) [1]
Search (IQ/A)+0 (14) [2]
Stealth (Dx/A)-1 (12) [1]
Survival (Land) (IQ/A)+0 (14) [2]
Swimming (HT/E)+0 (12) [1]
Tactics (IQ/H)-1 (13) [2]
Tracking (IQ/A)+0 (14) [2]
Writing (IQ/A)-1 (17) (+4 from Lawspeaker) [1]
Weapons
Axe/Mace (DX/A)-1 (12) [1]
Spear (DX/A)+1 (14) [4]
Broadsword (DX/A)-1 (12) [1]
Shield (DX/E)+1 (14) [2]
Bow (DX/A)+0 (13) [2]
Thrown Weapon (Spear) (DX/E)+1 (14) [2]

Possessions on person [WT 35]
Spear (DX+1) | DMG 1-h thr+2 imp/2-h thr+3 imp | WT 4 | ST 9 | $40
Spear (thrown) (DX+1) | DMG thr+3 imp | Acc 2 | Range x1/x1.5 | WT - | RoF 1 | Shots T(1) | ST 9
Longbow (DX+0) | DMG thr+2 imp | Acc 3 | Range x15/x20 | WT 3/0.1 | RoF 1(2) | Shots 1(2) | ST 11 | $200/$40 (20 arrows in hip quiver)
Large Shield (DX+1) | DB 3 | WT 25 | $90
Hip Quiver | Holds 20 arrows or bolts. | WT 1 | $15

Pouch or Purse, Small | Holds 3 lbs (can contain equivalent of $212 in coins) | $10.

Bjorn the Woodsman (200 points)[edit]

Bjorn lives in the woods and makes a living by hunting and logging, though he's always ready to join in a competition or raid for the honor of the clan. He hopes to make his fortune that way, though that hasn't happened yet. He did manage to piss off a man from another clan in one of these challenges once, which is likely to spell trouble for him if they meet at this tournament.

Bjorn is LOUD and loves a party, which might explain why he hasn't managed to save much money so far.

Attributes

ST 17 {63}; DX 13 {60}; IQ 10 {0}; HT 12 {20}

Secondary Characteristics

Damage 1d+2/3d-1; BL 58 lbs.; HP 14; Will 10; Per 12 {10}; FP 12; Basic Speed 6.00 {-5}; Basic Move 7; SM +1.

Advantages

Alcohol Tolerance {1}
Hard to Subdue 2 {4}
Outdoorsman 2 {10}
Damage Resistance 2 (Tough Skin, -40%) {6}
Combat Reflexes {15}
High Pain Threshold {10}

Disadvantages

Code of Honor (Pirate's) {-5}
Compulsive Carousing (12) {-5}
Enemy (Equal Power, Rival, Fairly Often) {-5}
Gigantism {0}
Gluttony (12) {-5}
Odious Personal Habit (TALKS LOUDLY) {-5}
Overconfidence (12) {-5}
Sense of Duty (Clan) {-5}
Wealth (Struggling) {-10}

Skills

Area Knowledge (Home Region) (E) IQ {1} - 10
Brawling (E) DX {1} - 13
Climbing (A) DX-1 {1} - 12
Carousing (E) HT {1} - 12
First Aid (E) IQ {1} - 10
Naturalist (H) IQ {1}[1] - 10
Navigation (Land) (A) Per+1 {1}[1] - 13
Navigation (Sea) (A) Per+1 {1}[1] - 13
Riding (Horse) (A) DX-1 {1} - 12
Stealth (A) DX-1 {1} - 12
Survival (Woodlands) (A) Per+2 {2}[1] - 14
Thrown Weapon (Spear) (E) DX+3 {8} - 16
Tracking (A) Per+2 {2}[1] - 14
Two-Handed Axe/Mace (A) DX+3 {12} - 16
Weather Sense (A) IQ-1 {1} - 9
Wrestling (A) DX+3 {12} - 16
Running (A) HT+1 {4} - 13

[1]: +2 from Outdoorsman

Loadout

Ordinary Clothing: Free, 2 lbs.
Long Axe: Damage sw+3, Reach 1,2*, Parry 0U, ST 11++. $100, 8 lbs.
Padded Shirt: Sized for SM +1. Covers Torso, Shoulders and Upper Arms with DR 1. $220, 14.4 lbs.
2 spears (for throwing): $80, 8 lbs.

Combat

Defenses

- Dodge 9.
- Parry 11U (Axe); 11 (Wrestling); 9 (Brawling).
- DR:
  - Skull: 4
  - Body, Shoulders, Upper Arms: 3
  - Elsewhere: 2

Attacks

- Long Axe (16): 3d+2 cut, Reach 1,2*. Does not become unready due to high ST.
- Wrestling Grapple (16): Effective ST 19.
- Brawling Punch (13): 1d+1 cr, Reach C.
- Thrown Spear (16): 1d+5 imp, Acc 2, Range 17/24.

Glory of the Svartrsung

Contents

Characters[edit]

Havardr inn Rakkr[edit]

Bjorn the Woodsman (200 points)[edit]

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