By Kobold Staff Jan 14, 2019 | Articles, Midgard |
The doom croaker tradition originated among the Northlands ravenfolk and spread from there to the northern dwarves. Doom croakers follow the teachings of Wotan to gain glimpses into the infinite knowledge he was granted while hanging from the branches of Yggdrasil. DOOM CROAKER (WIZARD) Common folk regard doom croakers with a mixture of fear and awe. The doom croakers carry the power of Wotan’s runes, and though people cautiously seek out...
By Kobold Staff Jan 7, 2019 | Articles, Midgard |
To the west of the black wood where the shadow fey dwell lies a great pit in the Shadow Realm’s landscape. A series of deep depressions gouge the dark earth, diving deep into thick shadows and darkened tunnels. To a shrewd scholar of Midgard geography this mighty crevasse takes on a sinister meaning, for it exists in the corresponding location of the dwarf heartland, the Ironcrag Cantons. In these Black Iron Depths thrives an exiled arm of the...
By Kobold Staff Dec 31, 2018 | Articles, Midgard |
These small, winter faeries are vicious and deadly. With their pale skin and translucent wings, they blend perfectly into their snowy environment; only their beady black eyes stand out against the snow and ice. These malevolent ice-sprites are a plague upon the people of snowy climates, ambushing unwary prey with icy arrows and freezing spell-like powers. Servants of the North Wind. Known as “patzinaki” in some dialects of Dwarvish, the beli...
By Kobold Staff Dec 17, 2018 | Articles, Midgard |
Of the smaller races, the kobolds have adapted best to the changing world. Enslaved long ago by reaver dwarves, kobolds quickly carved a niche for themselves as miners, scouts, and tinkerers: small enough to be useful, and also small enough to be dismissed as a threat. At first they were tolerated, then largely ignored. As a result, the shadows of dwarven society are rife with kobold rogues and entrepreneurs (many of them secret worshippers of...
By Kobold Staff Dec 10, 2018 | Articles, Midgard |
South of the Reaching Mountains and east of cyclopean Jotunheim, a fertile forest teeming with vibrant flora and fauna is sheltered from the worst excesses of cold and wind. Trollheim’s inhabitants are cunning hunters, fearless explorers, and fearsome raiders. Whether human, dwarf, or troll, few embrace the culture of the North as fiercely. They farm, brawl, raid each other, toast the gods, and consider themselves the best of all peoples. Most...
By Kobold Staff Dec 3, 2018 | Articles, Midgard |
Five reptilian heads upon long necks rise from the murky surface of the water. Sizzling venom drips from each gaping maw. The venom maw hydra lurks in sulfurous swamps and near areas of high geothermal activity, poisoning the hot springs and lakes where it dwells. Voracious Appetite. The venom maw hydra takes advantage of the sanctuary its warm water home promises to nearby fauna, devouring any creature that comes for warmth or a drink and...
By Kobold Staff Nov 26, 2018 | Articles, Midgard |
All seek some form of justice when they have been wronged, and many live under the promise of its protection, whether or not the promise is kept, but few take on the holy burden of delivering the justice of the gods. The mercy of the gods, when in evidence at all, is not the mercy of mortals, and meting it out makes for a lonely life. Yet most agree on the urgent need for justice in the world, with all of its dark places and rulers who give it...
By Kobold Staff Nov 19, 2018 | Articles, Midgard |
Dwarves think of their canton first, their race or clan second. The canton is home and hearth, family and wealth, and safety from an uncaring world. These traits do not guarantee greater harmony or joy among cantonal dwarves than among other races. Indeed, cantonal dwarves are notoriously dour, fractious, and opinionated about everything. Cantonal dwarves unify only in the presence of some external threat, which gives their elders and the...
By Kobold Staff Nov 12, 2018 | Articles, Midgard |
The creature resembles a great blackened asp with smoldering skin and white-hot serpentine eyes. It slithers as confidently through the air as across the ground. Serpent of Suffering. Alnaar demons appear most commonly when a people, race, or species is experiencing suffering. There to hasten the process, the alnaar erupts from the Abyss, leaving massive holes in the firmament of the afflicted cities and towns. The alnaar’s only wish is to...
By Kobold Staff Nov 5, 2018 | Articles, Midgard |
The Greenleaf College was founded by elfmarked who sought to record their varied heritage. Drawing from elven lore and power, Greenleaf bards strengthen their connection to nature. Through their magic and their tales, they convey the rejuvenating strength of the forests and rivers to their allies. [From the Midgard Heroes Handbook…] GREENLEAF COLLEGE (BARD) When you join the Greenleaf College at 3rd level, you gain access to an expanded list of...
By Kobold Staff Oct 29, 2018 | Articles, Midgard |
Eons ago, a group of aboleth left the Material Plane to wander through distant planes—seeing them through magical scrying was not enough, so these aboleth used astral magic and bodily travel to see far beyond normal realms. A Forgotten Tribe. As ages passed, memories of those who departed slowly faded from the minds of those aboleth who remained behind. Those few aboleth who did remember that long ago some of their kin had gone plane-wandering...
By Kobold Staff Oct 22, 2018 | Articles, Midgard |
Stannasgard is the most open and cosmopolitan of the dwarven reaver kingdoms, a major trading enclave and a gateway to the Nieder Straits. For many merchants, it’s the farthest into Northern territory they care to venture. Mines are the backbone of Stannasgard’s prosperity, since the land is rich in veins of iron and adamant. Working from these superlative raw materials, the dwarves of Stannasgard have forged a reputation as master artisans,...
By Kobold Staff Oct 14, 2018 | Articles, Midgard |
Hidden in the dappled shadows of the tree’s leaves, the elf ’s leather bandolier jingles softly. Leather armor dyed to match its surroundings, the nearly invisible archer removes a vial from the bandolier, quickly attaching it to an arrow. The well-kept bow does not creak as the bowstring is drawn. Mixing their knowledge of dangerous chemicals with their extensive weapon skills, these elves are devastating from afar. A Sharp Smell. Try as they...
By Kobold Staff Oct 8, 2018 | Articles, Midgard |
You study the angelic seals that bind the power of celestial messengers through their names, and you shape that power into magical effects. Beyond the seals and wardings themselves, you learn esoteric spells to call down the essence of the angelic host. Most angelic scribes take up their craft out of reverence and a desire to protect the righteous; a few tempt angelic wrath with their lust for power that’s otherwise beyond their grasp....
