In the archives of Kingdom of Elyntia's Embasy, a journal was unearthed. It caused great excitement as it was from a nation that Elyntia has had no ambassador for and only known about in myths and legends.

It is the chronicle of Ahmad ibn Fadlan, Bagdad's ambassador to the Volga Bulgars. However, apparently he never made it there as, he became embroiled in a diplomatic emergency. Seems he met Northmen while escaping Tarters. They inducted him as thirteenth member to rid a northern kingdom of its monsters. This intellectual had to become a warrior.

The manuscript goes on to tell of that campaign by these heroes against their fearsome foes, the Wendol.

referencing the movie The 13th Warrior

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120657

NOTE:  At one point I heard that it was suggested to cap off Attribute Points at around 40 for a non-attribute bloating game.  I was trying to keep the attributes for most of the characters to below, with only a few above that.  

Turns out that when I did that, the Dexterity, when adjusted for armor, was about 8 to 10 DX. These great heroes would be missing their targets about half the time.  So I raised most of their DX by one or two points, which raised the total higher than I would wish.

The 13 Heroes

Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan:                         38 Attribute

ST =  12

DX =  14  (11) (10*)

IQ =  12

MA = 10 (6)

     Chainmail     (3)

     Scimitar*     2d           *badly balanced by poor craftsmanship. -1DX

Language:     Arabic (his own language)

Language:     Old Norse

Talents Weapons:  Sword

Literacy - Arabic

Courtly Graces

Sex Appeal

Writing

Mundane Talent - Administrator

Horsemanship

New Talent – Fast Learner IQ 9** (1)  **can learn Talent at twice normal speed.

Additional Talent (TBD)          (x)

Buliwyf:     Commander                         42 Attribute

ST =  14

DX =  15   (10) (11*)

IQ =  13

MA = 10 (6)

    Tough             (2)

    Plate               (5)

    *Bastard Sw  2d+1; Two hand 2d+2  Fine Weapon Named Runding = +1DX

     War Axe      2d

Language:     Old Norse (his own language)

Talent Weapons:  Sword, Axe, Bow, Shield

Toughness

Tactics, Strategy

Weapons Expertise Sword

Horsemanship

Edgtho the Silent:    2nd in Command & Scout          42 Attribute

ST =  13

DX =   14  (11) (10*)

IQ =  15

MA = 10 (6) (5*)

    Chain                        (3)

    *Lg Round Shield  (2)

    Bastard Sword       2d+1; two hand 2d+2

    War Axe                  2d

Language:     Old Norse (his own language)

Talents Weapons:  Sword, Bow, Shield,

Alertness

Expert Naturalist, Woodsman, Tracking

Stealth

Tactics

Horsemanship

Herger the Joyous:     Translator                    42 Attribute

ST =  14

DX =   14  (11)

IQ =  13

MA = 10 (6)

     Scale                   (3)

     Bastard Sword  2d+1; twohand 2d+2

     Halberd             2d

     Horse Bow        1d

Language:     Old Norse (his own language)

Talents Weapon:  Sword, Axe, Pole, Bow, Shield

Missile Weapons

Shield Expertise

Sex Appeal

Charisma

Horsemanship

Language:  Latin, Tarter, German

Skeld the Superstitious                               39 Attributes

ST =  14

DX = 14    (10)

IQ =11

MA = 10 (6)

     Half-plate           (4)

     Bastard Sword  2d+1; two hand 2d+2

     Horse Bow         1d

Language:     Old Norse (his own language)

Talents Weapons: Sword, Axe, Bow, Shield

Horsemanship

Weath the Musician                              37 Attribute

ST =  13

DX =  14   (12)

IQ =  10

MA = 10 (8)

     Leather        (2)

     Bastard Sw        2d+1; Two hand 2d+2

     Horsebow        1d+1

Language:     Old Norse (his own language)

Talents Weapons:  Sword, Axe, Bow, Shield

Mundane Talent - Mandolin

Horsemanship

Rethel the Archer                                   38 Attribute

ST =  12                                        The Boy is Rethel's Son

DX =  14  (12)

IQ =  12

MA = 10 (8)

     Leather        (2)

     Broadsword   2d

      Long Bow        1d+2

Language:     Old Norse (his own language)

Talents Weapons:  Sword, Axe, Bow, Shield

Missile Weapon

Horsemanship

Roneth the Rider                                   36 Attribute

ST =  12

DX =  13  (10)

IQ =  11

MA = 10 (6)

     Chain               (3)

     War Axe        2d

Language:     Old Norse (his own language)

Talent Weapons:  Sword, Axe, Pole, Bow, Shield

Horsemanship

Expert Horsemanship

Halga the Wise                                   39 Attribute

ST =  13

DX =  14 (10)

IQ =  12

MA = 10 (6)

     Halfplate     (4)

     Tough          (2)

     Bastard Sw     2d+1; two hand  2d+2  

     Small Axe     1d+2

Language:     Old Norse (his own language)

Talent Weapons:  Sword, Axe, Bow, Shield

Toughness

Architect/Builder

Horsemanship

Seamanship

Naturalist

Mundane Talents (various)

Helfdane the Fat                              37  Attribute

ST =   13

DX =   14  (10)

IQ =  10

MA = 10 (6)

     Halfplate        (4)

     Broadsword   2d

     Small Ax        1d+2

     Spear             1d; two hand 1d+1

     Halberd         2d

Language:     Old Norse (his own language)

Talents Weapons:  Sword, Axe, Pole, Bow, Shield

Horsemanship

Hyglack the Quarrelsome  “Olaf”               37  Attribute

ST =  13

DX =   14  (10)

IQ =  10

MA = 12 (10)

     Halfplate     (4)

     Tough              (2)

     Fur Cape     (1)  Protects rear only

     Broadsw     2d

     War Axe     2d

Language:     Old Norse (his own language)

Talents Weapons:  Sword, Axe, Bow, Shield

Running

Toughness

Seamanship

Horsemanship

Ragnar the Dour                              35  Attribute

ST =  12

DX =  13   (11)

IQ =  10

MA = 10 (8)

     Leather        (2)

     Broadsword  2d

     Small Ax       1d+2

Language:     Old Norse (0 his own language)

Weapon Talent:  Sword, Axe, Bow, Shield

Horsemanship

Haltaf the Boy (Rethel's son)                    34 Attribute

ST =  10

DX = 15     (16*)

IQ =  9

MA = 10

     Horsebow           1

     Dagger             1d-1

     Hammer             1d+1

Language:     Old Norse (his own language)

Talent Weapon:  Sword, Axe, Bow

*Missile Weapon

Horsemanship

Wendol  (Generic)                     31 Attribute

ST     13

DX     10     (9)

IQ     8

MA = 10                     (9) Bearskin

     BearSkin                  (1)  Covering back, sides and head

     BearClaw Mace    2d-1

     Spear*                    1d            *thrown

     Feathered Pilum* 1d-1

     Spear Thrower      +2 damage & Missile Weapon

     Torches             1d-1 as club; 1d-2 as fire;

Language:     Wendol (his own language)

Talents Weapons:  Axe/mace; Pole-Weapon; Spear Thrower

Area Knowledge or Running

Horsemanship

Some of the smarter Wendols have Accute Hearing, Alertness, Silent Movement, Toughness, Tracking, Naturalist, Mundane Cook

The brightest might have  Architect/Builder and build bridges; Physicker

The Wendol

Wendol  Leader                    41 Attribute

ST =  14

DX =  14   (13)

IQ =  13

MA = 10     (9) Bearskin

BearSkin                  (1)  Covering back, sides and head

     Tough                      (1)

     BearClaw Mace   2d-1

Language:     Wendol (his own language)

Talents Weapons:  Axe/mace; Pole-Weapon; Spear Thrower

Tactics, Strategy

Stealth, Silent Movement, Naturalist, Tracking, Running

Alertness, Acute Hearing

Charisma

Weapon Expertise - Mace

Horsemanship

Wendol  Mother                         35 Attribute

ST =    10

DX =   12

IQ =    13

MA = 10

Poison Claw*             1d-2          

     *Weapon Poison = 3 dice extra first; 2 dice next time, 1 die third time.

     *Wendol Poison = as above, but for every hour untreated, it numbs a limb,

             then torso.  After 6 hours the heart stops.

Language:     Wendol   (her own language)

Talents Weapon:  Knife

Charisma

Priest

Acute Hearing

Healer (Physicker)

Detect Lies

Poisons

Wendol are an ancient mixed breed of prehistoric Neanderthal (Primitive Men) and Orcanthropus (Primitive Orcs). They are strong, surly and not very bright like the Neanderthal, but stronger and dumber than Orcs. Unlike Orcs and most Neanderthal, Wendol are hunter-gatherer tribes, though a few have created fixed villages. At least one of these villages, at a waterfall, has built wooden bridges across chasms. They have domesticated horses which they let roam on ranges.

Wendol are very similar to Orcs – just more primitive and with a tendency towards cannibalism and eating other sapient species. They tend to have more and coarser hair, sharp teeth (or actual fangs) and claws instead of fingernails. They are also tough, greedy, and quarrelsome. Each Wendol domain (covering some dozen or so tribes) has an Earth Mother priestess that guides their spiritual center via a totem. The Bear totem is common. The Domain also has a Warleader which is the supreme leader for war and hunting raid.

When raiding, the raiding party attacks silently only during a night of misty fog. About a dozen will attack a house or hall.

One Tribal Domain is the Bear Totem. It's tribes wear bearskins (with the head as the hat part of a full cloak) and claws still on (acts as Leather armor for back and sides at -1 Dx). Their favored weapon is a Claw Mace (a fixed ball club with sharpened claws). They also use pilums and spears with a spear chucker. They go raiding for head trophies or food (eating their victims) or to push back interlopers. They take the heads of their victims. They do not leave any of their own Wendol behind, dead or alive.

They occasionally unite their tribes for a special purpose, like a war party to clear a domain of enemy.

The war party likes to attack at night, in the misty fog (just like a raid). The war leader will lead several hundred torch carrying warriors on horseback that are side-by-side. When seen at night in the fog from a distance, this line looks like a Fire Worm coming down from the hills. Attacks like this cause survivors to report scary tales of monsters.

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Buliwyf:                         Lo, there do I see my father. 'Lo, there do I see...

Herger the Joyous:      My mother, and my sisters, and my brothers.

Buliwyf:                         Lo, there do I see...

Herger the Joyous:      The line of my people...

Edgtho the Silent:        Back to the beginning.

Weath the Musician:  Lo, they do call to me.

Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan:    They bid me take my place among them.

Buliwyf:                          In the halls of Valhalla...

Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan:    Where the brave...

Herger the Joyous:       May live...

Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan:     ...Forever.

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