MEAD AND

BLOOD

A FIASCO

PLAYSET

BY

JASON

DURALL

Mead and blood

Credits

Written by Jason Durall

Boilerplate

The playset is an accessory for the Fiasco role-playing game by Bully Pulpit Games.

This playset is copyright 2012 by Jason Durall. Fiasco is copyright 2009 by Jason Morningstar. All rights reserved.

For more information of about Fiasco or to download other playsets and materials, visit www.bullypulpitgames.com

The Score

in for the winter

In the frigid lands of the North dwell the Vikings: famous as pirates and traders, wolves of the sea. In the long winter months, their ships are ice-bound, villages assailed with snow and wind. Between sea-voyages, these men and their families hold out in walled villages, gathering in the grand hall of their thane, the chief from whom all wealth flowed. In his hall they feast and drink.

If the season of trading and raiding has been good, spirits are high. If it was not so successful, tempers flare and grudges fester like wounds.

Take a wooden hall lit and heated with fire. Fill it with proud and violent men, stranded for months under cold and dark skies. Let mead flow freely. Tell them stories of battles, wyrd, and foreign gold, and see what will happen.

It is dark outside, and the ever-falling snow will hide any crime.

Movie Night

Beowulf (the animated one), Beowulf and Grendel, The Story of Bjorn, The 13th Warrior, Valhalla Rising, The Vikings.

Funny Pages

Beowulf (written and illustrated by Gareth Hinds), Northlanders (written by Brian K. Vaughn, many artists), Viking (written and illustrated by Ivan Brandon).

Relationships...

A Family

a Father or mother

b Brother or sister

c Cousin or nephew

d Old friend

e Grandparent or grandchild

f Widowed or orphaned relative

B the village

a The thane, leader of the village

b The godr, speaker for the Norse gods

c The thane’s wife

d A rival to the thane

e Shield brother

f The Christian priest

C Oaths were Sworn

a To serve the thane

b To defend the village

c To right an insult

d To never utter a false word

e To abstain from miserliness

f To never show a sign of fear

D Romance

a One you were once married to

b One you are married to now

c The one you desire but cannot have

d A shameful tryst

e One you may marry

f One you no longer desire

E Deeds were done

a A shield-brother was betrayed in battle

b Wealth was withheld from the thane

c An oath was broken

d False testimony was spoken

e Courage was broken

f Kin's blood was shed in secret

F The Gods

a Odin seeks warrior souls for Valhalla

b Frigga nurtures and praises peace

c Thor favors the strong

d Heimdall sees all that men do

e Tyr judges over all men

f Loki is a trickster and a betrayer

...in a Viking Village

Needs...

A To gAIN your Freedom

a ...from the rule of your thane

b ...from this cold village

c ...from this whole cursed country

d ...from your spouse and family

e ...from an oath that was sworn

f ...from a debt you cannot pay

B To get revenge

a ...for a cruelty which was done to you

b ...for discourtesy committed against your spouse

c ...for your thane for not seeing your worth

d ...for scorn which was shown you

e ...for an ill-deed which offended the gods

f ...for an oath that was broken

C To get rich

a ...by going on a raid

b ...by taking something belonging to a brother

c ...by robbing your thane

d ...by marrying into wealth

e ...by killing and taking another man’s wealth

f ...by claiming your inheritance, by force

D To earn eternal glory

a ...by your deeds of valor

b ...to have others speak of your wise counsel

c ...for an act of vengeance so terrible all will fear you

d ...to have skalds sing songs of your great deeds

e ...to gain followers of your own

f ...to challenge those who stand above you

E To Relish Life

a ...and drink yourself to a stupor

b ...in the pleasures of the flesh

c ...and earn the thane’s highest praise

d ...to tell the funniest story when tales are told

e ...to beat everyone at hnefatafl (“king-board”)

f ...to kill a man with your bare hands

F To win favor of the gods

a ...through a show of bravery

b ...by serving their will in all your deeds

c ...through your piety

d ...with valuable offerings and sacrifices

e ...through wise counsel

f ...by dying gloriously in battle

...in a Viking Village

Locations...

A The Thane’s Great hall

a The thane’s own table

b The thane’s bed-chamber

c The common room

d The food stores

e The fire pit

f The inner stables

B The Village

a The bath house

b The center road through the village

c The cattle-pen

d The out-house

e The grain store-house

f The house of the gods

C Houses of trade

a The ship-wright’s house

b The smithy

c The leather worker

d The cooper

e The wood-carver

f The metal-wright

D at the dock

a The docks

b The thane’s own long-ship

c The ship-house

d A fishing boat

e The ice-covered fjord

f A new ship being crafted

E The Edge of the village

a A wealthy man’s farmhouse

b A hall burnt down long ago

c A watch-tower

d An abandoned farmhouse

e The stream running next to the village

f The hanging tree

F The Outside world

a A rival village down the coast

b The woods witch’s hut

c The summer pasture up the hillside

d The old burial mounds

e An old bear cave

f A hidden grove in the woods

...in a Viking Village

Objects...

A common goods

a A drinking horn with a bronze cap

b A good whetstone

c A comb made of antler

d A stout wooden chest with a metal lock

e A board and pieces for hnefatafl (“king-board”)

f A set of scales

B finery

a A cloak lined with fox-fur and ermine

b A golden cloak-clasp

c A solid silver arm-band

d A enameled silver brooch

e A fine tunic edged with gold thread

f A loyal thrall, taken while on a previous raid

C Weapons

a A long-hafted spear, balanced for throwing

b A gilt-decorated hand axe

c A fine sword, inscribed with mighty runes

d A long bow of yew, and a quiver of arrows

e A stout-hafted axe with a keen edge

f A long-bladed dagger, easy to conceal

D Lore

a “A slave takes revenge all at once, a wise man waits.”

b “Bare is his back who has no brother to guard it.”

c “Let another’s wounds be your warning.”

d “One man’s tale is but half a tale.”

e “Fear is the mother of defeat.”

f “One’s own hand is to be trusted most.”

E Treasure

a A sack of gold coins from Rome

b A gold cup etched with runes against poison

c A helmet chased with gold

d A fine horse from Scotland

e Arm-rings of gold

f An illuminated manuscript in a Persian script

F Sentimental

a Your father’s gold cloak-pin

b An amulet of Thor’s hammer

c A whetstone your father gave you

d The drinking horn of a fallen friend

e A loyal dog you trained from a pup

f The first gift you got from your thane

...in a Viking Village

a Viking Insta Setup Relationships in a viking Village

For three players...

Family: Brother or sister

The Village: The thane

Romance: A shameful tryst

For four players, add...

Oaths Were Sworn: To right an insult

For five players, add...

Deeds Were Done: An oath was broken

Needs in a viking Village

For three players...

To Gain Your Freedom: ...from an oath that was sworn

For four and five players, add...

To Get Revenge: ...for scorn that was shown you

Locations in a viking Village

For three, four, or five players...

The Thane’s Great Hall: The common room

Objects in a viking Village

For three or four players...

Weapons: A fine sword, inscribed with mighty runes

For five players, add...

Treasure: A sack of old gold coins from Rome