TEXT: THE EOSTRE
  THE EOSTRE
  FESTIVAL
  FESTIVAL
  N5
  N5
  31059
  31059
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
  
  by Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Williams
  editing & PROOFReading: scOtt alan WOOdaRd
  cOveR, gRaPhic design & tyPesetting: RObin elliOtt
  cOveR aRt: emPty ROOm studiOs
  inteRiOR aRt: gOng cReatives
  WWW.tRiPleacegames.cOm
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  triple ace games. all Rights Reserved.
  this game ReFeRences the savage WORlds game system, available FROm Pinnacle enteRtainment gROuP at WWW.Peginc.cOm.   
  savage WORlds and all assOciated lOgOs and tRademaRks aRe cOPyRights OF Pinnacle enteRtainment gROuP. used With PeRmissiOn.  
  Pinnacle makes nO RePResentatiOn OR WaRRanty as tO the quality, viability, OR suitability FOR PuRPOse OF this PROduct.
  The eosTre FesTival
  
  unlike other Hellfrost adventures, this one lacks com-
  bat. it focuses not on exploring ancient trap-filled tombs 
  or slaying nameless foes, but on a low-key yet important 
  event in the lives of the citizens of Rassilon. typically, 
  events such as this are handled during the downtime 
  between adventures, with rewards covered by the glory 
  bonuses for advancing a Rank, but this adventure fulfills 
  a vital role in Hellfrost. it shows the characters a world 
  beyond the tombs, the monsters, and the treasure, and 
  introduces them to the people with whom they must 
  interact in their daily lives; the people who, hopefully, 
  will one day come to regard them as heroes.
  aside from some vague geographic notes, the adven-
  ture has been set up so that the gm can place it in any 
  part of Rassilon where saxa make their homes. environ-
  mental conditions are entirely dependent on the chosen 
  locale. the saxa village does not feature on any official 
  Hellfrost map, again to allow the gm freedom of choice 
  as to the exact setting.
  since the story is set around a spring festival to eo-
  stre, it thus takes place in eostremonan. depending on 
  the geographic region, the temperature can range from 
  chilly to positively frigid. see the Savage Worlds rulebook 
  for the effects of cold weather and the Hellfrost Players’ 
  Guide for how the rules work in this setting.
  a selection of pre-generated novice characters can be 
  found at our website, www.tripleacegames.com.
  GM BackGround
  in many fantasy games the focus is purely on slaying 
  monsters and taking their treasure. such worlds are little 
  more than large storehouses of adventuring sites ripe for 
  plundering. Hellfrost is different. yes, many of the ad-
  ventures will involve combat against monsters, avoiding 
  devious traps, thwarting vile plots, and the acquisition of 
  wealth, for this is what drives many players, but it is also 
  a world about people. the characters are not just war 
  machines bred to slaughter—they are citizens of Rassilon 
  and its many diverse cultures.
  the story takes place during a one-week long festival 
  to honor eostre. the ceremony marks the start of spring 
  and the better times ahead, and is a time for celebration 
  and hope. Over the week, the characters will (hopefully) 
  participate in a number of challenges. the adventure 
  is not stage managed to ensure the heroes win—some 
  individuals may be victorious, while others will suffer 
  ignominious defeat. such is life!
  the tale is set in and around a small town ruled by a 
  saxa jarl, cuthwulf. a saxa character may be related to 
  cuthwulf by blood and be at the festival with his kin, or 
  perhaps his clan may owe him allegiance and thus be in 
  attendance at the ceremony. since the festival doubles 
  as a market, the characters may simply be in the vicinity 
  looking for bargains or to resupply. those of religious 
  nature may be here to honor the gods. if this is the first 
  ever Hellfrost adventure you play, perhaps recognition 
  at the festival kick-starts the characters’ adventuring ca-
  reer.
  There’s no PloT?
  this adventure focuses purely on the contest. in or-
  der to prevent it becoming a series of boring die rolls, 
  the gm must don his roleplaying hat and work to his 
  best ability to bring the festival alive. during the contests, 
  nPc actions should be described in as much detail as the 
  players will accept, with any predetermined results serv-
  ing as guidelines as to how the action unfolds.
  While the story revolves around the eostre festival, 
  there is an entire town to explore. however, nothing be-
  yond a few names and places is detailed within the text, 
  and no map is provided. as such, the player characters 
  should be free to meet other people of interest as they 
  wish. these incidental encounters are left for the gm to 
  determine as they arise, but could become the start of 
  new friendships or animosities.
  the jarl is only one step down from the local king, and 
  The eosTre FesTival
  
  
  thus a man of some wealth and power. this should be re-
  flected in the town. almost anyone the characters care to 
  search for, in terms of general professions, is likely to be 
  present, barring those found only in specialist centers or 
  places which require a very large population. although 
  there are only two full temples (those to eostre and si-
  gel), all the gods have a shrine and an attendant priest, 
  though most of these are transient, erected solely for the 
  festival. similarly, while the saxa favor skalds, other sorts 
  of magicians may be present, attracted by the festival and 
  market or making their home near the jarl’s court.
  similarly, the gm can introduce subplots set during 
  the contest. several ideas are detailed below. One reason 
  for not including a subplot is to allow the gm to reuse 
  nPcs and tie the ritual into events in his particular cam-
  paign. consider the festival a backdrop, onto which the 
  gm can paint any story he wishes.
  • Abduction. the festival has attracted many impor-
  tant persons, their families, and their followers to no-
  haut. While the obvious targets are the most influential 
  people, these are also the best guarded. Focus instead 
  on lesser, but no less important, figures. the cult of vali 
  may kidnap a cleric of eira, their natural enemy. an en-
  emy lord may try to abduct the eostre maidens, around 
  whom security is surprisingly light, to disrupt the ritual. 
  alternatively, go for the rule of numbers—the disappear-
  ance of a single peasant will not raise many eyebrows, 
  but should a few go missing, questions will be asked.
  • Murder! the oldest hook in the book is a murder. 
  as a minor subplot, a murder might be quite mundane, 
  perhaps the result of a family feud or a heated argu-
  ment gone too far. expanded into a more in-depth plot, 
  the murder may be related to an assassination attempt 
  against a powerful nPc, perhaps even Jarl cuthwulf.
  Of course, the murder may be incidental to the sub-
  plot. For instance, a cleric of vali may have been trying to 
  poison the drinks used in the contest of stamina when 
  he was discovered by a court official. the cleric murdered 
  the official, but had to hide (his sabotage unfulfilled) be-
  cause of his victim’s cries for help. undeterred, the cleric 
  will try to strike again. can the heroes unravel the true 
  mystery before all is too late?
  • Theft. big markets draw big crowds, and not all 
  those attending are of lawful nature. as the old saying 
  goes, “Where there are goods, there is greed.” Of course, 
  no petty theft is worthy of the heroes’ investigations—
  that is what thieftakers are employed for. 
  Whatever item has been stolen, it should be of great 
  value. it might be a noblewoman’s precious jewels, pos-
  sibly ancestral items, or a relic from one of the temples. 
  likewise, the thief should be no ordinary criminal. a 
  cultist to one of the dark gods, a renegade mage, or a 
  sinful cleric stripped of his powers and out for revenge 
  are all worthy antagonists.
  randoM evenTs
  these events can be used during the festival to throw 
  a few wrenches into the works. have each character par-
  ticipating in the contests draw a card before each of the 
  five main events. On a club suit, check the table below.
  entries marked “*” may occur multiple times. the 
  event may affect different heroes or the same character 
  multiple times over the course of the adventure.
  entries marked “**” may occur multiple times, but 
  the same hero may never be affected more than once. if 
  he draws the event again, treat it as no event instead.
  all other entries occur only once and should be 
  crossed out when used. if one of these eliminated events 
  occurs again, treat it as no event. gms are free to invent 
  their own events; either replacing used ones or replacing 
  any listed below.
  Card	
  Event
  2–3 
  Throw	The	Match*: an nPc of means and 
  influence (nobleman, rich merchant, or spell-
  caster works well) approaches the character 
  just before he enters the contest and makes 
  an offer. if the character throws the match 
  and does not come in the top three, he 
  will earn 500 gs. should he refuse or fail to 
  TiMeTaBle oF evenTs
  the eostre festival takes place over one week, beginning on Waescdaeg and ending on heafoddaeg of the following 
  week. the adventure is broken down into a series of events (labeled e in the text), which occur in strict order. between 
  these events, the heroes are free to act as they wish.
  Day	
  Events	
  Notes
  heafoddaeg 
  e0 
  arrival in nohaut
  Waescdaeg 
  e1, e2, e3 
  marks the start of the festival. On this day are held the introductory feast and bless-
  ing ritual.
  marketdaeg 
  e4, e5, e6 
  a grand market is held. the contestants have the day free.
  monandaeg 
  e7 
  the contest begins with the poetry competition.
  sunnandaeg 
  e8 
  the drinking competition.
  healfdaeg 
  e9 
  the physical challenge.
  milcdaeg 
  e10 
  the horsemanship challenge.
  endedaeg 
  e11, e12 
  the observation event is held. also sees the closing of the market, the weddings of 
  the fortunate competitors, and the final religious festival.
  The eosTre FesTival
  
  
  achieve this (perhaps due to lucky die rolls) 
  he gains the minor enemy hindrance.
  4–6 
  Trash	Talk*: cissa the berserk threatens 
  the hero with grievous harm unless he lets 
  the berserk win. make an intimidation test 
  of Wills. because not every contest has the 
  contestants in face-to-face opposition, the 
  outcome works slightly differently. if the next 
  contest does not allow cissa to make a direct 
  roll against the hero, the berserk may instead 
  impose a single –2 penalty on one roll made 
  by his victim. this roll must be nominated 
  before dice are rolled. Otherwise, cissa gains 
  the +2 bonus to his next roll against the hero 
  as normal.
  7 
  Sudden	Snowfall*: the weather turns foul 
  and the heavens open, albeit briefly. dur-
  ing this bout, treat the lighting conditions as 
  dim. in addition, the ground becomes very 
  slick, imposing a –1 penalty on any physical 
  trait roll. this has a direct impact only on 
  the physical prowess, speed, and observation 
  challenges.
  8–9 
  Cheating*: the hero is approached before 
  the next contest and offered the chance to 
  cheat. see Cheating	Aplenty on page 9 for 
  details. the contestant’s offer relates to the 
  next contest only. so if the hero is about to 
  enter the test of stamina, he is only offered 
  the potion to stave off drunkenness.
  10 
  Betting	Heavy*: someone of note has a lot 
  of money resting on the character winning 
  the next contest and mentions this to them as 
  they approach the arena. he offers the hero 
  an incentive to win—20% of his winnings 
  (equates to 200 gs). a victorious character is 
  duly rewarded and may have acquired a new 
  friend.
  Jack 
  A	Smile	and	a	Wink**: the hero has an 
  admirer who shows his or her affection with 
  a smile and a wink. the character receives a 
  boost to his confidence. he gains one benny, 
  which can only be used during the forthcom-
  ing contest. Whether the admirer wants a 
  romantic liaison or perhaps has some other 
  motive for supporting the hero is left to the 
  gm to determine.
  queen 
  I	Love	You**: a spectator of whatever sex 
  the hero favors declares undying affection. 
  they keep calling out to the hero during the 
  next contest, distracting him at inopportune 
  moments. the gm receives 3 special ben-
  nies during the contest. he can use them to 
  force a hero to reroll any die roll made by 
  the hero during the contest. Obviously, it is 
  wise to save these for when the character 
  rolls extremely well. excess bonus bennies 
  are lost after the contest. a victorious hero is 
  presented with the opportunity to engage in 
  romantic activities with their admirer after the 
  contest. this may be a one-night stand, lead 
  to a long love affair, or possibly annoy the 
  nPc’s spouse, sibling, guardian, or body-
  guard.
  king 
  Delayed**: some issue causes the character 
  to miss the first round of the next contest. his 
  saddle may have been incorrectly fastened 
  (or sabotaged), he is called away to attend a 
  person of note (who may or may not know 
  anything about the supposed meeting), his 
  ale mug may have a hole in it and need re-
  placing. in the test of speed and observation, 
  the character starts one round behind his 
  rivals, placing him at a disadvantage, but one 
  he can recoup with a little luck. in the other 
  challenges, he is penalized two places once 
  the final order is decided.
  ace 
  Blessings	&	Curses*: a priest (pick a reli-
  gion) gives the hero a blessing on a red suited 
  ace or curses him on a black suited ace. the 
  blessing or curse is not magical, though it 
  does affect the hero for good or ill. if blessed, 
  he receives +1 to all rolls in the forthcoming 
  contest. a curse imposes a –1 penalty.
  heaFoddaeG
  the characters begin outside the town of nohaut, 
  which is ruled by Jarl cuthwulf, a respected saxa noble-
  man of strong morals and religious conviction. Over 
  recent weeks, cuthwulf’s heralds have roamed nearby 
  lands, telling of a grand market to take place on Waesc-
  daeg of the third week of eostremonan, after which will 
  follow a religious festival. the heroes’ reasons for attend-
  ing the market are left up to them.
  e0. arrival
  the heroes arrive at nohaut on heafoddaeg, one day 
  before the festivities begin. standing atop a hill, they 
  gaze down onto the town of nohaut, blanketed by a thin 
  layer of crisp snow which fell in the night.
  Despite the snow and icy winds still haunting the 
  lands, many others have answered the heralds’ 
  call, for Nohaut’s population has overflowed into 
  the grassy fields beyond the main fortifications. 
  Within the main ditch and rampart, the dwell-
  ings are typical Saxa longhouses. A haze of smoke 
  drifts lazily over the settlement, for there is little 
  wind.
  Outside, surrounded by a wooden palisade, lies a 
  vast sea of tents. Even from your distant vantage 
  point, the cries of hawkers and clerics, the screams 
  of excited children, and the mooing, baaing, and 
  hellFrosT advenTure #1
  
  hellFrosT advenTure #1
  
  
  braying of livestock fill the air. A queue of visi-
  tors is lined up outside a gate into the palisade, 
  awaiting acceptance into the tent town. A second 
  enclosure, with a double palisade, stands empty 
  on the far side of town.
  Joining the back of the queue, it takes several hours 
  for the heroes to reach the front. every now and then a 
  mounted huscarl rides up and down the line, shouting 
  out for patience and that all will receive welcome in due 
  course.
  no one seems to know why cuthwulf has arranged 
  such a large market so early in the year, though rumors 
  among the visitors are rife. allow each character a street-
  wise roll. With success, the hero learns the market is 
  religious in nature, though cuthwulf has never before 
  called a market to honor eostre . On a raise, the charac-
  ter discovers the market has been called to honor eostre 
  in a special festival. grand prizes are on offer in some 
  sort of extended competition. On a critical failure, the 
  adventure hears that cuthwulf is about to declare war 
  on a neighbor and is seeking both divine assistance and 
  swords for hire.
  On finally arriving at the gate to the new palisade, a 
  weary-looking herald flanked by dour-looking huscarls 
  enquires to the characters’ names and social status. all 
  the heroes are greeted courteously, though with no fawn-
  ing of groveling unless they somehow outrank the jarl. 
  the characters are each asked whether they vow to obey 
  the laws of hospitality. those replying affirmatively are 
  given a stamped brass disc bearing cuthwulf’s heraldic 
  symbol—a wolf’s head.
  anyone saying “no,” even jokingly, is turned aside—
  the herald has a huge queue of folk to process and is in 
  no mood for humor. the hero may rejoin the queue, at 
  the back. by the time he is seen again night is falling.
  “Keep this safe,” says the herald. “This token 
  shows you are duly welcomed to the festival by 
  Jarl Cuthwulf. If you are asked to produce it by 
  a representative of Cuthwulf and cannot do so 
  immediately, you will be thrown out of Nohaut 
  as a breaker of the peace and potential enemy of 
  the realm.”
  depending on their social rank, the characters are as-
  signed different sleeping quarters.
  Status	
  Assigned	Sleeping	Quarters
  noble* 
  a sleeping bench beside the hearth in a local 
  noble’s hall within the town proper. each 
  noble may take one other character with him, 
  for nobles are expected to have a steward, 
  herald, or huscarl at their side.
  cleric/mage 
  clerics of eostre (either faction) and 
  sigel have sleeping space in the appropriate 
  temple, which also lie within the main town. 
  Other clerics and non-noble mages are as-
  signed lodging with a local family, who treat 
  the characters with great respect.
  merchant erect a tent in the palisade area reserved for 
  merchants. Fine tents with a wooden cot, 
  strongbox (empty), and table and two chairs 
  can be rented for 1 gs per day if the hero 
  does not own one.
  crafter 
  erect a tent in the palisade area reserved for 
  crafters. a good quality tent with a wooden 
  cot and a strongbox (empty) can be rented 
  for 5 ss per day if the hero does not own one.
  Others 
  erect a tent in the main communal area. a 
  basic tent can be rented for 1 ss per day if the 
  hero does not own one.
  Frostborn** 
  erect a tent at the back of the commu-
  nal area, among the slaves and peasants. no 
  tents are rented to such characters, for they 
  are distrusted in nohaut.
  * includes nobles of the magocracy.
  ** includes all hrimwisards who announce their status.
  the heroes have little to do for the rest of the day, 
  save erecting tents if they so need and meeting their 
  hosts. as with other nPcs not central to the plot, no stats 
  or descriptions are provided. basic archetypes from the 
  Hellfrost Bestiary and the allies Personality table should 
  suffice. unless a hero deliberately shuns company, he is 
  invited to some sort of small feast held by others of his 
  social class that night.
  WaescdaeG
  Just before dawn, heralds traipse through the sludgy 
  snow, for none fell last night, blowing horns and waking 
  the town with cries of, “All are to assemble at the base 
  of Moot Hill at Second Gaet!” (that’s two hours after 
  dawn.)
  e1. an announceMenT is Made
  as the heroes make their way to moot hill (a tall, 
  flat-topped hill which lies just outside the town’s forti-
  fications), they find themselves rubbing shoulders with 
  thegns and haulds, crafters and merchants, peasants and 
  huscarls. a general buzz of curiosity circulates amongst 
  the crowd.
  Once everyone is present, cuthwulf and his council, 
  bedecked in their finest furs and adorned with golden 
  torcs and circlets, climb the hill and take their position. 
  silence slowly falls across the crowd as the nobles look 
  down upon the populace. When all is silent, cuthwulf 
  addresses the audience.
  “Loyal kinsmen, neighbors, and strangers, I bid 
  you welcome to Nohaut in peace and friendship. 
  My heralds, sworn to secrecy, have revealed noth-
  ing of the meaning of this gathering, but all of 
  your questions will soon be answered, I can as-
  sure you.
  The eosTre FesTival
  
  The eosTre FesTival
  
  
  “Spring is soon to be upon us once more, as Thrym 
  is driven back by the merciful gods. The omens tell 
  of a need for a festival to bless these lands, so let it 
  be known that a festival to Eostre will take place 
  beginning on Monandaeg.
  “During the festival, five challenges will be issued. 
  These shall be judged by the Eostre maidens, girls 
  to be chosen from our own lands to represent 
  Eostre. Any man or woman of good character, 
  whether he is a freeman or noble, kinsman or 
  stranger, may enter these challenges, so long as 
  he be loyal to the gods of good grace. If you wish 
  to attend, make your way to the temple of Eostre 
  now and give your name to my heralds before 
  nightfall.
  “Those crafters and merchants among you are at 
  leave to erect your stalls and prepare your goods, 
  for tomorrow shall be the great market. Other 
  guests may pass your time with dancing and sing-
  ing in praise of the gods!”
  as soon as the jarl stops talking, the air is filled with 
  a multitude of conversations, with farmers promising to 
  enter for their ancestors’ sake, young women dreaming 
  of being named eostre queen, and thegns talking of 
  marrying good saxa stock. everyone is excited.
  it’s up to the characters if they wish to partake or 
  not. normally the nPcs’ actions are predetermined, 
  so the focus remains on the heroes. however, players 
  of non-participating heroes can aid the gm during the 
  contests by actually playing an nPc and making die rolls 
  and speeches as appropriate. In such cases, the predeter-
  mined text and results should not be used.
  Once at the temple, the characters are informed that 
  each contest is scored, and that whoever accumulates 
  the most points over the five tasks will be declared the 
  winner. hence, the more contests one enters, the greater 
  one’s chance of victory overall. the contests are to be 
  of words, physical prowess, stamina, speed, and obser-
  vation. no amount of bribery, threats, or pleas to aid a 
  fellow cleric can get them to reveal more.
  contestants are warned that any use of magic will re-
  sult in expulsion from the festival and may, at the temple 
  of eostre’s discretion, be viewed as a religious crime. if 
  found guilty, the offender could be fined a large sum of 
  money or sold into slavery to till the fields of nohaut.
  the use of herbal remedies is considered cheating, 
  not to a lesser extent than employing magic. anyone 
  found cheating by means of herbal brews is disqualified 
  from the contest in which the brew was used and scores 
  no points for that event.
  e. MeeTinG The rivals
  later that night, as sigel sinks west, cuthwulf throws 
  a huge feast in the double-palisade enclosure, to which 
  everyone above the rank of slave is invited. there is 
  no defined seating order beyond cuthwulf’s table, 
  to which none of the characters are invited to attend. 
  venison, roast boar, and mutton are roasted over make-
  shift hearths, while great slabs of cheese and bread are 
  handed out. mead is reserved for nobles—others must 
  settle for ale.
  Part way through the revelry, before the serious drink-
  ing and dancing begins, cuthwulf stands and addresses 
  the crowd.
  “Kith, kin, and guests,” he roars over the dull 
  murmurings pervading the crowd, “the contest-
  ants are named!” A cheer ripples through the 
  audience. “At midnight, we shall begin the bless-
  ing ceremony!” As the crowd begins speculating 
  on who the champions might be, servants place 
  three intricately carved wooden chairs behind the 
  jarl. Each is adorned with images of plants and 
  animals.
  saxa characters and clerics of eostre, who will have 
  witnessed similar but not identical events in their youth, 
  automatically know the blessing festival is a routine part 
  of such a ceremony, and makes the gods aware of who 
  is championing them. the contestants will also have a 
  chance to meet each other, make boasts to the crowd, 
  and to view the young ladies that stepped forward to be 
  eostre maidens. Other characters need to make a knowl-
  edge (Folklore or Religion) roll to learn these facts.
  cuthwulf stands and calls for silence before making 
  a short speech.
  “The gods are pleased by your support for this 
  festival and the omens are good! As is tradition, 
  I will first call upon the contestants to stand be-
  fore you. When all are assembled and known, the 
  maidens will be brought out, so that all may see 
  the Eostre maidens and the honor they bring their 
  families.
  “The challengers are known to my council and 
  to the gods, now let them be known to you! Each 
  must face a test of words, physical prowess, stam-
  ina, speed, and vigilance before they may claim 
  their prize. Let the challengers be called!” With 
  that Cuthwulf sits back down. His chief skald, 
  identified as Regdi Wulfricsunu by a local sitting 
  near you, steps forward to perform the calling.
  start the introductions by calling a hero and let him 
  decide what to do when he reaches the front of the 
  crowd. traditionally this is the time to make boasts about 
  prowess and the things you will do if chosen as victor. 
  each character must make a Persuasion roll (a skill some 
  may lack). modifiers can be awarded to the players for 
  particularly good or poor speeches. brief but meaningful 
  words are better than a long-winded monologue.
  success earns the hero an extra benny and a raise 
  two. these represent crowd support, and can be spent 
  hellFrosT advenTure #1
  
  hellFrosT advenTure #1
  
  
  only during the contests. the nPcs’ brief speeches are 
  detailed below, along with notes as to how the crowd 
  reacts.
  sitting in one of the chairs is bad form, as these are 
  reserved for the eostre brides. Whilst doing so does not 
  damage the ritual, it does cause loud fits of laughter 
  from the crowd and the hero is likely to receive a rude, 
  but popular, nickname, such as “the maiden” or “Fool’s 
  love”. he suffers a –1 penalty to charisma for the rest of 
  the adventure. intersperse the remainder of the heroes 
  with the nPc contestants below until all are introduced.
  Aldhelm: “With Thunor’s blessing I will bring glory 
  to my ancestors.” the crowd responds to the local boy 
  with wild applause. aldhelm earns an additional two 
  bennies, despite his few words.
  Coelric	 (“celrick”): “Poor of land, but strong of 
  heart, I vow to win one of the maidens as my bride.” 
  Polite claps and a few cheers are heard, for coelric is 
  poor but popular. he earns an extra benny.
  Hussa	(“hoo-sah”): “Let it be known to all that if I 
  win the contest outright I shall host a feast for all who 
  support me!” this earns wild cheers, although technically 
  it is a form of bribery. hussa earns an extra benny.
  Penda: “I have lands plentiful with crops and I swear 
  to win myself a bride worthy of my status and position.” 
  Penda is disliked locally, and the clapping is half-hearted. 
  no extra bennies are earned.
  Cissa	(“kee-sah”): “I am Cissa the berserk, chosen of 
  Tiw and victorious in all that I do. No man is my equal 
  and I bow only to the gods! I vow to win the stamina 
  contest! Let no man stand before me!” cissa is met with 
  a torrent of boos and jeers for his arrogance. he earns 
  no extra bennies.
  Once all of the contestants have been called, cuth-
  wulf stands again and calls upon eostre to bless the 
  contestants. the high priestess of the temple, a disciple 
  of eostre Plantmother, steps forward from her seat at the 
  high table. she intones a prayer to her deity, calling on 
  her favor for those who would champion her, and then 
  slaps each contestant across the face with a holly branch, 
  symbolically driving out any evil spirits.
  after the blessing is concluded, cuthwulf hands 
  proceedings over to his skald again, who introduces the 
  maidens to the contestants.
  e. The eosTre Maidens 
  unveiled
  the eostre festival is dedicated primarily to the god-
  dess of the same name and welcomes back spring. it also 
  once had an older meaning, being an ideal time for men 
  and women to marry and begin procreation. as such, the 
  call has also gone out to single women of the jarl’s lands 
  (who wish to be wed) to offer themselves to the winners, 
  who will have proven their worth as good husbands. 
  three such women have stepped forward to accept pos-
  sible husbands. being saxa, they are well protected by 
  their fathers and brothers from those who may wish to 
  sample the goods beforehand.
  “The first of our maiden’s fair is the Eostre Queen, 
  chosen by the runes in front of the noble women 
  and freemen’s wives of my land. She is Cwenburh 
  (“qwen-bur”), third daughter of Thegn Aethelred, 
  loyal noble to Jarl Cuthwulf. Renowned for her 
  skill at weaving, Cwenburh’s breathtaking beauty 
  is known to all in these lands. Dressed in green 
  with a crown of early spring flowers, she is a 
  sight to behold and a perfect representation of 
  the beauty of spring.” True enough, Cwenburh is 
  stunningly beautiful. Many of the married men 
  are receiving stern looks from their wives.
  “The second, known as the Eostre Princess, is 
  Gytha (“githa”), daughter of Theobald, a notable 
  thegn. Dressed in yellow and carrying blue flow-
  ers, she represents the fertility of the living”. Her 
  costume contrasts with her shock of red hair. She 
  scowls at the assembled populace, cursing at a 
  few who demand to have a “closer look.”
  “Lastly, and known as the Eostre Maiden, is Ea-
  dhild (“aid-hilled”), second daughter of Oswulf, a 
  huscarl of good ancestry. Dressed in brown, with 
  a garland of flowers, she represents the fertility 
  of the earth.” The local women have done well to 
  make her look pretty, for she can best be described 
  as “homely,” if one is being polite. A few cruel 
  “oinks” circulate the crowd, much to Eadhild’s 
  obvious dismay.
  “As all can see, there are but three maidens and 
  only three husbands can be chosen. The contest-
  ants must battle for the right to win of these three 
  blessed brides, and let the best men win!
  “For ladies who wish to compete, or men who do 
  not wish the great honor of marriage, Cuthwulf, 
  most generous of lords, has arranged a prize of 
  gold.”
  With the blessing and introductions complete, the 
  feast continues with renewed vigor. characters who 
  signed up for the competitions find themselves the cen-
  ter of much attention and speculation. heroes who want 
  to pull out of the competition now suffer a –5 glory pen-
  alty for dishonoring Jarl cuthwulf and offending eostre. 
  eventually, everyone tires and heads to their assigned 
  sleeping quarters.
  MarkeTdaeG
  the heroes have many duties this day, such as attend-
  ing blessings and feasts, but they also have time enough 
  to engage in shopping, gossip, and even a little cheating. 
  the three events in this section may occur in any order 
  the gm desires.
  The eosTre FesTival
  
  The eosTre FesTival
  
  
  Praise To var
  at dawn, the merchants gather to perform a ceremony 
  to honor var. after consulting the previous night, var’s 
  visiting priests have nominated one of their number to 
  be acting high priest based on his previous year’s profits. 
  While there may be a cleric of var among the heroes, his 
  ledgers are not going to be a patch on those of a full-
  time trader. hence, while the hero may participate in the 
  ritual, he will not be appointed leader.
  the high priest, Profiteer thosa ap-gobert, stands in 
  front of the makeshift shrine to var and reads out the 
  names of all the clerics present. as the names are called, 
  each one steps forward and nails a single gold scield 
  to the base of the wooden shrine. this is then marked 
  down in their ledgers. thus, all the trading clerics begin 
  by making a symbolic loss at the start of the week’s trad-
  ing.
  thieftakers meanwhile go around the stalls and offer 
  the merchants protection. this service isn’t free, but only 
  merchants with a sizeable security force can afford not to 
  take up the offer of var’s protection. those willing to pay 
  the fee (50 gs) have their canvas covering painted with 
  var’s holy symbol as a warning to thieves.
  With the dual rituals complete, the high priest blows 
  a horn hung around the shrine. not long afterwards, the 
  center of nohaut is abuzz with sellers and buyers, all 
  clamoring for the best deals. at dawn, the horn is blown 
  again and trading ends for the day. the horn is blown 
  each dawn and dusk to signal the start and end of the 
  trading day.
  e. The MarkeT
  marketdaeg has been set aside as a grand market day, 
  while during the rest of the week the market is a regular 
  one. traders from across the region are in attendance, 
  bringing with them many unusual goods.
  as nohaut is a town, all v and t availability goods are 
  available as standard throughout the week. On market-
  daeg, c availability goods are also for sale in abundance. 
  as the week progresses, the inventories dwindle via 
  steady sales, and the merchants raise the prices to ensure 
  their remaining stock fetches a healthy profit.
  during marketdaeg, city goods can be purchased 
  at the basic prices listed in the Hellfrost Player’s 
  Guide—no markup is applied. For each day thereafter, 
  the cost rises by +10%, to a maximum of +50% after 
  five days (this is the standard price increase for c goods 
  in a town).
  e. TiMe To kill
  there is time during the days for the characters to size 
  up their competitors, learn more about the eostre maid-
  ens, and discern the nature of the competitions. heroes 
  wishing to dig up some dirt must resort to streetwise. 
  because the characters will not know whether the stories 
  they hear are truthful or not, the gm 
  should make the rolls in secret on the 
  characters’ behalf. these can be made 
  individually or as cooperative rolls.
  unfortunately, 
  the 
  competitors 
  have limited time thanks to other du-
  ties required of them, not to mention 
  entertaining the crowd of well-wishers 
  they have drawn. as such, each com-
  petitor may make a total of two street-
  wise rolls. those not taking part in the 
  contests may make a total of four rolls. 
  each roll must be focused on one 
  specific rival, maiden, or contest—the 
  heroes are unlikely to learn everything 
  they want to know.
  information learned on a success-
  ful streetwise roll is given below. text 
  in parentheses is false, and is revealed 
  on a failure. certain information, such 
  as the raid mentioned under coelric’s 
  entry, has no bearing on the adventure, 
  but can be used by the gm to create 
  new adventures.
  rivals
  Aldhelm: squeaky clean, that one. 
  no one has anything bad to say about 
  him. he’s poor, for sure, but very 
  hellFrosT advenTure #1
  
  hellFrosT advenTure #1
  
  
  popular. (he’s a real charmer. some folks, not me mind 
  you, claim he’s a secret follower of vali).
  Cissa: be wary of this one. his temper is matched 
  only by his deceitful nature. (cissa acts big and tough, 
  but he’s a coward at heart).
  Coelric: coelric wants to do better with his lot in life 
  and this may be his chance to prove himself to cuthwulf, 
  especially since cuthwulf is planning a cattle raid soon. 
  (coelric has squandered his family fortune and is desti-
  tute. he’s probably bribable.)
  Hussa: he may be generous, but he’ll do anything 
  to win more glory for himself. (hussa seeks glory at any 
  cost. i saw him buying something from a peddler. looked 
  like some sort of potion.)
  Penda: he may be rich, but only because his slaves do 
  all the work. he hasn’t got the energy to stand most of 
  the time. (Penda has more than enough wealth to bribe 
  the judges.)
  Maidens
  Cwenburh: aye, she’s a pretty one, but spoiled be-
  yond belief and a poor housekeeper. she’d better be a 
  good weaver because her husband will need to find the 
  income from somewhere to support her. (she may be 
  pretty on the surface, but apparently that’s the effect of 
  some sort of relic she wears. underneath that fine exte-
  rior she’s a shriveled old hag.)
  Eadhild: ugly as a cow’s backside, but they say she 
  has a way with the people. she runs her father’s lands 
  for him and they’re prosperous enough. (her father’s 
  lands are prosperous enough, but only because eadhild 
  follows an outlawed sect of eostre that practices human 
  sacrifice.)
  Gytha: don’t let her looks deceive you, boy—she’s a 
  hellcat! it’ll take a proper man to tame her heart. (her 
  father entered her into the competition as he can’t wait 
  to be rid of her and her violent temper. they say she’s 
  got berserk blood in her veins.)
  conTesTs
  Observation: the finale is a hunt for birds’ eggs, hid-
  den in the wilds. (nasty test, this one. you have to stand 
  in an open field while archers fire blunt arrows at you. 
  last time this contest was held a man lost an eye!)
  Physical	Prowess: the huscarls have set up a course 
  littered with obstacles, so as to test every aspect of physi-
  cal endurance. (sharpen your sword, boy, for you’ll need 
  it! and make sure you pay the healers well, for they’ll be 
  overworked this day!)
  Speed: Four legs are better than one, so folk say. this 
  is a test of your ability to ride a horse. it’s a test of speed 
  and skill. (cuthwulf keeps a pack of vicious hunting 
  dogs. you’ll have meat tied to you and then given a head 
  start. now you know why it’s a test of speed!)
  Stamina: What better test of stamina for a warrior 
  than drinking until you collapse! look at it this way, the 
  drink is free! (ah, they used to call that the test of Pain 
  in my days. you have to run a gauntlet of commoners 
  who swipe at you with sticks. they say nobles get special 
  attention, if you know what i mean.)
  Words: being a saxa isn’t all about violence, y'know. 
  the unknowable One is the father of poetry and you’ll 
  need to compose a poem. (this is a test of words and 
  quick-thinking. it’s a riddle contest.)
  e. cheaTinG aPlenTy
  though the festival is religious in nature, the prizes 
  (both the girls and the money), are attractive proposi-
  tions. this, in turn, prompts more than a little cheating. 
  during marketdaeg, the heroes are visited in random 
  order (starting with the player to your left and working 
  clockwise is one method you could use) and offered cer-
  tain perks in return for goods. Players should be offered 
  these boons away from the other players—it is up to the 
  players to decide if they want to share information.
  honest heroes may decide to turn in the person offer-
  ing the service to cuthwulf for punishment. the nPc is 
  fined 50 gs and expelled immediately. this action earns 
  the honest hero +1 glory for his virtue, but it means 
  any character coming after him cannot be offered that 
  service. unfortunately, all the nPcs were approached 
  first, so their cheating is not hampered.
  Observation: One of cuthwulf’s mead-hall servants 
  offers to sell eggs in advance of the competition. gold 
  eggs cost 50 gs each and silver eggs 15 gs each. accep-
  tance gives the hero automatic points at the end of the 
  great egg hunt. this offer is made to every contestant!
  Physical	Prowess: a seedy merchant has an herbal 
  brew which will boost the heroes’ strength. in game 
  terms, it grants +1 to climbing, strength, and swimming 
  rolls. he asks the princely sum of 100 gs.
  Speed: One of the stable hands offers an herbal salve 
  which is to be rubbed into the horse’s flesh before the event 
  begins. it increases the stamina of the horse, granting +1 to 
  Riding rolls made in the event. he charges 50 gs.
  Stamina: an itinerant herbalist offers to sell a potion 
  to stave off the effects of alcohol for 50 gs. acceptance, 
  and drinking it just before the competition starts, grants 
  a +1 bonus to vigor rolls for the purpose of remaining 
  sober during the contest.
  Words: a visiting skald offers to teach a special poem, 
  praising both love and battle, for a mere 50 gs. accep-
  tance gives the hero +2 to his roll on the day of the 
  contest.
  cheaTinG conTesTanTs
  aldhelm plays it straight and does not resort to cheat-
  ing.
  coelric buys two gold eggs and one silver egg.
  hussa opts to purchase just a single silver egg.
  Penda, not the manliest of men, buys an herbal brew 
  for the drinking contest, two silver eggs, a brew to boost 
  his physical prowess, and a salve to help his horse.
  Finally, cissa purchases four gold eggs.
  The eosTre FesTival
  
  The eosTre FesTival
  
  
  MonandaeG
  the poetry competition begins just before midday on 
  the moot hill. a large crowd has gathered. ale and food 
  are available from the stores of the noblemen and from 
  freeman of generous nature.
  Praise To The unknoWaBle one
  Poetry has long been used by the saxa to praise he-
  roes, ridicule foes, and honor the gods. the unknowable 
  One is the patron of poetry. after playing several rounds 
  of stone–parchment–knife, the visiting clerics of the un-
  knowable One appoint a temporary spokesman. given 
  that Rank and experience play no part in this election, 
  a player character cleric may be appointed high priest. 
  have the player play out a game of rock-paper-scissors 
  with all the other players and the gm. if he wins the 
  majority of games, he is appointed as the unknowable 
  One’s high priest in nohaut for the week.
  a player character high priest may perform any rite he 
  wishes, with little risk of offending his god. Otherwise, 
  the elected spokesman is eadgifu, an attractive female 
  with a vocabulary that would shame a battle-hardened 
  warrior. she recites a well-known poem in reverse, while 
  her comrades silently dance around her, their hands 
  clasped over their mouths.
  Once this is done, eadgifu lines up the other clergy 
  and calls out loudly, proclaiming a poem shall be sung 
  to honor all the nobles of nohaut. as one, the assembled 
  clergy line up, drop their pants, and fart loudly. although 
  there a few sour faces among the crowd of onlookers, 
  most of them, cuthwulf included, laugh heartily.
  e. conTesT oF Words (PoeTry)
  all saxa know something of the poetic art and the 
  heroes get their chance to prove this in the competition. 
  each contestant is called in turn (arrange any order you 
  want) to stand atop the hill and recite his poem to the 
  crowd and the eostre maidens. the judges, the three 
  eostre maidens, then award points as applicable.
  seeing as how the brides-to-be do the judging, there 
  is naturally a certain element of charm that goes into 
  their decision and the event is often seen as an oppor-
  tunity to flirt outrageously and to show off any wealth a 
  contestant may possess.
  Mechanics
  heroes may either role-play their hero reciting a poem 
  first, in which case the gm can award bonuses (or penal-
  ties) to their total score, or simply make a knowledge 
  (Folklore) roll. the nPc contestants tell tales as detailed 
  below. no die roll is made for them unless a player has 
  control of one or more. instead, the numbers in paren-
  theses are their final scores (see below).
  Aldhelm (11): aldhelm composes a poem to honor 
  the maidens fair and speaks about each of their strengths. 
  Regardless of whether he is run by a player or remains an 
  nPc, the crowd goes wild!
  Cissa (2): cissa tells a graphic tale of bloody but he-
  roic battle, going into gory detail and scaring the young 
  maidens.
  Coelric (5): coelric recites a simple poem about the 
  jarl, but fails to impress many with his words of glory 
  and bravery.
  Hussa (9): hussa tells of how sigel won eostre in a 
  contest of love, wooing the maidens with his tale.
  Penda (1): Penda suffers from a bad bout of nerves 
  whilst retelling a tale of a hero fighting a dragon, and 
  makes a complete mess of things. he is eventually booed 
  from the hill by the crowd.
  scorinG
  to calculate a hero’s score, add his knowledge (Folk-
  lore) roll to his charisma. negative charisma warrants 
  as a negative modifier. Record the totals on a scrap of 
  paper.
  Once the competition is over, actual points are 
  awarded. the character with the highest score receives 
  a number of points equal to the total number of contes-
  tants. second place takes one less point, and so on down 
  to the last place contestant, who collects a single point 
  for his efforts.
  if die rolls are tied, those contestants score equal 
  points. Others are marked down by one point. For in-
  stance, if there are a total of eight competitors, the marks 
  would normally be scored from 8 (for the victor) down 
  to 1 (for last place). however, a hero and aldhelm both 
  score 11 points. they share the top score of 8 points. 
  Whoever comes next scores just six points, rather than 
  seven, as there is no second place position.
  sunnandaeG
  the next competition takes place at the bottom of 
  the moot hill, where a large table has been placed. the 
  crowd, kept amused by numerous barrels of free ale, sur-
  rounds the event area ten deep and is already in a jovial 
  mood when the contestants arrive. cuthwulf, his nobles, 
  and the eostre maidens sit atop the hill, looking down 
  on the event.
  Praise To eosTre (BoTh asPecTs) and 
  GullveiG
  gullveig, a minor deity, is the mead-thane of the 
  gods, and attributed with having created mead. he is 
  the patron deity of all brewers.
  Once the crowd is assembled, the resident high 
  priestess of eostre walks up to each maiden, the local 
  hellFrosT advenTure #1
  10
  hellFrosT advenTure #1
  10
  
  brewers trailing behind her, bearing jugs of their finest. 
  the cleric bows low before the eostre queen, eostre 
  Princess, and eostre maiden, for they are symbols of the 
  goddess manifest on the mortal world. each brewer then 
  offers the maidens his jug, from which they take a small 
  sip. cuthwulf is then offered a drink. during this time, 
  the priestess intones prayers to both aspects of eostre, 
  for bees are required for mead and plants for beer and 
  wine.
  Once this is done, the high priestess calls the names 
  of each of the other greater gods. as their names are 
  intoned, the brewers pour a measure of their jug onto 
  the ground to sate the deity’s thirst. Finally, the priestess 
  blesses each cask from which the contestants will drink 
  as well as each mug they will use.
  e. conTesT oF sTaMina 
  (drinkinG)
  the contest is simply a case of drinking more than 
  your rivals while staying conscious. to liven up the event, 
  since watching grown men get drunk can be boring, vari-
  ous drinks have been produced from cuthwulf’s stores, 
  and at the start of each round a spectator gets to nomi-
  nate which drink everyone will quaff. Roll randomly on 
  the table below. all contestants drink the same alcoholic 
  beverage during that round.
  to score the event, the gm needs a piece of paper with 
  the names of the contestants, their vigor die type, and 
  several columns for the rounds that pass. each round, 
  he records the drink’s plummeting drunk value (see 
  below). because the type of drink downed each round is 
  random, the gm will need to roll for each nPc in turn as 
  the rounds take place.
  Mechanics
  unlike the modern world, the idea of a measure is vir-
  tually unknown. most drinks are served in pint flagons, 
  regardless of their alcoholic content. each type of drink 
  is given a points rating, as shown below. every hero has 
  a drunk rating equal to 2 + half his vigor die type. When 
  a drink is quaffed, subtract the points from the drunk 
  value. Record this on the sheet provided on page 20.
  a hero can keep drinking without effect so long as the 
  drunk value is positive. Once it reaches zero or lower, 
  the character must make a vigor roll with a penalty equal 
  to his current drunk rating (rounding down as normal).
  Success: the hero remains sober.
  Failure: the hero becomes drunk, but still remains 
  in the competition. While drunk and conscious, the hero 
  has +1 toughness, but suffers a –1 penalty to all agility 
  and smarts rolls, including linked skills.
  Special	Failure: if the hero rolls a 1 on his vigor die, 
  regardless of his Wild die, he vomits and is out of the 
  contest.
  Critical	Failure: the drinker passes out for 2d6 hours 
  and is out of the contest.
  the roll is repeated for each drink thereafter. if the 
  penalty equals or exceeds the drinker’s full positive 
  drunk rating, any failed roll automatically causes the 
  hero to fall unconscious for 2d6 hours.
  One point is recovered for each hour a hero goes 
  without an alcoholic drink. Recovering drunks receive a 
  –1 penalty to all traits rolls upon waking until the drunk 
  rating rises back to zero.
  alcohol TaBle
  d20	
  Drink	
  Points
  1–2 
  brandy 
  5
  3–5 
  Wine 
  3
  6–11 
  mead 
  2
  12–17 
  strong ale 
  1
  18–20 
  Weak ale 
  0.5
  Example: Gerwin the Stout has Vigor d8 and a 
  Drunk rating of 6. He downs 6 pints of strong ale, leav-
  ing him with a zero Drunk rating. He passes his Vigor 
  roll and is tipsy, but not inebriated. He then downs a 
  small beer. This leaves him on –0.5, so the roll is made 
  with no modifier. Gerwin manages to make the roll.
  He is then measured a pint of brandy. Gerwin finishes 
  the drink, leaving him on –5.5. He fails his Vigor roll at 
  –5 and launches into loud, drunken boasting. Gerwin 
  forces down another brandy, leaving him at –10.5! Un-
  surprisingly he fails his Vigor roll spectacularly. Because 
  the penalty is equal to or greater than his normal Drunk 
  rating, Gerwin collapses for 2d6 hours.
  Gerwin is out for 6 hours. When he awakens, his 
  Drunk rating is still -4. Gerwin will be nursing a pound-
  ing headache for four hours.
  cheaTinG
  Penda swills his herbal brew before the contest be-
  gins, granting him +1 to his vigor rolls for the duration 
  of the contest.
  in any round in which brandy or wine are nominated 
  as the drinks, Penda tries to cheat by spilling most of 
  his drink down his front. eagle-eyed heroes may make 
  notice rolls at –2. calling in a judge results in Penda’s 
  immediate disqualification (he scores no points for this 
  contest). Otherwise, Penda suffers only half the penalty 
  from those drinks.
  in round five, if still standing, coelric, probably quiet 
  drunk, vows that he will fight bravely if chosen by cuth-
  wulf to take part in his next overseas raid.
  in round seven, cissa, if still conscious, leans over to 
  a randomly selected hero and threatens to kill him un-
  less he throws the next round. cissa is not joking and, 
  given a chance in a future adventure, exacts his revenge 
  on the hero unless he fakes passing out.
  scorinG
  the winner is the contestant who lasts the longest 
  before being ruled ineligible to continue. he receives a 
  number of points equal to the number of contestants. 
  The eosTre FesTival
  11
  The eosTre FesTival
  11
  
  second place takes one less point, and so on down to 
  the last place contestant, who collects a single point for 
  his efforts.
  if the number of rounds a contestant lasted is tied 
  with another, those contestants score equal points. Oth-
  ers are marked down by one point. For instance, if there 
  are a total of eight competitors, then the marks would 
  normally be scored from 8 down to 1. however, a hero 
  and cissa both last ten rounds. they share the top score 
  of 8 points. Whoever comes next scores just six points, 
  rather than seven, as there is no second place position.
  healFdaeG
  having sobered up after the previous contest, the 
  characters are awakened early and led to the fields 
  outside the town. here, the huscarls have arranged an 
  obstacle course!
  Praise To TiW
  god of warriors, tiw is also the chief deity of physical 
  strength and stamina. the clerics of tiw gathered in no-
  haut have chosen their leader based on age and experi-
  ence—this is not a novice player character, though he is 
  of course allowed to participate in the ritual. to qualify, 
  a participant must possess a shield and a single-handed 
  weapon. he is loaned a throwing axe for the duration of 
  the ritual.
  led by the appointed leader, the clerics and any lay 
  worshippers who wish to participate, line up. all have 
  naked chests, on which are painted tiw’s holy symbol in 
  animal blood or blue woad. the clergy take up positions 
  in the front, with the other worshippers arrayed behind. 
  a battle chant is then performed, with the clergy per-
  forming an intimidating cry and the laity banging their 
  weapons against their shields in a steady rhythm. as the 
  chant ends, the worshippers turn away from the crowd 
  and hurl their axes at imaginary foes.
  e. TesT oF Physical ProWess 
  (oBsTacle course)
  saxa warriors pride themselves on more than just 
  their ability to fight. Physical prowess (in all forms) is re-
  garded as the sign of a “real man.” in order to help prove 
  their worth, the contestants must overcome a number 
  of physical challenges. however, the contest is not just 
  one of pure strength, but also of general stamina, for 
  the course is spread out over several miles, and is thus 
  a race, as well.
  cuthwulf’s skald addresses the contestants and crowd 
  once everyone is gathered.
  “Ahead lies the physical test, a test designed by 
  Cuthwulf’s own huscarls!” A huge roar echoes 
  through the crowd as the huscarls beat their 
  spears on their shields in recognition of the praise. 
  “Many different obstacles await the brave and 
  noble contestants. Watch them sprint and ensure 
  long distances, climb and balance, and lift and 
  dodge! Cheer each along, for they are all worthy 
  entrants!”
  It is clear from the sideways glance the skald gives 
  you that his personal feelings are different to his 
  flowery words.
  You are called to stand beside the skald. “When 
  the horn blows,” he says, “you may begin!”
  the obstacle course comprises ten distinct stages. 
  all contestants run the test in turn, thus prolonging the 
  enjoyment for the crowd. to speed up play, though, you 
  can either pair up a hero with an nPc and roll dice while 
  the other players shout and jeer like the crowd, or just 
  have everyone roll each stage simultaneously.
  each stage requires a trait roll of some sort. marks 
  are awarded based on the outcome of the roll, as shown 
  below. this simple system takes into account speed, flair, 
  prowess, retries, and so on. Regardless of the outcome 
  of each roll, contestants move to the next obstacle after 
  the appropriate roll is made. entrants may not aid each 
  other through cooperative rolls.
  Result	
  Points
  Raise 
  2
  success 
  1
  Failure 
  0*
  critical Failure 
  –1**
  * On stage 7 the hero must make a Vigor roll or suffer a 
  level of Fatigue from Bumps and Bruises.
  ** The contestant must make an Agility roll or suffer 
  a level of Fatigue from Bumps and Bruises.
  The course
  Stage	
  Feat	
  Trait	Roll
  1 
  sprint 
  agility
  2 
  climb wooden scaffold 
  climbing
  3 
  balance along narrow beam 
  agility
  4 
  Jump water-filled ditch 
  strength
  5 
  long run between obstacles 
  vigor
  6 
  swim across a pond 
  swimming
  7 
  dodge blunt arrows 
  agility
  8 
  long run between obstacles 
  vigor
  9 
  lift a heavy log off the ground 
  strength
  10 
  Final sprint for home 
  agility
  cheaTinG
  although there are stewards positioned around the 
  course, cheating can still occur.
  scorinG
  Once the competition is over, actual points are 
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  awarded. tally up the individual points for each stage. 
  the character with the highest score receives a number 
  of points equal to the total number of contestants. sec-
  ond place takes one less point, and so on down to the 
  last place contestant, who collects a single point for his 
  efforts. if die rolls are tied, those contestants score equal 
  points. Others are marked down by one point.
  MilcdaeG
  bruised and fatigued, the contestants are called to 
  the jarl’s stables shortly after dawn. Waiting for them 
  are cuthwulf, several huscarls, the skald, and the master 
  of horses. each contestant must now select a mount in 
  preparation for the next event. have each hero make a 
  Riding roll while he examines the horses. On a raise, he 
  selects a fine steed, which grants him +1 to Riding rolls. 
  a critical failure means he chooses poorly, and the nag 
  gives a –1 penalty due to its clumsiness, slowness, or 
  general poor health.
  Praise To Freo
  While eostre animalmother is patron of animals, horses 
  are most commonly associated with Freo, god of travel. 
  Freo’s clergy in nohaut run a simple race, without the aid of 
  magic, to determine who shall lead their rituals. a non-con-
  testant player character cleric of Freo may make an agility 
  roll. if he scores a raise, he wins the race and may conduct 
  the ritual. Otherwise, victory goes to bassa cerdicsunu.
  the horses chosen by the contestants are paraded in 
  front of the cleric, who daubs a cartwheel on each one’s 
  flank in white paint. each also has words whispered into 
  their ears; blessings and protective prayers to help keep 
  the beast safe during the race. next, bassa places his ear 
  next to the horse’s mouth. Whatever it utters is not in 
  human speech, and thus is meant for Freo’s ears only.
  during this part of the ceremony, a cleric of the un-
  knowable One rides up to the contestants, a hobby horse 
  between his legs. “neighing and rearing,” the trickster 
  asks Freo’s cleric to help calm his horse. although dis-
  gruntled at the interruption, bassa knows better than to 
  complain—better to go along than face further ridicule. 
  as bassa draws near, the hobbyhorse “bolts,” and the un-
  knowable One’s cleric sprints off, waving one arm wildly 
  and crying out for someone brave to save him. a gang of 
  screaming children gives chase, finally managing to cap-
  ture the wayward hobbyhorse and bring it under control. 
  the children are then rewarded with candied apples.
  Once the commotion has ended, bassa removes his 
  boots and throws them to the crowd. that the boots 
  come very close to hitting the unknowable One’s cleric 
  cannot be accidental, can it?
  e10. TesT oF sPeed (horseManshiP)
  horsemanship in combat is not a prized saxa trait, 
  for traditionally they ride up to battle, not into battle. as 
  such, this test is not one of cavalry skills but of the ability 
  to control a galloping horse. this may come as a disap-
  pointment to any anari warriors, for the anari armies 
  regularly use cavalry.
  the contest is a simple race around the outside of the 
  town. all the riders are racing together and against each 
  other. the race is handled abstractly through a slightly 
  modified version of the chase rules.
  Place counters on the table to form a square measur-
  ing six counters to a side. One of these should be of 
  a different color, as it marks the start/finish line. each 
  contestant should have a miniature to help track his 
  position. the heroes begin on the start token. to win, 
  the rider must move around the square (in the same 
  direction as the other riders) and finish back on the 
  starting marker.
  Riding rolls are made each round. a raise moves the 
  contest by three markers, a success by two, and a fail-
  ure by one. note that this is different to the core chase 
  rules—since the race follows a finite track, it makes little 
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  sense for a failure to result in no discernible movement, 
  though a critical failure means the rider has fallen. he 
  must make a vigor roll or suffer a level of Fatigue from 
  bumps and bruises. next round he may remount, at a 
  cost of –2 to his Riding roll.
  Physical contact between contestants is prohibited, 
  but the Force maneuver is permitted (running someone 
  into a wall or fallen tree), as is distract. Push may be 
  used, as may Parallel and hold steady.
  action cards are dealt as normal during the race.
  cheaTinG
  Penda pretends to groom his horse before the race, 
  and makes great pains to be seen by the maidens car-
  ing for his animal. he is secretly applying the salve he 
  purchased. this grants him +1 to Riding rolls.
  cissa surreptitiously tries to cheat during the race. 
  should he end up within one Range increment of a fel-
  low rider, he tries the Parallel maneuver at –2 penalty the 
  following round (assuming the intended victim is still 
  within range). With success, he draws level and swings a 
  wild arm at his rival, incurring a –2 penalty to his Fighting 
  roll for the multiple actions. if he rolls a 1 on his Fighting 
  roll, he is spotted by a judge stationed on the palisade 
  wall and ordered to drop out of the race. Otherwise, he 
  gets away with the blatant foul. if a hero elects to copy 
  the berserk, the same rules apply with regard to being 
  spotted.
  scorinG
  Points are awarded in the order the riders cross the 
  finish line, with the victor taking as many points as 
  there are contestants, second place one point less, and 
  so on down. because of the use of cards to determine 
  initiative, no two riders will ever cross the line simul-
  taneously—someone will always be ahead or behind by 
  a nose. no score sheet is required for this event as the 
  outcome is straightforward—just mark the scores down 
  on the master score sheet.
  endedaeG
  at last, the final day of the contest draws near. although 
  many merchants have departed, the crowd remains 
  strong. With just one event left, the crowd is beginning 
  to speculate on who will be the eventual winners.
  Praise To riGr
  Rigr is a vigilant deity, and he dislikes his clergy wast-
  ing time performing rituals. in order to appease their 
  god, the clergy of Rigr quickly make their way down the 
  line of contestants, daubing stylized eyes on their fore-
  heads in vegetable dye. blessings are uttered for keen 
  eyesight and the temptation to avoid distractions.
  e11. conTesT oF viGilance 
  (eGG hunT)
  eggs are strongly associated with eostre. they sym-
  bolize the awakening of spring after the hardness of win-
  ter, and as such are a symbol of rebirth. many children 
  hunt for normal or candied eggs hidden by their parents 
  during eostre festivals. cuthwulf, however, has supplied 
  wooden legs decorated with gold and silver leaf.
  the egg hunt gives each contestant a chance to leap 
  up the leaderboard by finding gold or silver eggs hidden 
  in the lands around the town. the spectators may roam 
  as they wish, and everyone knows they will try to aid 
  their chosen champion in any way they can. contestants 
  are allowed to bring along up to three helpers, who may 
  search for eggs, carry food or water, or drive away wild 
  beasts. these should be present at the start of the race 
  so all may see who is helping whom. it also presents a 
  way of having other heroes involved if they are not con-
  testants. Otherwise, assume normal citizens come to the 
  aid of each hero. the helpers each have notice d4 and 
  aid through the cooperative Rolls rule.
  the hunt begins at the base of moot hill just before 
  dawn on endedaeg. the local nobles, the contestants, 
  the maidens, and many bleary eyed freemen watch as 
  the sun breaks the horizon. as it does, cuthwulf speaks 
  to the contestants.
  “You have until the last rays of the sun have gone 
  to return here with as many gold and silver eggs 
  as you can find. These have been hidden in the 
  wilderness within a twenty mile radius of this 
  hill. Run like the wind and may Freo and Thunor 
  be at your back and Rigr guide your eyes!”
  With that, the game is afoot and contestants begin 
  running in all directions. although the contest is broken 
  down into ten phases, there are also five events that 
  should be inserted to break up an endless die rolling ses-
  sion. you can either have the characters all run into the 
  same encounters or split them between various heroes 
  as you see fit.
  Mechanics
  the event is broken down into ten one hour-long 
  slots, during each of which every contestant must roll 
  their notice. helpers are extras with notice d6 and no 
  other skills of use. they aid through making coopera-
  tive rolls. the heroes can work together (if they so wish) 
  by traveling in a group. however, each character can 
  only make a single notice roll in any hour. thus, he can 
  search for himself or aid a companion through coopera-
  tive rolls, but not both.
  success gains the character a silver egg while a raise 
  nets him a gold. Failure indicates an hour of fruitless 
  searching. On a critical failure, the hero uncovers a 
  real egg by mistake. any contestant may forgo two no-
  tice rolls to automatically locate a silver egg through a 
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  systematic search, or four rolls to retrieve a gold egg. 
  although this method guarantees results, it offers less 
  potential reward.
  there are events that may distract the heroes from 
  their goal. some events are beneficial, some are not. 
  check with the actual event below for more details. it is 
  up to the players whether they are traveling together or 
  going separately. For each hour, deal each player charac-
  ter contestant a card—heroes who are not contestants 
  but who are aiding a comrade do not receive a separate 
  card. if a hero draws a club and there is an event dur-
  ing that hour, then the character encounters it. multiple 
  heroes drawing a club at the same time have the same 
  encounter simultaneously. note that the cards are only 
  used to determine events—Jokers have no effect on 
  play.
  sPecial evenTs
  Hour	 2)	 Young	 Maidens	 Fair:	 as the heroes run 
  through a stretch of wood they spy a small group of 
  maidens, dressed all in browns and greens, beckoning 
  for them to join them in the woods. the maidens are 
  clerics of gersemi, a minor deity allied to eira whose 
  worshippers believe in free, consensual sex. they have 
  also been using certain charms to enhance their beauty. 
  as such, male heroes must make a spirit roll to resist the 
  lure.
  heroes who openly choose to spend time with them 
  must roll their vigor. success allows the character to 
  satisfy the maidens and still make a notice roll this hour, 
  though at –4. a raise allows a notice roll at –2 and leaves 
  the girls very happy. a failure means the character has 
  “wasted” an hour. With a critical failure the character falls 
  asleep. he cannot make a notice roll for this hour or the 
  next one!
  Hour	 4)	 A	 Friend	 in	 Need: as the heroes crest a 
  small hill, they spy a body on the path in front of them. 
  the sides are lightly wooded, but a successful notice roll 
  reveals no sign of ambush. heroes checking the body 
  discover it is coelric, the poor thegn. On a successful 
  notice roll, the character discovers a broken tree stump 
  nearby. it has blood on one end.
  coelric is still alive, as is evident from his rising and 
  falling chest, but has suffered a head wound. to wake 
  coelric requires a successful healing roll. Otherwise he 
  remains unconscious. though grateful to his rescuers, 
  he cannot recall who hit him, but does remember seeing 
  cissa the berserker lurking nearby in a suspicious man-
  ner. coleric then struggles to his feet, shakes his head, 
  and, after checking his pouches, says “He’s taken all my 
  eggs. Two gold and three silver! Sigel curse his bones! I 
  can carry on now, thank you. When the culprit is caught 
  and punished, I promise you a share of the weregild as 
  thanks.”
  unscrupulous heroes may search coelric’s body for 
  eggs—there are none. Whoever knocked him out has 
  also taken his eggs!
  heroes who stopped to help coelric suffer a –2 pen-
  alty to their notice roll for this hour. those who did not 
  try to rob him gain +1 glory.
  Hour	 5)	 Rough	 Justice: this event should occur 
  after the previous one.
  Further along the road, the heroes spy two people fac-
  ing each other. One, a large man in a bearskin, is waving 
  a sword at the other. deducing who they are without ap-
  proaching requires a notice roll. success reveals it is cissa 
  and hussa. should they approach openly and ask what is 
  going on, both nPcs start speaking. cissa warns the he-
  roes to “leave now or dine with scaetha tonight!” whilst 
  hussa pleads “he’s stolen all my eggs!” neither offers any 
  further explanation. the heroes have several options.
  Pass by: Whatever the quarrel, it is not the heroes’. 
  they may make a notice roll without penalty.
  One-on-One challenge to Cissa: cissa, never one to 
  turn down a fight, agrees, but will only fight one party 
  and the duel ends when one participant surrenders. 
  naturally cissa goes berserk if he can.
  Jump Cissa en masse: a safer option, but also costing 
  each hero a point of glory.
  Demand Cissa return the eggs: Requires an intimida-
  tion roll opposed by cissa’s spirit. Only one roll is al-
  lowed, though it may be a cooperative roll.
  When the fight is over, either cissa or one or more 
  heroes will likely be unconscious (or dead). Once again, 
  there are multiple options available to the heroes, espe-
  cially if cissa is unconscious.
  Search Cissa: cissa has a grand total of six gold eggs 
  and six silver eggs on his person.
  Return eggs to Hussa: hussa claims to have had two 
  gold eggs and three silver on him when he was robbed. 
  this sounds like a lot and heroes may wish to make 
  notice rolls at –2 to see if hussa is lying. With success, 
  the character believes the man is pulling a fast one. if 
  questioned about this, hussa admits that he only had 
  one gold egg and three silver, but thought he deserved 
  recompense (hussa actually only had three silver eggs 
  and he bought one of those).
  Return eggs to Coelric: When the heroes eventually 
  catch up with coelric they may wish to return his eggs—
  two gold and three silver. coelric is telling the truth, but 
  he bought some before the event started.
  Keep all Cissa’s eggs: the heroes may wish to keep all 
  the eggs. hussa whines but is powerless to do anything 
  about it.
  should all of the heroes be incapacitated or killed, 
  cissa moves on without robbing them. hussa, however, 
  waits until cissa goes and then robs the heroes, taking 
  one egg from each of them.
  in truth, hussa robbed coelric, but cissa saw him. 
  acting with a sense of honor not normally found in ber-
  serks, cissa chased down hussa and had just “persuaded” 
  him to hand over the eggs when the heroes arrive. hussa 
  does not wish to admit to being a common thief, and pay 
  weregild for wounding coelric, and cissa has no desire 
  for the heroes to help him dispense justice.
  any interference in the argument gives the heroes a –4 
  penalty to their notice rolls for this phase of the hunt.
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  Hour	8)	Riddle	Me	This: this event is suitable for 
  all the heroes, even if they are in different groups, and 
  each should receive a different riddle, even if they are 
  travelling together.
  nearing the end of the contest, the heroes come 
  across an old man camped by the side of the road. he 
  wears a large cloak and a wide-brimmed hat, which cov-
  ers the left side of his face in shadow. a brace of rabbits 
  cooks over a small fire. he bids the heroes to join him.
  “You are contestants, are you not? I come from 
  Cuthwulf, who offers the wise a boon if they can 
  answer a simple riddle. If you fail, you must take 
  the time to dine with me. Do you accept or wish 
  to pass me by?”
  heroes choosing to pass may carry on and test aware-
  ness with no penalty. those who wish to stay are asked 
  a riddle. Only contestants may answer a riddle and only 
  one is asked per hero. Four riddles are listed below. 
  answering the riddle requires a successful common 
  knowledge roll at –4, a knowledge (Riddles) roll, or the 
  player’s ingenuity.
  (1) “I wish I had what I had yesterday. Exhauster of 
  men, retarder of words, yet originator of speech. What 
  did I have?” [Answer: ale, wine, strong drink].
  (2) “Who is the one who traverses hard paths he has 
  trod before? He kisses very rapidly, has two mouths, and 
  walks on metal alone.” [Answer: hammer].
  (3) “What is the huge one that passes over the earth, 
  swallowing lakes and pools? He fears the wind, but he 
  fears not man, and carries on hostilities against the 
  sun.” [Answer: fog].
  (4) “I saw maidens like dust. Rocks were their bed. 
  They were black in the sunshine, but the darker it 
  grew the fairer they appeared.” [Answer: embers in a 
  hearth].
  With success, the hero is rewarded with a golden egg. 
  heroes who fail to answer their riddle must remain with 
  the stranger and eat, losing any chance of making notice 
  roll this phase. Refusal to do so after giving an oath in-
  curs a –3 glory penalty.
  Hour	10)	A	Private	Ceremony: With the village in 
  plain sight, the heroes encounter a group of saxa hold-
  ing a private religious ceremony to thunor. they offer 
  the heroes a place in the ceremony, which they promise 
  will not take long. those who take up the offer make 
  their notice roll for this phase at –2, but earn thunor’s 
  blessing. the next time the character falls, he suffers 
  only half damage as a strong wind acts to cushion his fall 
  (indoors or outdoors).
  Followers of thunor who refuse to participate auto-
  matically fail their notice roll this hour. Others who de-
  cline may roll notice as normal, for little time is wasted.
  scorinG
  each gold egg returned is worth 3 points and each 
  silver egg 1 point. unlike the other competitions, 
  the contestants are not sorted into ranking order and 
  awarded points. instead, the points are added directly to 
  the overall scores. this competition can thus drastically 
  change an entrant’s fortunes in the overall standings.
  The Winners
  tally up each competitor’s score for the three con-
  tests. Whoever scores the most points is the overall win-
  ner, the next highest point tally takes second place, and 
  so on. any of the nPcs who score in the top three claim 
  a bride as their reward.
  Whoever wins has the choice of receiving 2,000 gs in 
  goods or jewelry or taking the eostre queen as his bride. 
  he also gains +5 glory.
  second place receives 1,000 gs or the hand of the 
  eostre Princess. he receives +3 glory.
  third place claims 500 gs or the hand of the eostre 
  maiden. he gains +2 glory.
  all other contestants earn 100 gs and +1 glory due to 
  a rise in reputation for helping honor eostre.
  e1. The WeddinGs
  the final night is the grand ceremony to eostre at 
  which animals are sacrificed and their blood sprin-
  kled on the soil, alcohol is drunk by the barrel load, 
  couples get frisky, and prayers are offered to all the 
  benevolent gods. there may be a fight between coel-
  so Who has all The eGGs?
  to make things a little easier on the gm, here is a 
  list of how the contestants stand at the end of the 
  hunt. this assumes that a) cissa was defeated, and 
  b) the heroes kept all the eggs. make adjustments 
  as necessary based on their generosity. the number 
  in parentheses indicates their score for the event. 
  gm’s will have to adjudicate any other events that 
  may affect these totals.
  Aldhelm—ends with one gold and six silver eggs (9).
  Coelric— recovers to find one gold and 4 silver 
  eggs (7).
  Hussa—manages to find two gold and three silver 
  eggs (9).
  Penda—has ten silver eggs (10).
  Cissa—recovers to find one silver egg (1).
  however, if the heroes do not interfere with hussa 
  and cissa in any way, the final tally is as follows:
  Aldhelm—ends with one gold and six silver eggs (9).
  Coelric—recovers to find one gold and 4 silver 
  eggs (7).
  Hussa—manages to find two gold and three silver 
  eggs (9).
  Penda—has ten silver eggs (10).
  Cissa—recovers six gold and six silver eggs (24).
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  ric and cissa, or cissa and one or more of the heroes. 
  these can be as bloody as the individual gm wishes, 
  but remember that they come before any court cases 
  (see below).
  any wedding ceremonies are performed on top of 
  moot hill and officiated by cuthwulf in front of the 
  assembled populace. around him are the families of 
  those involved, as well as his nobles and bodyguards. 
  the ceremony itself is a typical saxa affair and ends 
  with cuthwulf striking a hammer against an anvil 
  three times, once for sigel, once for eira, and once 
  for eostre. as the third hammer blow sounds, the 
  ceremony is concluded and the wedding pronounced 
  official. each marriage is for a three-year period.
  characters that chose to marry may discover their 
  wife is not quite what they had hoped for.
  cwenburh is a spoiled rich kid and the last of 
  Whitburh’s daughters to wed. Whilst she is skilled at 
  weaving and possessing of a beauty that rivals that 
  of many faerie queens, she is also lazy, deceitful, and 
  wanting of extravagant items, preferably of foreign 
  origin. every year, the poor sap who wins her as a 
  bride must come up with gifts worth at least 1,000 
  gs or face her wrath. after three years without such a 
  gift, she refuses to renew her marriage contract de-
  claring her husband unsuitable.
  eadhild may only be a farmer’s daughter, but she 
  knows how to run a farm stead, making her an attrac-
  tive bride from that point of view. she is not a show-
  case bride and her looks can really only be described 
  as ugly, but she is loyal and possesses all the skills 
  a good wife should have. although she could be a 
  master weaver, her duties running the farm have not 
  allowed her to exploit her full potential.
  gytha wants to be treated as a man and to become 
  a warrior. she is attractive (though prone to freckling 
  in the summer months), and an excellent talker, but 
  most often uses her voice to curse men who eye her 
  up. any man marrying her will have a fight on his 
  hands trying to make her toe the line and perform 
  women’s work, though she is a competent house-
  keeper.
  WereGild and coMPlainTs
  Once the festival is over there may be a number of 
  cases that need to be heard by cuthwulf. Regardless of 
  the heroes’ actions, coelric brings a case against cissa, 
  demanding weregild from the cowardly blow he received 
  from cissa during the egg hunt. naturally cissa maintains 
  his innocence. cuthwulf finds him guilty but cissa and 
  his kin refuse to pay the 3,200 gs penalty, thus initiating 
  a blood feud (possibly a future adventure).
  cissa may in turn bring legal action against any heroes 
  who attacked him. before the case is heard, his brother, 
  athelwulf, also a berserk, approaches the heroes and 
  threatens them with violence unless they plead guilty 
  and hand over the appropriate weregild. Refusal leads to 
  a feud with a powerful berserk family.
  BesTiary
  Only the competitors for The Eostre Festival are de-
  tailed here. in order to ensure there is some challenge to 
  the heroes, all are Wild cards. For other characters the 
  party may encounter, consult the Hellfrost Bestiary.
  TakinG a WiFe
  Women in Hellfrost are expected to stay at home. 
  this in no way makes them little better than do-
  mestic servants or baby-making machines for the 
  woman runs the household, and usually with a rod 
  of iron. thus, it is she who holds the keys to the cof-
  fers, not her husband. many are the skald’s stories 
  of fierce warriors who quail before the authority of 
  their wives!
  sTandard rules
  a hero with the Rich or very Rich edge has a source 
  of income from somewhere. While the hero is away 
  adventuring, he needs someone to look after his in-
  come—an ideal role for the new wife. a character who 
  takes one of the maidens as a wife gains a boon or 
  bane, depending on which girl he chose. these modi-
  fiers remain in place for the duration of the marriage.
  Cwenburh: lazy, deceitful, and prone to fritter 
  away money (on herself), a character who marries 
  cwenburh gains a very attractive wife but loses half 
  his annual income due to her incompetency and 
  frivolous spending.
  Eadhild: a skilled and frugal housekeeper, eadhild 
  graces her husband by increasing his income by 50% 
  through hard work, shrewd bargaining, and diligence.
  Gytha: this wild mare has no intention of being 
  shackled to a homestead, regardless of its annual 
  income. instead of acting as steward she trains with 
  the warriors. income drops by 25%. she is attractive 
  but curses like a soldier (minor habit).
  exPanded rules
  if you are using the optional land management sys-
  tem from the Hellfrost Expansion book, the maid-
  ens have the following relevant stats should they be 
  appointed as seneschal:
  Cwenburh: stewardship d4 –2, charisma +4. 
  cwenburh has an additional –2 penalty to her stew-
  ardship rolls because she is lazy.
  Eadhild: stewardship d10, charisma –2. eadhild 
  may reroll one stewardship roll per year, as if she 
  spent a benny.
  Gytha: stewardship d4, charisma +1. if appointed 
  as castellan, a role she would prefer, she has knowl-
  edge (battle) d6, spirit d8, and the command edge.
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      aldhelM The FarMer
  aldhelm comes from a poor, but well-liked nohaut 
  family. honest, upright, gentle, and kind, aldhelm does 
  not have a bad bone in his body. he has no delusions of 
  grandeur upon entering the competition. he seeks only 
  a wife and a chance to prove himself a worthy husband. 
  he has aspirations of becoming a skald, but lacks the 
  funds to travel in search of a suitable master from whom 
  to learn the art. his knowledge skills include his scholar 
  bonus.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d8, spirit d6, strength d6, 
  vigor d6
  Skills: climbing d6, Fighting d6, guts d8, knowledge 
  (Folklore) d8+2, knowledge (Riddles) d8+2, notice d6, 
  Persuasion d6, Riding d4, taunt d4, swimming d4
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 5; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: heroic, loyal
  Edges: charismatic, scholar (Folklore & Riddles)
  Languages: auld saxa, saxa, trader
  Gear: dagger (str+d4), short spear (str+d6, Reach 1).
      cissa The Berserk
  a visitor from distant lands, cissa is both all that is 
  good about berserks and all that is wrong. he is loyal and 
  brave and a skilled warrior, but he is also arrogant and 
  overconfident, not to mention cruel, short-tempered, 
  and bloodthirsty. his true reason for entering the com-
  petition is simply to prove he is the best at whatever he 
  does. if he wins a wife, then that’s all the better—some-
  one to give him children and help secure his family line 
  should not be overlooked.
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts d6, spirit d10, strength 
  d10, vigor d10
  Skills: boating d8, climbing d8, Fighting d10, guts d10, 
  intimidation d10, notice d6, Riding d8, taunt d8, throw-
  ing d10, swimming d8
  Charisma: –6; Pace: 6; Parry: 10; Toughness: 9 (2)
  Hindrances: arrogant, bloodthirsty, heroic, loyal, 
  mean, Overconfident, vengeful (major)
  Edges: berserk, combat Reflexes, improved block, im-
  proved Frenzy, improved sweep, War cry
  Languages: battletongue, saxa, trader
  Gear: chain hauberk (+2), pot helm (+3), medium 
  shield (+1 Parry), battle axe (str+d8), two throwing 
  axes (Range: 3/6/12, damage str+d6).
      coelric The Poor TheGn
  coelric is a poor thegn loyal to Jarl cuthwulf. he in-
  herited his lands from his father, but his skill lay in war, 
  not managing crops and peasants. away for many years 
  on campaigns in vestmark, his lands have suffered bad 
  harvests and mismanagement. Recently returned to his 
  ancestral stead, coelric has discovered he is flat broke. 
  too proud to beg for assistance from his liege, he hopes 
  to change his fortunes by winning the contest and receiv-
  ing eostre’s blessing upon his farmland.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d8, spirit d8, strength d8, 
  vigor d8
  Skills: climbing d6, Fighting d8, guts d6, intimidation 
  d8, knowledge (battle) d6, notice d6, Persuasion d6, 
  Riding d6, shooting d6, throwing d6, swimming d6
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 8 (2)
  Hindrances: loyal, Overconfident, Poverty
  Edges: command, connection (saxa nobles), noble
  Languages: anari, saxa, trader
  Gear: chain shirt (+2), medium shield (+1 Parry), long 
  sword (str+d8).
      hussa The rich TheGn
  another of cuthwulf’s thegns, hussa is both a mili-
  tary man and an astute steward. his lands are prosper-
  ous (well, as prosperous as any can be), his peasants are 
  content, his loyalty to cuthwulf is absolute, and his bor-
  ders are well defended against bandits and raiders. all 
  he lacks is a good wife, something he intends to rectify 
  via the contest.
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts d8, spirit d10, strength 
  d10, vigor d10
  Skills: boating d6, climbing d6, Fighting d10, guts d10, 
  intimidation d10, knowledge (battle) d10, notice d8, 
  Persuasion d8, Riding d8, shooting d8, throwing d10, 
  swimming d4
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 9 (2)
  Hindrances: code of honor, heroic, loyal
  Edges: command, connection (nobles), Fervor, hold 
  the line, very Rich
  Languages: anari, saxa, trader
  Gear: chain hauberk (+2), medium shield (+1 Parry), 
  long sword (str+d8), fine jewelry, horse.
      Penda The landoWner
  a rich landowner from a neighboring region, Penda is 
  overweight and underworked. his body and coffers have 
  grown fat on the labor of indentured servants, servants 
  forced into his service by the very taxes he placed on 
  them. now, they work for free to repay their debts. he 
  seeks a wife, but since he cannot attract one through 
  courtship, he intends to win one in the contest. a poor 
  excuse for a man, he has no compulsion about cheat-
  ing.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d6, spirit d6, strength d6, 
  vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d4, guts d4, notice d6, Persuasion d6, 
  Riding d6, streetwise d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 5; Parry: 4; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: greedy (minor), Obese, stubborn, ugly 
  (bloated body)
  Edges: —
  Languages: saxa, trader
  Gear: short sword (str+d6), dagger (str+d4).
  hellFrosT advenTure #1
  1
  hellFrosT advenTure #1
  1
  
  score sheeTs
  these sheets are designed to help speed up play and organize the outcome of events. as noted in the adventure text, 
  pre-determined scores for nPcs should be ignored if a player is controlling the nPc.
  MasTer score sheeT
  Record the overall score awarded for individual contests on this sheet.
  Contestant
  Words
  Stamina
  Physical
  Speed
  Observation
  Grand	Total
  aldhelm
  cissa
  coelric
  hussa
  Penda
  [hero #1]
  [hero #2]
  [hero #3]
  [hero #4]
  [hero #5]
  [hero #6]
  conTesT oF Words
  Contestant
  Roll
  Final	Score
  aldhelm
  11
  cissa
  2
  coelric
  5
  hussa
  9
  Penda
  1
  [hero #1]
  [hero #2]
  [hero #3]
  [hero #4]
  [hero #5]
  [hero #6]
  The eosTre FesTival
  1
  The eosTre FesTival
  1
  
  conTesT oF sTaMina
  Contestant Drunk	
  Rating
  Round	
  1
  Round	
  2
  Round	
  3
  Round	
  4
  Round	
  5
  Round	
  6
  Round	
  7
  Round	
  8
  Round	
  9
  Round	
  10
  Round	
  11
  Round	
  12
  Round	
  13
  Round	
  14
  Final	
  Score
  aldhelm
  5
  cissa
  7
  coelric
  6
  hussa
  7
  Penda
  5
  [hero #1]
  [hero #2]
  [hero #3]
  [hero #4]
  [hero #5]
  [hero #6]
  hellFrosT advenTure #1
  0
  hellFrosT advenTure #1
  0
  
  conTesT oF Physical ProWess
  Contestant
  Stage
  1
  Stage
  2
  Stage
  3
  Stage
  4
  Stage
  5
  Stage
  6
  Stage
  7
  Stage
  8
  Stage
  9
  Stage
  10
  Total
  Final
  Score
  aldhelm
  cissa
  coelric
  hussa
  Penda
  [hero #1]
  [hero #2]
  [hero #3]
  [hero #4]
  [hero #5]
  [hero #6]
  The eosTre FesTival
  1
  The eosTre FesTival
  1
  
  © 2009 Triple Ace Games. Hellfrost, Figure Factory and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games.  All rights reserved. 
  
  © 2010 Triple Ace Games. Necropolis 2350 and all related marks and logos are trademarks of
  Triple Ace Games.
  All rights reserved. Used with permission. © 2010. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  SAVAGE WORLDS    GAMING!
  TM
  THE POWER TO TURN THE TIDE
  IS IN YOUR HANDS!
  
  © 2010 Triple Ace Games. Sundered Skies and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Triple 
  Ace Games.
  All rights reserved. Used with permission. © 2010. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  SAVAGE WORLDS     GAMING!
  TM
  SAVAGE, SWASHBUCKLING
  ADVENTURE!
  
  © 2010 Triple Ace Games. Hellfrost, Hellfrost Player’s Guide, Hellfrost Bestiary & Hellfrost Gazetteer and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  © 2010 Triple Ace Games. Hellfrost, Hellfrost Player’s Guide, Hellfrost Bestiary & Hellfrost Gazetteer and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2010. All Rights Reserved.
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All rights reserved. Used with permission.  © 2010. All Rights Reserved.
  www.tripleacegames.com
  www.tripleacegames.com
  31059
  31059
  $7.99
  $7.99
  The start of spring is marked by numerous festivals to 
  The start of spring is marked by numerous festivals to 
  Eostre, and this year is no different. Jarl Cuthwulf is hosting 
  Eostre, and this year is no different. Jarl Cuthwulf is hosting 
  a grand, week-long festival, combining religious activities 
  a grand, week-long festival, combining religious activities 
  with ﬁ ve tests of skill, stamina, and ingenuity. Rich or poor, 
  with ﬁ ve tests of skill, stamina, and ingenuity. Rich or poor, 
  young or old, brave or cowardly, all may enter in the hope 
  young or old, brave or cowardly, all may enter in the hope 
  of taking away one of the fabulous prizes on offer!
  of taking away one of the fabulous prizes on offer!
  This adventure takes a step away from the routine of 
  This adventure takes a step away from the routine of 
  bashing monsters and stealing treasure, instead focusing 
  bashing monsters and stealing treasure, instead focusing 
  on roleplaying, exploring events beyond adventuring, and 
  on roleplaying, exploring events beyond adventuring, and 
  making new friends and enemies during a major festival to 
  making new friends and enemies during a major festival to 
  the goddess Eostre.
  the goddess Eostre.
  This adventure contains a range of Figure Flats.
  This adventure contains a range of Figure Flats.
  Hellfrost™
  Hellfrost™ is an epic fantasy setting for the award 
   is an epic fantasy setting for the award 
  winning 
  winning Savage Worlds™
  Savage Worlds™ roleplaying game.
   roleplaying game.
  Spring is in the Air!
  Spring is in the Air!
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Triple Ace Games/Hellfrost/Savage Worlds - Hellfrost - (N5) The Eostre Festival.pdf