After creating Essryd in the last post, I had a really hard time to find a plausible first scene for the solo campaign. Starting an investigation of a murder years after it happened is not really what makes a good start, so I decided to jump right in after the assassination of Essryd’s family happened.
If you missed the character creation for this playthough, you can find Essryd’s “birth” in the article She is persistent, unscrupulous and very, very angry.
DISCLAIMER: Be aware that my style of roleplaying is not always fun and flower-picking. Though I don’t like overly gory descriptions in roleplaying games, I like the dark themes and dismal topics from the bottom of my heart. Please consider this post M rated and not always for the fait of heart.
Prologue – A sad Welcome
3 Núzyæl TR 720
Upon returning from a two-day journey to Phira, Essryd of House Gehwær crosses the gates of Nurien Keep with a semblance of weary relief. The family’s loyal servant immediately approaches her, bearing grave news: the recent and tragic demise of her parents and brother. Details are scarce, shrouded in the uncertainty typical of hurried reports.
With solemn gravity, the servant conveys that their remains were laid out within the Great Hall for mourning rites. As the stable boy tends to her steed, the servant offers assistance, but Essryd, visibly stricken yet endeavoring to maintain poise, responds with a composed assurance that all was in order. Adjusting her attire meticulously, she directs herself towards the main building of the keep, every step heavy with the weight of her sorrowful duty.
In the echoing corridors of Nurien Keep, Essryd’s resolve steeled against the shock, guiding her to confront the somber sight awaiting in the hall—a place now a solemn testament to her lost kin.
Scene #1 – In the Name of the Reaper. May his sickle be sharp.
3 Núzyæl TR 720
Entering the Great Hall, Essryd encounters a somber tableau: her family meticulously prepared according to Agrikan burial customs. She summons the servant who initially greeted her arrival. Bowing respectfully, he inquires about her needs.
Essryd’s inquiry into the circumstances of their demise is met with a grim narrative: the servants discovered them stabbed in the early hours. Her brother had been killed in his sleep, and signs of struggle were evident in the bedroom shared by her parents, Baron Llewellyn and Lady Myfanwy. The father lay on his bed, a knife wound piercing his chest, while the mother bore defensive cuts on her hands—evidence of a futile attempt to repel her assailant.
Unsatisfied with merely the report, Essryd questions whether any items in the rooms were disturbed or altered. The servant confirms no cleaning had occurred, time being too limited for such intervention. Her nod acknowledges his statement, and she gestures him away, standing alone amidst the silence of mourning.
Reflecting on her composure, Essryd realizes the profound impact is not one of overwhelming grief but a steely resolve tinged with vengeance. She ascends to her brother’s room, pausing at the threshold before entering. The sight within—blood pooling from his bed—strikes her anew. Torn between gratitude for the untouched scene that preserves vital clues and frustration over apparent neglect by the staff, she contemplates their duty’s failure as much as the tragic mystery now demanding justice.
In the room, Essryd’s keen eyes catch faint scratch marks on the stone windowsill—recently etched with a tool or sharp object. Dust lightly coats her fingers as she traces these telltale signs. Surveying the scene from the window’s vantage point, she notes the proximity of bushy undergrowth at the base of the outer walls, suggesting an outside ingress facilitated by climbing hooks.
Descending to her parents’ chamber, she meticulously inspects the windowsills for similar marks but finds none. Reflecting on the nocturnal traverse between rooms, Essryd deems it likely that someone familiar with the Keep’s layout could navigate unseen. Her search within this room yields nothing beyond the tragic evidence of blood staining bed and floor.
Proceeding to her own quarters, an unsettling discovery awaits: disarrayed pillows and blankets imply a false assumption by the intruder—believing Essryd might have been in her bed. No climbing hooks are evident here either; this confirms that the intruder likely entered through conventional means, as in her parents’ room.
Essryd’s conclusion crystallizes: the assassin exhibited familiarity with the Keep’s interior but employed external access methods for their approach. This contradiction lends credence to the theory of a knowledgeable outsider rather than an insider betrayal—at least, for now. The investigation must discern those who could bridge this apparent gap between intimate knowledge and covert entry.
Summoning a servant, Essryd issues precise directives for preparing the pyre to honor her fallen family through Agrikan rites. Concurrently, she mandates that a message be dispatched to her uncle Ynyr, an officer in the Order of the Copper Hook, urgently informing him of his brother’s assassination and the subsequent investigations underway.
Exiting the Keep’s main doors, Essryd makes her way directly towards the bushes beneath her brother’s window. Amidst the undergrowth, she uncovers a broken climbing hook and a blood-stained dagger—an instrument clearly not belonging to common folk. Recognizing its costly craftsmanship, she cleans the blade meticulously, deciding to secure it in private within her chambers upon returning.
Continuing her search, she detects faint traces through the grass leading toward the garden patches near the inner Keep’s walls and the village gate. Following these tracks brings her to the internal gate. With immediate authority, Essryd commands a nearby guard to close all gates, effectively sealing off the estate from any departures.
She further instructs the guard to compile a detailed log of all recent entries and exits since early morning. The guard obeys with haste.
Scene #2 – Blasphemer, redeemer, all fire in the end.
3 Núzyæl TR 720
Upon receiving the guard’s list, Essryd swiftly reviews it: two recent entrants stand out—Leufred Tarne, a 45-year-old merchant from Cendeth, and Rodgardæ Vicana, a woman of lesser nobility with past intimacy known to Essryd’s brother Pryderi. Both are currently within Nurien. Her command is clear: present these individuals for questioning.
Essryd’s interrogation begins with Leufred Tarne. She probes his whereabouts the previous night, and he claims to have been asleep in a local inn. Sensing an ambiguity in his demeanor, she dispatches a guard to verify his alibi at the inn. As her gaze lingers on a minor detail—an empty sheath dangling from his belt—a strategic play unfolds: retrieving the dagger concealed under her cloak, Essryd idly manipulates it. The merchant’s fear is palpable, yet no flicker of recognition crosses his face. Deeming further investigation warranted, she orders his immediate detainment.
Rodgardæ Vicana’s turn brings a different tone. With an air of insincere cordiality, Essryd acknowledges their acquaintance and the shared mourning over Pryderi’s demise. Long harboring reservations about Rodgardæ, her inquiry delves into the purpose of this timely visit—three days ago by invitation from Pryderi himself, claims Rodgardæ. While Essryd lacks direct means to verify this narrative, her instincts caution against full trust in Rodgardæ’s candor, suspecting undercurrents beneath the surface responses.
Entering the dimly lit basement cell where Leufred Tarne is detained, Essryd stands with arms crossed behind her back, still toying subtly with the suspected murder weapon—a dagger she presumes was wielded against her parents. The revelation of his empty sheath and the discovery of a similar blade in the undergrowth below Pryderi’s window now confronts him.
Leufred’s stammer and evident agitation betray his nerves. Denying ownership of the dagger Essryd holds, he claims it is not his own—a contention met with skeptical eyes. She leverages her family’s ties to both the Order of the Fuming Gate and the Order of the Copper Hook, underscoring their reverence for Agrikan doctrines. Her tone darkens as she pivots towards him, invoking “The 10,000 Ways” in a menacing undertone, shadows casting an ominous pall over her features.
Leufred’s color drains, lips trembling as he pleads innocence, attributing any appearance of involvement to mere coincidence. He insists on his loyal service to Agrik, frequents Nurien Keep with esteem for the family, and expresses a genuine sentiment towards them. Despite his tearful supplications, Essryd remains unmoved by this display of submissiveness.
Displeased with the lack of substantive revelations from this interrogation, Essryd exits the cell, her resolve hardening. The merchant’s fate is far from resolved; another round of inquisition awaits, one she hopes will extract more truthful accounts from his guarded facade.
Upon exiting the main building, Essryd’s acute observation catches sight of Rodgardæ engaged in conversation with an unfamiliar man near the inner gate. She swiftly maneuvers behind a corner, straining her ears but grasping only fragmented dialogue: a clandestine meeting set for midnight behind the stables. As the stranger departs, his noticeable limp—a recent injury—does not escape Essryd’s vigilant scrutiny.
A soft, deferential voice interrupts her concentration, requesting passage. Turning, she encounters Moire, a young Kath slave girl possibly three years her junior, bearing herbs from the garden. In an uncharacteristic moment of distraction and against usual decorum, Essryd mutters an apology, stepping aside to let Moire proceed.
Reflecting on the intercepted conversation, Essryd formulates a strategic plan: at midnight, she will covertly position herself near the stables. Her intention is clear—to overhear the potentially incriminating exchange between Rodgardæ and the enigmatic stranger.
Scene #3 – Gatekeeper, Meat-eater, all prey in the end.
4 Núzyæl TR 720
Hidden within the shadows of the stables an hour before midnight, Essryd’s patience is rewarded as the limping stranger arrives, leaning against a stable wall with an air of lower standing—a serf, possibly from unknown origins. Soon after, Rodgardæ emerges through the door, her tone sharp as she rebukes him for their earlier gate encounter’s danger. His dismissal of her caution, coupled with demands for immediate payment, elicits an arrogant rebuke from Rodgardæ, who commands his silence.
As tensions rise, Rodgardæ inquires about a missing dagger she had provided the previous day; his admission of losing it provokes her shock and fury. Drawing a blade, she plunges it into his abdomen. The serf’s demise leaves Essryd inwardly frustrated—the chance for answers lost in that momentary outburst.
Startled by an involuntary noise from Essryd, Rodgardæ turns to confront the hidden observer. Panic drives her flight through dark alleys; Essryd pursues relentlessly until Rodgardæ vanishes behind a corner. Approaching cautiously, Essryd discovers Rodgardæ slumped with self-inflicted cuts, mortally wounded.
In a desperate bid for truth before Rodgardæ succumbs, Essryd seizes the dying woman’s cloak and demands the name of their master in the conspiracy. An arrogant smile spreads across Rodgardæ’s lips as she defiantly asserts her silence, slipping into death without revealing the plot’s architect.
Consumed by unmitigated rage at the thwarted quest for justice, Essryd’s anguished scream pierces the night, a testament to her unresolved turmoil and vengeance denied.
Scene #4 – Pain and Blood, Sweat and Flame.
4 Núzyæl TR 720
A commotion in the Keep’s courtyard early morning captures Essryd’s attention as she peers from her chamber window. The banners of the Copper Hook flutter prominently; Knights of the Order ride through, with Ynyr leading the procession. Immediate familial duty propels Essryd to descend swiftly and greet her uncle.
Their exchange is both solemn and charged. Ynyr extends his condolences for the loss of Essryd’s family while seeking updates on potential culprits. Her recounting—highlighting the botched apprehension of Rodgardæ and her accomplice, alongside the thwarted application of “The 10,000 Ways”—draws Ynyr’s initially fiery reproach. His anger erupts at her perceived premature actions and missed strategic opportunities.
However, as Ynyr observes Essryd’s reaction to his rebuke, he moderates his tone, shifting to a more paternal admonition. He acknowledges the inherent Gehwær fire in her spirit—critical for the path of revenge that lies ahead.
The day turns solemn with the ceremonial cremation of Essryd’s family. Beyond village attendees, envoys from the Order of the Fuming Gate are present, honoring House Gehwær and Agrikan rites.
Pain and Blood, Sweat and Flame
Pain and Blood, a ceremonial chant of the Agrikan Curch
Ignite our fiery sparks, and He will reign
Pain and Blood, Sweat and Flame
Further his Will, glorify his Name
Cleanse this world, with Purifying Flame
As the rites conclude, Ynyr approaches Essryd, now recognized as the head of House Gehwær, requesting for a private meeting.
Upon entering her late father’s study, Essryd assumes the seat once occupied by Baron Llewellyn at a gesture from Ynyr. The weight of familial duty and legacy bears down as both confront the imposing desk now symbolizing their collective responsibility.
With gravity marking his tone, Ynyr informs Essryd about formidable adversaries potentially orchestrating her family’s demise. Yet, he also underscores the strength of powerful allies poised to support the affairs of House Gehwær. Mindful of the recent trials she has endured, Ynyr suggests a strategic retreat—to breathe the coastal air in Tormau, for instance.
In a conspiratorial undertone, Ynyr advises Essryd to seek out his old acquaintance, Earl Denyl Lynnaeus, during her sojourn. This discreet connection hints at alliances and future endeavors critical to their family’s restoration and retribution.
To be continued …
That was the first part of my HârnWorld solo campaign “House Gehwær” using the new HârnMaster: Roleplaying in the World Kethira rules. I hope you had as much fun as I had playing it. The first two scenes were almost a clean sweep until Essryd completely fell out of her role of an icecube and blundered the encounter with Moire. That made me increase the chaos factor which led to an alternated scene #3 in the stables.
The interpretation of the meaning table result was simple: everything wents down the drain … a complete failure. With the chaos factor at 7, almost every fate question was a YES culminating in an EXCEPTIONAL YES on my last question “Do I corner Rodgardæ in the alley?” The meaning table gave me enough reason to let her succumb to my interpretation.
I’m absolutely stoked and look forward how the story evolves. I hope to see you in the next part!
EDIT: I completely forgot to release Leufred from prison … poor bastard! lol
Sources used:
– HârnMaster Kèthîra (Keléstia Productions Ltd.)
– Kingdom of Rethem (Columbia Games Inc.)
– HârnMaster Religion (Columbia Games Inc.)
– Hârn Religion Team Website (https://www.lythia.com/hrt/)
– Mythic GME 2nd Edition (Word Mill Games)
– Mythic Magazine Compilation #1 (Word Mill Games)
