Winds over Helin Islands

Notes from the author

It has been a pleasure writing this adventure, even though most of the ideas are from a Swedish roleplaying game named Viking, and I truly look forward on any comments I might receive. It might be a bit short but I wrote it in haste because I was overwelmed with the responses I got on the HârnList, regarding my viking inspired Black Whale Campaign. If you like it I will contribute with more of it's kind to the HârnPage in the near future. I haven't made any description or stats for the character because I believe it's quite important that the players are rather experienced fighters and cunning intriguers, because they will need it. Vikings in any time age are a tough lot who doesn't tolerate fools or weaklings. Modules that might help speeding up play and give more depth to the story are; Orbaal Kingdom Module, Castles of Orbaal and the Orbaal Map, Hârnmaster (First Edition, Gold or Core), Ivinia Region Module, Battlelust (For the larger battle) and the Gods of Hârn supplement (First edition, Gold or The religous Rules of HMCore). I'd like to thank Columbia Games and N. Robin Crossby for creating Hârn, otherwise the world of Kethira would only be in my dreams.

The story

It's a stormy autumn in the seas between Marby and Sherwyn, and several ocean going vessels has been wrecked and stranded all over the islands. There has also been mysterious attacks on several small vassal boats fishing and hunting whale. The Valhakar at Marby, believing that the Sherwyns are to blame, sends a larger force to handle the problem and teach the opposite clan a lesson. He also sends a smaller force to the island of Helin, northeast of Marby, to retrive the annual tax from the Jarins located there. The jarin hasn't delivered their share of Seal furs in time and that has made the Valhakar a bit worried. These Jarin are loyal and has never caused any trouble in the past. The players are joining the latter expedition, in one way or another, and should be well equipped for the task. Mikaar Serewyn of Marby isn't taking any chances that might endanger him or his kin. The GM can choose if the players are hired by the Valhakar or that they belong, in some way, to the clan of Serewyn.

Unknown to the Valhakar, the island is under siege by Tavu pirates and they are responsible for all the attacks, not the Sherwyns. They have taken control of all the Helin island and are waiting for the storm to ease so they can continue with their journey towards western Orbaal. They intend to raid coastal settlements that are not heavily armed and fortified. The storms make those journey to dangerous at the moment. They will stay the winter and live by what the Jarin islanders can provide to them. They do not know that the Jarin population are economicly important vassals to the Valhakar of Marby.

The journey will not be a pleasant one and the vessel the party are travelling in will wreck on the south coast of Helin. The ship is badly torned and it will take several days to fix it. The party can decide if they will make camp on the beach or go further in on the island to find the village of the Jarin people. In any case the storm will ease after a while and the party from Marby will spot a smaller boat draw near. If they stay the approaching boat will row towards the shore and the viking pirates that control her, will attack the party no matter what happens. They will not negotiate and will fight almost to the last man. They are seven pirates against the experinced party that are nine, including the players. If some of them are captured they will tell the party that their camp is fortfied with at least three times as many as the players and their followers. They will show the party to their hold if they want to see it. They can also guide them to the Jarin village. If the GM feels like it a group of Jarin seal hunters might aid the party in the fight. In any case if the players have moved away from the shore they will encounter the same Jarin who will guide them to their village.

In the village the party will be greeted respectfully by the elder of the Jarin, Lorin of Sulthea. He's an old but wise man and will inform the players of what he knows. The village consists of nineteen households and some ninetyeight people. They live primarly on fishing and some agriculture, but hunt seals around the northern shore to provide furs to their lord of Marby. The houses are of same quality as the rest of the Jarin on the mainland. The elder will plead to the players to help him and he will aid them in anyway he can.

Several weeks ago a warboat filled with viking warriors entered the northeastern bay and made camp there. For several days they chopped wood and in one week they had made a protective pallisade around the tents that they slept in. Lorin fearing that the warriors might kill or otherwise endanger the people of the island, send most of the children and women away east on the island. But to no avail, the strangers found them and took them back to the village. The have stolen all things of value, including most of the boats, and several rapes has occured as well as two brutal murders.

The Jarin are to weak and scared to make any kind of restistance. Besides they don't know much about fighting anyway. However the with the party present it may all change. Now they might be able to fight back with aid from their lord in the south. Lorin also believes the pirates to number about two and a half dousin. They have captured three of the youngest women of the village and taken them to their camp. If the players want to go back to Marby to get help, the will find that the jarin boats are to small to handle such storms that currently passes this island. The players must work with the Jarin if they are to survive. It will take alot of planning to attack the camp of the pirates, and the elder of the village will not send any men into suicidal attacks. He is to smart for that and his people are equipped only with smaller harpoons and daggers. It is not a wise idea to wait for the storm to go away. The pirates has located the players boat and will try to stop them from reaching the mainland again. They will attack the village after a couple of days and leave a small force to guard the party's ship.

The camp of the Tavu vikings consists of five sturdy tents protected by a temporary seven feet tall wooden pallisade. Their ships are pulled ashore under tall cliffs, protecting them from the mighty winds. The camp has some twentynine pirates and they have at least two guards at any given time. They use to be more but resent attacks on various vessels have rendered the pirates a bit man short. The leader of the camp is a notorious viking named Rudaar Corkil who have a strong hold on his men. He will not give up and he will try to command his men to fight to the last man. It's easiest to attack the camp during the day or during early morning. At these times there is always a boat filled with men, usually ten, patrolling the shores and seas around the island, and the camp will contain less vikings. The players can try and lure the patrolling boat into shore then ambush it. If they succeed they will have a sea going vessel and can go back to warn the Valhakar at Marby. If the players try to take one of the boats and perhaps even the ship located near the encampment, they will find them tightly bound and guarded by two men. Attacking the camp at night is worse since all the vikings will be there, sleepy but present.

The village can provide the party with twenty men and some usable equipment like nets, harpoons, torches and grappling hooks. The villagers will each have two small harpoons and a dagger. Compare this to the vikings that have shields, spears, axes and armour then the odds for the village and the players doesn't look good. However with cunning and stealth the players will be able to succeed their attack on the camp. Remember that Rudaar are holding three women hostage, and is not expecting the Jarin to attack and endanger their women. Besides, the pirates are not considering the Jarin to be of any threat to them, not even with the help from the players. They don't believe the Jarin can fight at all. Should the party be the winning part in this battle they will be able to collect all items found in the camp, except the baubles that belong to the Jarin. They will also get the furs the Jarin owes the Valhakar at Marby. The Jarin will be forever greatful and the journey back to the mainland should be a pleasant one. However when they return the Sherwyns will be ready for a vendetta...

Patrick Nilsson, August 1996