So i'm just about ready to start running my this game for my friends. I've read the Ragnarok and DotN books. And there is a HUGE amount of story there. But I can't seem to focus on a path to Norn for my group.
Usually when i GM i start writing with the END, some big epic thing affecting/changing the world. In this game though, the end is....just a big battle? Cool though it will be, it seems difficult to motivate my players to quest, or explore. I can craft some smaller adventures, but i can't seem to find a way to have some type of....cohesion. Like a force behind everything.
Perhaps i'm trying to hard and should just enjoy the shorter adventures. But i'd like to understand the overall story if possible. That said, is there a specific outline of major events the players SHOULD experience. Have i just missed it in the books somewhere? Or is this more personal writing involved.
Thanks in advance!
Overall Story
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Re: Overall Story
The overall story, as it were, is the lead up to Ragnarok, and then Ragnarok itself. The cocks crowing, the death of Baldur, the eating of the sun and the moon, Garm's release, etc. This stuff is attested to in the Voluspa (http://www.voluspa.org/voluspa.htm will have an english translation).
There is a bit of a bigger saga in denizens that you could run with - the forging of a new Sun for the world. It is something that the world could sorely use. Not to mention a new moon. These becomes stories about hope and struggles against adversity that you might be a little more used to.
Of course, you don't have to follow it at all, or pick and choose pieces. In my own game, the player characters caused Ragnarok. I gave them Naglfar, which they rescued from the clutches of Ran, goddess of the sea who was trying to flood the world. her argument was that those who died by drowning were by rights hers. if she could drown the world, she'd win Ragnarok. They got Hel to agree to block up the great river flooding the world with a pile of corpses, but she wanted a husband. They talked Surtr's third son into marrying her, and threw in Naglfar to sweeten the deal. Having the ship, one of the conditions was fulfilled. Hodur killed Baldur at the wedding party with mistletoe they acquired for Loki (unknown to them). The cocks crowed, and the conditions were set. They are now on their way back to deal with what they have wrought. The Alþing has been destroyed (the one in Norway, yes I know) and the King has died. Chaos reigns over the land. I expect there will be an appearance by baba yaga because I got a cool paper mini
Short of it, you can do whatever you like, even steal from another module or a story you never got to run. feel free to bounce ideas off here!
There is a bit of a bigger saga in denizens that you could run with - the forging of a new Sun for the world. It is something that the world could sorely use. Not to mention a new moon. These becomes stories about hope and struggles against adversity that you might be a little more used to.
Of course, you don't have to follow it at all, or pick and choose pieces. In my own game, the player characters caused Ragnarok. I gave them Naglfar, which they rescued from the clutches of Ran, goddess of the sea who was trying to flood the world. her argument was that those who died by drowning were by rights hers. if she could drown the world, she'd win Ragnarok. They got Hel to agree to block up the great river flooding the world with a pile of corpses, but she wanted a husband. They talked Surtr's third son into marrying her, and threw in Naglfar to sweeten the deal. Having the ship, one of the conditions was fulfilled. Hodur killed Baldur at the wedding party with mistletoe they acquired for Loki (unknown to them). The cocks crowed, and the conditions were set. They are now on their way back to deal with what they have wrought. The Alþing has been destroyed (the one in Norway, yes I know) and the King has died. Chaos reigns over the land. I expect there will be an appearance by baba yaga because I got a cool paper mini
Short of it, you can do whatever you like, even steal from another module or a story you never got to run. feel free to bounce ideas off here!
Re: Overall Story
What are you looking for when you say "END"? Are you looking for a super villain that is threaded over several adventures?
If so, you have quite a few to choose form, all listed at the beginning of Denizens of the North. If you are looking for a more godly being, then you'll have to pick up Lords of the Ash (or read the Eddas). Here are a few to tide you over:
1) Nidhogg, the last Alsvatr. He is imprisoned in Hvergelmir with Loki because he is such an awesome threat. All of the divine races work together to achieve this. Even then, he devours the cosmic tree because he can no longer get at the souls in Niflheim (thanks Hel).
2) Loki, the innocuous trickster took on a more sinister tone after eating Gulveig's heart. He has a lot of pent up animosity for the Aesir. They killed his kids that he had with Sigyn and he had Angraboda's kids exiled. He would be in it for the long planned out revenge.
3) Odin, yes Odin. He does everything for his own gain. He is also a wanderer who meddles in the lives of humans. He stole the Mead of Poetry, he chose the lesser kings to win upon the battlefield because he wanted the good ones dead and in Valhalla. He also pissed off a lot of Valkyries (long list).
4) Bergelmir the Rime Jotun king. He is in it for the win against the gods, whatever the cost. He has been ready to create cataclysms in order to achieve those ends. Truly a reckless and insane foe.
If you want a story line that runs through many ages, you can always use the vignettes at the end of the Denizens of the North book. They will take you through a decade of fun times. You can also weave the Evingard series of adventures that start in the Core Rulebook as the party sets off to Islandia but get caught in a storm, then go to Islandia and have the adventures outlined in Fafnir's Treasure. Finally the Cornerstone of the Word north of Evingard is explored in Denizens of the North. The final chapter where the powers fight for the Cornerstone will be published in Lords of the Ash, since it is one of the most important locales for Ragnarok in Midgard.
Let me know specifics and we can toss you 101 adventure hooks.
If so, you have quite a few to choose form, all listed at the beginning of Denizens of the North. If you are looking for a more godly being, then you'll have to pick up Lords of the Ash (or read the Eddas). Here are a few to tide you over:
1) Nidhogg, the last Alsvatr. He is imprisoned in Hvergelmir with Loki because he is such an awesome threat. All of the divine races work together to achieve this. Even then, he devours the cosmic tree because he can no longer get at the souls in Niflheim (thanks Hel).
2) Loki, the innocuous trickster took on a more sinister tone after eating Gulveig's heart. He has a lot of pent up animosity for the Aesir. They killed his kids that he had with Sigyn and he had Angraboda's kids exiled. He would be in it for the long planned out revenge.
3) Odin, yes Odin. He does everything for his own gain. He is also a wanderer who meddles in the lives of humans. He stole the Mead of Poetry, he chose the lesser kings to win upon the battlefield because he wanted the good ones dead and in Valhalla. He also pissed off a lot of Valkyries (long list).
4) Bergelmir the Rime Jotun king. He is in it for the win against the gods, whatever the cost. He has been ready to create cataclysms in order to achieve those ends. Truly a reckless and insane foe.
If you want a story line that runs through many ages, you can always use the vignettes at the end of the Denizens of the North book. They will take you through a decade of fun times. You can also weave the Evingard series of adventures that start in the Core Rulebook as the party sets off to Islandia but get caught in a storm, then go to Islandia and have the adventures outlined in Fafnir's Treasure. Finally the Cornerstone of the Word north of Evingard is explored in Denizens of the North. The final chapter where the powers fight for the Cornerstone will be published in Lords of the Ash, since it is one of the most important locales for Ragnarok in Midgard.
Let me know specifics and we can toss you 101 adventure hooks.
