The Lost Runestones of Soderfjord

source: Wikipedia

Soderfjord has long been a fractured land, with no overall rulership, just different jarls competing, fighting and occasionally allying with each other in their small fiefs. Compared to Ostland and Vestland, Soderfjord is a lesson in why strong kingship is important for a realm. And yet, it need not have been that way. 

Nearly three hundred years ago in 614AC the Kingdom of Vestland was formed. Around the same time, clerics of the Norse pantheon of immortals had created a stone circle in the forests outside Soderfjord city. Each stone was dedicated to a norse immortal, and if a prospective ruler stood in the centre of the circle while clerics conducted a special ceremony, each stone would glow with its immortal's approval or stay dark and dull if the would-be ruler was considered a poor choice. 

• Odin's stone glowed when the candidate was wise and capable at rulership
• Thor's stone glowed when the candidate was competent in war and generalship
• Tyr's stone glowed when the candidate could dispense justice and establish good laws
• Balder's stone glowed when the candidate was articulate, charismatic and diplomatic. 

The high cleric of Loki, Gulli Garnesson, argued that a stone for his patron should be erected, to detect if the candidate was capable of trickery and deception, but the other clerics refused and declared such traits were unseemly for a king of the Northern Reaches. High cleric Gulli took this as a personal slight and as a slight against Loki and so plotted revenge.  

In 623 AC the stone circle had been completed and a gathering of the Jarls at the stones was organised, to find the best new king for the land of Soderfjord. But the night before the ceremony, the four stones were ripped out of the earth where they had been set, and were nowhere to be seen. These stones were about 6ft high and weighed about a ton each, so either powerful magic or monstrous strength must have been involved. Giant-sized footprints around what was left of the stone circle suggested the latter. The ceremony was abandoned and the jarls went back to fighting each other while Soderfjord stayed in near-anarchy. 

This of course was the work of agents of Loki, orchestrated by high cleric Gulli Garnesson. After the rejection of his proposal of a stone for Loki, he went to various bands and factions that would be threatened by a strong unified Soderfjord, and asked them to help steal and keep hold of the stones. 

The hill giants had taken the stone of Thor, the trolls had taken the stone of Balder, the cult of Chaos had taken the stone of Tyr and the stone of Odin was now held by the red dragon Vraximar the Flamescourge.  Four separate foes, and four separate hiding places. To keep the stones extra secure, the cult of Loki had hired the molder dwarves, the Modrigswerg, to construct cunning vaults within each lair that the monstrous inhabitants would not have been able to craft by themselves. 

For over two hundred and seventy years the stones have been forgotten while the Jarls of Soderfjord squabble between themselves. 

However, adventurers have been directed to a ruined temple of Loki after finding clues in a Shrine of Cretia (a chaotic immortal of the Ethengarians). If the temple of Loki is investigated, the adventurers will find the old journal of Gulli Garnesson, including his account of what happened to the runestones that he and his monstrous allies stole. 

The adventurers may either figure out for themselves or ask advice from a priest (such as Erik of Forsetta) about what the journal is about and its significance. 

Author's Notes 

I envision this as a possible follow-on from X3: The Curse of Xanathon. The cult of Loki and the cult of Cretia in Rhoona (currently led by Xanathon) are allied in causing problems and mischief in the Northern Reaches, both the town of Rhoona in Vestland and the Soderfjord Jarldoms. If the adventurers successfully thwart the cult of Cretia and Xanathon, then they have the opportunity to find and retrieve the Runestones using the journal as their main guide. Of course the journal was written 270 years ago around the time the stones were stolen, so things may have changed significantly but it is at least as starting point. 

Ideally I'd like to do this as a series of scenarios here on the blog, with a progression something like:

• The Ruined Temple of Loki and Garnesson's Journal
• The Trolls and the runestone of Balder
• The Hill Giants and the runestone of Thor
• The Cult of Chaos and the runestone of Tyr
• The Red Dragon and the runestone of Odin

However, we shall see how things develop. As can be seen from the foes I am contemplating mid to high level adventures. 

If successful, and all four runestones are recovered then ceremonies can begin to take place to find a suitable high king of Soderfjord. 

What if certain jarls are against finding the runestones? They know they don't measure up to the standards of the immortals of the runestones (although they might find favour with Loki). And they don't want to be held accountable by a high king - they would rather be petty tyrants in their own Jarldoms than vassals to a liege lord. This could result in these jarls sending their own adventuring bands to either destroy the runestones or destroy the journal and anyone who carries it. Rival adventuring parties are an interesting twist I have not yet written about. 

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