The story so far.

An unusually cold and bitter winter has gripped the town of Winterton and the lands to the west, A remote abbey known as the Monastery of the Far Mountains is in grave danger. The abbey’s Abbess, Gabriella Alonia, believes this harsh winter is connected to an ancient prophecy. The prophecy foretells that when the air turns to ice, the Hollow Ones will lead the way and sow great misfortune. Abbess Gabriella is convinced that this is the work of a malevolent and powerful Necromancer who has returned from beyond the veil.

Certain that the possession of the sacred bones of Saint Agnus will bring her closer to the goddess Sylvana and aid in defeating the Necromancer, the Abbess has dispatched a young Priestess named Crea to Winterton. Crea’s mission is to request the return of the relic, which was once kept in the village.

The sacred bones, however, have long been hidden in an ancient barrow to the east of Winterton. Thus, a party of young village heroes set off on a perilous journey to recover the bones and bring them back to the monastery. Along their quest, they encounter a Lady of the Fae, who, bound by ancient obligation, aided them in their mission.

With courage and determination, the young heroes successfully recover the relic and return triumphantly to Winterton, ready to face the challenges that lie ahead.

I played the first part of this solo adventure a while ago, (July 2022 in fact, who knows where the time goes), I typed up the actual play in a series of posts on my old blogger blog, chainmail & Sword, they are still there if you care to read them.

Since then I have planned to return to Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures, The Bay of Spirits and in particular, my five young heroes from Winterton, but somehow other games and setting got priority. With the recent launch on Kickstarter of ‘The Dire North, a prelude to the Bay of Spirits‘, (link here) and reading some of the great ideas folks have about BoS on its Discord channel, my interest in finding out what happens to my characters has been rekindled.

When I left the young heroes, they had carried the casket containing the bones of St Agnus back to Winterton but had incurred the wrath of the cult of KA, self appointed protectors of barrows and crypts. Now they have to battle snow and bitter cold to take the artifact to the Abbey in the far mountains.

Tools and Rules used.

Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures.

Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures RPG
Beyond the Wall, Further Afield supplement.
Various other Beyond the Wall pdf’s for additional rules and ideas.

Bay of Spirits.

Bay of Spirits PDF
Hinterland, a guide to the wilds PDF
Blood in the Snow Pdf
Taverns, Trails and Tales
12 Winter Maps
Monastery floor plans
Various other booklets published by Roan Studios for additional background and inspiration.

Solo playing.

I want to play the RPG and the setting not the Oracle so I will limit the use of my oracle and draw heavily on the many random tables in both Beyond the Wall and its supplements plus the many Bay of Spirits publications I have.
Here is my simple d100 oracle which will be used to help out on occasion.

01 -10 = No, and…
11 – 33 = No.
34 – 50 = No, but… (or because,,,)
51 – 66 = Yes, but…
67 – 90 = Yes.
91 – 00 = Yes, and…

Modifiers
Very Unlikely -40%
Unlikely -20%
50/50 +/- 0%
Likely +20%
Very Likeky +40%

The Characters.

The party is made up of five characters as my personal preference is to have a good mix of adventures. Five is the maximum number I would recommend without slowing the game down too much.

The characters were created using the appropriate BtW playbook. Sadly, although I made notes for each character during the creation process, I did not keep them so some info pertaining to the characters and my version of Winterton are lost.

Culdus, the devout acolyte (class – mage).

Culdus is a young acolyte devoted to the godess Enibrea. He is a novice at the abbey in Winterton. Respected in the village as a healer, he is level headed and compassionate, always ready to lend a helping hand to those in need.
Culdus harbours a deep curiosity about the world beyond the abbey and Winterton. This leads him to happily embark on adventures. Abbess Alene Gallach recognises this spark in him and encourages Culdus to balance his duties with his desire for exploration.

Hew d’Winterton, the would-be knight (class – warrior).

Tall, hansom and charasmatic, Hew is the Son of the village Watchman (Cedrik), Hew grew up listening to tales of knightly deeds and great quests, and whilst other children liked the stories, Hew lived for them and vowed to one day become a great knight and adventure to far off lands.

Hew was taught to use sword and shield by his farther and the old mercenary who lives in the village.  He taught himself to ride a horse and use a lance.  

Although untested,  Hews charisma and ability to convince others has led him to suggest otherwise and that he is indeed a great fighter.

d’Winterton is not Hews real surname but it gives him a greater sense of importance.

Karina Lankrit, the local performer (class – rogue).

Katrina Lankrit, member of the travelling troupe called the Bright Vagrants, found herself yearning for a place she could settled in and call home.

When the Bright Vagrants stumbled into Winterton, Katrina felt a pull she couldn’t ignore. The Blue Goose, the heart of Winterton, welcomed her as she filled its halls with music and laughter. 
Her lute, an heirloom passed down from her grandmother, sang stories of old and new.

Her flamboyant cloak, a gift from the troupe on her last night with 
them, serves as a reminder of her past and the vibrant life she left 
behind. The cloak, adorned with patches from every town she visited, 
tells a story of its own.

In Winterton, Katrina became more than a performer; she became a 
confidante, a muse, and a beacon of warmth in the cold months. She 
continues to sing and play, her songs now imbued with the tranquility and secrets of her new home. 

Her journey of self-discovery is far from over, as she navigates the balance between her wandering spirit and newfound roots.

Rhian, the young woods-woman (class – rogue).

Rhian is around 5’3″ tall with shoulder length copper coloured hair, hazel coloured eyes and freckles on her face.
Orphaned at a very young age, Rhian grew up without knowing what happened to her parents and no one in the village spoke of them. 

She spent her childhood either helping the blacksmith or out alone in the local woods which called her away from the village and where she developed an affinity to some of the creatures that inhabit them.

It was whilst out in the woods that she found her magical sword in a rowan tree, although she keeps her sword secret from most she confided in her friend Strawberri Cottoncloud, that a Fox Fairy led her to it.
She has a strong bond with Strwaberri the Fae, both of whom never knew their parents, and also with Karina Lankrit the bard who she occasionally sings with in the local tavern.

Strawberri Cottencloud, the fae foundling (class – warrior/mage).

Tall and slim with skin of pale white, long wavy hair of pink strawberry that almost hides two small horns protruding from the top of her head which Strawberri usually covers with a large wide brimmed hat.

Strawberri was found in swaddling clothes beneath an ancient standing stone  near the village, a fae token of a locket of goldern hair on her breast.    The  fisherman and his wife (Purnell & Arlina) were kind and took her in, raising her as their own, naming her Strawberri after the colour of her hair, and Cottoncloud after the colour of her skin. 

Strawberri has a natural gift with magic and, while some are still distrustful of her strange appearance, she has made strong friendships with some of the villagers, her closest friend being Rhian the young woods woman.

NPC’s that may appear.

Natitha, Lady of the Fae (Warrior)

Hit Dice 6d10 (33hp)
A/C 17
Attack +6 to hit, 1d8+3 damage (magical sword)
Alignment Chaotic
XP 650

Notes: Awful Presence (attempting to attack Natitha requires a successful saving throw versus spell),
Spellcaster (Natitha can cast four spells per day and is particularly fond of Commanding Word, Obscurement, and Wild Call; additionally, she can cast any ritual of level four or lower with automatic success while within her domain
True Name (the Faerie Lady has a true name which gives his foes power over her).
Vulnerable to Iron (the Lady of the Fae takes double damage from iron).

Ranogg the old mercenary.

The old mercenary who settled in the village of Winterton. He looks out for the characters, helping them whenever he feels they need help. Ranogg can be a source of knowledge and advice for the characters.

Hit Dice: 6d8 (27HP)
AC: 14
Attack: +1 to hit, 1d8 damage (Magic Sword)
Alignment: Lawful
XP: 325

Notes: Monster Lore (the Hero knows a great deal about the dangers of the world, and, when plied with conversation and fellowship, can give any character a +4 to an Intelligence check regarding any monster),Wanderer’s Reward (the Hero bears two magical items found on his travels. A Ring of Gills, a copper ring in the shape of  a fish eating its own tail, and grants the wearer the ability to breathe underwater. Sword of Dreams. The bearer gains +1 to all saving throws. The sword also sends vague dreams to its wielder when there is great danger in the near future.)

Grandmother Weaver.

Keeps many of the old stories. She knows everyone in the village and likely knew their grandparents too. She is a good source of information.

Hit Dice: 1d6 (4HP)
AC: 10
Attack: 1d4 (dagger)
Alignment: Neutral
XP: 10

Notes: Knowledge (Grandmother Weaver knows most legends; if the characters ask her about a story, she will have a 75% chance of knowing an extra clue about it)

Elzbeth, the village witch.

Elzbeth has been the village witch for a good number of years now, first as apprentice to the old witch Enid and upon Enids passing, taking on the role of witch herself.
Often found in the company of Granmother Weaver or the Abbess Alene Gallach, Elzbeth is genial, energetic and always available to aid those seriously ill or with a difficult pregnancy. What she doesn’t know about herbs isn’t worth knowing and the same can be said about her knowledge of what’s going on in Winterton.

Hit Dice: 4d6 (16 HP)
AC: 17
Attack: +4 to hit, 1d4+3 damage (enchanted dagger)
Alignment: Neutral
XP: 200
Notes: Spellcasting (Agnes may cast spells as a
level four mage; she knows the Beast Ken and
Hexing cantrips and she is particularly fond of Blight of
Loneliness, Healing Touch, and Veil of Sleep; assume
she has an Intelligence and Wisdom of 16 for the
purposes of casting rolls).

Other NPC’s

Apart from the above the following NPC’s may make an appearance. All are taken from Blood in The Snow pdf,

Alene Gallach, Abbess of the Enibrian Monastery at Winterton.
Martain Wicklow, proprietor of the Blue Goose Tavern.
Nessa Ridgerow. Ranger, member of the Far Winds Adventuring Company, a loose band of adventures based out of Doves Crest. She is married to –
Gilio Korte. Owner of the Herbs & Apothecary shop. Nessa often brings back rare herbs and plants for her husband.

Possible monsters and adversaries.

Redcap (border) Goblins.
Redcap goblins are more cunning and crueler than other goblins. They dye their caps red from the blood of their victims and take great care to keep and protect these garments.
Full details of Redcap Goblins can be found on page 14 of Blood in the Snow.

Clerics of KA (KAWS). # appearing: 2
Having entered a barrow and removed the casket containing the bones of St Agnes, the characters are now being tracked down by 2 of the cultists and self appointed barrow wardens known as KAWS.
Full details of the Clerics of KA can be found on page 36 of Taverns, Trails and Tales.

Fox Fairies.
Fox Fairies are 3 feet high bipedal Fae creatures who dwell in forested areas near human settlements. They dress in simple clothing and carry shortbows, spears and axes.
Fox Fairies love to cavort with human children and adults who still know what it means to be a child.
Fox Fairies are helpful to those who are good and lawful at heart but spiteful to those of chaos and evil. When Fox Fairies hunt, they hunt the wicked.

# appearing: 1d8
Hit Dice: 1d8(15HP)
AC: 14
Attack: as weapon
Alignment: Lawful

Fox fairies are quick; they can attack three times every two rounds (i.e. they attack once in odd numbered rounds and twice in even numbered rounds).
A fox fairy’s keen senses give them a knack at finding secret doors (1-3 on d6 roll).
They are only surprised on a roll of 1 on 1d8.
Special Qualities: Surprise (3 in 6)
Spells: 1/day—Freinds Call (p 51, Beyond the Wall).

Prelude to adventure.

Having had but one night to rest, Culdus is taken to one side by the Abbess Gallach, “I am sorry Culdus, I know you must still be exhausted from the trials of the last few days but there must be no delay, the bones of St Agnus must be taken to Abbess Alonia. I ask you and your companions to take them to her”
Culdus, his face a picture of weariness and exhaustion, weakly smiles and nods, “as you ask abbess, I am ready for the journey and I am sure the others are too, and Crea, the priestess, is she able to accompany us on our journey”?
“I fear she is too weak still”, the abbess replies.
“May we borrow her moose then, the beast will be of use carrying the casket and the equipment we need for the journey”.
The Abbess smiles and nods this time, “I am sure Crea will be agreeable “.

Later that morning the five, Culdus, Hew, Katrina, Rhian and Strawberri meet at the Blue Goose. Culdus leads a large moose, on its back a casket, various tools and provisions enough for a week. All five have winter clothing and boots, snowshoes too, they will need them. The snow has started to fall again and the temperature can only just be above freezing.

Culdus faces the other four, “are we ready to depart?”.
Rhiana is the first to answer, “yes. You remember how to build a snow shelter Strawberri?”.
“I think we are ready Culdus, and yes, I can build a snow shelter”, Strawberri replies.
Hew d’Winterton sounds overly enthusiastic, “lets not waste time with silly words, get this animal moving Culdus, and Karina, sing us one of those rousing ballads of yours”,
“In Winterton’s embrace, a tale begins, Five brave souls, through cold 
and sins, With St. Agnus’ bones, hope rebinds, To the far mountains, 
they face the winds.”, begins the young bard Karina.

To be continued.