Drinking Horns

The Viking took great pride in their drinking horns, even to the point of making them out of thin sheets of golden plates. They used them in social life, as status symbols, carried them on their belts and on to the afterlife. They were used prevalently until the church banned them in the 11th century, connecting the dots with pagan rituals.

Read on!

Alright. It is Cold in Canada

This is Just Cool

Cut from the Thor Movie

These images by Wil Reese show the realm of the Rock Trolls, set somewhere in Asgard. Here the rock trolls gather and live...this apart from their journey to Vanaheim.

The concept was cut from the movie. From Filmsketcher.

Gods of Aihrde

Heth: The Crow God

Order:  Val-Eahrakun

Province: Air, Afterlife

Plane: Aihrde

Temple: None

Alignment: Neutral

Sacrifices: Casting seed to the four cardinal directions, meditation

Holy Days: Prayers at Sunset

Superstitions: Noose

Preferred Weapons: Bows

Missionary: None

Before the forests of the Ethvold grew in the Valley of Kayomar, Amenut settled in those lands. He lived in a southern river, a servant of Tefnut. It was here that Heth found him. A creature of careful thought Heth came to Amenut without form. He settled upon a rock and watched Amenut. And the Frog God rose and spoke to him and they struck up a friendship and were ever after, companions. So it was that Heth, a servant of Toth, came to dwell in Aihrde. In later ages he took up the duty of guiding the dead upon the Arc of Time, of judging them, or passing them on to his master. But he always loved the Ethvold and in time took the guise of a great crow, and so he dwelt ever after.

He was worshiped as a powerful god of the underworld by the Ethrum. Men worshiped him, far and wide and almost everyone made sacrifice to the cardinal directions before any task. They called on his aid in judgment. His great temple they built in what is now the Oak Stand in the Downs. He ruled from there. Heth herded the souls of men and brought them to the nether planes or the stone fields as he deemed they deserved. Men called upon him whenever they went into battle, traveled dangerous roads, or did anything that might cost them their lives. His followers were many and they followed an intricate system of rites in his worship that involved long periods of mediation.

In time, as the Ethvold failed, so did Heth. So that now he dwells in the upper reaches of the Darkenfol, powerful upon the Arc of Time, but a shadow of his former self upon Airhde.

When he appeared to his followers, it was always as a dark-skinned man with huge, black crow wings. His face was dark as well and had no shape, only the hint of eyes in the shadows. From the profile he sported a long, narrow beak. In battle, he carried a large magical +5 composite bow and a quiver filled with arrows of slaying.

Reduced in power Heth’s spirit occupies the body of a huge crow that lives in the oaks of The Oak Stand. He longs for a return to greatness.

Men of the wilds and deep woods still pay homage and worship him as a patron. But far and wide he is still called upon and sacrafices made to him by casting seed in the four cardinal directions, in hopes that the road of the dead shall be straight and true.

~ The Codex of Aihrde

Armor Up (Frost Giant)

Antoniooh

Daily Cosplay

The Net of Ea-Raena

The Net of Ea-Raena

The All Father tore from his breast a rib and upon it hung long stands of his tissue. Those shreds hung from the long rib-like a curtain of light and he made it to pass through the void. This was the first of the Sisters, Ea-Raena, the Maiden of Night. In time she bound herself into form and cast off the remaining shreds of the All Father’s tissue. And those shreds settled upon the Firmament and unbeknownst to her they wove together into a great net. So the Ethereal Plane was made. A plane of wild abandon, only the most hardy can live here for there is no air or light, only the unbridled language of creation. It continues to grow, being of the living substance of the All Father, but only the most learned have begun to unravel the mysteries of its origins or why it continues to spread.

Men call the Net the Ever Expanding or the Ethereal Plane.

Travel to the Net, or ethereal plane, is achieved through magic spells, items or devices. Once one enters the ethereal plane they can travel quickly to another point and then reenter the material plane. However anyone who travels to the ethereal must first make a wisdom check (CL 10), failure draws the looker into the light and they are mesmerized for 1-4 days.

Movement: Movement here is 10 times faster than upon the material plane.

Encounters: A large number of creatures pass in and out of the ethereal and some even live here, such as the nightmare or phase spider. Encounters occur on a 1 in 20 for every 'day' spent ethereal.

Time & Sustenance: Ethereal travelers do not need food or rest.

Magic: Magic is lessoned here by 10% of its normal potency.

~The Codex of Aihrde

Clerics and their Blunt Weapons

Its long been a staple that the cleric in most role playing games, notably Dungeons and Dragon and Castles and Crusades, must shed no blood, or at least wield blunt weapons in battle. This dates from early in RPG history.

Though I cannot say exactly why, we do know this. When William the Bastard conquered England he brought with him a large army of knights, retainers, and mercenaries. One of those that traveled with him (at least we think he did) was his half brother Odo of Bayeux. Odo was an articulate, learned man, and was elevated to the role of Bishop of Bayeux. He never set aside his secular upbringing and did not become Bishop for religious reasons, but was appointed by his brother William, Duke of Normandy because he was loyal. Odo was a violent man as well and campaigned fiercely during the war that ended King Harold's life and the rebellions that followed.

Odo is the man who commissioned the Bayeux Tapestry and oversaw much of its creation. He is also depicted frequently on the tapestry in a central role. In his main depiction, where he is rallying William's troops he is carrying a mace or club of some type.

Are they related? Maybe. Maybe not.

But this we know, Odo was a pretty tough dude (he died on his way to the Holy Land with the First Crusade), learned, but violent.

Here is his commissioned portrait.

The White Queen

One of the greatest tales of English history, the story of and about what was called the War of the Roses and the battle for England between the House of Lancaster and the House of York. Its really a fascinating story that carries on for 30 years or more and includes such notable moments as the Princes in the Tower and the Battle of Bosworth Field.

There's a mini-series about it. If you missed it (as I did), here's the trailer. It looks fantastic.

Upon the Roof of the World