"Your party finds itself in the employ of Ragnarr the Sea-Wolf, a jarl of New Vinland and a reaver of old. His daughter, a shield-maiden named Gunnhildr, has been abducted by a brute called Björn Blackbeard. During a desperate search, the Sea-Wolf crossed sails with a former rival, and from the blood-flecked lips of a dying foe, he learnt the location of Blackbeard’s stronghold. Now, deep in the misty fjords of Brigand’s Bay, where cutthroats, pirates, and freebooters thrive, you have been charged with liberating the Sea-Wolf’s daughter."
Today is one of those days where thoughts have been turning to introspection & especially about Jeffrey P. Talanian 's 'The Sea Wolf's Daughter'. The reason why is the implications that this module has for the future course of Hyperborea as a setting. A player of mine & I got into a discussion of this module last night via the phone. The question became what the Hell happened to Nodens & why are the nightgaunts attacking people in 'The Sea Wolf's Daughter'? The short answer is that Nodens is dead & the nightgaunts are running amok in Hyperborea.
Jeffrey P. Talanian 's 'The Sea Wolf's Daughter' is full on Astonishing Swordmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea rpg adventure H.P. Lovecraft Cosmicism; "The philosophy of cosmicism states "that there is no recognizable divine presence, such as a god, in the universe, and that humans are particularly insignificant in the larger scheme of intergalactic existence."[4] The most prominent theme is humanity's fear of their insignificance in the face of an incomprehensibly large universe:[5][6][7] a fear of the cosmic void.[8]
Cosmicism and humanism are incompatible.[2][9] Cosmicism shares many characteristics with nihilism, though one important difference is that cosmicism tends to emphasize the insignificance of humanity and its doings, rather than summarily rejecting the possible existence of some higher purpose (or purposes); e.g., in Lovecraft's Cthulhu stories, it is not the absence of meaning that causes terror for the protagonists, as it is their discovery that they have absolutely no power to change anything in the vast, indifferent universe that surrounds them.[citation needed] In Lovecraft's stories, whatever meaning or purpose may be invested in the actions of the cosmic beings is completely inaccessible to the human characters.[10]
Lovecraft's cosmicism was a result of his complete disdain for all things religious[citation needed], his feeling of humanity's existential helplessness in the face of what he called the "infinite spaces" opened up by scientific thought, and his belief that humanity was fundamentally at the mercy of the vastness and emptiness of the cosmos.[11] In his fictional works, these ideas are often explored humorously ("Herbert West–Reanimator," 1922), through fantastic dream-like narratives ("The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath," 1927), or through his well-known Cthulhu Mythos ("The Call of Cthulhu," 1928, and others). Common themes related to cosmicism in Lovecraft's fiction are the insignificance of humanity in the universe[12] and the search for knowledge ending in disaster.[13]
Lovecraftian characters notably become insane from the elimination of recognizable geometry.[14] Lovecraft's work also tended to impress fear of the other onto the reader, such as in The Dunwich Horror and Dagon, often portraying that which is unknown as a terrible threat to the rest of humanity. This is possibly a reflection of his own personal views, which were often insular and paranoid."
But the question of is Nodens dead in the Hyperborea brings about a sense of dread for the setting. The idea that creatures of the gods belonging to a deity who is dead & are now running amok is nasty. This leads to the idea that during the events of Ragnarok many of the gods died but their minions are still fulfilling form & function.
But this leaves the question is Nodens dead or dreaming?! This brings on a question my player proposed, is it possible to locate the lair of an 'Elder God'? The poetry of H.P Lovecraft's Fungi from Yuggoth Nightgaunt stanza's gives us a clue;
"Out of what crypt they crawl, I cannot tell,
But the question of is Nodens dead in the Hyperborea brings about a sense of dread for the setting. The idea that creatures of the gods belonging to a deity who is dead & are now running amok is nasty. This leads to the idea that during the events of Ragnarok many of the gods died but their minions are still fulfilling form & function.
But this leaves the question is Nodens dead or dreaming?! This brings on a question my player proposed, is it possible to locate the lair of an 'Elder God'? The poetry of H.P Lovecraft's Fungi from Yuggoth Nightgaunt stanza's gives us a clue;
"Out of what crypt they crawl, I cannot tell,
But every night I see the rubbery things,
Black, horned, and slender, with membraneous wings,
And tails that bear the bifid barb of hell.
They come in legions on the north wind's swell,
With obscene clutch that titillates and stings,
Snatching me off on monstrous voyagings
To grey worlds hidden deep in nightmare's well.
Black, horned, and slender, with membraneous wings,
And tails that bear the bifid barb of hell.
They come in legions on the north wind's swell,
With obscene clutch that titillates and stings,
Snatching me off on monstrous voyagings
To grey worlds hidden deep in nightmare's well.
Over the jagged peaks of Thok they sweep,
Heedless of all the cries I try to make,
And down the nether pits to that foul lake
Where the puffed shoggoths splash in doubtful sleep.
But oh! If only they would make some sound,
Or wear a face where faces should be found!"
My best guess is that Nodens dwelt on the jagged peaks of Thok in the Dreamlands.Its very possible for the PC's to possibly gain access to Dreamlands through Venger Satanis's 'Islands of Purple Putrescence'. These islands are right off the coast of California in my Godbound Cha'alt campaign.
The PC's have already dealt with a were fox NPC from B4 The Lost City by Tom Moldvay. This is a very dangerous alien assassin NPC that is far more then she seems. She has inside information on several species of monster the PC's have run across in the past including polymars, & AD&D's lurker above, trapper, stunjelly, and mimics. The player's theories is that these are all created from Shoggoth material. The speculation is that she knows where the location is of the Gamma Incel cantina is.
Heedless of all the cries I try to make,
And down the nether pits to that foul lake
Where the puffed shoggoths splash in doubtful sleep.
But oh! If only they would make some sound,
Or wear a face where faces should be found!"
My best guess is that Nodens dwelt on the jagged peaks of Thok in the Dreamlands.Its very possible for the PC's to possibly gain access to Dreamlands through Venger Satanis's 'Islands of Purple Putrescence'. These islands are right off the coast of California in my Godbound Cha'alt campaign.
The PC's have already dealt with a were fox NPC from B4 The Lost City by Tom Moldvay. This is a very dangerous alien assassin NPC that is far more then she seems. She has inside information on several species of monster the PC's have run across in the past including polymars, & AD&D's lurker above, trapper, stunjelly, and mimics. The player's theories is that these are all created from Shoggoth material. The speculation is that she knows where the location is of the Gamma Incel cantina is.
The other player theory is that she is working for one of the Elder Gods but whom?! Can this end any way but in tears for the player's PC's!?
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