Introduction

 

         This is a role-playing campaign set in the heroic age of medieval Vinland -- an alternate history where the medieval Norse colonies in North America flourished instead of being abandoned. The campaign began in the year 1392, roughly some fifty years after the last ship arrived from Iceland. The population of non-natives (aka "Vinlanders") on the continent is between 10 and 12 thousand. This is the age when the Vinlanders steadfastly held their place and developed despite being cut off from Europe. The campaign will include the more mythic elements from the real sagas: such as ghosts, curses, and the occaisional monster. However, like the sagas it will be mainly based on the true spirit of humanity living harsh and independent lives.

         The campaign is set among homesteads on the south end of the Oddson's river, a few hours travel from the gathering-place on the island of Manhattat. There has been peace with the local skraelingar (i.e. the Algonquian-speaking natives), but there have been increasing fighting with the Iroquoian tribes to the west and south.

Intended Genre
This was my attempt at expressing the intended genre of the game at the beginning.
Post-game Analysis
My thoughts on the meaning, purpose, and nature of the game. cf also threads on The Forge:
Rules
This is a discussion of the rules I used (Chaosium's RuneQuest), the changes made, and the reasons why.
Real-world History and Sources
Discussion of real-world Vinland exploration, along with Iceland, and the Algonquian tribes.

 


John H. Kim <jhkim-at-darkshire-dot-net>
Last modified: Fri Mar 25 00:26:51 2005