Laurl’s sharp demeanor underscores a lot of bottled fury, a lot of self pity, and maybe, the heart of a king. He’s somewhat shorter than the average Manmarcher (appropriate, given his mother was from Barrier’s Pass) and sports a slightly portly figure that defies all exercise. Dressed in robes, wrapped in scarves, often glowering and always shorn save a thin, flaxen fuzz, Laurl exudes mysticism and high-born contempt in equal measure. Despite their prickly temperament, Laurl is well liked by most, for they possess a fierce sense of justice, a wry wit, and an enduring, infectious optimism.
“To gain everything and lose everything in the space of a moment. That is the fate of all princes destined for the throne.”
― C.S. Pacat, Kings Rising
Describe your Special Possessions
In blessed tribute from the nearby shrine of Danu, in roughly carved totems in shops, in interesting pebbles from sleepy glens and riverbeds alike, Laurl finds small tokens of value as offerings to spirit folk. He can and has treated with spirits without these trinkets, but Laurl’s instinct to stack the odds in his favor before he takes a gamble comes from a deep seeded fear of loss, and half a lifetime preparing for revenge.
You see, Laurl was born 21 years ago to the ruling family of Henrisberg, one of the half-dozen larger, fortified settlements spread across the North Manmarch. Like other ‘hillforts’, Henrisberg’s influence stretched across miles and miles of farmland, collecting tax from the handful of surrounding hamlets who relied on Laurl’s parents for protection, arbitration, and trade1.
As the only child of Henrisberg’s ruling family, Laurl lived a life of education, military training (which Laurl never quite took to), and politics (which he did). At age 10, his father gifted him something that would become a personal token, fraught with meaning: a silver torc - a symbol of pride and power among manmarchers - worn around the neck or arms. This symbolized Laurl’s transition into adulthood, and cemented his status as a prince in waiting. It’s never left his person since that day.
The springtime of Laurl’s young life would come to an abrupt end, when not even a year later, tragedy would grip the Henrisberg. The hillfort was overthrown by an allied tribe of nomads, and in one fiery night, his life of plenty was shattered by betrayal and death.
“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul”
― John Muir
Describe your Sacred Pouch
Since the old times, it was the custom for each Jarl to entertain a Druid in their court - a member of a secretive order of nature worshipers who aided the hillforts through wise council, civil arbitration, and as an intercedent when it came to matters of magic. When Henrisberg was overthrown, the local druid secreted Laurl away to the west, to Druidholm, across the treacherous foothills of The Great Wood.
Among the druids, Laurl learned the proper worship of Danu, goddess of nature, how to speak with wild things, and the craft of deep magics. Of all the secrets he learned in Druidholm, the one most potent was the construction of his Sacred Pouch.
“Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test.”
— Robert G. Ingersoll
Tell us about Danu’s shrine in Rabenberg and how she is worshipped
A decade after The Fall of Henrisberg, Laurl is living in the hamlet of Martahall. He spends his days working with Quinn the apothecary and Brona the huntress providing medicine and care for the hamlet, and journeys often to tend the shrine of Danu in the nearby hillfort, Rabenberg.
In the Manmarches, where living is hard and feuds are common, villagers pay their obeisances at small temples, before battles, after harvests, or whenever the cruel whims of circumstance warrant. It is tradition to direct your prayers to the spirits themselves, rather than deign to speak onto a god; the worship of Danu especially is left largely to the Druids.
Martahall has no shrine to Danu - most hamlets don’t - so about once a month, Laurl makes the 3 mile journey to the hillfort Rabenberg to clean the mossy stones and speak the sacred words at the Earth Mother’s holy site. Danu knows, no one else is going to.
“Treat me good, I’ll treat you better, treat me bad, I’ll treat you worse.”
― Attributed to Sonny Barger (I know it from Mr Inbetween 👨🏿🍳👌🏿)
Pose a question to the other PCs about your character
Which one of you brings your problems to me? (Fox)
Berk and Laurl both keep their pasts to themselves, and don’t ask a lot of questions. It was Laurl who misled the mercenaries that came hunting for Berk a few years back, and Berk hasn’t forgotten Laurl’s selflessness.
Since then, and like many, Berk has come to Laurl for advice, for support, and for the hard truth, when it’s needed.
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
— Langston Hughes
I started both Berk and Laurl at level 2 because I wanted to have an extra move to play with when building them, and so that they’re somewhat in pace with the heroes of PTFO Stonetop, on which this whole shebang is based.
Character Sheet Highlights
Laurl’s Instinct
Laurl wants his fucking throne - it’s his birthright, and his destiny. He believes that with patience, sacrifice, cunning, and single-minded dedication, the seemingly unattainable can be seized, and he acts like it. Nothing is beyond Layrl, nothing is impossible. #JustYouWait
Laurl’s Moves
I gave Laurl the Ranger’s background move instead of one of the Blessed ones because A) none of the Blessed ones really jived with his character, and B) I really love cool animal companions like Potz. Look at his little needle helmet!
Beast-Bonded
Animal Companion - Potzalnek the Butcher Bird
⋄ HP 5
⋄ Armor 1
⋄ Damage d4
⋄ tiny, stealthy, sharp-nosed, attack-bird, fast
⋄ Instinct: To fill its belly
⋄ Cost: Play, grooming, training, affection
When you focus on your animal companion for a few moments, you can use any of the actions you’ve marked below, no matter the distance between you. Mark 1 action at 1st level, then another at 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th.
✓ Get a brief impression of what it senses2
⋄ Gauge its distance and direction from you⋄ Call it back to your side⋄ Sense its emotional state
⋄ Lend it your strength—lose 1d6 HP, and it regains an equal amount
Spirit Tongue
You can speak with natural beasts and spirits of the wild. You can always ask the GM “what spirits are active here?” and get an honest answer.
Call the Spirits
When you perform a short ritual and invoke the spirit(s) of a place or object, spend 1 Stock. The spirit(s) manifest before you and will hear what you have to say. What they do next is up to them.
Borrow Power
When a spirit or beast loans you power, ask the GM for one of its tags or moves. Store it in your pouch in place of 1 Stock. When you use the borrowed tag or move, roll +WIS: on a 10+, you do it and can use the power again; on a 7-9, you do it, but lose the power.
Under Your Skin
When you engage an NPC in conversation, you can ask the GM 1 of these and get an honest answer:
⋄ What are they expecting me to do?
⋄ What, in general, are they trying to hide?
⋄ What do they want to happen?
Describe your home and place it on the village map.
Nah lol
“The heaviest penalty for declining to rule is to be ruled by someone inferior to yourself.”
― Plato, The Republic
What we’ll play to find out about Laurl
How far will Laurl go, and what will he sacrifice for his all important revenge?
Why was Laurl cast out from the Druids, and can (and should) that relationship be repaired?
What’s the deal with Potzalnek?
Who’s currently ruling Henrisberg, and do they know about Laurl? What would they do if they did?
Next Time
Next up we have Session 1, Part 2. We’ll play to find out how Martahall will react to the coming of these horsemen, more interestingly, how our heroes, Berk and Laurl will react. Thanks for reading!
Each hillfort is built around a marketplace where farmers and artisans from the surrounding hamlets (and beyond) come to trade wares. It is from these centralized, defensible, mutually accessible trade hubs that hillforts as a cultural concept sprung, and the taboos against violence in these spaces are still upheld today.
In Session 1.1 I worked in some extra complication to this move - Laurl can only see through Potz’ eyes as long as he can hold his breath, and he cant do it more than 3 times in a row without facing some challenges (and likely a roll, or some consequence).
I really like the depth and breakdown. Knowing the character and the mechanics of how he lives and breathes in the world is fantastic.
The art really makes this, Machi! Well done!! Can’t wait to see what Laurl gets up to.