Vaesen is an RPG of nineteenth century Nordic horror set in the Mythic North. The Lost Mountain Saga takes an RPG centered on mysteries, the danger of the wilds, and the changing nature of society itself and not only covers those themes but also covers Viking heritage, sacred rituals, and questionable politics all in a series of five adventures. It is based on an original podcast by actor Ellinor DiLorenzo. The book is brimming with ideas and is packed with art and maps. Ellinor was kind enough to talk to me about her book of adventures. I also want to thank Free League for sending me a copy of The Lost Mountain Saga to help me in my continuing coverage of their RPGs.
Charles Dunwoody (CD): Thanks for talking with me, Ellinor. From Free League’s description of the adventures book: The Lost Mountain Saga is an epic campaign of five Mysteries for Vaesen – Nordic Horror Roleplaying. Players can expect to encounter ancient mysteries, old Nordic folk tales, social intrigue, and unspeakable horrors lurking in every shadow as they travel across the North and slowly uncover the truth.
CD: You hail from Sweden but live in the USA and game mostly with Americans. What specifically did you want to share with those gamers through this series of adventures?
Ellinor DiLorenzo (ED): It’s a little bit like when you’re traveling to a new country and you usually only see the surface, the touristy stuff about that country unless you know someone local who can show you the “real” side. I wanted to be that local guide for Americans but in an imaginary setting… I wanted to share the good parts, the scary parts, the “interesting parts” and Vaesen is such a good setting for that. Sweden and that whole Nordic region are usually portrayed through Viking or Old Norse stories, so it was also fun to share a different time era that I doubt many people outside Sweden would know about. Now, it’s not a historical document but my aim was to capture the essence of 19th century Sweden - with some exaggerations and tasty Swedish treats!
CD: What tools will GMs find to help bring these adventures to life at the gaming table?
ED: So I’ve tried to include as much background as possible while still maintaining the ‘straight to the point’ style that makes Free League’s games so good. I hope GM’s will feel inspired by the variety of the adventures, that the range in tone and setting will tickle their imagination to bring in their own unique style to the campaign. The Lost Mountain Saga spans over a year with 5 adventures but there’s definitely time in that timespan to add even more adventures. In the podcast, we had 2 more “mysteries”, one of them even took place in the USA! I’d definitely had fun with the time period and exploring the world.
CD: Without providing too many spoilers, the Mythic North has some unexplored riches that could change the entire world order. How easy or difficult will it be for GMs to bring this level of geo-politics to life at the table using these adventures?
ED: It’s definitely up to the GM. They can include more and more of the world, get other perspectives, that matches the high stakes presented by the campaign. There’s definitely room for that but it won’t break the campaign if they choose to just play it as is. While it is a very clear, linear campaign with potentially huge consequences, at the end of the day, everyone should just do what they think is fun. I already told the story the way I wanted through my podcast, now I’m very curious on how others wanna tell theirs.
CD: In addition to the horror, you wanted to bring an occasional laugh to the game table. Are there any particular events in the adventures that you think are most likely to be found somewhat humorous?
ED: There’s this little family that gets introduced in Chapter 2 and I just want everyone to know that they are always watching…
CD: Where can gamers go to find your work including your podcast?
ED: LostMountainSaga.com and EllinorDiLorenzo.com are supposed to be my go to for updates (a good reminder, I should update them!) but I also hang out at:
ED: People in this hobby are some of the most welcoming and sweet people I’ve ever met and I’m just happy to be here!
Charlie Dunwoody participates in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program and the Noble Knight Games’ Affiliate Program. These programs provide advertising fees by linking to DriveThruRPG and Noble Knight Games.
Charles Dunwoody (CD): Thanks for talking with me, Ellinor. From Free League’s description of the adventures book: The Lost Mountain Saga is an epic campaign of five Mysteries for Vaesen – Nordic Horror Roleplaying. Players can expect to encounter ancient mysteries, old Nordic folk tales, social intrigue, and unspeakable horrors lurking in every shadow as they travel across the North and slowly uncover the truth.
CD: You hail from Sweden but live in the USA and game mostly with Americans. What specifically did you want to share with those gamers through this series of adventures?
Ellinor DiLorenzo (ED): It’s a little bit like when you’re traveling to a new country and you usually only see the surface, the touristy stuff about that country unless you know someone local who can show you the “real” side. I wanted to be that local guide for Americans but in an imaginary setting… I wanted to share the good parts, the scary parts, the “interesting parts” and Vaesen is such a good setting for that. Sweden and that whole Nordic region are usually portrayed through Viking or Old Norse stories, so it was also fun to share a different time era that I doubt many people outside Sweden would know about. Now, it’s not a historical document but my aim was to capture the essence of 19th century Sweden - with some exaggerations and tasty Swedish treats!
CD: What tools will GMs find to help bring these adventures to life at the gaming table?
ED: So I’ve tried to include as much background as possible while still maintaining the ‘straight to the point’ style that makes Free League’s games so good. I hope GM’s will feel inspired by the variety of the adventures, that the range in tone and setting will tickle their imagination to bring in their own unique style to the campaign. The Lost Mountain Saga spans over a year with 5 adventures but there’s definitely time in that timespan to add even more adventures. In the podcast, we had 2 more “mysteries”, one of them even took place in the USA! I’d definitely had fun with the time period and exploring the world.
CD: Without providing too many spoilers, the Mythic North has some unexplored riches that could change the entire world order. How easy or difficult will it be for GMs to bring this level of geo-politics to life at the table using these adventures?
ED: It’s definitely up to the GM. They can include more and more of the world, get other perspectives, that matches the high stakes presented by the campaign. There’s definitely room for that but it won’t break the campaign if they choose to just play it as is. While it is a very clear, linear campaign with potentially huge consequences, at the end of the day, everyone should just do what they think is fun. I already told the story the way I wanted through my podcast, now I’m very curious on how others wanna tell theirs.
CD: In addition to the horror, you wanted to bring an occasional laugh to the game table. Are there any particular events in the adventures that you think are most likely to be found somewhat humorous?
ED: There’s this little family that gets introduced in Chapter 2 and I just want everyone to know that they are always watching…
CD: Where can gamers go to find your work including your podcast?
ED: LostMountainSaga.com and EllinorDiLorenzo.com are supposed to be my go to for updates (a good reminder, I should update them!) but I also hang out at:
- instagram.com/ellidilorenzo
- youtube.com/ellinordilorenzo
- twitch.tv/ellinordilorenzo
- twitter.com/ellidilorenzo
ED: People in this hobby are some of the most welcoming and sweet people I’ve ever met and I’m just happy to be here!
Charlie Dunwoody participates in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program and the Noble Knight Games’ Affiliate Program. These programs provide advertising fees by linking to DriveThruRPG and Noble Knight Games.
