Cimmerian Blood

[Water Bob]

-- Warriors --



The Blue Fox Clan can currently field 53 warriors.

07 - 1st level warriors
15 - 2nd level warriors
03 - 3rd level warriors
13 - 4th level warriors
05 - 5th level warriors
10 - 6th level warriors (age 30 or below)



In additon, the Urrogh can field an additonal 24 elders.

18 - 6th level warriors (age 31-60)
03 - 7th level warriors (Eanbotha)
01 - 8th level warrior (Finn)
01 - 9th level warrior
01 - 10th level warrior


Note that not quite half of the Blue Fox warriors are 6th level characters (28 of the 77 total). These are the veterans of the Grath Separation 20 years ago.

 

[Water Bob]

-- Order of Battle --


War Chief Eanbotha organizes his main force of 53 warriors in the traditional Cimmerian way--into two warbands consisting of 27 warriors each. 27 + 27 + Ean = 53.

Every man in the clan is expected to be a warrior, and Ean's two war bands are comprised, mainly, of those warriors between the ages of 15 and 30. At least one elder accompanies a war band when it leaves the town. Most often than not, this elder is Ean, but sometimes another elder will go in Ean's place or lead the second warband.

Most often, the second elder, besides Ean, is a clansman named Bec. At 32, Bec is one of the clan's youngest elders. Twenty years ago, Bec ran the first Ras Croi around Seven Stones and became the first Ar Grais. The tree that stretches across the shallow gorge in the race is named for him, as it is called "Bec's Bridge".

Though every man of warrior age (15-30) and most elders (age 31-60) are considered to be Clan warriors, almost none are full time warriors. Most all have a vocation--a position among the clan providing goods and services. It is how they make their living. Eanbotha, as war chief, is the only full-time warrior in the entire clan. He does not practice another trade (though he is a skilled hunter). The clan uses an honorary tax system (you give what you can) in order to support the war chief. Ean still hunts, too, while out in the wild.

Unless some crisis doesn't permit it, Ean rotates the use of his two war bands. A war band will "take the watch", as its called, for about three months, then relinquish the duty to the other war band for a like period. While on watch, a warrior patrols the Clan's territory, its trails and hunting grounds, and protects Seven Stones and the 9 outlying homesteads.

Much cheer is brought to the four seasonal clan festivals as this time is used as the watch change. Thus, a warrior might take the watch just after the Beltain (May 1st), the festival celebrating the 1st Day of Summer. He'll stay on watch through the Lughnasa (July 31st), at which time he is off watch until just after the Samhain celebration (October 31st). Regaining the watch, his duty lasts until just after the Imbolc festivities (Januray 31st), at which time, he's off watch again through the Beltain.

Often, warriors will switch watch by staying on watch for a six month stretch. This is done to alter watch seasons, which can be important so some clansmen, depending on their vocations.

Being on watch does not mean the warrior cannot ply his trade during his time on watch. Ean does not leave Seven Stones undefended, usually keeping 10 on station at Seven stones, 7 keeping touch with the 9 homesteads, and the other 10 patrolling the trails and Clan territory. There is usually plenty of time for a warrior on watch to also work his leather or weave his cloth unless the warrior comes from one of the homesteads--in which case, the warrior is typically away from home for the entire three months.





In sum, at any one time, under normal conditions, there are just 27 warriors protecting and patrolling Seven Stones, the homesteads, and all of the Blue Fox territory. 10 warriors typically stand the watch at Seven Stones. A band of 7 move from homestead to homestead, among the 9 Clan homesteads, keeping in touch with those who live outside the Clanholme. And a patrol of 10 is used to rove the trails and lands of the Blue Fox clan.

 

[Water Bob]

- Character Notes -

So many NPCs...I need to make them memorable and distinctive so that the players will look at them as people with personalities and not just cardboard NPCs.

Drachena has a pretty good introduction to the players in the scene above. What makes her memorable is the way she looks. She's very "manly". Plain. Lots of "Y" chromosome. Her breasts are small and seem to be an afterthought tacked onto her solid pecs. Think female body-builder--but Drachena's body is natural, not roided. Thick, short, neck. Wide shoulders--her back is a "V" shape to her waist. Large, corded thighs. Thick, dark hair. You can believe this woman can kick some arse. She's a tough one and not weak. Wrap her up in winter gear, and you can't tell her apart from the men--she's got that much bulk.

One of Drachena's highest skills is Heal--something she can teach the PCs.





Finn is a bit stereotypical. He's a 57 year old big, burly mother-of-a-northman. He's all long hair and long beard, with a barrel chest, thick arms, wide thighs, and a long waist. He's not anybody to be trifled with. And, he'd think you queer if he ever heard you use the word "trifle".

He's practical. A leader of men. Not afraid to hear the ideas of others, but strong in his conviction once he's made a decision. And, he's smart enough to use the best tool for the job.

He is quite capable of murdering Lyme if he thought he was cheating the inevitable and releasing his wife from her misery. His code is that a man does what a man has to do.





Hrathnar, the Aesir, husband of Brenna, is less the warrior-type and more the frontier merchant. While Finn and Dael focus on the actual work of the craftsmen, Hrathnar has grown into a role of running the business. His biggest obstacle is his blond hair and heritage (even though he's spent more time among the Cimmerians than among his own people. The people of Seven Stones long ago accepted him, but he does sometimes get untrusting looks when he travels to other Clans on matters of trade and business. In order to get the best deal, he often sends a surrogate--usually one of the Duncohrs--to do the long distance business. At home, Hrathnar feels he has the advantage enough to do his own negotiating.

Hrathnar and Brenna own three mountain ponies--the only horses in town. He uses them pull the trade wagon on business journeys, taking completed metal goods to bartering partners and returning with goods (such as vegetables, breads, and different meat than can be hunted around Seven Stones) needed by the town.

Finn has been pondering the idea of creating a "Cimmerian Calvary" with the three horses, but Hrathnar is not keen on the idea. Still, the Aesir does use is ponies for scouting and long-distance, quick, messaging.

Hrathnar and Brenna are both leather workers, having picked up the trade over the last five or six years. This incensed the town's master leather worker, who left the Clan about 3 years ago. Now, the two serve the town, and any leather work that Finn or Dael need done is turned over to Hrathnar and Brenna. The leather and hide business has quadrupled the business at the Duncohr Forge.

Now a seasoned businessman at age 34, Hrathnar is far sighted and done quite well for himself since being forced to leave his family and people two decades ago. He owns the tannery, the town's only horses, and a small interest in the Duncohr Forge.

If the PCs want to learn Handle Animal or Ride, Hrathnar can be their teacher. Any Blue Foxman that speaks Nordheimer can speak it better than most other Cimmerians because of Hrathnar.

Brenna, too, is quite skilled in Heal, as is Drachena.





Branoc does love his brothers deeply, and he loves Thrallan no less than his twin, Caelis. To Branoc, Thrallan might as well be blood-kin to him. Physically, Branoc takes after his father. Branoc is naturally strong and gifted with the body of a Hyborian sculpture. He's athletic. Coordinated. (STR 18, DEX 12, CON 15) But, he takes time to process things. Even in a conversation, he is prone to refain from answering a question until he thinks of the best answer. (INT 8, WIS 14) This often leads to awkward moments when conversing with Branoc. He can be quite funny, though. He's got a good, dry sense of humor, often citing the obvious with a dead-pan delivery. (CHA 12).

When role playing Branoc, focus on his speech mannerisms. Lots of thought. Slow to reply. And, use a peculiar Yoda-like pattern, but in a slow, serious, matter-of-fact voice): "On yonder hill, Olav comes." "Big is the mace that man carries."

 

[Water Bob]

-- Running The Ras Croi --



I want the Ras Croi to be an exhilarating event for the players during their first game session. I want them to feel the ground under their feet, see their brothers pumping their arms to take the lead, squint from the sweat that's trickled into their eye.

I'm going to try to accomplish this with description and some dicing. The dicing servers two functions. First, it teaches my players the different ways that Skills can be used in the game. And, second, it will provide some uncertain competition to the race, making it fun.



The Course

It's a long track around the town proper. We'll start out next to the prachaun grul. The competitors will throw their punts as far as they can to mark their starting positions. Finn, the Town Elder, will bark, "GO!", then we'll be off to the races, literally.

The course runs over the stream at the old plank bridge, then angles towards the 10 foot shelf that rises like a small cliff out of the ground, almost straight up into the air. Once on the plateau, the runners have a choice. They can run across old Bec's Bridge, which is an old tree that has fallen across the short chasm the stream has cut into the plateau, or the runners can simply jump the chasm. It's about 15 feet across.

From there, the contestants will run to the edge of the plateau where it meets the waterfall pouring off the massive cliff to the north, and jump into the small pond below.

In the water, they swing to the shallows, simply called the "Muck" by the locals, where the boys go bog mining for their father. The muddy, swampy terrain of the Muck will slow them, until they're back on hard ground and running back to the prachaun grul.

The entire race will last for 3 laps.



-- Check Segments --

Dicing for the race is a semi-abstract process. Whatever is thrown for a contested, that sum is recorded. Thus, when Branoc is running, he'll make a STR check. Let's say that total is 16 for that throw. He rolled a 13 on the d20 and added +3 for his STR modifier.

Cael makes the same throw to see how he fared that segment. His total is 12. This means that Branoc is 4 feet out in front of Cael.

Keep a running total of the checks, like this, to see where the boys are, relative to each other. This separate between characters will be referred to below as their distance total.

There are several segments to the race, and each segment requires a check.

01. Throw (will be Run on laps 2 and 3).
02. Run
03. Run (takes the runners over the old plank bridge).

04. Run (takes the runners to the small 10' cliff).
05. Climb (up to the plateau).
06. Run (to either Bec's Bridge or the Chasm Jump, player's choice).

07. Jump. (over stream chasm).
07. Balance (over Bec's Bridge).

08. Run (takes runners to the jumping point into the pond).
09. Jump (jump down into the pond).
10. Swim (to the shallows).

11. Run (through the Muck).
12. Run
13. Run (takes runners through the center of the prachaun grul).

Return to 01 for Laps 2 and 3.





-- Ras Croi Mechanics --

Push Yourself: A character can try to push himself beyond normal limits on any check. He does this by adding a number to the throw's DC. If the check is successful, then the number is used as a modifier to increase the runner's total.

For example, Branoc is looking at a DC 10 throw. The player decides to make this a DC 12. The throw is made, resulting in a 14. This is modified to be a 16 due to the push number.



Starting Throw: The Ras Croi is begun by the contestant throwing small, spear-like implements called "punts". A punt is constructed by taking a long, conical piece of chipped rock that is tied to a pole of about 3 feet in length. There is a leather strap affixed to the opposite end of the pole. And, the pole is not tied to the rock as a spear. The pole is strapped to the side of the rock, leaving some room for a point, with the pole flaring out like the side of a "V". Picture a check-mark, and you've got the idea.

The Ras Croi runners take about three quick steps, swinging the punts in a circular motion by holding the straps and twisting their wrists. On the third step, the punts are released. They are thrown in a ballistic arc out in front of the contestant. Where ever it lands is that runner's starting point for the race.

The ritual of chunking the punt is meant to be the first lesson of the Ras Croi--that life is not fair.

Mechanic: STR check.





Run: Use DC 5 on Lap 1; DC 10 on Lap 2; DC 15 on Lap 3. This represents the greater chance of the runner tiring as the race moves on. It's a long way around to complete even a single lap.

For the Muck Run, use DC 7 - 12 - 17. The increase in difficulty represents the harder terrain.

Mechanic: CON check at various DCs.

Note that this skill check is used as both a normal check against a difficulty number and as an opposed check, since the total is being recorded against the other contestants.

If a Fall is checked, have the runner make a Reflex Save at the same DC as the Run. Success means the runner stumbled but caught himself before tripping.

Failure means the runner fell. He must get back up and continue the race. Penalize the runner by apply a -15 to his total in the next segment (the modifier is for the distance total only). This segment, the runner's distance is 1, and next segment, the -15 modifier is applied.

If the DC is failed, it represents the runner tiring. He keeps his total, but he is considered Fatigued (-2 STR/ -2 DEX) until the end of the race. His distance total is also penalized with a -2 on every segment until the end of the race.

Becoming Fatigued can only occur once during the race, and it can be the result of a failed Run check only once during a lap. (Thus, if a Run check is failed again in the same lap, the runner is not moved up to Exhausted.)

If the DC is failed on a later lap, the runner is considered Exhausted (-6 STR/ -6 DEX) until the end of the race. Distance total is penalized with a -6 on every segment until the end of the race.





Climb: The small cliff is 10' tall but can be climbed as if it were a 5 foot distance because of the various root-hand-holds and rock-foot-steps. Clanmen tend to congregate around the base of the climbing point as it is one of the more dangerous obstacles of the Ras Croi. Remember, these are not seasoned warriors but twelve year old boys.

Mechanic: Climb/STR check at DC 10

A failure by 4 or less means that the total distance for the first throw is forfeit and a second throw is made with -5 to distance.

A failure by 5 or more, or a natural 1, means the character fell. On a fall, the character must make a DC 10 Reflex throw or be out of the race, having hurt himself on the fall. A successful save sees the character starting the climb a second time, from the bottom, with a -20 modifier to distance (which will mostly likely reduce total distance for the race).





Balance: Runners have a choice, once they reach the plateau, of jumping across the 15' chasm or running across the fallen tree that the locals call "Bec's Bridge". If the tree-bridge is taken, a Balance check is required. Players get a choice of two DC's. DC 6 is used for those who want to take the bridge slowly and suffer a -15 distance penalty. DC 11 is used for those who wish to take the bridge in a couple of running skips.

Mechanic: Balance/DEX Check at DC 6 or DC 11.

A failure by 4 or less means that the total distance for the first throw is forfeit and a second throw is made with -5 to distance.

A failure by 5 or more, or a natural 1, means the character fell. On a fall, the character must make a DC 10 Reflex throw to make it to the opposite side of the bridge with failure indicating that the runner fell down into the chasm, taken out of the race.





Jump: The Jump skill is used in two ways during the Ras Croi. The first jump is the leap across the 15' chasm--an attempt players may choose after climbing to the plateau.

Mechanic: Jump/STR DC 15.

If Jump is not a trained skill, then a DC 20 is needed to land on the far side of the chasm, the character on is feet. If the character does not land on his feet, then penalize distance with a -15 modifier to represent the time it takes for the boy to pick himself up an continue the race.

Fail by 4 or less, means the jumper did not make it to the far side of the chasm but has a chance to grab the edge of the far side and keep himself from falling to the bottom. Make a DC 15 Reflex save to succeed in this grab. Those making the grab use a -20 distance modifier on their next segment. Failing the save means the character falls to the bottom of the chasm and is out of the race.

Fail by 5 or more, or a natural 1, means the character falls to the bottom of the chasm and is out of the race.



The second jump is a simple leap off the plateau into the swimming pond at the bottom of the waterfall.

Mechanic: Jump/STR DC 5.

No total is added to distance on this segment.

A failure means that -15 must be subtracted from the distance in the next swim segment.





Swim: The Ras Croi contestants must make the short swim to the shallows on the south side of the pond.

Mechanic: Swim/STR at DC 6.

A Failure or a Natural 1 means total is forfeit and a second throw is made at -15 distance.





Winning the Ras Croi and becoming the Ar Grais nets the player two Fate Points (under my altertative Fate system). No experience points are awarded because this experience is considered part of that needed to become 1st level (technically, the characters are not yet 1st level Barbarians and will not be for another three years).

But, the Ras Croi will be a major background achievement for the character, so Fate awards for this story point is appropriate.

Any other characters who finish the Ras Croi and become Graiis deserve one Fate point (always under my Fate system--not the vanilla system).

There is a chance that some of the player characters will not finish the race or finish but finish so poorly (the race is challenging for a 1st level character) that the Urrogh Warriors do not vote them into the Graiis.

If this happens, the boy can try the race again the following year, when his body has matured a bit more physically (the major part of what the race is meant to test), but no Fate points are awarded after the first race when the contestant is 12 years old.

 

[Water Bob]

Post Deleted.

 

[Water Bob]

-- The Duncohr Women --



Life has been cruel to the women in your family. Of those that have prevailed, it's mostly the men who still live. But, is that surprising? Cimmeria is an inhospitable place. Rough terrain. Horrifying weather. Freezing cold several months out of the year. Multiple preadators, especially those that use only two legs.

Your grandmother, Maeoral, died before you were born. Your mother, Lyme, died shortly after you were born. You knew neither of them.

You've got a cousin, Brenna, who is 8 years older than you, and you've got Drachena, the little girl whom your father took into his family after her family was slaughtered by the Grath during the Separation, two decades ago. Drachena is 10 years older than you are, and she's always been a bit distant. Quiet. She goes off alone alot. She trains, like a man will train, with weapons. There's a lot of anger in her.

And she wasn't the right person to be your surrogate mother. Everyone could see that.

So, the duty fell to young Brenna. Since she was 8 years old, she's wiped your arse, cleaned your nose, and made sure you had a warm skin to cover yourself at night. Even when she married Hrathnar, the Aesirman, and even when she had her own child, Freya, she never faltered from taking care of you. You've always known that she was your cousin. Secrets weren't kept from you. But, in a way, you're as much Brenna's child as your father's.

And, Finn, your father, always supported her authority, never doubting her. All those times he was away on a hunt, or raid, or trade, it was Brenna who made sure you were fed.

You've just turned 12 years old now, and you know you're about to start a journey that will take you to manhood--accepted as a warrior for the Clan.

Brenna is 20. A married woman and mother.

Drachena has seen 22 winters, and for seven years now she's been accepted among the other warriors, the only woman to find a place among them in memory.





-- The Curse of the Duncohr Women --

When you think of the women in your family, you think of Brenna, your cousin that raised you. You think of Drachena, your adopted sister who is a woman warrior among men. You think of your poor mother, Lyme, who died giving birth to you. And, you think of your grandmother, Maeoral, because your grand-da mentions her so often.

You don't think of Britta, though. She's Brenna's mother. Your uncle Dael's wife. During the troubled times of the Separation, Britta left Dael to be with another man--one of the Grath.

Dael and Brenna never speak of her, though you've seen the look on Brenna's face and know that she sometimes thinks of her.

Then, there's your other uncle's story. Ean. Today, he's the Clan War Chief, second only to your father/his brother. But, there was a time, before you were born, that 19 year old Eanbotha had a wife and three beautiful daughters. All of them were taken in the same year, in the same month, during the hard winter that hit Seven Stones the year that the Clan had won its separation from the Grath.

Some believe that there is a curse on the Duncohr women. You know this because you've heard the whispers.

Today, only one of your blood lives: Brenna. Though the bond tying Drachena to you and your family is strong, she is not the product of your father's loins.

Brenna is your only true living female relative, unless Britta still lives (and she was Duncohr by marriage only)

 

[Water Bob]

-- House Rule: FATE POINTS --



1: Fate Points are awarded in the same was as indicated in the book.

2: The Test of Fate changes.

Test of Fate = d20 + CHR Mod + Fate Points.

This way, the number of Fate Points acts like the character's skill rank.

Roll vs. a DC of 10.

Each Test costs 1 point.

On each successive Test, increase the DC by +5.

 

[Water Bob]

-- A Common Response --

The inhabitants of Seven Stones Ridge have a common response that they sometimes say when away from clan territory asked about their clanholme.

"Seven Stones is where the Titans bled and the Blue Fox bred. Long may they touch the world through me."

Cimmerians are not literate, believing that the written word is akin to sorcery. They are superstitious of the marks that people leave, understood by complete strangers. But they do occasionally use marks or symbols to communicate information. For example, a Cimmerian is quite suspicious of a rune, but he is also capable of carving three slashes on a tree to warn others that the trail is hazarded by rock slides in a few steps. Cimmerians will sometimes grace a supremely crafted weapon or tattoo themselves with two swirling symbols that communicates the sentiment above.

 

[Water Bob]

-- Prachaun Grule --

(Praw-con Grool)



Seven, massive, mysterious monoliths. You've known them your entire life. You played around them as a child. You know the story by heart.

In the time before time, the Titans were angry because Crom knew the Secret of Steel and gave it to man. Seven Titans came to punish him, but Crom defeated them all. He planted them in the ground in graves that, seen from above, form the spokes of a wheel. Seven massive stones he drove into the ground at their heads.

On the site of the battleground, your clanholme of Seven Stones Ridge has grown. The nearby ten foot ridge is known as Crom's Ankle, thought to be where Crom stood when he slew the last of the Titans--Crom's foot made an impression on the ground that sunk all the way to his ankle.

Either through a true mystic connection to the standing stones or simply the existence of several freshwater springs in the area (runoff from the Eiglopians), the people of Clan Urrogh tend to be larger and well-muscled, even in comparison to other Cimmerians. The clan's story singers claim that the Urrogh get their might from the titan's blood in the soil, but most outsiders believe that it might simply be the existence of wells and water to grow vegetables and raise small livestock.

The Prachaun Grule is the namesake and drawing point to the entire Seven Stones community. These 40 to 45 foot tall slabs of engraved granite are the roots of the town as much as Clan Urrogh is. Each stone is named for one of the Titans that Crom buried beneath it. They are named Thrallan, Padranag, Caelis, Foilloch, Daollcohr, Huogh, and Silaigne. It is said by storytellers that these magical words were carved into the tops of each stone when the Cimmerians first came to settle the area.

Generations have passed, both Grath and now Urrogh, and the engravings are weathered and worn away, almost to a point of being undistinguishable. Even so, every member of the Seven Stones who can speak knows the names of the seven stones and which titan their family line supposedly takes after.

Fionn Duncohr, in founding Seven Stones Ridge, used the history of the stones to attract the original six families that began the town's growth. Note that the single family line that refused to populate Seven Stones Ridge were the Thrahlls, who claim ancestry to the Titan Thrallan. Some clansmen wonder if Finn named the babe Thrallan, that was found next to the stone that became his namesake, because of the stone or in acknowlegement that the babe was of a lineage foreign to the clan.

Although the stones do not add or detract from the town in any realistic way, the seven stones are a piece of Urrogh heritage protected by the clan. The stones and the town lie in the foothills of the Eiglophian mountains on a plateau that commands a view of the lands south from a 25 foot height. The Field of Chiefs is one day walk south. The place has been a local landmark and attractor of travellers for centuries, long before the founding of Seven Stones Ridge and the Blue Fox Clan, longer even than the birth of the Grath.

Some say that the stones date to the time of Atlantis.

 

[Water Bob]

-- Idiosyncrasies --



* None of the beds, in any of the homes and buildings of Seven Stones Ridge, sit facing the Seven Stones. When homes are built, orientation and bedrooms are considered with respect to the standing stones. This tradition is also respected when sleeping outdoors.



** The full moon is called the "Titan's Moon", and it's cycle is 28 days. Every 27th day, a wine flask of pig's blood is poured at the foot of each standing stone. Not only is "27" one of the three sacred numbers (along with 3 and 9), but the act symbolizes the titans' blood seeping into the land. This ritual is linked with a woman's menstral cycle, symbolizing the cleansing of the soul and the refertilization of the body and the soil. Only women who have have seen their first blood and are young enough, still receiving their blood, perform this act for the community. If a woman will be recieving her blood exactly on the 28th day, then it is considered a double blessing if she is the one to enact the ritual.

The type of blood used is not specific. That of a horse or a mountain boar could be used as well as a pig. But, blood of enemies (Vanir, Picts, even predatory animals) is not used as it is feared that their blood, used in the ritual, will taint the land and bring dooms among the people of Seven Stones.



*** Standing at 45 feet, the tallest standing stone is Thrallan. Moving to the right of that stone around the circle is the shortest stone, reaching 40 feet, Padrang. Continuing to the right and now almost opposite Thrallan is the 44 foot Caelis stone. Next is Foilloch, at 43 feet. Then the Duncohr family stone, Daollcohr, stands 41 feet. The last two stones, the Huogh and Silaigne stones, stand equally, at 42 feet. Thrallan sits between Padrang to the right and Silaigne to the left, if standing in the center of the stones, looking northeast, into Grath territory.



**** At the edge of town, closest to the standing stones, is one cabin that is left alone. No one in the entire clan will build next to it--they will not allow the building's shadow to rest on theirs. The cabin is called Erabolgh (Ear-ah-bowl), and it is the home of Rutcrana, the Oracle of the Blue Fox clan. The building is exactly 100 paces out of the town proper. If you stand in the exact center of town, a straight line can be drawn from you, to Erabolgh, then to the prachaun grule--to the southeast, at the edge of the plateau on which the town was built.

Erabolgh is a ragged building surrounded by a weathered pinewood fence. It is adorned in fetishes, carcasses and strange objects, most of which are painted, pierced or tied in unique and interesting ways. This building is a terrifying and secretive place that most Seven Stones residents avoid looking at directly.

On one of the few Cimmerian warm nights, not so long ago, Thrallan, Caelis, and Branoc slept in Erabolgh's shadow. As boys will do, they were dareing each other to see who could sleep the night so close to the Oracle. The three brothers found bravery together, and all three laid their heads to spend the night, and once asleep, all three were awakened with nightmares that they cannot remember--only knowing that they had experienced the most frightening dreams they'd ever had.

None of the three made it through the night. When they returned to their own beds in the Duncohr home near the forge at the center of town, each had thought he'd spent most of the night in Erabolgh's shadow. They were surprised to realize it had been less than an hour.

In fact, it was only 27 minutes.