In the Mead Hall of Hrothgar: Characters, Evidence, and glossary.

[Maerdwyn]

Place Finished Characters in this thread. This first post will also serve as a repository for names, places, evidence, etc encoutered or learned of by the PCs.

Tribes:
Göt (Pronounced "geet"; also spelled geat - later known as the Goths): A tribe from southern Sweden. Current King is Hygelac)
Scyld-dane (Pronounced "shilled-dane", also called Here-Danes): A tribe from Daneland. Current King is Hrothgar.
Frisians ("Fris-ee-anz": A tribe from Frisia, the modern Netherlands.
Jute ("Yoots") and Ing: Two tribes of Saxons, from the main peninsul of what is now Denmark.
Sveon ("Svay-on"): The dominant tribe in what is now northern Sweden.

Individuals:
Beowulf ("Bay-oh-wolf"), hero of all the Göts - he is the thegn (retainer, lieutenant) of King Hygelac, and a possible rival as well.

Hrothgar ("Roth-gar"), King of the Scyld-Danes - A man of large reputation, who has fallen on hard times. His hall, called Heorot is famous for its opulence. Distant cousin to Hygelac.

Hygelac ("Hic-eh-lac"), King of the Göts at Halland - Hygelac is well-advanced in years, and the hero of many battles in his youth. He was only able to defeat his hated rivals, the Sveon after making Beowulf his thegn, however, and is thought to view the younger man as his main rival. He is the most respected king among the Göts, though there are many (think city states, not nations in this region.)

Places:
Götaland("Geet-a-land"): Southern Sweden, home of the Göts
Götland("Geet-land"): Island off the eastern coast of Götaland. Also ruled by Göts
Halland ("Hal-land"): Hygelac's fort, on the western coast of Götaland

(more to come)

 

[Maerdwyn]

Danes (and a Heathobard) present in Heorot when the PC's arrive:

Wealtheow - Hrothgar's wife: a thirty year old woman.
Hrethric - oldest son of Hrothgar
Hrothmund - Second son of Hrothgar
Freaweru - Daughter of Hrothgar. Just about of marrying age, and quite attractive.
Unferth - Thegn of Hrothgar. Clearly not happy the Geats are here.
Ecglaf - Father of Unferth. An older Danish warrior
Halga - Younger brother of Hrothgar. Looks vital for a man in his late fifties.
Hrothulf - Nephew of Hrothgar. Halga's son.
Heoroweard - Hrothgar's younger cousin. In his late forties.
Aeschere - Hrothgar's skald. Looks like a powerful warrior.
Ingeld - A prince of the Heathobards (another tribe of Germans, who as fars as you know, have been at war with the Danes on and off for the past several centuries.). He is more reserved than the rest of the people in Heorot.
Yrminlaf - a Danish Warrior, friendlier to the Geats than others. Quite young. Named after a giant.
Wulfgar - a Danish warrior and advisor to Hrothgar. Looks at the Geats suspiciously.

Nine other Danish warriors, as yet unnamed by me.