#origin intro

S K O G S R Å ; MC ORIGIN

[ KEEPER OF THE FOREST | ++ DEC / WIS / PHYS ]

background elements taken from Nordic folk legends of the Skogsrå (Sweden) and the Hulder (Norway).

In the heart of the woods, between moss and pine and root, the hunter's unknowing prey lies in wait. How many lives, he wonders, have been stolen by the beast within these trees? Too many to count. There are those who would claim that the creature is merely the keeper of Hallormsstaðaskógur, that it only hunts those who would threaten its home, but the empty shells of men who have returned from its grasp — and the empty spaces left by those who have not returned at all — hint at something far darker.

None have been able to describe what it was that they endured in the forest, what it was that they saw. All that is known of the beast is what small details can be assembled from the fragmented words of those it spared:

It is quick.

It is clever.

It is deadly.

-

In the blackest depths of the forest lurks the SKOGSRÅ, a creature as cunning as it is merciless to those it perceives as a threat. The steadfast guardian of the woods will often appear at the tree line to offer travelers guidance through their home; many of these travelers will not be seen again.

The Skogsrå shares a deep connection with flora and fauna, and has a natural predilection toward the occult. Their back, resembling a hollow tree trunk, is the easiest way to discern one from a human, but they may also bear a cow's tail or eyes that reflect light in darkness.

B E R G S R Å ; MC ORIGIN

[ KEEPER OF THE FJALL | ++ PHYS / INT / DEC ]

background elements taken from Nordic folk legends of the Bergsrå (Sweden) and the Bjergtrolde (Denmark).

Between ash and cloud lives a monster as sturdy and unforgiving as the mountain it calls home. Many men have chased after the glory to be found at Hekla’s peak, and most have been lost to their fate; they are said to have become one with the volcano itself.

This is not to say that one must reach the highest points of Heklugjá to become the creature’s prey, however. From the lowest craters to the tops of cliffs that break the sky, there is no one part of the mountain that its keeper has not claimed as its home. It is everywhere. Wherever you are, the monster of fire and stone will find you.

And, to hear it told by those who live in the shadow of the Gateway to Hell, a monster is that all it can be.

Far too strong to be a human.

Far too clever to be a troll.

Far too vicious to be left alive.

Born from glacial cliffs and lava flow, the BERGSRÅ is as deadly and unpredictable as its volcanic home. Like an apparition, half-frozen climbers on the precipice of death will find themselves met with a magnetic stranger, an offer of shelter, the promise of warmth. Come morning, their furs and leathers will be all that remains of them.

The Bergsrå maintains a close connection with both earth and sky, and has much higher physical resilience than any mortal. The stone flesh that coats their torso serves to set them apart from humans, and they may also have fang-like canines or fur-padded cloven feet.

S J Ö R Å ; MC ORIGIN

[ KEEPER OF THE LAKE | ++ CHAR / WIS / INT ]

background elements taken from Nordic folk legends of the Sjörå (Sweden), the Nøkke (Denmark), and the Nykur (Faroe Islands).

It had, at first, sounded like little more than a tale meant to frighten disobedient children: a monster that lives in the bowels of a lake, a doom-fated wanderer who steps into the water and straight to their death. It had sounded impossible until one story became two, and two became twenty, became fifty, became hundreds.

The folk who live near the shoreline share their rules with all who will listen: treat the creature kindly. Bring it gifts. Respect its domain.

If you see someone step towards the lake as if caught in a trance, do not try to stop them. Leave them to their fate, lest you wish to end up the same.

They are charmed.

They are lost.

They are already dead.

-

Compelling as they are clever, the SJÖRÅ is (typically) only a threat towards those with malicious intent or blackened hearts. Cheaters, wastrels, killers and brutes — none who have threatened the beast or its home have lived to tell the tale. Drowning accidents are not uncommon in the Sjörå’s domain.

Sjörå are known to have an affinity for music, form close bonds with horses, and are very fond of mittens. They can be identified in human form by their scaled forearms and webbed fingers, and may also have accessory gills or hooves in place of feet.