Where the Sun Dies

Background

On the remote island of Værøya in the northern part of Norway lies an old fishing village named Sørland. People have lived here for centuries, mostly minding their own business, trading with the few ships that pass by their little harbor.

Then everything changed. Industrialization brought new interest from the mainland. Værøya is part of the Lofoten archipelago and its location is now seen as the perfect site for a new trading hub. This hub would service all northbound trading vessels, as well as create access for tourists to enjoy the area’s unparalleled beauty – its long white beaches and dramatic mountain peaks could even attract international travelers.

Sørland agreed to function as one of the North Atlantic trading ports and to pay appropriate taxes on condition that the village would be left largely alone regarding local matters. For decades, this agreement was honored by both sides. With the exception of the construction of an inn for visitors, the people of Sørland went about their business. The people kept local affairs to themselves, visitors were tolerated, but no outsiders were allowed to settle in the village or stay for longer than a couple of weeks. Because there was a secret that the people of Sørland held close, a secret that must be shielded at all cost.

Every winter, she returns. The Lady of the Cold. A particularly powerful giant that despises the sun. For over a millennia, the island has been her domain and the humans who live there have been under her protection. She arrives with the winter and leaves when the sun returns. Each year, the islanders hold a Winter Solstice celebration in her honor, bringing her gifts and offerings in hope that she in return will bring good fortune for the year to come.

One of these offerings is in the form of a young man. Every spring, the Elders of Sørland choose a suitable boy and prepare him the entire year to join the Lady of the Cold. He will live in her chambers throughout the Winter, and be treated like a king, then go with her as she returns to sea the following spring. The chosen boys are never seen again, but it is considered to be the highest of honors. The islanders believe the sacrificed boys will be uplifted to a higher plane of existence. This has been the ritual for as long as anyone on the island can remember.

However, at the last celebration something went horribly wrong and the islanders were punished for it in the most horrific way. The chosen boy had fallen in love with another village girl. The Lady sensed this immediately, tore the boy apart and killed everyone at the ceremony by freezing them to death. She carried this wrath with her to the following year, when she returned to the island early, bringing with her unseasonably violent storms and freezing temperatures that have devastated Sørland. In September, Sørland stopped responding to all communication attempts. Concerned, Norwegian authorities sent a team to investigate aboard the naval corvette Freja. However, the ship never returned.

In early October, another much larger ship, the Alexandria, made an attempt to reach the island but, as it approached, the crew found a thick layer of ice blocking their way. They could not make sense of it, for it was too early in the year and the temperature had yet to fall below freezing. Winter was supposed to be at least two or three more weeks out. Puzzled, they turned the Alexandria around and plotted a return course, but after only a few miles, they found a small life boat drifting at sea that one of the crew recognized. The boat belonged to the Freja, the initial mission. It carried the corpse of a young man. His skin was so white it was almost translucent, and his face was frozen in a twisted grimace of terror. Whatever had happened to the boy, his last moments on Earth had not been peaceful.

As the Alexandria returned to the mainland with the troubling news, the authorities grew even more concerned and asked the police commissioner, Olof Dahl, to assemble a team of experts to get to the bottom of this. Given the dangerous nature of the mission, they have provided any resources necessary to hire the most competent crew and ice-breaker vessel available to forge a path to the island.

Suspecting Sørland might be dealing with something far worse than bad weather, Olof Dahl decides to contact the Society.

Conflicts

The main conflict is with the Lady of the Cold. The secondary conflict is with the surviving islanders. They refuse to give up their ways and traditions, and are willing to do anything to make sure the authorities do not find out the truth, including killing the player characters.

Invitation

It is early November in Upsala. The trees are barren, the ground is covered by brown leaves and there seems to be a perpetual fog over the old student town, made worse by the new factory buildings that perpetually spew smoke from their chimneys.

It’s been three weeks since the Ball at the University Hall. With winter approaching, the days grow short, the shadows grow darker. Updates from the Abisko mine and information about the aftermath have been frustratingly limited. The only real news is of continued reports of workers and scientists flocking to the North so they can be a part of this “great opportunity.” When Norwegian Police Commissioner Olof Dahl comes calling at Castle Gyllencreutz and begs the assistance of the Society, it is a welcome distraction.

A serious man with dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, Olof is tall and skinny. It must have taken him over a week to travel this far but there’s desperation in his eyes. “Due to the delicate nature of this matter, I needed to speak to you in person,” he begins. “Despite several attempts, the island of Værøya and its port Sørland are no longer responding to our communication attempts. We’ve sent several rescue missions. What’s worse, a corpse was found of a young man – frozen to death – that belonged to the initial rescue mission. I have been tasked to find the best people to get to the bottom of this. You will be generously rewarded. But I will need your answer soon. Time is not on our side.” After talking more with Olof, the player characters will find that he is not comfortable talking about vaesen or other mysterious beings, but he’s pragmatic and that’s why he approached them. He also makes it clear that this is highly confidential and the public must not know. The economy is too fragile, no rumors of missing ships or problems outside the coast of Norway can come out. Olof leaves almost immediately after talking with the player characters and will meet them again in the Norwegian coastal town of Bergen.

Preparations

The player characters can acquire an Advantage before leaving Upsala or in Bergen. In Upsala, the characters can discover that where they are going is extremely cold this time of year and buying weather appropriate clothing is necessary. Clothing can be bought in Norway too, but it would be more expensive. Værøya, the island they are sailing to, is above the Arctic circle and the sun won’t rise. This is known as the polar night.

Additionally, they may find a diary by a British author named Andrew Lang in the Occult Library (if they have that Upgrade at Castle Gyllencreutz, see page 92 of the Vaesen core rulebook, otherwise the player characters may buy the book) with various articles on fairy tales and sagas from northern Scandinavia. The book would take a while to read but would be helpful to bring with them on their journey, as they won’t have access to other libraries later.

Bergen

It is a cold November morning when a small ship leaves the harbor of Stockholm and sets sail for the coastal town of Bergen, Norway. The journey takes a week and is uneventful. Initially a Viking settlement, the city of Bergen used to be the capital of Norway and is an important trading port for the entire region. During this time, it’s the second largest city in Norway. Bergen is known as “the city between the seven mountains” and is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, surrounded by mountains and fjords.

The player characters arrive in the afternoon. Rain is pouring down with gusts of harsh wind blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. A massive ship, modern for its time, is docked at the harbor next to the player characters’ ship, and its crew members are going back and forth carrying large crates. A stagecoach takes the player characters to a hotel in the middle of Bergen, where they are greeted by Olof Dahl. He spends very little time on pleasantries and leads the group to a private dining room, where they are fed.

“I understand that you must be tired from your journey but we are already behind schedule.” Olof says. “The days are growing shorter and shorter, and I fear you won’t have any sunlight left by the time you reach Værøya. But it cannot be helped. These are dark, terrible times. Might as well get used to it.” The commissioner takes a sip from his drink. “I need you to go up there, find out what happened, and bring any survivors to safety. Most importantly, and I can’t stress this enough, make sure that the public does not find out if you witness any… irregularities. I don’t need to know what you see, I just need it to be gone.”

Eventually, the door opens and a tall man walks in, built like a barrel, water dripping down from his long dark coat. He wears a captain’s hat and a blue turtleneck sweater. A cigarette butt is resting at the corner of his mouth, completely drenched. “Ah, Captain Harrock. Meet the rest of your crew.” announces Olof.

The captain is a boisterous man, accustomed to commanding others. He wastes no time dealing with the player characters. “We’ll set sail in one hour. The sea’s been treacherous lately and I want no surprises if I can avoid it. My men are nearly finished with the load in. Provisions for three months, you said?” Harrock looks at Olof. “We’ll become best friends or worst enemies by the end of it.” The captain smiles widely and pours himself a drink before heading out.

Olof Dahl

A tall, lanky man with a prominent nose and dark circles underneath his green eyes. He has a thick mustache and wears a police uniform. While pragmatic and competent, he knows that he’s out of his depth when dealing with vaesen and other mysterious events.

Olof assures the player characters that the large amount of provisions is just a precaution in case they get stuck throughout the entire winter. A successful OBSERVATION will reveal that he is quite anxious, and chances are quite likely that you’ll get stuck up there. Or worse, you won’t return at all.

The player characters have time to buy one item each in Bergen before they need to get on the ship. Olof watches them stoically as they board. “Good luck. And stay warm.” the Police Commissioner says.

On the Ship

The ship, named Miss Paulina, is an impressive sight with a fortified hull designed to break through ice and withstand the harshest of conditions. Around 15 people are manning the ship plus the player characters and Captain Harrock. The player characters have their own cabins and the journey is quite comfortable, especially as the wind is favorable and the weather remains clear. During the first couple of days, the ship follows the gorgeous coastline of Norway. The further north they travel, the darker it gets and on the fifth day, the sun no longer rises above the horizon.

“Until spring, then…” Captain Harrock says, as he watches the eerie orange sky of the polar night and the last streaks from the fading sun. He takes a swig from his bottle and offers it to the player characters. Should they choose to accept, have them roll Physique. Failure means they’ll take one physical condition from whatever terrible Scandinavian concoction the captain is drinking.

The player characters can spend their time reading, talking to the NPCs or otherwise preparing themselves for whatever is waiting for them on Værøya. If they brought a copy of Andrew Lang’s diary with them, a successful LEARNING roll when reading it will reveal that the northern part of Norway is the home of giants. They will know that giants hate Christianity and other religious symbols, and some can be extremely violent against humans.

Every night, the crew share stories of their adventures from lands far far away. The sailors are superstitious and most believe in the existence of vaesen. Captain Harrock mostly tells everyone extremely inappropriate jokes and stories of women he’s encountered, jokingly assuming they are all vaesen considering the state they always leave him in. If the player characters ask specifically about what might have happened at Værøya, the ship’s medic, Dorotea Lukkonen, will speak up.

“The previous crew, they froze to death, no?” she says. “I believe it’s one of those mermaids. I once heard of a whole ship, larger than this, being lured into the lair of one of them ladies. Cold and ruthless, she dragged the men down and they all froze to death for daring to look into her eyes.” Her words have a chilling effect on the entire crew. No one says anything until, “It could also be the Kraken?” a young man pipes up. And it’s as if a spell has been broken. Everyone starts roaring with laughter and the young man turns red.

“A Kraken, he says!” Captain Harrock wheezes. “The boy’s barely got any hair on his balls and he is already full of nonsense.” The mood significantly improves at the expense of the young man and stays that way for the rest of the evening.

Arrival

The player characters awaken on the seventh day of the trip noticing that something is wrong. The ship is not moving. When they get outside, they notice that they are surrounded by ice. In the orange and blueish darkened morning light from the absent dawn, they can clearly see the mountainous Værøya and the small village of Sørland, not very far away. Miss Paulina, though, is stuck. “I wish I could have taken you further but it came from nowhere, this damned ice.” Captain Harrock mutters. “We’re about one kilometer from shore.”

The player characters can use skis to quickly get to Sørland’s harbor, crossing the thick ice. Captain Harrock will stay with his crew on the ship. If the group believes they need reinforcement, they can choose one or two additional NPCs to join them unless the party is already full.

As they approach the village of Sørland, the first thing they notice is the stillness. Nothing is moving. It’s as if everything is completely frozen and has been for years, creating a sense that there is a complete absence of life beneath the wintery landscape.

Built as an ordinary fishing village with boat houses and small wooden cottages lining the shoreline, there’s a main street that leads towards a huge building further up the hill. The building looks like it’s carved from the mountain itself and its structure is similar to a Viking longhouse. A successful LEARNING will reveal that this is an ancient temple, dating back as far as the early Bronze Age.

A chilling gust of wind brushes by, whisking some of the snow away from the rooftops and the air is now full of ice particles that drift slowly to the ground. As they leave the docks and enter the main street of Sørland, the group will get the distinct feeling that they are being watched. With a successful VIGILANCE check, the player characters can briefly get the sense that someone is looking at them through the window of the nearest boathouse, but when they turn to look, there’s nothing there.

Countdown and Catastrophe

This countdown is meant to help you push the story forward and set up the final confrontation with The Lady of the Cold.

1. At some point after gathering some clues, perhaps

after they’ve investigated the cabins near the water,

have the player characters roll for VIGILANCE. If successful, they will notice fresh footsteps in the snow.

The footsteps belong to a group of humans and

lead towards the town square. As the player characters continue to investigate, five men emerge

from one of the alleys and attack with wooden

oars. Combat ensues. The men attacking are part

of the original rescue team and are desperate and

terrified. They can be calmed by INSPIRATION or

MANIPULATION and give up if one of them is Broken.

Upon finding out the player characters are there to

help them, they lead them to the abandoned inn

where they’ve been sheltering since they arrived

several months ago (page 51). 2. When the player characters are at the inn, there’s

a sudden knock on the door. After a few tense

moments, the familiar voice of Captain Harrock

can be heard. “Let me in! We’re in trouble!” he shouts

angrily and starts to swear about the cold. Captain Harrock tells the player characters about a

sudden drop in temperature and that something

large is moving out there. “I thought it was a ship but

that didn’t make any sense… it’s all frozen. It’s so dark that I

can barely see my left hand. Anyway, my men are setting up

camp near the docks. You’re welcome to stay with us but it’s

a lot warmer in here… although there seems to be something

wrong with the fire?” That’s when everyone notices

that the flames in the fireplace have suddenly

turned small and blue, barely radiating any heat.

Everyone can see the steam of their breath, as

the temperature rapidly falls. Suddenly, a loud

peal of thunder sounds in the distance, then

another…and another… drawing closer each

time. “She’s here…” someone whispers. A successful

VIGILANCE roll will inform the players that this is

not the sound of thunder but of the footsteps of something massive. Then, they hear an ancient, melancholy song that settles on their heart and sends a chill up their spine. Mesmerized by the ethereal song, everyone’s completely still as the Lady of the Cold approaches. Unless the player characters do something to attract her attention, she won’t notice them and will disappear up the hill. With a risky STEALTH roll, they can peek out the door and see her for themselves. However, should they fail, they will accidentally make a small sound and the Lady stops and attacks. 3. Everyone who was still outside when the Lady

came up from the sea is completely frozen, presumably dead. Their bodies are scattered around

the docks, some of them looking like they were

trying to crawl away, their faces stuck in twisted

grimaces of soundless screams. Captain Harrock

is furious when seeing the chilling death of his

men (they are not actually dead, see Confrontation) and insists on trying to kill the Lady of

the Cold. He argues that it falls in line with the

original mission, to remove the threat behind

this whole situation. With or without the help

of the players, the captain will make his way up

to the temple and try to slay the Lady.

Catastrophe

Should the player characters fail to confront the Lady of the Cold, everyone on the island will die and the island of Værøya will forever be subject to strange weather patterns that will make new settlement impossible. The whole region will be avoided by future sailors as it will be considered to be under a mysterious curse. “Something evil in those waters would drag us down to the dark depths of the world.”

The Lady of the Cold is powerful, cruel and can not easily be reasoned with because she feels betrayed by the islanders. The player characters can try to reason with her or make a deal with her. As always, great ideas should always be rewarded.

There is a significant risk that combat erupts. Let the players roll for LEARNING to realize that the Lady of the Cold is sensitive to fire and Christian symbols, if they don’t realize this on their own.

If the Lady of the Cold is Broken, she falls backwards, letting out a shriek of pain and anger. As she hits the ground, her body shatters like stone. The impact of her fall creates a shockwave over the entire island. If the player characters search the body, they will find an uncut emerald green gemstone where her heart should have been. Making a successful LEARNING roll, they will immediately recognize the stone as the same type that Franzibald Hansen was studying.

If the Lady of the Cold is defeated, her curse is broken and everyone who was frozen comes back to life. At first there’s silence outside, followed by a couple of whimpers of shock and disbelief as the villagers get readjusted to the new reality. Eventually, excitement and joy fills the room when it dawns on the villagers that they’ve been given a second chance at life. Everyone starts celebrating, except for the girl in the front who’s cradling the severed body of the boy she loved.

After a couple of days with warmer temperatures, the people of Sørland are able to slowly find their footing again and clean up the mess their deity caused. Funerals are being held for the people they’ve lost. Repairs are made to the dock and the inn. Captain Harrock with his crew brings over the food from his ship and several impromptu celebrations ensue, as everyone’s very grateful to the player characters and their help.

After a few days, it’s time to leave. They player characters have managed to solve the mystery while saving the island and will be satisfactorily rewarded upon returning to the mainland. Besides, the villagers seem to have completely abandoned the idea of the Lady of the Cold.

As they board the Miss Paulina and say their goodbyes, all the villagers have gathered around the dock. Dressed in black, they all watch the departure with a curious expression. The player characters will be able to see the villagers right up until they disappear over the horizon, just standing there. Observing them. Odd, one might say. But probably best not to dwell on it too much.