Novgorod
The largest and northern-most of the Russian principalities.
History
Like Kiev, its rival to the south, the city (and principality) of Novgorod was founded by Rurik the Great.
Throughout its history, Novgorod has almost always been embroiled in some military conflict or other; from the west, it has weathered raids and invasions from the Swedes and other Norse tribes across the Baltic Sea; dealt with restless tribes of Lithuanians and Finns on its borders; and endured attacks by Germanic crusaders and religious orders. And each Prince of Novgorod has always had to keep a wary eye on the east, where beyond the furthest colonies and settlements loomed the endless, unfathomable land of Siberia? – known in Norse legend as Jotunheim, the land of the giants.
This constant turmoil has given rise to a strong military tradition. Novgorod’s last ruler, Prince Alexander Nevsky?, was a skilled general who led his armies to many victories. He was also wise, cultivating a tradition of magical learning and fostering alliances with the Varangian? tribes of the north. Under his leadership, Novgorod withstood the Mongol? onslaught that crushed almost all the other Russian principalities.
With Alexander’s death, the glory of Novgorod has begun to fade. Kiev, Novgorod’s perennial rival, is on the rise; the alliance with the Varangians has crumbled; and new threats come from all sides. The people of Novgorod, ambitious and proud, seek to propel their city to power and prestige; there are many in Novgorod who believe that the time has come to unite the Russian lands under one Prince, as was the case generations ago.
Current Events
Build-up For War
Prince Vladimir of Novgorod has declared war on Kiev.
Why? Because it seems like a good idea: Novgorod is strong, and Kiev is weak. From Vladimir's perspective, anyway: Novgorod is allied with Poland?, and through Poland, has the support of Germany?, while Kiev stands alone — the Cherkess have withdrawn their ambassador, and the Orthodox Church of Byzantium has withdrawn its Archbishop?.
In believing that Cherkessia does not support Kiev, Vladimir is right, though not in the way he thinks; in truth, Ambassador Said is a fraud, and Kiev has not had Cherkess support for decades. The significance of Archbishop Satyros?'s departure from Kiev is not entirely clear to anyone, although most people with an eye on the political situation agree that the Byzantine Empire is unlikely to support Kiev militarily — they have their own problems.
What does Vladimir hope to gain from this war? Several things: resources (Kiev boasts rich farmland, from its forests come lumber and furs; and the land is rich in metals) and lucrative trade routes (Novgorod would control the entire route from the North Sea to the Black Sea, were Vladimir to sieze Kievan lands) are the main appeal, and the reasons that Prince Vladimir has the full support of Novgorod's wealthy merchant class in this campaign. But more — Vladimir believes that he belongs on the throne of Kiev and All-Russia, like his ancestor and namesake, Vladimir the Great. The young prince's ambition is to best his father, Alexander Nevsky?, who ruled only Novgorod; for his part, Vladimir hopes to rule all of Russia.
The Norse Faith Reborn?
The people of Novgorod had long worshipped the Norse gods — Odin? and Thor? and Freyr? and the rest. After Ragnarok, with the death of those gods, that faith largely collapsed; the priests of the Aesir? lost their powers, and the greatest of them went into exile or simply retreated from public life; the people of Novgorod turned to other faiths.
But that may be changing. In the town of Rzhev? lives an old priest named Rostislav?, who has all these years been loyal to the All-Father?; and now he claims that his god has appeared to him again, and his prayers are once again answered. If this is true, then the changes it might mean for Novgorod are difficult to predict; but surely it would shake up the social order across the principality.
Geography: Neighbors and Borders
Novgorod is by far the largest of the Russian principalities, stretching almost a thousand miles from east to west, consisting of vast swaths of taiga, rolling hills, and farmland. Novgorod has always had to look to its extensive borders for threats and opportunities alike.
To the north live the Varangians? — semi-nomadic Norsemen who inhabit the northern reaches of the known world. They are hunters, raiders, and pirates, loosely organized into clans and tribes.
Far to the east lies the land of Siberia?, which the Norse myths call Jotunheim.
The lands to the south and east of the principality's eastern reaches are inhabited by nomadic tribes of the steppes and the foothills of the Ural Mountains?, such as the Bulgars? and the Kirghiz.
Further west, along Novgorod's south border, lie its neighbor principalities: Smolensk? to the southeast, and Chernigov to the south.
To Novgorod's southwest are the vast Pripet Marshes?, and the abandoned lands that border them.
Tribes of Finns and Lithuanians dwell to Novgorod's west, and there also are lands held by Germanic? knightly orders — the Teutonic? and Livonian knights.
Also in the west is the great Baltic Sea, across which is the land of the Swedes — old enemies of Novgorod.
The Geography of War
With the Pripet Marshes having greatly expanded four decades ago, there is no easy route overland from Novgorod to Kiev. To make war against Kiev, Prince Vladimir has three paths from which to choose. He can take his warriors overland, through the lands to Novgorod's west, and then south, skirting the western edge of the Marshes; along this path, he would contend with the Lithuanians, Balts, and Finns who live there, and the Teutonic and Livonian Knights. He could pass through Chernigov, should that principality allow him passage. Or — as seems most likely — Prince Vladimir could sail across the Baltic Sea, and march overland through Poland? — now made possible by Novgorod's alliance with that nation.
Geopolitics
Domestic Affairs
Novgorod is not an autocracy, but a republic; the prince is called by the people, to rule among them. Prince Vladimir leads Novgorod in matters of war and defense, but it is the boyars (the hereditary landed aristocracy), lesser land-owners, merchants, and guildsmen of the trade and craft guilds who hold sovereign power in the people's name.
In practice, the relative power of the prince and the people has waxed and waned in the past. Vladimir's father, Alexander Nevsky?, was greatly respected and admired by people of high and low station alike (and Alexander's martial prowess and numerous powerful allies should not be underestimated as a source of political influence), and his word was usually decisive in determining Novgorod's fate. Vladimir, for his part, has yet to show himself as a strong leader (and the war with Kiev may be his way of attempting to change that). (See the page for Prince Vladimir for more details on Novgorod's political dynamics.)
Locations
Cult Research Base (destroyed)
Secret stronghold of the Cult of Loki, razed by Cherkess battle-mages.
Greybeard's Fortress?
Private residence of Olaf Greybeard, with dungeons beneath.
City of Novgorod?
Capital of the principality, and hub of trade and commerce.
Valdai Highlands?
Forested hills that hide natural resources and secrets.
Stargorod?
Abandoned town near the Pripet Marshes?.
Rzhev?
Old mining town, now cradle of the new faith of Nikolai.
Old Guard Tower?
Once a border post of the Rangers, now one of the party's bases.
Key NPCs
Isidor
Wealthy merchant who is secretly a demon.
Olaf Greybeard
Renowned shipwright who owns a great fortress.
Prince Vladimir
Rightful ruler of Novgorod.
Yegor Dolgorukiy (deceased)
Businessman, schemer, and scoundrel, killed by the PCs.
General Alexei Bodrashov
Old warrior who served Prince Alexander Nevsky?, and now works for the Cult of Loki.
Rostislav of Rzhev?
Former Spell Keeper? of Odin, now priest of the new faith of Nikolai.
Lev Gurov
Retired adventurer and seasoned agent of the Cult of Loki.
Zarren
Assassin demon who heads a cult of shadowdancers in Isidor's service.
Plot Threads
Party Status
Prince Vladimir, the ruler of the Principality of Novgorod, holds the player characters to be Kievan spies and agent provocateurs. Vladimir was originally convinced of this through the manipulations of the merchant (and secretly-a-devil) Isidor, and the Polish? agent Count Rudolf Sikorsky?. Since then, he's seen more and more evidence to support that belief, with the latest proof coming when the PCs were publicly declared heroes of Kiev.
Despite this, the player characters are unlikely to be arrested on sight. The last time this was attempted — some time ago, now — the PCs escaped, amid an impressive show of magical force; since then, tales of their power have only grown. Objectively, it is quite likely that no one in Novgorod's formal power structure even approaches the PCs' level of personal combat power. It's a certainty that any of the Prince's warriors, Rangers, or court wizards who know who the PCs are, also view them as tremendous threat, and would be loathe to challenge them.
The PCs can, however, expect anyone in Novgorod who identifies them to be extremely reluctant to deal with them, for fear of being accused of aiding enemies of Novgorod. Anyone who does have dealings with the party is likely to report this fact to the Prince's people, hoping for a reward, or at least to be spared any ill consequences. Individuals known to be allies of the PCs may expect to be scrutinized and watched closely.
Miscellaneous
The Novgorod Rangers
Rangers are employed — by the Prince as well as by towns and villages in the principality — to patrol the forests of Novgorod, keeping them safe from bandits, monsters, and foreign infiltrators alike. The rangers of Novgorod are not a single organization, but rather a pervasive tradition — present throughout the principality — of passing down skill in hunting, forestry, and nature lore, via apprenticeship and similar informal means. Rangers often learn their craft from their fathers or uncles; some are taken in as helpers by an older ranger; others take jobs as hired hands, then learn the ranger's craft on the job, later seeking official positions as rangers themselves.
Rangers are an arm of the law in Novgorod (and form a vital part of the principality's defense against incursions), but they usually see themselves as more than mere enforcers of man's laws. It is common among rangers, even those who are not very spiritual, to view themselves as beholden to the natural forces that many of their abilities draw upon; and rangers consider themselves to be in brotherhood with others of their profession, as well. Though the druidic tradition is nearly nonexistent in Novgorod (to say nothing of the other Russian lands), most rangers respect the druids of the northlands, even though they themselves are servants of civilization.
A ranger's duties often include ensuring that hunting and trapping activity in their assigned territory doesn't violate the laws, so rangers pursue poachers and illegal loggers as well as bandits. Rangers may also advise the authorities to whom they report on natural phenomena of concern; organize hunts; and help to pursue fugitives. In times of war, rangers are often called upon to serve as scouts and border watchmen, and to carry out special missions that make use of their unique skills.
Future knowledge
In the dark future (one hundred years hence) to which the PCs inadvertently traveled, Novgorod had been destroyed by the coming of a great ice age, caused by the awakening of the primordial giant, Ymir. The entire principality had been turned into a frozen wasteland where nothing could live; the city of Novgorod itself was an icy ruin, standing on the shore of a permanently frozen Lake Ilmen.
The Skidbladnir
Unless otherwise specified (such as when it's taken on a mission by the PCs), the Skidbladnir (shrouded to make it appear to viewers from below as a cloud) patrols the skies above the principality of Novgorod (especially the western and southwestern regions, including the borders with Kievan and Lithuanian lands), its crew on the lookout for movements of troops, and other unusual goings-on.