MENURIA

What is this? This is a short, barbarian-focused adventure set on a small fictional continent called Menuria. In principle, it should be playable with any OSR system. However, you will also need a bestiary for your system, as I rarely include monster statistics here. Ideally, of course, your system should have a barbarian class. If not, a fighter will do just as well. In most game systems, barbarians are capable of treating poison wounds, climbing smooth surfaces, and are good at hiding and sneaking. Add these traits to your fighter and you have a barbarian. Much more important to me is the following approach: the old barbarian stories usually take place in eras where one civilisation has just fallen and the seeds of the next are already taking root. In these tales, the barbarians often represent this seed; whilst on the one hand they are wild and critical of civilisation, on the other hand they are usually, without realising it, in the process of bringing a new form of civilisation into the world.

A pacifist approach is rather alien to them; if enough is enough, then enough is enough, and that can be enforced by force of arms if necessary. However, they reject sadism, unjust systems of rule and senseless cruelty, and that, I believe, is the essence of their civilisation.

The word ‘barbarian’ originates from the Roman Empire and translates as ‘the babbler’; it was used as a derogatory term for anyone who was not part of Roman civilisation. This makes it one of the earliest documented racist terms in existence. In many rulebooks, barbarians cannot read or write. I ignore this rule in my games. I do not believe that a lower level of technological development necessarily has to go hand in hand with illiteracy. And when I look at today’s world with all the problems caused by civilisation, I am not sure whether less technology must necessarily mean less wisdom or education. I think you’ll get the most enjoyment out of this game if you develop your barbarians along these lines... it might be worth reading through a few old stories to help with that...

Wafts of smoke hang over the wooden pillars and the torn tarpaulins of what you once called your village. Severed heads carelessly thrown into a heap. Severed heads that were once your brothers and sisters. As if they had never existed. As if all this had been nothing more than a beet harvest. The birds have begun their song in the twilight hours. As if nothing had happened. As if this were a spring day like any other. Only yesterday, the boisterous celebration. The wedding of two young people. Juicy game and fine wine. Dancing and laughter. And then, like a thunderclap, it descended upon you. No superior force of strength, courage or cunning. A superior force of sheer numerical superiority. Beastmen... cowardly, treacherous beastmen... murdering, slaughtering, screeching. Without a word and without mercy... It’s a miracle you survived... Just like Mundrat... except that, unlike you, he passed away an hour ago. The old shaman’s injuries were too severe. He saw where they went. Those bastards. South into the forest. They had three or four prisoners with them too. Probably as fresh meat for their gruesome feast.

But Mundrat told you something else. Something strange. Something disturbing. In his final words, he rambled on about a crystal. Zartos is said to have created it long ago. And he claimed that whatever happened to the crystal would also befall Menuria. And that the crystal was in great distress. It had spoken to him and told him that it was in Mallit. A city of ancient legends. Deep underground, it lay there. But a demon managed to track it down there. Exactly 60 days and nights ago. Since then, the demon has been performing a ritual. A ritual of blood and ash. It will be completed by the end of the year. After that, all the crystal’s energy will have passed to the demon. It is unthinkable what this will mean. There are 100 days left... and not an hour more...

hexcrawl with 11 dungeons, two towns, a gear slot system, and a lot of barbarian stuff on 43 pages...