The heroes come to Timberholme to investigate a realm which has cut itself off from its neighbors...

Everway was WotC's innovative "systemless" FRPG. Everway proposes PC Heroes as "Spherewalkers" with the power to travel between worlds: it also uses just four characteristics (Fire for combat, Earth for defense, Air for intellect and Water for mysticism) and a deck of cards. There are suggestions for AD&D, Ars Magica, MERP, Pendragon and Runequest later on. The heroes come to Timberholme to investigate a Realm which has cut itself off from its neighbours: other Spherewalkers coming here have disappeared and one of these might have been a friend or loved one.

The Realm of Timberholme

Virtue: Autumn (plenty) - through an ancient Pact, the people of Timberhome have grown wealthy, but at a terrible price.

Fault: Fearing Shadows (unnecessary fear) - the Forest has become evil only because the people of Timberholme have grown to fear it, and through fearing it to hate it. They offer living sacrifices to the shadows of their fear, which the Forest receives, growing more fearsome still.

Fate: The Sacrifice (terrible cost vs higher good) - see below for a description of the Usurper Force. The people of Timberholme are trapped in a cycle of exploitation with the Forest, sacrificing their children for material wellbeing. The people have grown to hate and fear the Forest, but dare not break the pact.

People: Timberholme is a rural peasant society of freemen and serf labourers living in small family groups. The people are of Nordic stock and dress in leather and fur jerkins or woven dresses with leggings. Most are loggers, hunters, trappers and raise small crops or herd pigs. None are warriors, though most can handle the hunting bow, boar-spear or woodman's axe. All are sullen and suspicious and very superstitious, carving protective runes onto everything. This is a wealthy society, but one driven by fear: there is no love or respect between neighbours and no one travels the forest-paths unless they have to.

Craft: The people of Timberholme are skilled carpenters and live in sturdy wooden lodges with intricately carved pillars and beams. Woodcarving is very beautiful, the local style being intricate (and disturbing) knotworks of vines and briars framing scenes of forest life and brutal sacrifice.

Domesticated Animals: Pigs are herded in the forest and goats provide leather and milk. Enormous hounds are raised for hunting stags and boar but horses are almost unknown here.

Deities: The people of Timberholme worship the Aesir, the Norse gods of Asgard. Everyone wears dozens of amulets invoking Thor, Odin or Frey. In reality, people rarely think of the gods except with superstitious cynicism, hoping for good luck or protection. The Forest itself is the true object of their worship and dread.

Rule: The freemen of Timberholme hold a monthly Thing, a parliament where they discuss and resolve problems. All speak as equals, but the real power in the Realm is the shaman Ash.

The Land: Timberholme is a vast forest, surrounded by tall wooded mountains. Fast rivers fall from the mountains and drain through the forest. The village of Timberholme lies in the middle of the wood - the rest of the population live in isolated farms and hamlets. Large areas of the Forest have been cleared by logging, but every year the trees replenish their numbers.

Connections: A Gate connects Timberholme to the heroes' sphere. The people of Timberholme used to trade with other spheres, but since the Pact they have become completely insular (since the Forest now supplies all their needs). No one would consider leaving Timberholme any more, and strangers are viewed with suspicion and treated with little civility.

Usurper: the Sacrifice

Meaning: A Terrible Cost Sacrifice costs us what we value highest: our wealth, our faculties, our lives or those we love most. The sacrifice can be made with resignation or bitterness, but it is inescapable when the need arises.

Reversed: A Higher Good A deeper value can be seen in a sacrifice which leads to a later benefit or blessing to those who come after us. Seen in this light, sacrifice can be embraced or even sought out and turned into something of value in itself.

Correspondences

Sacrifice is tied to Earth, from which we come and to which we return, and to Fire which can destroy or cleanse. It is tied to Saturn as the planet of adversity.

Progress: Entering Timberholme

The Gate transports heroes to a high cliff overlooking the Forest. A trail of smoke identifies the largest settlement in the valley and a broad grassy trail leads down into the woods. It's obvious that no one frequents the Gate or uses the trail much.

While travelling through the Forest, try to convey the sinister, oppressive atmosphere. The trees close in to block out light and the pungent odour of rotting leaves and vegetation is choking. Heroes with Water 5+ will definitely sense they are being watched, as will anyone else who tries to sense energies. Heroes with Water 7+ will sense the terror projected from the Forest and may be overcome by it.

Anyone leaving the trail will quickly be hemmed in by treetrunks and briars and find the route behind them has closed up. This will happen even to heroes with an affinity for woodland travel. Only direct magic or friends back on the trail can get the trapped character out. Any attempt to commune with the trees will meet sullen silence.

Towards nightfall, there is a small cottage beside the trail. The stone construction marks it out as built by strangers, not locals, and the door bears the rune PEORTH, signifying a welcome hearth for travellers to any symbol-literate hero. The hostel is a creepy place, being completely empty, even though a recent meal of honeycomb, fruit and wayloaf is laid out on the table and a couple of pairs of boots (strangers' garb) lie by the beds. Outside, the trees press close against the walls. Anyone opening a shutter will find the window looks straight onto a tree trunk.

Action: The Forest Attacks

Whether heroes stay at the hostel or camp on the trail, the Forest attacks during the night. A number of trees equal to the heroes animate and attack

Animated Trees: Air 1, Water 3, Fire 4, Earth 6

Powers: Oakenhide - the trees are tough, feel no pain and move until chopped to pieces. Though slow, they are relentless and do not tire. They are vulnerable to choppping weapons and will retreat from fire.

The trees grab victims with branches, roots or vines and crush them to their sides, eventually pulling them into the tree itself. They will try to shake down the stone cottage but can't succeed - if the heroes hold out inside they can survive till dawn, whereupon the trees revert to normal. Any Power which controls or communicates with trees will receive the reply: "We don't listen to you anymore!"

Progress: The Empty Village

The next day, the heroes will reach Timberholme Village, only to find the place deserted. Goats and chickens are in the yards, pigs forage under the trees, there are bees in the hives, the larders are stocked and the mill-wheel is turning, but there are no people about. It appears as if the Forest has swallowed them.

The heroes can explore some locations within the Village:-

The Godshall lies just outside the Village, an imposing barn intricately carved with mythological scenes. Inside are wooden statues of the gods. The whole temple has been claimed by the Forest: trees press close to the walls, the gate is choked with thorns and the whole structure covered with ivy, creepers, briars and fungus. A few offerings have been left at the doors, but these are meagre.

Heroes will have to hack their way inside to explore. The temple records are in runes, etched onto ceremonial staves: these record a time of great hardship a generation ago, when game was scarce, winters heavy and crops failed (Air 2+); the arrival of a great holy man who bound the spirits of the forest to serve the people (Air 4+); a Pact signed between the people and the Forest, with child sacrifices in exchange for bounty (Air 6+). The dereliction of the Godshall dates from the time of the Pact.

A newer structure stands on the village green: a tall carved pillar, a stylized representation of the World Tree called an Irminsul. The runes on the Irminsul reiterate the pact between the people of Timberholme and the Forest, that each will give of their bounty to the other. The carvings depict a labyrinth of knotwork, in which perplexed childlike faces peer out of the foliage or the trunks of trees. Water 5+ will detect the strong energies of faith and devotion focussed here, but Water 7+ will identify the underlying fear and hatred in this faith.

The village is obviously wealthy: the houses are of sturdy wood, attractively carved; the livestock are fat, the winter stores well-stocked; the timberyard is full of valuable lumber. Strangely, there is no sign of growth - the houses are all old and there are no recent homes or new buildings.

Trails lead into the forest, most of them obviously lumber-trails. These lead to ugly open spaces where the trees have been levelled, a wasteland of splintered stumps and rotting trunks. Perceptive characters might remark on the waste and devastation here: the site resembles a battlefield rather than a workplace and the carnage suggests great hatred for the Forest. Others might notice the many charms the lumberjacks have set up: poppets dangling from branches, amulets tied to stakes, runes etched into bark. Hatred for the woods combines with superstitious dread.

Another broad trail leads down to the river where logs are floated downstream to be traded with other Realms. The waters are clogged with rotting timber - again, characters may notice much wastage and a profusion of charms and talismans.

There is one inhabitant left in the Village. The girl, Rowan, is normally kept hidden by her parents in the cellar, but when the villagers all go into the woods for the Sacrifice, she lets herself out and scavanges for food. Not expecting anyone to return till night-time, she is careless and wanders about enjoying the sunshine. If she encounters the heroes she'll ceertainly run and hide.

At a dramatic point, the villagers will return and confront the heroes (perhaps while they're chasing Rowan or exploring the Godshall). The heroes will face a crowd of sullen, hostile woodsfolk, armed and aggressive. The villagers will not explain where they have all been (saying "In the Forest") but will grudgingly provide accommodation in a timbershed and a meagre supper. No one admits to knowing anything about vanished Spherewalkers, but they're obviously lying. Heroes may notice another anomaly: there are no other children to be seen in the Village.

More Timberholme

The Realm of Timberholme
Encounters: The Villagers
Riddles and Climax