31 Days of Character Creation #16 – Vaesen

Today’s game is a Norwegian tabletop RPG and I don’t think many people know that Norway has a quite robust ttrpg and larping community. Years I ago I remember reading an article about Norwegian roleplay and learning about a complex Mad Men-inspired LARP someone there designed. So they are doing things a little differently than the most popular games in the States.

Vaesen is a blend of horror, fantasy, and investigation. The game is described on its official website thusly:

In dark forests, beyond the mountains, by black lakes in hidden groves. At your doorstep. In the shadows, something stirs. Strange beings. Twisted creatures, lurking at the edge of vision. Watching. Waiting. Unseen by most, but not by you. You see them for what they really are. Vaesen.

Welcome to the Mythic North – northern Europe of the nineteenth century, but not as we know it today. A land where the myths are real. A cold reach covered by vast forests, its few cities lonely beacons of industry and enlightenment – a new civilization dawning. But in the countryside, the old ways still hold sway. There, people know what lurks in the dark.

Vaesen – Nordic Horror Roleplaying is based on the work of Swedish illustrator and author Johan Egerkrans, Vaesen presents a dark Gothic setting steeped in Nordic folklore and old myths of Scandinavia. The game mechanics use an adapted version of the award-winning Year Zero Engine.

I used random rolls throughout my character creation and came up with someone who has grabbed my attention. I honestly think I may need to play her in a solo campaign. Meet Egli Lindberg the Hunter:

Egli Lindberg’s life took an unexpected turn when she fell in love with a Vaesen named Mälkar. Their love resulted in the birth of two children who carried the blood of both human and monster. But this idyllic life was shattered when Mälkar’s brethren, led by the cruel and cunning Sjorun the Whisperer, deemed the children a threat to their kind. Sjorun orchestrated Mälkar’s murder and abducted the children, intending to raise them as heirs to his dark legacy. Devastated but determined, Egli swore vengeance and began her transformation into a monster hunter.

Over the years, Egli sought out knowledge and allies in her quest. She trained under an eccentric hermit named Bjornvald, a former hunter who taught her the secrets of tracking and combat. Now, decades later, as an old but formidable hunter, Egli continues her relentless pursuit of Sjorun and her children. She’s driven by a fierce maternal love to end Sjorun’s reign of terror.