unsettled

Book I

People settle in villages and towns.
They bring order to their lives and surroundings.
Strict hierarchy and rules apply.
This pleases the Law.

Dark places spread and fold and coil unto themselves.
Like an ever-growing virus.
They make the impermanent.
This pleases Chaos.

Law and Chaos hate each other destructively.
They can only act on their hate through their acolytes.

You led an everyday life.
Not anymore.
You are now unsettled.

People

Arlo Arlo Artea Artea Aspen Aspen Ayrrin Ayrrin Baron Von Betrüger Baron Von Betrüger Beatrix Wightman Beatrix Wightman Brothers Ig Brothers Ig Brunhilda Brunhilda Cai Cai General Cobb General Cobb Daegal Daegal Dick Dale Dick Dale Eira Eira Elisio Thaneveil Elisio Thaneveil Flax Flax Galen and Theron Galen and Theron Dr Prof Garriout Dr Prof Garriout Gunther Gunther Guy Badaud Guy Badaud Harald Harald Hester Hester Hilda Hilda Uncle Indigo Uncle Indigo Jebbo Jebbo Subvicar Jock Subvicar Jock Frade Jonas Wildner Frade Jonas Wildner Kalamos Kalamos Lazlo Lazlo Leth Leth Lord Griffin Lord Griffin Lorenz Lorenz Mateus Mateus Nyx Nyx Obeha Ashenroot Obeha Ashenroot Oswin Oswin Otter Otter Pastor Noonan Pastor Noonan Pela Croftman Pela Croftman Razzy Rabbit Razzy Rabbit Rook Rook Rushd Ibn Ubada Rushd Ibn Ubada Sareh Tallowmere Sareh Tallowmere Seren Seren Slate Slate Soren Soren Kingsguard Steffan Kingsguard Steffan Tarmac Tarmac Theron Theron Thresh Thresh Tia Tia Toram Ashenroot Toram Ashenroot Varg Varg Vihero Vihero Yarrow Yarrow Yewtree Yewtree

Factions

Cult of Filakh Cult of Filakh Gauntlet Gauntlet Highwaymen Highwaymen Piper's Band Piper's Band Kryptwood Crones Kryptwood Crones The Thornless The Thornless Cult of the Serpent Queen Cult of the Serpent Queen Order of Saint Ota Order of Saint Ota Church of the Weeping Mother Church of the Weeping Mother KAW KAW The Sisters The Sisters

Locations

Aelfwin's estate Aelfwin's estate Bandit's Bath Bandit's Bath Blighted Plantation Blighted Plantation Burning Tree Burning Tree Elder Way Monastery Elder Way Monastery Fort Drugar Fort Drugar Fort Duhrin Fort Duhrin Gravenmark Gravenmark Hendenburgh Hendenburgh Hunter's Cabin Hunter's Cabin Middle Waters Middle Waters Mountain Court Mountain Court Nilfenberg Nilfenberg Quarry Quarry Queensweald Queensweald Rabbit's Inn Rabbit's Inn Ruined Church Ruined Church Titan & Ruined Spire Titan & Ruined Spire Smuggler's Copse Smuggler's Copse The Crack The Crack Tyrant's Tomb Tyrant's Tomb Van der Wouden Van der Wouden Wellslode Wellslode Yellow Smoke Yellow Smoke The Wall The Wall Deverain Deverain Terra Perduda Terra Perduda Sigisfarne Sigisfarne Ambaret Ambaret Tomb of Horrors Tomb of Horrors Fever Swamp Fever Swamp Kalduhr Kalduhr Kryptwood Kryptwood Kormoran’s Wheel Kormoran’s Wheel Wyrmbark Wyrmbark Underground Temple Underground Temple Duskmeadow Fringe Duskmeadow Fringe

Folklore

Basajaun Basajaun Blue Men Blue Men Furrykin Furrykin Heavy cloaked grotesque Heavy cloaked grotesque Drowned Ones Drowned Ones Gargoyle Gargoyle Grandfather Rotte Grandfather Rotte Handzies Handzies Hackett Hackett Insect-Centaurs Insect-Centaurs Horned Knight Horned Knight Two heads and another Two heads and another Piot Chant Piot Chant Reptiloids Reptiloids Dryder Dryder Flock of Crows Flock of Crows The Eyeless The Eyeless Finerona Finerona Witch of Nevask Witch of Nevask

Chapters

January 1 Name February 26 The Forgotten Sanctuary March 1 To the Quarry March 6 Finding a Temple March 10 Molemen Pit March 14 Children of Earth March 19 Mockeries of Death March 22 Fairy Trail March 24 Path to Hendenburgh March 30 The Vendetta March 31 Almost Overwhelmed April 9 Animals & Mannequins April 10 Found a Goat April 14 The Last Bath April 27 Witch of Drythwyn Weald May 7 The Rabbit's Inn May 17 Dwindling Monastery May 20 Sinister Court May 21 River Journey May 25 Journey to Hendenburgh May 31 In Hendenburgh June 4 Stealing Organs June 6 The Highwaymen June 8 The Ritual June 10 Ghost of the Tyrant June 17 Impassible West June 28 Tracking Hippareiones July 7 Outsiders? July 15 Don't take the workers July 24 Sleeping Titan July 28 Story Sellers August 1 New Lords August 3 Titanic Awakening August 11 Molemen Slaughters August 19 Mother's Uterus August 29 Path to the Fort September 11 First visit to the swamp September 18 Porcine business September 28 Slaughtered Molemen October 9 Into the Swamp (2nd) October 29 River Floods December 31 Mortunt Celebration November 3 Path to The Wall November 8 Beyond Fort Duhrin November 13 Seeking a Swamp Dragon November 19 The Chair November 27 Mill, Geese & Gold December 3 KAW - Excavation 1 December 11 Swamp Again December 16 First Snow December 24 Swamp December December 25 KAW - Excavation 2 January 4 Wall Incursion 1 January 10 KAW - Excavation 3 January 11 KAW - Excavation 4 January 21 KAW - Excavation 5 January 24 Hexcrawl to Deverain January 29 Wall Incursion 2 February 1 The Anachret February 2 Screaming Princes February 5 Swamp Giant February 10 Farewell Razzy February 18 Folded Spaces February 19 Slaves and Drugs February 20 Ends in Winter

Inspiration

Films

The Green Knight
Gretel & Hansel
Harvest

TTRPGs

Cairn 2e, by Yochai Gal
Trophy Dark, Gold & Loom by Jesse Ross
Mythic Bastionland by Chris McDowall
Wolves of God by Kevin Crawford

System

unsettled is a Cairn 2e campaign.
Cairn 2e’s website and PDF versions are available for free.

Character generation

You may use the character generator provided below.
You may adapt your Description and Bonds sections as you see fit.
Paste a copy of your character and introduce them on the Dramatis Personae channel.
You may choose to roll your character manually instead.

Travel

A Hex takes a Watch to cross.
A Barrier cannot be crossed normally, unless with specific knowledge of a pass. Through a pass, crossing a Barrier takes a Watch.
Travelling through well maintained roads, or downriver, doubles the speed.

Barriers and Landmarks are not normally presented on the map. If someone attempts to travel out of a Hex through a Barrier, they are not able to, but still spend the time. Exploring a Hex takes a Watch and presents all its Landmarks and Barriers, if any.

Roll dice when necessary. Normally d6 (bigger dice for safer regions). Weather affects posterior die sizes. If travelling at Night, or under looming weather, roll for Getting Lost.

       
  Each Watch Each day Getting lost
1 Encounter. Dire weather.
Fatigued unless you stay put.
You can’t rest.
Someone’s food or lights spoil.
You risk getting lost.		 Lost.
Circle back to where started.
2-3 Signs of an encounter. Looming threat.
You risk getting lost.		 Drift.
Left(2) or Right (3).
4+ All clear. Find a Landmark if there is one. Fine weather. Normal progress.

If 2-3 is rolled twice, treat it as a 1.

Downtime

Between sessions, you may take one Downtime Action. Downtime Actions can be used to develop Domain Projects. Some actions and projects require costs to be paid and milestones to be reached, respectively. Roll a d6 (d8 if your background can help you).

   
1 Disaster. You are unsuccessful. You trigger a complication or may lose d6 of an attribute.
2-3 Setback. You are partially successful and suffer a setback (e.g.: fatigue, reputation, loss, inflation).
4+ Success. You are successful. You get excellent results with 6+.

Research, treasure trade, training, carousing, care/recovery, forage/hunt, build, and strengthening community ties are examples of Downtime Actions. Building farms, establishing institutions, developing businesses, running a established business, training retainers are examples of Domain Projects. The lists are not comprehensive; you may propose other actions or projects.