Suurhirvi, Mysteries of the Taiga

“Blow, blow, thou winter wind, thou art not so unkind as man’s ingratitude
-William Shakespeare, As You Like It

Rated PG-13

The following material contains brief mention of nudity, and may not be appropriate for all groups and/or players. Please do not use this material in a game without approval from the GM as well as the other players.

Playtest Version

This material is still in the process of being playtested. It is fully usable as written, but may be refined or changed in later versions. As always, this content should only be used with GM permission.

The Suurhirvet


Seeing a suurhirvi is not an experience one quickly forgets. These massive denizens of frost-covered regions have wide noses and large pointed ears like a deer’s. Even more impressive than their towering size is the antlers that grow atop their heads regardless of gender. Having no natural need for clothing, they instead adorn themselves with strange symbols painted or dyed into their fur in brilliant hues. The designs of these symbols are intuitive to the suurhirvi applying them and they are changed regularly. Despite this, when preparing for danger, they have no objections to wearing armor (which they likewise paint with symbols) and, should nudity prove inconvenient to interacting with other folk, they will fashion crude loincloths, wraps, or other such basic garments from animal hides, tree bark, or other natural materials.

In Tune with Nature

While not native to the fey realms, suurhirvet seem to have a strong connection to the natural power of those realms, especially relating to boreal environments. This leads many sages to consider them a form of fey anyway. Those who attain great power often become even more difficult to distinguish from typical fey creatures, and legends attest to at least one who has ascended to the status of archfey. The Bearer of the Glacier Crown, as that individual has come to be known known, is said to have power over periods of twilight, changes of weather, and those who defy categorization. They have refused to take a place in an existing fey court and instead sometimes serves as a neutral envoy between them.

Totemic Figures

Many outlander tribes view the suurhirvet as mighty nature spirits given physical form, and will seek them out to either propitiate them with offerings or request advice or divinations in order to ensure good hunting or success in battle. Within more urbanized settlements suurhirvet—especially spellcasters—tend to be viewed as mysterious visionaries, the subject of equal parts superstition and nervous curiosity. Suurhirvet generally do not dispute such claims about themselves or their people, as they know they have some supernatural ties to nature and view their own nature in spiritual regards through a unique perspective that is not easily comprehended by beings lacking a fey nature. They find it vexing and ineffective to try to explain the concepts to such beings. As such they usually find the beliefs of other beings about them to be tolerable approximations, and will play along to whatever degree necessary to ensure productive contact.

Suurhirvi Names

Each suurhirvi has three names—often but not always a mix of masculine, feminine, and androgynous names. In a complex and opaque system of context that the suurhirvet have not been able to teach to other folk, the number and sequence of these three names used in a situation changes. To a suurhirvi, it is simply immediately obvious how many and in what order a suurhirvi’s names should be used in any given situation. To other folk, it proves entirely unpredictable, even if recorded and studied for patterns.

Example Androgynous Names: Áilu, Ale, Hanne, Hvedrungr, Grindalokki, Ilmatar, Inge, Loptr, Luku, Manu, Mahria, Mille, Niikka, Stormr, Vanja, Vieno, Ymir

Example Masculine Names: Aallaz, Aslaeikr, Bierdna, Coavva, Ensio, Ilmarinen, Joukahainen, Juoska, Kaapro, Mielat, Otso, Pyry, Risto, Sten, Taisto, Temm, Vainamoinen

Example Feminine Names: Aja, Arnbjorg, Bóthildr, Ea, Eija, Giera, Hilja, Kyllikki, Lumi, Minttu, Päivi, Pihla, Satu, Seara, Tellervo, Tora, Unni


New Species: Suurhirvi

    Common Personality Traits: Visionary, alien, vexed by but tolerant of non-fey
    Common Physical Traits: Towering, thick-limbed, occult body paint designs, minimal clothing made from unworked materials
    Type: Large (2×2) biped fey with a Reach of 1. Your maximum wounds equal your Constitution score x 1.5 (rounded down).

  • Attributes: -2 Dexterity
  • Base Speed: 40 ft.
  • Cold-Based: You gain Cold Protection IV (ignoring all Extreme Cold effects). (Extreme conditions rules can be found [here])
  • Natural Attack: You gain the Gore I natural attack (see FC, page 235). If you gain a natural attack from multiple sources, the attack’s grade becomes equal to the highest single grade + 1 per additional benefit granting the same attack, to a maximum of V (e.g. Bite IV, Bite III, and Bite I become Bite V).
  • Frost Antlers: You may convert your unarmed damage to cold damage without suffering the normal -4 attack penalty.
  • Frigid Aura: Any area within 10 feet of you decreases to 10 degrees colder than its natural temperature, returning to normal only after 10 minutes of being unaffected. You can suppress or resume this effect without an action, but you cannot suppress it while unconscious or maintaining concentration on a spell. The decrease in temperature does not stack due to multiple suurhirvet nor due to returning to an already-affected area.
  • Wild Spirit: You gain 1 skill point each time you gain a permanent Spellcasting or Terrain feat.
  • From Out of Town: Your error range increases by 2 when making Blend and Haggle checks opposed by characters of other species.
  • Damage Vulnerability: You suffer 1 additional damage per die from fire damage and are sickened for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 any fire damage taken (rounded down). If you suffer continuous fire damage — such as from the environment — you are sickened until you escape the source of the damage.

Legal Appendix

NOTICE OF OPEN GAME CONTENT
This product includes Open Game Content that may only be used under and in terms of the Open Game License Version 1.0a

DESIGNATION OF PRODUCT IDENTITY
Product Identity in this document designated in accordance with section 1(e) of the Open Game License, version 1.0a includes but is not limited to: Any and all Malachite Idol logos and identifying marks and trade dress, including all Malachite Idol product and product line names including but not limited to Malachite Idol Presents, all Malachite Idol logos, and all artwork, logos, symbols, designs, depictions, illustrations, maps and cartography, likenesses, and poses. Designated Product Identity is not Open Game Content.

DESIGNATION OF OPEN GAME CONTENT
All material in this document following the Playtest Version sidebar and prior to the Legal Appendix that is not otherwise designated as Product Identity is Open Game Content.

LICENSE

OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a

The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. 1. Definitions: (a)”Contributors” means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)”Derivative Material” means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) “Distribute” means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)”Open Game Content” means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) “Product Identity” means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) “Trademark” means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) “Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) “You” or “Your” means the licensee in terms of this agreement.

2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License.

3.Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License.

4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, nonexclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content.

5.Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License.

6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute.

7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity.

8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content.

9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License.

10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.

11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so.

12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected.

13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.

14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.

15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, LLC.

Open Game License v1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Rules Document Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

Spycraft Espionage Handbook, Copyright 2002, Alderac Entertainment Group, Inc.; Authors Patrick Kapera and Kevin Wilson.

Spycraft 2.0 Rulebook, Copyright 2005, Alderac Entertainment Group, Inc.; Authors Alexander Flagg, Scott Gearin, and Patrick Kapera.

Fantasy Craft Rulebook, Copyright 2009, Crafty Games LLC; Authors Alexander Flagg, Scott Gearin, and Patrick Kapera.

Suurhirvi, Mysteries of the Taiga Copyright 2019-2021, Malachite Idol; Author Patrick Johnson.

END OF LICENSE