Mythic Folk

The Elder Races of Glorantha are identified as such because they pre-date the appearance of humans in the world. Elder Races include many small, strictly local, or otherwise insignificant creatures. Those powerful enough to dominate significant parts of the world are elves, dwarfs, trolls, merfolk, dragonewts, and broos.

Unlike humans, who may have any Rune as their primary Runic association, all Elder Races have an indelible and innate connection to a certain Rune or Runes.

Elf (Hidden People)

The mysterious hidden people are elves who live alongside the Norse settlers of Iceland.

Characteristics

STR	CON	SIZ	DEX	INT	POW	CHA
12	11	12	12	15	15	14

Hit Points: 11	Magic Points: 14
Damage Modifier: -	Move: 10

Armor: None
Skills: Charm 55%, Craft (Carpentry) 45%, Dodge 40%, Farming 50%, First Aid 70%, Hide 70%, Prophecy 70%, Speak Other Language (Norse) 40%, Spot Hidden 65%, Survival 60%, Swim 50%, Track 60%.

Powers

Dispel (60%): Eliminates effects of magic. Magic Point Cost: 9.

Light (100%): Illuminates a circle 3 meters (10 feet) in diameter for each magic point spent.

Resistance (50%): Each magic point spent provides 1 point of resistance against damage from extreme temperatures.

Curse (80%): A magical curse can be placed on any living creature. Common effects include turning someone into an animal or stone, causing blindness, etc. An escape clause that completely dispels the magical effects must always be part of a curse; it must be something difficult to accomplish but within the realm of possibility and must be announced to the victim when the spell is cast. The victim cannot resist the curse, but it can be dispelled by anyone with the Dispel power or by a runemaster capable of creating a five-rune magical script that dispels magical effects. Each use of this power costs 1 permanent point of POW.

Become Visible to Humans (80%): This power allows elves to become visible to humans. Magic Point Cost: 3 per hour.

Speak in Dreams (70%): This spell allows the caster to enter someone’s dreams and communicate with them inside the dream. The caster must be within 30 km (19 miles) of the target.

Notes: Hidden people do not commonly use weapons in combat. When needing to defend themselves, they always resort to magic, especially curses. They do use weapons, however, for hunting birds and seals, just as humans do.

Weapon	%	Damage
Long Spear	65%	1D8+1+1D4
Bow	60%	1D6+1

Hit Location	D20	Armor/HP
Right Leg	01-04	1/4
Left Leg	05-08	1/4
Abdomen	09-11	1/4
Chest	12	1/5
Right Arm	13–15	1/3
Left Arm	16–18	1/3
Head	19–20	0/4

Jötunn

The jötunn, also called giants or frost giants, are mythic creatures with superhuman strength. They often stand in opposition to the gods but also mingle and intermarry with them. The jötunn’s homeland is Jötunheimur, one of the nine worlds that hang from the branches of Yggdrasil, the World Tree.

These jötunn immigrated to Miðgarður long ago, when the world of giants was thrown into anarchy by the death of its ruler, King Þrymur. King Þrymur attempted to extort the gods into allowing him to marry the goddess Freyja by stealing Þór’s hammer. He met his demise when his plan was foiled by the knowledge of Heimdallur, the cunning of Loki, and the strength of Þór.

The few jötunn remaining in Iceland live in solitude, either in halls inside cliffs or in caves. They prefer to keep to themselves in their highland mountain homes. Larger and more intelligent than. trolls, some are known to show kindness and wisdom to those who befriend them.

A few jötunn are powerful magic users and are usually rulers among their folk.

Characteristics

STR	CON	SIZ	DEX	INT	POW	CHA
36	28	60	24	23	14	10

Hit Points: 42	Magic Points: 23
Damage Modifier: +5D6	Move: 16

Armor: 2-point thick skin, plus 2-point leather armor.
Skills: Dodge 30%, Spot Hidden 60%.

Powers

Beauty: Some jötunn are unusually attractive. Many great heroes, and even gods, have fallen in love with giants.

Create Blizzard: A jötunn can create a fierce snowstorm that lasts for 10 minutes for every magic point invested in this power.

Size Change: A jötunn can reduce its size and appearance to that of an average person and be completely indistinguishable from a human.

Note: A jöttun can make two attacks per melee round, the second on ½ their DEX rank (round up).

Weapon	%	Damage
Club	60%	3D6+5D6
Kick/Stomp	45%	1D6+5D6
Thrown Rock	45%	2D6+2D6

Hit Location	D20	Armor/HP
Right Leg	01-04	4/15
Left Leg	05-08	4/15
Abdomen	09-11	4/15
Chest	12	4/18
Right Arm	13–15	4/11
Left Arm	16–18	4/11
Head	19–20	4/15

Merfolk

These creatures have the upper body of a human and the lower body of a seal, with large heads and broad hands.

Merfolk live along the southern coast of Iceland in undersea homes built out of coral. They subsist by hunting fish and other sea creatures, farming seaweed, and milking sea cattle.

Characteristics

STR	CON	SIZ	DEX	INT	POW	CHA
15	13	9	13	10	10	10

Hit Points: 13	Magic Points: 10
Damage Modifier: -	Move: 15 (swimming)

Armor: 3-point thick skin from the waist down.
Skills: Dodge 20%, Hide 70%, Spot Hidden 45%.

Powers

Reveal Truth: Facts that are hidden to most people are clear to the eyes of the merfolk, who can instinctively see the true intention of individuals, hidden treasures, etc.

Absolute Prophecy: Merfolk can predict the future with absolute accuracy, but this power comes with a heavy price, costing 1 permanent point of POW per use.

Weapon	%	Damage
Fist	50%	1D3
Long Spear	45%	1D10+1

Hit Location	D20	Armor/HP
Tail	1–06	3/5
Abdomen	07–11	3/5
Chest	12	0/4
Right Arm	13–15	0/3
Left Arm	16–18	0/3
Head	19–20	0/4

Sealskin

Sealskins, sometimes called selkies, are intelligent seals that live along the Icelandic coast and can turn into humans by removing their seal skin. When in human form, they are stunningly beautiful. Their seal skins are family treasures, handed down from parents to children.

It is said that stealing the skin of a sealskin while they are in human form will cause the selkie to become the thief’s devoted spouse. However, if a sealskin recovers their stolen skin, they will eagerly transform back into their original form and disappear into the sea, regardless of how long they have lived on land.

Characteristics

STR	CON	SIZ	DEX	INT	POW	CHA
9	10	9	17	13	14	18

Hit Points: 10	Magic Points: 13
Damage Modifier: -	Move: 10/12 (swimming)

Armor: -, or per armor worn.
Skills: Dodge 50%, Spot Hidden 80%, Swim 100%.

Powers

Shapeshift: A sealskin’s natural shape is that of a seal, but they can change into human form by removing their seal skin. If the skin is lost, a sealskin can never revert to its seal form; it must spend the remainder of its life as a human.

Weapon	%	Damage
Fist	50%	1D3

Hit Location	D20	Armor/HP
Right Leg	01-04	0/4
Left Leg	05-08	0/4
Abdomen	09-11	0/4
Chest	12	0/5
Right Arm	13–15	0/3
Left Arm	16–18	0/3
Head	19–20	0/4

Troll

Icelandic trolls live in mountains, caves, and cliffs—especially the seabird cliffs. Like humans, they live together socially in small groups or as family units. They fish, cultivate land, and keep giant versions of farm animals.

Although considered by humans to be fearsome and cruel creatures, they often live in harmony with their neighbors inside mountains near human farms. They treat people as they are treated, returning favors for favors, but will exact vengeance if harmed.

Trolls are nocturnal creatures. They will turn to stone if exposed to sunlight. Many of the strange rock formations rising above mythic Iceland’s lava plains are trolls that were accidentally turned to stone by the morning sun. The animals they keep are also nocturnal and susceptible to the same fate. A dead troll always turns to stone.

An average Icelandic troll stands 3 meters (10 feet) tall, but a few can be much bigger. For very large trolls reaching SIZ 40, change the following characteristics by adding 10 extra hit points and change the damage modifier to +3D6.

Characteristics

STR	CON	SIZ	DEX	INT	POW	CHA
25	18	38	7	9	10	4

Hit Points: 23	Magic Points: 19
Damage Modifier: +2D6	Move: 8

Armor: 2-point thick skin.
Skills: Dodge 30%, Hide 40%, Move Silently 30%, Spot Hidden 60%, Track 50%.

Powers

High Stamina: Trolls do not lose consciousness or become incapacitated by damage. They fight until slain.

Night Vision: Can see perfectly in the dark.

Regeneration: Trolls regenerate 2 hit points per combat round unless that damage was done by fire.

Weapon	%	Damage
Fist Smash	40%	1D6+2D6
Club	50%	1D8+2D6
Thrown Rock	20%	1D10+2D6

Hit Location	D20	Armor/HP
Right Leg	01–04	2/8
Right Leg	05–08	2/8
Abdomen	07–11	2/8
Chest	12	2/9
Right Arm	13–15	2/7
Left Arm	16–18	2/7
Head	19–20	2/8