“Rider Ciara,
I have spoken with the Thing of Zahnhafen, and no ship matching the name and sails you describe has been seen at the port. I find it reprehensible that your ship was waylaid and taken by Kriegerish pirates, but I assure you that the tales of Zahnhafner ships carrying spare sails and re-painting their names to turn pirate by cover of darkness are just that: tales.
You say that my own brother captained the ship you mention, the Würger, I am afraid that is impossible. My brother Luther was lost at sea many years ago, and sings gladly in the Shaper’s halls.
Any further service I can render would be my pleasure.
Dieter Rua
Rider of Lorbeer”
Contents
Who are the Krieger?
Joyous, raucous, and fierce in battle, the Krieger are one of the playable species in Five Oaths. If you’re playing a Krieger, your character likely has an ancestor who raided towns and villages along the western coast of Tirneach, but they are just as likely to be descended from an heroic Kriegerish gallóglaigh who defended the common folk against the evil magic of the Gwyllt. Sometimes those Krieger were one and the same!
The Krieger respect strength and bravery, and will get along best with those who are not afraid to take risks and enjoy life. Krieger believe that the Shaper will reward Krieger (and especially deserving non-Krieger) who live their life to the full by sending them to an afterlife of endless feasting, drinking and war, which they call Glüch.
Krieger are most commonly found in the wilder realms of Bruid and Baol, but nowhere in the Five Realms is so settled and secure that a Kriegerish mercenary could not find work. Of course the Krieger have a not-entirely-undeserved reputation for banditry, piracy and general marauding, but since all Krieger will cheerfully deny any such activity it is hard to prove.
Origins of the Krieger
The Krieger came to Tirneach centuries ago from across the Sea of Fortunes to the west. They came at first as raiders, terrorising the settlements that lay on the western coast. These blue-skinned tusked invaders were terrifying to behold, and soon became notorious for their warcries and laughter in battle. Their victims called them demons, saying that their lust for blood and plunder could only be sated by the end of the world itself. There could be no peace with such people, and bands of militia were raised in the dozens to deal with the threat.
As they clashed with the gallóglaigh, the Krieger grew to understand that the folk of this peninsula were not weaklings after all, and began to respect their warrior prowess. This meant that more and more Krieger made the long journey over the sea in search of glorious battle. Soon they found that there were even better fights to be had in the depths of the forest where the Gwyllt and their creatures dwelled, and many decided to stay. Now the common folk had to fear Kriegerish bandits as well as sea raids. Something had to be done.
The legend that the first Réig travelled alone to the Kriegerish settlement now known as Zahnhafen, challenged their strongest warriors, and defeated them in unarmed combat is surely exaggerated, but in the end the Krieger chieftains swore allegiance to the crown. Many of them were granted lands in Bruid and Baol; lands which they had already occupied for many years. Nowadays they live side by side with their neighbours, never peaceful but often friendly.
Playing a Krieger
As hinted above, to play a Krieger in Five Oaths LRP you will need to don some facepaint. Krieger are blue skinned, in a variety of hues, and their teeth often naturally grow into tusks which is seen as a sign that Krieger has inherited the prowess of their ancestors. All exposed skin should be painted blue. We recommend you use a good moisturiser underneath the facepaint to make it easier to apply and to remove! You can get tusks from lots of costume and LARPing websites, the better products come with a putty you can mould to your teeth. You can use a product like Fixadent to help keep them in your mouth.
In gameplay terms, Krieger are focused on big displays of strength and power. It is very hard to keep a Krieger down. The Back in the Fight Feat allows them to spend 3 Vigour to heal themselves when they become unconscious.
A normal Krieger would probably get a frosty reception in the more civilised parts of the Five Realms. Kriegerish gallóglaigh benefit from the honourable reputation of their position. Some use this to their personal advantage, while others see it as only fair to play by the rules while they are part of a band.
We expect Krieger to be a ton of fun to play, and an integral part of the gallóglaigh band. If you want to play a tough, fun-loving character that can take some hits and dish them out too, playing a Krieger might be the right choice for you!
The Lifespan of Krieger
Average life expectancy: 35-50
Maximum life expectancy: 120
Common causes of death: Drowning, shipwreck, combat.
How Krieger view the other Species
Creidhe: The young are far more fun than the old, I’ve seen one break down a wagon entirely in under 30 seconds.
Drakeblooded: I really wish I could have fought a dragon. They aren’t dragons.
Fathach: Made to fight, it would be more fun if it seemed like they were able to enjoy it. Still a challenge.
Firetouched: They have some excellent ships full of interesting cargo. I mean, had.
Humans: A Krieger soul stuck in a body that can’t fight. Better than most, and always a surprise.
Leasiar: Just because they *can* live longer than me, doesn’t mean they *will*. Especially if they keep talking.
Vartach: They made an entire species to fight for them? So they’re both sneaky and cowardly.
Wildlings: Anyone else brave enough to live in Bruid gets respect from me. Except for the ones who aren’t.
Some Krieger You Might One Day Meet…
Dieter Rua is the Rider of Lorbeer, the Riding that surrounds the great Kriegerish port of Zahnhafen on the western coast of the Realm of Bruid. Dieter is probably the most preeminent Krieger in all the Five Realms, and he takes a hard line with smugglers and bandits that are abroad in his Riding. Some say this is a grand irony, for everyone knows that his brother Luther is a famed pirate…but never too loudly in his hearing.
Friede is a Kriegerish gallóglach in the Band of the Sundered Sword. She wields both blade and magic in the service of the Realms. Most recently her band has been rooting out an infestation of Gwyllt creatures in the Seomnach Valley near the great city of Iomra in the Realm of Siabhal. She originally hails from Bruid, and never believed she would one day see the topless towers of Iomra, but now she has walked down the great boulevards. Although many of the townsfolk would normally look down their noses at Krieger (or anyone they think is from the savage Realm of Bruid), Friede’s status as a gallóglach puts her in an entirely different light.
Flasch is a Krieger in the service of Clann Donnchadha in the Riding of Rathwutend in the Realm of Baol. He wears the plaid of Clann Donnchadha with pride, although he is just as happy to shed the plaid when the time calls for discretion. Rathwutend extends out into Bolb’s Bay, the great estuary that flows from the River Larbha, and the Krieger there view it as their Shaper-given right to take their tribute from traffic to and from the port town of Caladoon. Flasch knows that whether he raids hapless merchants or slays the Gwyllt demons that arise from the depths of the Bay, his every deed brings him one bloody step closer to an eternity of gladness in Glüch, the reward the Shaper reserves for Kriegerish heroes.