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  1. #1
    Site Moderator kgauck's Avatar
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    Kriesha's animals

    Kriesha is listed as being accompanied by wolves, packs of wolves, and the like. But wolves are totems of Reynir, and I'd rather not have wolves as servents of Erik and scions of Reynir as well as Kriesha. If Kriesha's priestesses summon wolves and Reynir's scions can befriend them or even command them, then these make poor tools of the Ice Goddess.

    I have previously used badgers and wolverines for Kriesha. They are a good combat animal companion or summoned ally of nature. The fact that they rage like Vos berserkers is also nice.

    Has anyone else used something other than a wolf for Kriesha? If others have used wolves, how have you dealt with wolves being tied to Reynir? I can imagine this would be less critical in a Vos campiagn, but in a Rjurik campaign scions of Reynir and druids of Erik (often wandering about with wolves of their own) are more common.

    Certainly wolves could be recruited by both sides, but scions of Reynir have a real advantage here, and there is the whole totem of Reynir thing that makes it odd to see wolves serving an hieress of Azrai.

  2. #2
    Badgers and wolverines are terrible for Kriesha. She is not a goddess of rage and passion like Belinik. She is cold, calculating, the planner. Wolves suit her rather well.

    I rather enjoy the standoff that comes from wolves on both sides. Makes a nice scene, with a pack of wolves backing a spellcaster from each religion and then combat erupting.

  3. #3
    Junior Member Sejanus's Avatar
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    You could allways consider letting Krieshan wolves be easily recognized, corrupted in some ways even. Like Tolkien's orcs, they are essentially elves but have been corrupted and mutilated into the terrible race they are.

    Kriesha could use dire wolves, giving Erik domain over the normal non-monstrous breed. They could also be ordinary wolves but more savage, feral and fearsome in appearance, or they could be only white wolves.

    Lastly, the idea of wolves split between two gods, would give Kriesha and Erik a battleground in the natural world eh? Erik as the creating force of nature, Kriesha as the destructive. Wolves, like people, would be split between the two.

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    Site Moderator AndrewTall's Avatar
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    Given her sly calculating nature and tendency to undermine her foes I would say Kriesha should have rats/weasels, crows, and squids (leaving sharks for Belinik? Different breeds for each?). Not so good in a stand up fight but more suited to her imho.

    Erik could have wolf, stag and hawk (I don't see him as having a marine totem - he's very much tied to the land) giving him both predator and prey as sacred - both have a vital role in the cycle of life. An alternative is to give Kriesha the wolf and Erik the bear instead.

    The wolf is admittedly a somewhat odd creature in history, many legends paint it as the blackest of animals for the way that hungry wolves can hunt down people (in myth if rarely in fact) and prey on livestock. The vital role that wolves play in the ecology in keeping down rodents, etc is often overlooked (or unknown - both Rjurik and Vos would see rats aplenty). The communal ordered nature of the pack can also be seen in both a positive and negative light - shepherds rarely see it as positive!

  5. #5
    Site Moderator kgauck's Avatar
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    The suggestion of bear for Erik is particulary intriguing. Early on, the bear was regarded as a king of the beasts in northern Europe.

    Along the lines suggested of having the animals reflect Kriesha herself, perhaps foxes.

    I hadn't thought of making the beast reflect the diety's aspect, perhaps lead astray by the wolf example at start. Perhaps desiring for the minions to be different from the master for a well-rounded combined arms team.

    Where I see the Rjurik rage as being emotional (1) because of the way the Doom is activated, (2) because Laerme, Erik's daughter is the emodiment of passion, and (3) because the Celtic and Viking cognates in play saw the passions at work in human nature. I rather see Vos rage as a summoning of a primeval state (1) because of the long meditation required to induce it in 2e (2) because of the immitation of animals, suggesting an artificial state. So I don't read Belinik and his ragers are passionate, but as calculated and cruel, inducing a fierceness through practice and will. The rage stuff is an aside.

    What other animal experiences are out there for Kriesha, or visa vis Kriesha and Erik?

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    The White Witch in my campaign simply used Worgs or
    Winter Wolves. More powerful than common Wolves, but
    I left Dire Wolves to the realm of Druids of Erik
    because they are still a "natural" animal...just more
    prehistoric in feel.

    I always felt like the White Witch was just the
    reincarnation of that she-witch in Narnia
    anyway...just my take on it.


    Anthony Edwards



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    Administrator Green Knight's Avatar
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    I would be tempted to say worgs; they are cunning and evil, yet undeniably wolfish. Yet I prefer worgs to be in the company of goblins...so I'm not sure.

    Perhaps the best option would be to remove wolves from Rjurik/Reynir? Undeserved it might be wolves have a bad rep and I can easily envision to Rjurik not being overly fond of the furry critters.
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    Bjørn
    DM of Ruins of Empire II PbeM

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    Birthright Developer irdeggman's Avatar
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    Dalor has caught on to the "other" references for wolves associated with Kriesha.

    The Winter Wolves (the special priestesses who serve no temple).

    Kreisha appears as a great wolf with white fur (re: winter wolf?).


    So the great white wolf/winter wolf is a very common theme for her.

    Now in 3.5 a Winter Wolf is a magical beast, which makes it different than a normal wolf.

    I would lean towards her "followers" being winter wolves mixed with some dire wolves. Biggest ones being the winter wolves and the lesser/weaker ones being the dire wolves.
    Last edited by irdeggman; 01-29-2007 at 10:24 AM.
    Duane Eggert

  9. #9
    Site Moderator kgauck's Avatar
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    Whether a wolf is a cool or a terrible beast generally reflects what you are doing. Hunters generally think wolves are cool and seek to emulate their hunting prowess. Farmers, with their large numbers of defenseless herbivoures, generally regard wolves as bad news. I think the wolf-Reynir connection reflects the Rjurik hunting past (and perhaps present). The preference among posters has been for Kriesha and the wolves.

    So I'm insterested then in what to do for Reynir and Erik and the Rjurik. Part of this involves those starting animal companions. Giving up wolves nicely moves wolf into the starting spot for Kriesha, and then upgrades to dire wolf and winter wolf at appropriate levels. So, if bear marks a good mid-level companion and better (starting with black and working up to dire, polar bear, I imaging) what is Erik's starting animal favorite comanion, or companion list look like? Second, which beast should Reynir have his influence with? Or should scions of Reynir have a bonus to Wild Empathy so they have a small advantge with all animals?

  10. #10
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    I think removing the wolf as the animal of Erik is not
    something that should be done. Erik is about Nature,
    and wolves are a "nature"ly animal. Worgs and Winter
    Wolves are more apt for Kreisha because she is evil
    and a perversion of nature...as are they.

    Someone mentioned worgs being with goblins...and that
    is all fine and dandy...but they should still be a
    good option for Kreisha/The White Witch.

    If you still want wolves for Kreisha, just make them
    Fiendish Wolves to represent the perversion she might
    represent in nature.


    Anthony Edwards



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