Axlar-Björn

Medium Humanoid, Neutral Evil

Armour Class: 14
Initiative: +2
Hit Points: 91 (14d8 + 28)
Speed: 30 ft.
Proficiency Bonus: +3

Saving Throws: Str +7, Con +5, Wis +5
Skills: Athletics +7, Deception +4, Insight +5, Intimidation +4, Perception +5, Stealth +5, Survival +5
Senses: Passive Perception 15
Languages: Icelandic or local northern tongue; enough trade speech to deal with travellers
Challenge: 5

Traits

Guest-Killer’s Patience. Björn has Advantage on Charisma (Deception) checks made to appear harmless, hospitable, practical, helpful, or merely suspicious rather than openly guilty.

Farmstead Advantage. While inside Öxl Farmstead, its outbuildings, yard, byre, sheds, storage pits, animal pens, smoke loft, guest room, or prepared nearby paths, Björn has Advantage on Dexterity (Stealth), Wisdom (Perception), and Wisdom (Survival) checks.

Hard to Accuse. If Björn has not been caught with direct evidence, local witnesses are reluctant to accuse him openly. Charisma checks made to rally public action against him have Disadvantage unless the characters present a body, stolen property, a surviving witness, a confession, or at least three strong clues.

Murderer’s Routine. Björn has Advantage on attack rolls against a creature that is Surprised, Restrained, Unconscious, Poisoned, asleep, isolated from allies, or unaware that Björn is hostile.

Actions

Multiattack. Björn makes two attacks with his Axe or Knife.

Axe. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 11 (1d12 + 4) Slashing damage, or 13 (1d12 + 6) Slashing damage if Björn has Advantage on the attack roll.

Knife. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target.
Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) Piercing damage.

Butcher’s Grapple. Melee Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one Medium or smaller creature.
Hit: The target is Grappled, escape DC 15. Until the Grapple ends, Björn can drag the target without reducing his speed if the target is Incapacitated, Poisoned, Prone, or Unconscious.

Silence the Witness. Björn makes one Knife attack against a creature he is Grappling. On a hit, the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be unable to speak above a whisper until the end of its next turn.

Bonus Actions

Close the Door. Björn shuts, bars, latches, or obstructs a nearby door, gate, trapdoor, animal pen, shed entrance, or storage hatch. A creature can force it open with a successful DC 15 Strength check, or DC 18 if Björn prepares the obstruction before combat.

Into the Weather. If Björn is within 10 feet of an exit, wall gap, stable door, slope, ditch, or exposed threshold, he moves up to half his Speed without provoking Opportunity Attacks from one creature he damages this turn.

Reactions

Not Here, Not Now. When a creature misses Björn with a melee attack, Björn moves 5 feet and attempts to unbalance the attacker. The attacker must succeed on a DC 15 Strength or Dexterity saving throw or fall Prone or be pushed 5 feet, Björn’s choice.

Grímsnout, Corpse-Fed Boar

Medium Beast, Unaligned

Armour Class: 13
Hit Points: 45 (6d8 + 18)
Speed: 40 ft.

Skills: Perception +3
Senses: Passive Perception 13
Challenge: 2

Traits

Blood-Scented Rage. Grímsnout has Advantage on attack rolls against a creature that is Bloodied, Prone, Restrained, or has taken Piercing or Slashing damage since the start of its last turn.

Muddy Pen. A creature that enters Grímsnout’s pen or starts its turn there must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or fall Prone if it moves more than 10 feet that turn.

Actions

Tusks. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) Slashing damage. If the target is Prone or Restrained, it takes an extra 7 (2d6) Slashing damage.

Boar Rush. If Grímsnout moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and hits it with Tusks on the same turn, the target must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or fall Prone.

Ketill the Yard-Hand

Medium Humanoid, Neutral Evil

Armour Class: 13
Hit Points: 52 (8d8 + 16)
Speed: 30 ft.

Skills: Athletics +5, Intimidation +3, Stealth +3
Senses: Passive Perception 10
Languages: Icelandic or local northern tongue
Challenge: 2

Traits

Björn’s Heavy Hand. Ketill has Advantage on Strength checks made to Grapple, Shove, drag, or restrain a creature while he is inside Öxl Farmstead.

Breaks Before Björn. Ketill has Disadvantage on saving throws against being frightened, magically compelled to tell the truth, or intimidated once separated from Björn.

Actions

Hooked Bill. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) Slashing damage.

Drag to the Pen. Ketill makes a Grapple attempt. If he succeeds, he moves the target up to 10 feet toward a door, pit, pen, or shed entrance.

Rannveig of Öxl

The woman who keeps the hearth burning in a house where she knows people have died.

Name: Rannveig of Öxl
Role in Play: Frightened household witness, keeper of hidden domestic evidence, morally compromised survivor
Associated Place: Öxl Farmstead
Connection to Björn: Senior woman of the household; fears him, obeys him, and knows more than she dares say
Connection to the Investigation: Holds the torn blue cloak clasp that proves a missing traveller reaches Öxl
Default Attitude: Guarded, frightened, watchful
Best Use: Witness protection, moral pressure, indirect warning, household clue delivery
Combat Role: Minimal; she protects others, opens doors, distracts attackers, and survives rather than fights

Rannveig is not Björn’s partner. She is the senior woman of Öxl Farmstead, a frightened householder who keeps the fire lit, prepares meals, washes boards, watches doors, and knows that travellers have died under the roof she maintains.

She has lied, cleaned, hidden, obeyed, and survived. She knows Björn is guilty. She knows Ketill helps him. She knows where some evidence is hidden. She knows which clothing does not belong to the dead man Björn claims never arrived. She also knows that open accusation gets women, servants, and frightened witnesses killed before the law reaches the farm.

Rannveig is morally compromised, but she is not Ketill. She does not enjoy cruelty. She is trapped by fear, dependence, isolation, and the belief that no one outside Öxl will save her unless they already have proof.

In 5.5e play, use Rannveig as a witness, clue-bearer, and fragile moral pressure point. She does not defeat Björn in combat. She makes his denial harder to maintain.

Medium Humanoid, Neutral

Armour Class: 11
Initiative: +1
Hit Points: 18 (4d8)
Speed: 30 ft.
Proficiency Bonus: +2

Saving Throws: Wis +4
Skills: Insight +4, Medicine +4, Perception +4, Persuasion +3, Sleight of Hand +3, Stealth +3
Senses: Passive Perception 14
Languages: Icelandic or local northern tongue
Challenge: 1/4

Traits

Keeper of the Hearth. While inside Öxl Farmstead, Rannveig has Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Wisdom (Insight) checks.

Knows Where Things Are Hidden. Once per scene, if Rannveig is willing to help, she can identify one hidden object, concealed stain, stolen item, loose floorboard, hidden latch, hidden key, suspicious bundle, or recently cleaned surface inside Öxl Farmstead. She does this indirectly while Björn, Ketill, or Þorleifur can threaten her.

Terrified Witness. Rannveig has Disadvantage on Charisma checks made to openly accuse Björn while Björn, Ketill, or Þorleifur is present or able to retaliate. This Disadvantage ends if the party protects Sigríðr, separates Ketill from Björn, presents strong proof, or physically removes Rannveig from Björn’s reach.

Compromised Survivor. A creature that bullies, shames, or publicly accuses Rannveig before protecting her has Disadvantage on Charisma checks made to gain her help. A creature that speaks to her privately, names a missing victim, protects Sigríðr, or treats her as a frightened witness has Advantage on one Charisma (Persuasion) check made to draw out a clue.

Actions

Kitchen Knife. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) Piercing damage.

Ash in the Eyes. Rannveig throws hearth ash, flour, smoke grit, or dirty water at one creature within 5 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or have Disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.

Bonus Actions

Unlatch the Way. Rannveig quietly opens, loosens, or leaves unbarred one nearby door, shutter, chest, interior latch, pantry door, guest-room bar, or shed catch. A character who notices this can use the opening without making a check.

Reactions

Stand Between. When Sigríðr or Oddr within 5 feet of Rannveig is targeted by an attack, Rannveig imposes Disadvantage on the attack roll by stepping into the attacker’s path. If the attack still hits, Rannveig takes half the damage dealt to the original target.

Using Rannveig in 5.5e Play

Rannveig helps through small actions, not heroics. She leaves the guest-room latch unbarred, warns a character not to sleep by the outer wall, hides evidence where the party can find it, distracts Ketill for a moment, or confirms that Björn knows more than he admits.

She does not confess everything at once. She gives warnings first. If the party threatens her in front of Björn, Ketill, or Þorleifur, she denies everything. If they protect Sigríðr, show proof tied to a named victim, or speak to her away from the household’s men, she becomes the first adult in the farm to help them.

Locked 5.5e Clue: The Torn Blue Cloak Clasp

Rannveig has hidden a damaged blue cloak clasp taken from wash water after one of Björn’s killings. Björn claims the missing traveller never reached Öxl, but the clasp proves the traveller was inside the household.

Rannveig gives the clasp to the party only after one of the following happens:

• The party protects Sigríðr from Ketill.
• The party names the missing traveller and treats him as a person, not a rumour.
• The party finds another strong clue inside the farm.
• The party privately promises to remove Rannveig and Sigríðr from Björn’s reach.

A character who receives the clasp and succeeds on a DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Insight) check understands that Rannveig is not merely giving them an object. She is asking whether they can protect her before she speaks.

Sigríðr, the Servant-Witness

The farm’s most endangered truth: young enough to be ignored, observant enough to know, and frightened enough to stay silent until someone proves they can protect her.

Sigríðr is the most vulnerable witness at Öxl Farmstead. She is young, overworked, frightened, and observant in the way only a servant becomes observant: she knows who eats late, who washes in the dark, which boards creak, which doors are barred from the outside, and when the dogs are fed at hours that make no household sense.

She knows Björn is dangerous. She knows Ketill carries sacks that move wrongly. She knows Rannveig is afraid. She sees Björn remove boots, belts, knives, and other useful goods from a guest’s pack before dawn. She wants to speak, but she believes speaking gets her killed.

Use Sigríðr as a fragile witness, clue-bearer, and moral test. She is not a combatant, assistant, or follower. If the party bullies her, she shuts down. If they protect her, she can break the case open.

Medium Humanoid, Neutral Good

Armour Class: 11
Initiative: +1
Hit Points: 9 (2d8)
Speed: 30 ft.
Proficiency Bonus: +2

Saving Throws: Wis +4
Skills: Insight +4, Perception +4, Sleight of Hand +3, Stealth +3
Senses: Passive Perception 14
Languages: Icelandic or local northern tongue
Challenge: 0

Traits

Servant’s Ears. While inside Öxl Farmstead, Sigríðr has Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing. She recognises ordinary household sounds and can tell when a door, animal, footstep, tool, or floorboard sounds wrong.

Knows the Night Pattern. If Sigríðr is willing to help, she can identify one movement pattern inside the farm: when Ketill leaves his bed, when Björn checks the guest room, when the dogs are fed, when Grímsnout becomes restless, or which door opens after midnight.

Terrified but Truthful. Sigríðr has Disadvantage on Charisma checks made to speak openly while Björn, Ketill, or Þorleifur is present or able to retaliate. This Disadvantage ends if the party protects her from Ketill, physically removes her from Björn’s reach, or gains Rannveig’s open support.

Breaks Under Bullying. If a creature intimidates, threatens, corners, or publicly interrogates Sigríðr, she must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or become Frightened of that creature for 1 minute. While Frightened in this way, she gives no useful testimony unless magically compelled.

Trust the Gentle Voice. A creature that speaks to Sigríðr privately, lowers itself to her level, returns a stolen keepsake, protects Rannveig, names a missing traveller, or removes Ketill from the room gains Advantage on one Charisma (Persuasion) check made to earn her trust.

Actions

Small Knife. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) Piercing damage.

Flee to the Hearth. Sigríðr Disengages and moves up to half her Speed toward Rannveig, the hearth, an exit, a hiding place, or a character who has protected her.

Bonus Actions

Point Without Speaking. Sigríðr silently points, glances, drops an object, taps a floorboard, or shifts her gaze toward one nearby clue, door, person, or hiding place. A character who can see her understands the signal with a successful DC 11 Wisdom (Insight) check, or automatically if that character has already earned her trust.

Reactions

Stifled Cry. When Sigríðr sees Björn, Ketill, or Grímsnout move toward a hidden, isolated, or vulnerable creature, she makes a small sound of alarm. One creature within 30 feet that can hear her gains Advantage on its next Wisdom (Perception) check or Initiative roll before the end of its next turn.

Using Sigríðr in 5.5e Play

Sigríðr is not a puzzle dispenser. She is the farm’s most endangered truth.

She helps through tiny, frightened actions. She points to the wrong floorboard. She drops a scrap of blue thread where the party can see it. She whispers, “Ketill walks after midnight.” She refuses to enter the byre alone. She knows which dog barks at buried things. She hears a guest begging beneath the floor. She sees Björn remove boots from a pack before dawn.

She does not give a full accusation while Björn or Ketill can punish her. If the party protects her, separates Ketill from Björn, finds Rannveig’s cloak clasp, or proves that Rannveig is also willing to help, Sigríðr becomes the witness who confirms the farm is not merely suspicious. It is murderous.

Do not make her brave too quickly. Her fear is part of the scene’s truth. The party earns her testimony by making the farm safer than silence.

Locked 5.5e Clue: The Begging Beneath the Floor

Sigríðr’s locked clue is the sound she hears from beneath the byre floor.

One night, after a guest disappears from the outer room, Sigríðr hears a muffled voice begging below the boards near the byre pit. She hears Ketill tell the person to be quiet. She hears Björn say, “No one waits for him.”

Sigríðr gives this testimony only after one of the following happens:

• The party protects her from Ketill.
• Rannveig tells her it is safe to speak.
• The party finds the torn blue cloak clasp.
• The party discovers the byre pit or another strong clue.
• The party physically removes her from Björn’s reach.

A character who hears Sigríðr’s testimony and succeeds on a DC 13 Wisdom (Insight) check understands that she is describing something she directly heard, not repeating rumour. A successful DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check made in the byre identifies the most likely boards above the pit.

5.5e Table Notes

Sigríðr should not be punished by the narrative for being frightened. Her silence is not stupidity. It is survival.

A party that protects her should gain access to the farm’s hidden truth earlier. A party that frightens her should still be able to solve the investigation, but with more delay, more risk, and fewer warnings before Björn and Ketill act.

Oddr, the Young Farmhand

Oddr is the farmhand who wants Björn to be merely harsh, because if Björn is evil, Oddr has helped evil move through the yard.

Oddr is the youngest working hand at Öxl Farmstead. He is not a child. He is old enough to split wood, lift sacks, mind animals, carry water, sleep in the cold, and obey hard orders from harder men. He is also young enough to need Björn’s approval and frightened enough to accept Ketill’s explanations.

Oddr admires Björn’s strength and fears Ketill’s temper. He tells himself that men leave, storms kill, poor workers run from debt, and travellers lie. He has carried sacks without asking what is inside. He has seen Björn reuse a dead man’s belt. He has watched Ketill wash tools after midnight. He has helped move things through the yard and chosen not to think about their weight.

Oddr is not a murderer. He is not innocent in a clean way either. He is the farmhand whose ignorance is beginning to crack.

Use Oddr as a defensive, confused witness. He starts by protecting the household story. He changes only when the missing person becomes real: a name, a belt, a horse mark, a tool, a body, or Sigríðr’s testimony about the voice beneath the floor.

Medium Humanoid, Neutral

Armour Class: 12
Initiative: +1
Hit Points: 16 (3d8 + 3)
Speed: 30 ft.
Proficiency Bonus: +2

Saving Throws: Con +3
Skills: Animal Handling +2, Athletics +3, Perception +2, Survival +2
Senses: Passive Perception 12
Languages: Icelandic or local northern tongue
Challenge: 1/8

Traits

Knows the Yard. While inside Öxl Farmstead, Oddr has Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Wisdom (Survival) checks involving animals, tracks, tools, gates, sheds, feed, mud, or recent movement through the yard.

Defensive Loyalty. Oddr has Disadvantage on Charisma checks made to accuse Björn or Ketill while he has not seen personal proof tied to a named victim. This Disadvantage ends if the party shows him a recognisable stolen item, a body, the torn blue cloak clasp, Þorleifur’s ledger, or testimony from Sigríðr that he believes.

Ignorance Cracks. The first time Oddr sees conclusive proof of murder at Öxl, he must make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, he is Frightened of Björn and Ketill for 1 minute. On a success, he immediately tells the party one true thing he has been avoiding. Whether he succeeds or fails, he stops defending the household story if the party does not threaten him.

Not a Killer. Oddr has Disadvantage on attack rolls against any creature that has not attacked him, Björn, Ketill, Rannveig, or Sigríðr during the current scene.

Actions

Wood Axe. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) Slashing damage.

Throw Stone. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target.
Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) Bludgeoning damage.

Halt the Animal. Oddr targets one farm animal, dog, horse, or boar within 30 feet that can hear him. If the creature is not attacking him directly, Oddr makes a DC 12 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check. On a success, the creature hesitates, stops barking, stops advancing, or does not move closer until the start of Oddr’s next turn. This does not work on Grímsnout once the boar has taken damage or smelled blood.

Bonus Actions

Point Out the Yard. Oddr points out one nearby track, gate, tool, rope, animal path, disturbed patch of mud, fresh boot print, moved feed sack, or recently shifted object. One creature that can see and hear him gains Advantage on its next Wisdom (Perception), Intelligence (Investigation), or Wisdom (Survival) check involving that feature before the end of its next turn.

Reactions

Flinch from Truth. When a creature presents proof of murder at Öxl, Oddr moves up to 10 feet without provoking Opportunity Attacks, but only toward Rannveig, Sigríðr, an exit, or a place where he can see the proof more clearly.

Using Oddr in 5.5e Play

Oddr begins as an obstacle, not an ally. He repeats Björn’s explanations because they let him keep living with himself.

He says the missing man must have left. He says Ketill is rough with everyone. He says Björn took the belt because abandoned goods belong to the household. He says the sacks are feed, hides, or spoiled meat. He says the dogs bark at everything. He says the yard always looks like that after rain.

Do not make him clever. Do not make him secretly heroic. Make him ordinary: a young worker who wants the powerful man to be right because the alternative means he has helped evil happen.

Oddr changes when the truth becomes personal. He does not break for abstract accusations. He breaks for a name, a belt, a horse mark, a tool, a body, or Sigríðr saying what she heard beneath the floor.

Once he breaks, he becomes useful in practical ways. He knows which gate Ketill opens after midnight, where tools are washed, which dog avoids the storage pit, which boots came from a traveller, which patches of mud have been turned too often, and where Björn tells him not to dig.

Locked 5.5e Clue: The Dead Man’s Belt

Oddr wears a belt that belonged to a missing traveller.

Björn gives it to him after claiming the traveller left without paying. Oddr believes, or pretends to believe, that abandoned goods become household goods. The belt has a distinctive buckle, repair stitch, family mark, trade badge, or coloured leather tie that a searching relative, travelling companion, or local trader can identify.

The belt is not just evidence. It makes denial personal. Oddr is wearing proof.

Oddr gives up the truth behind the belt only after one of the following happens:

• The party identifies the belt by name or owner.
• Sigríðr confirms the missing traveller never leaves the yard.
• Rannveig produces the torn blue cloak clasp.
• The party finds another personal item from the same traveller.
• Ketill threatens Oddr in front of the party.
• The party privately asks him whether he wants the dead man’s kin to see him wearing it.

A character who confronts Oddr privately with the belt can make a DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion) or Wisdom (Insight) check. On a success, Oddr admits Björn gives him the belt the morning after the traveller vanishes. On a failure, Oddr panics, lies, and tries to return the belt to Björn before anyone else sees it.

5.5e Table Notes

Oddr should not solve the mystery for the party. He confirms the ordinary facts that make Björn’s lies collapse.

A party that treats Oddr as a stupid accomplice loses time. A party that shows him named proof can turn him into a reluctant witness. Once he speaks, the household begins to break.

Oddr does not become brave all at once. His first help should be small: pointing to a gate, admitting a belt was given to him, naming the place where Ketill washes tools, or whispering that Braki will not go near the storage pit.

Braki and Skuggi, the Farm Dogs

The dogs are not evil. They are loyal animals trained to guard a house where terrible things happen.

Braki and Skuggi are Björn’s farm dogs at Öxl Farmstead. They are not monsters, fiends, or supernatural beasts. They are working animals kept in a cruel household, trained to bark at strangers, harry horses, guard sheds, and corner anyone trying to flee across the muddy yard.

Braki is the larger dog: broad, scarred, loud, territorial, and direct. He throws himself at gates, doors, and intruders with a deep bark that wakes the whole farm.

Skuggi is leaner and quieter. He is harder to see in poor light and more dangerous at night. He pads around the edges of the yard, watches from shadows, and appears behind people who think they have slipped away unseen.

Use Braki and Skuggi as pressure, alarm, and control. They are not there to kill adventurers. They make stealth harder, make escape noisier, and force the party to decide whether they can deal with loyal animals without cruelty.

Braki

Medium Beast, Unaligned

Armour Class: 13
Initiative: +1
Hit Points: 18 (4d8)
Speed: 40 ft.
Proficiency Bonus: +2

Skills: Perception +5
Senses: Passive Perception 15
Languages: Understands simple commands from Björn, Ketill, Oddr, and Rannveig
Challenge: 1/4

Braki’s Traits

Alarm Barker. When Braki detects an intruder, hidden creature, opened shed, disturbed animal, unfamiliar scent, or forced latch inside Öxl Farmstead, he barks loudly. Unless silenced, distracted, or calmed within 1 round, all creatures inside the main house, byre, yard, and nearby sheds are alerted.

Guard Dog. Braki has Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell or hearing while inside Öxl Farmstead.

Hold the Yard. Braki has Advantage on attack rolls against a creature that has Dashed, Disengaged, climbed a fence, forced a door, or moved more than 20 feet through the mud since the start of its last turn.

Braki’s Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) Piercing damage. If the target is Medium or smaller and moved more than 20 feet this turn, it must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or fall Prone.

Drive Back. Braki barks, snaps, and lunges at one creature within 5 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or move 5 feet away from Braki if it can do so safely. This movement does not provoke Opportunity Attacks.

Braki’s Bonus Actions

Answer the Whistle. If Björn, Ketill, or Oddr whistles or calls Braki by name, Braki moves up to half his Speed toward that creature or toward a creature that has been pointed out to him.

Skuggi

Medium Beast, Unaligned

Armour Class: 13
Initiative: +2
Hit Points: 14 (4d8 – 4)
Speed: 45 ft.
Proficiency Bonus: +2

Skills: Perception +4, Stealth +4
Senses: Passive Perception 14
Languages: Understands simple commands from Björn, Ketill, Oddr, and Rannveig
Challenge: 1/4

Skuggi’s Traits

Shadow Dog. In dim light, darkness, smoke, heavy rain, sleet, or snow, Skuggi has Advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.

Quiet Alarm. Skuggi does not bark first. When he detects an intruder, he follows, circles, or blocks a route. If the intruder moves toward the locked shed, byre pit, guest room, pig pen, smoke loft, or outer gate, Skuggi barks and alerts the farm.

Hamstring Harrier. Skuggi has Advantage on attack rolls against a creature that is Prone, Restrained, Grappled, climbing, squeezing through a gap, or moving through Difficult Terrain.

Skuggi’s Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) Piercing damage. If the target is moving through Difficult Terrain, its Speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of its next turn.

Circle and Snap. Skuggi chooses one creature within 5 feet. Until the start of Skuggi’s next turn, that creature has Disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks and cannot benefit from being hidden from Skuggi.

Skuggi’s Bonus Actions

Slip Around. Skuggi moves up to half his Speed without provoking Opportunity Attacks from one creature whose Speed is reduced, who is Prone, or who is in Difficult Terrain.

Using Braki and Skuggi in 5.5e Play

The dogs make Öxl Farmstead feel watched.

Braki is the alarm. He wakes the house, blocks obvious movement, and turns stealth into a crisis. Skuggi is the shadow. He follows people who sneak away, cuts off quiet exits, and appears near the places Björn most wants protected.

Do not make the dogs morally equivalent to Björn. They are animals. A party can distract them with food, calm them through Oddr, shut them in a shed, drive them off, or earn a moment of hesitation through Rannveig or Sigríðr. Killing them is possible in danger, but it should feel like a hard choice rather than a heroic moment.

The dogs are most useful when they create consequences without automatically starting combat:

• Braki barks when a character opens the wrong shed.
• Skuggi silently follows a sneaking character across the yard.
• Braki corners a frightened witness without understanding what he is doing.
• Skuggi blocks the way to the byre pit until someone notices why.
• Oddr can briefly calm one dog, but not both, if the farm is already in chaos.
• Rannveig can distract the dogs with scraps if she believes the party will protect Sigríðr.

Locked 5.5e Clue: The Dog That Avoids the Pit

Braki refuses to approach one storage pit near the byre. Skuggi circles it but does not cross the boards.

A character who watches the dogs and succeeds on a DC 13 Wisdom (Animal Handling), Wisdom (Perception), or Wisdom (Insight) check realises the dogs are reacting to something below the boards. Oddr knows Braki has behaved this way since “the blue-cloak man left.” Sigríðr knows the same pit is near the place where she heard begging beneath the floor.

If the party follows the dogs’ behaviour, they can locate the byre pit before forcing a confession.

5.5e Table Notes

Braki and Skuggi should complicate the party’s choices, not punish them for caring about animals.

A careful party can bypass them without bloodshed. A cruel party may silence them quickly but risks frightening Sigríðr, hardening Oddr’s loyalty, and giving Björn a story about violent intruders. A clever party can turn the dogs into evidence by noticing what they guard, what they avoid, and who can command them.

The dogs are part of the farm’s machinery of fear, but they are not morally responsible for the murders.

Þorleifur the Trader

The man who does not kill anyone, but helps the dead vanish from memory one belt, knife, cloak, and ledger mark at a time.

Þorleifur is the trader who keeps Björn protected beyond Öxl Farmstead. He buys goods from the farm without asking where they came from: boots, belts, knives, tools, cloaks, horse tack, rings, bundles of wool, and small pieces of travel gear. He does not swing the axe. He does not drag bodies. He does not feed Grímsnout.

He does something colder. He turns the belongings of missing people into ordinary trade.

Þorleifur insists accusations against Björn are outsider slander. He warns Björn when questions begin. He pressures witnesses to stay quiet. He tells locals that travellers sell goods, abandon debts, run from kin, and lie about where they have been. His respectability matters because he gives Björn a public story.

Use Þorleifur as the social obstacle outside the farm. He is not brave in a fight, but he damages the party’s case until exposed through marked goods, witness testimony, or his own ledger.

Medium Humanoid, Neutral Evil

Armour Class: 12
Initiative: +1
Hit Points: 27 (6d8)
Speed: 30 ft.
Proficiency Bonus: +2

Saving Throws: Wis +3, Cha +4
Skills: Deception +6, Insight +3, Investigation +4, Persuasion +4, Sleight of Hand +3
Senses: Passive Perception 11
Languages: Icelandic or local northern tongue; trade speech used by merchants and travellers
Challenge: 1/2

Traits

Respectable Face. Þorleifur has Advantage on Charisma (Deception) and Charisma (Persuasion) checks made to appear respectable, reasonable, practical, offended, or scandalised by accusations against Björn.

Dirty Ledger. Þorleifur keeps a coded ledger linking goods from Öxl to missing travellers. A creature examining the ledger can identify suspicious entries with a successful DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check. If the creature already has a named item, distinctive mark, witness testimony, or missing-person description, the check has Advantage.

Buyer of the Dead. Þorleifur has Advantage on ability checks made to appraise, hide, alter, disguise, or explain suspicious trade goods. This includes filed-off marks, resewn belts, recut cloaks, separated buckles, removed initials, traded horse tack, and goods sold in mixed lots to obscure their origin.

Public Slanderer. If Þorleifur speaks against the party before the local community, the community’s Silence Around Öxl score decreases by 1 unless the party immediately presents strong proof against him or Björn.

Coward Under Proof. Þorleifur has Disadvantage on Charisma (Deception) checks made to deny wrongdoing after his ledger, marked goods, or secret trade with Björn is exposed in front of witnesses.

Actions

Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target.
Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) Piercing damage.

Turn the Room. Þorleifur targets up to three nonhostile local bystanders within 30 feet who can hear him. Each target must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or become suspicious of the party until the end of the scene. A suspicious bystander refuses casual help, repeats Þorleifur’s version of events, and imposes Disadvantage on one Charisma check the party makes to gather local support.

Plausible Explanation. Þorleifur explains away one suspicious object, transaction, rumour, or contradiction. A creature that hears the explanation must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom (Insight) check to recognise the lie. The check has Advantage if the creature possesses direct proof tied to the item, transaction, or victim.

Bonus Actions

Slip the Token. Þorleifur hides, drops, palms, or passes one Tiny object such as a ring, buckle, coin, scrap of ledger, key, clasp, folded note, or marked tag. A creature watching him notices this with a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check.

Reactions

Respectable Outrage. When a creature publicly accuses Þorleifur or Björn without presenting direct proof, Þorleifur forces that creature to make a DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion) check. On a failure, the accuser has Disadvantage on the next Charisma check it makes before the local community during the same scene.

Using Þorleifur in 5.5e Play

Þorleifur is a social danger, not a combat spectacle.

He appears at the wrong time with the right tone: calm, offended, reasonable, and practical. He says Björn is a hard man but a useful neighbour. He says poor travellers often sell goods. He says servants exaggerate. He says outsiders do not understand how people survive on the coast. He asks why the party is so eager to ruin a household without lawful proof.

He is most dangerous before the party finds his ledger. Until then, he turns suspicion into slander. He can drop the Silence Around Öxl score, sour witnesses, alert Björn, and make the party look like violent outsiders. Once the ledger is exposed, he becomes much smaller. He tries to minimise his role, blame Björn, blame Ketill, claim ignorance, or offer names in exchange for protection.

Do not make him a mastermind. He is worse as something more ordinary: a man who profits because he refuses to ask what sort of farm produces so many dead men’s belongings.

Locked 5.5e Clue: Þorleifur’s Coded Ledger

Þorleifur’s locked clue is his trade ledger.

The ledger records goods received from Öxl in coded shorthand: “blue cloak, sea-stained,” “belt with western repair,” “knife with split horn grip,” “boots, one heel patched,” “small ring, woman’s hand,” “horse tack, black stitching.” No entry says “murder,” but the pattern is damning once tied to missing travellers.

The party can expose the ledger through one of the following routes:

• Oddr identifies a belt as coming from a missing traveller.
• Rannveig gives the party the torn blue cloak clasp.
• Sigríðr confirms a guest never left the yard.
• The party finds goods in Þorleifur’s cart that match missing-person descriptions.
• Þorleifur tries to warn Björn and is followed.
• A relative recognises a marked item on Þorleifur’s stall, pack, cart, or belt.

A character examining the ledger can make a DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check. On a success, the character links at least one entry to goods from Öxl. If the party already has the torn blue cloak clasp, the dead man’s belt, or a named missing person’s description, the check has Advantage.

5.5e Table Notes

Þorleifur should make proof matter.

A party that attacks him without evidence helps his story. A party that follows the goods, marks the dates, questions buyers, compares item descriptions, and connects his ledger to named victims breaks the protection around Björn.

Once exposed, Þorleifur bargains. He offers to name buyers, reveal when Björn last sent goods, describe Ketill’s visits, or show where he hides altered items. He cooperates only when the consequences of silence become worse than betrayal.

His first confession should be partial: “I bought goods. I did not know.” His second confession should be practical: “Ketill came after dark.” His final confession should be cowardly: “Björn said no one would ask.”