The Wild Hunt
A storm of spectral riders led by Odin or another fierce lord sweeps across winter skies, seizing wanderers or spirits who stray too far from hearth.
Story beats
- 1) On winter nights, a thunderous host is heard rushing through the clouds.
- 2) Travelers who fail to take shelter risk being swept into the hunt or trampled under spectral hooves.
- 3) Leaving offerings or joining in the chase can win favor or doom, depending on the leader’s mood.
- 4) Come spring, those taken may return changed—or never at all.
Context
European variations tie the Hunt to Odin, Woden, or local lords. It signals liminal time when the dead roam and hospitality protects the living.
Motifs
- Processions of the dead and divine
- Storms as supernatural passageways
- Hospitality as protection against chaos
Use it in play
- A night ride that offers a boon for a whispered name.
- A village that locks itself indoors yearly, leaving tribute on roofs.
- An artifact that only functions while galloping with the Hunt.