From the introduction: In the frigid lands of the North dwell the Vikings: famous as pirates and traders, wolves of the sea. In the long winter months, their ships are ice-bound, villages assailed with snow and wind. Between sea-voyages, these men and their families hold out in walled villages, gathering in the grand hall of their thane, the chief from whom all wealth flowed. In his hall they feast and drink. If the season of trading and raiding has been good, spirits are high. If it was not so successful, tempers flare and grudges fester like wounds. Take a wooden hall lit and heated with fire. Fill it with proud and violent men, stranded for months under cold and dark skies. Let mead flow freely. Tell them stories of battles, wyrd, and foreign gold, and see what will happen. It is dark outside, and the ever-falling snow will hide any crime.