d100 Whisky Bottles in the Coypu Mayor’s Collection

1- Laphroaig 10 26- Redbreast 12 51- Lagavulin 8 76- Nikka Coffey

2- Jack Daniel’s 27- Blanton’s 52- Macallan 15 77- Toki
3- Wild Turkey 101 28- Famous 53- Crown Royal’s 78- Ardbeg Wee
Grouse Northern Rye Beastie
4- Buffalo Trace 29- Jameson 18 54- Knappogue 79- Larceny
5- Bulleit Rye 30- Aberfeldy 12 55- Watershed 80- Kilbeggan
6- Ardbeg 10 31- Michter’s 56- Old Forester 81- Peat Monster
7- Ezra Brook’s 32- Yamazaki 18 57- Writer’s Tears 82- Benriach 12
8- Pendleton 33- Mellow Corn 58- Knob Creek 83- Rare Breed
9- Sazerec Rye 34- Balvenie 12 59- Glenmorangie 84- Balblair 15
10- Proper #12 35- Lot 40 Rye 60- Macallan Rare 85- Old Overholt
11- Woodford 36- Glenrothes 61- Lock Stock 16 86- Drumshanbo
12- Monkey 37- Four Rose 62- Jefferson’s 87- Chattanooga
Shoulder Single Barrel Ocean Whiskey Rye
13- Bushmills 38- Jim Beam 63- Laphroaig 88- Balconies
Black Black Lore Lineage
14- Hudson Bay 39- Ardbog 64- FEW Bourbon 89- Iwai
15- WhistlePig 40- Laphroaig 27 65- Maker’s Mark 90- Teeling
16- Hedonism 41- Midleton 66- Longbranch 91- M&H Classic
17- W.L. Weller 42- Booker’s Rye 67- Stranahan’s 92- Dewar’s 21
18- Maker’s 46 43- Lagavulin 16 68- Uncle Nearest 93- Heaven Hill
19- Glendorach 44- Dair Ghaelach 69- Lagavulin 9 94- Old Ezra 7
20- Tullamore 45- Redemption 70- Gentleman 95- Laphroaig
D.E.W. Rye Jack Cairdeas
21- Dickel No. 12 46- Craigellachie 71- Abasolo Corn 96- Bruichladdich
22- Rittenhouse 47- Green Spot 72- FEW Rye 97- Baker’s 7
23- The Balvenie 48- Bowmore 15 73- Hillrock Rye 98- Adnams Rye
24- Elijah Craig 49- Willett 2 Year 74- Yamazaki 12 99- Peerless Rye
25- Highland Park 50- Hibiki 17 75- Ardbeg 100- High West
Ice Edition Twenty Something Campfire
Bernpyle is an unofficial zine and This zine would not be a reality if it
were not for Isaac William and this
supplement source for Mausritter and
amazing game! Also, a huge thanks to
is compatible with the Mausritter
the Discord community for being so
gaming system . Mausritter Sword-and- awesome!
Whiskers Role Playing Game is created
by Isaac Williams. Mausritter is Huge shout out to Christopher Käck, not
copyright Losing Games. Bernpyle is only for producing a solid Mausritter
zine in Thistle Kingdom, but also for
an independent production by
being a great person and selfless
ManaRampMatt and is not affiliated encourager! To Greyson Yandt for
with Losing Games. It is published constantly pushing me to create and
under the Mausritter Third Party being a great sounding board. Also, to
License. Alex Damaceno (@gnarledmonster) for
working with me and producing some of
the best art in the indie TTRPG world,
Bernpyle releases a new issue every thanks a million!
other month. Stay tuned for more fun Lastly, but certainly not last, I want to
and exciting homebrew "mouserules". thank my amazingly supportive and
Bernpyle was inspired by many of the beautiful wife, Mariah Leanne. She is
great folks over on the the best!
And above all, Jesus Christ, for being
Mausritter Discord.
my Lord and Saviour.
The Murky Mysteries
d6 Adventure Hooks
of Mice in Marshes 1 The Earl of Bernpyle is sending you as
aid to the mice of Coypu.
Several watches to the
2 Lents Humdinger is looking for help
southwest of Bernpyle, it the heart of finding a missing merchandise cart.
the Feylands, lies the small mouse 3 Anise Maker wants to discover an
hamlet of Coypu. Struggling to survive ancient cache of bronze weapons.
on the banks of ancient swampland, 4 There is rumor of an impending Frog
Invasion of Bernpyle, scouts needed.
these rugged mice are known for their
5 The Mayor of Coypuʼs daughter
hard work and for their mayorʼs vast stagers into Bernpyle telling tale of a
whisky collection. massive Spider.
The swamp they border is home 6 A Mole archaeologist is looking for
some brave adventurers to run security
to the frogs and their tyrant Mudlord
for her.
Swelcheeks. The frogs are the ancestral
denizens of this swamp. Their history
dates back to a time before time. A time
Factions:
Citizens of Coypu (Mice)
when a great war was fought between
Resources
mice and frogs. The frogs have not
• Hard Workers
forgotten and hate the mice but are • Know the swamps and the best routes
kept in check by the Faerie Queen. Goals
Rumor has it that the Mayorʼs ooo Maintain livelihood
Manor has gone empty and mice are ooo Survive the witch ‘Ol Spindlelegs
seldom seen or heard from these days.
The frogs claim no foul play however, ‘Ol Spindlelegs (Tarantula Witch)
the trade with Bernpyle has ceased. Resources
Where moss and marsh fauna • Spider minions
once hung from the mangroves, now • Webkin (soulless husks of former mice
of Coypu)
webs swing in the breeze. Darkness has
• Magic in her lair
beset Coypu and maybe all of
Goals
Froschsumpf Marsh.
oo Successfully control Coypu
ooooo Possess the frogs next

Mudlord Swelcheeks and Frogs (frog king)

Resources
• Innumerable warriors
• Original denizens of the swamp
• Control of the Giant Salamander
Goals
oo Remove mice and spiders from the
swamp
d6 Encounters ( roll for encounter once every three turns) d6 Sunken Finding (roll once per lozenge)

1 1d4 Ghosts of ancient mice 1-2 Edible Swamp Fauna (rations)

2 1d4 Spiders 3 Bygone mice skeletons
3-5 1d6+1 Frog Warriors 4 Ancient mouse armor (1 Def)
5 1d4+1 Webkins scavenging 5 1d20 old coins (worth 2p each)
6 ʻOl Spindlelegs hunting 6 Ancient bronze sword

d6 Marsh Monsters d6 Swampy Rumors

1 River Toad* 1 Frogs are raiding travelers.
2 1d6+1 swarm of gnats 2 Spiders are lurking the swamp.
3 1d3 Ducks** 3 There is a hidden artifact in the mire.
4 Pike*** 4 A plague has struck Coypu.
5 Large Snake 5 A Witch looms in the darkness.
6 Giant Salamander* 6 Coypu Manor is empty.
*Amphibians (GrayMoth)
**Mausritter Creature Plus+ (@jake)
***Lake of the Pirat King (JustAFatYeti)
Swamp crawl mechanics
Froschsumpf Marshes can only be accessed by 6: Frog Kingdom Borderlands
small boat. Due to the terrain and nature of the On the outskirts of the Mudlordʼs realm
swamp, each lozenge should take roughly a warrior bands of Frog soldiers scout for
watch to traverse. trouble. 3-in-6 chance of encounter.
d6 Frog Kingdom Encounters
1: Swamp 1 1d6 Frog Warriors hunting
Murky shallow waters. Hidden beneath the 2-4 1d10 Frog Warriors on a raid
surface of this marsh swims a monstrous 5-6 Frog Warrior Encampment (2d20)
creature. Roll on the Marsh Monster table to
see what it is. Lozenge 2 is not navigable from 7: Heron Pond
lozenge 1. Murky shallow waters. In this part of the
swamp, an old and wise Great Blue Heron live
2: ‘Ol Spindlelegs’ Lair on the beaches. He wishes to fish in peace but
This lozenge is home to the wicked tarantula will tell you a tale if asked politely. 2-in-6
witch that is wreaking havoc on the swamps. chance of encountering a Ghost Mouse
Clouds are thick and dark, and rain is Hoplite (See Ghost Mouse Hoplite).
constant. Spiders of varying sizes roam freely.
Petrified Lobster shell. (See Lair Map) 8: Coypu Settlement
Small mouse settlement with less than 50 mice
3: Frog Kingdom Borderlands left alive. Once the far southern reach of the
On the outskirts of the Mudlordʼs realm Earldom of Bernpyle, Coypu has been silent as
warrior bands of Frog soldiers scout for of late. (See Coypu Manor)
trouble. 3-in-6 chance of encounter.
d6 Frog Kingdom Encounters 9-10: Coypu Farmlands
1 1d6 Frog Warriors hunting Once thriving now void of life. Farmhouses lay
2-4 1d10 Frog Warriors on a raid in ruin across the marshes. 1-in-6 of seeing a
5-6 Frog Warrior Encampment (2d20) mouse. Roll encounter when entering each
lozenge.
4: The Mudlord’s Realm
In an old growth mangrove lies the throne of d6 Farmland Encounters
the Mudlord, an ancient seat of power and the 1 1d6 Webkins hunting
heart of the once mighty Frog Empire. Within 2-5 2d6 Webkins molesting a farmer
the mangrove is Swelcheeks and 3d10 Frog 6 ʻOl Spindlelegs laying eggs.
Warriors.
11: Swamp
Treasure.Deep in the depths of the roots lies a
Murky shallow waters. Hidden beneath the
cache of ancient bronze weapons of mice,
surface of this marsh swims a monstrous
frog and faerie build from ages past as well as
creature. Roll on the Marsh Monster table to
two jade stones (d6x100p each) and a horde
see what it is.
of d10x100 pips.

12: Spider Webs

5: Swamp Strands of silky, sticky webbing drapes
Murky shallow waters. Hidden beneath the between the mangroves and floats eerily on
surface of this marsh swims a monstrous the surface of the dark waters. Encounter d3
creature. Roll on the Marsh Monster table to spiders every three turns.
see what it is.
Coypu Settlement:
Small town at a glance. Coypu Manor
The settlement of Coypu was home to 50 This manor has several rooms, a kitchen, a
mice or so before darkness befell the town. whisky cellar, an office, and a parlor. From
Itsʼ Mayor, Mansard Peak, resides at the the looks of it, the manor seems like no
Manor in the town square. Next to the suitable mouse has lived here for months.
Manor is a small chapel once used by the Maybe all the webs and spider eggs led to
Order of Green Mice. The settlement is that conclusion.
mostly submerged in shallows 2” deep
murky waters.
1: Parlor
Through the front door, full of standing
The Chapel water, mold and rot, lies a good-sized room
1d6 Webkins are standing guard inside the with decaying, yet still fancy painting. 1d3
chapel watching over 1d3 Frog Warrior Webkins are loitering. 1d6x10pips
wrapped in webbing. Among the Webkins submerged throughout. On the large wall is
present is the Mayor, who himself, is also a an ornately etched brass relic of the giants.
Webkin. You hear him speak in an insect The name Derringer is embossed on it.
like tongue and as he finishes, all the
Webkins begin to feast on the frogs.
2: Rooms
Mansard Peak All seem quite empty. Roll on the Bric-a-Brac
Once the proud Mayor of Coypu, Mansard table from the Mausritter handbook.
was known for his vast collection of spirited
drinks from the giants. They called this elixir, 3: Kitchen
whisky. Mansard has quite the collection All to be seen is rotting rations and the door
and this collection is known from the to the Whisky Cellar.
Earldom of Ek to the Duchy of the Grinning
Oak. 4: Whisky Cellar
1d2 Spiders reside amidst the vast collection
of whiskies.

5: Office
Scattered letters sprawled across an ornate
desk. Mounted to the wall behind the desk is
a very intricate and seemingly ancient
sword.
d8 Letters to Leaders asking for help
1 Letter to the Earl of Ek
2 Letter to the Duke of Grinning Oak
3 Letter to the Earl of Bernpyle
4 Letters from the Order of Green Mice
5 Notes from the mayor of Stumpsville
6 Letter to the court at Fort Ploddy
7 Letter to the Queen at the Library
8 Response from a Baron Fvkhedd
‘Ol Spindlelegs’ Lair:
A petrified lobster in the swamp.
The tarantula witch ʻOl Spindlelegs has made her lair in the heart of an ancient beast. In
the core of this once massive and dangerous crustacean lies and interesting artifact and the
potential source of the siderʼs power.

While in her lair, 'Ol Spindlelegs knows the spell Possess due to the large spell stone inside.

Possess
Possess Effect: Focus on a creature you can picture clearly and try to possess it. You can invest
one [DIE] on each of the first three rounds you focus on this spell. For each [DIE] invested, the
target must make a Save:
• For the first [DIE], the target must make a WIL Save, subtracting the value of the first [DIE]
from their WIL score. On failure they have their tongue and senses taken over: You can see,
smell, hear, taste, and feel what it sees, smells, hears, tastes, and feels. You speak instead of
the creature, which cannot speak. Meanwhile the senses and tongue of your own body don't
function.
• For the second [DIE], the target must make a DEX Save, subtracting the value of the second
[DIE] from their DEX score. On failure, it has its legs taken over: You can use the target's legs,
wings, fins, or similar limbs to walk, fly, or swim, but cannot perform any action that involves
more than just movement. Meanwhile, you cannot move with your own body.
• For the third [DIE], the target must make a STR Save, subtracting the value of the third [DIE]
from their STR score. On failure, they have their body taken over: You can perform any kind
of action with the target's body while your own becomes unable to act. If all three saves fail,
or if a target willingly fails a lesser number of saves, the possession lasts for a full watch, at the
end of which the saves are repeated. If any save involved in this spell succeeds, the spell
fades, and the target creature gets a clear image of you in its mind. If the creature is willing, it
may choose to fail any number of saves, but it will still take three rounds to fully do. You may
choose to let it take over your own while you possess the target's body.
Bestiary:

Frog Warrior Mudlord Swelcheeks

4hp, STR 8, DEX 12, WIL 10, armor 1 10hp, STR 12, DEX 10, WIL 15, armor 2
Attacks: d6 improvised weapon Attacks: d10 spear
Wants to serve Mudlord Swelcheeks Wants to rule Froschsumpf Marshes solely

Frog Warband Crab

Warband Scale 10hp, STR 12, DEX 10, WIL 9, armor 3
5hp, STR 8, DEX 8, WIL 10, armor 1 Attacks: d10 pinchers
Attacks: d6 improvised weapon Critical Hit: pinch off 1d4 limbs
Wants to rid the swamp of enemies of Mudlord (1- left arm, 2- right arm, 3- left leg, 4-right leg)
Swelcheeks
 Webkin ‘Ol Spindlelegs
4hp, STR 8, DEX 12, WIL 10, armor 1 15hp, STR 8, DEX 15, WIL 15, armor 2
Attacks: d6 improvised weapon Attacks: d6 bite (d4 poison to DEX)
Critical Hit: Wounded mouse takes Critical Hit: take webbed condition
webbed condition. Critical Damage: d4 sting to nearest enemy
(poison damage to DEX)
Wants to gain control of the whole swamp to
nurture her brood of spiders and Webkins,
feeding on an ancient magic deep in her lair.

Gnat
1hp, STR 3, DEX 15, WIL 2
Attacks: d2 bite

Great Blue Heron

18hp, STR 12, DEX 10, WIL 20
Attacks: d6 beak
Critical Hit: drowns mouse

For other creatures mentioned in

Ghost Mouse Bernpyle #3, please go support all the
3hp, STR 10, DEX 12, WIL 8, armor 1 other amazing content creators for
Attacks: d6 ethereal sword
Mausritter. Many of these beasts can
Wants to rest in peace
be found in Third Party supplements that
Ghost Mouse Hoplite can been found online. Used in this zine
Warband Scale are:
6hp, STR 9, DEX 10, WIL 10, armor 2
-Amphibians by: GrayMoth
Attacks: d6 short swords
Wants to avenge their deaths in the great Battle. -Lake of the Pirat King by: JustAFatYeti
Will follow PCs if they wield the sword of their
-Mausritter Creatures Plus+ by: @jake
king.
 NAMES OF THE FROGS.
King Puff Jaw (Physignathus)
Mud Flinger (Peleus)
Water Lord (Hydromeduse)
Loud Croak (Hypsiboas)
Mud Maker (Pelion)
Beet Beater (Seutlæus)
Babble Mouth (Polyphonus)
Lake Lover (Lymnocharis)
Cabbage Eater (Crambophagus)
Lake Dweller (Lymnisius)
Herb Farmer (Calaminthius)
Water Friend (Hydrocharis)
Mud Stalker (Borborocates)
Garlic Maw (Prassophagus)
Mud Grubber (Pelusius)
Dirt Roamer (Pelobates)
Garlic Grazer (Prassæus)
Croaker (Craugasides)

NAMES OF THE MICE.

Crumb Snatcher (Psycarpax)
Earl Bread Eater (Troxartes)
Meal Maker (Lychomyle)
King Ham Chewer (Pternotroctas)
Dish Maker (Lychopinax)
Pot Creeper (Embasichytros)
Scrap Licker (Lychenor)
Hole Runner (Troglodytes)
Bread Feeder (Artophagus)
Cheese Scooper (Tyroglyphus)
Bacon Scooper (Pternoglyphus)
Bacon Feaster (Pternophagus)
Scent Catcher (Cnissodioctes)
Wheat Eater (Sitophagus)
Share Plunderer (Meridarpax)
BOOK I
Once on a time, fatigued and out of breath, Wherever her father King Ham Chewer reigns:
And just escaped the stretching claws of death, Born where a cabin lifts its airy shed,
A gentle mouse, whom cats pursued in vain, With figs, with nuts, with varied dainties fed.
Fled swift of foot across the neighboring plain, But since our natures naught in common know
Hung o'er a brink, his eager thirst to cool, From what foundation can a friendship grow?
And dipped his whiskers in the standing pool; These curling waters o'er thy palace roll;
When near a courteous frog advanced his head, But man's high food supports my princely soul.
And from the waters, hoarse-resounding, said, In vain the circled loaves attempt to lie
What art thou, stranger? What the line you boast? Concealed in flaskets from my curious eye;
What chance has cast thee panting on our coast? In vain the tripe that boasts the whitest hue,
With strictest truth let all thy words agree, In vain the gilded bacon shuns my view;
Nor let me find a faithless mouse in thee. In vain the cheeses, offspring of the pail,
If worthy friendship, proffered friendship take, Or honeyed cakes, which gods themselves regale.
And entering view the pleasurable lake: And as in arts I shine, in arms I fight,
Range o'er my palace, in my bounty share, Mixed with the bravest, and unknown to flight.
And glad return from hospitable fare. Though large to mine the human form appear,
This silver realm extends beneath my sway, Not man himself can smite my soul with fear:
And me, their monarch, all its frogs obey. Sly to the bed with silent steps I go,
Great King Puff Jaw I, from Mud Flinger’s race, Attempt his finger, or attack his toe,
Begot in fair Water Lord’s embrace, And fix indented wounds with dexterous skill;
Where by the nuptial bank that paints his side, Sleeping he feels and only seems to feel.
The swift Eridanus delights to glide. Yet have we foes which direful dangers cause,
Thee too, thy form, thy strength, and port proclaim Grim owls with talons armed, and cats with claws,
A sceptered king ; a son of martial fame; And that false trap, the den of silent fate,
Then trace thy line, and aid my guessing eyes. Where death his ambush plants around the bait:
Thus ceased the frog, and thus the mouse replies. All dreaded these, and dreadful o'er the rest
The potent warriors of the tabby vest:
Known to the gods, the men, the birds that fly If to the dark we fly, the dark they trace,
Through wild expanses of the midway sky, And rend our heroes of the nibbling race.
My name resounds; and if unknown to thee, But me, nor stalks, nor waterish herbs delight,
The soul of great Crumb Snatcher lives in me, Nor can the crimson radish charm my sight,
Of brave Bread Eater’s line, whose sleek down The lake-resounding frog's selected fare,
In love compressed Meal Maker the brown. Which not a mouse of any taste can bear.
My mother she, and princess of the plains
As thus the downy prince his mind expressed,
His answer thus the croaking king addressed.

Thy words luxuriant on thy dainties rove,

And, stranger, we can boast of bounteous Jove:
We sport in water, or we dance on land,
And born amphibious, food from both command.
 Forgetful frog! The friend thy shoulders bore,
Unskilled in swimming, floats remote from shore.
He grasps with fruitless hands to find relief,
Supinely falls, and grinds his teeth with grief;
Plunging he sinks, and struggling mounts again,
And sinks, and strives, but strives with fate in vain.
The weighty moisture clogs his hairy vest,
And thus the prince his dying rage expressed.

Nor thou, that flings me floundering from thy back,

As from hard rocks rebounds the shattering wrack,
Nor thou shalt 'scape thy due, perfidious king!
Pursued by vengeance on the swiftest wing:
At land thy strength could never equal mine,
At sea to conquer, and by craft, was thine.
But heaven has gods, and gods have searching
eyes:
But trust thyself where wonders ask thy view, Ye mice, ye mice, my great avengers, rise!
And safely tempt those seas, I'll bear thee through:
Ascend my shoulders, firmly keep thy seat, This said, he sighing gasped, and gasping died.
And reach my marshy court, and feast in state.
His death the young Dish Maker espied,
He said, and bent his back; with nimble bound As on the flowery brink he passed the day,
Leaps the light mouse, and clasps his arms around; Basked in the beams, and loitered life away.
Then wondering floats, and sees with glad survey Loud shrieks the mouse, his shrieks the shores
The winding banks resembling ports at sea. repeat;
But when aloft the curling water rides, The nibbling nation learn their hero's fate:
And wets with azure wave his downy sides, Grief, dismal grief ensues; deep murmurs sound,
His thoughts grow conscious of approaching woe, And shriller fury fills the deafened ground.
His idle tears with vain repentance flow; From lodge to lodge the sacred heralds run,
His locks he rends, his trembling feet he rears, To fix their council with the rising sun;
Thick beats his heart with unaccustomed fears; Where great Earl Bread Eater crowned in glory
He sighs, and chilled with danger, longs for shore: reigns,
His tail extended forms a fruitless oar, And winds his lengthening court beneath the plains:
Half drenched in liquid death his prayers he spake, Crumb Snatcher’s father, father now no more!
And thus bemoaned him from the dreadful lake. For poor Crumb Snatcher lies remote from shore;
Supine he lies! the silent waters stand,
So passed the duo through the rapid sea, And no kind billow wafts the dead to land!
Trembling and fainting all the venturous way;
With oary feet the bull triumphant rowed,
And safe in Ek deposed his lovely load.
Ah safe at last! may thus the frog support
My trembling limbs to reach his ample court.
As thus he sorrows, death ambiguous grows,
Lo! from the deep a Snake rose;
He rolls his sanguine eyes, his bosom heaves,
And darts with active rage along the waves.
Confused the monarch sees his hissing foe,
And dives, to shun the sable fates, below.
BOOK II
WHEN rosy-fingered morn had tinged the clouds,
Around their monarch-mouse the nation crowds;
Slow rose the sovereign, heaved his anxious
breast,
And thus, the council filled with rage, addressed.

For lost Crumb Snatcher much my soul endures,

'Tis mine the private grief, the public, yours. Three
warlike sons adorned my nuptial bed, Three sons,
alas! before their father dead!
Our eldest perished by the ravening cat,
As near my court the prince unheedful sat.
Our next, an engine fraught with danger drew,
The portal gaped, the bait was hung in view, Dire
arts assist the trap, the fates decoy,
And men unpitying killed my gallant boy.
The last, his country's hope, his parents' pride,
Plunged in the lake by King Puff Jaw, died.
Rouse all the war, my friends! avenge the deed,
And bleed that monarch, and his nation bleed.
The chief retires, the crowd the challenge hear,
His words in every breast inspired alarms, And proudly-swelling yet perplexed appear:
And carefully The Faerie Princess supplied their Much they resent, yet much their monarch blame,
host with arms. Who rising, spoke to clear his tainted fame.

In verdant hulls despoiled of all their beans, O friends, I never forced the mouse to death, Nor
The buskined warriors stalked along the plains: saw the gasping of his latest breath.
Quills aptly bound, their bracing corselet made, He, vain of youth, our art of swimming tried,
Faced with the plunder of a cat they flayed; And venturous, in the lake the wanton died.
The lamp's round boss affords their ample shield; To vengeance now by false appearance led, They
Large shells of nuts their covering helmet yield; point their anger at my guiltless head.
And o'er the region with reflected rays, But wage the rising war by deep device,
Tall groves of needles for their lances blaze. And turn its fury on the crafty mice.
Dreadful in arms the marching mice appear; The Your king directs the way; my thoughts elate With
wondering frogs perceive the tumult near, hopes of conquest, form designs of fate. Where
Forsake the waters, thickening form a ring, high the banks their verdant surface heave, And
And ask and hearken, whence the noises spring. the steep sides confine the sleeping wave, There,
When near the crowd, disclosed to public view, near the margin, clad in Armour bright, Sustain the
The valiant chief Pot Creeper drew: first impetuous shocks of fight:
The sacred herald's scepter graced his hand, And Then, where the dancing feather joins the crest, Let
thus his words expressed his king's command. each brave frog his obvious mouse arrest; Each
Ye frogs! the mice, with vengeance fired, strongly grasping, headlong plunge a foe, Till
advance, And decked in Armour shake the countless circles whirl the lake below;
shining lance: Their hapless prince by King Puff Down sink the mice in yielding waters drowned;
Jaw slain, Extends incumbent on the watery Loud flash the waters; and the shores resound: The
plain. frogs triumphant tread the conquered plain, And
Then arm your host, the doubtful battle try; raise their glorious trophies of the slain.
Lead forth those frogs that have the soul to die.
 They sport to please the goddess of the feast.
Thus spake the ruler of the spacious skies;

But thus, resolved, the blue-eyed maid replies.

In vain, my father! all their dangers plead;
To such, thou never grants her aid.
My flowery wreaths they petulantly spoil,
And rob my crystal lamps of feeding oil,
Ills following ills: but what afflicts me more,
My veil, that idle race profanely tore.
He spake no more: his prudent scheme imparts
The web was curious, wrought with art divine;
Redoubling ardour to the boldest hearts.
Relentless wretches! all the work was mine;
Green was the suit his arming heroes chose,
Along the loom the purple warp I spread,
Around their legs the greaves of mallows close;
Cast the light shoot, and crossed the silver thread.
Green were the beets about their shoulders laid,
In this their teeth a thousand breaches tear;
And green the colewort, which the target made;
The thousand breaches skillful hands repair;
Formed of the varied shells the waters yield,
For which vile earthly duns thy daughter grieve:
Their glossy helmets glistened o'er the field;
The gods, that use no coin, have none to give;
And learning's goddess never less can owe:
And tapering sea-reeds for the polished spear,
Neglected learning gains no wealth below.
With upright order pierced the ambient air.
Nor let the frogs to win my succor sue,
Thus dressed for war, they take the' appointed
Those clamorous fools have lost my favor too.
height,
For late, when all the conflict ceased at night,
Poise the long arms, and urge the promised fight.
When my stretched sinews worked with eager
fight;
But now, where The Faerie Queen’s spires arise,
When spent with glorious toil, I left the field,
With stars surrounded in ethereal skies,
And sunk for slumber on my swelling shield;
A solemn council called the brazen gates
Lo from the deep, repelling sweet repose,
Unbar; the Fey Folk assume their golden seats:
With noisy croaking half the nation rose:
The sire superior leans, and points to show
Devoid of rest, with aching brows I lay,
What wondrous combats mortals wage below:
Till cocks proclaimed the crimson dawn of day.
How strong, how large, the numerous heroes
Let all, like me, from either host forbear,
stride;
Nor tempt the flying furies of the spear;
What length of lance they shake with warlike pride;
Let heavenly blood, or what for blood may flow,
What eager fire, their rapid march reveals;
So the fierce Badgers ravaged o'er the dales;
Adorn the conquest of a meaner foe.
And so confirmed, the daring Faeries rose,
Some daring mouse may meet the wondrous odds,
Heaped hills on hills, and bid the gods be foes.
Though gods oppose, and brave the wounded
gods.
This seen, the power his sacred visage rears,
O'er gilded clouds reclined, the danger view,
He casts a pitying smile on worldly cares,
And be the wars of mortals scenes for you.
And asks what heavenly guardians take the list,
Or who the mice, or who the frogs assist?
So moved the blue-eyed queen; her words
persuade,
Then thus to the Princess. If my daughter's mind
Great The Faerie Queen assented, and the rest
Have joined the mice, why stays she still behind?
obeyed.
Drawn forth by savory steams they wind their way,
And sure attendance round thine altar pay,
Where while the victims gratify their taste,
BOOK III And o'er his eyelids clouds eternal dwell.
NOW front to front the marching armies shine, Scrap Licker, second of the glorious name,
Halt ere they meet, and form the lengthening line: Striding advanced, and took no wandering aim;
The chiefs conspicuous seen and heard afar, Through all the frog the shining javelin flies,
Give the loud signal to the rushing war; And near the vanquished mouse the victor dies.
Their dreadful trumpets deep-mouthed hornets
sound, The dreadful stroke Cabbage Eater affrights,
The sounded charge remurmurs o'er the ground; Long bred to banquets, less inured to fights;
Even The Faerie Queen proclaims a field of Heedless he runs, and stumbles o'er the steep,
horror nigh, And wildly floundering flashes up the deep:
And rolls low thunder through the troubled sky. Scrap Licker following with a downward blow,
First to the fight the large Loud Croak flew, Reached in the lake his unrecovered foe;
And brave Scrap Licker with a javelin slew. Gasping he rolls, a purple stream of blood
The luckless warrior filled with generous flame, Distains the surface of the silver flood;
Stood foremost glittering in the post of fame;
When in his liver struck, the javelin hung; Through the wide wound the rushing entrails
The mouse fell thundering, and the target rung; throng,
Prone to the ground he sinks his closing eye, And slow the breathless carcass floats along.
And soiled in dust his lovely tresses lie.
Lake Dweller good Cheese Scooper assails,
A spear at Mud Maker, Hole Runner cast, Prince of the mice that haunt the flowery vales,
The missive spear within the bosom past; Lost to the milky fares and rural seat,
Death's sable shades the fainting frog surround, He came to perish on the bank of fate.
And life's red tide runs ebbing from the wound.
The dread Bacon Scooper demands the fight,
Pot Creeper felt Beet Beater ' dart Which tender Herb Farmer shuns by flight,
Transfix and quiver in his panting heart; Drops the green target, springing quits the foe,
But great Bread Feeder avenged the slain, Glides through the lake, and safely dives below.
And big Beet Beater tumbling loads the plain, But dire Bacon Feaster divides his way
And Babble Mouth dies, a frog renowned Through breaking ranks, and leads the dreadful
For boastful speech and turbulence of sound; day.
Deep through the belly pierced, supine he lay, No nibbling prince excelled in fierceness more,
And breathed his soul against the face of day. His parents fed him on the savage boar;
But where his lance the field with blood imbrued,
The strong Lake Lover, who viewed with ire Swift as he moved, Water Friend pursued,
A victor triumph, and a friend expire; Till fallen in death he lies; a shattering stone
With heaving arms a rocky fragment caught, Sounds on the neck, and crushes all the bone;
And fiercely flung where Hole Runner fought; His blood pollutes the verdure of the plain,
A warrior versed in arts, of sure retreat, And from his nostrils bursts the gushing brain.
But arts in vain elude impending fate;
Full on his sinewy neck the fragment fell, Dish Maker with Mud Stalker fights,
A blameless frog whom humbler life delights;
The fatal javelin unrelenting flies,
And darkness seals the gentle croaker's eyes.

Incensed Garlic Maw, with sprightly bound,

Bears Scent Catcher off the rising ground,
 Earl Bread Eater wounds, and King Puff Jaw
flies,
Halts to the pool a safe retreat to find,
And trails a dangling length of leg behind.
The mouse still urges, still the frog retires,
And half in anguish of the flight expires.
Then pious ardour young Garlic Grazer brings,
Betwixt the fortunes of contending kings:
Lank, harmless frog! with forces hardly grown,
He darts the reed in combats not his own, Which
Then drags him o'er the lake deprived of breath, faintly tinkling on Earl Bread Eater’s shield,
And downward plunging, sinks his soul to death. Hangs at the point, and drops upon the field.
But now the great Crumb Snatcher shines afar, Now nobly towering o'er the rest appears
Scarce he so great whose loss provoked the war, A gallant prince that far transcends his years,
Swift to revenge his fatal javelin fled, Pride of his sire, and glory of his house,
And through the liver struck Mud Grubber dead; And more a bear in combat than a mouse;
His freckled corpse before the victor fell, His action bold, robust his ample frame,
His soul indignant sought the shades of hell. And Share Plunderer his resounding name.
The warrior singled from the fighting crowd,
This saw Dirt Roamer, and from the flood Boasts the dire honors of his arms aloud;
Heaved with both hands a monstrous mass of mud: Then strutting near the lake, with looks elate, To
The cloud obscene o'er all the hero flies, all its nations threats approaching fate.
Dishonors his brown face, and blots his eyes.
Enraged, and wildly spluttering, from the shore And such his strength, the silver lakes around
A stone immense of size the warrior bore, Might roll their waters o'er unpeopled ground;
A load for laboring earth, whose bulk to raise, But powerful the Faerie Queen, who shows no
Asks ten degenerate mice of modern days: less her grace
Full on the leg arrives the crushing wound; To frogs that perish, than to human race,
The frog supportless writhes upon the ground. Felt soft compassion rising in her soul,
And shook her sacred head, that shook the pole.
Thus flushed, the victor wars with matchless force, Then thus to all the gazing powers began
Till loud Croaker arrests his course: The sire of gods, and frogs, and Mice, and man.
Hoarse-croaking threats precede; with fatal speed What seas of blood I view! what worlds of slain!
Deep through the belly ran the pointed reed, An Iliad rising from a day's campaign!
Then strongly tugged, returned imbrued with gore; How fierce his javelin o'er the trembling lakes
And on the pile his reeking entrails bore. The black-furred hero Share Plunderer
shakes! Unless some favoring deity descend,
The lame Wheat Eater, oppressed with pain, Soon will the frogs' loquacious empire end.
Creeps from the desperate dangers of the plain;
And where the ditches rising weeds supply

To spread their lowly shades beneath the sky,

There lurks the silent mouse relieved from heat,
And safe embowered, avoids the chance of fate.

But here Bread Eater, King Puff Jaw there,

Whirl the dire furies of the pointed spear:
But where the foot around its ankle plies,
Let dreadful faeries winged with pity fly, Strong suits of Armour round their bodies close,
And make her ægis blaze before his eye: Which, like thick anvils, blunt the force of blows;
While The Faerie Princess refulgent on her In wheeling marches turned, oblique they go;
rattling car, With harpy claws their limbs divide below;
Arrests his raging rival of the war. Fell sheers the passage to their mouth command;
She ceased, reclining with attentive head, From out the flesh their bones by nature stand;
When thus the glorious god of combats said. Broad spread their backs, their shining shoulders
No faeries, Mother! though faeries take the field, rise;
With all the terrors of her hissing shield,
Nor The Faerie Princess herself, though in Unnumbered joints distort their lengthened thighs;
Armour bright With nervous cords their hands are firmly braced;
Ascend his car, and wheel amidst the fight; Their round black eyeballs in their bosom placed;
Not these can drive the desperate mouse afar, On eight long feet the wondrous warriors tread;
Or change the fortunes of the bleeding war. And either end alike supplies a head.
Let all go forth, all heaven in arms arise; These, mortal wits to call the Crabs agree,
Or launch thy own red thunder from the skies; The gods have other names for things than we.
Now where the jointures from their loins depend,
Such ardent bolts as flew that wondrous day, The heroes' tails with severing grasps they rend.
When heaps of Faeries mixed with mountains lay, Here, short of feet, deprived the power to fly,
When all the giant race enormous fell, There, without hands, upon the field they lie.
And huge beasts were hurled to hell." Wrenched from their holds, and scattered all
around,
'Twas thus they armipotent advised the gods, The bended lances heap the cumbered ground.
When from her throne the cloud-compeller nods; Helpless amazement, fear pursuing fear,
Deep lengthening thunders run from pole to pole, And mad confusion through their host appear:
The Feylands trembles as the thunders roll. O'er the wild waste with headlong flight they go,
Then swift she whirls the brandished bolt around, Or creep concealed in vaulted holes below.
And headlong darts it at the distant ground;
The bolt discharged enwrapped with lightning flies, But down The Feylands to the western seas
And rends its flaming passage through the skies: Far- shooting fey folk drove with fainter rays;
Then earth's inhabitants, the nibblers, shake, And a whole war, so The Faerie Queen ordained,
And frogs, the dwellers in the waters, quake. begun,
Yet still the mice advance their dread design, Was fought, and ceased, in one revolving sun.
And the last danger threats the croaking line,
Till The Faerie Queen, that inly mourned the loss
they bore,
With strange assistants filled the freighted shore.

Poured from the neighboring strand, deformed to

view,
They march, a sudden unexpected crew!
Suggested Reading
If you enjoyed this brief retelling of the Battle
of the Frogs and the Mice, consider checking
out some of these other fine translations.

Another Greek Fable for Setting:

To further deepen the lore of animosity
between the frogs and the mice, consider
adding this fable to your mythos and as a
further backdrop to The Battle of Frogs and
Mice.
Aesop’s The Frog and the Mouse.
A young Mouse in search of
adventure was running along the bank of a
pond where lived a Frog. When the Frog saw
the Mouse, he swam to the bank and croaked:
“Won’t you pay me a visit? I can promise you
a good time if you do.”
The Mouse did not need much
coaxing, for he was very anxious to see the
world and everything in it. But though he could
swim a little, he did not dare risk going into
the pond without some help.
The Frog had a plan. He tied the
Mouse’s leg to his own with a tough reed.
Then into the pond he jumped, dragging his
foolish companion with him.
The Mouse soon had enough of it
and wanted to return to shore; but the
treacherous Frog had other plans. He pulled
the Mouse down under the water and
drowned him. But before he could untie the
reed that bound him to the dead Mouse, a
Hawk came sailing over the pond. Seeing the
body of the Mouse floating on the water, the
Hawk swooped down, seized the Mouse and
carried it off, with the Frog dangling from its
leg. Thus, at one swoop he had caught both
meat and fish for his dinner.

Those who seek to harm others often come to harm

themselves through their own deceit.
Let’s Reenact the War:
A while back I was looking through
Dungeon Crawl Classics and really liked
the idea of doing a sort of level zero meat
grinder to find your starting character. I was
then listening to Professor Dugeoncraft
and he said he does this sort of thing for all
of his games. This got me thinking, how
could I do something like this for
Mausritter? Then it hit me, “you are
writing a zine based on The Battle of
Frogs and Mice, just let PCs reenact the
war and let them play as the mice that may
survive…” So here we go. Get ready to roll
up some level zero, potentially really weak
mice and let’s see if they have what it takes
to survive the ruthless onslaught of King
Puff Jaw and his frog army.
Set-Up and Rules Mouserules Combat:
Here is a little something I have been toying
(feel free to change this up anyway you’d like,
around with when it come to the lack of a
this is just a little something I’ve thought up and
ran… it was truly a meat grinder.) “to hit” roll in Mausritter and other Into
To set up, roll 2d20 for the Frog Army the Odd type games. Now don’t get me
and 2d20 for the Mouse Army. Next wrong, I think the system is great as is and I
follow these guidelines. know it over complicates the system but
could be worth trying out to appease your
What does the Frog Army look like? friends coming over from D&D 5e and most
other TTRPGs who love to roll dice. I’m
2d20 Frog Army
thinking roll 2d6 to hit then follow this table
2-9 Armor 1, d10 Spears + 1d6 Crabs
10-25 d8 Pikes
for rolling damage.
26-40 d6 Improvised Weapons
2d6 Damage Mechanic
What does the Mouse Army look like? 2 Miss (deal no damage)
3-4 Weak Hit (roll damage at
2d20 Mouse Army
disadvantage)
2-4 Re-roll for a higher number
5-9 Hit (roll normal damage)
5-10 d10 Greatsword (4HP | STR 8)
10-11 Strong Hit (roll damage at
11-40 d6 Short Sword (1d4HP | STR 2d4)
advantage)
12 Crushing Blow (deal max damage)
At this point, the Mice have the first turn so
let combat ensue. The battle should use Another way to do this is to have 2 be a
group initiative, but order can change. After miss, 3-4 be damage dealt as Impaired
each round of combat both sides roll a DEX (d4), 5-11 be normal damage dice, and 12
save (d20), the lowest number goes first. is damage dealt as Enhanced (d12).
When the dust settles, any mice left can Either way, these “mouserules” can spice up
follow the core rules and roll stats, keeping your combat and may help ease those
HP/STR if re-roll is lower than starting traditional Dungeons & Dragons players into
number. Good luck. our little world!
 Roll 3d10 for your Starting Species
3d10 Starting Species Source
3 Bat Tales from Moonshore
4 Tinker mouse Tales from Moonshore
5 Shrew More Whiskers
6 Hamster Tales from Moonshore
7 Kangaroo Mouse Tales from Moonshore
8 Order of the Green Mice Thistle Kingdom
9-24 Mouse Mausritter
25 Order of the Green Mice Thistle Kingdom
26 Quail Rider Tales from Moonshore
27 Hamster More Whiskers
28 Guinea Pig More Whiskers
29 Songbird Songvogel
30 Roll d20 on Player Species table GrayMoth

Inspiration, sources and legal information...

Inspiration for The Murky Mysteries of Mice in Marshes come from
Heart of Goodhollow written by Harald Maassen & Colin Rothwell.

The english translation of The Battle of the Frogs and Mice is based on
the 1833 version by Thomas Parnell.
Artwork for cover is from the 1885 Norwegian Edition of "Krigen
Mellom Froskene Og Musene" with art by Theodor Severin Kittelsen
(Public Domain)

Dungeon Maps! Fantasy Stock Art by Daniel F. Walthall is licensed

under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To
view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/
by/4.0/.

Process spell created by CawCawMarmalade for Tales from Moonshore and the
Mausritter Discord
 Bernpyle #1 - October 2020
A Grizzly Revelation at Badger Burrow and other "mouserules"
Berpyle #2 - December 2020
The Bernpyle Treasure Run and the Earldom of Bernpyle
Bernpyle Holiday Special - Dec. 25, 2020
A not so Stille Nacht
Bernpyle #3 - February 2021
Murky Mysteries of Mice in Marshes & Battle of Frogs and Mice
Bernpyle Special Collaboration - March 2021
Print zine of Tales from Moonshore
Bernpyle #4 - April 2021
MorkMaus and a dark adventure site
:

Bernpyle #5 - June 2021

Feenkrieger and the Garden of Fey
Bernpyle #6 - August 2021
Into the Veins
Bernpyle #7 - October 2021
YEAR ONE
Bernpyle # 8 - December 2021
Ice Mice and the Northern Expanse