THE BLIZZARD OF AXE AND SWORD

COMPATIBLE 5TH EDITION Sample file Hunt down a clan of Frost Giants across the frozen north of Faerun, in this adventure for the world's greatest roleplaying game The Blizzard of Axe and Sword

Sample file CREDITS

Head Writer: Kieran Mathers Bibliography Players Handbook, 5th Edition, WOTC, 2014. Development: Gemma Dass, Tom Hallam and Nadhirah Nadz, Owain James (proofreading). Monster Manual, 5th Edition, WOTC, 2014.

Artists: Art used under the Community Content Volo's Guide to Monsters, WOTC, 2016. Agreement, Kieran Mathers, Dean Stockton, Adela Quiles, Dan Comerci, Shutterstock, Storm King's Thunder, WOTC, 2017.

Graphic Design and layout: Tetracube (https://tetra- Frostburn, WOTC, 2004. cube.com/dnd/dnd-statblock.html) for stat blocks, The Homebrewery, (https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/) for The Monsters Know What They Are Doing, K. Ammann, layout and text. 2018.

Playtesters: Gemma Dass, Claudia Emmanual, Kris Volo's Guide to the North, TSR, 1993. Gottier, Tom Hallam and Nadhirah Nadz.

On the Cover Bob Greyvenstein illustrates the terrible Frost Giant Chieftan, Jarl Torrfin the Bleak, launching an attack upon his enemies in the depth of a blizzard.

Disclaimer: Battling a clan of frost giants may be detrimental to your financial security, emotional health and bodily integrity. If you experience side effects such as being torn limb from limb, crushed flat, or eaten, please consult your local doctor, cleric or necromancer for treatment.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. All other original material in this work is copyright 2020 by Kieran Mathers and published under the Community Content AgreeSamplement for Dungeon Masters Guild. file Table Of Contents Part 4: The Ironhunter Mine The Blizzard of Axe and Sword Using this Dungeon A: The Breach CREDITS B: The Hole Bibliography C: The Mine Face D: The Storeroom Introduction D: The Slave Barracks. Using this book ](#p4) E: The Second Mine Face Adventure Hooks](#p5) F: The Drinking Den. Environmental Hazards G: Store Room Blizzards, Snowfall, Sleet, and Hail H: The Underground Channel. Snow and Fog Blizzards Part 5: The Grey Dwarf Hold Resting in Snow and Ice. Lake Details Using Frost Giants as Enemies Sailing upon the Underground Lake Fighting in boats Part 1: The Attack upon Lamastop Resting in the Grey Dwarf Holdfast Adventure Overview A: The Opening Channel Frost Giant Behaviour B: The Sarenchill Falls A: The Burning Outskirts C: Sharp Rocks B: The Gatehouse and Bridge D: Grell’s Dell After the Giant’s Raid E: The Cave of Sighs. C: The Giant’s Head Tavern F: The Docks D: Waterwheel. G: The Hold E: The Statue of the Sword Woman H: The Bridge to Freedom F: The Smithy H: The Windmill Part 6: The Climb of Drangasjoll Activities Within Lamastop Climbing the Ice-Face Ascending the Face Part 2: Utnar's Saddle The First Ledge. History of the Saddle The Second Ledge Reaching the Saddle The Third Ledge Arrival The Ascent to the Top A: The Crystal Forest The Path of Drangasjoll B: The Cave A: The Ice-Boulders C: The Troll’s Bridge B: The Wind Cauldron D: Ironhunt Mine C & D: Argin and Torris E: The Winged Mesa E: The Crevice of the Remorhaz G: Giant’s Rest Reaching the Top H: The Ice Bridge I: The Old Quarry Part 7: The Lair of Torrfin the Bleak J & K: The Overhanging Bridge and the Underpass. Getting to the Lair Aftermath The Bone Fence A: The Gatehouse Part 3: Sarenchill Lake B: The Courtyard. History of Sarenchill C: The Mammoth Pen Arrival at the Lake D: The Hall Entrance Animal Sleds Treasure Sleds in Combat The Hall of Jarl Torrfin Making Turns During Combat A: The Entrance Losing Control B: The Chasm Fighting Onboard a Sled C: The Stone Throne Ramming D: The Jarl’s Haul Sarenchill Lake A: The Survivors 11 NPC and Creature Stat Blocks B: The Lakeshore Jarl Torrfin C: The Ruined Castle Iceria, Cleric of Auril D: The Great Split Pelagia, Merfolk Chieftan E: The Old Wharf Ice Troll F: The Wreck of the Bien Dara Baby Mammoth SampleAlso available for the Da rk Pefileaks!

Introduction elcome travellers and adventurers, to a cold This book can be used in several ways, any of which will and snowy quest. If all goes well, you will allow your party to enjoy a chillingly cold adventure. This rescue a village of innocent people from the book can be used as a stand alone adventure within a predatations of a Frost Giant clan, then seek Forgotten Realms campaign, when adventuring in the to follow them back to their lair. Through northern mountains or the Savage Frontier. caves or atop mountains, upon a narrow The rules, enemies and environments do not need to Wpath or with terrifying ice-climbing, you’ll change as they are all included within the Dungeons and seek out their chieftain atop a glacier, where he has placed Dragons 5th Edition Players Handbook, Monster Manual his ice-fortress. There, perhaps, you'll bring about the end and Dungeon Master’s Guide. Any additional rules will be of his clan’s rampage. explained when necessary within this book. However, things rarely go well at the best of times, and This book can be used as an adventure within a the giants, wolves, imps, duergar and many other creatures campaign set in Whitefaire, using the Adventurer’s Guide which oppose you will make sure that you struggle every to Whitefaire as a sourcebook. Many of the environmental step of the way. If that wasn’t enough, even the cold of the rules and some monsters are taken directly from that book. environment will fight you, creating challenges to be Finally, this adventure can also be used as a side overcome through guile and creativity rather than violence. adventure or interlude during Chapter 3 of Storm King’s Nonetheless, if your adventurers are brave enough to Thunder. While exploring the Savage Frontier, it would not take on the Frost Giants, they will find a wealth of items, be unlikely that your adventurers would encounter savage experiences to aid them. They will need all such things to clans of Frost Giants who are following their raiding defeat the Blizzard of Axe and Blade with their terrible instincts. leader, Jarl Torrfin the Bleak. This adventure should take approximately seven to twelve hours to complete and is broken up into four different adventure sections. It has several meaningful Using this book choices for the party in the direction which they will take, This adventure is designed to be played by Tier Two so this book has a replayability element as well. For advenSampleturing parties at level five or six. Most of the example, if the party choo ses to filego through the mines, you encounters in this adventure are calculated by this can always have another go and take the mountain pass challenge rating as hard or deadly - and that is before instead. The same is true for climbing the glacier cliffs factoring in the environmental effects of cold, snow and ice. compared to hiking up the trail. Each of these choices will In short, this adventure is not for the faint-hearted! create a widely different experience of the adventurers!

INTRODUCTION 4 Average movement speed without specialist gear for an Adventure Hooks adventuring party is half of the average given in the Player’s There are several ways to begin The Blizzard of Axe and Handbook for walkers and animals when walking in snow. Sword, which will vary based on your starting point: In addition, if a character wants to sprint, they must make a DC10 Strength (Athletics) check, otherwise they move at While travelling north on the road to the village of half speed for the sprint move as well. Lamastop, parallel to the great Windhold mountain range, the adventurers see smoke trails rising in the Travel Pace in Snow distance. Distant booming cries echo through the quiet countryside towards them, and large figures can be Distance Traveled Per…. seen throwing dirt and debris in the air. Pace Minute Hour Day Effect Fast 120 ft. 1 & 1/4 10 -5 to Passive While following a hunting trail through the nearby Mi. mi. Perception. forests which line the Windhold mountains, the party come across the broken trees and branches of a Normal 60 ft. 1 Mi. 8 mi. No effect rampaging giant band, coming down from the north to Slow 30 ft. 1/2 Mi. 5 mi. Able to use stealth the villages to the south. The village of Lamastop is in the direct path of destruction. Snowshoes The first piece of equipment that almost all travellers will This introduction can be used for campaigns based on use when traveling across snow is a pair of snowshoes. the Whitefaire Adventurer’s Guide. While travelling These simple devices, which distribute the weight of the south west of the Windhold range, the adventurers walker over a much larger area, allow them to move much encounter a ranger. Their name is Orim Bersk-Righton quicker. When a character is wearing snow-shoes, they can (werellama, CG, see statblock) and they need help. move at the speeds given in the Player's Handbook when They’ve been tracking a group of Frost Giants who’ve travelling in snow. Please note that your characters cannot come down from the mountains to plunder and raid, but sprint while wearing snowshoes. they can’t fight the gang on their own. In heavy snow, the characters will move at the speed Another Whitefaire Adventurer's Guide focused given for travel pace in snow. Characters also cannot sprint introduction could be: Captain Zectela has received while they are wearing snowshoes in heavy snow. If a information from her scouts that the Frost Giants have character needs to tie their snowshoes in haste, for come south from the Mistral Plain. As the Storm’s Claw example while camping, they must pass a DC10 sleight of Brigade are battling an incursion from Dark Spears hand check to do so. Otherwise they will move at the Goblins, she asks the adventurers to go and protect normal character speeds in snow. Lamastop from the giants. She offers 500pp for the job if they can do it with minimum damage to the village. Blizzards, Snowfall, Sleet, and While exploring the Savage Frontier in Chapter 3 of Hail Storm King’s Thunder (page 63 onwards) the The weather is as deadly an opponent as any monster, adventurers encounter the tracks of the Frost Giants especially in the deepest of winter. Blizzards can fill the air heading towards Lamastop. Knowing that they will and swirl around an adventurer, blocking their sight and need further information upon Frost Giants here in chilling their bones. Snowfall can do all the same thing, but northern Faerun, they can choose to pursue these also sit like a blanket upon travellers and slow them yet tracks to see where they lead. further. Sleet is often worse, as it is often accompanied by a sharp wind, which soaks clothes and then freezes the Or, when using Storm King's Thunder, the party can be people within them. Hail can be particularly brutal, a asked by the Frost Giant Harshnag (page 118) to aid pelting rain of ice-shards which sometimes hit hard enough him in destroying this rampaging clan who threaten the to cut skin and tear clothes. Adventurers who are hit by this whole area. This could even be a test of loyalty by kind of brutal shower will mostly seek cover from this Harshnag to see if he can trust these ‘little folk’ who weather. To push on would invite disaster. DM’s can roll on have disturbed him so. the main table to generate the weather for each day and the specific rules for the effects of weather can be found below. Environmental Hazards While the enemies are bad enough, the cold environment Mountain Weather which Frost Giants thrive in can present its own D6 Morning Afternoon Night challenges. The cold and ice will be hard enough to conquer for many adventurers even before they start to 1 Snow Fog Clear Sky fight. The general rules for Environmental Hazards can be 2 Clear Day Grey Sky Low Cloud found below - any specific environmental hazards which are present in each area will be explained at the time. 3 Grey Cloud Bright Sun Snow These rules are taken in part from The Whitefaire 4 Blizzard Hail Snow AdvenSampleturer’s Guide. 5 Fog S now fileBlizzard Travelling in snow is slow, difficult and demanding. It requires specialist equipment and skills even to make 6 Hail Blizzard Fog progress in these environments. Ponies, donkeys and other non-specialist pack animals can survive cold weather but they travel slower in the deeper drifts.

INTRODUCTION 5 Three things are key to remember about Frost Giants to Snow and Fog make them memorable and challenging opponents. Snow fills the air and blocks sight and sound at any significant distance. Creatures have disadvantage on They are masters of their arctic and mountainous Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight and hearing. environment. Frost Giants know how to use snow and Any survival check for tracking or navigating are at a ice to their advantage. They will kick up a great wave of disadvantage. Fog merely swirls and blinds a character, but snow into the face of an attacker, which could well bury leaves their hearing stil clear. Creatures have disadvantage them up to their neck. They will leap across dangerous on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. Any terrain such as frigid rivers which others cannot cross survival check for tracking or navigating are at safely, and they will use their large footfall to stay stable disadvantage. on ice where others may well slip and fall. One of their most favoured tactics is to wait for a blizzard to sweep in, and then use this as cover to attack. The enemy is Blizzards isolated, blinded and overwhelmed before they even Blizzards wrap around a creature, blinding and deafening know what is attacking them. those unfortunates to everything around them. At the same They like to fight but they aren’t foolish. Frost Giants time, the sharp wind and swirling snow chills the body know how to fight and they have an instinctive grasp of sharply, causing injury to all of those who are not prepared crude battle tactics. Most, unless goaded, will not - and often, even to those who are. Creatures trapped in immediately go charging into a melee. Instead, they will blizzards have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) throw icy boulders at their opponents as they approach, checks that rely on sight and hearing. Any survival checks seeking to injure or kill before they attack. Only when for tracking and navigating are at disadvantage. In addition they get within 50 ft. will a Frost Giant charge and try to to this, the characters have to take a DC12 Constitution crush their opponent in a single devastating strike. Check for every hour they spend within a blizzard without Frost Giants want to dominate and prove cover. On a fail, they take D6 cold damage. themselves. These giants tend to be indiscriminate in their attacks, laying into all around them, unless they Resting in Snow and Ice. have an obvious notion of who is the strongest warrior. Then the Frost Giants will seek to kill that warrior first, Without preparation and skill, resting in the snow at night because of their need to demonstrate their strength can be lethal. The temperature drops, clothes freeze, against this foe who could challenge it. Fnce engaged, a bodies cool to their deaths. If creatures try and sleep in the Frost Giant will fight until it, or it’s enemy, is dead in the open air, they must all take a DC12 Constitution check. If snow. they fail, they do not recover any hit points for their rest and take 1D12 cold damage. If creatures are able to raise some Hopefully, with this in mind you can make your Frost light cover, such as a light tent or simple lean-to hut, then Giant as terrifying and as effective as the adventurers feel the resting creatures need to take a DC10 constitution they should be! check. If this check is failed, the creature awakens with a level of exhaustion. If the creatures are able to find substantial cover such as an existing cabin, raising an igloo, or spells such as Leomund’s Tiny Hut, then they can rest as normal. Using Frost Giants as Enemies The principal (but by no means only) enemies in this adventure are Frost Giants. Before you start this module, it would be useful to just review the section on Giants within the Monster Manual before you begin. This should demonstrate the difference between these creatures and more regular monsters you might fight in D&D. In this adventure, one of the most important factors to consider is how the weight and size of a frost giant affects the physical environment around it. When a Frost Giants steps, the ground around it literally shakes, and a great cloud of snow erupts around it. The incredible height of a frost giant, over 21 ft tall, means that it can look over many smaller trees in the forest. A medium sized creature would need to crane their neck almost to it's limit to stare up ointo a Frost giant’s face. SolSampleid looking ice-lakes will crack under the weight of a file Frost Giant, and the tracks of their footsteps in deep snow could be several feet deep, and more than 10 ft. apart from each other. Their footsteps and their booming voices can even trigger snowfalls and avalanches when they are in the mountains and hills of their native realm.

INTRODUCTION 6

Part 1: The Attack upon Lamastop amastop is an excellent example of the frontier villages which dot the edges of the Adventure Overview Windhold Mountain Range. A cluster of In this section of the adventure, the party will face and houses and homes protected by a crude (hopefully) defeat a group of rampaging Frost Giants who palisade, the aged buildings have been have already attacked the town. Having already laid waste inhabited by previous many generations of to the outlying districts, the Frost Giants are attacking the people. These include the natives of this land, L main gate of the village in an attempt to break it down. This and newly arrived travellers looking for a new life amongst is being resisted valiantly by a group of rangers who have the forests of the Savage Lands. already joined the defence. Lamastop in particular thrives on this abundant timber, If and when the Frost Giants are defeated and driven off, and the river which flows through the village. On the north the village and what remains of its facilities will be able to side of the lake is the fishing wharf, where two boats will go be used by the adventuring party as a base. How much is out every day to catch the firm-fleshed fish that travel in left standing will be based upon how quickly the these mountain’s waterways. At the same time, on the adventurers can react! south side of the river, the lumber mill collects the logs Otherwise, the rest of the village have gathered in the which are sent downriver from the timber camps further up temple of Auril (Point G), hoping that the large stone walls in the mountains. From there, it can be shaped and then and deathly cold interior will protect them from the Frost sent further south for further work. Giants. As there are no goods or food to take there, the The town consists of approximately five hundred villagers will remain unmolested. residents, the majority being human or the Frostkin who live amongst them. There is a small group of northern ice- Elves who live in this village as well, but they attract little Frost Giant Behaviour notice from the inhabitants there. There are few of the The Frost Giants are aiming to raid this town, stealing food other races, as the village does not seem to attract others and goods from the village. As the adventurers arrive, the outside of humans, frostkin and elves. trio of Frost Giants are battering at the gatehouse on the On the whole, the village is a lively place of minor other side of the river. The gate is AC18 with 80hp, and one industry amongst the great unbroken forests of the North. giant per turn will be attacking it. The others will be While old, many of the houses show signs of frequent hurling rocks at the rangers on the other side of the bridge repair and having been built with particular care and (See point B for more details). Once the gate is broken craftsmanship. They have fretboard panels and over- down, the Frost Giants will go on a rampage around the hanging gables which support the snow lying heavy upon village to steal or loot everything they can find. them,Sample and they are tightly shuttered against the endless Their first target will (ir onicalfilely) be the Giant’s Head cold of the nights. tavern (Point C), where they will tear the roof off to get The people are hardened to the tough conditions of the access to the larder and cellars. Once a Frost Giant is mountains, and some folk seem almost immune to the raiding that, and filling their bag with as much as they can, perpetually low temperatures. It is rumoured that, at the the others will move onto the village smithy (Point F), and Year's End festival, some will even swim in the lake! then the granary and windmill (Point H).

PART 1: LAMASTOP 7 Sample file

PART 1: LAMASTOP 8 If the giants still aren’t stopped by that point, they will raid There is no need to attack with the scouts individually. the waterwheel (Point D) for any further grain and then exit Using the Mob Attack Rules from the Dungeon Master’s across the river, kicking their way through the palisade. Guide (page 250), each scout will strike with one arrow per DM’s should take note of which village building was turn, causing 1d8+2 (6) piercing damage or an average raided, as slaying the giant who raided each building will total of 24hp to one Frost Giant per turn. The scouts have cause most of the supplies there to be returned - and found concealment around the bridge and have +5 AC provide much relief to their owner! accordingly. Allynaut will attack separately as normal. If the gatehouse is still intact, read the following to the A: The Burning Outskirts players:

Under a grey sky threatening snow you approach Ahead, a trio of enormous figures are battering at the village. All you can see the smoke rising from the palisade walls ahead of them. Their long rank several ruined buildings. These could have once hair, blue skin and tattered clothing leave no been homes or workshops, but with fire doubt who these Frost Giants are. From beyond consuming them it’s impossible to tell their it, you see a rain of black arrows falling amongst original purpose. Amongst the smoke and the enormous attackers, while they throw rocks flames, human bodies can be seen - some with back over the palisade towards whomever is shattered weapons and all with terrible injuries. fighting them. Amongst the smoke and ruin, a dog-headed humanoid figures can be seen chewing on what remains are left. It appears a gang of opportunistic predators have followed the Frost If the gatehouse has already been reduced to 0hp, read the Giants! following to the players:

This area consists of four burning houses, one destroyed Ahead you can see the wreckage of the house and one undamaged house in the centre of this area. gatehouse, where logs lay smashed and To the west is the fishing dock, with it’s roof destroyed and shattered. In the distance amongst the houses of the village, three large figures are laying waste to the barrels of fish stolen by the giants. A few fish are spread the buildings. But arrows still lashing out from throughout the area, in a trail leading south towards the other, smaller figures there. Resistance has not main village. yet ceased and whomever is there continues to The lake to the south is partially frozen around the bravely fight on. edges, with ice that will crack from the slightest weight. A channel has been cut from the fishing dock to the lake’s centre to the southwest, and an undamaged boat remains If the gate is broken, the Giants will move into the town as within that channel. per the ‘Frost Giant Behaviour’. The scouts will scatter into Enemies: Amongst the burning building is a pack of the streets, trying to stay out of melee range with the eight gnolls with two gnoll pack lords. They are operating giants. The giants will use their bonus action to rip off the as two separate groups of four gnolls and a gnoll pack lord. building's roof (which is easily torn apart) and then their One is eating the corpses of the slain in the centre of the action to loot what’s beyond. It takes 3 actions to loot an burning houses, while the other is consuming what little entire building. If the building is entirely looted, then it will fish are remaining around the dock. Once one group is be classed as ruined. If the giant is unable to finish looting engaged and are able to let off a howl (free action by one the building, it will be classed as partially damaged. gnoll), the other group will home in and join the fight. If they are struck by attackers, the Frost Giants will use Treasure: Each of the Gnolls pack lords have 55gp in thrown rocks or melee attacks to kill the warrior who their filthy clothing. If the adventurers pass a DC15 struck them, but otherwise focus on looting and theft. Intelligence (Investigation) check, they will discover a rich Treasure: There are few valuables upon the Frost looking merchant corpse in the burning house. If they Giants. However, the last giant to be slain has a +1 remove it, the corpse has 7pp in his belt pouch. Greataxe which it has used to based it's oversized weapon upon. If taken to the smithy (if it’s still intact), for a payment B: The Gatehouse and Bridge of 100gp it can be restored to its original state. As the adventurers are approaching, the DM should be Any dead scouts have their bows, short swords and 5gp rolling for the attacks which the three Frost Giants are each. However, the other scouts will not easily allow the making upon the gatehouse and the rangers on the bridge adventurers to loot their dead comrades! beyond it. There are four scouts, led by their leader Allynaut (human non-binary, CG, veteran) on the other side of the bridge to the south, firing arrows upon the attacking After the Giant’s Raid giant as they try to batter down the gate. One giant will Once the giants are defeated or driven off, the villagers will attackSample the gatehouse which is AC18 with 80hp. Once it is come down from the Tem ple of Afileuril and gratefully thank reduced to 0hp it will collapse and cause no impediment to the adventurers for ‘saving’ their homes. This gratitude will movement. The other giants are hurling rocks at the be moderated by the amount of damage which the town scouts, trying to stop the irritating pin pricks of arrows took, but the villagers are still pleased to have got through which are endless falling against their cold hardened skin. this experience with their lives.

PART 1: LAMASTOP 9 What is available to the adventures will be noted below, based on the condition of the building. E: The Statue of the Sword Woman This statue of a woman stands in the village centre, it’s C: The Giant’s Head Tavern details eroded by the ages that it has lasted. No-one is truly sure if the village came before the statue, or whether the The Giant’s Head Tavern is one of the largest buildings in statue was here before the village. Beneath the stone are town, and certainly the most lavish inn for many miles. It is strange symbols. If a DC12 Intelligence (Arcana) check is stone based, with a wooden second storey, where the passed, the character can just read the long-worn dwarvish bedrooms have fretwork wooden shutters overlooking the runes, which read: street. Within, there is a large common room with polished

wood floors, a massive roaring fireplace, and antique furniture which seems to squeak with age whenever anyone sits upon it. The Tavern is owned by Margrave Powle (human female, NG, scout), who was originally a A DC15 Intelligence (History or Arcana) check will reveal hunter before finding a large trove of antique coins within a the message as ‘live forever our sword sistren.’ nearby cave. With such sudden wealth she purchased the In the hand of the statue is a piece of a fragment of metal. Giant’s Head outright, and rumours say that her coins A DC16 Strength check can dislodge it, and it is faintly remain hidden somewhere within the Tavern’s Cellar. magical. If an adventurer should take it, and stay a night in Margrave’s old bow remains hanging over the fireplace, and Lamastop, that evening’s rest will be broken by the arrival her shortsword remains always at her belt. by the ghost of the Sword Sistren, a warrior in ancient Margrave is respectfully called ‘Ma’am’ by all in the looking armour (human female, NG, ghost). She will hover Tavern, and she rules her estate strictly, with little time for at the foot on an adventurer’s bed, glowing blue and people who might be overly drunk and misbehaving in her mouthing words they cannot hear. The Sword Sistren will home. Accordingly, the village locals and occasional not attack unless attacked, but beckon the character to travelers who visit are always respectful and well-behaved. follow her. She will lead them to the south bank of the lake, Margrave can offer D6 modest room, D3 comfortable and then point beneath the ice. A DC10 Wisdom rooms, and 1 wealthy room, as per the prices in the (perception) check will reveal that there is a slight blue Player’s Handbook (p.157). glow beneath. If the character dives into the freezing water, Treasure: To investigate the cellar will take a DC18 they can complete a DC10 Wisdom (Perception) Check to Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check to pick the lock, followed see the fragments of a shattered blade in the silt. They can by a DC18 Intelligence (Investigation) check to discover the collect all six of them, but will experience the effects of slightly loose flagstone. Beneath is a chest containing frigid water, as detailed in the Dungeon Master’s Guide 42pp. However, on returning from the cellar, the (p.110) as each piece is approximately 60ft. away from the adventurers will have to face an angry Margrave with her other on the lakebed. sword drawn! If they collect all the pieces, the ghost will smile a Partially Damaged: If the Inn has been damaged, beneficent, long suffering smile. It will gather all the parts Margrave Powle will apologise profusely for the condition of the blade to itself, and with a long, gentle laugh, vanish of her inn, and will only be able to offer D3 modest rooms into the afterlife. Behind it will be left a battered, rusty hilt which survived the onslaught. In addition, she can only of a sword. This is the Ghost Blade and has the following offer poor food. She will have to double her prices as a profile: ‘recovery’ tax to help her repair the damage. Ruined: Seemingly not hugely upset, Margrave will ask for help in recovering her wealth in the cellar. She’ll offer a small reward to any of the adventurers who are willing to The Ghost Blade assist her. After a successful DC16 strength check, Wonderous sword, rare Margrave will be able to get to the cellar and retrieve the This rare magical item, which requires chest of coins there. After giving a reward of 2gp, Margrave attunement, appears to be an old and rusted will head off to the lumber mill in the west of Lamastop to longsword hilt. While grasping the hilt, you can see what she can arrange around rebuilding. A DC12 use a bonus action to cause a blade of green (Intelligence) investigation check can reveal 6sp, scattered ghostly energy to spring into existence, or make throughout the ruin of the inn. the blade disappear. While the blade exists, this magic longsword has the finesse and versatile (1d10) properties. If you are proficient with D: Waterwheel. shortswords or longswords, you are proficient This waterwheel is used for grinding corn, meal or other with the Ghost Blade. You gain a +1 bonus to grains. In addition, it can be used to sharpen blades when attack and damage rolls made with this weapon, they need their edge restoring. Within, the Master Cutler which deals necromantic damage instead of Drilk Vulkan (human male, NG, commoner) is able to hone slashing damage. When you hit an undead with the blade of almost any mundane weapon to a wicked this weapon, the damage type alters to radiant sharpness. Any non-magical weapon can be sharpened for damage. 2gp, and this will add an additional d3 damage on this weapSampleon’s first successful hit. After this, this edge will be file lost.

PART 1: LAMASTOP 10

F: The Smithy The Smithy is a large forge, bigger than one might expect from a humble village blacksmith. The blacksmith, Nori Ashapron (human male, TN, guard), has a carefully plaited beard and a grizzed look to his old face. He works for many different adventurers and small military forces in the area. He is a highly skilled weapon and armor smith and has a wide array of swords, shields and other items for sale in this smithy. His work is high on gilt and decoration, so it costs an addition 10% based on the costs given in the Player’s Handbook (p.145 and p.149). They are beautiful examples of his craft. For 500gp and a day’s work, Nori can engrave and gilt a breastplate, half plate or suit of plate to a very high level. When this armour is worn, it grants +1 to the wearer’s Charisma score. Partially Damaged: Ashapron will stare at his damaged forge, then sigh with deep resignation. He’ll offer what remains of his stock to the adventurers, but the adventurers must roll a D3 for every item. If they roll a 1, the item has been stolen by the Frost Giants and Ashapron can’t find it. He can’t do any other work until he’s spent some time restoring his damaged forge back to good condition. Ruined: Tears running down his face, Ashapron sits dejectedly in the snow. He taps the broken handle of his hammer and stares at the wreckage of his once-vibrant livelihood. He’ll ask the adventurers if they are willing to donate some gold to his forge, promising to pay it back when he’s able. He’ll also offer D3 random items as his only surviving stock, taking any price that the adventurers offer him in pure desperation.

G: The Ice-Temple of Auril

The ice-temple of Auril is a tall, stone building with two central columns and a tall tower behind it. Behind its large central doors is a cold, marble lined interior, the whiteness of the rock echoing the snow and ice which makes up

Auril’s code and character. The temple roof is held up by two large circular columns, each with intricate carvings of snow. On a DC12 Intelligence (Investigation) check the character realises that, just like real snow, none of these Within the temple is the blue-tinged skin and white carvings are identical. In the centre of the temple, running haired figure cleric Iceria (human female, NE, see stat down the towards where the great tower would be, is a block). She wears nothing but a fur-lined cloak, hood, and deep stone lined hole where a great block of ice sits. The the six-pointed snowflake of Auril on a choker at her throat. freezing temperature radiates out from it like a physical The tall woman talks in the whisper of the blizzard-storm, sensation, grasping with fingers of cold upon those within. with the softness of a peaceful winter’s death. As the cleric No matter the temperature outside, the temple of Auril is speaks, she will touch the adventurers on the face and always colder. hands, leaving behind a coldness which lingers. Iceria is At the end of the temple building is a large, frozen pond, able to grant cleric spells up to 5th level for the price of surrounded with stone. The alter for Auril is atop it, a 75gp per spell level (i.e a third level spell would cost 225gp carved image of deep blue, permanent ice. The imagery of to be cast). Auril, reaching down to cast the blanket of winter across Development: Iceria is willing to pay the adventurers to the land is in equal parts astonishing and terrifying. slay the Frost Giants. The people here are under the cold, The worshippers are noticeably divided. While the protective gaze of Auril, and her goddess demands that the villagers fled here to survive the Frost Giant attack, it is not cold wind of vengeance is cast upon the creatures who clear if they are true believers in the Ice Queen. Most might threaten her congregation. She will offer 500pp if appear to be running to the largest stone built building in they are willing to track any remaining Frost Giants, and the village, and leave once they are sure the situation is bring back proof that the quest has been successful. Iceria safe. None-the-less, some worshippers remain, wrapped up is also willing to pay well for a trophy from each giant they tightlySample against the cold, whispering their prayers. There are file slay - feet, hands or teeth. For each of these trophies, she’s three more devout worshippers clad, only in their able to pay an additional 250gp. underwear, who kneel before the altar and stay as still as If asked where to start, the blue-hued cleric will say that they can. From their blue skin, shivering limbs and white- all such raiders go back to the mountains where they came cold limbs, these worshippers are clearly freezing from. Frost Giants are not careful about their tracks and it themselves in honour of their god. should be obvious which way to go.

PART 1: LAMASTOP 11 If they accept her quest, she will offer them each a winter Upon two of the far walls are floor to ceiling shelves with adventurer's packs and snow-shoes, if the player-characters glass jars of many different styles and types upon them. do not already have these. The pack contains an ice-axe, Any PC of medium size will have to duck to enter this . It is crampons, a warm cloak and six pitons for climbing. a large single space, with areas for cooking and sleeping If questioned upon her motives, Iceria will explain that carefully hidden behind movable screens. While Johan is while Winter may be seen as evil and cruel, it is a season focused on the operation of his mill, Vicki is a herbalist of like any other. She is merely a cleric of this season, seeking some skill. Both of them dislike Iceria greatly, regarding the to bring it’s touch so the land can, once more, recover back snow cleric as an evil influence upon the village. When into the life of spring. The people of Lamastop deserve to pressed, they can't recall what evil acts she has undertaken. last the winter, and destroying the Frost Giants will be one Viki is able to show the adventurers her stock of potions. way of ensuring. She has a variety of common potions, including 2d6 basic healing potions (50gp each), and 1d6 greater healing H: The Windmill potions (200gp). As well as this, she has one potion of hill giant strength (300gp) which she made many weeks ago. In This large windmill sits atop a tall hill across from the addition to this, if the adventurers can provide her with a temple of Auril. This structure is a boxy building with a frost giant toe or finger, and 300gps, Viki has the reagents stone base and a rotating upper section, upon which four she needs to brew a potion of Frost Giant Strength, as large sails gently spin in the breeze. Village folk are found in the Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.187). This brewing carrying their sacks of grain to and fro, up to where the will take an additional 24 hours, however. milling will take place. Within can be heard the clanking of Partially Damaged: Holding each other, Johnan and Viki wooden machinery and the gritty, endless rasp of two look at their damaged windmill with a mix of fear and milling stones rubbing against each other. relief. Johan yells to his workers as they start to assess the The interior of the windmill is a dark space of rising and damage and salvage what they can from the battered falling gears and grains, while workers call out strange structure. He thanks the adventurers for their efforts in commands and calls to each other. If the player characters defending Lamaspot and is sorry he can’t offer much in the should enter, they will need to take a DC10 Wisdom way of rewards. Viki will offer to help, check her damaged (Perception) check, or not hear the cries of alarm from the stock of potions and offer to sell D6 healing potions to the workers above them as a sack falls down towards them. adventurers for 65gp each. The added price is to help The player characters take 1d6 bludgeoning damage restore the mill. from the falling weight. This damage is halved if they Ruined: Holding his weeping wife at his side, Johann complete a DC12 Dexterity saving throw. stares uncomprehendingly at the devastation of his family’s Within the base of the windmill, the player characters home. Wood, shattered space and broken gears are spread can find the little low home of Johan Millerson (half-elf throughout the area, and one of his workers has been male, NG, commoner) and his wife Vicki Millerson (human speared with a broken shaft. He thanks the adventurers in woman, LG, commoner). This is a low space, much like a a lost, hollow voice, and Viki is equally distraught and cellar, lit with carefully designed lanterns, with plants, unable to speak for her grief. animals and other reagents hanging from the ceiling. Activities Within Lamastop If the adventurers decide to rest in Lamastop, there are many ways that they can spend their time, including:

The buildings on fire outside of the village will need to be extinguished, as the flames could spread to the fishing dock there. If a player character assists with that, with a DC15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, they can salvage valuables from these houses worth 25gp.

They can assist with repairing the front gate. This will require six hours work and a successful DC12 Strength check. The adventurer will be rewarded with 2D6gp as a thank you for their efforts.

Development: If they survived, Allynaut will come to explain the situation to the PC's. Despite the defence of the Lamastop, the Frost Giants have taken much of their food in previous raids. The village will starve if, come winter, they don't recover these supplies. Allynaut Samplehas no payments for th e advefilenturers but they will beg for help in recovering these supplies. If they can remove the clan, the village can recover what they need.

Once the party have completed all of their activities within Lamastop, they can travel to the pass of Utnar's Saddle.

PART 1: LAMASTOP 12

Part 2: Utnar's Saddle he great mountain pass of Utnar’s Saddle is When harsh winters strike the south and food runs twenty-two miles to the north-west of scarce, brave villagers might head north to the plains Lamasfield, through tracks in the endless beyond the mountain. There they hunt for large but wooded flanks of the mountains. The great dangerous game, such as mammoths, elk and moose. Windhold Range has a gap, like a missing At some point in the past, a watchtower was erected tooth upon it, leaving a hole in the endless within the pass itself, where freezing cold guards could Tflanks of the mountains. This is the great track and perhaps stop any wandering bands of creatures pass of Utnar’s Saddle, the only place to pass through the trying to make their way into the more civilised lands mountain range for a hundred miles either way. beyond. However, this ruin has been untouched for The pass is a six mile long confused mass of cliffs and decades. Stories say that the first Frost Giant raid fell upon ridges, all rising up from the river in it’s sharp gorge at the that tower and tore down the sides of it. Now it is said to be pass’s base. This ice culvert of freezing water is silent as it the realms of ghosts and demons; few have been brave flows, unbroken by rapids or The cold wind sweeps enough to investigate the truth of whether it is so. through the pass with vicious strength, freezing exposed At one time, there was a deep mine within the pass, skin and blowing snow in the face of the adventurers as which hunted for the rich iron seams which are present they try to make their way north. Beneath their feet, the beneath Mount Grimdell. It is rumoured that you could path is nothing more than packed, dirty snow which offers travel all the way under the mountains to the other side in little grip to go up and around the jagged rock formations. these mines, but they have been closed for years after they The two peaks which flank the pass, Mount Orindraut and could find no more ore. In recent times, it has been said Mount Grimdell, look down with sheer sides and bare cliffs, that smaller, dwarven figures have been seen emerging offering no handholds or escape. Once the travellers have from this mine site at night, and scurrying to who knows entered the Saddle, they have to travel to the north or turn where. None have been brave enough to approach and see back to the south, returning the way they came. what such industrious creatures might want to achieve - or where their digging could have led. History of the Saddle This mountain pass was said to have been created by the giants which live beyond it. It is said that a mighty cloud DM’s Guidance: giant, seeking a way to bring his terrible allies into the While tracking the Frost Giants is easy, you can warmer south. This, despite the fervent belief of the people always build the tension by having a heavy in Lamastop and other villages, is probably not true. The snowfall during the night, obscuring their tracks. river OSampleuze, running from the glacier and the Mistral Plain This will mean that t he advfileenturers have to pass beyond, is far more likely to have worn down this steep a DC12 Wisdom (Survival) check to continue sided valley over many hundreds of generations. following them, or risk becoming lost. Nonetheless, this valley has been the route of hunters going both north and south.

PART 2: UTNAR'S SADDLE 13 Reaching the Saddle Arrival The adventurers will have to travel thirty-four miles in the snow to reach the pass in the mountains. You can use the The wind howls as you climb through the thick chart at the beginning of this book to calculate the travel snow, towards the jagged gap between the peaks time, based on party speed and equipment. The Frost high above. The forest drops away to almost Giants have made no effort to cover their tracks and so the nothing, and the air thins as you climb ever torn up snow is easy to find and follow. The forests are upwards. At last, you reach the great pass of thick pine wood, and the snowdrifts can be up to the chest Untar’s Saddle, and confront this frozen, jagged of the adventurers making their way towards the space of cliffs and mesas. To your right, the river mountains. gurgles and splashes its way through the deep While travelling, the party has a chance of random ravine at the Saddle’s base, whispering a melody of frozen water on its passage south to the long- encounters. Follow the rules given in the Dungeon Master’s lost sea. Across the canyon is a low stone bridge, Guide (p.86), and if a random encounter is generated, make and in the middle distance you can see the fog- a roll of the table below. topped ruins of an ancient tower. Far below, on the other side of the river, the snow-topped D10 Result buildings of a forgotten mine works can be seen 1 The party is ambushed by a pack of winter wolves. in the distance. This pack consists of four wolves, who will attack to try and maim or kill a single adventurer and drag their corpse away to eat. The pass of Utnar’s Saddle is eight miles long and three 2 An ice-troll (see stat block) looms out of the forest, miles wide between the two mountains. It is covered in as you have wandered into ‘their’ territory. They snow and the atmospheric condition changes within the will adopt an aggressive display posture, before attacking to get the adventurers to retreat from pass at what seems like a moment’s notice. DM's should their land. Make a weather check every hour that the adventurer’s are within Utnar’s Pass, and apply the effects accordingly. 3 A mammoth and a baby mammoth (see stat block) The snow is brand new and fresh to the touch, and it sits are making their way south. If the baby is attacked in any way, the mother will have the berserk special like a carpet upon every surface. Any tracks which had rule for the entire combat. been there are thoroughly destroyed. However, the geography of the place dictates that travellers can only 4 A curious polar bear comes foraging for food, and move north or south - so any surviving giants have gone is not immediately hostile. If given any kind of food, it will leave, and then return 24 hours later. north, or came from the north. There are several, loosely connected paths which can be 5 The party discovers a grumpy Treant. While they followed, all of which led a different way through the pass. are not willing to move, if the party pass a DC12 The choice is up to the party if and where they follow the Charisma (Persuasion) check, the Treant can offer a short cut to cut six hours off the journey time. paths, and the route they take towards the other side of the mountains. 6 A goblin raiding party, from the Kingdom of the Moon Watchers, attack. This band consists of three goblin bosses and twelve goblins. They operate in A: The Crystal Forest three loose squads of a boss and four goblins each. 7 The party stumbles across a small cave within the deep forest. There are three sleeping yetis within The trees of this forest seemingly shine as if the cave. They are surrounded by the bodies of made of precious gems, sparkling in the watery their victims, which includes ripped apart animals sunlight. Even the trunks of these tall trees are and pieces of richly dressed humans. Within the surrounded with a layer of silvery ice, held in cave are 25pp and a Ring of Protection +1. stasis by the cold. Ahead, the first of the great 8 A young white dragon on the hunt for gold and mesas is surrounded by sheer cliff walls ... jewels, attacks the adventures. They will go for the richest dressed adventurer and attempt to slay them for their wealth. If the dragon is badly The Crystal Forest is a large wood at the entrance to the wounded, it will fly away and seek an easier target. pass, of low, round topped trees covered in ice. The snow 9 The party encounters a group of three Frostkin between them is clear and open. The path through the scouts, led by Svra Sleetsinger (frostkin female, N, forest is approximately five hundred yard long before it scout). They have just finished their hunt and are reaches the base of the mesa to the north. carrying two slain elk home with them. They will trade for common and uncommon items, but will Enemies: Guarding the pass is a Frost Giant, Snagorg, not accept gold for the goods. They will only and his two pet worgs, Snapper and Ripper. Both Worgs barter. On a DC12 Charisma (Persuasion) check speak giant. The trio will attack anyone who comes within and an appropriate item of the same value, Svra their forest, as they are seeking to try hold the pass against will part with her longbow +1 invaders. Snagorg will draw attention to himself, and then 10 SampleWith a terrible rumble, a Remorhaz explodes out of Snapper and Ripper will come afileround the sides to flank. If the snow. It’s aim is to swallow two medium Snagorg is terribly wounded or dying, he will order one of creatures and digest them. It will use its ability to the worgs (capital?) to run and raise the alarm of the rest of hide in the snow to make hit and run strikes, the clan. If they are able to do this, the Giants riding retreating with a swallowed creature to finish mammoths from the Old Quarry (Point I) will be moving digesting them. After eating two medium creatures south. (or equivalent) it will flee.

PART 2: UTNAR'S SADDLE 14 Sample file

PART 2: UTNAR'S SADDLE 15 Treasure: Snagorg has a great chain around his neck, At either end of the bridge is a partially ruined stone worth about 190gp. At its center is a diamond worth 300gp arch, atop which a hooded figure looks down upon any in a golden housing. travellers. Their features, like the stonework around them, have been worn down to almost nothing. B: The Cave Terrain: The entire bridge is covered in a layer of slippery ice, as detailed in the Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.110). In addition to this, the parapet of the bridge is Deep in the cliff of the Mesa is a dark cave, unstable. If a creature falls or is pushed against this, roll a which seems to breathe as the adventurer’s D6. On a 4+, the parapet gives way. The character must approach it. They could find shelter in it’s warmer then take a DC10 Dexterity check or be at risk of falling embrace, getting out of the endless snow and from the stone work. If an attack of any kind strikes the ice. But surely they cannot be the first people to parapet, it will give way automatically. discover this space, and seek out some relief in Enemies: A pair of ice trolls (see statblock) hunt upon this freezing wind. this bridge. Both of these trolls have the loathsome limbs variant rules. They wait, hidden beneath the ice at the base of either end of the bridge, attacking only when the The cave is a eight foot wide passage which broadens into adventurers are in the middle of the bridge. They seek to a wider, sixty foot wide chamber with a stone roof kill their enemies, or throw them into the pool below to approximately 30 feet above. The space is broken up with freeze to death. stalactites hanging down from the ceiling. There is a smell Treasure: There is a frozen bag of gold and jewels which of wet rot and the sound of dripping water is constant, the trolls have as a horde, hidden amongst the ice at the though the floor is thankfully free of snow. Eastern end of the bridge. It contains a potion of greater Enemies: Within the centre of the room, wrapped healing, a scroll of Flaming Sphere, and 287gp. These are around it’s eggs to protect them, is a white-scaled, sleeping all frozen into a single mass and will require gentle wyvern. If the adventurers pass a DC15 Wisdom defrosting to get to. Alongside the horde is the half-chewed (perception) check, they can see the other dark brown body of a person clad in elaborate, expensive robes. wyvern high up on the roof, keeping guard. It will not attack unless the other wyvern is disturbed, it detects an D: Ironhunt Mine adventurer approaching, or something happens to its eggs. They will fight to defend their eggs but not pursue anyone outside of the cave unless one of the eggs has been taken. This old mine is seemingly abandoned, the gear Treasure: The eggs of a wyvern are expensive and can and mine carts left outside to rust in the deep be sold for 300gp each to an interested buyer. In addition, snow. However, a closer inspection reveals that on a DC15 Wisdom (Survival) check, D3 vials of wyvern this mine may not be as abandoned as first poison can be harvested from each slain wyvern. This can thought. There are footprints around the be used on blades or arrows to add an additional 4d6 entrance of the mine and the main prop has been poison damage on a target if they fail a DC15 Constitution replaced with fresh wood. Whomever is using saving throw, or half as much damage on a successful save. this mine entrance now is clearly trying to keep their presence unnoticed for the time being. Terrain: This room is warm and, if the wyverns are dead or chased off, a comfortable place to rest. Any long or short rest will suffer the effects of cold and ice, as detailed in this book's introduction. C: The Troll’s Bridge

Heading down a steep cliff path, you can see the stone bridge ahead of you. This worn stone structure spans the gap between the icy ledges of the east and west banks. The river beneath tumbles down a small waterfall and smashes into the pool beneath. The rising spray has formed great icicles upon the bridge’s base, hanging down like needles threatening the river. There is just a subtle flash of movement at the bridge. Something is waiting there, but it is impossible as yet to see what it may be.

The bridge is constructed of ancient stone, with a three foot high pSamplearapet on either side. It stretches sixty feet across file the deep gorge where a waterfall throws spray up beneath it. The stonework is old and worn, with what could have been decoration upon the parapet long eroded into illegible scratches.

PART 2: UTNAR'S SADDLE 16 The mineshaft is approximately eight feet wide while about six feet high. The roof is propped with wooden beams E: The Winged Mesa which seem to alternate between old rotting wood and some wood which has been made merely to look like it is ancient and worn down. The mine’s tunnel stretches As you approach this mesa, the air seems to fall downwards for about one hundred and twenty feet at a silent and the ever present wind seems to vanish. steep angle, sinking into the gloom as it disappears. The air This cruel slab of sharp sided rock has vertical is thick with age but not the mildew sense of an abandoned cliffs at all it’s edges, and the soft spray of snow falls atop you for the high surface. The silence is space - something has been maintaining this mine for a eerie until a sudden, shrill shriek breaks through reason. But the general direction of the mine is it, and shadows erupt from the surface of the northwards, and it leads in roughly the same direction as mesa. the pass of Utnar’s Saddle.

DM's Note The mesa is approximately forty feet high, with sheer, rocky cliff walls. It is about one hundred and fifty long, running This choice can be made by the players, though north/south, and sixty feet wide going east to west. The top the group looking for a more traditional dungeon crawl style experience can enter the mine and of this rock formation is a flat surface, where the burrows enjoy a different experience to passing over of these kobolds can be seen into the stony surface. The Utnar’s Saddle and the Battle of Lake Sarenchill. nest of the Perytons is in the center of the rocks, approximately twenty feet from the east west edge and seventy-five from the north south edge. Enemies: There are four perytons which live and hunt Development: The mine is the entry point for Part 4: from atop the Mesa. They will dive down upon the Ironhunt Mine. Using this mine allows the adventurers to adventurers and try to carry the weakest of them away to head north beneath the rest of Utnar’s Saddle, and skip the top of the Mesa. If the target of a peryton’s attack fails a Part 3: Lake Sarenchill. This mine re-emerge from the DC14 strength saving throw, they class as being restrained ground at the base of the Dietvo’k Glacier for the beginning and will be carried away into the air by the peryton. If two of Part 5. If the party choose to explore the mines, please perytons work together to grab an adventurer, this saving turn to Part 4 now. throw is taken at disadvantage. Clue: If the PC's successfully pass a DC15 Intelligence A captured adventurer will be carried to and dropped a (Investigation) check, they will find a small broach with a nest of twelve hungry peryton chicks. If placed within two angular, blocky design of a snapped arrow upon it. On a feet of the nest, the adventure will take 2D6 automatic hits successful DC12 Knowledge (Religion) check, this is (7), each of which do d4 (2) damage. The nest has AC10 revealed to be a broach of Laduguer, the Duergar god of and 40hp. If the nest is destroyed, all perytons have the labour and slavery. beserk special rule until they are slain or driven off. Treasure: Within the Peryton’s nest are the remains of a previously consumed warrior from some unknown land, wearing a uniform of thick furs and hide. They are carrying a Spear +2, a Greater Healing Potion, and a gold ring of exquisite value worth 440gp. F: The Tower of Fallen Time

The broken tower sits atop a rocky outcrop overlooking the ice-bridge to the east. From the south it looks undamaged, but circling around the building reveals the truth. The whole of one side has been destroyed, and has collapsed inwards into the structure. It is not hard to imagine what kind of creature did this kind of damage. Judging by the age of this building, such harm was done many, many generations ago.

The age-old tower is a bulwark against the ice and snow that surround it. It is about sixty feet high and has a radius of twenty feet, i.e. the circular floors are forty feet from wall to wall. It is heavily frosted on the north side, from where Samplethe wind blows, and debr is has ffilerozen around the tower’s base. There is a doorway on the south eastern side, where a small set of stairs runs up to the ground floor. Miraculously, there is an as-yet undamaged door upon the hearth stone. there are some bugbear tracks within the snow. These carefully concealed tracks can be identified with a DC15 Wisdom (Survival) check.

PART 2: UTNAR'S SADDLE 17

Within this tower is a gang of bugbears who call First Floor themselves the Liver Eaters and who have chosen to work This floor seems empty at first, but is heavily trapped. If the for the Frost Giants. They are rewarded with the loot that mastiffs on the previous floor were able to raise the alarm, the Frost Giants do not care about, such as coins, jewels all three of the traps within this room will have been armed. and other valuables. This work, so far, has been extremely The choice of trap of which trap is armed is up to the DM. profitable. If the adventures pass by this tower, they will Traps: There are three traps within this room. The first have to pass a DC18 Dexterity (Stealth) check to not be is triggered by a tripwire stretching across the top of the spotted. If they are seen by the bugbears in the tower, then stairs, which drops a swinging blade and hits anyone the signal fire will be lit, and the mammoth riding Frost climbing upon the stairs. This can be detected with a DC15 Giants further up the pass will be alert and will come Intelligence (Investigation) check, and disarmed with a patrolling down to where the fires are. DC15 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. If triggered, this trap will do 3D6 damage to those who fail a DC15 Ground Floor. Dexterity Saving throw, and half as much damage to those This ground floor is stone built and virtually empty. Within who succeed. this empty space, there are shattered pieces of wood and The second is a hidden crossbow, carefully concealed dirt, lost in dirty piles of trash. There is a strong stink of within an alcove, which will be triggered by light passing dogs and animal dung trapped in an enclosed space. The across it, such as a shadow. This can be detected with a Liver Eater gang have been using this space as a guard DC15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, and disarmed with room, a latrine, and a rubbish pit for the weeks that they a DC10 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. If it is triggered, have lived here. There is a visible layer of excrement and it does 1d10 piercing damage and 1d10 poison damage, bones - not all of which have come from the dogs living which is halved for a DC10 Dexterity saving throw. The withinSample. third trap is a fireball trap beneafileth an emerald in the centre Enemies: There are three mastiff dogs on chains within of the floor. It is slightly hidden, and can be seen with a this lower level, whose only purpose is to bark when they DC5 (Intelligence) Investigation roll. If the total of the roll is encounter an enemy. If they are successful in doing so, all more than 18, however, then the trap is also detected of the traps on the second floor will be armed, and the beneath. It can only be disarmed with a DC15 Intelligence enemies on the third floor will get a surprise round in (Arcana) Check. If it is triggered by lifting the emerald, it combat against any creature climbing the stairs. will explode and cause 6d6 fire

PART 2: UTNAR'S SADDLE 18 damage to anyone within thirty feet. On a DC13 Dexterity Development: If the signal fire is let, it will alert the saving throw, this damage is halved. other monsters within the northern reaches of the Saddle that they are under attack. Their behaviour will be far more Second Floor alert if they see this signal fire or the signal fire from the This is the main barracks for the bugbears and their ogre, opposite tower as well. They will move from the old quarry and is their base within the pass. This room is the same towards the signal fire in large groups. size as the room below, but more of the floor has collapsed. The bugbears have built little shacks against the surviving H: The Ice Bridge walls as protection from the elements here. These shacks are constructed of wood and fabric, have AC12 and 10hp. Enemies: The Liver Eaters consist of five bugbears, led The wind howls as you climb towards the ice- by their leader Gutstringer (Male bugbear, NE, bugbear). crossing which spans the valley. This glistening They are assisted by their muscle, the Ogre named Trim. If chunk of blueish ice looks down upon the river, they are attacked, two of the bugbears will run up the stairs now a mere sliver ribbon in the gorge beneath. to the signal fire, while the others will fight to defend them. While it looks stable, even this end of the ice- After the signal fire is lit, the survivors will drop ropes bridge shakes slightly under your feet, and the down the side of the tower and seek to flee north towards snow falls away, deep into the depths below. You the old quarry, across the ice bridge. They aren’t paid can’t estimate how much weight this structure enough to fight to the death. can take, but it can’t be that much … If he encounters a party which badly outclasses his own group, Gutstringer will try to negotiate instead of fighting. For 400gp Gutstringer will cheerfully betray his former The ice-bridge is one hundred and ten feet long and has a comrades, and explain what he knows about the signal weight capacity of one medium creature or or 180 lbs, fires on either side of the valley, and the mammoth riders in whichever is easier to calculate for the DM. It is topped the old quarry at the head of the valley. He’ll explain that with snow and counts as difficult terrain. If the weight limit they do not patrol unless alerted, so if the adventurers can for the bridge is exceeded, roll a D6 for every 5lb it is get there without the alert being raised, they can strike exceeded by. The ice-bridge takes that much damage, and before the riders have mounted. has 30hp. If it is reduced to 0HP, the ice-bridge collapses. Treasure: A DC10 Intelligence (Investigation) check will The floor is two hundred feet below. However, each spell reveal the sack of the band's wealth, consisting of 312gp, which does cold damage returns 1D3hp per spell level. 18 good bottles of wine (worth 5gp each), and an Enemies: There are two perytons which live in an eyrie unidentified painting. In addition, Gutstringer is armed below the cliff, hidden from observers by a slab of rock. with a morningstar +1. They will attack anyone vulnerable and alone crossing the ice-bridge, but ignore those on either side. The demonic The Rooftop birds will not try to fight a long battle, but instead choose to The rooftop is a bleak and cold place, where only the dry hit and run, using their dive bomb attack to strike before sticks and oil kindling for the signal fire remain. It does flying away. They want one adventurer dead and to carry give a panoramic view of the whole of Utnar’s Saddle, from the corpse to their nest. If they succeed at this, they will the Crystal Forest to the Old Quarry and beyond. From withdraw. If a Peryton strikes and remains to fight, add the here, if the weather is clear, the adventurers can make out weight of the Peryton (120lb) to the overall weight on the future details of encounters they may have. ice-bridge. Development: If the signal fire in the Tower of Fallen G: Giant’s Rest Time has been lit, there will be at least one Mammoth Rider waiting on the east side of the Ice-bridge, if not both of them. The mountain climbs steeply upwards towards the large set of cliffs to the east, and you have to I:The Old Quarry dig your feet deeply into the snow to fight against the sliding of the surface. Atop this ridgeline are the crudely lashed ropes and mis- matched fabric that comprise a frail and shoddy This is a great wound in the rock, where tools looking tent. Only its gigantic size stands out, have scraped away at the cliff and created a deep showing who this shelter is really for. cut within the rock. A crude, hammered together barricade of old wood and fabric pieces have created a rudimentary fence between the quarry and the rest of the world. Beyond this, you can The climb up to the tent at point G is a steep one, from hear the low grunting of Frost Giants, the barking both the north or the south. The path curves upwards of some kind of dogs, and the grunting, towards the mesa at a twenty-two degree angle, and the elephantine roar of some other, larger creature. track is almost non-existent as the party climbs up. Down towards the river one hundred feet below, three small trees upon Samplea plateau cling to life. The Old Quarry is deep c ut intofile the mountain side, Enemies: One Frost Giant is keeping guard at this point, approximately 150 feet deep and the same wide. It has watching the eastern side of the valley for any intruders. high, sharp walls on the southern, northern and eastern They have a large campfire outside their tent, and a lit sides. A twenty food high barricade of wood and fabric to torch flickering in the cold. This Frost Giant will light this break the wind blocks the western entrance to this space. as an action the moment that they are seen to be under This place has been the base of the Giants within the Pass attack. since they arrived upon the glacier to the north.

PART 2: UTNAR'S SADDLE 19 The floor is unadorned rock, with trash spread throughout, and there is a giant sized, square hut against the northern wall. Within this hut are the beds for the giants. Most of the Hammer of Harandar quarry is taken up by the massive log piling of the mammoth enclosure, which has a large gate and a bar Magical weapon, rare (requires attunement) across it. This warhammer is a blocky, hard edged weapon, Enemies: There are two frost giants, two trained heavy with pitted rust and grime. It’s wooden mammoths, and six wolves which live within the quarry. handle has been broken about halfway down the shaft. The versatile (d12) special rule for this One Frost Giant is keeping watch behind the western weapon can only be used once it is repaired. The barricade, while the other remains within the hut. Their Hammer of Harandar gives the bearer +1 to hit mammoths are within the enclosure and can only be freed and damage. Additionally, when wielded in two by unhitching the bar that holds it closed. hands, any critical hit does an additional 2d12 If they are attacked within the Quarry, the Giants will get lightning damage on top of any additional bonus the wolves to attack while they run to mount up upon their damage. war mammoths. Having done so, the giants will then follow the rules for mounted combatants, as per the Player’s Handbook (p.198). Their mammoths will also gain an

additional action, which is to attack in combat. Use the mammoth’s stat block for details on their attacks. In addition, if a mammoth should take more than 50hp of J & K: The Overhanging Bridge damage in a single round, any rider must take a DC12 and the Underpass. (Wisdom) Animal Handling check (Frost Giants have a modifier of +3). If this is failed, the mammoth goes mad from pain, and will not be under the control of it’s rider This rock bridge leads down towards the frozen until the rider completes another DC12 (Wisdom) Animal lands at the other end of the pass, high above the Handling check. The beast will seek to strike at the nearest other path which leads through the rocky other creature, regardless of who or what that creature escarpments. Hanging down from this wide might be. stone bridge and blocking the lower pass is a Development: If either signal fire was lit, the mammoth thick ice wall, which undulates like a strange riders will have already left and are now outside the quarry. wave of ice trapped between these rocky pass In this case, the only occupants are the six wolves. walls. Treasure: Each of the Frost Giants has a small satchel, with assorted gemstones worth 1d20x3 gp. In addition, on a DC12 Intelligence (Investigation) check, they can The adventurers will have to pass over or under this rocky discover a half-broken hammer within the hut. This bridge to leave Utnar’s Saddle and move onto the area of hammer, while lacking a complete handle, is the Hammer Lake Saranchill. Both ways are blocked with ice barricades. of Harandar. See below for details. Beneath the bridge, Frost Giants have piled snow and ice into a great wall which blocks the middle of the rocky way. This barricade is approximately thirty feet high and twenty feet wide. It is sheer ice on the south face, and more broken up and ramp like on the northern face. Below, the icicles have frozen into a solid wall of ice which blocks the pass completely. Terrain: At point J, within this pass, the risk of avalanches is high. If the player characters should use thunder or lightning damage, it will create an avalanche which collapses from the southern peak. It will fill the entire pass with a layer of snow twenty-five feet deep. Characters who are caught within it, by being within sixty feet of the area where the Underpass goes beneath the Overhanging Bridge, will take 4D6 cold damage and class as being restrained in the pile of snow all around them. This damage is halved on a DC12 Strength saving throw, and the character is not classed as being restrained. Any character who is restrained by the avalanche must take a DC12 Strength check to dig themselves out, or take D3 cold damage each turn they remain restrained within the snow. SampleAftermath file Now the adventurers have escaped Utnar’s Saddle, they can see their main objective in the distance - the glacier of Drangasjoll, shining high in the plateau ahead of them. Ahead of this is the lake of Saranchill, glistening in the lake. Before they can reach that, however, they must pass over and through the glacial lake of Saranchill, glinting ahead.

PART 2: UTNAR'S SADDLE 20

Part 3: Sarenchill Lake eyond the great pass of Utnar’s Saddle is Few are willing to risk the predations of the Frost Giants found the lake of Sarenchill. This lake is the against them or their live-stock. Now, this whole lake area result of the glacier beyond, where the ice is empty, except for the giants and any allies they might melts and forms a large expanse of water, have recruited during this cold winter. The lake itself is with which the pass has been carved. During fifteen miles long from north to south, and about seven the short summers in this area, the lake is miles wide. The adventurers must make their way across it Boften frigidly cold. However, now it is nothing to reach the glacier cliffs of Drangasjoll. These high ice more than a great stretch of frozen ice, deep blue in it’s walls are glimmering in the distance, catching the sun’s solidity. Atop this unbroken ice-sheet is a thin layer of snow, light. and beyond that, the great cliff walls of the glacier itself. Arrival at the Lake History of Sarenchill The adventures arrive at Point A after travelling through Utnar’s Saddle, coming from the pass onto the forested Sarenchill, though deep in the wildlands of the north, is still plateau area. The air is still and quiet, with a tension which visited occasionally. In the summer, herdsfolk leading their has been building since the party left Lamastop. cows to good pastures will climb up to the plateau and pass The frozen surface of the lake has several rules for by the lake, looking for the meadows to the east. creatures which are going to journey upon it. The Fishermen will travel there for a week or two, taking a boat adventures will have the chance to acquire enough dog out to the islands and searching for the deep lake Ice sleds to carry them, and rules for this and for travelling Salmon which spend the summer in the glacial waters. across the lake can be found below. Occasionally, in the winter, ice-cutters will also come to the lake with their saws and their sleds, hoping to take back large chunks of crystal clear glacial waters. Rumours are DM’s Note rife about the ruins upon the lake’s island. Some say it was a fairy cove, while others are sure it is an ancient The rules in this section have been taken from the Whitefaire Adventurer’s Guide. For expanded abandoned fort from the age of the giants. Others say that rules on different types of sled animals and other dwarves, despite having not been seen for many rules for arctic environments, please consult the generations in this part of the world, built this fortress as a sleds section of that book (p.87). watchSampletower. Nonetheless, all believe that it is haunted. However, if DM's en countefiler a situation which Some stories even say that, during the night, the blue- the players have created (such as harnessing a tinged ghosts of the lost wander around this ruins. The mammoth, for example) they should feel free to wildest stories even say that some have been attacked for improvise based on these rules!! going near. All agree that this island is a place to avoid. Since the coming of the Axe and Sword Clan, this area has been deserted.

PART 3: LAKE SARENCHILL

21 Sample file

PART 3: LAKE SARENCHILL 22 The lake at Sarenchill is a newly frozen lake, DC5. The If the maximum carriage weight of the sled is exceeded, adventurers should make a Wisdom (Survival) check every the sled will move at half its normal speed. Note also that in 90 ft. to see if anything gives way beneath them, based on combat, the sled classes as a single character in terms of the DC’s given on the chart below. hit points. If the sled is destroyed, the animals which are with it are lost, slain or scattered, never to return. All sleds Condition of the Ice have resistance to piercing and slashing weapons, and are D6 Condition of the Ice DC vulnerable to fire damage. 1 Extremely thin. DC18 2 Thinning ice DC15 Sleds in Combat Sled combat encounters will generally start when a sled is 3 Beginning to show cracks DC12 attacked or chooses to attack another. During the initiative 4 Solid and strong DC8 step at the beginning of combat, one player character must be declared as the driver. This character is in charge of the 5 Newly frozen DC5 sled’s direction and the animals which are pulling it. 6 Rock solid permafrost No check required During the driver’s turn, the sledge and anyone upon it will move. As a bonus action, the driver must make a If the creature should fall in, they are classed as Wisdom (Animal Handling) check, based on the DC of drowning (see the Dungeon Master's Guide) and will take normal travel for their sledge. If this test is passed, the an additional D6 cold damage for every round that they are driver can make the sledge move in the direction they trapped within the frozen lake. They will need to take choose. In addition, they can make a normal action, but any another survival check at the same DC to see if they can skill check is taken with disadvantage. The speed of the escape from the ice, or swim back to the hole which they sledge per turn is shown below. fell through. Failing a Wisdom (animal handling) test indicates the When fighting on frozen lakes, damage to the lake's driver losing control of the sled, thus the sled only moves surface from fire spells or effects can lower the condition of half distance in during that round. In addition to this, the the ice either in places or throughout the lake. Every 10 occupants of the sled must take a DC10 Strength points of fire damage will lower the condition of the ice in (Athletics) check to hang on to the sled as the driver that area by one category. Accordingly, the condition of the struggles to regain control. If they fail, they are flung for the ice can be improved with the use of cold magics - side of the sledge and will take D6 bludgeoning damage refreezing the ice and strengthening it if it is weak. Every from the impact on the floor. They are classed as prone 10 points of cold damage will improve the condition of the until their step on the initiative phase. ice in the affected area by one category. If the driver wishes to make the sled team dash, they can do that, but they will not be able to make an action that Animal Sleds turn. In addition, any passengers aboard the sled will take Travelling by sled is easily the most efficient way to move any required skill checks at disadvantage. across a snowy landscape. The rules below are used when the adventurer’s are travelling by sled. Sled can only really Sled Speed Per Turn be used in snowy terrain. Sled Speed (Mph) Movement per turn (ft.) To drive a sledge outside of combat, the nominated driver 6 mph 54 ft. must take a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check for each 7 mph 60 ft. half-day that they travel for. If this skill check is passed, then the sledges moves at the average speed given for the animals. If it is failed, the sledge moves at half speed for Making Turns During Combat that period. Though fast in a straight line, sleds are not particularly The speed and carriage weight of a sled is dictated by the maneuverable. The sled is capable of turning up to 45 animals drawing it. On the lake of Sarenchill, the animals degrees to its previous angle of travel in a single round available will be sled dogs, generally the smaller breed of while moving (and under control). If it is moving at half- huskies. They can be distributed throughout the sleds as speed or less then a sled can make a 90 degree turn. If the the players choose, if they choose to purchase sleds at all. sled is brought to a halt, it can make a up to a complete 360 degree move and then start moving again in the following Sled Pack turn. Animal Avg. Carry Difficulty Type Number Speed Weight Class Price Losing Control Sled 1 - 4 6 mph 300lb DC 8 150 If the driver of the sled is incapacited in any way, through Dogs gp being restrained, held or some other form, the sled will Sled 5 - 8 7 mph 600lb DC 10 250 move in the same direction as it had in the previous round, Dogs gp at the speed the same as the previous round of movement. Then the sled will coast to a stop, and will not move until The details of the different types of sleds is below. another driver takes over. If the driver is blinded, then the Samplesled cannot turn during th e initifileative step in which they are Sledge Type experiencing this condition. Sled Type AC HP Weight Carry Capacity Price If the driver should lose control while moving through Snow Sled 12 30 30 1 person (exterior) 25 gp terrain which could seen as difficult for a sled (uneven ice, Toboggan 15 45 40 3 person (exterior) 55 gp for example) passengers will have to make a check not to fall out, as detailed in the section above.

PART 3: LAKE SARENCHILL 23 Riara is guarded at first but with friendliness and care Fighting Onboard a Sled she can be coaxed to tell her story. Her caravan of llamas, While fighting aboard a sled, all warriors within a sled are long-haired cows and other animals was ambushed by the classed as being in three quarters cover (+5 AC), as long as Frost Giants coming from the north. Her two companions the sled moved in the previous round of combat. If tried to defend the convoy and so she has just finished creatures wish to remain upon their sled while it moves, burying them. The trio of giants grabbed her cows and her they can remain upon the sledge and it will move them as llamas, but left the dogs and the sledges untouched. She normal during the driver’s turn. Otherwise, all other rules was just assembling what remains of her convoy and then for combat apply as per the Player’s Handbook. planning to move on. She’ll explain what she knows of the local area. The Ramming giants came from the north, and she heard that there is a chief up there. She doubts that, unless the chief is dealt Ramming with a sled is not a remotely advisable move: with, these raids will end. The glacier is a hard place, but with the pack in front is hard to organise a good impact she’s seen the ice fortress atop it. The party will need to without hopelessly entangling the sleds and their animals. climb onto this glacier, and there are two ways - a small, However, it has been known, and shunting between close thin, winding path that goes up the side and onto the top of sleds has also been seen in combat. If a creature decides to the ice-field, or straight up the ice-cliffs. run their sled into another sled or other target, this classes To help recover something from this disaster of a trip, as a full action in combat. The Driver must first take a Raina will offer to sell the adventurers sleds and dogs to Wisdom (Animal Handling) test at disadvantage - the make quicker progress across the lake. She has a pack of animals don’t want to do this, even if the driver does. If this twenty-four huskies, two sleds and a toboggan. With a test is failed, it is the same result as failing a normal driving DC15 Charisma check, she’ll offer a 25% discount if they action test. If this test is passed, then the target of the buy more than eight dogs - she’s not sure how she’s going to ramming action will take bludgeoning damage equal to the be able to feed them anyway. She’ll also explain that the speed at which they were hit during the driver’s turn, as per husky pack will remain where you leave them, as long as the table below. they have food. The day after the food runs out, they will go Sled Speed Per Turn hunting and you’ll never see them again. They are, at heart, still wild animals and perfectly able to take care of Movement per turn Sledge (ft.) Weight Damage Dice themselves. She’ll also offer them some advice - to avoid the wrecked 30 ft. - 54 ft. 250 - 450 lb 2d6 castle on the island as it is full of ghosts. The fishing wharf bludgeoning. seems to be a good place to stay if they have to camp 30 ft. - 54 ft. 451 - 850 lb 4d6 somewhere, she didn’t see any obvious threats there. But bludgeoning. there are at least three frost giants in the area that she 60 ft. - 99ft. 250 - 450 lb 2d8 knows of, and probably a couple more elsewhere. She also bludgeoning. warns about the endemic ice mephits, which are everywhere within this part of the forest and lake shore. As 60 ft. - 99ft. 451 - 850 lb 4d8 bludgeoning. the adventurers move off, she advises great caution. It’s dangerous on the ice, before you even think about fighting. Sarenchill Lake B: The Lakeshore When moving in this area, make a random encounter roll for every mile which the adventurers travel based on the Dungeon Master’s Guide, p.85. If a random encounter is The sense of space you feel pushing out onto the generated, roll for 2D6 ice mephits which will attack the frozen surface of Lake Sarenchill is a revelation. party. These pesky. creatures are endemic to the entire area For the first time in many days, you can see beyond the trees that have surrounded you, and can see the sky clearly above your head. A: The Survivors Whispers of snow run in tidelines across the frozen lake, and the ice creaks and moaning. There is a sense of great depth beneath you, and As you approach, you can see the shattered only this layer of frozen water protects you from wood and broken planks of several carts, spread slipping into those terrible, unescapable depths. across the snow like discarded toys. There is a mournful howl in the air, as if the forest itself was weeping in sympathy with the survivors of this attack. The transition from the land to the lake is seamless, and the adventurers can step onto the solid, deep blue ice beneath their feet. A DC10 Wisdom (Survival) check will This clearing in the forests is heavy with debris and reveal that this section of the ice is very solid, and can be wreckSampleage. In the centre of this is Raira (half-elf female, LN, walked upon with little ris k. file Scout). She is slowly and unenthusiastically collecting Enemies: There are fourteen frost mephits which rise pieces of wood into one of the several sleds that she has. up out of the shards at the edge of the lake to harass and Around her, huskies fight and play, rolling over each other fight the adventurers. They will focus on attacking the and exploring the smashed pieces of wood which are adventurers rather than the sleds, if any. scattered around the trees.

PART 3: LAKE SARENCHILL 24 Otherwise they will stand around and do little, other than C: The Ruined Castle try to get closer to the flames. Some will look around for an object they clearly cannot see. One will implore the player characters to look around With the wind howling as you approach, a chill for something, though they cannot say what this object strikes you just looking upon the ruins of the might be. Two of these ghosts are disguised Ice Hags. castle. Stepping into the shadow of the castles, These disguised hags will stay in the distance, watching the the chill grows and a sense of otherworldly adventurers to see if their trap will be spring. They are strangeness grows with it. Something feels like it waiting for their sister to separate the adventurers and is within, but you can’t tell what … allow them to attack safely.

The Ruined Tower Within the Ruined Castle is a coven of Ice Hags. These If the players climb what remains of the tower (they can see have the same profile as Sea Hags but an additional down into the depth of the well), they will see the slight blue immunity to cold damage. They who are going to try and glow of something within the very depth of the covered separate the adventurers into smaller, more vulnerable well. There is another ghost here, pointing down towards groups before they ambush them. They have been doing the well with a desperate look upon their face. A DC15 this to travellers who have come by the castle, and stealing Wisdom (Insight) check will show that this ghost’s their treasures. expression is one of fear and warning. Though they cannot Conditions: The castle is colder than even the outside of understand the words, the ghost is clearly frightened for the lake, and the player characters will take D3 cold them. damage if they move more than fifteen feet away from a heat source, such as a fire, a torch or a source of magical The Well Bottom flame. Once a player character comes within 10ft of the wellhead, Development: If a dog team is present, they will shy they will hear the slight cry of a young girl. The voice is away and refuse to go into the castle. They will snarl and gentle and lilting, whispering up from the well. It will take a bite at anyone who tries to force them. If any source of heat DC10 Strength check to shift the wellhead from the well, is present, eight blue-tinged figures of ancient warriors (LG and reveal the shaft below. The voice will whisper up, ghosts), clad in an armour style long forgotten, emerge saying that they have been trapped down here for from the shadows. They are shivering and try to cluster generations, cursed to live an endless life guarded with around the fires for warmth. But no matter how close they these spectral soldiers who will not let them leave. This get to the flames they cannot warm up with the flames. The voice is that of the third of the Ice Hags, who is waiting disappointment is clear in their faces as they step back. down the well for someone to rescue her.

Sample file

25 Only one adventurer can fit down the well at one time, Enemies: Disguised as three ghosts, the coven of Ice though there is more space at the well bottom. The well Hags will attack. Use the rules for Hag Covens from the shaft is sixty feet deep. Once there, they will encounter the Monster Manual (p176) They can be tracked, however, as Ice Hag in the form of a beautiful spectral woman, in they leave footprints upon the snow or marks within the ancient noble clothes. mud at the well’s base. Once they are slain, the ghosts will She will explain that she was cursed by a hag who walk towards the nearest form of fire and then with a desired her beauty, and so threw her down this well to live blissful look, evaporate into the afterlife. Once all of the as a ghost, confined by her ghostly captors. If the other ghosts have vanished, d3 ghoststones will be left behind adventurers look at the ghosts upon the surface, they will (see below.) If the player characters enter the lair of the see them responding with shaking heads and mouthed, hags, they will encounter a white dragon wyrmling that unknowable words. will fight to defend its lair. If they look closely at the body, The Ice Hag will not allow the adventurers to touch her the dragon is wearing a collar which says ‘Ronald.’ (thus revealing the illusion) but asks them to help her out of Treasure: Within the Hag’s lair are the valuables they the well. The moment the adventurer's back is turned, she have taken from other travellers. It contains 38pp, 837gp, will launch her ambus, cackling madly as she does so. On three sardonyx gems with 50gp each, a suit of half-plate, the surface, the other hags will strike and try to push the and a Giant Slayer Glaive (see below). other adventurers down the well. If the adventurers see through the hag’s disguise, they will launch their attack immediately with the enemy rules below. If their lair in the well is discovered, they will also Ghost Stones attack immediately. This secret lair can be detected with a DC15 Intelligence (Investigation) check. The disguised hag Wonderous item, uncommon will attempt to distract the creature doing so in every These uncommon magic stones contain a single possible way. charge, and crumble once this charge has expended. They can be used to cast the following spells: Spirit Guardians or Gaseous Form, which will affect a creature holding the ghost stone only. Each of these spells only has a duration of five minutes when cast using the ghost stones.

Giant Slayer Glaive Magical weapon (glaive), Rare This weapon requires attunement, and has the following special rules: you gain a bonus of +1 to hit and to damage when made with this magical weapon. When you hit a giant with it, the giant takes an extra 2d6 damage of the weapon's type and must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or fall prone. For the purpose of this weapon, "giant" refers to any creature with the giant type, including ettins and trolls.

D: The Great Split The Great Split is a giant cut crack in the ice, which has been hacked out by crude saws and other blades. The broken variety of those tools can be found throughout. These have been used by the Giants to cut open the great hole in the ice, and there try to hunt the prety beneath. `

In addition, the shattered remains of snapped harpoons can be found as well. As the adventurers approach, they can see the bloody skinned bones of a large, long necked Samplecreature. Its rib bones are still ofilebvious upon the ice on the south side of the crack. This is the body of a plesiosaur, having been stripped of all it’s meat. In the distance, they can hear a giant roaring as it fights another. The split is sixty feet wide and approximately a mile long, running east to west. Lake water bubbles up from within, creating a pool of even more slippery ice in an area thirty feet from every edge.

PART 3: LAKE SARENCHILL 26 Enemies: On the north side of the split, a Frost Giant with Treasure: There is nothing immediately valuable a harpoon is trying to kill the plesiosaur it has already amongst the fishing gear and nets of this wharf, but if a PC pulled from the water onto the ice. The Frost Giant’s succeeds on a DC15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, normal weapons in this case are replaced by a butchering then they find a small bag of gold, seemingly forgotten. This blade and a sheaf of harpoons. The butcher’s blade is contains 82gp, a cheap gold ring, and a love poem to identical to the giant’s club, but does slashing damage. someone named “Sinari”. The harpoons are ranged (100/400ft), doing 2d10 piercing damage on a successful hit. In addition, on a F: The Wreck of the Bien Dara successful hit, the target must make a DC20 strength saving throw. If this is failed, the target is pulled thirty feet towards the Frost Giant. The plesiosaur will not attack the The two masted ship has clearly seen better days player characters unless they attack it, it is just trying to - both masts are snapped off about half-way up, fight to escape. If the Frost Giant slays the dinosaur, then and every surface is heavily encrusted with silvery they will discard their harbooks and start butchering the ice crystals. The ship is half-engulfed in the ice animal on the ice. and it is clear that, if it were not frozen, it would have sunk a long time ago. E: The Old Wharf

Even from a long way away, it is clear that the old The Bein Dara is a small, two masted sailing ship that wharf has seen better days. Battered and has been trapped permanently upon this ice lake for dilapidated, the building seems to be sinking generations. Originally brought as a sailing ship and ice- slowly down towards the lakefront and drowning. cutter, it served as a fishing boat for many years. After it Flaking paint and battered shutters are obvious was trapped, the moving ice-floes crushed its lower hull, as you climb up towards it, wondering what while the upper deck looks relatively unharmed. It is creatures could ever call such a bleak place rumoured that the crew, scared to risk the ice-floes that home. surrounded them, went quite mad and ate each other. The masts point up like jagged fingers towards the sky, wooden and black against the blue.

The Old Wharf is a small, four room fishing lodge, with A: The Main Deck two rooms at the front and two to the rear. Though it is icy There is no obvious way onto the main deck, and the rail is cold and very dusty, it has not so far been raided by any twenty feet above the ice. The adventurers will have to monsters who are upon the ice. For several generation this improvise a way upon it. Upon the main deck, they can look lodge was used by the local people for fishing in both down into the lower deck and see the hole in the ice that summer and winter. There are enough bunk beds for six has been cut there. The lake water splashes up from the people and the fires can be relit for warmth. However, if darkness. With a successful DC12 Wisdom (Perception) this is done and the Frost Giant from Point D has not been check, they can hear the low muttering of the Sahuagin slain, they will come looking for the source of the fire. which are below. There is also the chink of metal upon ice. Development: If the adventures venture into the cellar, they will find the indoor fishing pond. This is fed by a low B: The Hatch Down cave where fishermen could sit within their houses and still This hatchway can be opened with a DC15 Strength check fish in the waters of the lake while remaining warm. Within to break through the ice holding it closed. The ladder will this space, the adventurers can encounter Pelagia (female lead to section C, the forward hull section of the Bien Dara. merfolk, CG, see stat block) who has been tracking the parties progress from beneath the ice. She has been C: The Forward Hull Section. impressed with their progress against the lake's dangers In this part of the ship, the Sahuagin have been storing and will tell them so. Because of this, she will carefully their trash - the smell of dead fish is intense. Frozen explain the dangers that are ahead. There are a trio of Frost amongst the broken beams and hanging spars are several Giants guarding the ice-cliffs, and they will attack anyone dead merfolk, some completely encased in ice. approaching the cliffs. She is friendly but reserved, a Treasure: One of the Merfolk has a finely made gold stranger out of her natural element. She will never leave necklace around their neck, which is worth 25gp. the fishing pond. Pelagia asks for the party’s assistance in a mission which D: The Hold her people cannot complete. The frozen ice-ship, the Bien The eastern wall of the hold is broken, and ice is coming in Dara, has become a haven for a group of Sahuagin who through the great tear in the wall. This lends the room a have been harassing and hunting her people throughout cold, bluish light. In the centre of the room is the hole in the the lake's bottom. Whenever the Merfolk chase after them, ice, where the lake water can enter this room. This water is the Sahuagin flee into the sunken sections of the vessel freezing and follows the rules for lake water as given in the and then block the way with heavy beams and timber. The introduction to this chapter. MerfoSamplelk cannot breach the bottom of the ship and would Enemies: There are th ree Safilehuagin in the room, who like the adventurers to help with that. If the adventurers will immediately retreat to point E if they are observed. can either open the way, or destroy the Sahuagin in the Once they are pursued southwards, two more Sahaguin ship beneath, then the Merfolk will try to assist them in rise from the hole in the lake, along with a Sahuagin their battle against the Frost Giants. Baron. They are carrying the body of another slain merfolk, which they quickly discard to fight.

PART 3: LAKE SARENCHILL 27

Development: Once the party has slain or driven off the Enemies: There are three frost giants here, guarding Sahuagin, Pelagia will pop up and thank them for their the ice wall and the path atop it at point H. These giants help. As they can see, they have aided in defeating a group will attack as soon as they encounter any enemies. of predators upon their people. She will explain that, if the However, they will not move more than half a mile away adventurers can open up a hole in the lake surface, or draw from the cliff and the path at point H unless they are the giants to an existing area where the Merfolk can get heavily baited to do so. In addition, these giants get through the ice (such as the Great Split) she and ten of her advantage on their survival checks to move across the ice’s folk will aid them with thrown spears. surface. The lead giant wears a corselet of gold, and has an AC of 17. E: Rear Hull Development: If the player characters destroyed the This small room is full of stolen gear, including tridents, Sahuagin in the Bein Dara, then Pelagia and her allies are merfolk spears, and other assorted items. This is clearly waiting to join the fight (twelve merfolk and Pelagia). If the the area where the Sahuagin within the lake had been adventurers can reduce a section of lake ice to ‘beginning storing the treasure they had taken. Much of this is to show cracks’ (DC12) or ‘thinning ice’ (DC15), then the worthless trinkets, and the sad truth appears to be that the merfolk will break through the ice and try to throw their Sahuagin have been hunting the Merfolk for sport as much spears. Use the mob attack rules in the Dungeon Master’s as for plunder. Guide (p.250) to calculate the merfolk attacks - three Development: Within this treasure horde are several merfolk will cause one hit each, doing D6 damage. If they pieces of rusted dwarven armour. However, a DC10 are approached by a Frost Giant, they will disengage and Wisdom (Arcana) check will reveal that one is Duergar swim away under the ice, popping back up at another point design, while the other is much older and dwarven. The to attack again. battle damage shows that their owners had a violent end. Treasure: The lead Frost Giant's armour has large, Treasure: The Sahugin have a treasure hoard here, strange gold coins within it, which have been sewed into beneath the frozen crates there. It contains 10pp, 118gp, a the surface of his clothing. There are 3D6 of these coins, potion of barkskin, a potion of ogre strength, and dagger each of which is worth 5gp. In addition, another of these +1. This dagger is encrusted with barnacles that will never giants has a coil of rope around their waist which is one come off. hundred feet long. G: TSamplehe Battle of Sarenchill Lake Point H: The C limbfile The Frost giants are guarding the only place where This point begins Part VI: The Climb. There are two paths - Drangaskoll can be climbed. They are bored and absolutely one ice-climb which is six hundred feet straight up, with up for a fight if one should come along. There is little cover three obvious ledges upon the way. The other is a narrow and the giants will see anyone who is approaching from far winding path through the glacier crevices, which snakes up away. They will roar their pleasure at such an interesting and around several of these great ice-crevices. The Player encounter breaking up their so-far rather dull day! Characters will have to decide which way they choose.

PART 3: LAKE SARENCHILL 28 Part 4: The Ironhunter Mine he Ironhunter mine was long a source of Each room has an alert and unalert status. This will change wealth for those in the local area. Based based on if they have been alarmed or otherwise. To do near the river, it long worked to send barges this, calculate the speed of the Duergar retreating, and then of ore south down to Lamastop and the a round of speech to raise the alarm. Continue this until the villages in the area. Originally owned by a Duergar is slain or the entire mine is alerted. vicious pit boss, it was eventually taken over In addition, if the mine is alerted, a patrol of twelve Tby the people of Lamastop for the mutual Duergar will arrive from the entrance to the holdfast in gain of their village. The mine delved, the town prospered, Part V after an hour of in-game time as reinforcements. and the monsters that were in the local area were kept at They will hunt down and try to kill the PC’s proactively, bay. rather than just defending their rooms. They consist of four All of that changed when, most believe, the ore ran out Duergar and four Duergar Stone Guard, as found in and the mine was abandoned. This isn’t entirely true. Even Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes, (p.184) while the iron ore production was down, the mine still had some viable sources to exploit. The issue had been that A: The Breach they had broken into a deep, larger tunnel, from which came great horrors. It didn’t long for the stories of the Grey dwarves to This mine tunnel seems to just end abruptly, as if spread throughout the miners; and as the rumours spread, the walls had moved and consumed it. But the village could no longer find new workers for the mine, beyond, at the very edge of hearing, the noise of no matter the wages they offered. For a decade afterwards, picks and shouts can be heard eching down from the mine was abandoned. But travellers in the area said somewhere in the distance. that they saw occasional tracks in the snow coming from there. At night, it was said, they could hear the ringing clang of ghostly picks against the stonework. None have The corridor is apparently blocked by impassable been brave enough to go there seeking the truth. stonework. However, if the adventurers push in the edges, they will find that there is the slightest give around the edge, indicating there is a hollow space beyond. If the Using this Dungeon players can complete a DC18 strength check, part of the These two parts of this dungeon - Part IV and Part V: The wall gives away. Grey Dwarf Hold - replaces the adventure sections Enemies: The clay golem which has been holding up involving the Utnar’s Saddle and Sarenchill Lake. The this fake wall smashes its way through the remains of the Ironhunter Mine goes deep below the Saddle and the lake, wall and attacks. It’s programming is to stop anyone going only emerging at the other side of the lake near the glacier. beyond this threshold, and it will not move more than ten From there, the adventurers will be able to complete feet from the position of the wall unless attacked. If it is not section VI: The Climb before moving onto the final attacked for a single round, it will return to the position of confrontation with Jarl Torfin within his glacial ice-palace. the shattered wall and begin to rebuild it. We would advise making this choice explicit to the players; that by going through the mines they will avoid many of the dangers upon the surface - including most of the patrolling B: The Hole giant clan. This does not mean they are remotely safe, however. The mine avoids much of the dangers from the conditions and The smell of sweat and decay hits you as you the giants, but other, worse dangers lurk in the gloom. This enter this room. It is lined with small cages, might be a less open path but it is not a safer path at all. where you can see the crumbled bodies of Different challenges and dangers await. humanoids lying motionless. Within the rooms centre is a sealed hole, with a grating chained

atop it. A low mumbled song, mournful and bleak, emerges from the hole.

DM’s Note The Duergar within this dungeon are highly This room is a roughly square room, thirty feet wide by organised in case of riots amongst their enslaved twenty feet deep. It is lined with small, iron barred cages Svirfneblin. If they are alone, the Duergar will which contain the living or dead bodies of four battered choose to fight and try to raise the alarm within looking deep gnomes. In the room’s center is a deep the Iron Hunter Mine. In small groups, they will circular hole, which has a heavy iron hatch over it. In the try and send a runner back to raise the word oubliette beneath is Lenii (svirfneblin female, CG, see amongst the other nearest room. statblock). This oubliette is nine feet deep and has a IfSample a room alarm is raised, all doors will be shut circumference of six feet in totalfile. and locked, with a DC17 Dexterity (Sleight of Alerted: If this room is on alert, the screams of the Deep Hand) check required to unlock, unless specified Gnomes within being butchered will emerge from the otherwise. locked door. The svirfneblin all be killed in three rounds if nothing intervenes. Enemies: There are two Duergar in this room, both armed with spears instead of their normal weapons.

PART 4: IRONHUNTER MINE Sample file Development: Once the Duergar are dead, Lenii will start If not, they will beg for their freedom. They will explain shouting up in common for help. It will take a successful that their leader, Lenii, has been captured and they need DC15 Strength check to remove the hatch from the hole, her to help organise them. The gnome doing the talking, and then Lenii will need a rope or a ladder to help her Troitsk (deep gnome, CG, svirfneblin), will explain where escape from this horrible cell. room B is, and beg the adventurers to rescue Lenii. If they She is a young gnome, skinny from malnutrition but with do so, he will give the PC’s a ruby he had hidden (don’t ask an undying fire within her eyes. Her voice is cracked but wear) worth 300gp. still has some volume within it. Lenii explains that she was the daughter of their old clan leader, before they were captured by the Duergar and brought ‘up’ here to labour in Calling in the Gnomes their mines. Her home is deep in the underdark, and there The party can call Lenii and her party of gnomes is a way down. She wants help from the adventurers to as many times as they have message spells. They rescue her people, arm them, and then try to fight their way have the stats for svirfneblin, be armed with war to the dark passage back home. She is hopeful, but not picks and javelins rather than poisoned darts, but naive, and would much prefer to die on her feet than live on only have AC11. They will be based in the room her knees. But the PC’s arrival has given her hope. They the adventurers were last in, and will dash every ask if they could first help free the Deep Gnomes turn to arrive on time, moving at an average throughout the mines, secure the armoury, and then they speed of 40 feet a turn. They will attack as a mob can fight their way deeper into the mine. She also knows with a single initiative step, except for Lenii, who will go at the same time but make her own where the vault in the holdfast can be found - and they separate attack rolls. know how to get in there. C: The Mine Face D: The Storeroom This room is full of shouts and cries, with the This relatively small room has various boxes and mining blows of the whips and the resulting cries of the supplies within it. Most of the supplies are very mundane, Svirfneblin. The shouts in Undercommon are including wooden props and joists, stone-working tools, loud and echoing, and the background of and other sundry goods. metallic picks and hammers upon stone Alert: There is a Psychic Scream Trap, which can be endlessly ring upon the stones. detected on a DC16 Intelligence (Investigation) check. As a magical trap, it can be disarmed on a DC12 Intelligence (Arcana) check. If triggered, it will inflict 3d6 damage This room is approximately thirty feet wide and sixty feet thunder damage on anyone within a fifteen foot box of the long, with bare stones walls and a rock cut floor. The walls door. This damage is halved if the affected creature passes are marked with pick marks where the ore has been a DC12 Strength saving throw. It also alerts the entire extracted from the walls, and there are brackets for mine to the presence of the adventurers - if that has not manacles from which long chains for the Svirfneblin who already happened. are working slowly to mine this space. This space is where Treasure: There are D3 War Picks, D6 javelins, and as the Duergar have been working their slaves to death. much rope as the adventurers might require in one of the Alerted: One of the Duergar is monitoring the corridor boxes (up to one mile of rope). through an observation panel in the door. Duergar Hammers will smash down the door the moment the PC’s D: The Slave Barracks. are within five feet of the door, and attack with a surprise round. Enemies: There are three Duergar Hammerers This door is heavily barred but from the outside. assisting the mining efforts, while four Duergar are From within you can hear pathetic whimpering monitoring the Deep Gnome slaves within. These Duergar and soft weeping, along with the occasional have whips as well as their normal weapons. The Duergar, snatch of short-lived, upbeat song. This is rapidly if their hammerers are destroyed, will take the Deep ended with the snapping of whips against the Gnomes nearby hostage and threaten to kill them if the singer. adventurer’s don’t let them go. If they are let go, the Duergar will immediately raise the alarm. This will create the consequences as detailed in the introduction. This room is lined with crude bunk beds, hammered Treasure: The Duergar have various assorted gems together out of wood and straw mattresses. These pallets worth 150gp. They also have a pair of message spell scrolls line the walls on either side, and there is a table hammered upon them. together out of boxes in the centre. Svirfneblin in chains Development: There are 12 Svirfneblin in this room. If are wandering throughout the room, both male, female and the PC’s have encountered Lenii in room B, then she will child. These deep gnomes are clearly resting before their communicate with the Deep Gnomes. She will explain that shift, or eating the thin horrible mushroom gruel which they cSamplean help if needed, but they would prefer to rest here file was provided to them. for a while, and salvage what weapons and armour they Enemies: There are two earth elementals and a can from the dead Duergar. Lenii will talk to the other duergar soulblade within the room. The Soulblade can gnomes, and they will give the PC’s a ruby worth 300gp. command the earth elemental to attack as a bonus action. Lenii will explain that, if they use the message spells to This Duergar will also try to make the elemental protect contact her, she will bring her folk into the fight. She also them, as they flee to raise the alarm. If the Soulblade is has the message cantrip available to her. slain, the earth elementals will collapse.

PAPRART TIV 4: :I IRROONN HUNTER MINE 31

Alerted: The door is being held closed by one of the F: The Drinking Den. earth Elementals. Players must succeed on an opposed Strength check against the Elemental to push the door open. The other elemental and the soulblade will get a This largest room is, relatively speaking, light and surprise round when this happens. airy. It smells of old food and sour, spoiled ale, Development: There are ten adult Svirfneblin and six and the floor is worn from the tramping of iron Svirfneblin children in the barracks. Eight of them will join boots. Even the hint of fresh food in the air the Svirfneblin that have already joined Lenii, while the seems to be bitter somehow. Sour-faced Duergar other two remain behind to look after the children. All were looks shocked as you burst into their sanctum. enslaved by the Duergar and simply want to go home to the Underdark. If Lenii has not been freed, then Breznoi (male deep This room is thirty feet wide and about forty feet long, with gnome, CG, svirfneblin) will beg the adventurers to free tables and chairs throughout. Beyond, in the second room, their leader, Lenii, who has been captured and put in ‘the are the beds for the Duergar garrison. In the centre of the hole’. They can’t tell the PC’s where that is, but they know room is a well, with water at the base of it. This well is that it is near the mine’s entrance. uncapped and approximately forty feet deep. The bar on the southern side of the room has several barrels of foul smelling ale behind it. In the corner is the Iron Shod Fire DM’s Note Cart (see below) At this point, you can recommend that your Enemies: Within this room are six Duergar, two players go and free Lenii from Room A. If they are Duergar Soulblades and one Duergar Mind Master. If not willing to do so, promote one of the other the room is not alerted, they will be resting at the table or Svirfneblin to perform the same role in the story eating their rations. The Duergar will need to run to the as Lenii would have done. They cannot message the adventurers, but will come to help in the barracks at the back of the room to get their war-picks and same way that Lenii would have done. javelins. It takes one bonus action to pick up their weapons. Two will also work to aim and fire the Fire Cart. Alerted: If the Duergar have been alerted to the PC’s, the door main door will be locked. It takes a DC5 Dexterity E: The Second Mine Face (Sleight of Hand) check to unlock this door - it is notably Samplesimple to do. However, th e momfileent this door is unlocked, This room is empty, and the rock face is cold and forgotten. The only occupants are the long dead husks of Svirfneblin the Duergar will unleash the Fire Cart’s firepower against which lie upon the floor, having clearly been worked to the doorway and any beyond. The door is AC10 with 15 death from their labours in the mines. hitpoints, and will automatically fail it's Dexterity saving Treasure: One of the husks has a small silver ring upon throw. In addition, the smoke from the fire cart will inflict their finger, with the inscription ‘Lenii’ upon the inside of the obscured conditions on every creature in this room. the band. This ring is worth 2gp. This smoke will clear after five minutes.

PART 4: IRONHUNTER MINE 32 Enemies: If the entire mine was alerted to the PC’s and the patrol dispatched (see chapter introduction) then they The Fire Cart will be here, disembarking from the boats and getting Large object ready to attack the adventurers. Armour Class: 16 Development: This channel leads to Part V: The Grey Hitpoints: 40 Damage Immunities: Poison, Psychic Dwarf Hold. The adventurers should complete any The Fire Cart is a rare Duergar siege machine, business they have in this area before moving on. If Lenii is which they use for clearing tunnels in desperate with the party and they have not freed the Gnomes from close range battles. It uses a strange blasting Rooms C and D, she will beg the adventurers to help her do power to propel a great hail of arrows all at once. so. If they do not, she will take her war pick and go to free Many shatter on firing, making a deadly hail of them herself (predictably, she will die doing so.) splinters which follow the arrows. Before the Fire Cart can be fired, it must be loaded and aimed. It takes one action to load it, one action to aim it, and one action to fire it. Hail of Arrows: The Fire Cart fires in a straight line, in a six foot wide by sixty foot long cube from the front of the machine. Any creature within that area must take a DC12 Dexterity saving throw, or take 6d6 piercing damage. This damage is halved for a successful saving throw.

Treasure: Within the Duergar barracks are d3 bottles of fine dwarven wine (only separable from Dwarven Vinegar by the label) worth 10gp to the connissor. In addition, one of the Duergar is carrying a War Pick +2. Behind the bar is a small bag that contains 18pp, 138gp and 48 coins of a Duergar persuasion (negotiable in value to a collector). Within the chests of the barracks can be found d3 healing potions, one greater healing potion, one potion of heroism and a potion of Hill Giant Strength. There are also enough bundles of arrows and explosive powder to reload the Fire Cart twice. If it is fired twice during an encounter, there is no more ammunition to reload it. G: Store Room This room is very similar to Room D, however, it contains piles of rusted chain mail, battered shields, enough to equip all of the Svirfneblin with chain shirts and shields. They will be AC16 for the rest of the adventure. There is also rope and D6 sets of Duergar travel rations. H: The Underground Channel.

A slightly warm breeze greets you as you step out into this cavern. A canal, perhaps cut from an underground river, is waiting for you. The wind whispers along this great channel, and the water fluttered beneath your torchlight. This is clearly the next step of your journey towards your destination, and the Svirfneblins clan's freedom.

This underground jetty has a dozen wooden boats stackeSampled upon the water way, ready to be used. Each boat file can carry four medium creatures or eight small creatures. Lenii will organise her folk into the boats, and ask the adventurers to lead the way down the channel. This is the way towards the Grey Dwarf holdfast, and the entrance to the Underdark.

PART 4: IRONHUNTER MINE 33 Part 5: The Grey Dwarf Hold he Grey Dwarf Hold (Gunter-Khazd Banag The Duergar within this place have sought out allies from in Dwarvish) was originally an outpost of the surface. Their dislike of sunlight and the sky has forced long lost mountain dwarves, who them to do so. The clan has made an alliance with the constructed their home in the cavern Blizzard of Axe and Sword, agreeing to provide them with adjacent to the Sarenchill Lake. It was they iron weapons and armour in return for assistance in who carved the strong banks of this artificial guarding their lake. To this end, several Frost Giants live Tlake, and channelled the flow of the within the confines of the icy cavern, helping to patrol and Sarenchil out of the cavern and further beneath the fight off any invaders who might come their way. They mountains. This island fort was built as an outlying defence stride through the lake’s frigid water and kill the occasional for their realm. Over generations, it is thought, this opportunistic monster which might come their way. They mountain dwarf clan struggled to survive, and slowly their are paid in the goods that the Duergar claim as their rates number shrank. from the other raiding parties. A century ago, the Duergar attacked the Grey Dwarf This includes bands of Kou-Toa who will swim up Hold. It is clear that they dug themselves a tunnel, through through hidden passages to pick off isolated duergar. These the rock beneath the boundary lake, and entered the giants are supported by the ballistas mounted upon the fortress from within. What few defenders remained were walls of the Holdfast, and the steady eyes of the Duergar doubtless quickly defeated. Their brutal grey-skinned Stoneguard who hold this position for their lord. These cousins overwhelmed them and slew them. This holdfast Duergar guard this valuable access back to their was then used as a spring-board to attack out the rest of ‘homeland’ from any who might want to exploit it, and this forgotten clan’s holdings. Another dwarven realm, charge a toll for any raiding parties which want to share in unknown to those upon the surface, fell. this access way. Since that brutal invasion, the Duergar have possessed this fortress. While surface raids are not a common occurrence for the Duergar, they were quick to take over Lake Details the mines in the nearby areas. From this hole in to the The lake is approximately one thousand feet wide west to darkness, groups of Drow or other Duergar would strike east and about one thousand eight hundred feet long, north the area around in the mountains. to south, and the water at the deepest point is about fifteen But the principal importance of this holdfast is the to eighteen feet deep. Creatures that fall into the water are entrance to the Underdark. The spiralling tunnel beneath subject to the frigid water rules, as well as any other rules the Hold stretches for downwards miles until it reaches the which might be applicable. The cavern roof is one hundred eternal darkness. For the safety of all those above, it needs feet high at the highest point, and roughly dome shaped to be closed.

Sample file

PART 4: THE GREY DWARF HOLD 34 over the lake. Four Frost Giants patrol within the lake, staying Fighting in boats relatively close to the edges of Section G, the Dwarf Hold. When fighting in boats, the boat moves at the same They are tall enough to walk within the lake and still fight initiative step as the person on the oars. Moving the boat effectively, though their speed is halved. They patrol in pairs classes as an action in combat. Anyone on the boat will around in a counter-clockwise direction around the island, move at the same time the boat moves. Anyone on the boat not staying more than 200 feet from Section G’s banks. when it is attacked is classed as being in half cover (+2 AC) The DM should decide the starting position of the Giants if the boat moved in the previous turn. and create an encounter accordingly. If they are not fought The boat can be targeted in combat, but it also gains in the lake, then two of them will be waiting to attack the +2AC if it moved in the previous turn. They have the PC’s at point F if they should choose to land there. following stats: In addition, each tower of the keep is armed with a ballista, manned by a team of three Duergar. These Boat Type Duergar will take perception checks if they hear anything Carry Type AC HP Capacity Dmg. Resist. Dmg. Imm. within the cavern. Because of the lake’s darkness, if they suspect that someone is out there, the ballista will fire a Rowing 14 50 4 medium Slashing, Psychic, flaming shot first to illuminate the area where a target Boat piercing poison might be. These flaming shots have the slow spell placed Barge 18 80 8 medium Slashing, Psychic, upon them, and move at a speed of thirty feet a turn. Shots piercing poison like this illuminate an area ninety feet in diameter as they move, and any boat within that area will automatically be Resting in the Grey Dwarf spotted. The overall aim of Section V is to storm the Hold, as it Holdfast has both a way back to the Underdark for the dark gnomes, If the PC’s choose to rest in the Grey Dwarf Holdfast, then and a path to the surface for those wishing to get to the the DM should roll for random encounters as normal. If glacier. The large bridge links the hold and a short tunnel one is generated, feel free to invent an appropriate which emerges at the edge of the ice-field. encounter or use the below table to guide you. Sailing upon the Underground Random Encounter Table Lake d4 Encounter 1 1 Frost Giant Much of this chapter will involve the use of duergar boats to transport the Player Characters and escapee 2 2 Kuo-Tao Monitors and 4 Kuo-Tao Whips Svirfneblins. The boats will be the principal method of 3 4 Hooked Horrors travel across the surface of the lake and to attack the Grey Dwarf Hold. The rules for these boats are detailed below. 4 8 Kuo-Tao There are two types of boats available in Part V: rowing boats and barges. Rowing boats are faster and more maneuverable, while barges are tougher but slower. Both DM’s Note: Lenii and her Folk are propelled by oars, and each boat requires someone to Lenii and her folk will generally do what they are operate them, ideally the strongest member of the group. told to do. Their objective is to get back home, That person will be responsible for steering and propelling down the tunnel beneath the dwarf hold. If they the boats forward. are attacked, they will all fight to defend The speed of a boat is based upon the strength modifier themselves, using the Svirfneblin, but with AC16 of the person operating the oars, as per the below table; and using javelins as their ranged weapon. If the players wish for them to accompany them for a Boat Speed Per Round specific purpose - i.e. to attack a monster, they will need to pass a DC12 Charisma (Persuasion) Strength Rowing Boat Barge check with Lenii to do so. Otherwise she will 0 20 ft. 10 ft. demur, explaining her folk are too weak and tired to be any particular use in such a fight. If the +1 30 ft. 15 ft. adventurers do manage to convince Lenii to +2 45 ft 20 ft. fight, only half her folk will do so. The others are left behind to guard any boats, their provisions +3 55 ft. 25 ft. and the children. +4 65 ft 30 ft. +5 70 ft 50 ft.

Maneuvering a rowing boat is tricky at the best of times, and the strange currents beneath the water will make a A: The Opening Channel mockery of even the most skilled sailor. During a turn, a rowing boat can make a 45 degree turn SampleAfter hours in the da rk chafilennel, the tunnel seems when moving at full speed (as dictated by the rower). It can to be ending at last. Your torchlight suddenly make a 90 degree turn when moving at half speed, or a full expands, and you realise that this great space 180 degree turn when stationary for a round. you’ve found is huge. The light barely reflects A barge, being bulkier and less maneuverable, can only upon the ceiling, and the silent water gives you a move in straight lines at full speed, a 45 degree turn at half crystal mirror image to look back upon you. speed, and up to a 180 degree turn when stationary.

PART 4: THE GREY DWARF HOLD 35 Sample file

36 This channel leads from the underground canal to the boats in this area must take a DC16 Wisdom cavern lake. It is approximately one hundred and twenty (Perception) check for each thirty foot move they make. If feet long and thirty feet wide. At the head of the lake, where they fail, their boat takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage from the the channel meets the lake proper, is a wide gap where the underwater obstacles. channel drops down to its full depth of approximately Enemies: One of these rock formations is a carefully twenty feet. concealed Roper. It will strike at the most vulnerable Enemies: There is an ambush party of Kuo-Toa waiting members of the party or svirfneblin as they pass within fifty under the water for anyone coming north along the feet. channel. This party consists of 3 Kuo-Toa, 3 Kuo-Toa Whips and 2 Kuo-Toa Monitors. D: Grell’s Dell Treasures: The Kuo-Tao monitors have D3 pieces of rare deep coral, each worth 25gp. On the bank of the lake, you see the shelf of rock B: The Sarenchill Falls which leads to the invisible cavern wall. There is a strange blue light emanating from it, which reflects and glows upon the roof. This strange The water tumbles from high above and crashes light lends the whole scene a spectral air. down into the lake, raising a great rise of spray in the darkness. This endless mist soaks the outside of your clothing, and the noise is almost The Grell’s Dell is a deep fissure in the room, which is deafening. However, behind the shattering wall approximately eighty feet long and twenty feet wide. It has of white water is the deep hollow of a damp, wet sheer rocky edges and walls, and the bottom has a great cave. collection of bioluminescent fungus at the base of it. There are several deep caves within the Dell’s walls, which are invisible from the surface layer. The cave behind the waterfalls is a deep hollow, Enemies: There is a single grell, which will attack the approximately ninety feet deep and about the same wide. It adventurers. Once it is slain, the larger Grell, Olr-nug-ga’ga is covered by the water falling down upon it, and will emerge to try and parlay with the adventurers. They adventurers must pass a DC12 Dexterity check to pass speak broken Common and will ask for peace for a underneath the waterfall successfully. Otherwise they fall moment, while it speaks. Olr-nug-ga’ga is a grell with 85hp. into the lake beneath, and must try to get themself out. He leads a coven of four other grell. Inside the cave is slick, wet rock and is difficult terrain. The cave is lined with the skeletons of birds, the remains of large lake fish, and other assorted prey. There are also the broken remains of a Duergar rowing boat and the old, torn apart bodies of several of Gray Dwarves in the room’s center. Enemies: There is one Grick Alpha and 2 Gricks within this room. They are carefully hidden and waiting for the adventurers. Terrain: The loud roaring of the waterfall within the caves means that all within are deafened. In addition, the wet mist which fills this cavern dampens everything. All creatures within this cave count as having resistance to fire damage if they do not already have this. Treasure: There are scattered duergar coins throughout the room, which might have a negotiable value. There are also hides and furs worth 100gp. On a DC18 (Intelligence) Investigation check, they can find a crude, blocky ring of protection +2 amongst the ruins and the bones. C: Sharp Rocks

These spire-like stalagmites loom of the darkness like monstrous fingers reaching towards the cavern roofs. Already, you can hear the grinding of rocky spikes, hidden beneath the water, scSampleraping at the bottom of your boat. file These stalagmites are approximately eight to ten feet wide, and smooth sided as they climb up to the room sixty feet above. Terrain: There are almost invisible spikes of rock beneath the water surface in a circular area fifty feet around these sharp rocks. The rowers who are driving any

PART 4: THE GREY DWARF HOLD 37 Development: Olr-nug-ga’ga explains that the adventurers, Trap: Ten feet down the corridor is a stun trap, which in slaying his coven member so easily, have proven can be detected on a DC20 Wisdom (Perception) roll. themselves as a Great Eater (something the grell fear, and If it is not detected, the creature who triggers it must take do not want to fight unless they have to). Instead of fighting, a DC18 Constitution check. If they fail, they are stunned for the Grell wants to propose a deal. They want to consume D3 rounds and can no longer hold their breath. This trap is the creatures within the Dwarf hold. They have already repeated twenty five feet into the tunnel. eaten several and wish to taste more, but they are held back by the great spear-hurlers on the walls (these are the ballistas). If the Player Characters can deal with two of Ice Eel’s Soul these spear-hurlers, then they can float across the lake and join the fight against the hold. They will attack as soon as This magical spear requires attunement. It grants the ballistas are destroyed, in order to stop the Duergar the bearer an additional +2 to hit and to damage repairing them. rolls. In addition to this, twice per day the user If the PC’s agree, then Olr-nur-ga’ga will agree not to fight can use a bonus action to electrify the tip of the spear. If the next melee or ranged attack is them. Lenii, on the other hand, will be extremely unhappy successful, then the target takes an additional about this deal, as the PC’s have agreed to give up sentient 2d10 lightning damage, and must take a DC14 creatures as food for other creatures. Any persuasion Constitution saving throw. If they fail, the target attempts to get her people to join a battle will now be DC15 is stunned for the next round of combat. for the Charisma (Persuasion) check. If they do not accept the deal, Olr-nur-ga’ga will try and consume them and all their people.

F: The Docks DM’s Note: Olr-nur-ga’ga’s Attack The head grell and the four other grells in their coven will attack whenever the ballistas are dealt These water-worn stone docks are the main with, whether the adventurers have launched access to the hold, and the mirrored lake-water their attack or not. The coven will try and attack ripples against the stonework. The dock is lined the duergar on the walls and the towers, ignoring with grotesque stone figures, who look out onto the Duergar Stone Guard and the Duergar Warlord. the water with leering, horrible stone eyes. If two Grell are killed, however, the group will withdraw, carrying whatever prey that they have gathered. If the adventurers want to coordinate, The dock is thirty feet long and ten feet wide, with four the PC’s will have to use a message spell and pass a DC12 Charisma (Persuasion) check to statues on either side. The dock has a winding path up convince Olr-nur-ga’ga to hold back. Otherwise towards the Hold. Around it is the stony, rocky surface they will do what he sees as best, now the which makes up this island. advantage is on their side. However, they will not Enemies: If the Frost Giants are still alive, a pair of them attack the Frost Giants. Such creatures are also will be waiting to attack the PC’s as they approach the Great Eater and the Grell fear them. dock. If not, there is are two Duergar Kavalrachni waiting to fight, they are mounted upon steelers. As the adventures engage them, two gargoyles which are amongst the statues upon the dock will reveal themselves and attack the party. E: The Cave of Sighs. G: The Hold

The mouth of these caves seems to draw on The stained, carved walls of the Hold reach even darker, a gloom within a gloom. It’s wide almost to the ceiling of the chamber, and their mouth seems to breathe as you enter, pushing monolithic sides are heavy with dwarven out a wave of stagnant air. But you can see a ornamentation and designs. Some have been blocky, unnatural shape there. It seems oddly out disfigured by the Duergar, others have been left of place in this water-carved cathedral of rock. to the ravages of time. Four large towers buttress this bastion’s walls, and figures of the Duergar can be seen throughout the hold, running too and fro. They are moving quickly, with javelin and This cave is very shallow, and has an ornate dwarven crossbow in hand. They are clearly readying for a looking door at the rear of it. Beyond the door is a forty-five fight … foot long corridor, three feet wide, leading to a small, ten foot square room with a central dias. As the PC’s approach, they fSampleeel their breathing getting more difficult. Anyone who file steps over the door’s threshold suffers from the The holdfast is an equally sized square building 200 feet suffocation condition. A DC12 Knowledge (nature) check across. The walls are twenty feet high and have a five foot reveals this is because of “blackdamp”, a kind of mine gas. wide gantry on the inside. There is a four foot high parapet Terrain: At the end of the corridor is the Ice Eel’s Soul around the wall, and there are crenellations there which (see below), placed on a carved stone dias and clearly will easily cover a dwarven from. Anyone attacking from visible at the other end of the corridor. these positions will have half cover (+2 AC) when attacking.

PART 4: THE GREY DWARF HOLD 38 Each square tower in the corner is twenty feet by twenty Development: The lock for this vault has not got a visible feet, and topped with a ballista, with the same height of keyhole or any kind of magical gem. The only clue is that parapet. The ballistas are mounted on tripod mounts which there is a small old blood stain upon one part, where it has allow them to see over the walls and attack in any imperfectly cleaned. To enter the vault, the blood of the direction, including into the fortress. There is sufficient warlord must be applied to the same point, and the vault ammunition for twenty ballista shots. will open up. Enemies: There are twenty Duergar within this Treasure: Within the vault, the adventurers can find holdfast. Twelve Duergar operate the ballistas on each 2d12x100 gold pieces, 2d6x10 platinum pieces, assorted tower, while the other eight work as wall guards, moving on jewelry worth 750gp, and the Ice Drake’s Chain (see the parapet to where they are needed. These Duergar have below). In addition, the Duergar warlord is armed with a +2 heavy crossbows which replace their javelins. There are warhammer also four Duergar Stone Guards and one Duergar Development: At this point, Lenii and her folk will start Warlord. Two of the stone guards will assist the guards on to make their way down to the Underdark, thanking the the walls, while the other will remain at their lord’s side as adventurers furiously as they head down the tunnel. Lenii a loyal bodyguard. There is also one Duergar Xarron, has nothing more to give in terms of rewards but her whose job is to use their firelance against any who come thanks, and an offer that if they should ever need help from through the gate. the Carvenhome Deep Gnome clan, they will do everything that they can to help the adventurers. G1: The Gate The gate of the Fortress is made of wood, classes as AC16 and have 80hp. Once it is reduced to 40hp, the damage will H: The Bridge to Freedom be so great that missile weapons can be fired into the hold, though any target classes as being in half cover (+2) AC. At This high arched bridge connects the hold to a 0 hp it will collapse and allow unobstructed entry to the shaft from which the vaguest watery sunlight can hold. The gate is immune to poison and psychic damage. be seen. The promise of sunshine and fresh air seems to drive your tired muscles that much G2: The Courtyard more as you head towards it, feeling the crisp This courtyard is where the Duergar Warlord and his coldness of snow in the wind after all your time bodyguards will make their stand. It is also where the below ground. entrance to the Underdark can be found. To open this hatchway will require the key which the warlord holds. G3: The Vault The way to the glaciers is a short, half mile long tunnel, This is where the Duergar Warlord has stored the various which turns into an ice-tunnel about halfway along it. They treasures that they have taken from the raiding parties who emerge at the base of the Drangasjoll glacier, blinking in used this way to go to the surface. the light of days and considering their next steps ...

Sample file

PART 4: THE GREY DWARF HOLD 39

Part 6: The Climb of Drangasjoll he great glacier of Drangasjoll is the realm of the Axe and Sword clan, where their lord Climbing the Ice-Face has thrown together a stronghold from which he can dispatch his clan members to raid and bring back the spoils of conflict. DM’s Note The Drangasjoll glacier is as old as the These rules are taken from the Whitefaire Tmountains, having created the Sarenchill Adventurer’s Guide, and you can find more lake and, indirectly, Utnar’s Saddle. It is a colossal ice-field extensive rules for ice-climbing in that book. and glacier which stretches miles from the highest In addition, it should be noted that these rules mountains and across the plateau beneath. Some call this for ice-climbing are not realistic portrayals of the plateau the Mistral Plain, but like all things, such names technicalities of real world ice-climbing! These vary from place to place. rules are designed for the heroic fantasy of D&D. To get there, the adventurers must find a way to scale However, experienced climbers who are DM’s this glacier. However, there is no safe way to get atop the are free to add more complex rules to the glacier. There are two ways to get to the top, without hiking framework here. several hundred miles through trackless wilderness to approach from the north. The first is a narrow, winding path, highly exposed to anyone who might see them from above. This track is nominally only, a treacherous and Sometimes the only way to reach certain areas will be to slippery way up to the ice-field and the fortress beyond. It is scale the ice-climbs that surround them. This is an wracked with storm-winds and snow flurries, as well as exceptional dangerous operation, requiring in equal parts being prone to cracking into sudden crevices and hidden strength, skill and luck. Ice-sheets are known to collapse gorges. while being climbed, and one mis-placed axe blow can The second, and technically shorter way, is to use shatter a carefully frozen ice wall into a thousand pieces crampons and ice-axes to go up the face by climbing the with a climber still upon it. Holding a grip requires strength verticSampleal cliff. This is as dangerous as the path, but in a to drive an ice-axe into th e wall ofilever and over again, while different way. This requires the adventurers to vertically trusting that the ropes that you are carrying will support ascend the ropes, tied together in pairs, between three ice- your weight, and perhaps the weight of your climbing ledges on the cliff. The first climber will assist the second partner. climber up the face and, with luck and skill, they can make Strength and endurance are the key aspects of this it to the top of the cliff. The choice is up to the player climb, and the strongest members of a party will be the key characters in which of these ways they wish to continue. to success. They will quite literally carry the weaker PC's!

PART 5: THE CLIMB OF DRANGASJOLL 40 Climbing an ice-cliff uses the rules for climbing as per the The icewall is two hundred and eighty feet high. As the Player’s Handbook, with the following additions: first, each adventurers move in to climb, the weather changes and a climber must have an ice-axe or similar piercing weapon storm moves in. The snow is blinding and high winds they can use in this role. Each climber must also have a set whistle past the climbers. The rules for Strong Winds will of crampons to climb with - otherwise the ice-cliff to be affect the adventurers, as per the Dungeon Master’s Guide climbed is classed as impassable terrain. Even the best (p.110). rock-climber could not climb the slippery and treacherous surface of an ice-cliff without the correct equipment. The First Ledge. The ice of the Drangasjoll cliffs is solid and undamaged, which gives the checks needed to climb it DC10. This is the DC of the Strength check and the Strength (Athletics) Jamming your axe into the ice, you look up to see check that the characters will need to make every 30 ft. the ledge, silhouetted against the sky. Setting while they climb. If a character succeeds on their Strength your shoulders and gritting your teeth, you push check to drive their ice-axe into the ice surface and get a up towards that distance shape, the ground good grip, their Strength (Athletics) check will be at falling away beneath you. advantage. If a character fails their Strength (Athletics) check, then they will slip and start to fall. If a character begins to fall and they are tied to another, then that character can make a Strength check at DC13 to The distance between the ground level and the first ledge is keep the falling character on the wall. If this is failed then one hundred and twenty feet, and the adventurers can rest the second character must also make a DC13 Strength once they have reached the first ledge. A DC15 Wisdom (athletics) check to stay on the wall, otherwise they will fall (Survival) check will reveal that the ice-sheet above this as well. If they succeed on this test, then this character ledge is unstable. All players should make a DC10 cannot make any further upward progress until the Dexterity Saving throw, with advantage if they know that character they are tied to completes a successful DC10 ice-sheet is unstable. If this is failed, the character takes Strength check to recover their grip. 2d6 bludgeoning damage as this ice-sheet comes down If a character should slip and fall, then the normal rules upon the ledge. for falling apply, as per the Player’s Handbook! The Second Ledge Ascending the Face There are two routes onto the second ledge. One moves If the player characters have decided to climb the face, use roughly vertically, a demanding climb with ice that doesn’t this section. If they have decided to take the winding path, look in great condition, while the other route cuts across a you can move straight to that section. Take time to explain wide, well frozen ice-face and then beneath and around the the dangers of both routes, and that both are equally ledge. If the PC’s take the first route then the distance is dangerous in different ways. A party which has two strong eighty feet, but the difficulty is DC13. The ice chips and members should be able to ascend without added risk. shudders as they strike it with axes, noticeably crumbling as they try to drive their spikes in.

Sample file

PART 5: THE CLIMB OF DRANGASJOLL 41 When the first character passes the 60 feet mark, the ice- From the third ledge to the ice-field is a final ninety foot shelf begins to fall away, cracking with a horrible splitting climb at DC10. The wind will pick up and blow that much sound which seems to come from the very glacier within. harder, and the characters will be engulfed in a blizzard The players have D3+1 turns to scale to the second ledge which sweeps across the glacier. While climbing, they hear before the ice they are on completely falls away beneath the rumbling of the young Remorhaz which is tunnelling them. Anyone still on the ice when it gives way will fall. it’s way to attack. If the adventurers move on the second route, the The young Remorhaz will create tunnels in the rock distance is one hundred and fifty feet. The ice is DC10 and around the adventurers, (which they can use to escape into, very stable. However, at the 60 foot point of the climb, two if necessary), and attack them from the cliff’s face. The will-o’-wisps will emerge from the icefield and attack the normal rules for combat on the vertical face apply. adventurers. The adventurers can fight back, but if they Once the adventurers have reached the top of the glacier, want to move they have to complete an ice-climbing check. they can move onto the final section, Part 7: Torrfin's Lair. In addition, they can only use one handed weapons to fight, The ice field is riven with rocks and cracks, but is certainly as the other hand must remain on their climbing tool easier to cross than the cliff which has just been embedded within the ice face. conquered! This weapon cannot be their ice-axe or the piercing weapon they are using to climb with. Spellcaster should check to see if there is a somatic component as well - if it involves both hands, it cannot be cast. Once the adventurers have reached the second ledge, they will be attacked by six ice mephits. The Third Ledge There are three routes to the third ice-ledge which the adventurers can take. The first is the shortest, sixty feet in total, and goes vertically beneath the ice-ledge. However, taking that route means that an adventurer will have to completely climb beneath the overhang and then onto the surface. The overhang is ten feet wide, but the DC of that climb is 18. In addition, if an adventurer fails their strength check they will immediately fall. The second route of the climb is one hundred and twenty feet, and features at the mid-point a stone statue, with it’s hand wrapped around a stone ice-axe, embedded in the ice. A DC10 Intelligence (Investigation) check will show that this statue is so well made, that it is clearly someone who was petrified while climbing. At this point, a swarm of six cockatrices will emerge from their frozen nests and attack the adventurers. They will also attack any flying adventurers who pass this way. The third route is the longest at one hundred and eighty feet, but skirts around the cockatrice nests and only alerts three cockatrices who will flap down to attack the adventurers. In addition, the adventurers will discover an empty cockatrice nest with a diamond worth 500gp within. Once the adventurers have climbed upon the third ledge, a DC10 Wisdom (Survival) check will show that it is literally crumbling beneath their weight. Once the weight upon the ledge has exceeded 3 medium creatures, the ledge will begin to collapse. It will take one minute to completely collapse, but every twenty seconds a ten foot long row nearest the edge will fall away. The Ascent to the Top

With the top of the glacier finally in site, you strike out on an attempt upon the summit. The wind whips around you, tangling cloaks and hSampleoods, and the snow gusts into your eyes and file mouth. But beneath it all, you can hear the slight rumble of an approaching creature.

PART 5: THE CLIMB OF DRANGASJOLL 42

The Path of Drangasjoll

If the Player Characters do not decide to climb the cliffs, then they can travel up the glacier path instead. This is a winding path through glacial ice which offers little in the way of hand-holds and grip. The entire path is classed as slippery ice for the entire climb, as per the rules in the

Dungeon Masters Guide(p.109). In addition, the wind whips up and a blizzard moves in. The rules for the blizzards and strong winds are in effect while climbing the glacier path.

This path is steep, at least fifteen degrees of inclination and sometimes as steep as 30 degrees. Around it, the glacier walls are deep blue ice, slick and with very few handholds. These sides are like a valley, and forty feet at the lowest point. They require DC18 climb checks if they wish to be scaled. This path is very much a gauntlet to be run, and once the adventurers have embarked upon it, they have to push on or fall back to the base of the path.

A: The Ice-Boulders

The path through the glacier is winding and tight, and your boots slip and struggle to find purchase on the thick ice. Ahead, you hear a low rumbling noise, and a shadow appears ahead on the ice ahead, rolling and bouncing towards you.

The path to the glacier is not unguarded, and there are defenses which the Axe and Sword clan monitor against those trying to climb. They know that their glacier needs to be protected from ‘outsiders’ when they are not raiding the local countryside. Such traps are generally very simple, relying on brute force and simple size for their effectiveness. However, the path up the glacier creates a gauntlet for the PC's to travel in, which means simple is still deadly. This first defence is the simplest of all - a giant on the ice high above rolls D6 rounded chunks of ice down the path towards the adventurers. This giant is at point C, but is out of sight of the adventurers when they start rolling the B: The Wind Cauldron boulders down. The crudely cut ice boulders are approximately 6ft in height and width, and weigh approximately 250lbs each. To evade these boulders, the The whistling wind builds to a howl here, PC’s must pass a Dexterity saving throw which depends on funneled by the force of the storm into a tight, the boulder’s orders. The first boulder is DC15, and the DC sharp valley. It throws you back with a powerful of the check reduces by two for each of the subsequent physical force, while chilling through any gaps boulders. If the player characters can succeed on a DC12 within your clothing. This bowl in the path swirls Wisdom (Perception) check, then they get advantage upon with snow and freezing cold, threatening any the first saving throw. Subsequent boulders aren’t as who venture within… unpredictable, so there is no advantage after this - the adventurers can already guess what is coming from the crashing sound and rumbling ahead of them. The higher cliffs here funnel the force of the howling gale PC’s who pass their Dexterity Saving throw take no into a narrow path, vastly magnifying it’s strength. The damage, and those who fail 4d10 bludgeoning damage. In wind cauldron is fifty feet across, from point B to the addition, those who fail are pushed back down the path northern corner. To make any forward progress at half 3D10 feet by the impact of the boulder, and are knocked speed, the PC’s must pass a DC15 Strength check to push prone. In between these boulders arriving, player Samplethemselves against the w ind. In fileaddition, for every minute characters have enough time to make one action, one they are exposed within the wind, each of them takes 1D6 bonus action and one move action, just the same as in cold damage. Once they have progressed fifty feet and have combat. Once these actions have been resolved, the next rounded the path’s corner, they exit the Wind Cauldron and boulder arrives down the path to be saved against. This return to a state of being merely very cold, rather than continues until the boulders have all been thrown. freezing.

PART 6: THE CLIMB OF DRANGASJOLL 43 C & D: Argin and Torris E: The Crevice of the Remorhaz

With the wind howling and whipping against With aching muscles and chilled fingers, you your face as you struggle to climb the gauntlet, fight your way towards the end of the path, you hear the bestial shouts and cries of giants where the glacier and the ice-field offer some above you. In the gloom, atop the ice-cliffs which relief from this endless climb. Then all around surround this pathway, you see the dark you, the ice begins to crack as something huge silhouettes of Frost Giants towering above you. begins to approach the surface, tunnelling beneath the solid ice at your feet.

Argin and Torris are two younger Frost Giants who are entrusted with guarding this path to the glacier. They both One of the trained defenders of the Glacier, two young hate it because they want to go raiding with the rest of the Remorhaz will explode from within the glacier’s ice. They clan, and feel that they’ve been left out because of their age will create a hole each time they move, and each hole is ten and inexperience. Argin, in particular, has been thinking for feet in diameter. The remorhaz only move by tunnelling a long time that he wants to go and form his own clan. through ice, and if they have any movement left after Torris is less convinced, but is more impressionable than attacking, will move back into their tunnels to protect his more confident friend. themselves. When the adventurers arrive, Argin and Torres will be These holes in the ice will be connected by jagged cracks impressed by their ability to survive the trials and traps which collapse, revealing the crevice beneath. The floor which have been set for them. They’ll hail the adventurers will drop away in these cracks in a five foot area. To avoid from atop the cliffs where they are resting in Giant. If no- these cracks, PC’s have to pass a DC10 Dexterity saving one in the party understands Giant or they attack, the two throw, or catch onto the edge of the ice as it collapses giants will fight back immediately. They each have D3 icy beneath them. The crevice below is fifty feet deep, and throwing stones that they can use to throw, and then will anyone who falls will take 5D6 falling damage as per the jump onto the path to crush the ‘puny adventurers’. Argin is Player’s Handbook (p.183). The Dungeon Master will have on point C and Torres in on point D. to track these cracks in the ice accordingly, telling the However, if the adventurers are able to answer in giant, players where they appear beneath the crack. then Argin will start asking them a series of questions If, after three rounds, one or both of the Remorhaz about how they survived this far. If the PC gives decent remain alive, then a massive crack will shatter across the answers which emphasize their strength and skill, then a glacier path, running east to west from point E to the edge DC10 Wisdom (Insight) check will show that both Argin of the map. This crevice is twenty feet wide, north to south, and Torres' commitment to fighting them will begin to and breaks directly across the path. This will also be fifty falter. A DC12 Charisma check will cause them both to feet deep. The players will need to make a Wisdom lower their clubs and talk further. (Survival) check at DC10 and then a Dexterity Saving Argin in particular is ready to leave, but speaks in a throw at DC12 to avoid the collapsing ice-sheet beneath young, naive way about escaping his home. He is very much their feet. If they pass the Wisdom (Survival) check they like a teenager wanting to strike out on his own. Torres is will get advantage on the subsequent Dexterity Saving less convinced but will still ask the adventurers questions throw. about where they could go. Good answers, emphasising the chance of exploring and the many places they could go, Reaching the Top combined with a DC12 Charisma check will cause them to Once the Player Characters have escaped the glacier path, become peaceful. they will be atop the ice-field of the glacier of Drangasjoll. But as they are Frost Giants, they can’t just let the In the distance, a few miles across the ice, is the obvious adventurers through without taking a toll from them - they and crude ice-block fortress of the Jarl Torrfin and the need to start their new life with their best possible outlook. conclusion of their quest against his tribe. They will demand a tribute from the adventurers. The PC’s will need to give up a magical weapon or armour, or adventuring gear totalling up to 300gp, to appease the giants. If they do so, the two giants will take the ‘toll’ and head off into the blizzard, never to be seen again. If the adventurers haggle, they will need to pass a DC8 Charisma check with an increased DC of 2 for every 50gp they try and reduce the value by i.e, to only give Argin and Torres 200gps worth of gear will be a DC12 Charisma check. Otherwise the giants will become enraged at this ‘unfairness’ and attack the Player Characters. Once this situatSampleion is resolved, the PC’s can move on to Point E. file

44

Part 7: The Lair of Torrfin the Bleak t last, the heart of the Axe and Sword Clan is open. Atop the great glacier of Djangaskoll, Getting to the Lair the adventurers can see the crude ice-manor Crossing the glacier is no easy feat in itself. The direct that the Frost Giants have constructed for route is eight miles across the ice-field, with an unclear their lair. It is not an elegant building. path to go. The terrain is both heavy snow and slippery ice, Constructed of clumsily hewn ice-blocks and both rules are in effect for the entire journey. leaned against each other, it looks more akin A DM’s should roll a random encounter dice for every four to a giant igloo than a fortress or a castle. Only the scale is hours which are travelled across the glacier. If a random alien - this structure is built to a truly monolithic standard. encounter is generated, the DM can roll on the table below, Even at this distance this clan hall seems over-sized, and or invent an appropriate encounter for your adventure. this feeling only grows as the adventurers approach. Snow flurries more akin to blizzards are blown from its roof, and D6 Result the air seems to chill yet further as the adventurers approach. Throughout the area are the skeletons of slain 1 The party hears the howls of an Abominable Yeti upon the wind, echoing around the icy fields. It will mammoths; these furry elephants have clearly been both attack the rear-most adventurer in the marching mount and food source for the Axe and Sword clan. order. Around the ice-lair are the many bones of the mammoths, sticking out of the ice where they have been 2 Two ice-trolls (see stat block) climb effortlessly from a nearby crevice upon the glacier. They attack left behind. The hundreds of mammoth tusks have been immediately. stuck into the ground around as a crude fence, separating an area on the outside of the fortress. 3 An enraged mammoth, wounded by giant clubs, Jarl Torrfin and his people have been within this lair for a shivers and approaches the party. long time, but have not raided the local area until these last 4 Five yetis attack from a nearby cave. few months. With the shrinking of the mammoth herds 5 The remains of a slain frost giant lie by the body of a which used to frequent these areas, the Frost Giants slain mammoth. There is 2D6 pounds of ivory which decided to range further, down through the pass and into are available to the party. the wSamplearmer lands there. The Jarl has found that, within ‘the file soft lands’ as he has named them, there are goods and food 6 A terrible crevice opens beneath the adventurers without warning. Each adventurer has to make a aplenty to keep his clan hale and hearty. Such goods are DC15 Wisdom (Survival) check followed by a DC12 controlled by the ‘soft people’ who cannot hold against his Dexterity saving throw. If the adventurers pass their giants. To the victor goes the spoils is Torrfin’s approach, Wisdom (Survival) they have advantage on the and as yet no-one has shown him that it is wrong. saving throw.

PART 7: THE LAIR OF TORRFIN 45 Knowing that they might face some kind of response, the The Bone Fence Giants put up a fence outside of their main doorway. This would serve as an antechamber, a slaughterhouse and a storage yard for the entire clan. Unlucky giants who have The fence is a ramshackle collection of frozen encountered the wrath of the Jarl may even be exiled from mammoth bones, where the cold shadows are the clan hall to sleep in the ice outside. The discomfort is cast by the sharp spikes of ivory fences. Behind more embarrassment at their shame than trouble with the this, the dome of the lair is visible. There are outdoor temperatures. loud, thunderous noises from beyond, far louder Within this area are four Frost Giants and five than the Frost Giants you have encountered mammoths. before … A: The Gatehouse The gatehouse is guarded by a single Frost Giant who is The Bone Fence consists of three different areas - the keeping a lazy watch on anyone who is approaching. They Gatehouse, the Courtyard and the Mammoth Pen. The will attempt to close the frost-hardened bone and wood ground is not snowy; the paths of giants and mammoths gate which they are standing beside. It takes a full action to have torn up the snow throughout this entire area. close the gate. However, it does class as slippery ice. The wall surrounding This gate has an AC15 and 80hp. At 40hp, the gate this area is thirty feet feet, topped with sharpened, broken breaks down to twenty feet high and classes as half-cover ivory. for a giant. When the Axe and Sword clan first arrived at this glacier, they needed a place to rest and stay before embarking upon their raids. There was no convenient ruins or huts which B: The Courtyard. they could occupy, so they instead decided to construct a In the corner of this area is the giant’s meat store. The crude structure of the most convenient material they could hanging meat are huge chunks of yeti and mammoth find: large blocks of ice and tree trunks, mixed with the stakes, each the size of a medium sized creature's torso. If bones of the yetis, mammoths and Remorhaz which the any meat or goods were stolen from Lamastop, then these Frost Giants have been hunting for food and to train. These goods will be here as well. In addition, there are piles of were all crudely assembled and then had boiling water other goods such as furs, barrels of mead, iron ingots - thrown over them to form great slabs of ice. These blocks many of which have marks from other villages and towns were then thrown together into this blocky, ugly structure. throughout the region. There is one very drunk Frost Within and without it is icy and cold; perfectly comfortable Giant there, who has the rules for beserk when in combat, for a Frost Giant but unpleasant for everyone else. and any movement checks at disadvantage.

Sample file

PART 7: THE LAIR OF TORRFIN 46 In the centre is the slaughter pit, where the mammoths are cut up and butchered. There is a large wooden table and a Treasure deep stinking offal pit where the offcuts are thrown into the Within the piles of goods in the Northwest corner can be glacier. On the table is a giant-sized cleaver and several found a frozen corpse of a previous unlucky adventurer. rusting meat hooks, embedded deep within the frozen There is a +2 breastplate, a +1 longsword, four greater wood. There is an apron-clad frost giant who uses his healing potions and 380gps in a little bag under his belt. butchering blade to fight - this has the same stats as a club, There are over four tons of food and supplies here - the but does slashing damage instead. There is another frost stolen goods that the village needs to survive the winter. giant assisting him. In addition, two of the giants have assorted coins worth 3d20x10gp upon their bodies. C: The Mammoth Pen Within the mammoth pen are five Mammoths, who have The Hall of Jarl Torrfin heard their herd mates die in recent days and have no desire to do the same. They are large, scared and eager to escape. The pen’s walls are made of icy bone and wood, just Ice crunches softly beneath your feet as you like walls of the courtyard. The gate, twenty feet across, is move along this vast corridor, created on both barred from the outside with a plank of wood. It takes a sides by monolithic chunks of ice on either side. DC15 Strength check to move the heavy frozen bars. Ahead, in the blue-white gloom, there is a vast If the bar is shifted from the outside then the Mammoths space with broken tables and chunks of will be added to the initiative order at step 20. They will shattered masonry. Even worse, you can hear the stampede as a group at full speed towards the gate and raucous laughter of Frost Giants, and the then out to the south. Anyone who gets in the way will be deafening crack of more breaking stone. The subjected to the trampling charge rule (including the bonus smell of thick mead, heavy with honey, wafts stamp attack) by any mammoth which runs over them. But down the corridor towards you and you start to the actual aim of the mammoths is to escape together, not feel light headed … to fight the adventurers or giants. If the mammoths are released, then the giants will try and wrestle some of the mammoths back into the pen - after all, this is their livestock and they need it to survive. After Jarl Torrfin raised his hall, he ordered the clan to The mammoths will disengage and seek to flee, rather than raid into the soft lands. They were very successful, piling fight. great heaps of goods and metals upon their lords dias. As a beneficent leader, Jarl Torrfin took a tithe of the best goods and then distributed the rest amongst his giant folk. He D: The Hall Entrance piled up the rest of his goods in the corner and then rested The main entrance appears to have been torn straight out upon the great seat of his hall. of a castle and placed into the ice, and the adventurers can The Jarl knows that he is the most successful Frost Giant see where the surviving hinges have been frozen deep into clan in the area - his clan of Axe and Sword had driven out the doorways ‘frame’. This is exactly what it is - a nearby any other clans in this area through aggressive warfare. He fortress in the town of Kalinmarche was raided and this wants to climb the ranks of the Ordaning through this was one of the spoils that the Frost Giants carried away. violence, seeking the next steps he can make against other There is an ice-rimed and half-frozen lock of giant size giants. upon this doorway and the skill of this construction shows As more tribute came to their lord, Jarl Torrfin requested that it was clearly not built by Frost Giants. There is an that many of his giants return furniture to him - stone intricate maker mark stamped into the exterior, featuring furniture from a ruined castle in the mountains elsewhere. runes in giant and the image of flames. The giant runes The raid was successful and so Torrfin acquired the spell ‘Brozacka’. A DC10 Wisdom (Arcana) check will statuary and tables which were placed within the ice-hall. reveal that Fire Giants have been known to make such They were once complete and beautiful when they first artifacts in return for trade goods from other clans who are arrived, exquisite sculptures of a different age which had lower in the Ordaning than they are. It is not clear if there survived antiquity with little more than dust upon them. are any allied Fire Giant clans in the local area, but the very However, Jarl Torrfin and his folk like to drink, and they presence of this trade good is concerning. It could indicate have managed to build quite a cache of heavy mead and that there is a far larger population of giants within this cider in their hall. Drinking every night, clumsy and fighting region, and this possibility is extremely dangerous for the giants have smashed or broken almost all of the carved local and wider area. furniture and left the stone wreckage across the floor. To open the door, the adventurers will have to work out Sticky splashes of mead and thick wine are heavy upon the how to get the key into the lock. The key is on the belt of ice, tacky to the boots of the adventurers as they move the giant in the apron. The lock is twelve feet in the air, on across the floor. the right side of this vast door, about three feet from the ice In addition, an active and moving glacier is not a good ‘frame.’ The key weighs 35lb and is about three feet long, place to build a hall. The surface is not stable and a crevice requiring two hands for a medium or large creature to hold. opened up the floor in recent months (leaving one giant to OnceSample the key is in the lock, it will take a DC15 Strength fall to their death, much t o the afilemusement of all the check to turn the key in the lock. With the door now others). The floor has been frequently repaired with water, unlocked, it will require another DC15 strength check to but it is still weaker than the rest of the solid ice floor. If the break apart the layer of ice upon the door and pull it open. adventurers look closely enough, they will see the frozen A short tunnel then leads into Jarl Torrfin’s hall and lair, corpse of the giant deep down in the darkness. where animal roars compete with booming laughter.

PART 7: THE LAIR OF TORRFIN 47

This is compounded by Jarl Torrfin’s complacency. The B: The Chasm soft lands, along with the great mammoth herds in this This chasm is a darker block of ice across the floor, which area, have given the Frost Giants a sense of undue security leads up to a broken section of the wall. A DC12 Wisdom and comfort - even their clan is stable. Torrfin, though (Survival) check will demonstrate that the ice about the fattening around the waist, is still the strongest fighter by chasm is beginning to crack and is DC12 to move across far and so he enjoys the loyalty of all his folk. His axe, the chasm without it collapsing. In addition, the PC will see Freezing Bite, helps secure his reign. Such a magical that there is a swarm of ice mephits below the ice. For weapon gives him an advantage over any that might try to more information on thin ice, use the rules for lake ice as challenge them. found in Part 3 of this book. The rules for thin ice apply to Within this hall is Jarl Torrfin (Male Giant, NE, see both giants and adventurers within this room. The chasm statblock), his lieutenant Wrexla (Male Frost Giant), beneath is one and fifty feet deep with a solid ice floor. Wrexla’s wife Frenda (Female Frost Giant) and his pet If the ice is cracked and broken, then Ice Mephits will manticore, Tscira. Wrexla and Frenda are drinking heavily, rise from the hole. For three turn on Initiative step 20, d12 sitting across from each other on the central table and Ice Mephits will rise from the hole, until there are a exchanging loud crude jokes between each other. Jarl maximum of twelve in the lair. These Mephits will attack Torrfin is slumping in his throne, laughing raucously at the anyone, giants, manticore or adventurers, who are closest jokes as they come, at Point C. Tscira is prowling around at the time. The giants and the manticores will fight against the main entrance, at Point A. the mephits if they are attacked. A: The Entrance C: The Stone Throne This entrance way is approximately twenty feet wide and This throne is the resting place of Torrfin, and it is twenty feet long. Above the corridor, the roof is surrounded by the stripped bones of the mammoth meat he approximately twenty-five feet high and formed with jagged has gorged upon. Mixed in with these cracked skeletons blows into a clumsy archway. The floor beneath is a slick are the chips and pieces of broken stonework. The seat of sheet of ice, but is lumpy and uneven from the many feet of the throne is ten feet high, and the armrests are a couple of the Frost Giants which have progressed along it. Graffiti is feet higher than them. The back of the seat is about twenty there, clumsily written in very poor giant, and mostly feet, and the whole chair is constructed out of cracked, dirty consisting of insults to other giants. Punctuating the graffiti stone. Where the stone was once beautiful and carved, but are veSamplery crude drawings to emphasis these ugly words! file the brutal treatment of the giants has ruined what was left. This is where Tscira the Manticore is prowling, looking for To the west of the throne are the shattered statues. any intruders. They have been aware of the battle outside, These are beautiful sculptures in an ancient elven style, even while the others are drinking heavily and apparently twelve to fifteen feet high each. Sadly, the statue at the unaware of what’s going on outside. If they see the north and southern ends have been knocked over and now adventurers, the Manticore will howl loudly to bring lie in the ice, hopelessly smashed. attention to them, and try to fight the adventurers.

PART 7: THE LAIR OF TORRFIN 48 However, the middle statue bears a striking resemblance to the statue in the centre of Lamastop. This statue has a single red jewel embedded within the hand. This jewel can be removed with a DC12 Strength check, and this does not The Adventure Continues ... lead to a further effect. However, the jewel is a flawless ruby worth 300gp. This book can serve as a jumping off point for tier two campaigns, and the adventurers should Torrfin and his two lackeys are here, drinking and be at least level seven or eight by the time they swearing. They will use the pieces of masonry to throw as have completed this quest. There are several they attack the adventurers. They are aware of the danger places where your campaign can go next; of the crevice running across the floor and they will try to avoid stepping on it. As they have been drinking, they will be at disadvantage for Perception checks during the first What is the relationship between the Duergar combat round. After this, they will fight and act normally. and the Clan of Axe and Sword? Was it merely a mercenary arrangement, or was there a more formal agreement between the as yet D: The Jarl’s Haul unknown leader of the Duergar and Jarl This is the haul of the Jarl, the goods which he has tithed Torrfin? After all, access to the surface and a from his clan as they went raiding. These have been piled protected place to retreat to is extremely up roughly in a great heap, with gold and jewels falling important for any of the folk in the Underdark headlessly out of the shattered boxes and crates. Within to use. What was this agreement and how did this great heap of treasure can be found: 3211 gp, 120 pp, it come into force? Small Silver Mirror (25 gp), Fine Cloth Hunter's Cap trimmed with Sable (25 gp), Pewter Vase (25 gp), Fine Where did the great lock up the Giant’s door Steel Cloth Hunter's Cap (25 gp), Pewter Necklace (25 gp), come from? What was the relationship between the Fire Giant clan that created this Potion of Frost Giant Strength, found in Dungeon Master’s and their more raider-like allies? Is there a Guide (p.187), Potion of Invulnerability, found in Dungeon great clan of fiery giants ready to descend Master’s Guide (p.188), and the Flail of Remembrance (see upon the local area, looking for revenge for below). This flail has just been tossed aside as if it is not their fallen allies and (more importantly) the important or valuable. loss of the valuable supplies which they were bringing the Fire Giants?

What of the survivors of either the Deep Gnome Clans or the Merfolk of Scarenchill Flail of Remembrance Lake? Did they all survive, and what can they Weapon (Flail), rare (requires attunement). tell the adventurers about this area? Are the You gain +2 to attack and damage rolls made adventurers going to meet back up with Lenii with this weapon, and does an additional D8 and, no doubt, take revenge against the necromantic damage. In addition, while you are Duergar clan which enslaved her? attuned to this weapon, your hit point maximum increases by 1 for each level you have attained. If you’re using this book in conjunction with Curse. This weapon is cursed by the memories of The Whitefaire Adventurer’s Guide, then this those who have been slain by it, and those who adventure can stand as an introduction to the the adventurer has slain in the past. The wielder Mistral Plain and all it’s dangers. The Glacier is stalked by an imp, who simply follows them, of Djangaskoll is upon the Mistral Plain, and always staring and whispering the final thoughts retreating from there will allow the of those who have been slain. This imp will stare adventurers to secure a safe(ish) route into and whisper for every waking hour. No one else the Mistral Plain. From here, they could can see the imp. In addition, whenever the continue their investigation in Dorokhalli’s wielder takes a long or short rest, they must take plans within Whitefaire. an DC12 intelligence check. If this failed, the wielder suffers from terrible nightmares If you’re using this book in conjunction with throughout the night, and finishes the long or Storm King’s Thunder, the adventurers could short rest with a level of exhaustion. return to Harshnag, having demonstrated their ability to deal with and destroy Frost Giants. From there, he gives the adventurers the information they need to find Svalbarg. He warns them that, while the Blizzard of Axe and Sword were not an easy fight, they will Conclusion find much greater challenges upon the Frost Jarl Torrfin will fight to the death, along with his allies, to Island. defend his place in the Ordaning and his clan’s raided Of course, the choice is up to you and we goods. Once he is dead, the few surviving members of the hope that you’ve found this to be an Axe aSamplend Sword Clan will disperse into other lands, driven dangerous, exciti ng andfile rewarding adventure away from Lamastop. While this will not stop all danger to for you and your players. If you're looking for the village, it is clear that a very significant danger has been more ideas, you can always check out The removed from the villagers lives. The adventurers can Whitefaire Adventurer's Guide, which is return to Lamastop and claim their reward from Iceria. available on www.dmsguild.com. Perhaps then they can take a few, hard earned, days to rest and relax!

PART 7: THE LAIR OF TORRFIN 49 NPC and Creature Stat Blocks Jarl Torrfin

Jarl Torrfin is a typical warlord amongst the Frost Giants. He does not care much for the smaller folk, except to use them as a resource to raid. He is far more interested in his place within the Ordaning, making his prayers towards Annam and wondering which giant he can next challenge to fight. Torrfin knows that he can defeat almost anyone who challenges him. His mighty magical axe, Freezing Bite, gives him an edge upon many other giants. He acquired this mighty weapon after journey deep into the Savage Lands, stealing it from the Hill Giant who thoughtless acquired the weapon. On his return, he challenged the leader of his Clan and slew the older Frost Giant with several magical strikes. A raider at heart, Torrfin lead his clan for a decade across the snowy lands, taking what they needed before moving on. It was only after they discovered the 'soft lands' to the south that Jarl Torrfin built his ice-dome. Having found a place which can easily support his needs, Torrfin has become complacent. He does not see the need to move his clan again until he has taken everything he can, and the tribute of the people around brings him further glory. Such things, he is sure, will only bring him better favour in the eyes of Annam and the Ordaning.

Personality Traits. Torffin is obsessed with his treasure and with his place in the Ordaning. His clan has grown as he has led them, and now the Jarl wants to take his place in Annam's eyes. He is charismatic (for a Frost Giant) and loves the sound of his own voice. He is easily amused by his lackeys and loves to eat the spoils of their raids. Ideal. Torrfin wants to climb the ordaning and overthrow the larger clans of Frost Giants. He is looking to fulfil his role in Annam's eyes and thus bring about this rise in status and power. Bonds. The Jarl is the leader of his clan and expects the loyalty of all the giants that comprise it. They are, so far, all loyal to their lord. SampleFlaws: Jarl Torrfin, afte r his refilepeated success, has become complacent and idle in his palace. While he remains strong and powerful, his muscular bulk is running into fat as he regularly gorges on the spoils of his raids.

STAT BLOCKS 50 Iceria, Cleric of Auril

Iceria is the local cleric of Auril within Lamastop. Like her goddess, she is sometimes known as the Ice Maiden to the locals who live under her cold care. Despite believing in a nominally 'evil' deity, Iceria helps the village of Lamastop thrive during summer and winter. She sees her role as aiding in the turning of the seasons, welcoming winter back as a natural part of the year. Her acolytes assist her in this, following Auril's callous seeming rituals throughout the months. They all believe that they can entreat the Frost Maiden to give mercy through their sacrifice, saving those around them from winter's true harshness. Whether rightly or wrongly, the people of Lamastop appreciate the efforts they make on the village's behalf and it has been noted that shorter winters and less snow have affected the town since Iceria's arrival.

Personality Traits. Iceria embodies winter in all its chilling touch and cold, icy beauty. Her voice is that of a gale in the winter's night, and her touch is like gentle frostbite. This cleric of Auril is not callous or cruel, just cold like the snow on the skin and unflinching in the face of her demanding goddess. Ideal. Iceria is as devout as any other cleric, but seeks to protect those under her care by entreating and sacrificing a few to save many. All of her clergy are aware of this, and they would be willing to sacrifice their health and lives to Auril if it was required to lessen winter's bite. Bonds. The cleric has many bonds with those in town, having worked to protect them for many years. She is closest to Margrave in the Giant's Head Tavern, and Drilk Vulcan in the waterwheel. Others in the town keep much more of a distance, but appreciate her more after the giants have finished their raid. Flaws: Iceria's coldness means that she does not feel particularly close to her clergy, despite their devotion to her. She is willing, should it be required, to sacrifice them to her goddess in whatever way might be required. She justifies this aSamples being an act 'for the greater good' of the village. As file yet, human sacrifice has not been required. Iceria knows that one day, when the winter is coldest, that may be something Auril asks of her. She will have no hesitation in doing so.

STAT BLOCKS 51

Lenii Gemsplitter

Lenii Gemsplitter was a humble gnome when she lived within the Underdark, following her clan's profession of mining and delving for gemstones in the rock. The Gemsplitter clan had excellent seams to mine in the area around their village, and so they followed their instincts and plied their trade amongst the endless gloom. Lenii was just one of the several hundred miners who endlessly delved. It was in that darkness that she had her first encounter with the diety called Callarduran Smoothhands. This god of the Deep Gnomes came to Lenii while she worked and so she felt the call to his side; to guide and protect her people beneath the earth. In this way she became a cleric of Callarduran, and took the place of the last cleric who had recently died. Her gentle life of healing, prayer and comfort was brought to a sudden violent halt when the Duergar slave gangs came upon their village. Despite the Svirfneblin having paid their protection in recent months, such promises did not survive the Grey Dwarf's desire for disposable labour. Rounding up all of the Svirfneblin amd slaying those who did not agree, they marched the dozens of slaves towards the Ironhunter MIne. There, enslaved and held to her task, she found her will changing from just providing succor to fighting back where she could. Tired, worn out and sick at heart for those around her, Lenii tries to protect her people from the worst of the Grey Dwarves abuse. The Deep Gnome cleric seeks out a way to free them and return them back to their darkened home.

Personality Traits. Lenii is both tough and devout, focusing on solving problems and dealing with difficulties in the best way that she can. Ideal. Lenii wants to protect her people and return them home. In this way, she merely seeks to lessen their suffering and keep hope in their hearts. Bonds. The Deep Gnome feels close to her diety, Callardun Smoothhands, and many of the folk in the SampleGemsplitter clan. In parti cular, sfilehe is close to Breznoi and Trotski, who have helped her in the past. Flaws: Lenii's caution can occasionally get the better of her, causing her to choose to not take risk where they could bring great reward. Her desire to protect the members of her clan will often override any other desire, and is often described by those around her as 'suffocating.'

STAT BLOCKS 52

Pelagia, Merfolk Ideal. Lenii wants to explore and lead her clan to further safety and success. She is willing to fight to do so, leading Chieftan her folks into battle against their enemies where she can. Bonds. Pelagia is close to many of her folk in the clan beneath the lake. She has Andaman as her close friend, and is reasonable close to Iceria - the Ice Priest was the first to meet and greet the Merfolk when they first arrived. Flaws: Lenii has struggled to react against the Sahuagin threat, as she has tried to discover and negotiate before she moved to action. This has led to her to act angrily and jump to conclusions much more than she used to. This recklessness could easily lead to even worse outcomes.

Pelagia is the leader of her clan of merfolk, the Thac-Na, who live within the Sarenchill Lake. They number no more than five hundred ice-merfolk, and have found a home within the lake for more than a dozen generations. The clan does not remember how they ended up at Sarenchill, though stories speak of their magical transportation from the sea to the mountains. But they are not trapped within this lake. The merfolk have bravely explored the entire lake, it's frigid depths and the underground tunnels which have been carved throughout the area. While they are aware of the Grey Dwarve hold, the xenophobic Duergar have been known to attack the Merfolk. But even this danger does not stop these merfolk from their on-going exploration in these icy underwater maze. Pelagia has led her clan since she took over from her father upon his death. She has helped to maintain good relations within the clan, and has even been known to lead missions down to the villages of the south. Carrying their mined gemstones and rescued wealth from the lake bottom, they have journeyed down to the lake outside Lamastop and traded with the people there. Outside of this Pelagia has merely watched her village survive beneath the shadow of the glacier and the ice above The recent arrival of both the Sahuagin and the Frost Giants has caused her real concerns. Unable to face the Sahaugin Baron face to face, she has tried to organise her folk into groups to protect them. Worst still, she fears that that might make common cause with the Clan of Axe and Sword in the world above. Such an alliance might doom her people, and she is desperate to avoid such an outcome. Pelagia will promise much and risk her own life to protect the Merfolk within the icy depths of Saranchill. Sample file Personality Traits. Pelagia is a pragmatic hunter and explorer in equal measure. She is kind and curious, but recent experiences have made her cautious. She is careful before she chooses who she is going to trust. However, once this decision is made, her loyalty to those trusted people is unshakeable.

STAT BLOCKS 53 Ice Troll The Ice Trolls are found throughout the Savage Lands, having adapted long to the cold of these areas. They are endemic to the caves and bridges, and have developed many different hunting patterns they can use to be successful. While other creatures adapted to the cold by growing fur or layers of fat around their bodies, the ice trolls seemed instead to wither around their organs. Possibly something to do with their regenerative powers, ice trolls are taller and skinnier than more common trolls. They have longer limbs and vicious longer claws, helping them to move through the deeper snow that they live within. They are a menace to any prey who happen to come across them, including adventurers, yetis or other predators on the snow. Ice Trolls in particular are known for being wounded and falling beneath the snow - before emerging again minutes later, regenerated and ready to chase down their equally wounded prey.

Baby Mammoth As one might suspect, a baby mammoth is the smaller kin of full grown mammoths. They are generally found in wider herds of Mammoths making their stately way across the tundra. If this is the case, the herd will naturally defend these babies with incredible ferocity. Even baby mammoths are huge compared to most other creatures, standing fully the height of a grown human. They are curious animals, interested in the world, and would not fight even if attacked. They will flee, squealing and trumpeting as they go. This will attract the attention of the adult mammoths, who will fight to death to protect their young.

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STAT BLOCKS 54 Also available from the Dark Peaks!

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55 BATTLE THE FORCES OF WINTER IN THE SNOWY NORTH!

Body Hunt down a clan of Frost Giants in the snowy north of Faerun, in this standalone adventure for Dungeons and Dragons Fifth edition . This adventure book contains everything a player and DM needs to run the Blizzard of Axe and Sword as part of their on-going campaigns - or as one-shot experience for a high level adventuring group.

This book is a valuable resource to players and DM's alike, allowing them to immerse themselves in a high danger, high-stakes experience. Featuring a range of NPCs, environments and enemies, The Blizzard of Axe and Sword makes the player characters fight hard for their lives, their success, and the many valuable magical items which are included in this adventure!

Only the bravest will survive the wrath of Torrfin the Bleak, hisB groeadt y text clan of giants, and their terrifying range of allies!

Body For use with the fifth Edition Player's Handbook, Monster Manual and Dungeon Master's Guide!

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