The Frostfang Satellite

In addition to the Ire of the Lich Lords, the power of the Frostfang will be drawn upon to sent a satellite into the territory of the PCs home. Though they cannot track them due to the Chain Masters hiding them from scrying, the Lich Lords know where they are based out of from common knowledge. Perhaps the Crystal Rider could take of this, depending on when they encounter them.

Combine this with Troubles at the Silver Mine of Gnaefor Ridge

Nearby/connected/related Locales…

Introduction

The word is flying swiftly through Crestwold in all directions – giants are attacking! Over the last two weeks, several towns and settlements have been attacked by giants. The terror is quickly spreading and settlements in Yarans Vale and Gnaefor Ridge are being abandoned. The Baron sent a dozen soldiers to brace the locals in the Lower Gnaefor Settlements and they were slaughtered defending the people. One settlement in Yarans Round has been abandoned and others are being packed up.

Interlude…

The Lightbringers sponsored a mission into Yarans Vale and it tracked down a pair of giants and attacked them but were driven away. The visiting Packsonite (best warrior-priest, happened to be visiting in Torrelsons Ford) of the Briarwood in Mev led a group out and discovered an area they seem to be coming from – though could not get close enough to verify. They managed to evade getting spotted and made it back safe. House Malor has created a Raven Run (lots of temporary rookeries) between Torrelsons Ford and Southway Switch to ensure swift communication if another raid happens so people can flee.

  • They reported the giants as being pale white, and wielding large clubs.
  • There is no taking of animals or supplies – just destruction/killing
  • Seems like no pattern or thought – just random.
  • They dont speak or make noise
  • They are not wielding traditional weapons

It seems like no large force has been assembled… until now. ITs mostly been the actions of the enemy scouting, learning the terrain and features, size of force and resources.

Timelines +2 Weeks

Meeting in Hotherwale

Unlikely Allies: Hetman, sovereign Kueta Tomir of the Tarmysian refugees in Torrelsons Ford meets Feather on her way back from her sojourn to the Druids of Pranin. He will assist against the threat in return for her support of his people. He is only willing to commit a certain amount, but he will. He has 30 warriors. Light fighters but an incredible endurance and stealth. Traps – like they do for fish, eels, and sharks. They take off with the Baron’s Herald and 10 of the Baron’s soldiers and they make a stand in east Yarans Round – they seem to be pushing towards Torrelsons Ford. Feather goes with them and sends word to the villa to the PCs to try and discover their camp from a map the Packsonite made on their return while she holds the main force off from the populated area of Yarans Round and Torrelsons Ford.

Main Force Timeline

Day 1: The march to Yaran’s Round is seen by some giants – they try and throw stones and slow down the mounts and carts.

Day 2: The first attack on Yarans Round, about 10 of the “Frost Giants” – shrouded in fog and with a drop in temperature. Its a bit chaotic, and 2 of the foe are killed.

Day 3: A real concerted effort is made, at night, by the foe. A dozen are killed in a raid. More arrive, the remainder of the day and night is a thrown rock assault on the camp and village.

Day 4: A brutal night time attack is made by 20 of the “Frost Giants”. It seems like one of the is ‘leading’ and organizing them… when he falls, another takes its place. Only 4 of the foe are killed by 10 of the alliance is killed and another 10 hurt.

Day 5: At night, another assault is made but it falls prey to a trap. The fields burn with oil through the night, 8 of the foe are killed and they retreat.

Day 6: At night, a desperate attack is made. Another 3 of the foe are killed, and they slaughter the wounded camp in the dark and kill the hired (by House Malor) War Wizard Altheyus of Kalascor (a merchant city in the north) but only a half dozen allies remain unwounded. Feather has her leg and wing broken as she draws upon all her magics and the countenance of her corrupted soul. A decision is made to evacuate all of Yarans Round. A dozen volunteers come forward at this news, rather than leave. Most are older, but serve as watch guards and help manning barricades. By morning, a solid last ditch fortification is ready for the onslaught. The faithful of the Lightbringers chant all through the night, holding vigil and imparting courage in the defenders.

Day 7: No attack is made… the entire area of Yarans Vale is enveloped in fog. All day and night the forces wait in fear.

Day 8: The final assault… Reinforcements will be brought from the satellite fortress. 9 of the Tarmysian Volunteers are alive.

Trekking to Find the Source

Random Encounters:
1 in d6, +1 for each room a raiding party of 3 returns and can ambush the PCs from the other direction

@Commune: The reading is cold, absolutely cold as though you were in the depths of the ocean. The only specific reading that your commune returns is that there is something deeply unnatural here.
Faint undead, visions of flesh laid bare – skeletons!
A foreign faith, a strange faith, the signs are chaotic, it is damn cold, like sea storm rain or ice.

Frostbody Giants

Frostbody Giants have been sent to terrorize the area the PCs live in. There are a total of 15 in the complex at all times, and another 8 roaming, and main force of 25-30 sent to attack in force a local settlement.

Interaction: All they will say is “Greetings from the north”, “The north seeks its vengeance”, “meddlesome fools”, “your choice condemn you” and the like – these are programmed by Frostlock.

Tactics: Standard unimaginative and reactive; Exception: Once the party kills the third frost giant in the complex itself, Frostlock will retreat from the battlefield where others are fighting and that battle will be lost without his control. He will move from body to body playing one of them that he inhabits super intelligently.

The Glacial Vermilion Enclave

It is a shadow of the The Vermilion Enclave; Shot with streaks of red like blood.

No cook, bard, etc. Just warriors. Most rooms are just trap rooms. It is meant to punish those near the PCs and lure them in.

Entrance

Far Off

A section of the cliff up ahead is covered in mist and ice. Snow covers the area, all the way up the cliff to the top and over. A cold wind comes from above, slowly pushing around wispy tendrils of ice cold fog in a 100m cubic area, obscuring everything while snow flurries cover everything seemingly blown in every direction. Many tracks go into and out of the area, but once there are covered in fresh snow and lost.

GUARDS: 2 Yeti – hidden in the snow, ice and fog. Consider them have a Stealth of 30 and are unmoving until they ambush.

Up Close

The outside is a rough gash that cuts in at an angle, blocking off what’s inside. It looks like a massive ax split the stone in twain like a wound. Icy fog rolls 25m down the face of it, covering the entrance at the bottom like some defense mechanism. Running like a stream on the ground is a tendril of bright red blood from deep inside the entrance. It spiderwebs into rivulets outside the entrance. It is absorbed into the ground about 50m opposite the entrance.

DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) or Arcana; Fog Cloud > +2 AC to all creatures in it.

A fog cloud obscures it and blends in with the mist wisps that are peeling off the glacial exterior constantly and melting.

@12 hours Refresh

Every 12 hours, there is a low rumbling, only can be heard if within 1km. Also, a mist forms over the enclave entrance and icy cold water and mist with fog drops 50m above it for 5 minutes, refreshing ll the features and re-freezing everything.
> Anyone caught in this will take 3d6/10 cold damage automatically and a level of Exhaustion.

Guardian Overlook

Above the entrance is a shelf of ice, embedded between two outcrops and holds a pair of pale white giants with bright red eyes. Even from a distance, you feel as if they have seen you, and you take cover from an expected barrage of stones… but they make no move to attack.

After a moment you realize its just your nerves. Around the neck of one is what appears to be a large hunting horn of sorts. The other clearly rests a large club against their shoulder.

No dialogue, No movement, Eyes are red pinpoints; These are dress/props made of snow > each has 2 small bounders, 21-30sc of [Kaaldian] silver coins, a few broken bones (marrow sucked out), a wad of hay, much and rocks to take up space. Both have clubs at the ready. The horn will not blow as they have no real air to blow it with – its just a prop.

Wound in the Earth

Death Field – AS you pass the portals, the icy cold steals over you
> DC 10 Constitution save or 1 level of Exhaustion till leave + Short Rest.

Beyond the covering of mist and frost, a jagged tunnel leads into the stone cliff. It is coated in frost, slippery and numbing. It smells like a charnel house with rotting corpses, despite the cold. Your breath hangs in the air and you struggle to pull the cold air in – it burns your lungs.

Numbing – Initiative Disadvantage (no save)

Welcome Hall

The frost covered stone blocks look like statues of Frost Giants they seem so frozen and stiff. Their black and lifeless eyes seem to follow you, but there is no evidence of life. Many footprints lead in and out going off in various directions. In the center of the hall is a giant pile of bones of animals and humans.

The bone collection: 12 horse skeletons + 8 human skeletons

False Entry Passage

Frozen Runes: half strength explosive runes; Arcana Check DC 10 even with Detect Magic
= carved in ice and snow concealed in the material itself and hard to see; frosted rune
DC 20 to know

AGENT OF FROSTLOCK: Gormandizer of Frostlock – Ghoul, Warlock of the Undead 3rd; Eldritch Sight (Detect Magic)/ Eyes of the Runekeeper (Comprehend Languages).

Frostlock’s Lair

Each trigger of Frostlocks Grip (skeletal hand attack from frost covered walls inside the complex the mirror sits in) accumulates the life energy stolen. Upon being broken before a long rest, the energy is released on all living things within 30. For each hit (“charge”) d8 hp is added to a pool and divided evenly among those healed in the radius

[splotch] on map = trigger area

  • Grip: You feel bones grating on your bones as a massive ghostly skeletal hand manifests before you and tried to grab at you. DC 12 Dexterity/Acrobatics (scream) save of d4 psychic damage
  • Broken or Dead End: Screaming skull and cold grave wind attacks all in corridor: DC 10 Sanity save or d6 psychic damage (harnessed memories of the dying intoning the wrath of the Lich Lords). Turn Undead automatically counters it; or Connexion DC 10 Religion check.

Mirror Chamber

Ice stalactites – chain pull drops them into a area in center of chamber – forces those who do save into thin ice areas. 30×30 area with 4d6/14 DC 15 Dexterity save for half;

Thin ice – only collapses when heat from the living touches it.
> Water + freeze: into death pond – chamber slanted and one strikes ice dam and flood chamber, potentially sweeping characters into black water: Prone + DC 10 Constitution disease save of smell like death permanently until Greater Restoration.

Ice slide; Wire nets; aggravated damage

Mirror + skeletal hand

Mirror

The mirror (Mirror of Gathering) creates a double of the shaman or a projection so that he can be in two places at once, although it shares the same set of spells; It is Immune to cold.

Addendum: Bladden Silver Mine of Gnaefor

Troubles at the Silver Mine of Gnaefor Ridge – troubles going down at the Bladden Silver Mine.

Mage has gone crazy.
Fake frosty giants raided mine camp and mine. Chased mage into mine where he’s been in the dark, dodging giants.
– He can work to save the miners and workers, or…
– He can make a cold bargain and save himself.

The mage that had the mine was turned by the frost giant shaman speaker Frostlock. Cold bargain will be made with this magus and his powers will be turned to the lich Lords.

Reflection Scene: In the mirror will be the scene of his taking by the shaman with a shaman looking into his eyes and seeing the reflection of memories and pulling his master’s name from his throat with a croak. That name is given to the great one in the north and there is a plan discussed to corrupt and send the master after the party as well.