Midnight Adventure Gen Con 2005
Knowledge is Power
by Tony Manero
An introductory MIDNIGHT adventure for six 6th-level characters
Enter the PCs. Unluckily for them, they have been discov-
Adventure Background
ered traveling through the coldest north by a large group of
hobgoblins led by the legate SŁitheach, a Witch Taker and
Disturbance . . . change. A spirit is trapped in an icy tomb.
highly skilled tracker. The legate has pursued the party for
No. The spirit is the icy tomb. Blind to the world, it senses
days, and has finally caught up to them here, at the border
only warmth. It rejoices. But then it realizes that the blood
of the trapped spirit s domain. Luckily for the PCs, the spirit
is black.
is no friend to evil, and they may be able to enlist its aid.
Unluckily, the Fell are there to ruin everybody s day.
The glacier trembles. The orcs pause in their violent revelry
as the snow and ice around their camp begins to shudder.
Their howls of horror and agony mix with the cracking of
splintered ice, with the wet sound of flesh being crushed and
Adventure
pierced, of lives being swallowed.
An elemental spirit trapped by the sundering makes its
home, and indeed its body, in an icy glacier of the Icewall
Summary
Mountains. It has the ability to influence the weather near-
by, to control the shape and flow of the glacier that is its
body, and to extend its perception anywhere upon the glaci-
The PCs are pursued by overwhelming enemy forces into an
er s surface or within its depths. It perceives only cold (and
icy defile. A few of the lead orc scouts plow into the party
its opposite) and magic.
and they are all separated from the rest of the forces. A brief
melee ensues between the party and the few orcs that fell
A small tribe of orcs attempted to camp upon the domain of
this trapped spirit. It detected both the warmth of their bod- with them. After the characters dispatch their foes, they
ies and the dark magic that infused their creation. As abomi- should make their way to the spirit s chamber. Here, it initi-
ates contact with the party, and tries to enlist their aid in
nations to the natural order, it decided that they should be
retrieving the lore pool.
destroyed and, quick as thought, they were gone. The tribe
was led by a powerful kurasatch udareen, however, who
After parleying with the spirit, the characters are guided to
bore a valuable resource: an ancient and very knowledge-
where the remains of the kurasatch udareen lay, broken and
able lore pool. Over the last few months, her remains and
frozen. Before they approach they are attacked by a group
gear have been frozen over into the floor of an ice tunnel,
of wandering Fell, and after a vicious combat they discover
but the lore pool, which was stored in a sturdy, stone vessel,
the corpse of the orc shaman. As they reach her remains
has remained intact within the pack still strapped to her
they will also hear the sound of desperate screams drifting
rigid corpse.
down a nearby tunnel; should they investigate, they will
emerge outside upon a ledge overlooking the last stand of
One important detail of its surroundings has eluded this
the legate and his surviving orcs against hordes of Fell. The
trapped spirit, however. Many of the slain orcs have risen as
PCs may choose to engage any of the combatants here, or
Fell, who lumber and prowl throughout the spirit s demesne
may be tempted to attempt to recover any equipment and
yet radiate no heat. In a few cases, the corpses of a few of
valuables of the fallen humanoids, but to do so is to risk
the undead suffered substantial bodily damage at the hands
being overwhelmed by the ravaging undead.
of the spirit s wrath; these Fell do not so much prowl as lay
in wait within sealed caverns for fresh meals to come to
Characters wishing to explore the ice tunnels will be court-
them. The spirit is blind to these malevolent creatures, so
ing disaster, as many Fell prowl the area, and nearly the
the undead share its domain unopposed.
entire population have been aroused by the presence of the
beleaguered orcs. However, should PCs locate the circle of
Gen Con 2005: Midnight Adventure
1
broken standing stones upon the southern rise, they can fissures, they ll have the goblins wolves on their tails, and
learn a valuable piece of information about the elemental. will need to figure out some way to delay them (rock slide,
Small PCs shooting while the others carry them, dropping
Assuming the characters are able to return to the elemental
rations, etc.). If they cannot come up with anything, add
with the lore pool, the trapped spirit is grateful, and after
three wolves (MM, pg. 283) to Encounter 1.
accepting the pool into itself, it offers the party an escape
path and will ensure the destruction of their pursuers. Players who may want to turn and fight should be made
aware of the futility of such an action: to stop running
would bring the whole of the orc force upon the party with-
in a few rounds, and the characters would surely be over-
whelmed. At most, the wildlander may sacrifice his animal
Introduction
companion to delay the enemy, but any more dramatic
action would mean that the player would likely be removed
from the adventure before it began!
Read the following to the players:
The entire area both above and within the glacier itself is
You don t know how you were discovered in this barren,
extremely cold, about 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Characters
icy wilderness. You had been careful to hide your move-
unprotected from cold would rapidly take nonlethal damage,
ments and activities here in the Northlands. Then again,
but the PCs are adorned in the appropriate cold-weather
you haven t had time to sit and ponder what you missed.
gear.
Dozens of orcs, goblin wolfriders, and at least one legate
and his personal bodyguards have been tracking you. Last
night they found you. You ve been running ever since.
You are all exhausted, hungry, and parched with thirst,
Encounter 1:
and the perpetual winter of this nightmare landscape con-
tinues to sap your vitality every moment. Only the thick
stand of pines you ve fled into keeps the goblins from fill-
The Pursuit
ing you with arrows. The howls and taunts of your foes
continue to hound you. The forest begins to clear ahead,
which could mean disaster for you; you ll have little
As they reach the caves or fissures and flee past the icy
chance against the enemies archers and wolfriders on
walls, the ground beneath them proves to be increasingly
open ground. As you leave the eaves of the pine woods,
slippery, slowing their progress even further, and allowing
however, you spot salvation of a different sort. A huge
the pursuing foes to gain ground. Feel free to give the PCs
plateau of ice and snow rises before you. Natural forming
the idea that they are doomed, and that now is the time to
fissures stretch into ice canyons where the glacier meets
turn and fight. Then, as the first of the goblin wolfriders
the mountain s stone a few hundreds yards below you on
plunge into the caves after them, something happens.
the slope; on the other hand, frantically glancing upward,
you see what appear to be a few openings higher up on the
The fierce roars of the orcs and the cries of the goblins
glacier s slopes. Either spot would give you a chance at
sound even closer than before. Somewhere behind them
holding off the superior numbers that dog your steps.
you can hear a pair of voices raised in unison: a legate,
praising their dark god Izrador.
The characters are all fatigued (as per the DMG, page 301):
characters can neither run nor charge, and take a  2 penalty
You turn and prepare your last stand as the snarling of the
to Strength and Dexterity. The DM should seek to set as fre- goblins wolf mountains reaches your ears. The first of the
netic a pace here at the adventure s beginning as possible.
beasts, its small but malevolent rider seated atop it, lopes
Let the PCs ask as many questions as they like, but every 10
into the glacial passageway. The two share a feral grin. A
seconds or so of real time, have each of the PCs targeted by
grin that turns to open-mouthed amazement as the glacier
a stray arrow (only hitting/confirming on a natural 20 due to
trembles with sudden and shocking ferocity . . . and then
range modifiers), force all of them to make a Climb, Jump,
all is white.
or Balance check as they weave in and out of the mountain-
If the PCs chose the lower fissures, the glacial walls behind
ous terrain, and ask for Fortitude checks lest the PCs
the goblins collapse, sealing the PCs and goblins in and the
become staggered and only able to make single moves each
rest of the forces out. If the PCs chose the higher ice caves,
round.
the ground beneath them and the goblins collapses, dumping
If the PCs choose to climb upward toward the ice caves,
both groups into roughly the same spot they would have
they ll be targeted by archers, and will have to endure 3
been had they chosen the lower fissures. In either case, the
rounds of attacks by the goblins (at  4 due to range incre- PCs trade a few bruises and the wind being knocked out of
ments). If the PCs make a dash down the slope for the ice
them for a much more manageable group of foes.
2 Gen Con 2005: Midnight Adventure
Ad lib the crumbling of the ice and the battering the PCs
take, depending on which path they chose. In either case, all
characters take 2d6 points of damage and begin the turn Encounter 2:
prone but with cover (+4 to AC due to the chunks of ice and
snow atop them). PCs that succeed at DC 14 Reflex saves
take half damage and begin the turn standing; the goblins
Taking a
and their wolves automatically begin the combat prone and
their listed number of hit points accounts for the damage
from the cave-in. Draw out an irregular chamber, approxi-
Breather
mately 30 ft. long and 20 ft. wide, and scatter the tokens
representing the PCs and their foes liberally throughout the
chamber. The goblins always attack after their wolves dur-
The cave that the PCs begin in has a stone floor. However,
ing the round, hoping that their mounts will be able to trip
once they step out of that area, they are in ice caves, which
the PCs and make them easier to hit.
have the following conditions: Movement upon the ice costs
2 squares of movement, and the DC of Balance and Tumble
checks increases by 5. A DC 10 Balance check is required
Creatures
for those attempting to run or charge across this surface.
This puts the PCs at a slight advantage over the less dex-
Goblin hunters (4), mounted on wolves (below): Male
trous Fell.
goblin sniffer wildlander5: CR 4; Small Humanoid (gobli-
As the PCs recover from their ordeal, the spirit of the gla-
noid); HD 5d8; hp 18; Init +6; Spd 30 ft; AC 16, touch 13,
cier awakens more fully to their presence. It was the spirit
flatfooted 13; Base Atk +2; Grp  2; Atk +5 melee
that closed off the cave, attempting to destroy the goblins;
(1d6/18 20/x2, small falchion) or +7 ranged (1d4, small
shortbow); SA  ; SQ darkvision 60 ft., wild empathy, ani- when the PCs blood (even from minor wounds, if none sus-
tained hit point damage during the fight) touches the glacier,
mal companion (rank 2 animal companion); AL NE; SV
it knows them to be pure and  natural creatures of Aryth.
Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +1; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 13,
Read the following to the PCs:
Wis 10, Cha 8.
Skills: Hide +11, Knowledge (Northern Marches) +2,
As you are taking stock of your situation here in the cold
Knowledge (Northlands) +2, Listen +10, Move Silently +7,
dark, something catches your eye: a gentle, bluish radi-
Search +6, Spot +10, Use Rope +3, Survival +2.
ance emanates from the wall of ice comprising the eastern
Feats: Alertness, Improved Initiative.
side of the chamber in which you are trapped. Before your
Languages: Black Tongue (1), Erenlander (1), Trader s
eyes the ice melts, trickling down onto the chamber floor
Tongue (1).
and then freezing again before it can reach your boots. As
Possessions: Small leather armor, small shortbow, 10
the ice continues to melt, it leaves a narrow passageway in
arrows, small falchion, 3 man-days of rations.
its wake.
Assuming the PCs make their way toward the glow, they
Wolf Animal Companions (4): CR  ; Medium Animal;
HD 4d8+8; hp 16; Init +3; Spd 40 ft; AC 17, touch 13, flat- walk for several minutes before reaching the cavern labeled
Area 2. If they entered at the bottom of the glacier, the tun-
footed 14, Base Atk +3; Grp +5; Atk +5 melee (1d6+3,
nel trends steadily upward; if they climbed and entered
bite); SA trip attempt w. successful attack (+3 modifier, no
through the ice caves, it trends steadily downward. The PCs
chance to be tripped in return); SQ lowlight, scent; AL N;
may rest for a while, if they like (long enough to remove the
SV Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +1; Str 17, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 2,
fatigue from Encounter 1), but should eventually follow the
Wis 12, Cha 6.
tunnel. If they do not, the chamber begins to collapse and
the glacier begins to close around them, eventually funnel-
The ice tunnels are approximately 5 to 10 feet high and vary
ing them in the direction the spirit wishes them to go.
from 3 feet wide to 30 feet wide. The ice of the walls,
floors, and ceilings is incredibly thick and strong as stone,
Following the gently sloping tunnel at a leisurely pace that
with hardness 8 and 15 hit points per inch of thickness.
feels like heaven compared to the past day s desperate
Each section of the caves (as divided by encounters) may
flight, you enter a roughly oval-shaped cavern, approxi-
have different environmental effects on movement.
mately 30 feet across and with several entrances and exits.
Judging from the sheer cold and the unearthly blue glow,
The tunnel is dimly lit by the diffraction of light thr ough
the thick ice; the entire tunnel complex is lit with the equiv- this place feels like the heart of the glacier, if not literally
alent of shadowy illumination (PHB, pages 164-165), mean- then figuratively. As you look around, you see glowing
ing that characters are always considered to have conceal- shapes and swirls of movement appear in the ice of the
walls, and then what appear to be characters forming
ment with which to Hide.
before your eyes upon the luminous blue ice!
Gen Con 2005: Midnight Adventure
3
The spirit attempts to make use of vague symbols formed corpse has frozen such that it is indistinguishable from the
from pockets of melting and refrozen ice, then uses gentle, ice itself; the PCs will have to search the surrounding caves
graceful wave motions in pockets of water to represent safe- to find it. It wishes the PCs to retrieve the item, return with
ty, then even makes simple attempts to form runes from it to this cavern, and activate the item while burying it with-
ancient tongues that it knows. The channeler may attempt to in the ice. In return, it will keep the orcs away from its tun-
make a DC20 Knowledge (History) check to recognize the nels, and allow the party to stay within its walls until the
runes, while the rogue may make a DC 20 Decipher Script orcs are no longer a threat. However, unbeknownst to the
check to accomplish the same thing; either one will recog- spirit, its caves are not exactly a safe haven . . . many of the
nize the runes for  Share,  Parley, and  Touch. tribe of orcs it destroyed have risen as Fell. Also, not all of
the party s foes are orcs, and these are even now entering
DMs are encouraged to roleplay the trapped spirit s efforts
the glacier.
to communicate. You can use use humor (dripping cold
water down a surly character s neck) or intimidation (freez-
ing a PC s gauntleted hand to the ice) or anything in
between.
Encounter 3:
Any character that places a bare hand upon the frozen sur-
face will greatly hasten the communication process, espe-
cially if that hand is wounded. Should this happen, within a
Retrieval
round of contact the elemental sends a primal surge of
imagery, emapthic pulses, and above all intense cold. As the
spirit floods the PC s mind with these messages, the mor-
Movement in the ice caves cost 2 squares of movement, and
tal s body and his very spirit  freeze ; for each round that
the DC of Balance and Tumble checks increases by 5. A DC
he maintains the connection, he suffers 1 point of Dexterity
10 Balance check is required for those attempting to run or
drain and his base speed is reduced by 5 ft. The PC gains
charge across this surface. This puts the PCs at a slight
the following images/information.
advantage over the less dextrous fell, especially the mael-
gral, who can only take single actions anyway.
Round 1: Contentment an ancient sleeping spirit in ice
After the party travels for around 50 100 ft., read the fol-
Round 2: Hatred the dark, filthy blood of orcs
lowing aloud.
Round 3: Desire a seed of powerful magic covered in
Making your way along the treacherous passage, you hear
filth
the faint sound of heavy, tramping footsteps, a shuffling
Round 4: Curiosity the warm pure blood of fey and
gait, approaching from the north. Could it be the orcs
humans
have penetrated the glacier? As you pause, the sound
grows louder, mixed in with a curious, slapping sound,
Round 5: Freedom the release of the clean bloods and the
almost like the trudge of bare feet. Suddenly, four emaciat-
release of the spirit s mind, the trapping of the filth bloods
ed figures lope around the bend of the corridor in front of
Round 6: Power a shard of pure ice entering a cloudy
you. They look like orcs& but as they draw closer, you look
form of darkness and evil, and drawing the darkness into
upon dead, gray faces: some with milky-white orbs for
itself
eyes, others with black, empty sockets. Bits of ragged flesh
fall from their exposed limbs. Sighting you, they let loose
The spirit wishes the PCs to find and bring back to its heart
feral howls, like creatures out of nightmare. Raising their
a magic item that was carried by the orcs priestess, one that
clawed, desiccated hands, the ravenous dead shamble
will allow its consciousness to roam the world once more.
toward you.
In return, it will provide the PCs with an escape from the
glacier and from the forces that hunt them. If a PC stays in
This is fell encounter A.
contact with the ice for 6 rounds (enough to reduce any
The entire glacier is filled with a few hundred fell of all
PC s movement to 0 ft.!), he pulls a shard of pure blue ice
types: Ungral, Faengral, and Maelgral. There are many more
away when he removes his hand. The ice will have no pow-
of the latter two types, as over the last several weeks no
ers until the PCs encounter the legates later in the adventure.
intelligent beings have visited the area; those Fell still in the
Let the PCs reason out the meaning of the images; they can
Ungral stage managed to dig their way through ice and
even take turns touching the ice, if they wish, but the
snow to feed on the few crippled, helpless orcs who sur-
images for new PCs always start over at round 1 and contin-
vived the trapped spirit s attack. The fell emerge from snow-
ue upward from there. The spirit will guide the PCs to the
drifts and ice chasms as the party wanders through the
region where it believes the shaman s corpse to be (remem-
caves, so they might appear from nowhere and seem to cut
ber, it can only discern warmth and cold, and the shaman s
the party off. Use the fell liberally to raise the action and
4 Gen Con 2005: Midnight Adventure
make the PCs feel overwhelmed and chased, but don t let
Area 3A.
the scenario bog down. There should be enough fell that the
PCs feel once more on the run, but not so many that the ses-
When the elemental spirit destroyed the previous orc tribe, it
sion turns into a three-hour slugfest with the undead. There
split the northern hill in two. The entire encampment col-
should always be a path of least resistance through which
lapsed within the resulting rift, sending rough tents, ropes,
the party can travel. You may roll randomly to determine
cured skins, foul foodstuffs, and orcs plummeting into the
what type of fell are encountered, if you prefer.
cleft. Within this cavern are the remnants of that fall, par-
1-3 Fell A: 1d8 Maelgral orcs
tially buried among the ice and snow. If the party makes a
concerted effort digging among the ice and frozen corpses,
4-6 Fell B: 1d4 Faengral orcs
they can salvage the following: enough cured hide and
7-9 Fell C: 2 Ungral orcs
material to assemble two tents, 200 feet of hemp rope, a
handful of stone and metal tools of various types, and about
10-11 Fell D: 1d6 Maelgral orcs, 1 Faengral orc
15 man-days of frozen rations. At the DM s option, the
12 Fell E: 1 Ungral orc, 2 Faengral orcs, 4 Maelgral orcs
composition of this food may be so foul (orcs will eat most
anything) as to require a DC 10 Fortitude save for the per-
son eating the food; failure results in the gestation of a ran-
Creatures
dom disease.
Maelgral orc, Warrior1: CR 1/2; Medium Undead (orc,
maelgral); HD 2d12; hp 17; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; AC 14 (+2
Area 3B.
natural, +2 scale), touch 12, flat-footed 16; Base Atk +1;
Grp +6; Atk/Full Atk Slam +6 melee (1d6+5); Space/Reach
The violent upheaval caused by the trapped spirit caused a
5 ft./5 ft.; SQ single actions only, undead traits; AL CE; SV
large fissure to open within the ice of this tunnel. It is
Fort +5, Ref +2, Will  2; Str 20, Dex 10, Con  , Int 3, Wis
approximately 20 feet long and 10 feet wide across its
5, Cha 2.
jagged span, and is 100 feet deep. The tunnel floor on the
Skills: Balance  2, Listen  3, Spot  3.
opposite side has a few jagged, raised areas of stout ice
Possessions: Brittle and broken scale mail.
resulting from the spirit s wrath. Characters attempting to
Faengral orc, Warrior1: CR 2; Medium Undead (orc,
jump across should use the Jump rules (PHB, page 77), with
faengral); HD 1d12; hp 9; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 18 (+1
the following modifications. Keep in mind the DC 10
Dex, +3 natural, +4 scale), touch 11, flat-footed 17; Base
Balance check to run across the icy surface as one begins
Atk +1; Grp +6; Atk/Full Atk 2 claws +6 melee (1d4+5) and
the jump (failure could mean an uncontrolled slide into the
bite +6 melee (1d6+5); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SQ undead
fissure!). An individual successfully jumping across must
traits; AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +1, Will  2; Str 20, Dex 12,
make a DC 15 Balance check to keep his feet, or take 1d6
Con  , Int 5, Wis 7, Cha 4.
damage from the slip-and-fall landing upon the jagged ice.
Skills: Balance  3, Listen +2, Spot +2
An individual failing the Jump check by less than 5, and
Feats: Multiattack, Power Attack.
attempting to grasp the far edge of the chasm, must make a
Languages: Orcish.
DC 20 Reflex save, as the edge is incredibly slick and diffi-
Possessions: Scale mail.
cult to grasp. Any more severe failure, of course, results in a
100-foot plummet, and the likely death of the jumper.
Ungral orc, Warrior1: CR 2; Medium Undead (orc,
ungral); HD 1d12; hp 9; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 18 (+1 Dex,
Characters that salvaged rope and tools from Area 3A could
+3 natural, +4 scale), touch 11, flat-footed 17; Base Atk +1;
rig the means to cross the chasm safely; characters could,
Grp +5; Atk/Full Atk +5 melee (1d12+6, vardatch) or +5
for instance, utilize the Use Rope skill (PHB, page 86) to
melee (1d6+4, bite) or +2 (1d6+4, javelin); Space/Reach 5
create a primitive grappling hook to facilitate a crossing. A
ft./5 ft.; SQ undead traits; AL CE; SV Fort +5, Ref +1, Will
skilled climber might also make it across, though the icy
+0; Str 18, Dex 12, Con  , Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 7.
walls of the cavern will make this very difficult (Climb DC
Skills: Balance  3, Listen +0, Spot +0.
25).
Feats: Power Attack.
Languages: Black Tongue (1), Old Dwarven (2),
Orcish.
Possessions: Scale mail, vardatch, 3 javelins.
Gen Con 2005: Midnight Adventure
5
Encounter 4: Encounter 5:
Jackpot Release
When the PCs reach the room labeled Area 4, read the fol- Before the PCs can make good on their half of the  bar-
lowing aloud: gain, they must determine how to activate the magic item.
Opening the clay container will reveal what looks like a
Ahead of you, you see a ghastly sight: the body of an orc
crystalline seedling. When turned at certain angles, it will
shaman, dressed in filthy brown robes, its frozen flesh
catch any ambient light and the crystal leaves will focus
gray and withered, its limbs and body broken. A look of
them, as if via a magnifying glass, to a point directly
terrified surprise is frozen forever upon the mottled face.
beneath the tree s branches. If that light is used to melt a
The corpse is mostly encased within the floor of the tun-
small hole in the floor of the center of the ice cave, and the
nel; only one black, grasping hand reaches upward from
seedling is then  planted in the bowl of icy slush and melt-
the ice. As you draw closer you see items upon the body: a
ed water, the seed will take root. Its branches then begin to
knife at its belt, a small pack upon its back, and an oak
tinkle in an invisible breeze, and small motes of ice and
staff clasped within its other gnarled fist. All are complete-
light, carried on this ethereal wind, will be released. One
ly covered by the frozen floor.
stops in front of the PC who placed his hand upon the ice in
The shaman was carrying the  seed of power that the spirit Encounter 2 for the longest amount of time, and speaks to
wants the PCs to bring it. If the PCs seem to be having trou- him telepathicaly (this time in words).
ble figuring out what they are supposed to do, let the spirit
 You have done for me a great service, granting to me the
give them clues (helping melt away the ice near the body,
freedom to explore this world once more and to relearn
making the ice closer to the body glow, etc.) PCs will need
that which I had once known. Perhaps in time my children
to free the shaman s pack from the ice, as the container
of light and knowledge will take root, bringing some illu-
holding the item is held within. The ice surrounding the
mination to the darkness of these times.
shaman has hardness 3 and 50 hit points, but fire (whether a
lit torch, which does 1d6 fire damage per round, or magical As a reward, I will grant you reprieve from your pursuers.
fire) bypasses the hardness and inflicts double damage. Only Go now, and behold their doom. I will reunite you with
two characters can attack or damage the ice per round due your kin, as well. Now go.
to the enclosed space.
With that, the glacier begins to collapse in upon itself, and
There is a cumulative 10% chance per round that encounter the caves begin to seal. The spirit will use glowing light to
Fell E arrives to interrupt the PCs (only one such group illuminate the proper pathway to the exit, opening a sloping
arrives during this encounter; do not keep checking after the cavern for them to reach the top of the glacier. Proceed to
first arrives). If the PCs use fire to melt through the ice, and Encounter 6.
are fairly quiet, the chance is reduced by 10%; if the PCs
use tools or weapons and are fairly loud, the chance is
increased by 10%.
Encounter 6:
Should the PCs attempt to free the other items from the
body (PCs can be very resourceful), they will find a knife, a
staff, and some rank robes. The knife and robes are ordi-
Frozen Over
nary, but the staff is magical: it has a +1 enhancement
bonus, and it grants 3 additional spell points per day for the
casting of spells with any of the elemental descriptors.
As you emerge into the bright grayness of day, it takes you
Once the PCs have the vessel containing the item, a cylinder
a few moments of squinting for your eyes to adjust. As
cleverly constructed of soft limestone, they can return to the
images begin to sharpen through the glare, you see you
spirit s chamber.
stand high upon an icy tor. A circle of 12 ancient, ice-
encrusted menhirs stands all around you. As you move
among the stones, you see an ancient inscription, some-
what masked by clinging ice and frost, upon the largest
stone. The characters are unrecognizable to you. Looking
6 Gen Con 2005: Midnight Adventure
past the stones you see a great plain of ice below you: the Feats: Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Improved
foot of the glacier through which you have been traveling. Bull Rush, Power Attack, Track, Weapon Focus (Dornish
Upon this plain, a scene of utter chaos unfolds. horse spear).
Languages: Black Tongue (1), Erenlander, Norther.
A horde of shambling, stumbling figures perhaps a hun-
Spells Prepared (6/5+1/4+1/3+1/2+1; base DC = 14 +
dred, perhaps more stalk this field of barren ice. As you
spell level; Domains: seeker and magic): 0 create water x
watch, more crawl out of cracks and chasms across the
2, detect poison, inflict minor wounds, purify food and
plain, fleeing the closing crevasses and caves of the glacier
drink, read magic; 1st bless, command, divine favor,
and finding, to their unholy delight, the fresh prey of the
endure elements, longstrider*, protection from good; 2nd
patrol that has been hounding your steps for days. They
bull s strength, hold person, identify*, silence, sound burst;
sprint, lurch, or crawl hungrily toward small groups of
3rd cure serious wounds, dispel magic*, magic vestment,
orcs clustered here and there. You look closer at one such
prayer; 4th locate creature*, divine power, summon mon-
gathering, and at first it appears these figures might be
ster IV.
digging at something, as they gather tightly around a
*Indicates a domain spell. Domains: Seeker (may track
small area, scrambling about and working frantically with
individuals with the Magecraft feat) and Magic (can use
their hands...but, as you notice the surrounding crimson
spell completion and spell trigger items as a channeler of
stains, and hear the muffled, agonized screams, you realize
one-half legate level).
what it is they are doing. There are many such clusters
Possessions: Masterwork longsword, +1 chain shirt,
across the ice, where Fell have overwhelmed orc warriors
masterwork Dornish horse spear, boots of the winterlands, 5
and feast upon their black flesh. Your eyes are drawn in
crossbow bolts +1, potion of blur, potion of pass without
closer, where one great, armored orc flees in your direc-
trace, potion of spider climb, scroll of cure moderate
tion, a group of lurching gray figures closing behind.
wounds, scroll of commune, scroll of neutralize poison, 12
Suddenly, the ice gives way beneath him, and he falls,
man-days of rations, 30 gp, 120 vp worth of fine alcohol,
pinned to his waist, struggling. In seconds, his pursuers
maps, metals.
are swarming around him, and he cries out in agony as
they tear him apart. The legate is a tall man, leaner than the Dorns among whom
he was raised, but with a cunning and resolve that compen-
The PCs may seem to be home free, but they may remember
sate for his lack of sheer physical power. His piercing blue
with some dread the spirit s last words:  I will reunite you
eyes and perpetual grin are often the last sight an enemy
with your kin. The spirit does not differentiate between
sees before being skewered by his fierce Dornish horse
humans, and so assumed that the legate and his Dorn body-
spear.
guards were captives of the orcs. It seperated them from the
orcs early on during the patrol s initial exploration of the Astirax, in possessed hawk: CR 4, HD 3d8+6; hp 20; Init
glacier, and has been  funneling them ever since. Now that +3; Spd 10 ft. (2 squares), fly 60 ft. (average); AC 17 (+2
the PCs have accomplished the quest for it, the spirit has size, +3 Dex, +2 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 14; Base Atk
decided to  reward the PCs by reuniting them. The legate +0; Grp -10; Atk/Full Atk talons +5 melee (1d4-2);
and his guards step out from behind the stones, vengeful Space/Reach 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.; SA drain spell energy, posses-
snarls upon their faces; he gives thanks to the demon of the sion; SQ magic subtype, bodiless, world-sense, superior
glacier for delivering them to their prey, then they attack. invisibility, sense magic, silver vulnerability; AL NE; SV
Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +6; Str 6, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 16, Wis
12, Cha 15.
Creatures
Skills: Hide +8, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (arcana) +7,
Knowledge (local) +7, Knowledge (Shadow) +9, Listen +7,
SŁitheach (pronounced SHAY-uch) Fearsson, male
Move Silently +8, Search +9, Sense Motive +7, Spellcraft
Erenlander Witch Taker 7/Wildlander 2: CR 9; Medium
+7, Spot +7, Survival +7.
Humanoid (Erenlander); HD 9d8+18; hp 63; Init +1; Spd 40
Feats: Iron Will, Track.
ft; AC 16 (+5 +1 chain shirt, +1 Dex), touch 11, flat-footed
Dorn bodyguard Fighter5 (2): CR 5; Medium Humanoid;
15; Base Atk +7; Grp +8; Atk +11 melee (d10+3, Dornish
HD 5d10+10; hp 51; Init +5; Spd 30 ft.; AC 13 (+1 Dex, +2
horse spear) or +8 ranged (d8, light crossbow); Space/Reach
leather); Base Atk +5; Grp +9; Atk +11 melee (1d12+4,
5 ft./5 ft.; SA rebuke undead, spells; SQ master hunter
greatsword) or +9 melee (1d6+3, throwing axe), or +9
(channelers), quick stride; AL LE; SV Fort +11, Ref +5,
ranged (1d6+3, throwing axe); SQ dorn traits; AL CE; SV
Will +9; Str 14, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 10.
Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +2; Str 16, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 6, Wis
Skills: Climb +2, Concentration +11 (+15 to cast on the
10, Cha 6.
defensive), Heal +14, Knowledge (arcana) +11, Knowledge
Skills: Balance +2, Climb +11, Intimidate +4, Survival
(nature) +3, Knowledge (Northlands) +3, Knowledge (reli-
+3.
gion) +2, Listen +8, Search +3, Spellcraft +11, Spot +13,
Feats: Dodge, Improved Initiative, Improved Grapple,
Survival +16.
Gen Con 2005: Midnight Adventure
7
Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Focus (Greatsword). The Astirax: The astirax, despite being unusually loyal to
Languages: Black Tongue (1), Erenlander (2), Orcish. SŁitheach, is not stupid or suicidal. Should it suffer wounds
Possessions: Leather armor, greatsword, throwing axes equal to half or more of its hit points, it will fly away, mak-
(3), potion of cure moderate wounds (x2). ing for Theros Obsidia. If it makes its escape it will tell its
Languages: Black Tongue (1), Old Dwarven (2) or masters of the deadly infestation of fell upon this glacier; it
High Elven (2), Orcish. will also relate what it knows of the PCs, and may warn of
the possibility of their escape, depending on how the party
Dorn bodyguard Fighter5 (2): CR 5; Medium Humanoid;
fares in combat prior to the astirax s flight.
HD 5d10+5; hp 43; Init +7; Spd 30 ft.; AC 17 (+3 Dex, +2
leather, +2 shield); Base Atk +5; Grp +9; Atk +5 melee
(1d8+2, longsword) and +5 melee (1d4+1, spiked shield);
SQ dorn traits; AL CE; SV Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +2; Str 14,
Conclusion
Dex 16, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 6.
Skills: Balance +2, Climb +11, Intimidate +4, Survival
+3.
After the battle, characters can look at the incriptions on the
Feats: Combat Expertise, Improved Shield Bash,
stones more closely. A DC 20 Decipher Script check will
Improved Trip, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus
translate a few snatches of the script (DM s choice as to
(longsword).
which words). A DC 20 Lorebook check will reveal a series
Languages: Erenlander (2), Norther.
of similar poems attributed to ancient ancestors of the oldest
Possessions: Leather armor, heavy spiked shield,
Dorns of the Northlands, which were passed down over the
longsword, dagger, javelins (4), 2 man-days of rations.
eons through contact with elthedar artifacts. A comprehend
languages spell will reveal the entirety of the message,
Tactics: SŁitheach s astirax will target the party s channeler;
though it will take the entire duration of the spell to glean
SŁitheach may have already cast up to 3 spells. He will
its full knowledge due to the mystic nature of the inscrip-
attempt to nullify the party s warrior types through the use
tion.
of spells such as command, hold person, and sound burst,
while his astirax continues to attack party spellcasters. He
The poem is as follows:
will order the two shield-and-sword Dorns to hold their
Cendara, mistress of the air
position and protect him as much as possible (unless they
Protects her children, tall and fair
start taking heavy ranged attacks from the party); the spring
Guides them through this endless night
attacking Dorns will take advantage of that feat to move,
Of Darkness, scourge of long-lost Light
attack, and spring back . . . the first time they fail their
Balance checks due to the ice, they ll change their strategy
Axel, puissant lord of fire
and just stand and hack instead.
Lord of Aryth s inner ire
SŁitheach makes maximum use of his boots of the winter-
Stokes the hearts of children shamed
land to stay away from the PCs until necessary, including
Restores the pride of lords again
bull rushing individual PCs away from the rest so he can
deal with them individually.
Bodil, he of winter s skin
Holds the world s wisdom within
Development: The course of this combat should be adjusted
Yet seeks to learn forever more
by the DM depending on the shape the PCs are in as they
From young and old their worldly lore
emerge. If the party is somewhat weak, have a group of fell
jump the enemies to distract them, or let SŁitheach mock
The Three will rise before the end
them for a bit before attacking. This encounter should be
The wounds throughout the North to mend
challenging for the PCs, but should not result in their
Dark and Fire and Black Iron fail
destruction, unless they put themselves in a position which
Before the might of the waking Wael
ensures this.
The Shard: If a PC remained connected to the ice in
Characters deciphering this riddle should determine that the
Encounter 2 for 6 rounds, he will have the shard of pure ice.
trapped elemental within the glacier is indeed Bodil. He and
The ice absorbs 10 levels per day of divine magic cast by
his kin are prophecied to either face Izrador or at least some
Izrador s legates; if the shard is within an area of effect of a
of his powerful minions, and PCs have become, whether
spell or its wielder is the target, the shard absorbs it.
willingly or not, Bodil s harbingers. What they do with the
Alternatively, if the wielder makes a successful melee attack
shard of Bodil and with their newfound knowledge is up to
against (or just touches, in the case of a friendly character)
them.
someone under the effects a legate spell, the spell can also
be absorbed.
8 Gen Con 2005: Midnight Adventure
Map of the Glacier
Scale: 1 sq. = 10 ft.
Gen Con 2005: Midnight Adventure
9