TEXT:  
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
  FOREWORD 
   
  ONE COMPANION TO RULE THEM ALL 
  No campaign is easy for a Dungeon Master to run but the 
  Rime of the Frostmaiden Companion ("Companion" for 
  short) is devoted to making it easier and more satisfying 
  for you to run. By providing new hooks, variants, flavor 
  text, as well as any referential information for creature 
  statistics or magic items, this supplement should make for 
  a faithful companion to keep at your side.  
   
  ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
  Wyatt Trull—that's me—is an American nerd avoiding all 
  his responsibilities by teaching English abroad. He's 
  currently languishing in the South Korean countryside. 
  You can check out more of his—my—work on his 
  website (wyatttrull.com) or his DMs Guild page, or his 
  Twitter (@Wyatt_Trull).  
   
  ART CREDITS 
  All hail our glorious artist: 
  Cover et al: Dean Spencer (© Dean Spencer) 
   
  LEGAL STUFF 
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten 
  Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster 
  Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers League, 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. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property 
  of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the 
  copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or 
  unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is 
  prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the 
  Coast. 
   
  ©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-
  0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 
  2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, 
  Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK. 
   
  USING THIS SUPPLEMENT 
  The Companion is quite formulaic; every chapter is 
  designed to be easily digestible, whether you're a veteran 
  reader or just diving into it mid-campaign.  
  Shorthand. 
  This 
  supplement 
  is 
  massive. 
  The 
  abbreviations below must be implemented to reduce the 
  strain on your printer or the scroll wheel of your poor, 
  poor mouse: 
  RoFM refers to Icewind Dale:Rime of the Frostmaiden.  
  Ch. refers to a chapter of the module (e.g. "Ch. 1"). 
  Appx refers to an Appendix of the Companion  
  MM refers to the Monster Manual  
  VGM refers to Volo's Guide to Monsters, the monsters of 
  which are featured in this guide.  
  MToF refers to Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, the 
  monsters of which are sometimes featured in this guide. 
  XGE refers to Xanathar's Guide to Everything, the spells 
  and magic items of which are sometimes featured in this 
  guide's chapters.  
   
  APPENDICES 
  The Companion is devoted to maximizing your playtime 
  and minimizing interruptions at your table.  
  Appendix A provides the descriptions and locations of 
  magic items found throughout the chapter.  
  Appendix B provides the statistics of all monsters 
  featured throughout the chapter.  
  Appendix C provides details for spells, traps, diseases, 
  and other effects that might be featured in the chapter.  
   
   
   
  
   
  1 
  CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW 
   
   
  QUICK NOTES 
  • Most quests in Chapter 1 will annihilate a party of 1st-
  4th level adventurers. Do not trust the recommendations 
  made by Rime of the Frostmaiden!  
  • The adventurers must complete five quests to reach 4th-
  level, which requires that they visit at least four towns. 
  Many quests are not balanced for such low-level parties, 
  so practice caution.  
  • Remember that, thanks to the Everlasting Rime, there 
  isn't any direct sunlight in Icewind Dale; during the day, 
  only twilight reigns, rendering the region dimly lit.  
  • Each town makes a sacrifice to Auril:  
  • Caer-Dineval, Caer-Konig, and Lonelywood offer 
  food to beasts that embody winter.  
  • Bremen, Dougan's Hole, Good Mead, and Termalaine 
  offer warmth as penance.  
  • Bryn Shander, Easthaven, and Targos perform ritual 
  sacrifices.  
   
  RUNNING CHAPTER 1 
  No campaign is begun without great preparation and the 
  first few sessions carry immense expectations. When you 
  run chapter 1, consider the following:  
   
  STARTING THE ADVENTURE 
  After careful review, the Companion suggests that Targos 
  be the start of the adventure, as it satisfies the themes of 
  an arctic campaign, has a well-balanced quest for low 
  level parties, and also allows the adventurers to complete 
  the Cold-Hearted Killer starter quest without having to 
  bounce around Ten-Towns. Additionally, Lake Monster 
  can be completed while there, leveling them up again.  
  Themes. An arctic campaign isn't complete without sled 
  dogs, avalanches, and yetis—and that's exactly what the 
  Targos quest, Mountain Climb, provides. The adventurers 
  must cross tundra, scale a mountain, evade an avalanche, 
  and rescue stranded hikers.  
  The Quest. By starting in Targos, the adventurers can 
  hop over to Bremen to complete Cold-Hearted Killer and 
  Lake Monster to reach 3rd-level. Once back in Targos 
  (which they must return to since Bremen is the most 
  westward town), the Mountain Climb quest begins. Have 
  the adventurers cross the open tundra but be merciful on 
  any encounters they face on the way (they're still only 
  2nd-level, after all). As they leave the yeti cave, they are 
  faced with an iconic battle. Afterwards, they can go to 
  Caer-Konig (collecting their reward from Keegan later) or 
  return to Targos.  
  Location. Targos is a prosperous, safe city that is quite 
  close to Ten Trails, the path that links Icewind Dale to the 
  rest of the Sword Coast. It isn't far-fetched for the party to 
  have traveled there after visiting Bryn Shander.  
  STARTING AT HIGHER LEVELS 
  Unless your players are all fresh to 5th Edition, it is highly 
  recommended that you start Rime of the Frostmaiden at 
  4th-level. Chapter 1's quest are ill-balanced for low-level 
  parties, no matter what RoFM claims. Most will see them 
  dead. Take Good Mead's The Mead Must Flow quest for 
  example, which includes not one but three CR 4 giants 
  with 85 hit points apiece, plus an ogre and a polar bear.  
  Leveling up is but one part of the player experience. If 
  you decouple the 1st-4th level advancement from Chapter 
  1, the adventurers will still enjoy other rewards—renown, 
  gold, magic items, and favors, to name a few. By starting 
  the party off at 4th-level, you can ensure that they can 
  enjoy all of the chapter's content and tackle its threats.  
   
  THE FIRST SESSION 
  The Companion suggests the following set-up for your 
  first campaign session: 
  • Start in Targos, a place of relative prosperity, allowing 
  the adventurers to meet Hlin Trollbane, who offers the 
  Cold-Hearted Killer quest.  
  • The adventurers stock up in Targos and search for leads 
  on Torg's, the merchant company. They are directed to 
  Bremen, which is only 2 hours away on foot. The trail, 
  however, has been obliterated by heavy snow, making 
  travel difficult. See Traveling to Bremen in the Bremen 
  section below for details.  
  • While on foot, they hear the unsettling, childlike giggles 
  of a chwinga, which can be spotted with a DC 13 Wis. 
  (Perception) check. If seen, the chwinga disappears into 
  a snowdrift or boulder. (This introduces the concept of 
  chwingas to your players).  
  • The adventurers arrive to Bremen and find that Torg's 
  has yet to arrive; perhaps they were waylaid on the trail? 
  With nothing to do but wait, they are free to explore the 
  town. Provided the adventurers head to the inn, they can 
  learn of the town's troubles from Cora Mulphoon, as 
  well as her own tragedy (her estranged son, Huarwar, 
  who has joined the devil-cultists in Caer-Dineval).  
  • As the adventurers comb Bremen, they run into Dannika 
  Graysteel, who offers them the Nature Spirits starter 
  quest and references the chwinga they saw earlier. The 
  lantern of revealing is the first cool item the party gets, 
  which they'll reach for when faced with the unknown. 
  • As they await Torg's, the adventurers can tackle the Lake 
  Monster quest to ascend to 2nd-level. That evening, the 
  merchant company finally arrives, allowing the party 
  the chance to confront Sephek Kaltro. 
    
   
  
   
  2 
  AFTER THE FIRST SESSION 
  Provided the plot above is followed, have the party return 
  to Targos, where they advance to 3rd-level. The Mountain 
  Climb quest is then introduced to the party. Thereafter, the 
  adventurers can move from Kelvin's Cairn to Caer-Konig 
  where they discover the duergar. Later they may also find 
  Cora's son in Caer-Dineval and meet the cult of Levistus.  
  By visiting these two towns, the players are introduced 
  to the two major factions of the campaign. The party does 
  not need to tackle or defeat them just yet, only be made 
  aware of them. As the adventurers progress into Chapter 
  2, lean into the intrigue these factions present.  
   
  SETTING THE TONE: SACRIFICES TO AURIL 
  Once the party reaches 3rd-level, it's time to emphasize 
  just how grim life in Ten-Towns is. The Companion holds 
  that desperation is the overlying theme of Rime of the 
  Frostmaiden, and that desperation is expressed in how the 
  towns appeal to Auril. Life is cruel here and you must 
  communicate that to your players through the sacrifices 
  that its people make. After the initial session, the players 
  must witness the sacrifices folk make to Auril. 
  Slow Burn. Depending on where the adventurers end 
  up after the first session, you'll want to introduce them to 
  either a sacrifice of food or warmth. The former doesn't 
  concern the adventurers, but they are forced to participate 
  in the latter if they stay the night in Bremen, Dougan's 
  Hole, Good Mead, or Termalaine. If they don't, their sins 
  are soon discovered and a ravenous mob—which includes 
  the adventurers' friends and contacts—beats down their 
  doors or overruns their camp. Fear and desperation do 
  awful things to a person, and, as the adventurers must 
  learn, friendship means little in the face of divine wrath.   
  Assume that sacrifices of warmth are performed weekly 
  and food once every three days.   
   
  HUMANOID SACRIFICES 
  It is in your interest as a Dungeon Master to make the 
  humanoid sacrifices personal to your players—otherwise 
  they won't be invested in the outcomes. Inevitably, one of 
  the sacrifices must be a friend they've made thus far in the 
  campaign, forcing them to either watch their friend die or 
  intervene on their behalf—which provokes an assassin 
  like Sephek Kaltro, the villain of Cold-Hearted Killer 
  who hunts down those that cheat themselves out of Auril's 
  clutches.  
  With three towns performing the sacrifice, you have the 
  opportunity to eliminate three individuals. One ought to 
  be a friend of the party, another an adversary that they 
  won't miss. Depending on how long your campaign goes 
  on in-game (these sacrifices are performed once a month), 
  you can eliminate a score of individuals. The adventurers 
  can't be there for all three sacrifices, but they can learn 
  about who went to the chopping block once they return to 
  town. Be careful not to eliminate key campaign figures, 
  however.  
  TOWN RANKINGS 
  Ranking 
  Town 
  Appropriate Level 
  1 
  Targos 
  1st-3rd 
  2 
  Bremen 
  1st-2nd 
  3 
  Easthaven 
  4th-5th 
  4 
  Caer-Dineval 
  3rd-4th 
  5 
  Caer-Konig 
  3rd-4th 
  6 
  Lonelywood 
  3rd-4th 
  7 
  Bryn Shander 
  1st-3rd 
  8 
  Good Mead 
  3rd+ 
  9 
  Termalaine 
  1st-2nd 
  10 
  Dougan's Hole 
  3rd-4th 
   
   
  FROM ZEROES TO HEROES 
  The objective of Chapter 1 is to elevate the adventurers 
  from 1st to 4th level. To do so, they must complete five 
  quests in Ten-Towns, which can include the two potential 
  starting quests. With so many options to choose from, you 
  must be wondering which quests to run and which towns 
  to feature at early on.   
   
  COMPANION RANKINGS 
  Not all towns are created equal. Given how precious time 
  is at the gaming table, some of the towns must be cut. The 
  Companion has ranked the towns in terms of design and 
  interest. Take this opinion with a grain of salt; use it only 
  to help guide your own impressions. 
   
  TOWNS BY LEVEL 
  The quests and enemies found in a town may prove to be 
  too dangerous for your party. While adversity is the stuff 
  of adventure, unbalanced adversity is not the stuff of good 
  tabletop games. To spare you the pain of an undeserved 
  party death, consider the appropriate levels above—and 
  remember that these are being awfully liberal; the East-
  haven quest, for example, features a CR 6 frost giant 
  skeleton who deals an average of 50 damage per turn and 
  can inflict up to 10d6 cold damage per turn.  
   
   
   
   
  
   
  3 
  STARTING QUESTS 
  If you begin Rime of the Frostmaiden at 1st-level, the 
  starting quests become mandatory. There is almost no 
  way the party can survive to 4th-level without completing 
  one of these quests unless the DM just hands out levels.   
  Of the two starting quests, the Companion recommends 
  Cold-Hearted Killer, as it is more exciting and is one of 
  the few quests that 1st-level adventurers can be expected 
  to survive. However, the Companion also sees no harm in 
  running both, as recommended above in Running Chapter 
  1 (see The First Session).  
  Town Quests. Although RoFM stipulates that a starter 
  quest replaces a town's preexisting quest, the Companion 
  recommends otherwise. Quests like Lake Monster and A 
  Beautiful Mine (see Bremen and Termalaine respectively) 
  are wonderful for low-level adventurers. Remember that 
  a character doesn't truly become viable in 5th Edition until 
  they reach 3rd-level; RoFM's pacing won't be ruined if the 
  party speeds there.  
   
  COLD-HEARTED KILLER 
  Cold-Hearted Killer introduces the underlying horror of 
  Icewind Dale. That a spirit can cannibalize a man and 
  masquerade in his flesh should horrify any sane person. 
  This is the first source of horror in RoFM and is worth 
  running for that reason alone. As described above, the 
  Companion suggests introducing Hlin Trollbane in 
  Targos and staging the quest in Bremen.   
  Grim Truth. Sephek nonchalantly confirms the fact that 
  Auril is aware of the grim sacrifices made to appease her 
  and that they don't matter. The people of Icewind Dale 
  can't improve their lives through these measures, only 
  stave off worse punishments. This is a question you may 
  not want answered so early in your campaign; if so, have 
  Sephek offer only cryptic answers.   
   
  QUICK NOTES 
  Summary. A spirit has taken over a human's body and is 
  killing individuals that bribed their way out of being 
  sacrificed to Auril.   
  Quest-Giver. Hlin Trollbane, NG dwarf veteran 
  Foes. Sephek Kaltro (CR 3), bandit captain, 4 bandits 
  Reward. 100 gp 
   
  SCALING DIFFICULTY 
  When running this encounter, consider these changes: 
  • For a party of 1st-level adventurers, reduce the number 
  of attacks Kaltro can make per turn by 1, and increase 
  his AC to 15. Kaltro can also only make an ice dagger. 
  • For a party of 4th-level adventurers, increase Kaltro's hit 
  points to 110, his maximum possible number. 
  • For a party of 5th-level adventurers or higher, increase 
  Kaltro's AC by 4 (his Charisma modifier) and add the 
  following spells to his Innate Spellcasting trait: gust of 
  wind, ice knife, sleet storm. He can cast each of these 
  spells once per day.  
   
  TORG'S 
  When the party finally encounters the merchant company, 
  read the following: 
  At last you come upon the merchant company, sighting 
  their flag—a gold wolf's paw on a black field—flapping 
  in the wind. The enterprise consists of a dwarf maiden, 
  four porters bundled up in furs, and, curiously enough, a 
  man wearing nothing but a vest and thin pantaloons, as if 
  he is unburdened by the merciless cold. His eyes, you 
  notice, are as blue as a glacier.  
  "Well?" shouts the dwarf maiden, "are ye going to 
  browse our wares or just gawk from afar? Hurry, damn 
  ye, for the wind is fierce today!" 
  Connections. Some adventurers may have a connection 
  to Torg's that they were previously unaware of, as if an 
  unseen hand of fate guided them here. Some possible 
  connections include: 
  • An adventurer recognizes some of Torrga's stolen wares 
  as something they lost while out in the wilderness or 
  that was swiped from their person.  
  • An adventurer knows the half-elf that Torrga has slain 
  and intends to ship off for a bounty. Perhaps they were 
  drinking buddies, perhaps they met them on the road. 
  His name was Gwynder Tet and was fond of drinking 
  in Easthaven and always swore he knew Good Mead's 
  most secret brewing ingredients. 
  • An adventurer has bought from Torg's before but could 
  not remember until they saw the company's emblem (a 
  gold wolf paw's on a black field). 
  • An adventurer knew Sephek Kaltro from before they 
  both wound up in Icewind Dale (before he died and the 
  frost druid's spirit possessed him). To encounter him as 
  he is now should come as a grave shock.  
   
  SEPHEK KALTRO 
  The spirit within Sephek still hungers for life's delights: 
  booze and good conversation. Although he is undead, he 
  still retains the personality of an ordinary mortal.  
  Roleplaying Sephek. Sephek is smug and arrogant, for 
  he has found a higher purpose as Auril's executioner. His 
  gift, however, can also prove to be a curse: Sephek detests 
  anything warmer than a distant torch; he avoids flaming 
  hearths, clinging instead to the patches of cold he cannot 
  feel. He scowls whenever he is exposed to warmth.  
  You can voice Sephek with the following dialogue; as 
  befitting his icy nature, he never shouts. 
  • "They deserved what they got; none may cheat the Frost-
  maiden of her due." 
  • "They cannot challenge Her." ("They" refer to the other 
  deities, who refuse to stop Auril's Everlasting Rime) 
  • "I am the hand of the Frostmaiden."  
  • "This land is doomed. For too long has its people failed 
  to honor the Frostmaiden. Now is the hour of justice."  
  • "You may strike me down, but others will come—and 
  they will be less genial than I've been."  
  
   
  4 
  Location. If the adventurers confront Sephek in front of 
  Torrga and her men, they risk incurring their wrath. Their 
  best bet is to corner him while he drinks by his lonesome. 
  If Torg's is found in Bremen, Sephek heads to The River's 
  Mouth in Five-Tavern Center. If he can make an escape, 
  he heads out to harbor to make his last stand on slippery 
  ice and in between patches of thin ice that the adventurers 
  may fall prey to (as a champion of Auril, Sephek can 
  innately detect these hazards). Characters that fall through 
  the ice are submerged in frigid water.  
   
  NATURE SPIRITS 
  Nature Spirits is a nonviolent quest that demonstrates that 
  although Icewind Dale has become a cruel and dark place, 
  light still shines in its most innocent creatures. At the very 
  least, you want to introduce the adventurers to Dannika 
  Graysteel, the quest-giver, so that they can acquire her 
  lantern of revealing. This item will go a long way in your 
  campaign and become a treasured item of your players—
  even if they rarely encounter elementals.   
  As it's a passive quest, Nature Spirits must be coupled 
  with other adventures and experiences, otherwise you're 
  left to simply narrate to your players, "You roam from 
  town to town, ever in search of these mysterious beings, 
  until at last you find them in the town of…"  
  If you are not leaving it up to chance, the chwingas can 
  be found in Lonelywood, Good Mead, and Easthaven. 
  These towns are spiritually close to the wilds and are thus 
  frequented by chwingas. The chwingas can lead the party 
  to other threats, such as the Elven Tomb in Lonelywood, 
  the Cauldron Caves outside Easthaven, and verbeeg lair 
  outside of Good Mead.  
  Additionally, the chwingas' special charms, if granted 
  to the adventurers, may make the difference between life 
  and death. The Charm of the Ice Troll can be especially 
  crucial. Consider padding the party's meager strength with 
  these charms if you're concerned they'll perish.  
   
  QUICK NOTES 
  Summary. A scholar interested in improving Icewind 
  Dale's climate wishes to study a chwinga.  
  Quest-Giver. Dannika Graysteel, LN half-elf acolyte 
  Foes. 3 chwingas who are initially nonhostile  
  Reward. 25 gp + lantern of revealing (elementals) 
   
  SCALING DIFFICULTY 
  Nature Spirits has no innate foes, but if you wish to add a 
  challenge to the quest, consider these options: 
  • A mischievous chwinga causes an avalanche. 
  • For a party of 3rd-4th level adventurers, a yeti tyke 
  chases a chwinga, trailed by its yeti mother. Increase 
  this to two yetis if the party is 5th-level or higher, with 
  the extra yeti being the father.  
   
  BREMEN 
  A friendly but ill-provisioned place, Bremen is the most 
  westward town in Icewind Dale, which exposes it to the 
  many threats the roam the open tundra.  
  When describing Bremen to your players, remark on its 
  isolated nature. Its citizens secretly fear that Bremen may 
  soon perish in this unending winter; point that out with 
  the gloom and worry found on peoples' faces. Everyone 
  in Bremen is haggard, sighing whenever something does 
  not go their way. "Figures," is a common reply to a set-
  back, as if to underscore how foolish someone was to 
  think something would go right in Icewind Dale.  
  Additionally, consider adding abandoned cottages to 
  Bremen (the deeds of which the adventurers can purchase 
  for 100 gp—although the authorities won't complain if 
  they just squat in a house) to demonstrate that the town is 
  in decline. Many of its people have up-and-left for the 
  walled towns of Targos and Bryn Shander.  
   
  TOWN QUICK NOTES 
  • The town's leader has gone daft. He is representative of 
  Bremen's slow decline into darkness.  
  • Visitors can secure lodgings at Buried Treasures, which 
  is run by Cora Mulphoon.  
  • Cora Mulphoon's son was corrupted by chardalyn and 
  has since joined the Knights of the Black Swords in 
  Caer-Dineval.  
  • Sephen of the starting quest Cold-Hearted Killed is best 
  met here.  
   
  TOWN TRAITS 
  Bremen as a whole has these traits: 
  Ideal. "A quiet life is better than an interesting one."   
  Bond. "Together, people can any endure anything." 
  Flaw. "Hope is a fool's errand." 
   
  SACRIFICE TO AURIL 
  The villagers sacrifice their body heat to Auril once a ten-
  day, typically on the fourth day of the week. Depict this 
  sacrifice only when the adventurers first stay the night in 
  Bremen; they too must forsake heat for the night or risk 
  being savaged by the townsfolk.  
   
  STARTING THE CAMPAIGN IN BREMEN 
  Bremen makes a poor choice for starting the campaign in 
  for the following reasons: 
  • Bremen is the most westward settlement of Ten-Towns.  
  • The trail linking Bremen to Ten-Towns was recently 
  wiped out by a blizzard; that challenge is better left for 
  when the party heads to Bremen instead of from it.  
  • The town's low population and grim reality is better used 
  to contrast the prosperity of Targos, Bryn Shander, and 
  Easthaven.  
   
  Instead, it is recommended that Bremen be visited early 
  on in the campaign (as part of the Cold-Hearted Killer 
  starter quest).  
   
  
   
  5 
  BREMEN  
  Trait 
  Statistics  
  Friendliness ❄ ❄ ❄ 
  Services 
  ❄ 
  Comfort 
  ❄ ❄ 
  Population 150 
  Leader(s) 
  Speaker Dorbulgruf Shalescar (LG) 
  Militia 
  25 tribal warriors + 2 veterans 
  Sacrifice 
  Warmth 
   
  TRAVELING TO BREMEN 
  With Bremen on Maer Dualdon, it is possible to approach 
  the town by land and by water: 
  By Land. Although Bremen lies only 2 hours on foot 
  from Bryn Shander, the trail has been obliterated by heavy 
  snowfall. To stay on course, the party's navigator must 
  succeed on a DC 12 Survival check every 30 minutes. On 
  a failure, the white-out conditions cause them to stray off-
  course, delaying their arrival by 1d6 x 5 minutes. After 
  three failures, they hear a distant yeti's howls on the wind, 
  but they otherwise arrive to Bremen safe and sound.  
  By Water. If the adventurers choose to travel to Bremen 
  by water and the plesiosaurus haunting the lake hasn't 
  been dealt with, they invariably run into it—making it an 
  ideal way to introduce the quest. As the party disembarks 
  at the docks, fishers (perhaps even Grynsk Berylbore) ask 
  them how they survived "the monster." Word spreads that 
  newcomers have met the beast, prompting Tali to seek the 
  party out for any details they can shed on the beast.  
   
  REACHING BREMEN 
  Once the adventurers reach Bremen, you want to bring 
  attention to the docks where Grynsk Berylbore is berating 
  fishermen, and, in his head, life itself. Read the following:  
  At last you come to Bremen—but it is not the warm sight 
  you had hoped for. The town is but a huddle of cabins that 
  have seen better days contrasted by a distant copse of pine 
  trees. As you approach the town, you notice fishermen 
  hurling their rods onto the ice in frustration. Although you 
  cannot make out the words, you can hear someone being 
  berated at the docks.  
   
  AREAS OF NOTE 
  The following areas of Bremen are of note: 
   
  BURIED TREASURES 
  This inn should be the first locale the adventurers visit 
  when they enter Bremen. When they first lay their eyes on 
  it, read the following: 
  It's surprising that this desolate town even has an inn, but 
  here it is: Buried Treasures. A sign outside the entrance 
  reads, "Panners and treasure hunters welcome!"  
  The adventurers are greeted to a warm hearth when they 
  enter the inn; so close to Lonelywood, Bremenites can 
  afford to burn fuel without much concern.   
  Innkeeper. There is great sorrow in Cora, which can be 
  sensed with a DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check. She can be 
  pressed into opening up by a sympathetic character (no 
  ability check required). Once she starts lamenting about 
  her son, she doesn't stop. She has no reason to hide what 
  happened and spares no details, as if she hopes that this 
  party of travelers can offer support or, better yet, help.  
  Roleplaying Cora. Cora is the most gregarious person 
  in Bremen and is universally regarded as a pleasant 
  acquaintance. You can voice her with the sample dialogue 
  below: 
  • "My son was the light of my life and… he changed. He's 
  gone and I still don't fully understand why." 
  • "It all started with that blasted black ice. I found him 
  clutching it in his room, as if it was some great treasure. 
  He denied he even had it at first, but I paid little thought 
  to it. If only I had…" 
  • "I won't ever forget it: a tiefling and halfling at my door, 
  wearing smiles. They looked at Huarwar as if he were a 
  long-lost friend. Offered him a place in their castle—a 
  "grand purpose" as one put it. I only caught the woman's 
  name: Fel Suparra. She had an accent I would place 
  from the banks of Lac Dinneshere." 
  • "If that damned Shalescar wasn't so daft in the head, my 
  boy would've never gotten caught in this business." 
   
  Sacrifice to Auril. Guests staying at the inn on the night 
  of the weekly sacrifice are expected to partake. Cora may 
  mention, "You might wish to skip town soon; tomorrow 
  night, we must give up conventional heat to appease the 
  Frostmaiden. Unless you want to cozy up to Big Will, I 
  would head back to Targos."  
   
  FIVE-TAVERN CENTER 
  The five taverns are the source of Bremen's rumors and 
  intrigue. When the adventurers approach this area, read: 
  As you wade deeper into town, you find yourself in a riot 
  of signs and posters, each from a tavern claiming to have 
  better prices or better warmth than its competitors. The 
  messages start off curt or cheerful but soon delve into 
  slander, the worst one claiming that Even Keel, the tavern 
  at the center, brews its ale from crag cat urine.  
  The Companion adds these new elements to this locale: 
  Cold-Hearted Killer. By carousing with patrons, the 
  adventurers learn that a newcomer waded into Bremen 
  two weeks ago—a male human named Brendan Shaw. 
  Rumor has it he hails from Easthaven. Why would a man 
  leave such a prosperous town for the likes of Bremen if 
  he wasn't running from something? As the adventurers 
  may learn, Shaw bribed his way out of being selected for 
  the sacrifice lottery—making him a target of the cold-
  hearted killer, Sephek Kaltro. 
   
   
  
   
  6 
  Shell-Shocked Fishers. Three fishermen are quietly 
  sharing an ale in Even Keel. They were recently savaged 
  by the lake monster while out on Maer Dualdon; two of 
  their companions died in the attack: one to the monster's 
  bite, the other to the frigid waters, after it capsized their 
  rowboat. You can voice these fishers with the following 
  sample dialogue: 
  • "It was horrific; a creature not of this age, a creature that 
  belonged to a more savage time." 
  • "Its neck must have been twelve feet long! Fins the size 
  of oars and a tail as thick as a log!" 
  • "It took a bite right out of Bill—just lifted its head from 
  the water and ripped out a chunk. I only hope his final 
  moments—he fell into the Maer—were numb from the 
  cold." 
  • "The beast capsized Rogera's vessel as if it were little 
  more than a child's toy. I saw her sink below the surface, 
  surprise glittering in her eyes… Then it darted in from 
  below and she was gone. Just like that." 
   
  TOWNHALL 
  When the adventurers pass near the townhall, Bremen's 
  speaker, Dorbulgruf Shalescar wanders outside. He soon 
  strikes up a conversation with the adventurers, treating 
  them as old friends. He is soon chased by a young human 
  attendant who insists "Mr. Speaker" comes back inside.  
  Read the following when this occurs: 
  Out from the townhall shambles a dwarf of venerable age. 
  His many years are worn on his weathered face, which is 
  exposed to the cold; the dwarf seems to forgotten his hood 
  exists. Sighting you, the dwarf shouts, "Dugal! My old 
  pal! How the hell are ya?" 
  Dorbulgruf Shalescar represents Bremen itself. As his 
  mind goes, so does the town. He is their icon and greatest 
  shame—for no one is around to step up and replace him, 
  just as there is little possibility for the town to survive this 
  unending winter.  
  Before being ushered back inside by his attendant, a 
  young man named Derrk, the Speaker invites "Dugal" and 
  his friends to join him for an ale at Even Keel, but he never 
  shows up.  
   
  QUEST: LAKE MONSTER 
  Bremen's town quest is features a single foe, albeit one 
  with a dangerous attack. With some slight changes, it can 
  be an ideal quest to run for 1st-level adventurers.  
  As described above, the Companion suggests running 
  this quest while the party waits for the Torg's merchant 
  company to show up in Bremen. It's short enough that it 
  should only take an hour of your session.  
   
  QUICK NOTES 
  Summary. An awakened plesiosaurus, a dinosaur, has 
  been terrorizing fishers and travelers on the lake.  
  Quest-Giver. Tali, NG half-elf scout 
  Foes. A CR 2 plesiosaurus 
  Hazards. Frigid water, suffocation 
  Reward. A spell scroll of animal friendship + 5 gp if the 
  adventurers took satisfying notes for Tali 
   
  SCALING DIFFICULTY 
  When running this encounter, consider these changes: 
  • For a party of 1st-level adventurers, reduce the damage 
  of the plesiosaurus's Bite to 7 (2d6).  
  • For a party of 4th-level or higher adventurers, grant the 
  plesiosaurus Multiattack (two Bites per turn) and have 
  it attempt to capsize the boat.  
   
  ADDITIONS 
  Consider these additions to enhance your experience: 
  • Add the shell-shocked fishers drinking in Even Keel (see 
  above) to shed light on the monster.   
  • Consider playing the Jaws theme while the adventurers 
  are out on the lake. If you wish to strike a comedic tone, 
  have it play when a knucklehead trout leaps out from 
  the lake—and on the heels of that fish comes the beast.   
   
  OUT ON THE LAKE 
  Should the plesiosaurus attack the adventurers, read the 
  following: 
  The waters grow still and, for a brief moment, even the 
  wind quiets, as if the world itself has sucked in a breath. 
  Dread creeps up your spine in the unnatural silence—and 
  then it's there! The beast! It's serpentine neck bursts from 
  below in a spray of chilling water, its maw as wide as a 
  pit and just as hungry! The creature—something from a 
  bygone era—lunges for you! 
  Tactics. If you don't wish to leave the beast's behavior 
  up to chance, the plesiosaurus first makes a Bite attack 
  against an adventurer, then, after the party has the chance 
  to respond in kind, it attempts to capsize the boat. It then 
  rams the boat underneath.  
  Remember that the adventurers can still target the beast 
  while it is underwater, but ranged attacks against it are 
  made with disadvantage and the beast has resistance to 
  fire damage while submerged in water.  
  Roleplaying the Plesiosaurus. Cursed with the "gift" of 
  sapience, the plesiosaurus is aware of the life it led before 
  and is terrified of being reduced to a mundane beast again. 
  Fear is a primal motivator, causing the beast to resort to 
  even greater tactics to please its distant awakener, the 
  druid Ravisin.  
   
  AFTERMATH 
  If the adventurers scare off or kill the beast (or lead the 
  town to believe they did), they are heralded as heroes. 
  Trade flows again and fish fill empty bellies.  
   
   
  
   
  7 
  BRYN SHANDER 
  Bryn Shander is the epicenter of Ten-Towns and styles 
  itself as the "Jewel of the Far North." It is here that the 
  Ten-Towns Speakers gather to pass their decrees or bicker 
  over old disagreements. The citizens of Bryn Shander act 
  as if they are citizens of a fledgling empire and expect to 
  be treated as such by their fellows.  
  As it is the hub of transportation to and from Icewind 
  Dale, Bryn Shander manages to avoid petty squabbles and 
  rivalries with its fellow towns—not because they haven't 
  done anything wrong, but because the other towns can't 
  afford to get on Bryn Shander's bad side.  
   
  TOWN QUICK NOTES 
  • Normally gregarious, Bryn Shander folk have recently 
  become grim as the economy suffers and Auril's curse 
  continues to cloak the dale in darkness.  
  • Urban encounters you wish to include in this otherwise 
  arctic campaign are best run here.  
  • The Council of Speakers convenes in Bryn Shander, but 
  a meeting has not been called for quite some time. Word 
  has spread that the Speaker of Good Mead has died, thus 
  delaying any further meetings until an election is held 
  in the town.  
  • Characters can gear up at Blackiron Blades; virtually 
  any other industry or store can be found here as well; 
  Bryn Shander is the epicenter of civilization in Icewind 
  Dale.  
   
  TOWN TRAITS 
  Bryn Shander as a whole has these traits: 
  Ideal. "Bryn Shander is the first and last sight anyone 
  has of Icewind Dale. We are the gate of the North!" 
  Bond. "Our laws are just and our people are good, even 
  if we must appease the Frostmaiden with blood."  
  Flaw. "Without trade, we are nothing. Anything must 
  be done to preserve it." 
   
  SACRIFICE TO AURIL 
  With so many people in its domain, it should come as no 
  surprise that Bryn Shander can afford to sacrifice lives to 
  appease the Frostmaiden. The lottery system is usually 
  ignored until the new moon nears—after all, only one 
  person out of twelve hundred must die. This contrasts 
  Easthaven, who has just a little more than half of Bryn 
  Shander's population, and whose people consider it a grim 
  affair.  
  The monthly sacrifice is so dismissed now that Bryn 
  Shander folks even make jests about it, such as "You can 
  string me up if I'm lyin,'" or "the Frostmaiden's got my 
  number, all right." Nursery rhymes similar to Ring a Ring 
  o' Rosie, the plague-rhyme, have sprouted up in the last 
  two years since Auril darkened the sky.  
  A citizen marked to death is allowed one last night with 
  their family, but they are watched over by three guards.  
  BRYN SHANDER 
  Trait 
  Information  
  Friendliness ❄❄❄  
  Services 
  ❄❄❄ 
  Comfort 
  ❄❄❄ 
  Population 1,200 
  Leader(s) 
  Speaker Duvessa Shane (LG) & Sheriff 
  Markham Southwell (LG) 
  Militia 
  250 tribal warriors + 20 veterans 
  Sacrifice 
  Humanoid 
   
  STARTING THE CAMPAIGN IN BRYN SHANDER 
  It is logical to start the adventure in Bryn Shander, as the 
  Ten Trails (the path linking Icewind Dale to the rest of the 
  Sword Coast) terminates there. However, the Companion 
  still holds that Targos is a better start location.  
  By starting in Bryn Shander, you introduce the players 
  to the best Icewind Dale has to offer. Some even refer to 
  it as the "Jewel of the Far North." All other cities pale in 
  comparison—from Targos, its chief competitor for the 
  title, to pitiful Dougan's Hole. Once you're here, you can 
  only go down: the adventurers habitually visit sadder and 
  more desolate towns.  
  It's important to note that, although the adventurers each 
  likely came to Bryn Shander before the campaign started, 
  you're showing Bryn Shander to your players. By starting 
  at the top, you show them that Ten-Towns is a bleak place 
  and that they can't expect anything better.  
   
  TRAVELING TO BRYN SHANDER 
  Bryn Shander's gates are shut more often than not; visitors 
  must announce themselves to the guards and withstand a 
  litany of caustic questions born from growing fear and 
  paranoia, such as: 
  • "Where were you last?" 
  • "What is your business in Bryn Shander?" 
  • "Have you already secured lodgings? Where do you 
  intend to stay?" 
  • "Have you displeased the Frostmaiden?" 
  • "Would you so kindly touch this silver and bite into this 
  garlic?"  
   
  Visas. You can demonstrate Bryn Shander's growing 
  paranoia and xenophobia through the implementation of 
  a visa-esque system. Foreigners are issued painted stones 
  that they must present to town guardsmen upon request. 
  A visa typically has a red handprint on it, with the issuing 
  guard's number drawn into it. A guard is usually held 
  responsible for the crimes foreigners commit, which in 
  turn means visitors are often being watched by that officer 
  and their cohorts.  
  Xenophobia. Bryn Shander's people are beginning to 
  detest and distrust outsiders. Foreigners aren't yet being 
  mistreated, but they do suffer scrutiny from the guards 
  and ordinary citizens.   
   
   
   
  
   
  8 
  AREAS OF NOTE 
  The following areas of Bryn Shander are of note: 
   
  BLACKIRON BLADES 
  When the adventurers enter this shop, they hear Garn the 
  Hammer, its proprietor, complaining in Dwarvish to his 
  sister, Eliza. The following text assumes at least one of 
  the adventurers can understand Dwarvish: 
  As you open the door to this outfitter's shop, you hear a 
  metallic crash—a bucket hurled against the wall. A dwarf 
  shouts in his native tongue, "An' if I hear one more sod 
  say 'an 'e was carrying a Blackiron blade' I'm gonna 
  scream!" 
  A harsh, feminine voice barks back, "Yer already 
  screamin' so take it outside! One of us 'as to balance these 
  bloody books!" 
  After a few more muttered Dwarvish profanities, a 
  shield dwarf with a ginger beard and sharp eyes comes 
  from behind the corner to grab his coat. His eyes dart up 
  to you and he asks, in Common, "Uhh… Welcome, 
  honored customers. Have you come for a Blackiron 
  blade? Best smithwork in all the Dale, they say."  
  Garn can serve as an alternative quest-giver for Foaming 
  Mugs. He explains, "We've had a bit of bad luck as of late. 
  My pal Hruna and her men were ambushed by a bloody 
  yeti on their way back to Kelvin's Carin. Poor fools had 
  to leave behind the entire ingot shipment. I hear she's out 
  canvassing, lookin' for folks brave enough to brave the 
  wastes and recover the metal."   
   
  THE NORTHLOOK 
  When the adventurers enter this establishment, read: 
  You're greeted by good cheer and better warmth. The inn 
  is full of customers, many enjoying ale and hot meals. 
  You recognize the scent of reindeer steaks and, behind the 
  kitchen, the sizzling of pans. How long has it been since 
  your last hot meal? Too long, probably.  
  As you wade into the inn, your daze is interrupted by 
  the sudden braying of a mounted fish—a mounted fish 
  clearly animated by some arcane tomfoolery. The trout 
  begins to sing a verse that the tavern patrons quickly pick 
  up, until everyone is hollering, "There's a place I like to 
  go, farther up the river's flow, where it is, I don't know, 
  must be under all that snow!"  
  The verse is punctuated by a chorus of clinking glasses 
  and "Hey!"s 
  As men do when full of ale, many patrons are discussing 
  the upcoming lottery. Many are taking bets on the sort of 
  person who gets drawn—age, height, et cetera.  
  QUEST: FOAMING MUGS 
  Foaming Mugs is an excellent quest for low-level parties. 
  Featuring goblins, a staple of low-level quests, the quest 
  can be resolved with minimal violence.   
  If you run both this and Targos's Mountain Climb quest, 
  have Foaming Mugs precede it. The adventurers first find 
  the decapitated body of Oobok's then later his head in the 
  yeti's lair on Kelvin's Cairn. Alternatively, if the party 
  starts Mountain Climb before being approached by the 
  dwarves, they find the goblins on their way back from 
  Kelvin's Cairn. When they spot the Battlehammer clan's 
  iconic symbol (a foaming mug) stamped into the ingots, 
  they can ascertain that the loot was probably on its way 
  back to Bryn Shander.  
   
  QUICK NOTES 
  Summary. A shipment of ingots was left behind and their 
  owners will pay a small fortune to have them back.   
  Quest-Giver. Hruna, LG dwarf commoner 
  Foes. 6 goblins, goblin boss, hawk, 2 polar bears 
  Hazards. Blizzard 
  Reward. Up to 6 gems (50 gp each) & 10% off prices at 
  Blackiron Blades 
   
  SCALING DIFFICULTY 
  When running this encounter, consider these changes: 
  • For a party of 1st-level adventurers, reduce the number 
  of goblins to four (down from eight) or have the goblins 
  surrender if three are slain (down from five).  
  • For a party of 3rd-level adventurers or higher, replace 
  the polar bears with worgs who break free from their 
  reins and attack the adventurers. 
  • For 5th-level adventurers or higher, Izobai uses a potion 
  of animal friendship, casts animal friendship on the two 
  polar bears, and, if they fail their saving throws, frees 
  them so that they can join the fray.  
   
  THE GOBLINS 
  Life in Icewind Dale is even crueler for goblins, who are 
  often killed on sight and have little more than a prison-
  fort to huddle in for warmth.  
  Roleplaying the Goblins. Tensions are high among the 
  goblins as they sweat in the freezing cold, pulling at the 
  heavy sled. They are bickering in their native tongue, 
  snarling ribald insults between efforts of exertion. They 
  are, in a word, dysfunctional. Their shouts can be heard 
  far away on the wind, betraying their presence. Once a 
  danger presents itself, however, the goblins forget their 
  feuding and band together—they know the world is out to 
  get them and that they can only trust each other.  
  Roleplaying Izobai. The goblin boss has picked up her 
  fair share of Common words over the years. She knows 
  "stop," "we surrender," and "we are capitulating to your 
  demands, cretin." All were learned from the right side of 
  a dagger pointed at ambushed Ten-Towns citizens.  
  
   
  9 
  CAER-DINEVAL 
  Caer-Dineval has seen better days—although a bad day 
  here is a dream in the likes of Caer-Konig and Dougan's 
  Hole. The town is on the decline, but people aren't really 
  worried about that; they're concerned more with the slow 
  death of Icewind Dale itself.  
   
  TOWN QUICK NOTES 
  • The town has no inn, forcing adventurers to seek shelter 
  at the caer, which is overrun with cultists who hold 
  Speaker Siever hostage. 
  • Kadroth leads the Black Swords but feels threatened by 
  Avarice, and despises Hethyl Arkorran, the oldest 
  member of the cult.  
  • The townsfolk suspect something is amiss with Siever 
  but so far, no one has done anything about it.  
   
  TOWN TRAITS 
  Caer-Dineval as a whole has these traits: 
  Ideal. "Enjoy the little things." 
  Bond. "The Lac' provides if we work hard enough." 
  Flaw. "There is no hope left for Icewind Dale." 
   
  SACRIFICE TO AURIL 
  With the Dinevalites sacrificing food to winter's creatures, 
  the outskirts of town are haunted by wolves and snow 
  leopards (panthers with advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) 
  checks to remain hidden in snowy terrain), as well as the 
  occasional polar bear. Because of this, homes must stay 
  unlocked, lest some poor bastard is fleeing from a hungry 
  beast. This necessity has aroused paranoia among the 
  townsfolk, who are worried about thievery.  
   
  STARTING THE CAMPAIGN 
  Caer-Dineval is a skeletal haunt with far too little left on 
  its bones. The Companion doesn't recommend starting 
  here, for it has a dearth of characters, and the adventurers 
  can't possibly tackle the Black Swords in their fortified 
  position. If you do decide to start your campaign here, use 
  the Cold-Hearted Killer quest to drag the adventurers to 
  Dougan's Hole; don't cannibalize the Black Swords quest, 
  but simply let the adventurers complete it later.  
   
  TRAVELING TO CAER-DINEVAL 
  Travelers must be wary when walking the roads to Caer-
  Dineval. Its people appease the Frostmaiden through 
  sacrifices of food, which draws beasts and monsters to its 
  backyard. The distant howls of crag cats and yetis are 
  enough to convince most travelers to put some pep in their 
  step before the monsters find them.   
   
  CAER-DINEVAL 
  Trait 
  Information  
  Friendliness ❄ ❄ 
  Services 
  ❄ 
  Comfort 
  ❄ 
  Population 100 
  Leader(s) 
  Speaker Crannoc Siever (NG) 
  Militia 
  25 tribal warriors + 2 veterans 
  Sacrifice 
  Food 
   
  AREAS OF NOTE 
  The following areas of Caer-Dineval are of note: 
   
  DINEV'S REST 
  You lay your eyes on Caer-Dineval's glorious inn—a 
  boarded-up ruin that has seen better days. With nowhere 
  else to stay, your eyes creep up to the caer atop the hill. 
  It's either that or squatting.  
  If the adventurers pass by the inn, a character that has a 
  passive Perception of 15 or higher hears half a sentence 
  of Dwarvish uttered by one of the duergar inside. Should 
  the adventurers investigate, the duergar become invisible. 
  They make Constitution (Stealth) checks to remain still 
  and quiet their breathing to avoid detection. 
  If the duergar are detected, they attack. They do not, 
  however, give chase to foes that flee the inn. One duergar 
  says, in Dwarvish, "Nay, let the folk think we're a fable. 
  Do not stray into the twilight." The duergar proceed to 
  pack up their belongings and abandon Caer-Dineval to 
  join their brethren in Caer-Konig or head to the duergar 
  out-post at the foot of Kelvin's Cairn. This migration is a 
  grim affair; the duergar know they won't go unpunished 
  by Xardorok or his sons.   
   
  THE UPHILL CLIMB 
  When the party roams the streets for an establishment, 
  they see The Uphill Climb above. Read the following: 
  Looming over the meager town is an aging tavern with 
  signs that read, "You're almost there!" or "Keep 
  climbing!" It's then your eyes sight the tavern's name: the 
  Uphill Climb.  
  Once the adventurers enter the tavern, Roark, the owner, 
  says, "Customers? In these dry times? Come in, come in!" 
  You can voice Roark with the sample dialogue below: 
  • "Those damned ferrymen! I bet you they're just creatin' 
  an artificial shortage to justify greater fares!"  
  • "On its best day, this place is a graveyard. Still a bad day 
  in Caer-Dineval is a dream for the poor bastards livin' it 
  down in Caer-Konig."  
  • "Y'know, you aren't the first visitors to remark on the 
  injustice imposed by an absent inn. Why, I think you 
  ought to march right up to the caer and give Siever a 
  piece of your mind. To hell with his sickness!" 
   
   
   
  
   
  10 
  QUEST: BLACK SWORDS 
  Black Swords introduces the adventurers to one of the 
  campaign's two main factions: the Knights of the Black 
  Sword—or, more specifically, Avarice, the tiefling.  
  Although cultists make for easy foes against low-level 
  parties, they're too fortified for 1st-level adventurers to 
  deal with. One shout is all it takes for the whole caer to 
  discover the adventurers. It is recommended you save this 
  quest for 3rd-level adventurers or higher.  
   
  QUICK NOTES 
  Summary. A shipment of ingots was left behind and their 
  owners will pay a small fortune to have them back.   
  Quest-Giver. None 
  Foes. 14 fortified cultists, 3 cult fanatics  
  Hazards. Brown mold 
  Reward. Possible alliance with Black Swords 
   
  SCALING DIFFICULTY 
  When running this encounter, consider this change: 
  • For a party of 4th-level adventurers or higher, grant the 
  cult fanatics the Cult of Levistus benefits (see the side-
  bar), who can cast the signature spells in addition to 
  their normal spells, as well as use the Path of Levistus 
  trait. Kadroth, however, cannot use Path of Levistus, as 
  the archdevil despises him.   
   
  THE CULT 
  The Black Swords have been corrupted by chardalyn, the 
  very crystals that the duergar are searching for. They are 
  mainly natives of Icewind Dale and led by Kadroth, the 
  vainglorious tiefling who claims he has Levistus's ear. 
  The cult has had a new addition: Avarice, an albino 
  tiefling that sold her soul to Levistus years ago for magic.  
  Roleplaying the Cultists. Cults are often depicted as 
  morose lots obsessed with doom and gloom. Not so with 
  the Knights of the Black Swords, who are chipper traitors 
  to mortalkind. They wear smiles like others wear cloaks, 
  donning them when the weather is frightful. Even if they 
  are opposed to the adventurers (i.e., before Levistus has 
  ordered the cult to work with them) they offer smiles and 
  speak pleasantries—even after drawing their blades.  
  Their cheerful demeanors don't mean that the cultists 
  are nice; they'll still insult someone or take sadistic glee 
  in someone else's suffering, but they'll do it with a grin.  
   
  CAER AREAS 
  The following areas of the caer are of note:  
   
  C1. MAIN GATE 
  Provided the party doesn't approach stealthily, read: 
  As you approach the caer, two guards amble towards the 
  battlements. "Hello, citizens!" shouts a chipper man. 
  "What business have you at the caer?" 
  The man is Huarwar Mulphoon, the estranged son of Cora 
  Mulphoon in Bremen. A character within 60 feet of him 
  that succeeds on a DC 13 Wisdom (Insight) check realizes 
  he has the same eyes as his mother (provided the character 
  met Cora previously).  
  The other cultist is Fel Suparra, who arrived in Bremen 
  to recruit Huarwar in the first place. Characters that have 
  spoken to Cora will recall she mentioned a tiefling that, 
  alongside a halfling, came and offered her son sanctuary 
  in their distant castle.  
  These two cult fanatics are in Area C6. As they have 
  potent spellcasting at their command, they have the honor 
  of raining hell down upon intruders.  
   
  C3. KENNEL AND SLED STORAGE 
  A kennel stands in the courtyard, full of dogs. One lifts its 
  head at you and, with a doggy grin, begins to bark. The 
  other five dogs soon join in, provoking thunder. A young 
  boy rushes out from a nearby door to silence them. 
  "Alassar!" shouts the chirper woman from the battle-
  ments above. With a glance, you notice red horns jutting 
  out from her hood—a tiefling, then. "Silence those mutts, 
  lest you get the crop again!" 
  "Yes, Mistress Fel!" shouts the kennel boy. "Mercy, 
  Mistress Fel! Mercy!" 
  With the cacophony raised by the dogs, killing a cultist is 
  best done here.  
   
  C4. GUARD TOWERS 
  If your adventurers are 1st- or 2nd-level, assume that half 
  the twelve cultists in these areas are asleep, having just 
  finished their watch duties two hours ago. While a shout 
  is still enough to wake them, it takes them 1d4 rounds to 
  come to, realize the danger, arm themselves, and leave to 
  investigate or join the fray.  
  Four cultists are playing Three-Dragon Ante, a card 
  game, in the southwestern tower. A stack of 2d6+24 gp is 
  on one table. If taken unawares, one cultist accidentally 
  knocks over the table, causing the coins to scatter across 
  the floor. Two characters, an adventurer and a cultist, 
  must both succeed on a DC 10 Dex. save or fall prone.  
   
  C5. ARMORY  
  You come upon the caer's armory, stocked with spears, 
  bows, and stuffed quivers that hang on the wall. At the far 
  end of the wall sits a chest with a handwritten sign that 
  reads, "Extreme caution!"  
   
  CULT OF LEVISTUS 
  Signature Spells: Blade ward (cantrip), expeditious retreat (1st 
  level), spider climb (2nd level), gaseous form (3rd level) 
   
  Path of Levistus. This creature magically teleports to a location of 
  Levistus' choice within 1 mile of its location. Using this ability also 
  restores all of the creature's hit points. This ability can be invoked as 
  an action by the creature or when the creature would die. Once the 
  creature uses it, the creature can't use it again.  
  
   
  11 
  See the sidebar above for the details on alchemist's fire. A 
  character can identify it with a DC 10 Int. (History) check. 
  A character with proficiency with alchemist's supplies can 
  identify it automatically, no ability check required.  
   
  C6. GATEHOUSE 
  When they aren't turning away visitors, Fel Suparra and 
  Huarwar Mulphoon are busy flirting. The two have yet to 
  act on their feelings. Any character that listens to their 
  conversation and succeeds on a DC 13 Charisma (Insight) 
  check realizes both these facts.  
  If either of these two cultists are about to be slain, they 
  appeal to Levistus for salvation, who allows them to use 
  the Path of Levistus cult boon (see the sidebar). If both 
  must resort to this, Levistus ensures they remain together. 
  The archdevil knows that love is a powerful motivator and 
  uses it that the two cultists reinforce each other's faith in 
  the cult and its mission.  
  Estranged Son. Huarwar has been corrupted by his 
  chardalyn amulet. He refuses to return home to his mother 
  but a DC 14 Cha. (Persuasion) check can convince him to 
  make visits in the future when he's out on cult business. A 
  DC 14 Cha. (Intimidation) check is enough to convince 
  him that he owes his mother an apology—not for leaving, 
  per se, but for how rudely he treated her.  
  In the Future. Provided they both survive their foray 
  with the adventurers, you can make Fel and Huarwar into 
  recurring characters who seem to grow more attached 
  each time. Inevitably, the adventurers notice a ring 
  (perhaps the ring of warmth worn by Marta, innkeeper of 
  The Eastside in Termalaine) on Fel's finger.  
   
  C7. GREAT HALL 
  When the adventurers enter this area, Mere looks sharply 
  at them in concern. Recognizing them as non-cultists, he 
  raises a finger to his lips and beckons the characters over. 
  He whispers, "I don't know if you know this, but this place 
  is infested with cultists." 
  Roleplaying Mere. The tiefling boy wishes to be free 
  from this mess. If the adventurers promise him salvation 
  and food, he swears to become a retainer of theirs. He isn't 
  the most helpful attendant, but he can carry gear and he 
  knows how to fish and set-up a tent. Provided the cult 
  survives, anything is better than living under Kadroth's 
  heel—"that haughty bastard," as Mere calls him.  
  Mere shares the following information with the party:  
  • "There's fourteen of the bastards here. All have sworn 
  allegiance to Levistus. I needn't a history lesson to know 
  an archdevil when I hear one." (Mere points at himself 
  to underscore this; as a tiefling he has been accused of 
  being the son of many a devil.)  
  • "Those they didn't kill are imprisoned below the castle, 
  fed scraps every few days, they are."  
  • "The crone Hethyl leads the cult, but everyone says she's 
  not long for this world. Kadroth, that bastard, is hungry 
  for her mantle." 
  • "An albino tiefling showed up recently. She's a wizard. 
  Everyone bends over backwards to appease her, even 
  Kadroth—but he wants her gone. I heard him ask 
  Hethyl—she's a seer—for how much longer they had to 
  tolerate her. 'For you? Forever,' she said." 
   
  C9. SPEAKER'S OFFICE 
  A fire burns low in its nearby hearth, painting this office 
  with dancing shadows. A paunchy tiefling is hunched 
  over the desk, quill in hand, busying himself with paper-
  work and documents being the Speaker's seal.   
  "I told you," he starts, with a saccharine voice, "not to 
  bother me, Alassar. Perhaps another night in the dun—" 
  The tiefling's head snaps up at you and his lips spread 
  into an unwelcoming smile. "I would've left out tea had I 
  known we had guests." 
  Kadroth's strengths are in convincing others to fight for 
  him; he isn't spoiling for a fight. He at first tries to disarm 
  the situation. Ultimately, he is a treacherous, self-serving 
  cur and any promises he makes can be seen through by a 
  character that wins a contest between his Deception check 
  and their Insight check.  
  Roleplaying Kadroth. The cultist's ego is unmatched; 
  his hunger for adulation and power stems from deep-
  rooted insecurities he can't shake off. Truth be told, the 
  tiefling has always seen his infernal heritage as a curse. 
  Kadroth possesses a silver-tongue that works on most 
  individuals; he tries to employ it here.  
  You can voice Kadroth with the dialogue below: 
  • "We are but humble priests to a disgraced and distant 
  lord. Spare us as you would any other pilgrims." 
  • "So you've found out our dark, little secret. The only 
  question left is… how much of a cut do you want?  
  • "The people are better off without Speaker Siever. See, 
  with a mascot for their ire, they will devolve into chaos. 
  By hiding him behind the walls, they can harmlessly 
  hurl their vitriol and carry on with their day-to-day."  
   
  Scaling Difficulty. If the adventurers are 4th-level or 
  higher, Kadroth knows the message cantrip, which he can 
  use to alert Fel Suparra or Huarwar Mulphoon in Area C6. 
  The two rush forward to save Kadroth, rallying other 
  cultists with a shout ("To the Speaker's Office! Kadroth is 
  outmatched!" Kadroth winces at the word "outmatched"). 
  They arrive in 1d4+3 rounds, after which Kadroth is likely 
  to already be dead or bound.  
   
  ALCHEMIST'S FIRE 
  This sticky, adhesive fluid ignites when exposed to air. As an 
  action, you can throw this flask up to 20 feet, shattering it on 
  impact. Make a ranged attack against a creature or object, 
  treating the alchemist's fire as an improvised weapon. On a 
  hit, the target takes 1d4 fire damage at the start of each of its 
  turns. A creature can end this damage by using its action to 
  make a DC 10 Dexterity check to extinguish the flames. 
   
  
   
  12 
  C13. SOOTHSAYER'S ROOM 
  Nothing is more useful in a campaign than an oracle who 
  can feed the adventurers plot hooks they may never have 
  the chance of receiving. Use Hethyl as a mouthpiece.  
  Roleplaying Hethyl. Hethyl is dour; she doesn't have 
  the patience to be as chipper as the other cultists, who take 
  slight offense to her bluntness.  
  You can voice Hethyl with the dialogue below, which 
  corresponds to the information she shares with the party, 
  as noted in Rime of the Frostmaiden.  
  • "For all the darkness we wield, we are not the slayers of 
  Icewind Dale, but it's liberators. Look south. Like a 
  tumor, Xardorok's fortress hangs on the Spine of the 
  World. He is the threat you must vanquish." 
  • "Within his frigid fortress beats a dragon's heart—a 
  forge of fury capable of untold devastation." 
  • "Search Xardorok's fortress to answer the mysteries that 
  yet haunt the dale." 
  • "You are not yet ready, little heroes. The duergar is too 
  powerful… for now. The wastes and tundra have all the 
  power you need to face him. Find his sons and agents." 
   
  Seer. Before Hethyl dies, she can affect the present by 
  a Portent-like ability. When she or a creature she can see 
  makes an attack roll, a saving throw, or an ability check, 
  she can roll a d20 and choose to use this roll in place of 
  the attack roll, saving throw, or ability check. 
   
  C14. SPEAKER'S BEDCHAMBER 
  If Speaker Siever realizes or is made aware that the party 
  isn't affiliated with the cult, he becomes ornery. He's had 
  enough of this house arrest. He doesn't ask to be rescued, 
  but instead demands that they clear out the cult; he can 
  tolerate imprisonment from the comfort of his castle.   
  You can voice Siever with the following dialogue:  
  • "Well? Let's get on with it! Let's get on with the whole 
  'liberation' thing!" 
  • "The people need to heed—hear me!" 
  • "Kadroth will rue this day! The Siever name is rightly 
  feared throughout the dale!" 
   
  C15. OLD LIBRARY 
  The caer has been slowly rebuilding its book collection. 
  The rarest book here is a signed copy of Greaves of Brass 
  by Walt Whitdwarf worth 50 gp. Interested buyers can be 
  found in Targos or Bryn Shander. 
  This addition changes the otherwise bland library from 
  a scene of ruin to one of promise.   
   
  C20. SHRINE TO LEVISTUS 
  A character that views the effigy and succeeds on a DC 
  14 Intelligence (Arcana or Religion) check identifies this 
  as an altar to Levistus. Warlocks of the fiend that pray at 
  the altar here gain Inspiration, regardless of the identity of 
  their fiendish patron. 
  Treasure. At your discretion, the effigy's ice shifts to 
  expel a dark shard amulet, courtesy of Levistus himself. 
  This amulet may also be a chardalyn amulet, which will 
  corrupt those who wear it.  
  Brown Mold. See the sidebar for this hazard's effects.  
   
  C21. AVARICE'S QUARTERS 
  Avarice is a cruel and sadistic bully used to getting what 
  she wants. Destruction is her first go-to method, but 
  Levistus has warned her against attacking the adventurers. 
  She instead acts haughty, as if they were lucky to earn her 
  mercy. Avarice shares the same information that Hethyl 
  does (see C13), hoping that the adventurers will confront 
  Xardorok for her.  
  You can voice Avarice with the following dialogue: 
  • "Stay your hands, heroes. I am a member of the Arcane 
  Brotherhood, the esteemed magi. I wish not to waste my 
  magicks on you."  
  •"I know what you're thinking. Tiefling mixed up with a 
  devil cult and well… It is exactly what it looks like—
  but I don't like these weirdos any more than you. They 
  are tools to an end—the defense of Icewind Dale."  
  • "We can all be friends here; none of us have to die."  
   
  C24. PRISONERS 
  When the prisoners attack, read the following: 
  A bloodcurdling shriek—one of pain and misery—shocks 
  you to your core. Suddenly they surge out of the darkness, 
  emaciated men and women, all howling, all reaching out 
  to snatch you up with the strength of a mob! Their hands 
  rake at your sides and find purchase in your clothes, and 
  as they drag you down, your breath tightens, lost to the 
  press of filthy bodies.  
  In the clamor, the adventurers can hear several calls of 
  "Free us!" alerting them to the fact that these folks are just 
  prisoners. A DC 13 Cha. (Persuasion or Intimidation) 
  check disarms the situation.  
  Scaling Difficulty. If the party is 4th level or higher, 
  add six more commoners and grant a +4 bonus to the 
  mob's grapple check. They pummel whomever they 
  snatch, dealing 1 bludgeoning damage for every unarmed 
  strike they land.  
   
  BROWN MOLD 
  Brown mold feeds on warmth, drawing heat from anything 
  around it. A patch of brown mold typically covers a 10-foot 
  square, and the temperature within 30 ft. of it is always frigid. 
  When a creature moves to within 5 feet of the mold for the 
  first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a DC 
  12 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) cold damage 
  on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. 
  Brown mold is immune to fire, and any source of fire 
  brought within 5 feet of a patch causes it to instantly outward 
  in the direction of the fire, covering a 10-foot-square area 
  (with the source of the fire at the center of that area). A patch 
  of brown mold exposed to an effect that deals cold damage is 
  instantly destroyed. 
  
   
  13 
  CAER-KONIG 
  Caer-Konig is a shadow of its former glory, and its people 
  know it. Their sorry state is best represented by the bones 
  of the caer from which the town drew its name.  
   
  TOWN QUICK NOTES 
  • The town's caer and walls were destroyed by orcs many 
  years ago.  
  • The townsfolk resent the other Ten-Towners, who they 
  believe have forsaken them.  
  • The town's speaker is a King Henry-esque vigilante that 
  drunkenly roams the streets in search of vagabonds. As 
  a silver dragonborn, he can tolerate the cold.  
  • Invisible duergar agents in search of chardalyn have 
  been breaking into peoples' houses. They are based at 
  an outpost to the northwest, at Kelvin's Cairn.   
   
  TOWN TRAITS 
  Caer-Konig as a whole has these traits: 
  Ideal. "Trovus will protect us!" 
  Bond. "Ale softens the world's worst cruelties."  
  Flaw. "Ten-Towns has abandoned us." 
   
  SACRIFICE TO AURIL 
  With the bounty of the "Lac'" at their disposal, the town 
  can afford to sacrifice food to Auril, which is claimed by 
  the yetis of Kelvin's Cairn. Their howls can be heard on 
  the wind frequently.  
  Caer-Konig sacrifices food every three days, often in 
  the form of one or two knucklehead trout. Trovus tracks 
  who among the town contributed—in either by coin or 
  labor—to the sacrifice. "Everyone," Trovus is fond of 
  saying, "must do their part."   
  Visitors to Caer-Konig that are willing to sacrifice their 
  own food can quickly gain the appreciation of the towns-
  folk, who otherwise assume that they think they're better 
  than the locals.  
   
  STARTING THE CAMPAIGN 
  Caer-Konig is a poor start for the campaign. Its people are 
  resentful and sullen, which is a theme you'll want to con-
  front your players with later on when they visit the town. 
  The Companion suggests making Caer-Konig the third 
  town the party visits, provided they start in Targos, head 
  to Bremen, and return to Targos for the Mountain Climb 
  quest, which takes them to Kelvin's Cairn. Caer-Konig is 
  at the foot of this impressive mountain.   
  By starting the campaign in Caer-Konig, you show the 
  party how resentful Ten-Towners can be to their distant 
  brethren. No one in Caer-Konig has a nice word to say 
  about the other towns. "And they think they're better than 
  us!" is a common outcry among the townsfolk.  
   
  CAER-KONIG 
  Trait 
  Information  
  Friendliness ❄ ❄ 
  Services 
  ❄❄ 
  Comfort 
  ❄❄❄ 
  Population 150 
  Leader(s) 
  Speaker Trovus (NG) 
  Militia 
  25 tribal warriors + 2 veterans 
  Sacrifice 
  Food 
   
  TRAVELING TO CAER-KONIG 
  So close to the Reghed Glacier, travelers on their way to 
  Caer-Konig are assailed by a cruel and merciless wind 
  that usually imposes disadvantage on Wis. (Perception) 
  checks that rely on hearing.  
  Additionally, travelers always risk running into a yeti. 
  The beasts are intelligent enough to recognize that roads 
  offer easy prey so long as they're patient enough to wait 
  nearby. This occurs so frequently that most people, upon 
  hearing that someone is headed to Caer-Konig, remark, 
  "A'right, safe travels, an' don't forget yer torch," referring 
  to a yetis' instinctual fear of fire.   
   
  AREAS OF NOTE 
  The following areas of Caer-Konig are of note. Although 
  The Northern Light is no less important than any other 
  locale, it's already detailed in Rime of the Frostmaiden.  
   
  RUINED CAER 
  To demonstrate Caer-Konig's fall, the Companion adds 
  this detail to the locale.  
  The ruined caer that fell to orcs years ago is haunted by 
  harmless spirits who reenact the bloody siege from both 
  sides of the conflict. These spirits, who consist of orcs and 
  humans, are more animated memories than actual entities. 
  The spirits glow an azure light that helps push back the 
  darkness, which has been appreciated by townsfolk ever 
  since Auril cloaked the land in twilight.  
  The apparitions can't be harmed, nor can they harm 
  others. They ignore all actions by other creatures. The 
  battle they reenact is the final one—when the caer's doors 
  were battered down and the orcs stormed the stronghold. 
  Since the caer is destroyed, once the orcs storm the stairs, 
  a ghostly building manifests, depicting the caer as it was 
  in its heyday—a sight that the townsfolk have begun to 
  associate with their own communal identity.   
  When the spectral caer materializes, the entire structure 
  sheds bright light out to a distance of 60 feet and dim light 
  for another 60 feet. Creatures can still peer inside past the 
  spectral walls to see the battles therein. 
  The final battle lasts half an hour as the defenders hole 
  up inside and the orcs valiantly storm their defenses. 
  Characters that witness this spectacle for the first time 
  gain Inspiration, which they can use within the next week. 
   
   
  
   
  14 
  HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER 
  This inn is one of the last few sources of joy and fun in all 
  of Caer-Konig. Without it, the townsfolk will finally be 
  lost to bitter despair.  
  Drinking Contests. The locals are fond of challenging 
  visitors to drinking contests. What visitors don't know is 
  that the patrons are using this to help nurse their bruised 
  pride—with Caer-Konig in such rapid decline, the towns-
  folk have grown resentful of the other Ten-Towners. They 
  are desperate to prove themselves in this simple contest 
  and are sore losers, indeed. 
  Drinking contests come in two forms: 
  • Chug! The participants must race to down their ale. Roll 
  initiative for all participants, adding one's Constitution 
  modifier to the check instead of Dexterity. The best 
  drinkers make this check with a +2-4 bonus. As the 
  contestants are winnowed down, the patrons begin to 
  chant, "We like to drink with [participant's name] cause 
  [name] is our mate! And when we drink with [name], 
  they finish it in 8! 7! 6! 5!" (this continues until zero, in 
  which the crowd boos and groans, or until the person 
  downs their drink, in which they cheer). If more than 
  half the other participants have finished their drinks, the 
  remaining participants are eliminated from the contest. 
  • Endurance. Participants must outlast their rivals. Each 
  round, a participant drinks a mug of ale and makes a 
  Constitution saving throw against being poisoned, the 
  DC equaling 12 + the current number of rounds. On a 
  failure, a character can't stomach any more ale; if they 
  fail the check by 5 or more, they cough up their ale or 
  vomit. They are also poisoned for 1d4 hours. Patrons 
  have grown weary of dwarves, who can drink twice as 
  much without becoming sick and insist that, unless only 
  dwarves are left in the contest, dwarves must drink 
  twice (making the same DC Constitution saving throw 
  twice, to eliminate their advantage).  
   
  If a local wins a contest, the tavern erupts into cheers. If 
  a visitor wins, they grow sullen and insist on a rematch, 
  or turn to another game. A character that succeeds on a 
  DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion) check can snuff out this 
  growing resentment and win over the crowd. Buying a 
  round of ale for everyone causes them to automatically 
  succeed on this check. A round of drinks costs 1d6+24 cp.  
   
  QUEST: THE UNSEEN 
  Like many other of the town quests, The Unseen cannot 
  be mounted by 1st-level adventurers. Not only are the foes 
  in this quest each CR 1 or higher, they're also fortified in 
  a stronghold they themselves designed.  
  Ultimately, the quest is worth your time—and it can 
  even be considered crucial for the first act of RoFM, as it 
  introduces the party to Xardorok Sunblight's forces; this 
  duergar warlord is the chief antagonist of the campaign's 
  second act. The Companion recommends running this 
  quest at 3rd-level, but not 4th.   
  Trovus. If you're running this quest for a 3rd-level party 
  or lower, consider having Trovus tag along. Pining for the 
  glory of his old adventuring days, Trovus quickly agrees. 
  He does, however, show up drunk. Unless he runs out of 
  booze (which happens if he is knocked prone, causing the 
  bottles in his pack to shatter) or is convinced through a 
  DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, he remains drunk 
  (as in suffering the poisoned condition) for the adventure. 
  Trovus, a NG veteran, has the following changes to his 
  statistics: 
  • He has resistance to cold damage. 
  • He has the following action option: 
   
  Draconic Breath (1/Day). Trovus unleashes a blast of 
  frigid air. Each creature in a 15-foot-cone must succeed 
  on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or take 7 (2d6) 
  cold damage. On a success, a creature takes half as 
  much damage.   
   
   
  QUICK NOTES 
  Summary. Duergar thieves must be brought to justice. 
  Quest-Giver. Speaker Trovus, NG dragonborn veteran 
  Foes. 5 duergar, 5 tribal warrior spore servants, + 1 
  ogre zombie 
  Hazards. Blizzard 
  Reward. Free lodgings at The Northern Light 
   
  SCALING DIFFICULTY 
  When running this encounter, consider this change: 
  • For parties of 2nd-level, ensure that the adventurers have 
  the chance to approach the keep stealthily; the duergar 
  in O3 should be distracted (see O3 for details).  
  • For parties of 4th-level, add an extra 1d4+4 duergar to 
  the keep, half of whom are asleep and slow to react 
  when an alarm is raised.  
  • For parties of 5th-level or higher, add only 1d4+2 extra 
  duergar, but turn Nildar into a duergar soulblade (see 
  Appendix B for statistics).  
   
   
   
  
   
  15 
  THE DUERGAR OUTPOST 
  The following areas are of note: 
   
  O1. BUNKER 
  While the duergar makes potshots with his crossbow (+2 
  to hit, 1d10 piercing damage), remind your players that 
  ranged attacks have disadvantage against prone targets. If 
  the adventurers are willing to sacrifice time, they can run 
  forward, throw themselves prone, and slowly advance to 
  the keep.  
   
  O2. MAIN KEEP 
  If an alarm was raised, the duergar from Area O3 is 
  rushing towards the pull-chain to raise the drawbridge. 
  Read the following: 
  Breaching the keep, you are confronted by a deep pit 
  spanned by a drawbridge. The bridge is clearly controlled 
  by a simple pull-chain mechanism—and it's towards this 
  chain that a grey dwarf is rushing, huffing and puffing and 
  cursing in Dwarvish!  
  Roll initiative for the duergar, contesting it with any party 
  members inside the keep. On the duergar's first turn, she 
  runs the last 20 feet to the chain and uses her action to pull 
  the drawbridge up. If any creatures are on the drawbridge, 
  the duergar must succeed on a Strength (Athletics) check 
  to pull it up. The DC equals 10 + (2 x for every 50 pounds 
  of weight on the drawbridge). Otherwise, it fails. 
  Remember that characters with a Strength score of 20 
  that perform a running jump can leap across the chasm. 
  The Companion suggests allowing creatures with a score 
  of 15 or higher to succeed on the jump if they also succeed 
  on a DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check. Although this 
  violates the rules for jumping (a creature can only jump a 
  number of feet equal to their Strength modifier), the 
  Companion holds that Rule of Cool trumps that rule.  
  If the duergar fails to raise the drawbridge, she enlarges 
  herself on her next turn and rushes to release the ogre 
  zombie, whose cage is 15 feet away.  
  Trovus. If Trovus is present, he gallantly shouts, "But a 
  simple gap! As if that could stop me!" He leaps across the 
  gap; if he fails his Str. (Athletics) check, he doesn't cover 
  enough distance and just barely catches the edge of the pit 
  to halt his fall. He can be helped up by another creature 
  that succeeds on a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check made 
  as an action. Otherwise, he must an action to attempt a DC 
  15 Strength (Athletics) check to pull himself up. One of 
  his weapons fall into the pit below.   
   
  O3. OVERLOOK 
  The Companion suggests delaying the amount of time it 
  takes for the duergar stationed here to make it to O2 so 
  they have a fighting chance to cross the drawbridge before 
  it is raised. If the adventurers investigate Area O3, they 
  find a strange metallic tool next to a pile of nail clippings.  
  O5. CHOKEPOINT 
  Provided Nildar is aware of the adventurers, he waits for 
  a foe to enter the chokepoint and triggers the trap. When 
  that occurs, read the following: 
  A dwarven accent barks out from the dark in Common: 
  "Haha! Got ya now, ya bugger!" You hear the groan of 
  cogs inside the wall—and spikes come screeching out of 
  the floor and ceiling! 
   
  O6. COMMANDER'S QUARTERS 
  If Nildar retreats here, read the following text instead of 
  what is presented in Rime of the Frostmaiden: 
  The chamber is lit with strobing colors—blue, then green, 
  then red—cast from a glowing burlap sack. In the gloom 
  stands a duergar warrior, his war pick drawn. Assuming a 
  battle stance, he shouts in heavily-accented Common: 
  "Ye'll never take me alive! The Day of the Duergar is at 
  hand!"  
  Nildar is fond of mocking foes in battle; as his hit points 
  are depleted, he grows more winded. If he recognizes no 
  dwarves among the party, he speaks in Common.  
  • When he uses his Enlarge ability, Nildar shouts, "Behold 
  the might of the duergar!" 
  • If an attack misses him, Nildar mocks, "Crag cat gotcha 
  now, did it?" 
  • If he scores a critical hit with his war pick, Nildar mocks, 
  "As slow as stone, ye are!" 
   
  Defeating Nildar. For a less cliché exposition from this 
  villain, consider this alternative speech:  
  The dwarf snarls at you in fanged Common, "Your end is 
  nigh! My father will see this land undone! There is power 
  in the ice—power you will never understand! An ill wind 
  is on the rise, and with it comes your doom!" 
   
  O7. SPORE SERVANTS 
  When the spore servants emerge from their cells, read: 
  Out from the dark emerge horrors you were better left not 
  seeing—ordinary men and women, now dead and covered 
  in fungal growths. They move slowly but with a purpose 
  that you can easily divine as "murderous."  
  Stagger the spore servants so that two emerge together, 
  followed by a third on the second round of combat, with 
  the last two finally emerging from the corner cells on the 
  third round. Otherwise, the adventurers are likely to be 
  overwhelmed.  
  Trovus. If Trovus is present, he gallantly shouts, "Spore 
  servants! Vile creatures! I'll hold them off, heroes!" He 
  then rushes into battle and is overwhelmed by the spore 
  servants.  
   
   
   
  
   
  16 
  O8. DUERGAR QUARTERS 
  As they were sleeping, these duergar don't have enough 
  time to don their armor. If they rush out for battle, they 
  each have an AC of 10. Alternatively, they are attempting 
  to don that armor when the adventurers first encounter 
  them. Read the following: 
  Delving into what can only be the duergars' sleeping 
  quarters, you hear the clink of scale mail. Two dwarves 
  are trying to don their armor. One is hopping on one foot 
  as he tries to stuff his foot into his greaves; the other has 
  his scale mail on backwards.  
  "C'mon, c'mon!" the first duergar shouts—the words 
  being the same in Common and Dwarvish. 
  The other dwarf shouts back in what can only be 
  Dwarvish for, "I'm trying!" 
   
  AFTERMATH 
  In the aftermath of this foray, remind the adventurers of 
  what Nildar said: that the "Day of the Duergar" is at hand, 
  and that doom rides upon an ill wind." Make it a refrain. 
  If they pay it little heed, the words haunt Trovus, if he 
  heard them or was made aware of them.  
  Trovus. It's clear that Trovus has a drinking problem. 
  With a new threat rising in Icewind Dale, he may abandon 
  the bottle to tackle this new quest. The party can spur this 
  decision along with a successful DC 13 Charisma or 
  Wisdom (Persuasion) check.  
   
   
   
  
   
  17 
  DOUGAN'S HOLE 
  Dougan's Hole is the backwater village of Ten-Towns. 
  You have complete license to voice these inbred folks 
  with whichever ridiculous accent you choose. A Dougan's 
  Hole native can be identified by this accent with ease. The 
  people here are hospitable but not kind. Their small and 
  insular community is a breeding ground for disease and 
  xenophobia. 
   
  TOWN QUICK NOTES 
  • Dougan's Hole is too small to support any industry. 
  • The town is rife with inbreeding and xenophobia. 
  • The townsfolk approach every problem with dimwitted 
  tenacity, rather than ingenuity.  
  • This town's quest will annihilate 1st-level parties. A 
  single winter wolf can average 18 damage on a turn.  
   
  TOWN TRAITS 
  Dougan's Hole as a whole has these traits: 
  Ideal. "Every problem can be fixed with hard work."  
  Bond. "Family first." 
  Flaw. "Outsiders aren't to be trusted—especially those 
  no-good folks from Good Mead." 
   
  SACRIFICE TO AURIL 
  The town has turned their weekly sacrifice of warmth, 
  which occurs on the seventh day of the week, into one big 
  community event. The villagers gather at the townhall to 
  share their body heat; by the next morning, the entire hall 
  reeks of sweat and body odor. People who refuse to par-
  take in the event, even if they will also sacrifice their 
  warmth to Auril, are dragged there by a cheerful mob of 
  hicks who don't take no for an answer.   
  The villagers sacrifice their warmth once a tenday, but 
  the day is always random. Frederick Ortym ("Ol' Fre" as 
  the townsfolk call him), a senile codger rumored to have 
  been both the first and third cousin of a druid, determines 
  the day Dougan's Hole must make its sacrifice by sitting 
  in the Twenty Stones of Thruun. His recommendation is 
  heeded, even if he declares that the town must sacrifice its 
  warmth two nights in a row (at the end of one tenday and 
  the start of another).  
   
  STARTING THE CAMPAIGN 
  Dougan's Hole makes for a poor start in your campaign, 
  but it can be worth visiting in the first session if the party 
  undertakes the Cold-Hearted Killer quest. They arrive to 
  Dougan's Hole in a cloud of suspicion. 
  By starting in Dougan's Hole, you present Icewind Dale 
  at its worst to the players. Since they can only go to better 
  towns, you neglect the themes of desperation and horror 
  that the campaign relies upon.  
  DOUGAN'S HOLE 
  Trait 
  Statistics  
  Friendliness ❄  
  Services 
  ❄ 
  Comfort 
  ❄ 
  Population 50 
  Leader(s) 
  Speaker Edgra Durmoot (N) 
  Militia 
  12 tribal warriors + 1 veteran 
  Sacrifice 
  Warmth 
   
  TRAVELING TO DOUGAN'S HOLE 
  There is very little reason to travel to Dougan's Hole; it is 
  both inconsequential and inconveniently placed. The path 
  has few dangers not caused by acclimate weather. Even 
  monsters and beasts shun the place.  
   
  AREAS OF NOTE 
  The following areas of Dougan's Hole are of note: 
   
  TWENTY STONES OF THRUUN 
  Standing stones jut out from atop a hill just to the south-
  west of town; you quickly count nineteen menhirs, with 
  another at the center, as if it were the spoke of some great 
  wheel.  
  The megaliths are a druidic monument that Nature clerics 
  and druids can meditate in for guidance. By spending an 
  hour or more and succeeding on a DC 12 Wisdom saving 
  throw, the character can prepare three additional druid or 
  cleric spells that day.  
  Additionally, this character may be graced with insight 
  to some of the secrets of Icewind Dale, such as: 
  • Nature itself resents the Everlasting Rime imposed by 
  the Frostmaiden. 
  • The Frostmaiden is aware of the sacrifices made to her—
  and they only manage to keep her from doing worse to 
  the dale; they don't encourage her to lighten up. 
  • Aberrations poison the land with their alien presence. 
  See Id Ascendant in Chapter 2. 
   
  Codger. Frederick Ortym, the senile old man, is sitting 
  cross-legged at the center of the stones when the party 
  first visits the area. This CG human commoner is busy 
  determining when "the Frostmaid" wants Dougan's Hole 
  to next sacrifice their warmth. He opens one eye to look 
  at the party and then pats the ground next to him, saying, 
  "Take a seat, more the merrier. All life's troubles can be 
  divined in this circle here."   
   
  TOWNHALL 
  When the adventurers near this place, they're confronted 
  with the reek of body odor, sweat, and urine. A sign out 
  front is painted with the words "Next Sacrice" (meaning 
  "sacrifice"). Below the words are ten numbers, which 
  each represent the day of a tenday; the villagers drive a 
  nail into the appropriate number to mark which day this 
  week they'll gather to sacrifice their warmth.  
  
   
  18 
  QUEST: HOLED UP 
  Holed Up is completely unbalanced for low-level parties, 
  even if the designers intended for its combatants to hold 
  back on the party. However, what they fail to account for 
  is that creatures will fight in self-defense. Once they are 
  threatened, they shed any restraint.   
  The combatants in this quest are sapient beasts, making 
  them well-acquainted to the rules of the wild, where the 
  fittest and fastest live and all others die. Because of this, 
  you can't expect the beasts to show mercy.  
  This quest is better undertaken by 3rd-level or higher 
  adventurers, but even still, a winter wolf's Cold Breath 
  deals 18 damage on average (to all targets in its area), so 
  two of them can slaughter a party.  
   
  QUICK NOTES 
  Summary. Winter wolves have ransomed two villagers 
  that they abducted from Dougan's Hole.  
  Quest-Giver. Speaker Edra Durmoot, N human scout 
  Foes. 2 winter wolves, 1 mammoth, 1d6+1 wolves 
  Hazards. Blizzard 
  Reward. Boots of the winterlands 
   
  SCALING DIFFICULTY 
  When running this encounter, consider these changes: 
  • For a party of 1st-level adventurers, change the winter 
  wolves into awakened wolves and reduce the mammoth 
  to an elephant (see Appendix B).  
  • For a party of 2nd-level adventurers, change the winter 
  wolves into awakened dire wolves. 
   
  LODGE AREAS 
  The following areas of the lodge are of note:  
   
  L1. EXTERIOR 
  So close to the lodge now, you can see that it is adorned 
  in runes written in the Giant language. The runes, you see, 
  paint a picture: a giant befriending a pair of wolves, then, 
  later a mammoth.  
  If the adventurers hesitate to enter the lodge, and the 
  wolves are present, Kanan growls, "Go on then. Your kin 
  are inside and, if we know our master, they aren't long for 
  this world." 
   
  L3. CAGED TOWNSFOLK 
  When the adventurers enter this room, Silja whispers to 
  them. Read the following: 
  Snapping out of her daze, the spindly girl in the cage gets 
  a harsh look in her eyes. "Psst!" she whispers, "get us out 
  of here before the wolves come back!" 
  Silja reveals that the winter wolves are evil. If asked about 
  their frost giant master, Finn says, "What giant? There's 
  just a talkin' mammoth here. Now that's a giant." 
   
   
  L4. ENTRANCE CORRIDOR 
  When the adventurers enter this room, they can hear the 
  mournful trumpeting of Norsu, the mammoth in the other 
  room. The beast can only express his sorrow through his 
  trunk; although mammoths can produce tears, they aren't 
  necessarily tied to emotions, even if one is awakened.  
   
  L5. GARAGAI'S ICY TOMB 
  You don't have to have Norsu fight the adventurers. A 
  mad dash through the lodge as the beast smashes through 
  walls is more cinematic than a battle. If the adventurers 
  flee, all of Norsu's attacks are made with disadvantage and 
  his speed is reduced to 20 feet, as he must navigate the icy 
  floors and corners.  
  Should Norsu corner someone, sacrifice either Finn or 
  one of the kobolds in Area L6, who also make a dash for 
  the exit. Norsu tramples them underfoot. Provided these 
  elements are accounted for, read the following text: 
  The mammoth trumpets its unnatural rage and charges! 
  Your instincts have your feet running long before your 
  mind can catch up! Through the halls you dash, slipping 
  and sliding on the ice, as the mammoth crashes through 
  the brittle walls, raining shards of ice upon you! Outside, 
  you hear the wolves howling with pleasure. 
  As you make your dash, out come more enemies—
  kobolds! But wait! They too are fleeing, and together you 
  rush through the halls. There comes a squeal and the crash 
  of a huge foot crushing a kobold's bones!  
  Before embarking on this, however, you must let your 
  players decide whether they will fight or flee. A DC 12 
  Int. (Investigation) or Wis. (Insight) check is enough to 
  inform an adventurer that they can't handle a sentient 
  mammoth and the wolves outside.  
   
  L6. WAR ROOM 
  When the adventurers discover the kobolds gathered here, 
  they see that one of them, Holgi, is crying. It was he who 
  killed the chwinga (out of surprise) and that crime has 
  destroyed him. He risks alerting Norsu if he isn't quieted 
  with a DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion) check.   
  These kobolds are NG; they latch onto the adventurers 
  if they're shown mercy. They are willing to act as retainers 
  for the adventurers, striking up tents and foraging for 
  food. If brought to Termalaine, they thank the party for 
  their company and seek out the kobolds hiding out in the 
  gem mine (see A Beautiful Mine).   
   
  SNEAKING OUT 
  If the adventurers are discovered by the winter wolves, 
  they call out for Norsu, who bursts from the lodge, his 
  trunk trumpeting in fury. He arrives in 1d4+1 turns. 
  Unless the party is 3rd-level or higher, it's recommended 
  that the adventurers be given a chance to flee. The wolves 
  still attack, but they fall upon poor Finn, whose death 
  gives the adventurers time to escape.  
  
   
  19 
  EASTHAVEN 
  Easthaven is the reminder of what Icewind Dale once was 
  and, if the optimists can be believed, can be again. Where-
  as the other settlements are grim or in decline, Easthaven 
  has maintained its good spirits. With all their comforts 
  and gold, the town seldom encounters trouble. Why, some 
  Easthaveners have never even seen another settlement, 
  besides Targos or Bryn Shander. They don't know how 
  bleak life in Ten-Towns can be—and the government is 
  interested in maintaining that ignorance. 
  Pickpockets. The adventurers must keep a weather eye 
  out for pickpockets in Easthaven. Once an hour, contest a 
  character's passive Perception score against a thief's Dex. 
  (Sleight of Hand) check (made with a +4 bonus). On a 
  failure, the pickpocket steals something off their person.  
  Likewise, the adventurers are free to steal as well, with-
  out having to worry about legal repercussions—although 
  that doesn't mean someone won't attack the party (non-
  lethally) in response.  
   
  TOWN QUICK NOTES 
  • Pickpocketing is legal in Easthaven. 
  • Rinaldo at the The White Lady Inn is corret—there is 
  treasure at the bottom of the lake.  
  • The town quest, Toil and Trouble, should only be under-
  taken by 4th-level adventurers.  
  • A wizard is due to be burned at the stake for murdering 
  dale-folk he had hired for an expedition.  
   
  TOWN TRAITS 
  Easthaven as a whole has these traits: 
  Ideal. "We are what Icewind Dale once was and can be 
  again."  
  Bond. "Thievery is a legacy we can all share."  
  Flaw. "There is no trouble within Easthaven or 
  without." 
   
  SACRIFICE TO AURIL 
  The bloody sacrifices Easthaven makes to appease Auril 
  are considered grim affairs for the townsfolk—which is 
  why so many are interested in watching the Red Wizard 
  of Thay burn soon; for once it isn't one of their ilk that's 
  due to die. 
  Easthaven doesn't have the same population as Targos 
  or Bryn Shander; their sacrifices are much more personal, 
  meaning that while they could sacrifice food or warmth, 
  they are more devoted to the comforts they already have 
  than to their fellow neighbors. This disregard for life may 
  have been encouraged by the legal pickpocketing; it may 
  be owed to the relative prosperity Easthaven has enjoyed 
  for centuries, and still enjoys to this day.  
  In short, the Easthaveners are selfish and value material 
  goods and comfort more than the lives of their neighbors.  
   
   
  EASTHAVEN 
  Trait 
  Statistics  
  Friendliness ❄ ❄ 
  Services 
  ❄❄❄ 
  Comfort 
  ❄❄❄ 
  Population 750 
  Leader(s) 
  Speaker Danneth Waylen (CG) & Capt. Imdra 
  Arlaggath (LG) 
  Militia 
  150 tribal warriors + 12 veterans 
  Sacrifice 
  Humanoid 
   
  STARTING THE CAMPAIGN 
  Easthaven is one of the better starts to the campaign, so 
  long as the adventurers are guided to Dougan's Hole for 
  the Cold-Hearted Killer starter quest. The execution of 
  the Red Wizard is an excellent opening to the campaign 
  that you should still feature if you start here. However, 
  you must delay the issuing of Toil and Trouble if you do 
  so; the adventurers are approached by Captain Arlaggath 
  later on, after word of the adventurers' exploits has spread.  
  Additionally, if you run the Séance event at The White 
  Lady Inn, you can advance 1st-level characters to 2nd-
  level if they can subdue the poltergeist that appears.  
   
  TRAVELING TO EASTHAVEN 
  The Eastway, the road to Easthaven, is paved, making the 
  route more reliable and quicker for wheeled vehicles. 
  Merchants—the lifeblood of Ten-Towns, as many say—
  can be met frequently on the road during the day, as can 
  frequent patrols from Bryn Shander and Easthaven. Both 
  towns are interested in preserving this trade route and 
  dispatch squads of 1d4+2 tribal warriors to patrol the 
  route from mule- or axe beak-drawn carts. To reach the 
  half-way point takes three hours. Except during fierce 
  weather, four daily patrols are launched.  
   
  AREAS OF NOTE 
  Easthaven's locales are already fleshed out in Rime of the 
  Frostmaiden and should be run as-is. The White Lady Inn 
  is a mandatory locale for the adventurers. Other locations 
  can be visited in due time.  
   
   
   
  
   
  20 
  QUEST: TOIL AND TROUBLE 
  Toil and Trouble will challenge even a 4th-level party. It 
  features a CR 6 undead giant that averages 50 damage per 
  turn. Even though the quest is written with the expectation 
  that the adventurers will employ stealth, that's simply an 
  outlandish foe to place in the dungeon. The Companion 
  holds that this quest shouldn’t even be embarked upon 
  until the adventurers are 5th-level.   
   
  QUICK NOTES 
  Summary. A hag has murdered local fishermen.  
  Quest-Giver. Captain Arlaggath, LG half-elf veteran 
  Foes. 1 sea hag, 1 frost giant skeleton, 1 dire wolf, 1 
  water weird, 1 will-o'-wisp, 2 harpies 
  Reward. A spell scroll of fireball or bag of tricks (gray) 
   
  SCALING DIFFICULTY 
  When running this encounter, consider these changes: 
  • For a party of 3rd-level or lower, remove the frost giant 
  skeleton outright. It can be replaced by a minotaur 
  skeleton, which can be considered a frost giant juvenile 
  that was mercy-killed in the caves.   
  • For a party of 5th-level or higher, the infamous frost 
  giant skeleton breaks free from the ice in 1d3 rounds 
  before joining the fray.  
   
  THE CAULDRON CAVES 
  With exception for the frost giant skeleton mentioned 
  above, the Cauldron Caves are a well-designed dungeon 
  that don't require any changes. Run it as presented in Rime 
  of the Frostmaiden.  
   
   
   
  
   
  21 
  GOOD MEAD 
  Without Good Mead's eponymous drink, Icewind Dale 
  would lose itself to despair. Life is already haggard here, 
  and this blow to the central morale might be a death knell. 
  If the Everlasting Rime doesn't kill Ten-Towns first, then 
  utter despair will.  
  Meaders, as the townsfolk call themselves, take great 
  pride in their work. They're fond of these sentiments: 
  • "Sure, we aren't as cultured as Bryn Shander, but we all 
  know who they turn to in dry times."  
  • "Targos has its fishing, we our brewing."   
  • "Go anywhere in Ten-Towns and say 'I'm a Meader.' See 
  how many doors it opens."  
   
  TOWN QUICK NOTES 
  • Speaker, Kendrick Rielsbarrow was killed two days ago. 
  His body is in the Shrine of the Flaming Sword.  
  • An election looms, pitting Olivessa up against Shandar, 
  the blackmailed puppet of Speaker Maxildanarr in the 
  town of Targos.  
  • The town quest, The Mead Must Flow, cannot be under-
  taken by adventurers lower than 3rd-level.  
   
  TOWN TRAITS 
  Good Mead as a whole has these traits: 
  Ideal. "Raise your spirits with a spirit." 
  Bond. "Icewind Dale cherishes our mead—and with it, 
  our hard work."   
  Flaw. "Mead is the lifeblood of Ten-Towns and we are 
  its heart."  
   
  SACRIFICE TO AURIL 
  The Meaders sacrifice their warmth to the Frostmaiden. 
  Unlike the savages in Dougan's Hole, the townsfolk think 
  of it as a private affair. They always perform the sacrifice 
  on the fifth day of a tenday.  
   
  STARTING THE CAMPAIGN 
  Good Mead would be a good start for your campaign if its 
  quest could be undertaken by parties of 1st-2nd level. 
  Forest forays are a staple among early leveling. Unless the 
  adventurers are given another task in the forest, they have 
  little to do here except leave. If you are still set on starting 
  in Good Mead, use the Nature Spirits quest to draw them 
  into the forest, and Cold-Hearted Killer to Dougan's Hole. 
  The death of the town speaker, which is at the heart of The 
  Mead Must Flow, should occur after the adventurers have 
  left for towns like Bryn Shander or Easthaven. 
  If the death occurs at the start of the campaign, you lose 
  the urgency of it—the adventurers can't tackle the quest 
  at such a low-level, so they must leave to gain experience 
  elsewhere. In that time, the players will forget about the 
  speaker's death.   
  If you start your adventurers off at 3rd-level, then the 
  Companion suggests Good Mead as the starting town.  
  GOOD MEAD 
  Trait 
  Statistics  
  Friendliness ❄ ❄ 
  Services 
  ❄ 
  Comfort 
  ❄❄ 
  Population 100 
  Leader(s) 
  None 
  Militia 
  20 tribal warriors + 2 veterans 
  Sacrifice 
  Warmth 
   
  TRAVELING TO GOOD MEAD 
  The perpetual, overwhelming buzzing of Good Mead's 
  bees seems to discourage monsters; the road to town is 
  bereft of most dangers, except where it strays too close to 
  the forest. Any manner of beasts living there may deign 
  to pay travelers on the road a visit: wolves, brown bears, 
  bobcats and more.  
   
  THE ELECTION 
  In the aftermath of The Mead Must Flow, the adventurers 
  have the chance to intervene in the upcoming election. 
  This event can ripple throughout Ten-Towns; if Shandar 
  Froth is elected, the evil Speaker Maxildanarr of Targos 
  can add Good Mead to his influence—and with it, control 
  of the mead trade. He has Shandar favor Targos, giving 
  the town deep discounts, much to the agitation of the other 
  towns.  
   
  QUEST: THE MEAD MUST FLOW 
  Although this quest is built with the expectation of subter-
  fuge (and holding some goats hostage), you must exercise 
  caution with this quest. It features up to four giants, who 
  each deal an average of 13 damage in a single attack, 
  which is equal to the maximum number of hit points a 
  bard, rogue, or warlock can have at 1st level.   
  Although the quest is well-designed, it is not fitting for 
  adventurers below 3rd-level. It needs no new additions by 
  the Companion except for the difficulty scaling below.  
   
  QUICK NOTES 
  Summary. A verbeeg has murdered the five militiamen, 
  and the town speaker, and stolen three casks of mead. 
  Quest-Giver. Any local 
  Foes. 1 ogre, 2-3 verbeeg marauders, 1 polar bear 
  Reward. Free lodgings and drinks for a tenday 
   
  SCALING DIFFICULTY 
  The Companion holds that this quest cannot be attempted 
  by adventurers lower than 3rd-level. However, if you are 
  still intent on doing it, consider these changes: 
  • Reduce the verbeeg marauder's Multiattack to either 
  one attack, or reduce the damage of its Spear attack to 
  2d6. Additionally, reduce its hit points to 55.  
  • In V3, stagger it so the ogre arrives 1d3+1 rounds after 
  the verbeeg does.  
   
  
   
  22 
  LONELYWOOD 
  It is no secret that Lonelywood attracts vagabonds and 
  fugitives. Any Ten-Towner knows that if they need a dirty 
  deed done (preferably dirt cheap) they can find a willing 
  employee in Lonelywood.  
  For all the dark deeds committed by its citizens, Lonely-
  wood is still a place of redemption. Migrants both foreign 
  and domestic can find a fresh start here, as long as they 
  are willing to try.  
   
  TOWN QUICK NOTES 
  • Most folks in Lonelywood have a sordid past. 
  • Crime is rampant here; most shady business is done in 
  the woods just outside town.  
  • Lonelywood is the main source of Ten-Towns' lumber.  
   
  TOWN TRAITS 
  Lonelywood as a whole has these traits: 
  Ideal. "Everyone deserves a second chance." 
  Bond. "A home can make all the difference."  
  Flaw. "Mind your business." 
   
  SACRIFICE TO AURIL 
  This corner of Maer Dualdron rarely freezes over, and so 
  Lonelywood can spare food for the beasts and monsters 
  that embody the Frostmaiden's wrath. However, with the 
  forest right on their doorstep, the villagers don't want to 
  encourage ordinary beasts to start venturing into town for 
  food. They instead prefer to sacrifice their food to aquatic 
  animals, like a strange pod of seals that inhabit this lake 
  instead of the Sea of Moving Ice. When they fear that they 
  can't get away with hurling food into the waters, they 
  venture north to leave an offering far, far away from town. 
   
  STARTING THE CAMPAIGN 
  Lonelywood is a great place to start your campaign if the 
  party is already at 3rd-level (or 2nd-level and they are 
  soon advanced to 3rd). Forays into the forest are a staple 
  of low-level adventuring. Additionally, with how unique 
  the townsfolk's backgrounds are, you can come up with a 
  myriad of reasons why the party would meet here and not 
  in a more populated area, like Bryn Shander.   
   
  TRAVELING TO LONELYWOOD 
  The road to Lonelywood runs alongside the forest, which 
  is pregnant with silence. Save for the periodic crash of a 
  felled tree, or the shouts of distant loggers, the woods are 
  eerily silent. This eeriness is enough to discourage Terma-
  laine citizens from visiting, even though the settlement is 
  only two hours away by foot.  
  With Lonelywood being the main source of Ten-Towns' 
  lumber, carts carrying the stuff are frequently seen on the 
  road. This material is often treated as valuable as gold. 
  Typically, a lumber merchant (a commoner) is protected 
  by 1d4+1 tribal warriors.  
  LONELYWOOD 
  Trait 
  Statistics  
  Friendliness ❄ ❄❄ 
  Services 
  ❄❄ 
  Comfort 
  ❄❄ 
  Population 100 
  Leader(s) 
  Speaker Nimsy Huddle (LG) 
  Militia 
  50 tribal warriors + 4 veterans 
  Sacrifice 
  Food 
   
  AREAS OF NOTE 
  The following areas of Lonelywood are of note: 
   
  TREE LINE: THE SHADY SATYR  
  A recently refurbished cabin stands at the tree line. From 
  its awning hangs as a wooden board that depicts a winking 
  satyr flipping a coin. The sign boldly declares The Shady 
  Satyr: Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.  
  One enterprising spy named Wayne Tetbra (a LE human) 
  has decided that there is no reason to make sordid deals in 
  the shadows. Rather than offering services of his own, he 
  acts as a liaison for Lonelywood's more… capable folk. 
  When someone needs an unscrupulous act done, they turn 
  to Tetbra to broker the deal and find an employee. Like-
  wise, thieves and hitmen can use him to find employers 
  of their own. Tetbra charges a 10 gp finder's fee, plus 5% 
  of the take for his services.  
  What makes Tetbra a promising liaison is that he under-
  went a magical procedure years ago that prevents magic, 
  such as a detect thoughts spell, from reading his mind.  
   
  RAMSHACKLE 
  When the adventurers near this closed inn, they see some 
  humans standing nearby. These scouts are some of the 
  hunters that intend to later hunt the fabled white moose. 
  One hunter stands proudly before the inn and says, "When 
  I win this here deed, I'm turnin' this heap into a casino." 
  None of the other hunters know what a casino is.  
   
   
   
  
   
  23 
  QUEST: THE WHITE MOOSE 
  The White Moose is unique in that it almost seems to be 
  designed for the party to tackle in two parts. They must 
  defeat the awakened white moose and the frost druid 
  Ravisin, who lairs in the elven tomb. There is no required 
  order for how these are handled; the adventurers can wait 
  for the moose to leave the tomb, battle Ravisin, and then 
  seek out the moose later—or vice versa.   
  Because of this, you can run this quest at 2nd-level, 
  provided the adventurers level-up midway through. 
  Fighting wolves, a bear, and a banshee (even if they don't 
  defeat it) should be enough to advance them to 3rd-level. 
  Additionally, they can rest in the woods, provided they 
  brought the appropriate equipment or the weather proves 
  fair. Except for the concerns raised in Scaling Difficulty 
  below, and the cinematic chain of events recommended in 
  Running the Quest below, you can run this quest and its 
  dungeon as-is.  
   
  QUICK NOTES 
  Summary. An awakened white moose is slaughtering the 
  loggers of Lonelywood.  
  Quest-Giver. Speaker Nimsy Huddle, LG halfling 
  commoner  
  Foes. 1 awakened white moose, 1 frost druid, possible 
  banshee, brown bear and 1d4+1 wolves 
  Reward. 100-125 gp, deed to closed inn 
   
  SCALING DIFFICULTY 
  This quest features a potent spellcaster; however, it also 
  adds a powerful ally (a mummy) that will obey whom-
  ever awakens it. These elements cancel each other out, 
  provided the adventurers utilize the mummy. If the party 
  doesn't gain their mummy ally, consider these changes:   
  • Forbid Ravisin from casting the conjure animals spell 
  unless the adventurers are relatively unscathed. If she 
  does cast the spell, she summons 1d4+1 wolves or one 
  dire wolf.  
  • For adventurers of 4th-level or higher, add an awakened 
  brown bear that fights alongside Ravisin if the moose 
  will not. Perhaps she has just cast awaken on the beast 
  as they arrive, thus demonstrating the source of these 
  sapient beasts.  
   
  RUNNING THE QUEST 
  The white moose is a terror—a ridiculous terror that the 
  players will regret laughing over. Consider the following: 
  Just as the adventurers are about to embark they are 
  invited to join a hunting party. The party consists of four 
  human scouts and a half-elf spy named Tall One. The 
  party is led by a grizzled hunter named Phrenk. While the 
  party searches the woods, Tall One regales them all with 
  outlandish tales that "definitely happened." 
  The hunting party encounters the brown bear; give the 
  adventurers the first chance to attack or subdue it. After 
  this, the adventurers encounter a few moose (no dice rolls 
  required). After the third moose, the awakened white 
  moose appears and attacks. Contest its Dexterity (Stealth) 
  check with the adventurers' passive Perception scores to 
  determine if they're surprised; all of the hunters are 
  surprised by default.  
  When this occurs, read the following: 
  Through the woods you slink. Just as Tall One tells you, 
  "—and then they made me their chief," braying bursts 
  from the brush! It's there in a flash! The white moose! 
  Phrenk is the first to die as the beast runs him down and 
  impales him on its antlers! The old hunter struggles for a 
  moment before the beast shakes him off; Phrenk lands in 
  a crumbled heap and moves no more.  
  The men are screaming, reaching for their bows, as the 
  terror levels its antlers again and charges! 
  Horror in the Woods. Treat this skirmish as a scene of 
  horror. Each round, the moose makes two attacks. If an 
  attack lands on a scout, they die instantly, trampled under-
  foot or gored on the beast's antlers. The adventurers still 
  get to attack the beast. Once the moose is reduced to 34 
  hit points or fewer, it flees into the brush (which seems to 
  swallow and protect the moose, as if by druidic magic).  
  If three rounds pass and the moose has not been reduced 
  to half its hit points, the hunters become frightened and 
  flee into the forest; Tall One especially loses his mind. If 
  the adventurers follow suit, they end up in the lair of the 
  banshee, whose scream kills the rest of the hunters.   
  The Escape. A character that witnessed the moose's 
  miraculous escape that succeeds on a DC 13 Intelligence 
  (Investigation) check ascertains that some sort of magic 
  forced the wilds to obscure the moose from the hunters' 
  vision (both before and after its appearance). A DC 13 Int. 
  (Arcana) check leads a character to believe the magic is 
  druidic in nature, which hints that there is a druid aiding 
  the moose out in the woods. 
  The Moose. An hour after the encounter with the party, 
  the moose regains 2d10+6 hit points. If eight hours pass 
  before they meet the moose again, it has regained all its 
  hit points.  
  With their companions dead, the adventurers have no 
  choice but to either abandon their quest or follow the 
  moose's tracks deeper into the woods. Regardless of how 
  or when they continue progressing on this quest, run the 
  encounter as it's written in Rime of the Frostmaiden.  
   
   
  
   
  24 
  TARGOS 
  Targos is the source of political intrigue in Ten-Towns. 
  Its leader has complete control over the militia, effectively 
  making the town a dictatorship. Locals have learned not 
  to question or disparage Speaker Maxildanarr, lest the 
  guards find reason to search their home for contraband or 
  "heretical effigies insulting to the Frostmaiden." 
  Targos is now a lawful evil society, and, if its Speaker 
  has his way, Termalaine will be under his sway too. Given 
  time, Targos becomes a Zhentarim enclave.  
   
  TOWN QUICK NOTES 
  • Speaker Maxildanarr was well-liked before he proved 
  himself to be a despot.  
  • Maxildanarr is conspiring to oust Termalaine's Speaker, 
  Oarus Masthew, with a special election. One of his 
  cronies will step up to challenge the speaker.   
  • Zhentarim spies loyal to Maxildanarr are strategically 
  placed throughout Ten-Towns. In Targos, they are 
  always listening for dissent among the populace.   
   
  TOWN TRAITS 
  Targos as a whole has these traits: 
  Ideal. "There is no nobler path than to pick up a rod and 
  feed your fellow man." 
  Bond. "Those who can't make it in Bryn Shander find 
  their true purpose here." 
  Flaw. "Don't question authority." 
   
  SACRIFICE TO AURIL 
  The bloody sacrifice to the Frostmaiden is handled with 
  ruthless efficiency, as befitting a lawful evil government. 
  Whereas Easthaven and Bryn Shander allows a citizen 
  marked for death to spend one final night with their family 
  (albeit under the vigilant watch of the guards), Targos just 
  seizes the individual then and there, imprisoning them.  
  As the new moon draws near, paranoia runs rampant 
  across the townsfolk. Industry grinds to a halt as everyone 
  spends what may be their last day with their loved ones. 
   
  STARTING THE CAMPAIGN 
  The Companion recommends starting the campaign here 
  in Targos, if not Termalaine. Being here allows the party 
  to make a brief stint over to Bremen for Cold-Hearted 
  Killer and, when they return to the quest-giver in Targos, 
  they gain the Mountain Climb quest. The adventurers can, 
  of course, chart their own course, but this chain of events 
  can provide direction in the rudderless, early sessions of 
  the campaign, before the players have learned what Rime 
  of the Frostmaiden's plot is about.   
  Additionally, Mountain Climb satisfies many fantasies 
  of an arctic campaign: a trek across the tundra, a cruel and 
  forbidding mountain, stranded survivors, and ravenous 
  yetis. It's worth pursuing these themes early in your RoFM 
  campaign, as the adventurers won't have much of a chance 
  later to do so, once they become embroiled with the plot. 
  TARGOS 
  Trait 
  Statistics  
  Friendliness ❄ ❄ 
  Services 
  ❄❄❄ 
  Comfort 
  ❄❄ 
  Population 1,000 
  Leader(s) 
  Speaker Naerth Maxildanarr (LE) & Skath (LE) 
  Militia 
  200 tribal warriors + 16 veterans 
  Sacrifice 
  Humanoid 
   
  TRAVELING TO TARGOS 
  With its walls, large garrison, and close proximity to Bryn 
  Shander, the roads to Targos are relatively safe. The chief 
  danger is inclement weather; the area is prone to sudden 
  snowstorms.  
  Whenever the adventurers head to Targos, there's a 25% 
  chance that a blizzard occurs.  
   
  AREAS OF NOTE 
  The following areas of Targos are of note: 
   
  THE LUSKAN ARMS 
  This inn is frequented by guards (tribal warriors) that are 
  tasked with protecting Speaker Maxildanarr, who fears 
  that his many enemies, both domestic and foreign, will 
  make an attempt on his life or, worse, his reign.  
  If the adventurers rent a room, at least one character is 
  placed in a room adjacent to Maxildanarr's. That night, the 
  Speaker is visited by Skath, the Zhent mercenary and 
  militia commander. Characters in that room that succeed 
  on a DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check can eavesdrop on 
  their conversation. Maxildanarr has been kept appraised 
  by his many spies, who hide among Ten-Towns. Thus, he 
  and Skath discuss any of the following topics: 
  • Maxildanarr's agents in Termalaine are successfully 
  drumming up support to depose Speaker Masthew and 
  install a puppet of Maxildanarr's choosing.   
  • Shandar Froth has put forth his name as Speaker of Good 
  Mead in the wake of the former Speaker's death. It is 
  apparent that he is being blackmailed by Maxildanarr.  
  • The ancient white dragon Arveiaturace was sighted to 
  the east.  
  • Duergar have been sighted on the open tundra—clearly 
  they are taking advantage of the Everlasting Rime.   
  • The adventurers hear any of the rumors described in Ch. 
  1 and Ch. 2 (see Tall Tales in Ten-Towns of Ch. 2).  
   
  THE STREETS OF TARGOS: SHAKE-DOWN 
  Maxildanarr's agents have identified a dissident, a tanner 
  named Ben Tyrn (NG human commoner). As he walks to 
  his shop, the guards stop him, claiming they've found 
  evidence of heresy against the Frostmaiden in his home 
  and that they have testimonials from his friends and 
  neighbors that confirm him as such. Truly, Ben's only 
  crime in voicing his complaints against Maxildanarr.  
  
   
  25 
  As the tanner protests, the guards produce manacles 
  and move to clasp Ben's arms behind his back. Ben begins 
  to shout about Maxildanarr's growing tyranny and how, if 
  ordinary folk continue to tolerate his incremental changes 
  to the law, they'll wind up in a prison of their own making. 
  The adventurers can intervene in the conflict; if they 
  succeed on a DC 14 Cha. (Intimidation) check, they can 
  scare the guards into backing down. The guards report 
  back to Skath, who orders the adventurers' arrest. If they 
  are brought into custody, Maxildanarr shows up to offer 
  his "mercy." Provided he suspects the adventurers don't 
  have any strong allies in the region, he offers the party the 
  chance to work for him or be banished from Targos. He 
  begins this offer with, "You work for me now." 
  If the adventurers agree to do his bidding, Maxildanarr 
  tasks them with sabotaging any efforts Speaker Masthew 
  of Termalaine makes to win the support of the miners, 
  who have had to abandon their work. Alternatively, the 
  spymaster might see the value in ridding Bremen and 
  Lonelywood of their woes, for Targos—and therefore his 
  regime—will benefit from their renewed success. 
  Ultimately, Maxildanarr craves power. His later plans 
  include hosting the Council of Speakers in Targos to, 
  effectively, supplant Bryn Shander as the epicenter of 
  Ten-Towns.  
   
  QUEST: MOUNTAIN CLIMB 
  Mountain Climb is a wonderful quest perfect for 3rd-level 
  parties, featuring stranded survivors, crag cats, and yetis. 
  This quest is unique in that it can swiftly deliver the party 
  from one side of Ten-Towns to the other, narratively 
  speaking. Thereafter, they should be strong enough to 
  tackle the duergar and cult of Levistus (see The Unseen 
  and Black Swords in Caers- Dineval and Konig).  
  Concluding the Quest. After leaving Kelvin's Cairn, 
  the adventurers should head to Caer-Dineval; however, if 
  they wish to go straight back to Targos, the Companion 
  recommends not running a wilderness encounter unless 
  the adventurers leveled up upon leaving Kelvin's Cairn.  
  If the adventurers head to Caer-Dineval, it's possible 
  that Keegan has made the journey there himself so that he 
  could see his husband the moment he made it back to 
  civilization.  
   
  QUICK NOTES 
  Summary. A mountain guide and his charges have gone 
  missing at Kelvin's Cairn. Yetis are to blame.  
  Quest-Giver. Keegan, NG human commoner 
  Foes. 1 yeti, 2 crag cats  
  Reward. 4 scrimshaw figurines (10 gp each) 
   
  SCALING DIFFICULTY 
  When running this encounter, consider these changes: 
  • If the adventurers are 2nd-level, reduce the number of 
  crag cats to 1.  
  • If the adventurers are 4th-level or higher, have the yeti 
  mother attack the adventurers, with the father joining in 
  1d3 rounds later.  
   
  TO KELVIN'S CAIRN 
  The Companion recommends that the party goes straight 
  to Kelvin's Cairn from Targos. Keegan, alarmed, presses 
  them to take the quickest route possible and even finances 
  the dogsleds needed to make the trip.  
  While the adventurers are crossing the open tundra, they 
  must contend with a blizzard, followed by a wilderness 
  encounter. However, many of the wilderness encounters 
  described in Chapter 2 are deadly; you cannot leave it up 
  to chance, and you should already know whichever one 
  you're going to run. The Companion recommends using 
  one of the following encounters: 
  • Chwinga, if the party also has the Nature Spirits quest. 
  See Wilderness Encounters, Ch. 2. 
  • Arveiaturace, featuring the ancient white dragon, who 
  does not, under any circumstances, attack the party. She 
  instead snatches up a mammoth and flies back to her 
  lair to eat it. This encounter is meant to be exploratory 
  in nature. See Wilderness Encounters, Ch. 2. 
  • Cycle of Carnage, a custom encounter described below: 
   
  CYCLE OF CARNAGE 
  The adventurers come upon a macabre scene: scattered 
  limbs, scarlet snow, and a gaggle of arctic hyenas. Parkas 
  and packs lie discarded, all weapons and treasures ignored 
  by the lone gnoll fang of Yeenoghu (with 25 hit points 
  remaining) conducting a ghastly ritual needed to spawn 
  more of its foul ilk. If it is not interrupted, the many 
  hyenas feasting upon its victims will bloat up and explode 
  in a shower of gore. It is from those ruined corpses that 
  new gnolls clamber out of, ready to paint this world red in 
  the name of their demonic lord, Yeenoghu.  
  Foul Ritualist. The gnoll is the sole survivor of slain 
  warband that perished to the hands of the Battlehammer 
  dwarves. Despite their heroism and sacrifices, they failed 
  to eliminate the last gnoll. Unfortunately for them, and the 
  region, one survivor is all it takes to spawn a new horde.   
  The gnoll has already begun its ritual; by when the party 
  finds it, the hyenas must feed for two more rounds to birth 
  the gnolls. If either the gnoll or the 1d4+2 hyenas are 
  slain, the ritual fails. If they survive until the end of the 
  second round, the hyenas explode, and out from their guts 
  crawl a number of gnolls equal to the number of hyenas 
  that survived until then. The hyenas, for their part, use 
  their actions to feed on viscera. 
   
   
  
   
  26 
  Demonic Spawn. The gnolls are unarmored (AC 11) 
  and unarmed. Therefore, they can only make Bite attacks. 
  Although there are weapons lying nearby, the gnolls are 
  too fresh to life to know how to wield them. The gnolls 
  also spawn with only 2d4+4 hit points apiece. They 
  swarm the party with no concern for their own wellbeing.  
  Cycle of Carnage. If even a single gnoll survives the 
  fray and escapes, it is blessed by Yeenoghu, becoming a 
  gnoll fang of Yeenoghu. It then devotes itself to 
  spawning yet another warband by gathering arctic hyenas 
  to feed on its future victims. The adventurers have this 
  one chance to spare Icewind Dale from such carnage, 
  otherwise the cycle repeats.  
  Treasure. Whatever ambitions this adventuring party 
  nursed have been forever snuffed out. They consist of a 
  human warrior, an elf archer, a dwarf priest, and a half-
  orc wizard, all dressed in cold weather gear—furs, parkas, 
  and the like. The following can be scavenged from their 
  corpses: 
  • A longsword, a shortbow, twelve arrows in a quiver, a 
  yew wand, and four daggers.   
  • A holy symbol of Dumathoin (a dwarven deity of secrets 
  whose icon can be identified with a DC 12 Religion 
  check).   
  • A spellbook containing the following spells: burning 
  hands, grease, identify, shield, and Tenser's floating 
  disk.  
  • Two sets of hide armor and one set of leather armor.   
  • A total of 8d6+23 gp and 12d4+20 sp.  
  • A potion of healing, clutched in the half-orc wizard's 
  hand.  
  • Four explorer's packs with 2d4+7 rations and 5d10 + 20 
  feet of rope altogether.  
  • An alabaster mask, worn by the dwarf priest, worth 15 
  gp.  
   
  Leveling Up. If the adventurers are 1st- or 2nd-level 
  they can level up from this encounter. Killing just the 
  gnoll fang of Yeenoghu levels them up from 1st to 2nd. 
  If the other gnolls were birthed and dispatched, 2nd-level 
  characters advance to 3rd-level.  
  CLIMBING KELVIN'S CAIRN 
  The climb up Kelvin's Cairn is a harrowing ordeal. Time 
  is of the essence if the adventurers arrived at dusk; to 
  climb the mountain in the dark is tantamount to suicide.   
   
  AVALANCHE 
  See Appendix C for the effects of the avalanche.  
   
  FALLEN CLIMBER 
  Upon being saved, Garret's first concern is rescuing the 
  other hikers. You can voice him with the sample dialogue: 
  • "Yetis… Damned yetis. If only I had lit a torch…" 
  • "Keegan sent you? Gods above, I love that man."  
  • "Look, there isn't—isn't much time! The others are up 
  there, I know it. They're alive, and I know it. And if they 
  aren't, I need to know for sure. I can't abandon them to 
  such a grim fate." 
   
  Scaling Difficulty. If the party is 2nd-level, the number 
  of crag cats must be reduced to one, or the DC to notice 
  them must be lowered from 17 (an almost impossible 
  score for such a low-level adventurer to have, unless they 
  were specifically built that way) to 14. Otherwise, the 
  entire party is likely to be surprised and butchered.  
   
  FROZEN CAVE 
  A cruel wind blows through the cave, howling among its 
  icicles and stalactites.  
  F1. Chasm. Read the following when the adventurers 
  reach this area: 
  The wind howls by you as enter the cave, almost as if it 
  were trying to push you forward into the chasm that gapes 
  inside. To your right, a ledge of stone spans the lethal gap, 
  and to the left is a crossing forged from ice. Were it not 
  for the bones littering the stone-way, it would be quite the 
  tempting path… 
  F2. Trophies. Read the following when the adventurers 
  reach this area: 
  Bones are littered here—massive bones that belong to 
  something between a goliath and an ogre. As you lift your 
  eyes from the bones, you see niches carved into the ice 
  along the walls. Within each and every niche is a 
  decapitated head, all arranged as grim trophies.  
  F3. Yeti Den. Read the following when the adventurers 
  reach this area: 
  Into the belly of the beast you go, determined to be done 
  with this horrid affair once and for all—and in that den, 
  you see a sight most strange: a yeti tyke playing with a 
  curled-up halfling whose pitiful whimpers echo out across 
  the icy cave. 
  A sudden roar cuts at your bones—the tyke's mother 
  shambles forward to defend her child! 
  As the yeti mother interposes herself between the party 
  and her tyke, a DC 13 Wisdom (Insight) check, made as a 
  reaction, is enough for a character to learn that she won't 
  harm them so long as they leave.  
   
   
  CYCLE OF CARNAGE: A SHAMELESS PLUG 
  Cycle of Carnage is one of the many encounters found in 
  Daerdan's Tall Tales: 101 Arctic Encounters, written by 
  Wyatt Trull, the same author of the Companion. We hope you 
  excuse this shameless plug, but hey, sales have not been good 
  and this one's got bills to pay.  
  
   
  27 
  TERMALAINE 
  A quaint, beautiful town, Termalaine makes for a sharp 
  contrast for Icewind Dale's cruel, inhospitable wilderness. 
  Visitors come here for peace of mind and those that can 
  afford to take a few days off their duties visit Termalaine 
  to vent their frustrations over the Everlasting Rime.  
   
  TOWN QUICK NOTES 
  • Termalaine's leader, Speaker Oarus Masthew, is about 
  to be challenged in a special election orchestrated by the 
  Zhentarim leader of Targos. Assume he is aware of the 
  plot, but doesn't know from whom it sprung.  
  • Termalaine is in a lucrative position, being south of 
  Lonelywood (whose trappers and lumbermen must sell 
  their wares) and connected to Bremen by water.  
  • Political agitators are whipping up resentment for Oarus. 
  The taverns and streets are full of pregnant whispers.  
   
  TOWN TRAITS 
  Termalaine as a whole has these traits: 
  Ideal. "No matter how bad it gets, as long as you stop 
  to appreciate what's around you."  
  Bond. "We did not choose this land to grow up in, but 
  it's our home all the same."  
  Flaw. "We were robbed of our beauty and life will 
  never be the same."  
   
  SACRIFICE TO AURIL 
  Life in Termalaine was as perfect as it can get in Icewind 
  Dale before the Everlasting Rime blotted out the sun. It 
  was serene and beautiful; it had charm. The Frostmaiden 
  stole that from Termalaine, whose people resent her for it. 
  The weekly sacrifice of warmth, which occurs on the first 
  day of the week, is treated not as an affront or grim task, 
  but as a punishment to be endured by a termagant. 
  Resentment habitually builds up towards the tenday's end, 
  causing people to lash out or abandon their tasks.  
   
  STARTING THE CAMPAIGN 
  Termalaine presents Icewind Dale at its most serene: the 
  woods rush up to the edge of Maer Dualdon like some-
  thing out of a painting. By starting your campaign here, 
  you can demonstrate what's worth saving in Icewind Dale.  
  Termalaine is a promising location to start in because 
  its town quest, A Beautiful Mine, can easily be completed 
  by 1st-level adventurers, giving them a leg-up on other 
  starts. Termalaine can also be paired with the Natural 
  Spirits and Cold-Hearted Killers quest; the former can be 
  done shortly around Termalaine (despite chwingas not 
  being present in the adventurers' starting town); the latter 
  is best set in Bremen, which is only a short journey away 
  by boat (which exposes them to the monster terrorizing 
  the town).  
  TERMALAINE  
  Trait 
  Statistics  
  Friendliness ❄ ❄❄ 
  Services 
  ❄❄ 
  Comfort 
  ❄❄❄ 
  Population 600 
  Leader(s) 
  Speaker Oarus Masthew (LG) 
  Militia 
  50 tribal warriors + 4 veterans 
  Sacrifice 
  Warmth 
   
  TRAVELING TO TERMALAINE 
  The roads running from Termalaine to are frequented by 
  trappers (coming from Lonelywood) and merchants eager 
  to sell those furs elsewhere. Additionally, chwingas can 
  be seen frolicking in the picturesque landscapes around 
  the town. Many people, especially young lovers, leave 
  Termalaine in the hopes of garnering a chwinga charm. 
  Merchants even sell "chwinga lures" (a stick capped with 
  a chandelier of acorns on one end) to better attract these 
  little spirits. Of course, these lures do nothing and can be 
  found discarded along the road.  
   
  AREAS OF NOTE 
  The following areas of Termalaine are of note: 
   
  THE BLUE CLAM 
  The stench of fish is overpowering here along the docks, 
  but as you creep closer to a tavern, you smell decadent 
  spices wafting out from the kitchen therein.   
  The spices the adventurers smell are Calishite in origin; 
  before the Everlasting Rime fell, Termalaine, whose 
  founders hailed from Calimsham, would order great ship-
  ments of the stuff. The stores have yet to be depleted.  
  The tavern is stuffed with exhausted fishers. Among 
  them is a political agitator, a LE male human commoner 
  named Borus; he has a +4 bonus to any ability check using 
  Deception or Persuasion. He's busy drumming up support 
  for the impending special election that will depose Oarus 
  Masthew. Characters that listen to Borus and his fellows 
  and succeed on a DC 14 Charisma (Insight) check can 
  piece together this information.  
  You can voice Borus with the sample dialogue below:   
  • "The people spoke once for Oarus, aye, but that slim 
  majority has changed course, I tell you. Every clerk in 
  Town Hall knows it too; Oarus knows, just as I know it, 
  and just as you know it."  
  • "He can't even appease the miners—lifeblood of this 
  town, they are—and now the mine's closed! Won't even 
  head himself, I hear, expecting your sons and daughters 
  to clear out whatever horror he let creep in!"  
  • "We deserve better, don't we, lads?" (This is answered 
  by a deep "aye" from the patrons; Borus then adds, 
  "And we'll get better, won't we?" The crowd agrees 
  again, after which Borus says, "You know as well as I 
  that Oarus Masthew isn't up for the job!")  
  
   
  28 
  THE EASTSIDE 
  As the adventurers approach the inn, they hear Marta, the 
  innkeeper, singing. Read the following: 
  Ever in search of warm lodgings, you follow signs that 
  point you to The Eastside. Clearly, there must be some 
  sort of mistake, as this supposed inn seems to be a clump 
  of separate houses.  
  As you try to make sense of this, you hear a lovely voice 
  float out from what the signs indicate is the main house. 
  It isn't until you enter that you make out the rest of the 
  words: "Ahead of winter's wind she came—oh, hello." 
  A willowy young woman armed with a broomstick 
  offers you a thin smile. "Welcome to The Eastside." 
  A character under the effects of a detect magic spell can 
  sense an aura of transmutation magic surrounding Marta. 
  After a moment, they realize it comes from the ring on the 
  chain around her neck. If the way in which this character 
  senses magic is visual, the aura is orange; if it is auditory, 
  they hear chimes.  
  In a region so frigid as Icewind Dale, a ring of warmth 
  is worth a goliath's weight in gold. Should word get out 
  that Marta possesses one, thieves from Lonelywood are 
  sure to pay her a visit.  
   
  QUEST: A BEAUTIFUL MINE 
  A Beautiful Mine can be a heartwarming tale of tolerance 
  or it can be a source of intrigue in your campaign. Unlike 
  most other town quests, this one can be survived by 1st-
  3rd level adventurers so long as the ghost in Area M11 
  doesn't attack the adventurers. The most dangerous foe is 
  the grell in M8, who can paralyze prey and will likely 
  surprise the adventurers.  
   
  QUICK NOTES 
  Summary. Kobolds have "overrun" a gem mine; their 
  leader has been possessed by a ghost. The town militia 
  refuse to help out of political motivations.  
  Quest-Giver. Oarus Masthew (LG half-orc veteran) 
  Foes. 7 Icewind kobolds, 2 giant rats, 1 grell, 1 ghost  
  Reward. 50 gp, provided the monsters have been scoured 
   
  SCALING DIFFICULTY 
  When running this encounter, consider these changes: 
  • For a party 3rd-level characters, add 1d4+4 additional 
  Icewind kobolds, spreading them out across Areas M1-
  M4 as well as M12.  
  • For a party of 5th-level characters, have the ghost Janth 
  become hostile and earnestly attack the adventurers.  
   
  THE KOBOLDS 
  The kobolds and desperate and hungry, but not malicious. 
  Trex, their leader, has convinced them that they can't hope 
  for acceptance with the town above if they murder other 
  people. They inflict nonfatal wounds in combat and flee 
  when hurt.  
  On the Grell. The grell haunting Area M8 is a recent 
  arrival to the mine, otherwise it would've preyed upon the 
  kobolds while they slept. The kobolds are unaware of the 
  threat and by dint of always traveling in pairs, they have 
  managed to avoid the monster, who only attacks a person 
  by their lonesome.  
   
  MINE AREAS 
  The following areas of the mine are of note: 
   
  M3. RIVER CAVERN 
  Since the fall into the Underdark is fatal, consider 
  allowing a character that fails their Dexterity saving throw 
  to also attempt a DC 13 Strength saving throw to resist the 
  current long enough to wade through to the other side. 
   
  M4. PROCESSING ROOM 
  The waterfall can be heard from this room as it cascades 
  off the rocks and plunges into the Underdark.  
   
  M5. UNDERDARK SHAFT 
  The waterfall thunders here, disadvantaging any Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on hearing—if they don't 
  outright fail.  
  The kobolds below the walkway know they're in a 
  precarious position and have nowhere to hide. If found, 
  Scorp begs in Common: "Spare us! Spare us, please!"   
   
  M9. HUNGRY KOBOLDS 
  The miners were fond of playing dice while they took 
  their breaks here. Dice can be found scattered across the 
  floor; one die is a charlatan's die (see Appendix A).   
   
  M11. KOBOLD TUNNELS 
  When the adventurers encounter Trex, draw attention to 
  how tightly he clutches the satchel, which suggests it may 
  be full of valuables.  
   
   
   
   
  
   
  29 
  APPENDIX A: MAGIC ITEMS 
  The following magic items are found in this chapter: 
   
  +1 WAND OF THE WAR MAGE 
  Wand, uncommon (attunement by spellcaster) 
  While you are holding this wand, you gain a +1 bonus to 
  spell attack rolls. In addition, you ignore half cover when 
  making a spell attack. 
  Location. See Ch. 1, Good Mead, V10. 
   
  BAG OF TRICKS (GRAY) 
  Wondrous item, uncommon 
  This ordinary bag, made from gray cloth, appears empty. 
  Reaching inside the bag, however, reveals the presence of 
  a small, fuzzy object. 
  You can use an action to pull the fuzzy object from the 
  bag and throw it up to 20 feet. When the object lands, it 
  transforms into a creature you determine by rolling a d8 
  and consulting the Gray Bag of Tricks Table. The creature 
  vanishes at the next dawn or when it is reduced to 0 hit 
  points. 
  The creature is friendly to you and your companions, 
  and it acts on your turn. You can use a bonus action to 
  command how the creature moves and what action it takes 
  on its next turn, or to give it general orders, such as to 
  attack your enemies. In the absence of such orders, the 
  creature acts in a fashion appropriate to its nature. 
  Once three fuzzy objects have been pulled from the bag, 
  the bag can't be used again until the next dawn. 
  Location. See Ch. 1, Easthaven, Toil and Trouble quest 
  rewards. 
   
  GRAY BAG OF TRICKS 
  d8 
  Creature 
  1 
  Weasel (MM pg. 340) 
  2 
  Giant rat (MM pg. 327) 
  3 
  Badger (MM pg. 318) 
  4 
  Boar (MM pg. 319) 
  5 
  Panther (MM pg. 333) 
  6 
  Giant badger (MM pg. 323) 
  7 
  Dire wolf (MM pg. 321) 
  8 
  Giant elk (MM pg. 325) 
   
  BOOTS OF THE WINTERLANDS 
  Wondrous item, uncommon (attunement) 
  These furred boots are snug and feel quite warm. While 
  you wear them, you gain the following benefits: 
  • You have resistance to cold damage. 
  • You ignore difficult terrain created by ice or snow. 
  • You can tolerate temperatures as low as -50 degrees 
  Fahrenheit without any additional protection. If you 
  wear heavy clothes, you can tolerate temperatures as 
  low as -100 degrees Fahrenheit. 
   
  Location. See Ch. 1, Dougan's Hole, The Mead Must 
  Flow quest rewards.  
   
  CAULDRON OF PLENTY 
  Wondrous item, rare 
  This cauldron is made of thick copper that has turned 
  green with age. It is 4 feet wide, has a mouth 3½ feet in 
  diameter, weighs 50 pounds, and can hold up to 30 gallons 
  of liquid. Embossed on its bulging sides are images of 
  satyrs and nymphs in repose, holding ladles. The cauldron 
  comes with a lid and has side handles. It sits on five little 
  clawed feet that keep it from tipping. 
  If water is poured into the cauldron and stirred for 1 
  minute, it transforms into a hearty, hot stew, which can 
  provide one nourishing meal for up to four people per 
  gallon. The stew remains hot while in the cauldron, then 
  cools naturally after it is removed. The outside of the 
  cauldron remains safe to touch despite the heat of the 
  stew. 
  The cauldron can create stew three times. It then ceases 
  to function until the next dawn, when it regains all its uses. 
  Location. See Ch. 1, Easthaven, Cauldron Caves, U10.  
   
  CHARLATAN'S DIE 
  Wondrous item, common (attunement) 
  Whenever you roll this six—sided die, you can control 
  which number it rolls. 
  Location. The Companion added this item to Area M9 
  (Ch. 1., Termalaine, A Beautiful Mine quest).  
   
  CRYSTAL BALL 
  Wondrous item, very rare (attunement) 
  This crystal ball is about 6 inches in diameter. While 
  touching it, you can cast the scrying spell (save DC 17) 
  with it. 
  Location. See Ch. 1, Lonelywood, Elven Tomb, E7. 
   
  DARK SHARD AMULET 
  Wondrous item, common (attunement by warlock) 
  This amulet is fashioned from a single shard of resilient 
  extraplanar material originating from the realm of your 
  warlock patron. While you are wearing it, you gain the 
  following benefits: 
  • You can use the amulet as a spellcasting focus for your 
  warlock spells. 
  • You can try to cast a cantrip that you don't know. The 
  cantrip must be on the warlock spell list, and you must 
  make a DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check. If the check 
  succeeds, you cast the spell. If the check fails, so does 
  the spell, and the action used to cast the spell is wasted. 
  In either case, you can't use this property again until you 
  finish a long rest. 
   
  Location. The Companion added this item to Area C20 
  (Ch. 1., Caer-Dineval, Black Swords quest).  
   
   
   
   
  
   
  30 
  LANTERN OF TRACKING (ELEMENTALS) 
  Wondrous item, common 
  This hooded lantern burns for 6 hours on 1 pint of oil, 
  shedding bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for 
  an additional 30 feet.  
  While the lantern is within 300 feet of any elemental, 
  its flame turns bright green. The lantern doesn’t pinpoint 
  the creature’s exact location, however. 
  Location. This item is given by Dannika Graysteel as 
  part of the Nature Spirits starter quest.  
   
  PEARL OF POWER 
  Wondrous item, uncommon (attunement by spellcaster) 
  While this pearl is on your person, you can use an action 
  to speak its command word and regain one expended spell 
  slot. If the expended slot was of 4th level or higher, the 
  new slot is 3rd level. Once you have used the pearl, it can't 
  be used again until the next dawn. 
  Location. See Ch. 1, Good Mead, V10. 
   
  POTION OF ANIMAL FRIENDSHIP 
  Potion, uncommon 
  When you drink this potion, you can cast the animal 
  friendship spell (save DC 13) for 1 hour at will. Agitating 
  this muddy liquid brings little bits into view: a fish scale, 
  a hummingbird tongue, a cat claw, or a squirrel hair. 
  Location. Izobai carries this item (see Ch. 1, Bryn 
  Shander, Foaming Mugs quest).  
   
  POTION OF HEALING 
  Potion, common 
  You regain 2d4 + 2 hit points when you drink this potion. 
  The potion's red liquid glimmers when agitated. 
  Location. See the Cycle of Carnage encounter added to 
  Mountain Climb (Ch. 1, Targos), plus Ch. 1, Caer-Konig, 
  The Unseen, O8).  
   
  POTION OF INVISIBILITY 
  Potion, very rare 
  This potion's container looks empty but feels as though it 
  holds liquid. When you drink it, you become invisible for 
  1 hour. Anything you wear or carry is invisible with you. 
  The effect ends early if you attack or cast a spell. 
  Location. See Ch. 1, Targos, Mountain Climb, Ruined 
  Camp.  
   
  POTION OF RADIANT RESISTANCE 
  Potion, uncommon 
  When you drink this potion, you gain resistance to radiant 
  damage for 1 hour. 
  Location. See Ch. 1, Lonelywood, Elven Tomb, E9. 
   
  POTION OF VITALITY 
  Potion, very rare 
  When you drink this potion, it removes any exhaustion 
  you are suffering and cures any disease or poison 
  affecting you. For the next 24 hours, you regain the 
  maximum number of hit points for any Hit Die you spend. 
  The potion's crimson liquid regularly pulses with dull 
  light, calling to mind a heartbeat. 
  Location. See Ch. 1, Lonelywood, Elven Tomb, E9. 
   
  PSI CRYSTAL 
  Wondrous item, uncommon (attunement by creature with 
  Intelligence score of 3 or higher) 
  This crystal grants you telepathy for as long as you remain 
  attuned to it. See the introduction of the Monster Manual 
  for rules on how this telepathy works. 
  The crystal also glows with a purplish inner light while 
  you are attuned to it. 
  The higher your intelligence, the greater the light's 
  intensity and the greater the range of the telepathy (see the 
  Psi Crystal Properties table). 
  Location. See Ch. 1, Termalaine, M12.   
   
  PSI CRYSTAL 
  Intelligence 
  Score 
  Range of 
  Telepathy 
  Light Intensity 
  3-7 
  15 feet 
  Dim light out to a range of 5 feet 
  8-11 
  30 feet 
  Bright light in a 5-foot radius and 
  dim light for an additional 5 feet 
  12-15 
  60 feet 
  Bright light in a 10-foot radius and 
  dim light for an additional 10 ft 
  16 or higher 
  120 feet 
  Bright light in a 15-foot radius and 
  dim light for an additional 15 feet 
   
  RING OF WARMTH 
  Ring, uncommon (requires attunement) 
  While wearing this ring, you have resistance to cold 
  damage. In addition, you and everything you wear and 
  carry are unharmed by temperatures as low as -50 degrees 
  Fahrenheit. 
  Location. See Ch. 1, Termalaine, The Eastside 
   
   
   
  
   
  31 
  SPELL SCROLLS 
  A spell scroll bears the words of a single spell, written as 
  a mystical cipher. If the spell is on your class's spell list, 
  you can read the scroll and cast its spell without providing 
  any material components. Otherwise, the scroll is 
  unintelligible. Casting the spell by reading the scroll 
  requires the spell's normal casting time. Once the spell is 
  cast, the words on the scroll fade, and it crumbles to dust. 
  If the casting is interrupted, the scroll is not lost. 
  If the spell is on your class's spell list but of a higher 
  level than you can normally cast, you must make an 
  ability check using your spellcasting ability to determine 
  whether you cast it successfully. The DC is 13. On a failed 
  check, the spell disappears from the scroll with no other 
  effect. 
  Once the spell is cast, the words on the scroll fade, and 
  the scroll itself crumbles to dust. 
  Animal Friendship. The spell cast from this scroll has 
  a spell save DC of 13. The item is a reward from the Lake 
  Monster quest (see Ch. 1, Bremen).   
  Fireball. The spell cast from this scroll has a spell save 
  DC of 15. The item is one of the two possible rewards for 
  Toil and Trouble (see Ch. 1, Easthaven).  
   
  STAFF OF FROST 
  Staff, very rare (attunement by druid, sorcerer, warlock, 
  or wizard) 
  You have resistance to cold damage while you hold this 
  staff. The staff has 10 charges. While holding it, you can 
  use an action to expend 1 or more of its charges to cast 
  one of the following spells from it, using your spell save 
  DC: cone of cold (5 charges), fog cloud (1 charge), ice 
  storm (4 charges), or wall of ice (4 charges). 
  The staff regains 1d6 + 4 expended charges daily at 
  dawn. If you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a 1. 
  the staff turns to water and is destroyed. 
  Location. This item is possessed by Avarice (see Ch. 1, 
  Caer-Dineval, Area C21).  
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  32 
  APPENDIX B: BESTIARY 
  The following creatures are present in this chapter: 
   
   
   
  
   
  33 
   
   
   
  
   
  34 
   
   
  
   
  35 
   
   
  
   
  36 
   
   
  
   
  37 
   
   
  
   
  38 
   
   
  
   
  39 
   
   
  
   
  40 
   
   
  
   
  41 
   
   
  
   
  42 
   
   
   
  
   
  43 
   
   
  
   
  44 
   
   
  
   
  45 
   
   
  
   
  46 
   
   
  
   
  47 
   
   
  
   
  48 
   
   
   
  
   
  49 
   
   
  
   
  50 
   
   
   
  
   
  51 
  APPENDIX C: EFFECTS 
  The following effects are present in this chapter: 
   
  WEATHER & ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS 
   
  AVALANCHE 
  Wilderness Hazard 
  The following rules can be used for rockslides as well as 
  avalanches. 
  An avalanche is a mass of snow and debris falling 
  rapidly down a mountainside. A typical avalanche is 300 
  feet wide, 150 feet long, and 30 feet thick. Creatures in 
  the path of an avalanche can avoid it or escape it if they're 
  close to its edge, but outrunning one is almost impossible. 
  When an avalanche occurs, all nearby creatures must 
  roll initiative. Twice each round, on initiative counts 10 
  and 0, the avalanche travels 300 feet until it can travel no 
  more. When an avalanche moves, any creature in its space 
  moves along with it and falls prone, and the creature must 
  make a DC 15 Strength saving throw, taking 1d10 
  bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much 
  damage on a successful one. 
  When an avalanche stops, the snow settles and buries 
  creatures in it. A creature buried in this way is blinded and 
  restrained and has total cover. The creature gains one 
  level of exhaustion for every 5 minutes it spends buried in 
  the snow. It can try to dig itself free as an action, breaking 
  the surface and ending the blinded and restrained 
  conditions on itself with a successful DC 15 Strength 
  (Athletics) check. A creature that fails this check three 
  times can't attempt to dig itself out again. 
  A creature that is not restrained or incapacitated can 
  spend 1 minute freeing another creature buried in the 
  snow. Once free, that creature is no longer blinded or 
  restrained by the avalanche. 
   
  BLIZZARD 
  Wilderness Hazard 
  The blizzards that ravage Icewind Dale and harry 
  travelers on the mountain pass are reflections of Auril's 
  self-imposed isolation. A blizzard in Icewind Dale 
  typically lasts 2d4 hours, and whenever the characters are 
  caught in one, the following rules apply until it ends. 
  A blizzard's howling wind limits hearing to a range of 
  100 feet and imposes disadvantage on ranged weapon 
  attack rolls. It also imposes disadvantage on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on hearing. The wind 
  extinguishes open flames, disperses fog, erases tracks in 
  the snow, and makes flying by nonmagical means nearly 
  impossible. A creature falls at the end of its turn if it is 
  flying by nonmagical means and can't hover. 
  Visibility in a blizzard is reduced to 30 feet. Creatures 
  without 
  goggles 
  or 
  other 
  eye 
  protection 
  have 
  disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on 
  sight due to blowing snow. 
  Any creature that is concentrating on a spell in a 
  blizzard must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving 
  throw at the end of its turn or lose its concentration on the 
  spell unless the creature is sheltered against the elements 
  (for example, in an igloo). 
  Veering Off Course. 
  It's easy to veer off course while traveling through a 
  blizzard, and it's also easy for party members to become 
  separated from one another, which is why the wisest 
  course of action is to stay put and wait for the blizzard to 
  pass. 
  If the characters travel during a blizzard, have the 
  players designate one party member as the navigator. At 
  the end of each hour of travel through the blizzard, the 
  DM makes a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check on behalf 
  of the navigator. On a successful check, the party stays on 
  course. On a failed check, the party wanders off course, 
  putting its members no closer to their destination than 
  they were at the start of that hour. If the check fails by 5 
  or more and the party members aren't tied together, one 
  randomly determined party member becomes lost in the 
  blizzard and separated from the others. If the group tries 
  to reunite with its missing member, have the party 
  members (including the missing one) make a DC 15 
  Wisdom (Survival) group check at the end of each hour. 
  If this group check succeeds, the missing party member is 
  found, but no progress is made toward reaching the 
  group's intended destination that hour. The group check 
  can be repeated after each hour spent searching for the 
  missing party member. 
   
  EXTREME COLD 
  Weather 
  Whenever the temperature is at or below 0 degrees 
  Fahrenheit, a creature exposed to the cold must succeed 
  on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw at the end of each 
  hour or gain one level of exhaustion. Creatures with 
  resistance or immunity to cold damage automatically 
  succeed on the saving throw, as do creatures wearing cold 
  weather gear (thick coats, gloves, and the like) and 
  creatures naturally adapted to cold climates. 
   
  FRIGID WATER 
  Wilderness Hazard 
  A creature can be immersed in frigid water for a number 
  of minutes equal to its Constitution score before suffering 
  any ill effects. Each additional minute spent in frigid 
  water requires the creature to succeed on a DC 10 
  Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion. 
  Creatures with resistance or immunity to cold damage 
  automatically succeed on the saving throw, as do 
  creatures that are naturally adapted to living in ice-cold 
  water. 
   
   
   
  
   
  52 
  HEAVY PRECIPITATION 
  Weather 
  Everything within an area of heavy rain or heavy snowfall 
  is lightly obscured, and creatures in the area have 
  disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on 
  sight. Heavy rain also extinguishes open flames and 
  imposes disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks 
  that rely on hearing. 
   
  HIGH ALTITUDE 
  Wilderness Hazard 
  Traveling at altitudes of 10,000 feet or higher above sea 
  level is taxing for a creature that needs to breathe, because 
  of the reduced amount of oxygen in the air. Each hour 
  such a creature spends traveling at high altitude counts as 
  2 hours for the purpose of determining how long that 
  creature can travel. 
  Breathing creatures can become acclimated to a high 
  altitude by spending 30 days or more at this elevation. 
  Breathing creatures can't become acclimated to elevations 
  above 20,000 feet unless they are native to such 
  environments. 
   
  SLIPPERY ICE 
  Wilderness Hazard 
  Slippery ice is difficult terrain. When a creature moves 
  onto slippery ice for the first time on a turn, it must 
  succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or fall 
  prone. 
   
  STRONG WIND 
  Weather 
  A strong wind imposes disadvantage on ranged weapon 
  attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on 
  hearing. A strong wind also extinguishes open flames, 
  disperses fog, and makes flying by nonmagical means 
  nearly impossible. A flying creature in a strong wind must 
  land at the end of its turn or fall. 
  A strong wind in a desert can create a sandstorm that 
  imposes disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks 
  that rely on sight. 
   
  THIN ICE 
  Wilderness Hazard 
  Thin ice has a weight tolerance of 3d10 × 10 pounds per 
  10-foot-square area. Whenever the total weight on an area 
  of thin ice exceeds its tolerance, the ice in that area breaks. 
  All creatures on broken ice fall through. 
   
  CHARMS 
   
  CHARM OF ANIMAL CONJURING 
  This charm allows you to cast the conjure animals spell 
  (3rd-level version) as an action. Once used three times, 
  the charm vanishes from you. 
   
  CHARM OF HEROISM 
  This charm allows you to give yourself the benefit of a 
  potion of heroism as an action. Once you do so, the charm 
  vanishes from you. 
  For 1 hour after using this charm, you gain 10 
  temporary hit points that last for 1 hour. For the same 
  duration, you are under the effect of the bless spell (no 
  concentration required).  
   
  CHARM OF VITALITY 
  This charm allows you to give yourself the benefit of a 
  potion of vitality as an action. Once you do so, the charm 
  vanishes from you. 
  When you use this charm, you remove any exhaustion 
  you are suffering and are cured of any disease or poison 
  affecting you. For the next 24 hours, you regain the 
  maximum number of hit points for any Hit Die you spend.  
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/Wyatt Trull/Rime of the Frostmaiden - Companion 1 Ten Towns.pdf