TEXT: A 5E WARLOCK ADVENTURE 
  BY MIKE WELHAM
  The Beacon aT The 
  Top of The World
  FOR 4 PCS OF 
  12TH LEVEL
  
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  been designated as Open Game Content are not included in this declaration.)
  Open Game Content: The Open content in this adventure are the Hildur 
  Blisterhand and Ariaira stat blocks. 
  © 2019 Open Design, LLC
  www.koboldpress.com
   The Children of Surtur’s activities have not gone 
  unnoticed. Their rituals create a bright aurora in the night 
  sky that many in the Northlands have witnessed. In isolation, 
  this hadn’t aroused suspicion. Coupled with incidents of 
  arson and self-immolation—perpetrated by an allied group 
  of lycanthropes known as the Pack of the Howling Sun—
  the cult’s presence no longer remains secret. As the border 
  between Midgard and the fiery realm inhabited by their 
  demonic patron thins, heat and light have increased, making 
  the orange-red aurora visible during the day. With mere 
  days remaining before they enact their final ritual, the cultists 
  believe they will succeed in the face of any interference.
   Jarl Uffi Toothless of Trollheim has dealt with many 
  death cults in his years as jarl. Other than the persistent 
  and expansive Cult of Ragnarok, many of them are too 
  disorganized to pose a real threat. However, the Children of 
  Surtur cult has him worried, and the recent display of light 
  from the polar region disturbed him enough to send an 
  armed contingent to deal with the problem. Damage to the 
  glaciers caused by the terrible heat doomed the patrol, as one 
  of the glaciers calved and killed all but a pair of survivors.
  THE BEACON AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD
  Design: Mike Welham
  Editing: Meagan Maricle 
  Graphic Design: Rick Kunz
  Art Director: Marc Radle
  Cover Art: Karl Waller
  Interior Art: Karl Waller
  Cartography: Dyson Logos
  Publisher: Wolfgang Baur
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  Adventure Background
  As with Midgard’s many death cults, the Children of Surtur 
  seek the extinction of most life on the world while either 
  surviving through to the new age wrought by their actions 
  or dying in a simultaneous and glorious extinction. The 
  Children of Surtur’s plan is to engulf the world in flames. 
  Their leaders determined the most effective first step was to 
  melt the hated ice at the top of the world. This would create 
  an apocalyptic flood to devastate the Northlands and much 
  of northern Midgard.
   To this end, the cult has quietly stationed itself at 
  Midgard’s north polar region, where the cultists perform 
  powerful rituals to draw heat from the core of Midgard to 
  the surface. Cult seers have been watching the heavens for 
  a conjunction between the night sky’s brightest star and the 
  “Demon Star” only they could locate. As the conjunction 
  draws nigh, the cultists prepare to bring their demon lord 
  into the world.
  
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  Temple of SurTur
  1sq. = 10 feet
  
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  Adventure Hooks
  The PCs may have impressed Uffi Toothless from previous 
  exploits, particularly during The Empty Village (Warlock 
  Lair #27) or The Wilding Call (Warlock Lair #28), so he 
  knows them as capable adventurers. He offers them a total of 
  5,000 gp to investigate the strange lights and heat originating 
  from the pole. He pays half of it before the PCs leave 
  Trollheim and the rest if they successfully thwart the cult’s 
  ultimate goals, which are unknown to him. Alternatively, 
  the PCs might notice that the illumination from the north is 
  visible even during the day and decide to investigate. Finally, 
  the PCs may know one of the people taken by the cult as a 
  sacrifice to fuel the summoning of the portal to the demon 
  lord’s dread domain.
  Preparing for the Trip
  If the PCs spend time in Noatun obtaining information 
  about the Children of Surtur, especially if Uffi Toothless 
  has hired them, they learn about the doomed expedition 
  to the pole and the treacherous terrain resulting from the 
  increased underground temperature. If the PCs speak to 
  the expedition’s survivors, they learn the group spotted 
  werewolves and fire giants traveling toward the source of 
  the light.
  Uffi Toothless does not have anyone experienced enough 
  to send with the PCs. Given the fate of the previous group he 
  sent to investigate the temple, he eschews sending another 
  large group. However, he gives the PCs a scroll of sending, 
  so they can alert him if the cult’s activity gets out of hand 
  and starts to spill into Trollheim. He is hopeful the PCs, as 
  a smaller group, can take care of the cult and spare him the 
  loss of dozens or more able-bodied men and women.
  Inhospitable Weather and 
  Treacherous Terrain
  The journey to the Children of Surtur’s temple takes five 
  days through the Bleak Expanse, unless the PCs use magic to 
  decrease the travel time. The Bleak Expanse is a windswept 
  white tundra that stretches north of the Reaching Mountains 
  to the edge of the world. In addition to the hazards normally 
  found when traveling through a desert of snow and ice, the 
  Bleak Expanse holds new dangers brought about by the 
  Children of Surtur’s recent activities.
  Avalanche. Though mostly devoid of mountains, the Bleak 
  Expanse is dotted with hills and glaciers with the potential 
  to unleash tons of snow on the unsuspecting. The PCs have 
  a cumulative 10% chance per day of travel to encounter 
  an avalanche (this can happen only once during the trip). 
  A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check notices 
  the rumbling sound associated with an avalanche. If the 
  PCs hear the noise preceding the sliding snow and rocks, 
  a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check allows the 
  PCs to find places to avoid the bulk of the avalanche. Each 
  creature in an area with an avalanche must make a DC 18 
  Strength saving throw, taking 12d10 bludgeoning damage 
  on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. 
  A character that fails the saving throw is also knocked prone 
  and buried. A buried creature is restrained, unable to breathe 
  or stand up, and takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage each round. 
  A creature, including the buried creature, can take an action 
  to make a DC 15 Strength check, ending the buried state on 
  a success.
  A creature that heard the avalanche coming has advantage 
  on the saving throw. A creature that succeeds on the 
  Wisdom (Survival) check to seek shelter takes no damage 
  from the avalanche if it succeeds on its saving throw. 
  Soft Snow. Because of the underground heat emanating 
  from the Children of Surtur’s temple, formerly deep, hard-
  packed tundra snow has become soft and gives away easily. 
  The PCs have a cumulative 25% chance per day of travel to 
  traverse patches of this snow. A successful DC 18 Wisdom 
  (Survival) check notices the thin patch of snow in time for 
  all characters to avoid the hazard. 
  When a Medium or larger creature crosses a patch of soft 
  snow, the snow collapses and each creature within 20 feet of 
  the patch of soft snow must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity 
  saving throw or fall 1d6x10 feet and be knocked prone and 
  buried in snow. A buried creature is restrained, is unable to 
  breathe or stand up, and takes 1d6 cold damage after each 
  minute of being buried. A creature, including the buried 
  creature, can take an action to make a DC 10 Strength check, 
  ending the buried state on a success.
  UNEXPECTED ALLIES
  If the PCs are on good terms with Ariaira from The Empty Village, 
  the cheshirian finds them in the Bleak Expanse on the trail of the 
  cult and offers to help them. While she initially refuses to engage 
  in combat, a successful DC 12 Charisma (Persuasion) check plays to 
  her burgeoning heroism and convinces her that saving the world is 
  more important than preserving her life.
  If the PCs are on good terms with Esben Frosttuft from The 
  Wilding Call, they find her in the Bleak Expanse on their way to 
  the cult’s temple. Esben has been tracking werewolf activity and 
  noticed it picking up in this region. She has come to investigate the 
  increased activity and the strange lights in the sky. She gladly joins 
  the PCs in their fight against the cult and its werewolves.
  
  5
  Polar Temple
  The Children of Surtur uncovered this site after signs 
  and portents led them to the polar region. Ancient and 
  weathered, yet well-preserved, the temple gave them the 
  impression it had been used for a similar purpose in the 
  distant past.
  Due to the temple’s connection to Surtur’s realm, a 
  creature that takes fire damage while within the temple 
  takes an extra 50% fire damage. Each hour that a creature 
  stays in the heat of the temple, it must succeed on a DC 
  10 Constitution saving throw or have vulnerability to fire 
  damage for 1 hour. This vulnerability replaces the 50% 
  increase to fire damage that a creature takes when in the 
  temple. Creatures that have been blessed by Surtur, such as 
  the members of the Children of Surtur cult, automatically 
  succeed on this saving throw. Creatures with resistance or 
  immunity to fire automatically succeed on the saving throw.
  Unless otherwise noted, all rooms and corridors have 
  20-foot-tall ceilings. Many of the doors throughout the area 
  are locked to prevent any interruptions to the ritual. Hildur 
  Blisterhand, the fire giant high priestess in Area 10, carries 
  keys capable of unlocking all the doors. 
  Areas 6, 7, 8, 10, and the walkways between them (with 
  the exception of the hallways leading into Area 10) are open 
  to the lava-filled pit in Area 11. A portal in the pool of lava 
  bathes those areas in bright light. Areas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 9 are 
  brightly lit by torches enchanted with continual flame spells. 
  Areas 6 and 8 are 20 feet above the pit of lava in Area 11 
  while Area 10 is 60 feet above the lava. The smooth walls of 
  the pit are difficult to climb, requiring a successful DC 15 
  Strength (Athletics) check to avoid sliding toward the lava. 
  A creature pushed from a ledge into the pit must succeed on 
  a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to catch itself on a section 
  of wall and avoid falling into the lava below.  A creature in 
  the lava takes 55 (10d10) fire damage at the start of each of 
  its turns. 
  1. ENTRYWAY
  The Cult of Ragnarok, upon hearing of the Children of 
  Surtur’s activities, demanded frost giants be present for the 
  ritual. If the Children of Surtur manage to call their demon 
  lord forth, the Cult of Ragnarok believes this may portend 
  the end of the world. The Cult of Ragnarok refuses to give all 
  the glory of initiating Ragnarok to a usurper cult. 
  The pair of frost giants in this chamber cannot bear to go 
  further within the temple. They stand here uncomfortable 
  and bored, waiting for something to happen. If one of the 
  giants dies, the surviving giant surrenders when it is reduced 
  to fewer than 30 hit points. It has no vested interest in the 
  ritual succeeding, and it has no problem allowing enemies of 
  the Children of Surtur a chance to stop the ritual. While the 
  giant doesn’t go so far as to help the PCs, a successful DC 18 
  Charisma (Persuasion) check convinces the giant to reveal 
  the creatures in Area 2 and Area 5. It has no knowledge of 
  the creatures in the other areas. If the PCs let the giant go, 
  it waits outside the temple to determine the outcome of the 
  cult’s ritual or the PCs’ actions, and then it returns to the 
  Tower of the North Wind to report the events.
  Locked Door. The door to Area 5 is locked. A successful 
  DC 18 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools picks the lock, 
  but the creature picking the lock must succeed on a DC 15 
  Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (2d6) fire damage from 
  prolonged contact with the heated iron door.
  2. NORTHERN HALLWAY AND ALCOVES
  Five werewolves, remnants of the Pack of the Howling Sun, 
  patrol this hallway. As payment for their assistance, they 
  received a wand of fireballs from the cult. The lead werewolf 
  is a recent convert to the cult and has been trained to cast 
  some spells (use the statistics of a werewolf, except it also has 
  a Wisdom of 13 and the cult fanatic’s Spellcasting trait). This 
  werewolf also holds the wand and has already used 2 charges, 
  leaving it with 5 at the beginning of combat.
  Locked Door. The door to Area 4 is locked. A successful 
  DC 18 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools picks the lock, 
  but the creature picking the lock must succeed on a DC 15 
  Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (2d6) fire damage from 
  prolonged contact with the heated iron door. The lead 
  thursir giant has a key to the door.
  3. VESTRY
  This room contains three embroidered, red and orange 
  robes sized for a fire giant. The robes are far too large for 
  a Medium creature, but a Large creature can cinch up the 
  robes and use them as impromptu disguises. A robed figure 
  must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Deception) check to 
  fool the inhabitants of the outer temple (Areas 1 through 5), 
  but it has disadvantage on the check when interacting with 
  the creatures in the inner temple (Areas 6 through 10).
  COUNTDOWN CLOCK OR LEISURELY ASSAULT?
  The time of the ritual’s completion is left abstract up until the final 
  encounter to allow you to decide the pace of your game. If you 
  want to add pressure to the PCs’ assault on the temple, then the 
  ritual completes within 1 hour of the PCs entering the temple. If you 
  want to allow the PCs some time to rest, the ritual could complete 
  within the next several hours or later the next day. 
  If you deny your PCs any chance to rest in the temple, then 
  remove one creature from Areas 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, and 9. This should keep 
  the fights challenging without draining the PCs of every resource 
  before the final encounter in Area 10.
  
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  4. SACRIFICIAL ALTAR
  Six thursir giants (Tome of Beasts, p. 227) watch over the 
  eleven commoners slated for sacrifice at the culmination 
  of the ritual. If the giants hear the PCs in battle in Area 2 or 
  Area 5, they inscribe their warhammers with the thurs rune. 
  The giants attack obvious spellcasters in preference to other 
  characters to preserve the sacrifices from damaging spells.  
  If combat breaks out here and the werewolves in Area 2 are 
  still alive, the werewolves break down the door in two rounds 
  to aid the thursir. The efreeti in Area 5 holds to the letter of 
  its agreement—to prevent intruders from accessing the inner 
  sanctum—and it does not come to the giants’ aid.
  The thursir forged the chains and manacles binding the 
  captives to a pair of pillars in the middle of this chamber. 
  A successful DC 22 Strength check breaks the chains, or 
  a successful DC 20 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools 
  picks the lock holding the manacles to the pillar. The giants 
  surrendered their keys to the cult’s leaders in Area 10. If 
  freed, the survivors thank the PCs, but they are in no fit state 
  to fight their captors. If Ariaira is with the PCs, she offers to 
  bring the survivors to her realm where they can recuperate in 
  safety. If Esben Frosttuft is with the PCs, she offers to stand 
  guard over the survivors.
  Pipes feed from the lava pool in Area 11 through the wall 
  near the easternmost column. When the ritual ends, the lava 
  fills this chamber. While the captives are unaware of the 
  particulars of their sacrifice, a successful DC 12 Intelligence 
  (Arcana or Religion) check realizes this chamber is a 
  dangerous place to stay.
  5. SOUTHERN HALLWAY
  Hildur Blisterhand recently won the service of an efreeti 
  and charged it to prevent intruders from reaching the 
  temple’s inner sanctum. Unless the PCs dispatched the 
  frost giants in Area 1 quietly, the efreeti is aware of their 
  presence. It begins to cast conjure elemental when it hears 
  them. The efreeti does not need to maintain concentration 
  upon conjuring the fire elemental, since it faithfully serves 
  the efreeti. If the efreeti successfully conjures the elemental, 
  or if it hears the PCs attempting to unlock the door to the 
  hallway, it casts invisibility. 
  Locked Door. The door to Area 6 is locked. A successful 
  DC 18 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools picks the lock, 
  but the creature picking the lock must succeed on a DC 15 
  Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (2d6) fire damage from 
  prolonged contact with the heated iron door.
  Ice Spray Trap. The cultists set a devious trap for 
  interlopers expecting to exclusively deal with fiery hazards. 
  When a creature opens the door to Area 6 without the key, 
  ice sprays in a 30-foot cone from the door. Each creature in 
  the ice spray must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, 
  taking 55 (10d10) cold damage on a failed save, or half as 
  much damage on a successful one.
   Prevention. A successful DC 17 Intelligence 
  (Investigation) check notices the faint outline of a Hagalaz 
  rune. A successful DC 14 Intelligence (Arcana) check 
  knows that inscribing a Kaunan rune over the existing 
  rune suppresses the trap. A successful DC 17 Intelligence 
  (Arcana) or Dexterity check inscribes the Kaunan rune. 
  Unsuccessfully attempting to inscribe the rune triggers the 
  trap. Alternatively, a successful dispel magic (DC 15) cast on 
  the door destroys the trap.
  6. EASTERN OVERLOOK
  Two fire giants watch over Area 11 and pay little attention 
  to other activity. Creatures have advantage on Dexterity 
  (Stealth) checks when trying to move unnoticed past the 
  giants. The giants are infused with fiery might from their 
  proximity to the portal and deal an extra 2d6 fire damage 
  when they hit with any weapon.
  TREASURE
  An iron statue of Surtur, a stylized fire giant with demonic 
  features, stands on the ledge overlooking the lava pool in 
  Area 11. The statue weighs 3,000 pounds. If removed intact, 
  it is worth 2,500 gp to a collector.
  7. WICKED WINGS
  Glaurvistus, the Smoking Scourge and mother of all flame 
  dragons, is curious about the Children of Surtur and their 
  desire to summon the demon lord of fire. She sent a pair 
  young flame dragons (Tome of Beasts, p. 130) to watch and 
  assist the cult, where necessary, in bringing about a fiery 
  apocalypse. Hildur Blisterhand knows flame dragons can be 
  fickle and is uncertain of how long Glaurvistus’ goals will 
  align with the Children of Surtur’s. Not trusting the dragons 
  yet not wanting to appear ungrateful for the Smoking 
  Scourge’s gift, Hildur assigned the dragons to this area to 
  prevent intruders from interrupting her ritual and to prevent 
  the dragons from getting too close to the portal in Area 11. 
  The dragons fly about this section, bored and waiting for 
  something “exciting” to happen. If they are aware of the 
  PCs’ presence, they hide near the ceiling, hoping to ambush 
  the PCs. 
  Locked Door. The door to Area 10 is locked. A successful 
  DC 18 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools picks the lock, 
  but the creature picking the lock must succeed on a DC 15 
  Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (2d6) fire damage from 
  prolonged contact with the heated iron door.
  TREASURE
  The dragons keep several gems and jewels worth a total of 
  3,000 gp. One of the dragons took a ring of fire resistance 
  from a victim and wears it on a claw because it believes the 
  garnet set in the ring complements its fiery scales.
  
  7
  8. SHRINE TO SURTUR
  A malakbel demon (Tome of Beasts, p. 78) in service to 
  Surtur guards the shrine. While it watches the ritual’s 
  proceedings with interest, it is aware of events going on 
  around it. If at least one of the fire giants in Area 6 falls in 
  battle to the PCs, the demon uses an action to teleport as 
  close as possible to the PCs to aid the giants.
  A statue similar to the one in Area 6 faces the ritual 
  chamber in Area 10. A magical effect emanates from the 
  statue, pointing upwards at the high ledge of Area 10. While 
  the statue stands, each member of the Children of Surtur 
  in Area 10 has immunity to fire damage and deals an extra 
  1d4 fire damage when it hits with any weapon attack. While 
  the statue stands, each non-member of the Children of 
  Surtur that enters Area 10 for the first time on a turn or 
  ends its turn in Area 10 must succeed on a DC 20 Charisma 
  saving throw or have vulnerability to fire damage until 
  the end of its next turn. A successful DC 17 Intelligence 
  (Arcana or Religion) check recognizes the statue’s magical 
  properties and that destroying the statue will destroy the 
  magic. A successful DC 20 Strength check topples the statue, 
  destroying it and ending the effect. However, the creature 
  that topples the statue must succeed on a DC 20 Charisma 
  saving throw or become cursed. While cursed, the creature 
  has vulnerability to fire damage. Hildur Blisterhand knows 
  when the magic of the statue ends.
  9. FANATIC GUARDS
  Two fire giants are stationed here to prevent any 
  interruptions to the ritual in the chamber beyond. The giants 
  are infused with fiery might from their proximity to the 
  portal and deal an extra 2d6 fire damage when they hit with 
  any weapon. They fight to the death to keep intruders from 
  entering the ritual chamber in Area 10.
  Locked Door. The door to Area 10 is locked. A successful 
  DC 18 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools picks the lock, 
  but the creature picking the lock must succeed on a DC 15 
  Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (2d6) fire damage from 
  prolonged contact with the heated iron door.
  10. THE FINAL RITUAL
  This chamber is higher in the temple than the others, and 
  its ledge sits 60 feet above the lava pit in Area 11. Hildur 
  Blisterhand, one fire giant cultist (use the statistics of a fire 
  giant, except it also has the cult fanatic’s Spellcasting trait), 
  and four cult fanatics work to finish the ritual, ignoring any 
  commotion outside the chamber. If the PCs gain access to the 
  chamber, the fire giant cultist and the cult fanatics attempt to 
  hold off the intruders while Hildur completes the ritual. 
  Hildur must stand in place on the western edge of the 
  chamber overlooking the lava pit and use her bonus action 
  each turn to maintain the ritual. If she maintains the ritual 
  for 5 turns after the PCs enter, the ritual completes. If 
  something prevents her from using her bonus action to 
  maintain the ritual, she can use her action and bonus action 
  on her next turn to recover and continue maintaining the 
  ritual. If she is prevented from maintaining the ritual for two 
  consecutive turns, the ritual fails to complete.
  If the fire giants from Area 9 are still alive, they batter 
  down the door in two rounds to join the combat. The flame 
  dragons in Area 7 are curious about the battle’s outcome but 
  do not intercede on the cultists’ behalf.
  If the PCs managed to free the sacrifices in Area 4, a fact 
  Hildur guesses when she sees the PCs enter her chamber, 
  two of the cultists throw themselves into the pit of lava to 
  activate the portal when Hildur completes the ritual. If there 
  are fewer than two cultists remaining, the portal partially 
  opens (see Area 11).
  DEVELOPMENT
  If Ariaira is with the PCs and the battle is going poorly for 
  them, she takes this moment to make her heroic stand. She 
  attempts to spirit the cultists away to the Forlorn Roads, 
  heedless of the danger to herself, as long as she hasn’t already 
  taken the captives from Area 4 to her realm.
  11. SURTUR’S PIT
  If Hildur succeeds in her ritual and fully opens the portal to 
  Surtur’s realm, Surtur emerges in the center of Area 11 on 
  initiative count 20 the round after Hildur opens the portal. 
  The nascent demon lord uses the statistics of a balor for 
  purposes of combat. If the PCs manage to defeat the demon, 
  they have five rounds to close the portal before the demon 
  rises again, fully healed.
  If the portal is only partially open (see Area 10), the 
  demon has difficulty emerging from the portal. It takes 10 
  rounds for the demon lord to squeeze through the portal. 
  While it works to free itself, its arms flail about and threaten 
  to strike any creature in Areas 6, 8, and 10. Each arm makes 
  a melee attack with a +12 bonus against a random target in 
  Areas 6, 8, or 10 (vision is irrelevant to this attack roll). If 
  there are no targets in the area, the arms don’t hit anything. 
  A target that is hit takes 11 (2d10) bludgeoning damage and 
  11 (2d10) fire damage. In addition, the target must succeed 
  on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. 
  Each arm has Armor Class 17 and 52 hit points. If an arm 
  is reduced to 0 hit points, it retreats into the portal and 
  reemerges 10 rounds later.
   If fully opened, the portal also spews fire elementals into 
  Areas 6, 8, and 10. On initiative count 20, roll a d6. On a 
  result of 5 or 6, a fire elemental appears in a random space in 
  one of those areas.
  Closing the Portal. A PC attempting to close the portal 
  must use its action and succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence 
  (Arcana) check while in Area 10 each turn for 1 minute. 
  
  8
  Each PC that helps the first in closing the portal reduces 
  the DC by 1 and the time required to close the portal by 
  half. Alternatively, the portal can be attacked (AC 10) and 
  destroyed if it takes 100 cold damage. If Surtur is alive when 
  the portal closes, Surtur is pulled through the portal back 
  into its realm, vowing vengeance on the PCs.
  Concluding the Adventure
  If the PCs stop the cult from bringing Surtur into Midgard, 
  the damage to the northern lands eventually repairs itself as 
  the cold reclaims the temple. After the PCs return to Noatun, 
  word of their deeds spreads, and they gain a +4 Status change 
  in the Northlands. Uffi Toothless pays the PCs 5,000 gp, even 
  if he didn’t hire them at the beginning of the adventure. 
  If Ariaira or Esben Frosttuft helped the PCs and the PCs 
  include either’s actions in the recounting of their time in 
  the temple, each one is treated as a hero. Ariaira continues 
  carrying out heroic deeds throughout the Northlands, 
  though she returns to Fjellgard at least once a year. 
  Whether her deeds are recounted publically or not, Esben 
  Frosttuft returns to Bjeornheim and retires, satisfied that 
  her actions helped save the Northlands and her people from 
  a great threat.
  The Cult of Ragnarok regards the Children of Surtur’s 
  failure as a lesson for their own activities. They are wary of 
  the PCs and assign spies to keep eyes on the PCs, ready to 
  strike should the PCs appear to interfere with any of the 
  cult’s plans.
  If the PCs failed to stop the cultists from bringing the 
  demon lord into Midgard, the demon lord instigates the 
  polar snowmelt, which results in catastrophic flooding for 
  the Northlands within a year. This emboldens the Cult of 
  Ragnarok to initiate their plans to bring about the end of 
  the world. 
  Hildur Blisterhand
  This female fire giant wears plate mail like her kin, but her 
  right hand is unprotected by a gauntlet. The hand is scarred 
  as if she somehow suffered a terrible burn years ago.
  Hildur heard Surtur’s voice calling to her at a young age. 
  She quickly learned not to discuss hearing the demon lord, 
  as many other fire giants regarded such talk as a sign of 
  insanity. However, an elder giant regarded as a witch by the 
  clan secretly took Hildur under her wing and indoctrinated 
  the young fire giant into the Children of Surtur cult. The 
  witch foresaw greatness in Hildur, realizing she would lead 
  the cult at the time of the conjunction between the brightest 
  star and the unseen “Demon Star.” When Hildur reached 
  adulthood, the witch invoked a ritual of cleansing to bind 
  Hildur to the demon lord, permanently scarring the younger 
  fire giant’s right hand. Hildur has spent her time building the 
  cult in anticipation of bringing Surtur into Midgard, quietly 
  delighting in welcoming members of her former clan into 
  the cult.
  HILDUR BLISTERHAND
  Huge giant, lawful evil
  Armor Class 18 (plate)
  Hit Points 187 (15d12 + 90)
  Speed 30 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  25 (+7) 
  9 (–1) 
  23 (+6) 
  10 (+0) 
  18 (+4) 
  13 (+1)
  Saving Throws Dex +3, Con +10, Cha +5
  Skills Athletics +11, Perception +8
  Damage Immunities fire
  Senses passive Perception 18
  Languages Abyssal, Giant, Ignan
  Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)
  Blessed by Surtur. Hildur Blisterhand’s weapon attacks 
  are magical. When she hits with any weapon, the 
  weapon deals an extra 2d6 fire damage (included in the 
  attack).
  Spellcasting. Hildur Blisterhand is a 9th-level spellcaster. 
  Her spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 16, +8 
  to hit with spell attacks). Hildur has the following cleric 
  spells prepared:
  Cantrips (at will): guidance, resistance, sacred flame, 
  thaumaturgy
  1st level (4 slots): bane, command, inflict wounds, shield of 
  faith
  2nd level (3 slots): blindness/deafness, hold person, 
  spiritual weapon
  3rd level (3 slots): bestow curse, dispel magic, protection 
  from energy
  4th level (3 slots): freedom of movement, guardian of faith
  5th level (1 slot): flame strike
  Actions
  Multiattack. Hildur makes two greatsword attacks.
  Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 
  ft., one target. Hit: 28 (6d6 + 7) slashing damage plus 7 
  (2d6) fire damage.
  
  9
  
  10
  Ariaira the Cheshirian
  This bipedal creature’s broad, disarming smile counters its 
  misshapen appearance.
  The cheshirian is a carnivorous fey creature with the unique 
  ability to hop back and forth between the Material Plane and 
  a seldom-traveled section of the Shadow Realm known as the 
  Forlorn Roads. The Forlorn Roads are tied to the Northlands 
  and the cheshirians rarely travel beyond the Northlands for 
  fear of losing their connection to their realm. Their peculiar 
  magic allows them to snatch unsuspecting prey from one 
  realm and deposit it into the other. When a cheshirian is out 
  of phase in either realm, it often displays its disembodied 
  smile to unnerve its disoriented prey. All cheshirians have 
  palindromic names.
  Ariaira is a cheshirian who unexpectedly had the strong 
  desire for companionship and heroism after witnessing 
  heroic acts by some adventurers she captured. A blundered 
  attempt to save the remote human village of Fjellgard from 
  the Children of Surtur’s machinations brought Ariaira face-
  to-face with heroes of the Northlands. After helping them 
  right her wrong, she vowed to learn from them and become 
  a true hero. She has since helped the village rebuild and has 
  protected it from numerous threats. However, many people 
  still see her as a monster and as a threat to the safety of the 
  people of Trollheim. Ever eager to prove her good heart and 
  to become a hero, she ventures across the Northlands, aiding 
  those in need and foiling the Children of Surtur’s plans 
  where she can.
  ARIAIRA
  Small fey, chaotic good
  Armor Class 14
  Hit Points 66 (12d6 + 24)
  Speed 30 ft.
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
  13 (+1) 
  18 (+4) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  11 (+0) 
  16 (+3)
  Saving Throws Cha +5
  Skills Deception +7, Stealth +6, Survival +2
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
  Languages Common, Sylvan
  Challenge 3 (700 XP)
  Claim Territory (1/Day). Ariaira spends 1 hour out of 
  phase attuning herself to a section of the Forlorn Roads 
  up to 1 square mile in size. This section becomes her 
  territory until she dies or she designates another area as 
  her territory. She also attunes herself to a similarly-sized 
  swath of land on the Material Plane in the Northlands as 
  part of this process. More than one cheshirian can claim 
  the same territory, though this overlap often ends with 
  one of the cheshirians slain by the other or moving on 
  to a different area.
  Out of Phase. As a bonus action, Ariaira can magically 
  exist on the Material Plane and the Forlorn Roads 
  simultaneously. While she is out of phase in this way, 
  she is invisible in both realms (though she can choose 
  for her mouth and teeth to remain visible), and she 
  has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing 
  damage from nonmagical attacks. A creature that 
  she hits with her claw attack while out of phase has 
  resistance to her claw’s damage. As a bonus action on a 
  subsequent turn, Ariaira can choose to fully manifest on 
  the Material Plane or the Forlorn Roads. 
  Sound Mimicry. Ariaira can mimic humanoid voices. A 
  creature that hears the voices can tell they are imitations 
  with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check.
  Actions
  Multiattack. Ariaira makes two claw attacks.
  Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage. If the target is 
  a Medium or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 
  11). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and 
  Ariaira can’t use her claw on another target.
  Drag to the Forlorn Roads. Ariaira teleports herself to 
  her claimed territory in the Forlorn Roads, her claimed 
  territory in the Northlands, or to an area of the Forlorn 
  Roads with which she is familiar. If she is grappling 
  a creature, the grappled creature must make a DC 
  13 Wisdom saving throw (a creature can willingly fail 
  this saving throw). On a failure, the grappled creature 
  teleports with Ariaira to the chosen location. A creature 
  that is in the Forlorn Roads and not native to the 
  Shadow Realm can attempt a new Wisdom saving throw 
  at the end of each hour, reappearing in the space it 
  left (or in the nearest unoccupied space if that space is 
  occupied) on a success. A creature can choose to fail this 
  saving throw. If a creature fails this saving throw each 
  hour for 48 hours, it is permanently stuck in the Forlorn 
  Roads and must find a different way out. A fey creature 
  or a creature native to the Shadow Realm can choose to 
  permanently remain in the Forlorn Roads or not at the 
  end of the first hour.
  
  11
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  Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the 
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  System Reference Document 5.0 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the 
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/Kobold Press/Warlock/Warlock Lair #29 - The Beacon at the Top of the World.pdf