TEXT: Dungeon Master Accessory DMA1
  GUILD OF WINTERCREST
  For use with the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition
  Author: “Weird Dave” Olson
  Layout: “Weird Dave” Olson
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  In the frozen reaches of the High Ice, beyond the scorching sands of the 
  Anauroch, lies a land of icy beauty. Long ago, the enigmatic Frostlash 
  the Ice Mage established a small fortress in the High Ice dedicated 
  to teaching future generations exquisite magical arts harnessing the 
  power of the snow and cold. The Guild of Wintercrest was established, 
  but since Frostlash’s disappearanc the guild has become isolated, 
  jealously guarding its secrets. Come now and get a look into the Guild of 
  Wintercrest - its history, its leaders, membership benefits, and adventure 
  hooks!
  
  2
  In the far north, beyond the great desert of 
  Anauroch, in the land of bitter wind, biting 
  cold, and harsh folk known as the High Ice, 
  a group of wizards have settled in secret. 
  Away from prying eyes they’ve gathered 
  in a remote castle to study their magic and 
  advance their craft. They formed the Guild 
  of Wintercrest, but to most people they are 
  simply known as the frost mages.
  The residents and teachers of the Guild 
  of Wintercrest specialize in arcane magic 
  relating to the icy domain surrounding 
  the castle. They are familiar with the more 
  common spells and certainly do not look 
  down on them – after all, not all problems can 
  be solved with magical ice. But the spells that 
  are researched and taught at Wintercrest, 
  the ones that give them their reputation as 
  frost mages, are both difficult and formidable. 
  Their secrets are not given to strangers lightly, 
  but to the gifted and dedicated wizard a 
  whole world of knowledge can be accessed 
  within its halls and from its teachers.
   
  Guild History
  There is something inherently magical about 
  the High Ice, where the sky turns many 
  colors and burns in the night air, or so some 
  believe. The most fervent of these dreamers 
  was an enterprising adventuring mage 
  named Frostlash the Ice Mage who called 
  these savage lands home long ago, before 
  the Shade Enclave rose to power in the 
  Anauroch. He was a mysterious figure, clad 
  in snow white robes and bearing a strange 
  wooden staff of an unusual icy blue hue, 
  and his appearance in the small villages was 
  regarded as a sign of ill omen. His magic was 
  not trusted, and more than once Frostlash 
  faced dangerous prejudice in the tight-knit 
  communities.
  And so Frostlash decided to create a home 
  for people such as himself to study the 
  magic of the north in peace and relative 
  quiet from the prying, judgmental eyes of 
  the outside world. Whether he stumbled 
  across his chosen wilderness castle already 
  abandoned or cleared it of its inhabitants 
  is not known for certain; certainly it is widely 
  recognized Frostlash was not a kind hearted 
  man, prone to cold calculating actions. 
  Regardless, he claimed a castle as his own 
  and named it the Guild of Wintercrest.
  In his travels, Frostlash had met many people 
  who shared his passion for the icy magic 
  and he called upon them to join in his new 
  endeavor. Many did, having experienced 
  the same prejudice that drove Frostlash 
  away, and a small faculty grew. For many 
  years Frostlash sat as headmaster, approving 
  new admissions and developing new spells 
  for the curriculum. Most of the signature spells 
  of Wintercrest come from his original notes.
  Then, after twenty years of serving, Frostlash 
  simply disappeared. He left behind a small 
  council of regent mages who hold control 
  of the guild, and over the years the sternest 
  of them took over as headmistress, the cold-
  hearted Ellerin Tyathe. She has turned the 
  guild from a place of open learning for all 
  who are interested in the arctic arcane into 
  an elite group of like-minded, lawful wizards, 
  dedicated to maintaining some sort of 
  perfect order that only she can see.
  As such the guild has taken on a more 
  reclusive bent of late, which suits the few 
  surrounding villages and towns just fine. This 
  policy has also helped keep a low profile from 
  the Shade Enclave, and some wondered at 
  the expansion of the High Ice over the past 
  100 years and recalled stories of the frost 
  mages. Few made the trip to find them, 
  however.
  Wintercrest 
  is 
  currently 
  completely 
  Guild of Wintercrest 
  Written by “Weird Dave” Olson
  
  3
  autonomous as well, though regular deliveries 
  of supplies arrive every few months from a 
  small dwarven merchant company out of 
  Citadel Adbar. Traveling the dangerous land 
  is a job few merchants care to undertake 
  and they are always on the lookout for 
  experienced adventurers to protect the 
  travelers.
   
  Guild Staff
  There are only a handful of permanent staff 
  members at the Guild of Wintercrest. The 
  founder, the wandering mage Frostlash, has 
  been gone from the guild for many years. 
  Most assume he is out exploring the wilds of 
  the northlands, investigating rumors of frozen 
  castles lost to time in the wastelands beyond 
  the reach of the unskilled. Others whisper 
  that he died fighting a glacier kraken, a 
  legendary creature of the icy north feared 
  for its insatiable hunger. Still others say that 
  Frostlash is still in the guild in the sealed lower 
  chambers, frozen away as a result of some 
  magical experiment gone awry.
  Whatever the reason Frostlash is not around, 
  and so a skilled protégé has taken over 
  accepting admissions and running the guild 
  in the role of headmaster(mistress). The 
  current headmistress is Ellerin Tyathe, and 
  she is assisted by the Council of Regents who 
  serve at the guild in permanent positions. The 
  four of them form the core NPCs at the Guild 
  of Wintercrest.
  Ellerin Tyathe, Headmistress of Wintercrest 
  Guild
  LN Female Human Archmage
  Possessions: As headmistress, Ellerin has 
  access to a great many magic items. She 
  is never seen without a quarterstaff of some 
  sort along with pouches full of ingredients.
  Headmistress Ellerin Tyathe is a woman who 
  takes her role very seriously and is quite an 
  accomplished sorceress herself. She believes 
  in weeding out the unworthy from attending 
  the school, though she has done so with 
  great care over the years to the point where 
  the council of regents that sit as a governing 
  body have not noticed. Headmistress Tyathe 
  has a distinct dislike for non-human students.
  Physically, Ellerin Tyathe appears as a 
  matronly spinster – steel gray hair bound in 
  a tight bun, conservative clothes, a pair of 
  wire glasses perched on her hawkish nose. 
  She has lived at the guild for many years and 
  studied under Frostlash himself after having 
  been dropped off unceremoniously by 
  parents eager to see her take on the mantle 
  of a great spellcaster. The Tyathe family 
  name commands much respect in southern 
  lands, though no one at Wintercrest currently 
  knows about it. Ellerin spent her childhood 
  knowing she was going to inherit this great 
  magical legacy and lives under its shadow 
  to this day, which is part of the reason for her 
  innate racism. She believes she has turned 
  the Tyathe name into a respectful one tied 
  inextricably to the Guild of Wintercrest. 
  Therefore, the applicants reflect directly on 
  her name and personal legacy.
  Headmistress Tyathe spends most of her time 
  studying new arcana in her tower at the 
  guild, mostly keeping to herself. She does 
  take on individual students when someone 
  of exceptional talent gets accepted, but 
  such an event is rare and only happens with 
  humans (or half-elves, if the talent is great 
  enough). Her skill in astrology and ancient 
  history is well regarded in scholarly circles 
  around the land.
  
  4
  Garlyth 
  Wesstone, 
  Council 
  of 
  Regents 
  Member and Library Keeper
  LG Male Human Archmage
  Possessions: Due to his bad knee Garlyth is 
  always seen with a staff that is also normally 
  enchanted. He keeps a suit of leather armor 
  from his adventuring days in his room along 
  with an assorted collection of rods and 
  wands.
  The youngest member of the Council of 
  Regents is Garlyth Wesstone, a man of about 
  thirty years, who settled on teaching after 
  a decade of adventuring. He has white 
  hair kept long and loose and his friendliness 
  towards all students and visitors marks a 
  sharp difference between him and the 
  headmistress. Wesstone always has a story to 
  tell about his adventuring days, such as the 
  tale of when and his band of companions 
  kept a bridge safe from a band of ice trolls to 
  the west while a caravan containing much 
  needed supplies went over. Whether or not 
  Wesstone’s seemingly exaggerated stories 
  are true is up to the GM. He maintains the 
  library at the Guild of Wintercrest and knows 
  its contents thoroughly.
  Arann Tal, Council of Regents Member and 
  Advanced Spellcrafter
  LN Male Human Archmage
  Possessions: 
  Arann 
  always 
  keeps 
  an 
  assortment of magical ingredients with him, 
  stuffed away in bulging pockets in his robes. 
  A dagger is sheathed at his side, which is 
  usually used to cut inanimate things rather 
  than in combat.
  Specializing in the crafting and testing of 
  new spells is Arann Tal, a southern man in 
  his mid-fifties. He is stocky and keeps his salt-
  and-pepper beard and hair well-trimmed at 
  all times. Tal’s gruff and inconsiderate nature 
  melt away when he’s actively engaged 
  in spell design or testing, at which point his 
  normally grey eyes take on a wild luster and 
  his face splits into an unusual grin. His skin is 
  tan and many student wonder about what 
  drove the man to the Guild of Wintercrest; 
  whatever the reason he doesn’t like to talk 
  about it.
  Cadest Snowshimmer, Council of Regents 
  Member
  CG Male Elf Archmage
  Possessions: Cadest is rarely seen without his 
  prized sword, an elven blade of ancient family 
  design. It is rumored he keeps a prized suit of 
  elven chain mail in his room somewhere.
  The final member of the council of regents 
  is an elf named Cadest Snowshimmer, a 
  spellcaster almost as skilled as Headmistress 
  Tyathe. He has platinum blonde hair kept 
  tied in tight braids and a sharp, angular face 
  common to his race. His skin is as pale as 
  driven snow, though whether this is a result 
  of the climate around the guild or his arcane 
  studies is unknown. To the students he is strict 
  but fair and can usually see the intentions 
  behind rash actions. Most students at the 
  guild favor the elven tutor, who specializes 
  in instructing weather phenomenon and the 
  raw magic of the northlands. There are many 
  who want to see instructor Cadest become 
  headmaster Cadest, but to date he has 
  shown little interest in holding that position. 
  The only reason he sits on the council of 
  regents is his history with the guild’s founder, 
  Nimus; Cadest was the first mage called to 
  the school when it was founded and he has 
  been there the longest.
   
  Joining Wintercrest
  The Guild of Wintercrest is available for 
  mages to attend for formal training, or to 
  simply study new spells. In order to join, the 
  prospective student must submit a letter of 
  recommendation from a current or former 
  student of Wintercrest – finding such a 
  person can be a quest in and of itself. The 
  prospective student can send the letter to 
  the guild separately or deliver it personally, 
  though final decision takes 2d4 days of 
  waiting.
  Deciding whether to accept new students 
  is entirely up to Headmistress Tyathe. 
  
  5
  Acceptance requires a special roll of 1d100 
  plus any of the applicable following modifiers:
  Situation
  Roll Modifier
  Prospective student is 
  proficient in Arcana
  +15
  Prospective student is 
  proficient in Survival
  +10
  R e c o m m e n d a t i o n 
  letter
  +5 to +20 at DM’s 
  discretion 
  Prospective student has 
  a lawful alignment
  +10
  Additional gp spent
  +5 per 25 gp spent
  Performing deeds for 
  the guild
  +5 to +30 at DM’s 
  discretion
  Non-human race
  -10
  If the acceptance roll is 100 or greater the 
  prospective student has been accepted 
  and can begin training immediately. No 
  additional roll is necessary for additional 
  training at later levels, but a prospective 
  student can only try once per level to gain 
  admission.
  The cost for level training at the Guild 
  of 
  Wintercrest 
  is 
  standard 
  rate 
  after 
  acceptance.
   
  Benefits of Membership
  Each member of the Guild of Wintercrest is 
  given a signet ring with the guild’s symbol 
  on it in an ice blue crystal. This ring contains 
  a minor enchantment that binds it to the 
  owner (though it does not count against the 
  number of attuned items). Rumors of rogue 
  wizards learning the secrets of removing a 
  guild signet ring are quickly squashed by the 
  Council of Regents.
  Wizards who are accepted as members 
  to the Guild of Wintercrest are allowed full 
  access to the guild’s library, which is quite 
  extensive. Volumes of lore on arctic creatures, 
  forbidden history of the Great Glacier, and 
  other esoteric topics can be found in the 
  well-catalogued shelves.
  The Council of Regents does its best to 
  control the number of cryomancers in the 
  world and thus members of the guild are the 
  only sanctioned practitioners of the School 
  of Cryomancy wizard tradition that the guild 
  recognizes. Even members who do not follow 
  the cryomancy tradition can gain access to 
  the guild’s library. New spells can be found in 
  the PLC1 School of Cryomancy article.
  Guild members are also expected to take up 
  arms to defend Wintercrest and its holdings 
  when called. The signet ring contains 
  another minor magical effect allowing the 
  headmistress to send out a summoning 
  beacon to all rings, as long as they are on the 
  Prime Material Plane. Failure to show up in a 
  timely manner can be considered grounds 
  for dismissal by the Council of Regents.
  
  6
  Adventure Hooks
  Mage characters with an interest in the icy 
  aspects of their arcane art may simply seek 
  out the Guild of Wintercrest to study at; 
  certainly the spells taught within its walls are 
  near impossible to find elsewhere. However, 
  there’s plenty to do for a whole party of 
  characters not interested in cryomantic 
  magic.
  A Pinch of This, a Dash of That
  Arann Tal is developing a new spell and has 
  need of some rare ingredients. This type of 
  hook can be used to send the characters 
  nearly anywhere, either in the surrounding 
  wilderness just outside the guild walls or to 
  further points. A rare specimen of plant, a 
  particular stone, even some harvested part 
  of a wild creature all are possible targets for 
  a spell still in development.
  Dangerous Roads
  The guild’s last shipment of supplies is unusually 
  late, and with a harsher than normal winter 
  predicted by Cadest Snowshimmer the need 
  is greater than usual to be well stocked. 
  Perhaps the caravan was ambushed by a 
  band of desperate orcs driven into the north 
  by southern forces; perhaps some great beast 
  simply attacked the travelers out of hunger. 
  Tracking the shipment requires following the 
  course from its last known checkpoint at the 
  edge of the northlands.
  Cold Murder
  Someone is murdering students at the school 
  and leaving cryptic message written in 
  blood. The exact culprit is left up to the GM, 
  but possibilities include a psychotic current 
  student, the vengeful spirit of a deceased 
  student, a former student exacting bloody 
  revenge, or even a protégé of Headmistress 
  Tyathe performing a “cleansing” on students 
  found unworthy of the guild’s halls.
  Under Guild Orders
  As part of their magical study, new magical 
  items are often created at the Guild of 
  Wintercrest. 
  Headmistress 
  Tyathe 
  needs 
  a group of adventurers to escort a case 
  containing experimental new items to a 
  southern guild for verification and trade. The 
  journey would be dangerous as word spreads 
  of the potential treasure being transported; 
  bandits and highwaymen would be the 
  least of the characters’ worries as all sorts 
  of interested individuals made their plays to 
  acquire the magical items.
  The Ice Mage Cometh
  What really happened to the guild’s founder, 
  Frostlash the Ice Mage? Perhaps he suddenly 
  appears one day and demands to take over 
  as headmaster. Certainly such an event 
  would throw the guild into a chaotic uproar, 
  but the truth could be more sinister than 
  that. Why is the returned magical master 
  acting strangely? Why is his long-time friend 
  Cadest Snowshimmer denied an audience? 
  Is it really Frostlash the Ice Mage returned – 
  or is it something else? Possibilities include a 
  magical construct, a doppelganger, or even 
  a mind-controlling effect such as a parasite 
  or powerful spell. Where the real Frostlash is 
  located would be key to solving the situation.
  
  This release of “DMA1 Guild of Wintercrest” 
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