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Summary:

A rogue cult of the god Lothar seeks to return winter to the Kingdom of Slumber.

Assumptions:

The PCs are the Heroes of the Gem

Location:

The Kingdom of Slumber

Historical Date:

N.S. 26, Month of Calm (Winter)

Note to DMs:

This scenario was designed with the Heroes of the Gem in mind. However, it could easily be transplanted to any world or campaign where an evil cult of the God of Winter seeks to bring frost and chill to an otherwise temperate land.

The scenario includes a final encounter that is extremely dangerous and beyond the normal recommended CR for the party. The PCs have full warning of the encounter, and DMs can warn the PCs that the final encounter is optional and very very deadly. Of course, with great danger comes great glory...

DM's Introduction:

Here is a tale told of the Kingdom of Slumber.

In the days before Slumber the gods were quarreling, and their conflicts threatened to engulf the world, the very thing over which they fought. And so the God of Cleverness, he to be known as the Deceiver, proposed a novel solution…that the gods would build for themselves a grand hall and within it they would lock themselves in a divine sleep, so that they would remove themselves from the temptations of the world and the covetousness it evoked. And so the gods agreed, unanimously, to fashion such a hall. But the debate was not there ended, for the question remained regarding where to locate this hall. And many gods had each his or her own idea or preference as to where the great hall should be located. And so a great convocation was called, to which all the gods attended. And there was to be a vote amongst the gods to determine the location of their slumber. Some gods had no care, for to them sleep was sleep and it mattered not where it took place. But other gods had preferences, for they carried still some of the lingering bitterness and jealousies of the gods' war and they sought to use the placement of the hall as a sign of their supremacy. It may also be that the gods had an inkling of the power of worship by mortal beings to come and they jockeyed for a location that best suited their worshippers so that temporal power would accrue to them even after they were locked in slumber. These gods, one and all, stepped forward in the convocation and pled their case. Many were eloquent; some were crude. Most agreed that the hall should be located in a remote place or a place sheltered from the centers of mortal civilization, for otherwise mortals might be too tempted to awaken the gods at every trivial crisis and, if the gods were awakened too often, they might grow covetous of the world once again. Flupnir suggested that the hall teleport to random locations, both to satisfy all the gods, and to make things more interesting. He was dragged off the lectern and banished from the convocation. Penultimate to speak was Galisiria, Mother of Forests and the Fey, Goddess of the Elves. And she took the lectern and spoke with passion and eloquence, arguing that the hall should be located deep in the heart of her greatest forest…a forest she would create specifically to house the hall. She proposed this forest be located along the southern shores of Jerranq, where the climate was most conducive to the growth of greenery. Most of the gods seemed to favour Galisiria's idea. A forest would provide the remoteness needed, and would be a pleasant surrounding for the slumber of the gods. Further, the elves, who would then be caretakers of the hall, were noble, learned, and long-lived. Ideal servants for such a task. Lothar, Lord of Frost, had yet to speak, and he was the last to speak, but he was a crude god, unused to parley or debate, and so it was presumed he would bellow and rage and howl about being treated unfairly and then the convocation would decide upon Galisiria's choice. But Lothar surprised all, as he stood forth and in a tongue both eloquent and calm, outlined his cogent reasons why the hall should be located north, in the heart of his icy realm. His realm was the remotest of all, accessible to be sure, but requiring a journey of no small magnitude and specific purpose to reach. No less, he also revealed to the gods that there were mystical connections between his cold and sleep. When a mortal succumbed to hypothermia, was it not much a sensation of drifting off to sleep? What other natural means of death could be so likened to sleep? And was not being asleep for eternity within the hall yet a form of preservation and inactivity that mimicked being frozen? Such was the force behind Lothar's words that, upon hindsight, it is argued that these words were given to him by the Deceiver, who perhaps desired the hall to be located close to his already established stronghold in Mordasht. In any event, the gods were swayed by Lothar's reasoning, and the convocation elected to build the hall on the tip of a peninsula suggested by Lothar far to the north of Jerranq. But Galisiria was wroth at this, for she suspected some chicanery, and she alone was not swayed by Lothar's uncharacteristic eloquence. And so, while the hall was being built, she was busy herself, for she gathered her power and caused to arise a great forest in the midst of Lothar's lands. This was the greatest forest ever seen on Therra, and she grew it as close to the hall as she could without countermanding the decision of the convocation. Thus, she was able to at least have the sacred hall near to her forest, and thus was she able to cast an affront to Lothar for denying her the honour of the hall. However, Galisiria knew that no forest could easily survive in the icy wastes of the north, especially not populated with her sylvan progeny. And so she invested a great portion of her power into permanently altering the climate of her great forest, so that even though it occupied the northern latitudes of Jerranq, the climate was ever mild and ever sylvan within its precincts and the will of Lothar held no sway. Even then, though, the jealous goddess was not satisfied, and she took one final measure of revenge for being spited. She quickly thrust her power out north from her forest into the peninsula where the hall was located, and attempted to banish Lothar's frost from the very peninsula where the hall stood. Lothar fought against her power with his own, and once again the gods contested, though only two did so. And the hall itself was threatened with ruin at the powers wielded by Lothar and Galisiria. But the Clever One, who became the Deceiver, intervened, for he did not care about the climate and simply wanted the hall located near to his fortress, and he warned that this conflict was further proof of the need for the gods to enter slumber immediately. And so the gods, even Galisiria and Lothar, left off their battle and entered the divine sleep. But Galisiria had struck hard and struck first, and the final conflict of the gods' war ended with the peninsula housing the hall being extremely mild in climate. Not as idyllic as the forest to the south to be certain, but nowhere near as frigid or inhospitable as Lothar had desired. And this is why, to this day, the Kingdom of Slumber enjoys a modest climate despite its location. And this is why the clergy of Lothar, to this day, despise elves and seek to return the frost to the Kingdom of Slumber.

The Fimbul:

The Fimbul's birth name is not known. What is known is that he was one of the Ice People of the far northern wastes, and a devout worshipper of Lothar, especially of his Suffering and Endurance aspects. As a young priest of the God of Cold, he learned of the defeat of the Deceiver at the hands of the Heroes of the Gem. And while many of his own folk were proud that one of their kind, Queequeg the Wise, had a hand in these great events, to The Fimbul it was an affront that the Evoker would agree to form a kingdom in a land that was an affront to his god.

Over the next several years, The Fimbul preached to other Lothar worshippers, and so impassioned was he that his following grew quickly, and he took the name of The Fimbul, which in the tongue of the Ice People means "the blizzard that freezes blood inside the body". His cult became known as the Cult of Fimbulwinter, and it began to reach to the northern tribes of the Thaneeri as well, for The Fimbul preached that winter was the means to defeat the Imperials and reclaim the Far Coast for the barbarians.

By N.S. 6, The Fimbul had begun to learn the deepest, darkest lore of Lothar, entering the ranks of winterhaunts and being taught its lore and combining it with dark secrets of various fell netherbeings such as gelugons. Eventually, he learned of the existence of the Tablets of Azzarik'nur, said to be graven by Lothar Himself and containing primal lore that formed a part of the creative energies Lothar used to fashion ice and snow during the creation of the universe. The Fimbul bid his followers goodbye, for he intended to travel the planes in search of the Tablets. It might take him years, even decades, but he vowed he would return with the Tablets, and with them he would bring winter back to Slumber, and then use his knowledge to reclaim other lands, including the Far Coast.

For a dozen years The Fimbul roamed the planes, undergoing many trials and tribulations. And each time he prevailed, he gained in strength, confidence, lore, and power. He travelled to the Elemental Planes, even the Plane of Fire, to find the Tablets. He even braved the Plane of Shadows, fending off unspeakable horrors. Finally, The Fimbul located the Tablets. And graven upon them was the formula for an immensely powerful epic spell. The Fimbul returned with the tablets, to much acclaim from his cult followers. But the spell written thereupon proved so powerful that even he could not master it. For years The Fimbul and his followers plumbed the depths of their divine and arcane lore, even again roaming the planes for the means to use the Tablets.

Eventually, The Fimbul found a way to master the spell. He reformulated the lore on the Tablets into an epic spell of his own devising called Lothar's cleansing. Casting it would require help, for he would need to tap the arcane force of a very powerful being attuned to the element of cold. This being would have to be more attuned to cold and more powerful than even a great wyrm white dragon. It would even have to be a being capable of mastering epic spells. Fortunately, The Fimbul learned of such a being during his travels. It was called Kostchtchie, once a divine servant of Lothar who forsook his master to escape Slumber. Not a Maug, for the being never allied with the Deceiver and never received the divine power accorded to the Maugs, the demonlord was still extremely powerful in his own right, and haunted the cold places of the netherworld, a loner and a miserable wretch who, over the many centuries, occasionally had traffic with frost giant shamans.

The Fimbul was able to fool Kostchtchie and entrap him in a demiplane of ice. He then connected this demiplane to his Ice Palace so that he could use the demonlord as a source of power to cast Lothar's cleansing. So armed, The Fimbul then set about to enact his plan.

The Initial Assault:

First, he knew that even the epic spell of Lothar might not be enough to defeat the will of the gods; at least not permanently. Instead, the forces of winter had to be marshalled on a large scale in order to weaken the godly barrier surrounding Slumber. Then, once the barrier had been breached, Lothar's cleansing could be cast to bring permanent winter to Slumber. To this effect, The Fimbul constructed a massive ritual called winter's revenge designed to deteriorate Galisiria's will. The Lothar rituals began at places scattered throughout the northlands, including several places within Slumber. Cells of Fimbul Cultists met on the appointed day in the autumn of 24 N.S. and began to summon the continent's winters to converge upon Slumber. At first, the effects were mild; a mere thickening of icebergs along the northern coast and a slight nip in the air. But as winter approached, no one could deny that supernatural forces were at work. While distant lands experienced amazingly mild winters, citizens of Slumber watched immense storms, tornadoes, and blizzards sweep right up to the border of their land.

Initially these assaults dissipated at the godly barrier. But as the days passed, first one, then other managed to pierce the veil and pummel the Kingdom. The Heroes of the Gem convened and decided that the Cultists needed to be rousted and their ritual stopped. Forces were mobilized and sent in search of the cells, and many Cultists were put to the sword. But the assault only abated when Tirolius and his troops discovered a site of the ritual, in the Haunted Hills to the south of Slumber.

However, the use of winter's revenge had battered the divine will of Galasiria so that the chance for the land to resist Lothar's cleansing was lowered from 100% to a mere 22%. As of now, any time Lothar's cleansing is cast, there is a 22% chance it will fail, due to the fragment of Galasiria's divine will that remains intact.

The sundering of the ritual returned the winters to the lands from whence they had come, and the weather of Slumber knew peace. Some Cultist prisoners were questioned, and they raved that the Fimbulwinter was still coming. But to all intents and purposes, as far as the Kingdom of Slumber was concerned, the Lotharian assault had been defeated.

The First Strike:

But the Heroes were wrong. For the ritual they had halted was akin to artillery softening up the defenses of a castle. True, The Fimbul would have preferred the assault continue as long as possible, to reduce Galasiria's divine will to nothing. But enough holes were rent in the fabric of Galasiria's barrier that Lothar's cleansing could be cast and would be able to permanently establish itself within the Kingdom. But time was growing short. The rents in the barrier would repair over time, as Galasiria's wills reasserts itself, in a matter of a few years. And so, The Fimbul now moves directly against Slumber. In his Ice Palace, a structure carved into an iceberg that sails the frigid seas by means of a captive rimefire eidolon, he has moved close to the northern coast of Slumber. There, he has enacted his 100 day ritual, using Kostchtchie's power to enable the casting. As The Fimbul is now more elemental than human, he has no need of food or sleep. Thus is he able to withstand the rigours of a 100-day casting.

On the 100th day The Fimbul stood atop his iceberg and looked through the snow and gloom to the shoreline a mile away. In the distance, he could see the top of the Hall of Slumber. He invoked the power of his deity and, in a massive discharge of divine power, a white beam of frost emerged from the iceberg, through his body, and lanced out over the sea to strike land. From the impact point blossomed a rapidly expanding sphere of freezing air. Trees cracked under the sudden pressure, the ground turned instantly into glacier, and bodies of water froze solid. Swimmers in these bodies of water were often trapped beneath the ice, or flash frozen. Crops died, livestock perished, hundreds died of sudden exposure and many more were frostbitten. The blossom encompassed a 20 mile radius, some 3 miles inland from the coast. It covered the Hall of Slumber and the Obelisk of Decree. The Kingdom Council hall was buried under fee of ice. The heart of Kirawyr's Canton was stricken. An area from the Handaswir to the west, Passtime to the south, and The River of Slumber to the east was now arctic in climate. Even the capital city of Indereghit was affected.

The Next Assault:

The Fimbul was overjoyed at his success. To all indications, the cleansing had held against Galasiria's will. The Fimbul now intends to sail his palace east, to cover the remainder of the eastern portion of Korvar's Canton in glacier. He would then continue to srike at random locations along the coast, until the entire northern coastal region of Slumber, 20-23 miles deep, was reclaimed by Lothar. Then, using these as beachheads, he would bring his palace inland and use the cleansing to return the inner regions of Slumber to frost. Such a process would take quite some time, many years in fact, but with the demonlord providing the XP cost of the casting, it was a small price for The Fimbul to pay.

Player's Introduction:

You were holed up in your various keeps and palaces, enjoying the mild winter of the Kingdom and seeing to the daily business of running your Canton when your domo informed you that an urgent herald had arrived from Korvar's Canton. The herald was ushered in and gave a quick bow before beginning: "Milord! Lord Korvar, Scion of War requests your soonest convocation at his palace in the grand city of Indereghit. Lothar has struck a fell blow to the heart of the Kingdom. The Hall of Slumber is coated in a thickening sheath of ice. The Obeslisk of Decree is buried under tons of snow. Even the Kingdom Council Hall stands in the heart of an immense blizzard that freezes the marrow of the bones. Indereghit itself has succumbed to this wintry madness, but it stands at the edge of the effect and is accessible. Milord requests that you come with whatever aid is available. Soldiers to guard against attack. Food and provisions to feed the populace should this continue into the spring and summer. But mostly milord requests your sage and puissant presence to decide upon a course of action." With that, the herald hands a scroll sealed with Korvar's seal that contains the same missive in Korvar's own hand.

Part One - The Ice Age:

Upon arrival in Indereghit, the PCs will note that, some half mile outside of the city, the air suddenly becomes chill. It is like walking through an invisible wall. The temperature drops to -60 degrees and a constant blizzard rages within. The frozen corpses of cattle, horses, rabbits, birds, and even the occasional person dot the landscape, encased in a coating of ice that sometimes rises as high as 10 feet above the now-tundra ground.

Effects of the Ice Age:

In the 20 mile radius area affected by the epic spell Lothar's cleansing, the average daylight temperature in the winter months is -60 degrees while the average nightly temperature is -80 degrees. Winds are consistently severe or windstorm level. There is unearthly cold and a constant blizzard with heavy snow and whiteout conditions. All areas under the effect of the ice age are considered frostfell areas.

Wind:

Assume a given level of wind lasts for 8 hours:

01-65	Severe
66-00	Windstorm

Severe Wind: unprotected flames are extinguished, protected flames are extinguished 50% of the time, ranged attacks suffer a -4 attack penalty, Tiny creatures are blown away, Small creatures are knocked down, and Medium creatures are checked. The Fort save DC to avoid being blown away, knocked down, or checked is 15.

Windstorm: unprotected flames are extinguished, protected flames are extinguished 75% of the time, ranged attacks are impossible except siege engines suffer a -4 attack penalty, Small creatures are blown away, Medium creatures are knocked down, and Large or Huge creatures are checked. The Fort save DC to avoid being blown away, knocked down, or checked is 18.

Note: Flying creatures are treated as one size category smaller.

Checked: Unable to move against the wind. Flying creatures blown back 1D6 x 5 ft.
Knocked Down: Creatures knocked prone. Flying creatures instead blown back 1D6 x10 ft.
Blown Away: Creatures knocked prone and rolled 1D4x10 ft, taking 1D4 points of nonlethal damage per 10 ft. Flying creatures are blown back 2D6 x 10 ft and take 2D6 points of nonlethal damage.

Cold:

The temperature results in unearthly cold. Unprotected beings take 1D6 points of cold damage (no save) and 1D4 points of nonlethal damage per minute (Fort save DC 15, +1 per previous check). Partially protected beings take the same damage every 10 minutes. Level 1 protection is considered no protection. Level 2 or 3 is considered partial protection. Level 4 or higher is considered fully protected.

Anyone taking nonlethal damage from the cold also suffers frostbite and is treated as fatigued.

In addition, anyone taking nonlethal damage from the cold begins to suffer from mild hypothermia, which results in the same fatigued state as frostbite. A person suffering from mild hypothermia who takes more nonlethal damage enters moderate hypothermia and is treated as exhausted. A person suffering fromo moderate hypothermia who takes more nonlethal damage enters severe hypothermia and is treated as disabled.

Other Effects:

There is a chance of becoming lost every hour, requiring a Survival check of DC 30. Once lost, there is a DC 20 Survival check (-1 per hour of random travel) to realize you are lost. Setting a new correct course requires a DC 15 Survival check (+2 per hour of random travel).

Snow depth averages 24 inches, resulting in Small creatures suffering major impediment and Medium or larger creatures suffering minor impediment. Major impediment results in the creature paying 4 squares of movement to move square and the DC of Tumble checks is increased by 8. Minor impedement results in the creature paying 2 squares of movement to move 1 square and the DC of Tumble checks in increased by 2.

Snowfall imposes a -4 penalty to Spot and Search checks.

There are also constant whiteout conditions. Creatures take a -2 penalty to Dex, lose all Dex bonuses to AC, move at half speed, take a -4 penalty on all Dex-based skill checks as well as Search or Spot or any skill relying on vision. The creature gains concealment. Visibility is 5 ft. Whiteout is cumulative with wind and snow effects.

Speaking with Korvar:

For those PCs who do not simply teleport to Korvar's keep, well-bundled guards at the gate will greet them as their saviours and one who draws short straw will be chosen to lead the PCs through the city to Korvar's keep. Guide ropes have been lashed throughout the city, with knots tied in various patterns to allow navigation to and from various important parts of the city. Additionally, the ropes allow one to hold on against the winds. Allow the ropes to grant a bonus to Fortitude saves against the effects of the winds equal to +4 plus Str bonus.

While travelling through Indereghit, the PCs will note frozen piles of wood stacked everywhere and smoke blazing furiously from every chimney, where they can catch a glimspe through the swirling blizzard. Few folk are about, and those are covered in layers of furs and walking briskly, heads bent into the winds. The streets are coated with ice to a depth of about 3 feet, with channels worn through where people have trodden, and snow drifts are as tall as 15 feet in places in the lee of the winds. Animal and human corpses can be seen occasionally, encased in ice where they fell.

The PCs will be brought into the keep, where blazing fires roar in an effort to keep out the heat. Korvar will greet the PCs cordially but with a sense of graveness. Ice crystals line his beard and he wears heavy dwarven-made furs. His brow is furrowed with worry and his eyes show he dark palour of a lack of sleep.

As mulled wine is brought to the PCs, Korvar will sit in his throne and bid the PCs to sit as well, the Heroes of the Gem being given seats alongside him, as is the custom. Korvar will then explain the situation:

The attack came suddenly. On a frosty morning [1 week before the heralds arrived at furthest Cantons], disaster descended upon us. Witnesses reported that the air momentarily sparkled with strange white motes that danced and hovered like fireflies on a warm summer evening. But as they watched, each of the hundreds...nay thousands of motes broke apart, releasing a zephyr of chill into the air. Individually, the effect of these zephyrs were negligible. But as thousands upon thousands of them burst, the effect became cumulative, quickly. In a mere five minutes the air was chill enough that water started forming a rime of ice where it stood in puddles. After ten minutes, all water in the area was completely frozen. The ground was coated in permafrost and a blizzard formed in the air. As this blizzard fell, the flakes supernaturally compacted into ice, beginning to form a glacier. Some folk simply staggered and died in the freezing cold. Others managed to make it to a warm shelter and hack through the ice that coated everything. Many of these had toes and fingers and noses black with frostbite. The magical attack has covered the entire center of my Canton. As you can see, even my capital city of Indereghit was affected. I quickly mustered my advisors, mages, priests, and runners and sought to counter the effect and to determine its extent. Most of my magical advisors assured me that the effect would end or could be dispelled with some effort. However, when the dispellings of even the mightiest of my battle mages failed to dissolve the winter, and when scouts returned days later to report that the winter covered the entire of the Canton, from the Handaswir River in the west, to the village of Passtime in the south, and to the River of Slumber in the east, I knew that this was beyond the effects of normal magic. Divinations only confirmed that the effect was permanent; that an ice age had descended upon the region. I convened a council, and sent heralds to you all, for the icy blast had covered the heartland of my canton and our crops would be severely affected come the spring and summer. My faithful Tirolius was especially distraught, for he had proudly figured that with the sundering of the Lothar ritual last winter that the threat of winter to the Kingdom had passed. The stout warrior offered his resignation to me, but that was immediately refused. That is why I have summoned you. For help in defeating this menace, somehow. We face privation from this ungodly cold and starvation and famine over time. In addition, I cannot say is this effect will not happen again, perhaps to another canton! This information only have I for you. One of my best scouts managed to pierce the region of cold, on my orders, to make certain the Hall of Slumber was intact. It was, but he informed me that on the way back has was stalked by some unseen malign presence. He never saw it, but he certainly felt it, and I respect his abilities as a ranger to believe him. The thing drove him north, towards the sea, and although he eventually eluded it, he realized that he was heading into the very heart of the the magic. About a mile or two from the sea, and somewhat northeast of the Hall, he saw what he believed was the heart of the ice age magic. And he swears at its very center he espied a strange bluish circle of snow and standing at its center, exulting in the cold was a female form seemingly made of snow or ice. The figure espied my scout and beckoned him to come to her, but he kept his wits about him and fled, making his way here to report. I beg you to go and end this ice age and to stop whomever has caused it. I cannot go with you, for I have to stay to keep order and preserve my people as best as I can. But I will send Tirolius with you, to represent my canton and to quell his desire to complete what he sees as his failed mission. Any help I can give you, you know I shall. And you can use my keep as your base of operations. Will you help me?

The PCs are welcome to stay in the keep as long as they desire, though after a time Korvar will grow anxious and urge them to get on with it. He is quite busy travelling around Indereghit and his canton attempting to soothe his people and maintain order in his realm. The PCs should be able to see how busy he is and that he is truly needed by his people.

The Glacier:

At some point, the PCs will likely wish to head into the heart of the ice age to confront the female figure seen by Korvar's scout. They may, in fact, believe that the female figure is the cause of the ice age (incorrectly). Divinations cast by the PCs will likely urge them to seek the figure, though these will be circumspect enough to preserve any suspicions the PCs may harbour about her involvement in the ice age. The PCs may speak to the ranger, though they will have to wait 1D20 days for him return to Indereghit. His name is Blalok, and he is a half-orc Ranger 10. Gruff and laconic, he is nonetheless stalwart and loyal to Korvar. He will relate what he knows about the glacier and the figure, but this simply mirrors what Korvar has already said. Nothing new will be gleaned, other than, possibly, that he is indeed telling the truth. Blalok cannot accompany the PCs, as he is very busy assisting Korvar. However, he can give some specific landmarks nearby the female figure that will help the PCs to pinpoint her location (giving them a +5 circumstance bonus to Survival checks to avoid getting lost).

The glacier's dimensions are already indicated. Most smaller settlements have been abandoned, its inhabitants having fled to Indereghit or out of the glacier altogether and into warmer climes, and these abandoned and iced-over steads and hamlets dot the landscape.

Travelling to the site of the snow weird is likely to be difficult. Not only because of the cold, but also because of the chance of getting lost, which requires a DC 30 Survival check each and every hour of travel within the effect of the Lothar's cleansing. As such, it is quite possible that the PCs will have little or no chance to even find the place if they do not possess an expert in the Survival skill. However, DMs should keep in mind that the weird site is very near the ocean, and therefore if the PCs choose to follow the coastline, then they will obviously have no chance of getting lost until the decide to strike inland. Once they do, it is only 1 mile from the coast to the weird site, and if they also have spoken to Blalok, then they will gain the benefit of the +5 circumstance bonus.

The Entombed:

Almost no creatures are now to be encountered in the region. Animals have perished or fled, not being native to such staggering cold. However, the bodies of some victims of the ice age have become animated by the evil sorcery that drives the epic spell, becoming entombed. These entombed now roam the glacier, seeking vengeance on the living who have managed to evade their horrible fate. PCs who travel overland (as opposed to flight or by magic) will encounter a pair of these entombed. These unfortunates were members of the Knights of the Mailed Fist, door guards to the Hall of Slumber who were frozen by the ice age, for they were under strict orders never to abandon their posts. Guilt at having died and failed in their task has driven them insane and allowed their bodies to be animated.

They appear as skeletons accoutred in the armour and arms of the Mailed Fists, each encased in an ogre-sized animate block of ice. Their heraldry can be spotted with a DC 20 Spot check, and once recognized, a DC 5 Knowledge (local) or Knowledge (nobility and royalty) check will reveal their sigils as belonging to that Order. If the Knowledge check was DC 10 or higher, then parts of the sigil will identify them as lieutenants of the Slumber Door Guard.

The entombed will attack on sight, usually waiting below the ice and using their termorsense to time when to burst up from the ice and attack.

* Advanced Entombed (2): CR 16; Large undead (cold); HD 32D12; hp 208; Init +0; Spd 30 ft, burrow 40 ft (ice only); Space 10 ft; Reach 10 ft; AC 26 (touch 11, flat-footed 24); Atk +23 melee (2D6+8 plus 2D6 cold [x2], slams); SA create spawn, freeze, icy touch, immure, improved grab; SQ darkvision 60 ft, ice glide, immunity to cold, resistance to fire 5, tremorsense 60 ft, undead traits, vulnerability to fire; AL LE; SV Fort +14, Ref +14, Will +20; Str 27, Dex 14, Con -, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 12. Height 10 ft. Skills and Feats: Hide +17, Jump +22, Listen +21, Move Silently +21, Spot +31, Tumble +15; Ability Focus (freeze), Awesome Blow, Cleave, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Sunder, Knockback, Power Attack, Resistance to Energy (fire), Stand Still. Special Attacks: Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid slain by an entombed becomes an entombed in 1D4 rounds, provided it is encased in ice (see immure, below). Spawn are under the command of the entombed that created them and remain enslaved until its death. They do not possess any of the abilities they had in life. Freeze (Su): An entombed can drain the heat from a living creature. On a successful grapple check, the entombed deals 2D4 points of Dex damage to a grappled foe (Fort save DC 21 half). This is a supernatural cold effect. Icy Touch (Su): An entombed deals an additional 2D6 points of cold damage with each successful slam attack. On its turn, it deals 2D6 cold damage per round to any creature it grapples. Immure (Su): As a standard action, an entombed that begins its turn with a hold on its opponent can attempt to drag a grappled creature under the ice, trapping it in a layer of ice and eventually creating another one of its own kind. The entombed must win an opposed grapple check; if it succeeds, it can move up to half its speed, dragging its grappled foe with it. If it has pinned its foe, the entombed gets a +4 bonus on this check. If the entombed successfully drags its foe into solid ice, the victim is immediately immobilized and cannot move or take any actions other than purely mental ones. He may be subject to drowning (although he can hold his breathe before he enters the ice). As a full-round action, an entombed victim within 5 ft of the ice's surface can attempt a DC 23 Str check to break out. If he is more than 5 ft deep, a successful check does not free him, but gives him enough space to take physical actions that he could otherwise take while grappled, such as attempting to draw a light weapon, cast a spell, or attack the ice with a light weapon and try to carve his way out. An entombed often chooses to continue attacking a victim immured in the ice, since the ice does not prevent its own movement or attacks. Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an entombed must his a Large or smaller opponent with its slam attack. It can then start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold, deals damage with its icy touch, and immediately uses its freeze ability. In subsequent rounds it continues to deal damage with its icy touch and can freeze again or attempt to use its immure ability. Special Qualities: Ice Glide (Ex): An entombed can glide through ice, snow, or slush as easily as a fish swims through water. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, and its passage does not create any ripples or other signs of its presence. An entombed often fights from the cover of an ice sheet or snow field in much the same way that an incorporeal creature can use a wall or floor for cover. An entombed attacking a creature outside the ice or snow in which it is hiding gains the benefit of cover. Tremorsense (Ex): An entombed can automatically sense the location of anything within 60 ft that is in contact with the ground (or ice or snow on top of the ground).

The entombed knights wear +1 full platemail and +2 heavy steel shields, though these items have no effect on their AC as entombed, since the armour is encased within their new icy bodies.

The Ghosts:

In addition to the entombed, many of the people slain have become frostfell ghosts. The PCs will likely encounter these spirits at night. They are spirits lost in despair, and particularly angry at the Heroes of the Gem for failing to protect them. As they attack, they will hurl all sorts of accusations of dereliction of duty at the Heroes, accusing them of ignoring the normal folk. They are led by four powerful ghosts, an 8th level wizard and a trio of 7th level fighters. These leaders are mounted on the ghosts of heavy warhorses.

As ghosts can fly, the PCs will encounter these even if travelling to the weird's pool in flight. Statistics for encountering the ghosts on the Ethereal Plane are noted in brackets ([ ]). All possessions are ethereal copies of items buried with the remains. They function normally on the Ethereal Plane, but spell effects and magic weapons can affect the material plane.

* Frostfell Ghost Wizard: Male ghost Wizard 8; CR 11; Medium undead (incorporeal); HD 8D12; hp 52; Init +2; Spd fly 30 ft (perfect); AC 16 [12] (touch 16 [12], flat-footed 14 [10]); Atk +6 melee [+4 melee] (touch attack); SA chill ray, horrific appearance, manifestation, telekinesis; SQ +4 turn resistance, darkvision 60 ft, immunity to cold, incorporeal traits, rejuvenation, undead traits, SR 21; AL CN; SV Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +8; Str 10, Dex 14, Con -, Int 18, Wis 13, Cha 19. Height 6 ft. Skills and Feats: Appraise +6, Concentration +11, Craft (woodcarving) +9, Decipher Script +8, Gather Information +6, Hide +10, Knowledge (arcana) +12, Knowledge (geography) +11, Knowledge (local) +10, Knowledge (nature) +8, Knowledge (planes) +9, Listen +11, Search +14, Spellcraft +18, Spot +11; Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, Craft Wondrous Item, Scribe Scroll, Silent Spell, Sudden Maximize. Special Attacks: Chill Ray (Su): A frostfell ghost can attack with a ray of cold light. The ray has a range of 90 ft. The ghost must make a ranged touch attack to hit with the ray. On a successful hit, the chill ray deals 1D8 points of Con damage. In addition, the target must make a Will save (DC 18) or be affected as if by a slow spell for 5 rounds. Horrific Appearance (Su): Any living creature within 60 ft that views a ghost must succeed on a Fort save (DC 18) or immediately take 1d4 points of Str damage, 1d4 points of Dex damage, and 1d4 points of Con damage. A creature that successfully saves against this effect cannot be affected by the same ghost’s horrific appearance for 24 hours. Manifestation (Su): A ghost dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a ghost manifests, it partly enters the Material Plane and becomes visible but incorporeal on the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with its touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon. A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where is it not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane. The ghost’s incorporeality helps protect it from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane. When a spellcasting ghost is not manifested and is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plane, but they work normally against ethereal targets. When a spellcasting ghost manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested ghost’s touch spells don’t work on nonethereal targets. A ghost has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. It is not considered extraplanar when on either of these planes. Telekinesis (Su): A ghost can use telekinesis (DC 18) as a standard action (caster level 12th). When a ghost uses this power, it must wait 1d4 rounds before using it again. Special Qualities: Rejuvenation (Su): In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a ghost through simple combat: The "destroyed" spirit will often restore itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. A ghost that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its old haunts with a successful level check (1d20 + ghost’s HD) against DC 16. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a ghost for sure is to determine the reason for its existence and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace. The exact means varies with each spirit and may require a good deal of research. Possessions: +1 quarterstaff, cloak of resistance +1, wand of ray of clumsiness at 1st level with 26 charges, spellbook, spell component pouch. Spells Prepared (4/5/4/4/3; base DC = 14 + spell level): 0 - daze, detect magic, flare, mage hand; 1 - hypnotism, magic missile, orb of sound, shield, sleep; 2 - acid arrow, create miasma, mirror image, scorching ray; 3 - fireball, hold person, lightning bolt, slow; 4 - charm monster, lesser globe of invulnerability, vitriolic flames.

* Frostfell Ghost Fighters (3): Male ghost Fighter 7; CR 10; Medium undead (incorporeal); HD 7D12; hp 46; Init +3; Spd fly 30 ft (perfect); Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; AC 14 [17] (touch 12 [11], flat-footed 13 [16]); Atk +9/+4 melee [+10/+5 melee] (touch attack with ghostly sword [1D8+3, longsword]); SA coldfire radiance, draining touch, malevolance, manifestation; SQ +4 turn resistance, darkvision 60 ft, immunity to cold, incorporeal traits, rejuvenation, undead traits, SR 20; AL N; SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +3; Str 15, Dex 12, Con -, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 13. Height 6 ft 2 in. Skills and Feats: Balance +3, Climb +7, Jump +9, Handle Animal +6, Ride +7, Spot +3, Tumble +8; Blind-Fight, Blooded, Dash, Endurance, Fleet of Foot, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword). Special Attacks: Coldfire Radiance (Su): A frostfell ghost can manifest an aura of coldfire in a 10 ft radius. The aura lasts until the beginning of the ghost's next turn. Any creature within this area takes 2D6 points of frostburn damage, plus an additional 1D6 points of frostburn damage on the following round. In addition, creatures exposed to coldfire may contract coldfire ruin. (Coldfire Ruin: Supernatural disease - aura, Fort DC 20, incubation period 1 day; damage 1D8 Con). Draining Touch (Su): A ghost that hits a living target with its incorporeal touch attack drains 1d4 points from any one ability score it selects. On each such successful attack, the ghost heals 5 points of damage to itself. Malevolance (Su): Once per round, an ethereal ghost can merge its body with a creature on the Material Plane. This ability is similar to a magic jar spell (caster level 10th), except that it does not require a receptacle. To use this ability, the ghost must be manifested and it must try move into the target’s space; moving into the target’s space to use the malevolence ability does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The target can resist the attack with a successful Will save (DC 16). A creature that successfully saves is immune to that same ghost’s malevolence for 24 hours, and the ghost cannot enter the target’s space. If the save fails, the ghost vanishes into the target’s body. Manifestation (Su): A ghost dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a ghost manifests, it partly enters the Material Plane and becomes visible but incorporeal on the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with its touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon. A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where is it not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane. The ghost’s incorporeality helps protect it from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane. When a spellcasting ghost is not manifested and is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plane, but they work normally against ethereal targets. When a spellcasting ghost manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested ghost’s touch spells don’t work on nonethereal targets. A ghost has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. It is not considered extraplanar when on either of these planes. Special Qualities: Rejuvenation (Su): In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a ghost through simple combat: The "destroyed" spirit will often restore itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. A ghost that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its old haunts with a successful level check (1d20 + ghost’s HD) against DC 16. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a ghost for sure is to determine the reason for its existence and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace. The exact means varies with each spirit and may require a good deal of research. Possessions: longsword, chain shirt, heavy steel shield.

* Frostfell Ghost Heavy Warhorses (4): CR 5; Large undead (incorporeal); HD 4D12; hp 26; Init +1; Spd fly 30 ft (perfect); Space 10 ft; Reach 5 ft; AC 11 [18] (touch 11, flat-footed 10); Atk +3 melee [+6 melee] (1D6 [1D6+4] [x2], hooves) and -2 melee [+1 melee] (1D6 [1D6+4], bite); SA corrupting touch, manifestation; SQ +4 turn resistance, darkvision 60 ft, immunity to cold, incorporeal traits, rejuvenation, undead traits, SR 15; AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +2; Str 18, Dex 13, Con -, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 10. Length 6 ft. Skills and Feats: Listen +5, Spot +4; Endurance, Run. Special Attacks: Corrupting Touch (Su): A ghost that hits a living target with its incorporeal touch attack deals 1d6 points of damage. Manifestation (Su): A ghost dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a ghost manifests, it partly enters the Material Plane and becomes visible but incorporeal on the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with its touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon. A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where is it not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane. The ghost’s incorporeality helps protect it from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane. When a spellcasting ghost is not manifested and is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plane, but they work normally against ethereal targets. When a spellcasting ghost manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested ghost’s touch spells don’t work on nonethereal targets. A ghost has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. It is not considered extraplanar when on either of these planes. Special Qualities: Rejuvenation (Su): In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a ghost through simple combat: The "destroyed" spirit will often restore itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. A ghost that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its old haunts with a successful level check (1d20 + ghost’s HD) against DC 16. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a ghost for sure is to determine the reason for its existence and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace. The exact means varies with each spirit and may require a good deal of research. Possessions: chain shirt barding, saddle, bit and bridle, saddle, saddlebags.

* Frostfell Ghost Experts (10): Male ghost Expert 4; CR 6; Medium undead (incorporeal); HD 4D12; hp 26; Init +0; Spd fly 30 ft (perfect); Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; AC 13 [10] (touch 13 [10], flat-footed 13 [10]); Atk +3 melee [+3 melee] (2D6 frostburn, frigid touch [1D6, club]); SA frightful moan, frigid touch, manifestation; SQ +4 turn resistance, darkvision 60 ft, immunity to cold, incorporeal traits, rejuvenation, undead traits, SR 17; AL N; SV Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +6; Str 10, Dex 11, Con -, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 17. Height 5 ft 10 in. Skills and Feats: Appraise +9, Bluff +5, Craft (varies) +7 (or +10), Diplomacy +8, Gather Information +5, Handle Animal +8, Knowledge (local) +7, Listen +8, Profession (varies) +6 (or +9), Ride +7, Search +6, Sense Motive +3, Spot +8; Alertness, Silkver Palm, Skill Focus (profession or craft). Special Attacks: Frightful Moan (Su): A ghost can emit a frightful moan as a standard action. All living creatures within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a DC 15 Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic necromantic mind-affecting fear effect. A creature that successfully saves against the moan cannot be affected by the same ghost’s moan for 24 hours. Frigid Touch (Su): A frostfell ghost that hits with its frigid touch attack deals 2D6 points of frostburn damage. Against ethereal opponents, the frigid touch deals no damage. Manifestation (Su): A ghost dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a ghost manifests, it partly enters the Material Plane and becomes visible but incorporeal on the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with its touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon. A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where is it not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane. The ghost’s incorporeality helps protect it from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane. When a spellcasting ghost is not manifested and is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plane, but they work normally against ethereal targets. When a spellcasting ghost manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested ghost’s touch spells don’t work on nonethereal targets. A ghost has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. It is not considered extraplanar when on either of these planes. Special Qualities: Rejuvenation (Su): In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a ghost through simple combat: The "destroyed" spirit will often restore itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. A ghost that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its old haunts with a successful level check (1d20 + ghost’s HD) against DC 16. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a ghost for sure is to determine the reason for its existence and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace. The exact means varies with each spirit and may require a good deal of research. Possessions: merchant's outfit, club.

* Frostfell Ghost Peasants (12): Male ghost Commoner 3; CR 5; Medium undead (incorporeal); HD 3D12; hp 20; Init +1; Spd fly 30 ft (perfect); Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; AC 13 [11] (touch 13 [11], flat-footed 12 [10]); Atk +3 melee [+3 melee] (1D6 [1D6+1, club]); SA corrupting gaze, corrupting touch, manifestation; SQ +4 turn resistance, darkvision 60 ft, immunity to cold, incorporeal traits, rejuvenation, undead traits, SR 16; AL N; SV Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +3; Str 12, Dex 12, Con -, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 14. Height 5 ft 10 in. Skills and Feats: Climb +4, Handle Animal +4, Listen +6, Profession (varies) +5, Spot +2, Swim +3, Use Rope +4; Alertness, Bullheaded, Lightning Reflexes. Special Attacks: Corrupting Gaze (Su): A ghost can blast living beings with a glance, at a range of up to 30 feet. Creatures that meet the ghost’s gaze must succeed on a DC 13 Fortitude save or take 2d10 points of damage and 1d4 points of Charisma damage. Corrupting Touch (Su): A ghost that hits a living target with its incorporeal touch attack deals 1d6 points of damage. Against ethereal opponents. Manifestation (Su): A ghost dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a ghost manifests, it partly enters the Material Plane and becomes visible but incorporeal on the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with its touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon. A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where is it not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane. The ghost’s incorporeality helps protect it from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane. When a spellcasting ghost is not manifested and is on the Ethereal Plane, its spells cannot affect targets on the Material Plane, but they work normally against ethereal targets. When a spellcasting ghost manifests, its spells continue to affect ethereal targets and can affect targets on the Material Plane normally unless the spells rely on touch. A manifested ghost’s touch spells don’t work on nonethereal targets. A ghost has two home planes, the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane. It is not considered extraplanar when on either of these planes. Special Qualities: Rejuvenation (Su): In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a ghost through simple combat: The "destroyed" spirit will often restore itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. A ghost that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its old haunts with a successful level check (1d20 + ghost’s HD) against DC 16. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a ghost for sure is to determine the reason for its existence and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace. The exact means varies with each spirit and may require a good deal of research. Possessions: peasant's outfit, club.

The Weird:

Eventually, the PCs will near the center of the ice age. At the very center of the effect, the extreme weather has created a weak spot through the Cosmic Barrier between Therra and the Elemental Plane of Air. Through this membrane has come a snow weird. Despite the suspicions of Korvar and his scout, the weird has absolutely nothing to do with the icy attack. Rather, she is almost a manifestation of it. She has come both to enjoy the weather and because she knows this event is a nexus of fate for Therra, and that is her forte.

The weird is located in a small dell between two hillocks that are white with newly fallen snow and studded with now leafless trees. It is likely that a small stream or river flowed into the dell before the glacier arrived, but it is now impossible to tell.

At the center of the dell is an area of bluish snow some 120 feet in diameter. This patch of snow seems to writhe and swirl of its own accord, as if, perhaps, floating in a smallish pool or pond, though how any freshwater could remain liquid in this temperature defies logic. This is the snow weird's elemental pool. She dwells within the snow that makes up the pool, which is 60 feet deep and is, in fact, composed of churning snow and no liquid water whatsoever.

* Snow Weird: CR 15; Large elemental (air, cold, extraplanar); HD 15D8+45; hp 112; Init +8; Spd 30 ft, fly 60 ft (perfect); Space 10 ft; Reach 10 ft; AC 19 (touch 15, flat-footed 13); Atk +15 melee (2D6+5 plus 1D6 cold [x2], slams); SA chill, elemental command, spells, summon elementals; SQ DR 15/magic, darkvision 60 ft, elemental snow pool, elemental traits, heat sense, immunity to cold, prescience, regeneration 10, searching gaze, snow mastery, vulnerability to fire, SR 25; AL N; SV Fort +10, Ref +15 (+17 with foresight), Will +11; Str 21, Dex 18, Con 17, Int 20, Wis 23, Cha 22. Height 10 ft. Skills and Feats: Concentration +21, Diplomacy +26, Knowledge (nature) +23, Knowledge (planes) +23, Listen +26, Sense Motive +24, Spot +26, Swim +13; Alertness, Dodge, Empower Spell, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes. Special Attacks: Chill (Ex): In addition to its normal slam damage, a snow weird deals and extra 1D6 points of cold damage with a successful melee attack. Elemental Command (Su): A snow weird can attempt to gain control over any elemental with the cold or air subtype within 100 ft. The elemental must make a successful DC 23 Will save or succumb to the snow weird's conrol. An elemental that saves against this attack is immune to that weird's elemental command ability for 24 hours. a weird has no limit to the number of elementals it can control. Once under the weird's command, an elemental serves the snow weird until either it or the weird dies, until the weird dismisses it, or until the duration for its summoning expires. It obeys the snow weird explicitly, even if ordered to attack the being who originally summoned it. The weird does not need to concentrate to maintain control over any elemental it commands. Spells: a snow weird can cast arcane spells and divine spells from the Air and Cold domains as an 18th level sorcerer. Summon Elementals (Sp): 3/day, a snow weird can summon forth air elementals from its elemental snow pool. It can choose to summon 3 Huge, 2 greater, or 1 elder elemental through its portal. This functions like summon monster IX, caster level 20th. Special Qualities: Elemental Snow Pool (Su): A snow weird dwells within a large pool of swirling elemental snow. Snow weirds are physically tied to its magic pool, and cannot leave except to return to its native plane, the Elemental Plane of Air. The elemental pool has a portal to the Elemental Plane or Air at its bottom. A snow weird may rise up to a height of 10 ft above the surface of its snow pool, but the lower part of its body must always remain in contact with the elemental pool. Once a snow weird exits the pool for its native plane, the portal closes, and the pool loses its special properties. Any nonelemental creature entering a weird's pool without the weird's permission must succeed on a DC 23 Fort save each round or be irrevocably transformed into snow. Creatures granted access to the pool by the weird are not subject to transformation. However, creatures allowed to enter a pool must still provide their own protection from cold and snow, as well as the means to breathe and move normally. Otherwise, they take 4D6 points of cold damage per round. In addition, creatures may drown. Heat Sense (Su): A snow weird can automatically sense heat sources within 60 ft, as the spell detect fire. It senses only the presence or absence of heat, but if it chooses to use a standard action to concentrate on this ability, it can establish the number and location of heat auras and the strength of each in the second and third rounds of concentration. Invisible creatures whose location is pinpointed by heat sense still have total concealment from a snow weird. Prescience (Sp): At will and as a free action, a snow weird can duplicate the effect of any of the following divination spells at caster level 18th: clairaudience/ clairvoyance, contact other plane, detect thoughts (DC 18), discern location, find the path, foresight, tongues, vision. Regeneration (Ex): A snow weird takes normal damage from fire and cold iron weapons. Attack forms that don't deal hit point damage ignore regeneration. Searching Gaze (Su): A snow weird continually has the benefit of analyze dweomer and true seeing spells. Snow Mastery (Ex): A snow weird gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls if its foe is touching snow. Spells Known (cast 6/8/8/7/7/7/7/6/5/3; base DC = 16 + spell level): 0 - daze, detect magic, disrupt undead, flare, ghost sound, mage hand, ray of frost, read magic, resistance; 1 - hypnotism, mage armour, magic missile, obscuring mist, shield; 2 - bolt of ice, chill metal, gust of wind, invisibility, mirror image; 3 - dispel magic, lightning bolt, protection from energy, suggestion; 4 - charm monster, rainbow pattern, solid fog, wall of ice; 5 - cone of cold, control winds, dream, waves of fatigue; 6 - chain lightning, geas/quest, greater dispel magic; 7 - control weather, power word blind, spell turning; 8 - polar ray, whirlwind; 9 - time stop.

Unfortunately for the PCs and perhaps the weird, a chilblain has taken to stalking the area. This horrific beast has been brought to the area by The Fimbul, and was released to cause havoc. It was led to the weird's pool by Korvar's scout (it is, in fact, the thing that he sensed was stalking him), and it wants to slay the weird, but cannot get to her when she descends into her pool. Eventually, the thing will tire of stalking the strange snow being, as it generates no heat and so is not primary on the chilblain's list of enemies. Assume that the chilblain will be present for the first two weeks after the PCs meet with Korvar. Then it will migrate east and then south, possibly arriving near Indereghit, where the PCs could encounter it before entering the glacier area.

* Chilblain: CR 18; Large aberration (cold); HD 20D8+140; hp 230; Init +7; Spd 30 ft, fly 60 ft (perfect); Space 10 ft; Reach 10 ft; AC 35 (touch 12, flat-footed 32); Atk +23 melee (4D6+9 plus 2D6 cold) and +21 melee (1D8+4 plus 2D6 cold [x4], claws); SA breath weapon, cold aura, frost touch, frozen stare, spell-like abilities; SQ DR 15/silver, darkvision 120 ft, fast healing 10, immunity to cold, paralysis, and poison, vulnerability to fire, SR 29; AL NE; SV Fort +13, Ref +9, Will +14; Str 28, Dex 17, Con 24, Int 5, Wis 14, Cha 19. Length 12 ft. Skills and Feats: Concentration +13, Intimidate +9, Listen +10, Spot +10; Alertness, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (wall of ice), Snowrunner. Special Attacks: Breath Weapon (Su): 60 ft cone of coldfire, 1/day, damage 10D6 frostburn, Ref DC 27 half. Living creatures that fail their saves must attempt a DC 27 Fort save or be blinded by frostbitten skin and frozen eyes for 2D6 rounds. Cold Aura (Ex): A chilblain radiates intense cold in a 10 ft radius. Any creature within 10 ft of the chilblain takes 2D6 points of cold damage at the beginning of its turn. Frost Touch (Ex): The chilblain's natural attacks deal an additional 2D6 points of cold damage with each successful hit. Frozen Stare (Su): As a standard action, a chilblain can turn a creature within 30 ft to ice permanently with a look. The target must succeed on a DC 24 Fort save or be turned to ice (as the spell flesh to ice). Spell-Like Abilities: At will - detect fire, frostfell slide, lesser frostburn (DC 15), frostburn (DC 18), ice storm, shivering touch (DC 17), wall of ice (DC 18); 3/day - cone of cold (DC 19), wall of coldfire (DC 19). Caster level 20th.

The weird is usually within her pool, submerged, for she does not wish to be caught by the chilblain. So the PCs, if they see the pool, will simply note a strange area of churning snow. The chilblain will usually be lurking some 60 - 120 ft away from the edge of the elemental pool. It often scuttles around, and so will likely encounter the PCs at some point before they reach the edge of the weird's pool. It constantly uses its detect fire ability, and so is likely to detect even a fully invisible group of PCs.

As the PCs engage the chilblain, the weird will emerge from her pool, having become aware of the struggle from her keen hearing. The PCs will likely, a round or two after the chilblain attacks, note the weird's strange figure arise from the pool. At this point, rash PCs are likely to assume they are being ganged up upon by the chilblain and its mistress. If so, and if they attack the weird, she will descend beneath her pool, for she wishes the PCs to kill the chilblain.

The weird has absolutely no interest, initially, in fighting the PCs. She, in fact, is specifically awaiting the PCs' arrival, as she considers it a once-in-a-lifetime chance to turn the fate of such an important kingdom with such important rurlers. However, she wishes to test the wisdom of the Heroes by allowing them to set the tone of their meeting once the chilblain is disposed of. When the beast is defeated, the weird will arise once again from her pool. Should the PCs attack her after at this time, she will say nothing in protest, and instead respond in kind, only breaking her silence should the PCs do so or when she feels she has made them pay for their impudence. The weird has no fear of death, for if defeated her form would simply return to the Elemental Plane of Air.

Assuming the PCs parley with her, she will greet them by name and welcome them to her home.

If the weird and PCs have fought, and she now feels she has taught the PCs a lesson, then she will announce that the PCs have no been punished for their impudence and that she would speak with them and end this pointless conflict.

It is likely the PCs will want to ask her a lot of questions. Below are her answers to the most common questions. Should the PCs ask questions not covered by the below, the DM should frame a suitably enigmatic reply.

Q: Who are you? A: I am the center of the universe; the eye of the storm; the heart of the glacier. I am she who does not tempt fate, but who is, indeed, a temptress of fate.

Q: What is your name? A: My name is my own. You may call me Snow's Heart.

Q: What is your involvement with this glacier? A: None and all. I have not caused this paradise on Therra, but I have come to dwell at its heart, as is fitting.

Q: Why are you here? A: I am here because you are here.

Q: Did you know we would come? A: How could you not?

b

Q: Where have you come from? A: From beyond the veil.

Q: What was that creature we fought? A: A minion of past Deceit. A servant of he who knows too little and braves too much.

Q: Was the creature friendly to you? A: Friends I have naught. And therefore enemies neither.

Q: Who caused this ice age? A: He who knows too little and braves too much.

Q: How did he cause it? A: He who knows too little knew too much.

Q: Where can we find the being who caused this ice age? A: With the currents of fate go I But with the current goes he awry In vessel hidden midst the throng Bides he his time for a while long In ship with frosty waters sprayed Lighter than of what is made Espied with eyes both clear and keen More of it be hid than seen Not the least nor juggernaut Another icy kiss be wrought Unless ye hie to river cold And there ye fell this one so bold.

This last pronouncement is the weird's riddle indicating the location of The Fimbul.

"But with the current goes he awry" refers to the fact that his iceberg travels against the current of the seas and the other icebergs. The current moves west, out towards the Vorineer Ocean, while his travels east.

"In vessel hidden midst the strong" refers to one iceberg among many.

"Bides he his time for a while long" refers to the period of time between castings of Lothar's cleansing.

"In ship with frosty waters sprayed...not the least nor juggernaut" refers to the nature of his vessel as an iceberg. An iceberg is lighter than water, hence it floats. In addition, most of an iceberg is below water, hidden from view. His particular iceberg is of average size.

"Another icy kiss be wrought" refers to another blast of Lothar's cleansing to come.

"Unless ye hie to the river cold" refers to the Icy River, which is in the east of Korvar's Canton near the town of Lothward.

Once the snow weird has answered most of the questions, she will bid the PCs good fate and slide beneath her pool. She will not emerge unless the PCs wish to ask another question listed above. She will not give any more specific answers than the above, and if the PCs keep pressing her, she will simply smile and sink into her pool.

Finding the Iceberg without the Weird:

This will be difficult. Without the weird's riddle, the PCs have almost no way to find the iceberg. They could note that the effect took place near the coast and assume the attack was launched from the sea. If so, the DM could allow the PCs to note a solitary iceberg flowing against the current.

More likely, the PCs have to attempt divinatory magic. At this point, a kind DM could basically give them the weird's riddle verbatim. It is recommended, however, that the PCs pay a price for having acted rashly against the weird. In this case, the DM could allow the remaining time to pass and have the second Lothar's cleansing take place, about a mile upstream along the Icy River. At that point, the PCs could possibly move quickly enough to the site to espy the iceberg, though after heading back out to sea it will head east half the time and back west the other half (and the latter would make it almost impossible to locate, as it would be moving with all of the other icebergs). Divinations at this point would likely give the same riddle as the weird's, but with the penultimate line changed to hint at the next strike location.

Part Two - The Iceberg:

Locating the Iceberg:

After the attack, the iceberg headed back out to sea, travelling at its constant speed of 32 miles per day (speed of 20 ft for 24 hours per day). Although the Lothar's cleansing spell extended out into the ocean, salt water takes longer to freeze over, and so the iceberg sped past the radius before the seas froze. After a day and a half, almost 50 miles out to sea, the iceberg turned east and began to travel at an extremely slow speed, so as to avoid casual detection. The iceberg now travels at a speed of about 0.2 ft, designed to arrive at its next strike point around 100 days after the first strike, when the next Lothar's cleansing will be ready.

Spotting the iceberg requires a DC 30 Spot check once the PCs are in the vicinity and if they know they are looking for an iceberg moving against the current. If the PCs are not specifically looking for this, then the DC is increased to DC 35. The DM should simply check once per day. The iceberg travels 1/3rd of a mile per day, and the PCs can spot it on a clear day from a distance of a mile or more, though for every 1000 ft the Spot DC should be increased by 1. These rules differ from the normal Spot rules due to the large scale of the object being observed. A person with 5 or more ranks of Knowledge (nature) can grant a +2 synergy bonus to the Spot check, as can a person native to the frostfell.

The Climate:

Outside of Lothar's cleansing (which extends 19 miles out to sea as well), the climate is more normal. In the arctic winter, severe cold is the normal baseline. Check daily on table 1-5 on page 13 of Frostburn to determine weather variations.

The Fimbul's Iceberg:

The iceberg was the home of a rimefire eidolon. The Fimbul enslaved the creature using his command cold creatures domain ability years ago. He then took the iceberg to serve as his vessel and palace, using the eidolon to propel it as he wished.

The iceberg is of average size. It is 200 ft tall and 300 ft in diameter at its base. 75 feet of the iceberg thrusts up above the waterline. It is white in colour, and appears typical in every way from casual observation.

Refer to the Iceberg Maps for details regarding the layout of the iceberg. Unless otherwise indicated, all passages and rooms are unlit and 10 feet tall. Passages tend to be round, though the floors are flattened and scoured so that they can be traversed normally except when tumbling (+2 to Tumble DC) or when running and charging (which require DC 10 Balance checks).

The iceberg itself has been magically treated by The Fimbul, and is harder than normal. Walls have hardness of 16, 160 hit points (to hew a breach 10 ft square and 5 ft deep), a break DC of 90, and a Climb DC of 35 for the outside slopes and DC of 50 for the inner walls. These walls are immune to fire and cold and gain a save bonus of +13 against other spells.

The climate within the iceberg is always extreme cold (Frostburn, page 9), with no wind.

In several locations around the iceberg, the inhabitants use rimefire ice for furnishings. DMs should remember that rimefire ice causes cold damage to those who touch it. In addition, rimefire casts a flickering blue illumination like that of a torch. When rimefire ice torches are mentioned in the text, these are torch shaped pieces of rimefire ice that are often carried around by the inhabitants to provide portable lightning. Such torches are not actually alight (unlike the rimefirce ice brazier in area 2, which is alight).

The Forbiddance:

A forbiddance spell has been cast by The Fimbul upon the top portion of the iceberg. It takes 18 levels to cover the entire mapped portion of the iceberg. In fact, the spell extends beyond the inverted cone of the iceberg, such that creatures approaching the iceberg are also subject to its effects. The effect is a cube 120 ft high by 180 ft wide by 180 ft deep, extending from 15 ft above the tip of the iceberg down to 10 ft below the underwater entrance. The effect begins right at the bottom lip of the underwater entrance and extends 180 ft across the iceberg. Therefore, the effect extends out about 100 ft from the crown of the iceberg. The Will save DC against the spell is DC 21. It has been cast by an evil caster, so alignments of CN, N, or LN take 6D6 damage, while alignments of CG, NG, or LG take 12D6 damage. Note that this spell prohibits teleportation spells, planar travelling spells, and summoning spells. It does not prohibit other conjuration spells such as calling or creation spells. Also, the effect cannot be dispelled except by a caster of level 22 or higher.

The Unhallow:

In The Fimbul's Sanctum (area 10), a widened unhallow spell has been cast upon the staircase there. A protection from energy (fire) spell cast at 22nd level has been tied to the unhallow spell. This provides all of the followers of The Fimbul with 120 points of absorption of fire energy damage. This spell covers the entire habitable portion of the iceberg palace. Accordingly, each inhabitant can gain the benefit of a total 120 point of fire damage absorption per day during the entire duration of the unhallow spell.

OCEAN LEVEL

Entrance Passageway:

The entrance to the iceberg is underwater, though not far. It is enough, however, to obscure the entrance from casual observation above the surface and to act as an obstacle, since immersion in the icy cold water is extremely dangerous. The entrance bobs some 5 feet below the surface of the water; it is a round hole in the side of the iceberg, some 20 feet in diameter. The entrance way forms a passage that burrows a short way into the core of the iceberg and opens up to form a large waterfilled cavern.

The entrance is warded by a greater glyph of warding, cast by The Fimbul. This glyph is set just inside the passageway, on the ceiling, and will activate on anyone of good alignment. It casts a targetted greater dispel magic against any such creature that attempts to travel down the passage past the glyph.

* Greater Glyph of Warding Trap: CR 6; spell; spell trigger; no reset; spell effect (greater glyph of warding [spell], 22nd level cleric, greater dispel magic); Search DC 31; Disable Device DC 31.

Halfway down the passage is an elder glyph of warding scribed on the floor of the passageway and buried under some calcified bones (Spot DC 30 if using arcane sight to see it from a distance, otherwise Search DC 10 if actually examining the bones up close) . It will activate on any creature size Small or larger that is not a worshipper of Lothar (or a servant of The Fimbul) and that is not an Animal, Construct, Undead or Vermin. It casts an implosion spell, which will target the creature activating the glyph, and will then, over the next 3 rounds, target any other eligible creature(s) within range.

* Elder Glyph of Warding Trap: CR 9; spell; spell trigger; no reset; spell effect (elder glyph of warding [spell], 22nd level cleric, implosion, Fort save DC 24 negates); multiple targets (see spell); Search DC 34; Disable Device DC 34.

Finally, a foot before the passage enters area 1 proper, is another elder glyph of warding, scribed on the ceiling of the passageway. This activates against any creature size Small or larger that is not a worshipper of Lothar (or a servant of The Fimbul) and releases a blast of sonic damage.

* Elder Glyph of Warding Trap: CR 9; spell; spell trigger; no reset; spell effect (elder glyph of warding [blast], 22nd level cleric, 22D8 sonic damage, Ref save DC 24 for half damage); multiple targets (all targets within 5 ft); Search DC 34; Disable Device DC 34.

The sound of this blast will alert the malasynep in area 1.

1. Ocean Cave:

This cavern connects to the outside via the Entrance Passageway (see above). The ceiling is 15 ft above the water level, and the water laps up to a shelf of ice 25 ft above the floor of the pool, 5 ft above the water level. Three passages lead from the shelf out of the cavern. All three appear to be level, but the outside passages slope sharply up after turning out of view. These passages have slight steps carved into them, aiding in ascending and descending. Treat these as ice steps (Frostburn, page 30), providing a +10 to the DC of Balance and Tumble checks and preventing running and charging.

A flickering blue light seems to emanate from the central passage, while halfway up the west passageway, the same flickering blue illumination can be discerned.

Dwelling within the pool is a malasynep mindmage. She serves The Fimbul as a guard, in exchange for promises of power once winter descends upon the land. The creature will attempt to use the terrain to her advantage. Specifically, fighting from beneath the water if possible, attacking invaders as they attempt to swim into the cavern, hopefully disoriented by the various glyphs in the Entrance Passageway. If the malasynep hears the sonic elder glyph of warding go off, she will know that it is safe to enter the passageway and fight there, where there is no air available to the intruders.

In addition to serving as a guard, the malasynep also catches and gathers fish for food for the rimefire witch, frost mage, white pudding, and the bodyguards.

The malasynep has an extended mage armour spell up at all times (this is included in her statistics below). She will always attempt to cast stoneskin in the first round after she becomes aware of trouble. If she has time (for example, she has used her +27 Listen check to hear the PCs coming into the Entrance Passageway), she will also cast mirror image, shield and protection from good spells in that order. She is already protected by a protection from energy (fire) spell from the unhallow effect upon the iceberg, but she will not hesitate to cast protection from energy (acid) and protection from energy (electricity) if she can find the time to do so.

* Advanced Malasynep Mindmage: Female malasynep Sorcerer 11; CR 18; Huge aberration (aquatic, cold); HD 18D8+108 plus 11D14+66; hp 290; Init +4; Spd 10 ft, burrow 40 ft, swim 40 ft; Space 15 ft; Reach 10 ft; AC 23 (touch 12, flat-footed 21); Atk +25 melee (2D6+9, bite) and +23 melee (1D6+4, slam); SA improved grab, psi-like abilities, swallow whole; SQ amphibious, darkvision 60 ft, heat sense, immunity to cold, vulnerability to fire; AL CE; SV Fort +18, Ref +16, Will +23; Str 28, Dex 18, Con 22, Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 26. Length 28 ft. Skills and Feats: Concentration +38, Intimidate +19, Knowledge (arcana) +13, Knowledge (nature) +14, Listen +27, Spellcraft +17, Spot +27, Swim +20; Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, Empower Spell, Extend Spell, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Silent Spell, Spell Focus (evocation). Special Attacks: Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a malasynep must hit a Large or smaller foe with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can attempt to swallow the foe on the following round. Psi-Like Abilities: At will - energy emanation (cold only, 3D6+3, DC 22); 1/day - energy flash (cold, 9D6+9; DC 23). Manifester level 9th. Swallow Whole (Ex): A malasynep can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of Large or smaller size by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes 2D6+7 points of crushing damage plus 1D6 points of cold damage and 1D6 points of acid damage per round from the malasynep's gizzard. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 20 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 13). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; other swallowed opponents must cut their own way out. A malasynep's interior can hold 1 Large, 4 Medium, 16 Small, 64 Tiny, or 256 Diminutive or smaller opponents. Special Qualities: Heat Sense (Su): A malasynep can automatically sense heat sources within 60 ft, as the spell detect fire. It senses only the presence or absence of heat, but if it chooses to use a standard action to concentrate on this ability, it can establish the number and location of heat auras and the strength of each in the second and third rounds of concentration. Spells Known (cast 6/8/8[7]/8/8/5; base DC = 18 [19 evocation] + spell level): 0 - cough, daze, detect magic, electric jolt, mage hand, read magic, slash tongue, touch of fatigue, unnerving gaze; 1 - disarm, mage armour, magic missile, protection from good, shield; 2 - glitterdust, invisibility, mirror image, see invisibility, vile darkbolt; 3 - dispel magic, lightning bolt, protection from energy, sound lance; 4 - coldscream, stoneskin, vitriolic flames; 5 - prismatic ray, static sign.

Loud sounds of combat here could alert the guards in area 4. If significant noise is made,the guards will automatically hear it and respond. Otherwise, assume the guards have a +16 to the Listen check DC to account for distance and the curve of the passageway to area 4.

2. Frost Mage's Living Chamber:

This chamber serves as the living chamber for the frost mage allied to The Fimbul. He is usually not found here, spending most of his time in area 5.

The entrance is warded by an icicle spell cast by the frost mage. Caddernac and all of the allies of The Fimbul (except the eidolon and the witch) may pass through unharmed.

* Icicle Trap: CR 2; spell; spell trigger; no reset; spell effect (icicle, 16th level wizard, 4D6 damage, no save to target, others DC 20 Ref save for half); multiple targets (all within 5 ft); Search DC 27; Disable Device DC 27.

The chamber is furnished almost entirely in rimefire ice and lit by a rimefire brazier, which provides a flickering blue cast to the room.

A large rimefire ice table dominates the center of the chamber, surmounted by rimefire ice chairs. An ice statue set into the center of the table displays a nude male humanoid figure with no hair lifting his upturned right palm to the heavens and placing his left hand down upon what looks to be a small depiction of the Hall of Slumber (this is an idealized depiction of The Fimbul). If one of the PCs is an Ice Person or if a DC 30 Knowledge (geography) check is made, then the figure depicted by the statue will be seen to have Ice Person features. A small rimefire flame burns in the upturned palm, which serves as a brazier. As with flames that burn on rimefire ice, this flame emanates cold, not heat.

To the southeast is a curio cabinet made of rimefire ice and frosted ice panes. Within are delicately carved rimefire ice utensils and china, as well as frostwine and various other liquers and exotic brandies held in ice crystal bottles.

Along the north wall is a long, low rimefire ice divan covered with fur from polar bears.

Standing in the alcove to the west of the room is the frost mage's guardian, a powerful ice golem. This construct will attack any intruders entering the room, or will obey the commands of the frost mage. When at rest, the creature is behind a thin layer of hard ice placed by the frost mage using the ice shape spell. This thin veneer is fragile enough for the ice golem to burst out as part of its move action with no chance of failure. It serves to conceal the golem when at rest, and it requires a Spot check of DC 30 to notice the hint of smoking white runes behind the ice veneer from a distance. If the section of wall is searched, then a DC 15 Search check will also reveal the veneer and the smoking white runes beyond.

Otherwise, the construct waits until at least one intruder (anyone not in the service of The Fimbul, as previously instructed by the frost mage) enters the middle of area 2 proper before bursting out and attacking.

* Advanced Ice Golem: CR 13; Large construct (cold); HD 24D10+30; hp 162; Init +0; Spd 30 ft; Space 10 ft; Reach 10 ft; AC 23 (touch 10, flat-footed 22); Atk +24 melee (2D8+8 [x2], slams); SA ice shards, improved grab; SQ construct traits, DR 10/bludgeoning, darkvision 60 ft, icewalking, immunity to cold and magic, low-light vision, vulnerability to fire; AL N; SV Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +10; Str 26, Dex 12, Con -, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 1. Height 10 ft. Skills and Feats: none. Special Attacks: Ice Shards (Su): As a free action once every 1D4+1 rounds, an ice golem can generate a spray of deadly ice shards from its body, dealing 2D6 points of piercing damage and 1D6 points of cold damage to all creatures within 10 ft. In addition, living creatures must succeed on a DC 22 Fort save of be blinded for 1D4 rounds. Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the ice golem must hit a Large or smaller creature with its slam attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. Special Qualities: Icewalking (Ex): This ability works like the spider climb spell but applies to all icy surfaces. An ice golem can move normally on any icy surface. Immunity to Magic (Ex): An ice golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature. Fire spells and effects affect the golem normally, even if they permit spell resistance (but note the golem's vulnerability to fire). A magical attack that deals cold damage heals an ice golem of 1 point of damage for each 3 points of damage such an attack would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause the golem to exceed its full normal hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points.

The sounds of combat in this room will attract the attention of the ice devil in area 3. See area 3 below for details.

3. Frost Mage's Conveyance:

This small chamber serves as the means of conveyance for the frost mage to his sanctum on the level above. The room is plain, except for a strange wavy circle carved into the floor of the place to the southeast.

This circle is about 3 ft in diameter and radiates strong transmutation and evocation magic. A Spellcraft check of DC 35 will reveal that the circle seems to transform a person who stands within into something related to cold or frost and also evokes some sort of air effect. It also seems that the device is keyed to some item.

Anyone standing in the circle, or even breaking the plane of the diagram, will feel a small blast of chill air emanating from the floor and whooshing up to the ceiling. This is cold enough to cause 1 point of cold damage per contact, and every round of contact thereafter. Doing this will also sound an alarm in area 5, alerting the frost mage that he has a visitor (or intruder). The mage can then make the ceiling here transparent from his side (see area 5) and view down into this chamber.

If a stygian ice headband is worn while standing within this circle, then the wearer and his items are transformed into snowflakes and a gust of wind blasts these up and into the ceiling, which flickers away for a split second. The wearer then emerges into area 5 and transforms back into his natural form, standing on the now solid floor. All of this takes a mere standard action, and is an effect that can be negated by antimagic. The wearer of the headband can transform and bring along another creature of Medium size or less or another 300 lbs of objects by holding them within the circle.

Dwelling here as a guard of the frost mage is an ice devil. This being is one of those left over from the War of the Gem, and as such it dwells on the Material Plane in mind, body, and soul. It therefore can pass into the forbiddance.

The creature seeks to guard the conveyance. Even though use of the conveyance requires the stygian ice headband, Caddernac the frost mage is a paranoid sort who worries that intruders might be able to use wish or other powerful magic to determine that a stygian ice headband can be used to arrive at area 5 above. The ice devil is instructed to slay any intruders who enter the area. In addition, the ice devil is instructed to assist the ice golem in area 2 against any intruders who rouse the construct. Note that the forbiddance spell over the iceberg prevents this devil from summoning others of its kind.

The ice devil's first action to fighting in area 2 is to cast a persistant image of another ice golem and send it into combat. As the intruders hopefully waste some of their spells on this image, it will cast unholy aura and then use wall of ice to seal off escape from area 2 back into area 1. Therafter, it will blast area 2 with cone of cold or ice storm spells. Once it closes, it will seek to slay a single individual before moving onto the next. Remember that the devil cannot use its greater teleport ability within the iceberg due to the forbiddance effect.

* Ice Devil: CR 13; Large outsider (evil, extraplanar, lawful); HD 14D8+84; hp 147; Init +5; Spd 40 ft; Space 10 ft; Reach 10 ft; AC 32 (touch 14, flat-footed 27); Atk +20/+15/+10 melee (2D6+9 plus slow) and +14 melee (2D6+3, bite) and +14 melee (3D6+3 plus slow, tail) or +19 melee (1D10+6 [x2], claws) and +14 melee (2D6+3, bite) and +14 melee (3D6+3 plus slow, tail); SA fear aura, slow, spell-like abilities, summon devil; SQ DR 10/good, darkvision 60 ft, immunity to fire and poison, resistance to acid 10 and cold 10, regeneration 5, see in darkness, telepathy 100 ft, SR 25; AL LE; SV Fort +15, Ref +14, Will +15; Str 23, Dex 21, Con 23, Int 22, Wis 22, Cha 20. Height 12 ft. Skills and Feats: Bluff +22, Climb +23, Concentration +23, Diplomacy +9, Disguise +5 (+7 acting), Intimidate +24, Jump +27, Knowledge (arcana) +23, Knowledge (planes) +23, Knowledge (religion) +23, Listen +25, Move Silently +22, Search +23, Sense Motive +23, Spellcraft +23, Spot +25, Survival +6 (+8 following tracks); Alertness, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (spear). Special Attacks: Fear Aura (Su): An ice devil can radiate a 10 ft radius fear aura as a free action. A creature in the area must succeed on a DC 22 Will save or be affected as though by a fear spell (caster level 13th). A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same ice devil’s aura for 24 hours. Other devils are immune to the aura. Slow (Su): A hit from an ice devil’s tail or spear induces numbing cold. The opponent must succeed on a DC 23 Fortitude save or be affected as though by a slow spell for 1d6 rounds. Spell-Like Abilities: At will - cone of cold (DC 20), fly, ice storm (DC 19), greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), persistent image (DC 20), unholy aura (DC 23), wall of ice (DC 19). Caster level 13th. Summon Devil (Sp): Once per day an ice devil can attempt to summon 2d10 lemures or 1d6 bearded devils, 2d4 bone devils with a 50% chance of success, or another ice devil with a 20% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 4th-level spell. Special Qualities: Regeneration (Ex): An ice devil takes normal damage from good-aligned weapons and from spells or effects with the good descriptor. Possessions: spear of impaling.

SECOND LEVEL

4. Guard Chamber:

This place houses six guards of The Fimbul. They serve as muscle for him and also as his personal bodyguard. They are completely devoted to his service and will gladly die for his cause.

The place includes six ice shelves, upon which are set polar bear furs to serve as bedding. Shelves carved into the walls serve to hold personal possessions, and rimefire ice torches are set into ice carved sconces, burning to shed light in the chamber.

In the center of the place is a rimefire ice table and chairs. Two circular bins of carved ice hold fish in one and crushed ice in the other. The latter is used in place of water by the bodyguards.

A rimefire weapon rack holds the arms of the bodyguards.

The bodyguards consist of their leader, a frost folk barbarian named Injivirrik, two Thaneeri frost ragers, and three Ice People barbarians.

* Injivirrik: Male frost folk Barbarian 12; CR 14; Medium monstrous humanoid (cold); HD 4D8+12 plus 12D12+36; hp 145; Init +3; Spd 45 ft; Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; AC 25 (touch 13, flat footed 25); Atk +23/+18/+13/+8 melee (1D8+6, +2 battleaxe) or +20/+15/+10/+5 ranged (1D8+5, +1 composite longbow); SA greater rage 4/day, ice blast; SQ darkvision 60 ft, DR 2/-, fast movement, frost folk traits, illiteracy, immunity to cold, improved uncanny dodge, snowsight, trap sense +4, uncanny dodge, vulnerability to fire; AL NE; SV Fort +14, Ref +11, Will +9; Str 19, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8. Height 6 ft 2 in. Skills and Feats: Climb +6, Hide +10*, Jump +10, Listen +12, Move Silently +5, Spot +14, Survival +10, Swim +14, Tumble +6; Dash, Great Fortitude, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus (battleaxe). Special Attacks: Ice Blast (Su): Frost folk can produce a 20 ft cone of icy mist from their left eye. This deals 2D6 points of cold damage to all creatures within the area (Ref save DC 21 half). Once a frost folk uses his ice blast, he must wait 1D4 rounds before he can use this ability again. Possessions: +2 battleaxe, +1 composite longbow (+4 Str bonus), arrows (40), +3 studded leather armour, +2 heavy wooden shield, minor cloak of displacement, skull talisman of shield of faith at 1st level, skull talisman of aid at 3rd level, skull talisman of cure serious wounds at 5th level, skull talisman of haste at 5th level, oil of keen edge at 5th level [kept in insulated vial], belt pouch, barbarian outfit, ivory and opal diadem shaped like antlers worth 3500 gp.

* Thaneeri Frost Ragers (2): Male human Barbarian 7/Frost Rager 5; CR 12; Medium humanoid (human); HD 7D12+28 plus 5D12+20; hp 132; Init +2; Spd 40 ft; Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; AC 15 (touch 12, flat-footed 15); Atk +17/+12/+7 melee (1D8+6, masterwork battleaxe [2H]) or +15/+10/+5 melee (1D8+4, masterwork battleaxe) and +15 (1D4+2, masterwork dagger) or +14/+9/+4 ranged (1D6+4, throwing axe) or [while raging] +21/+16/+11 melee (1D8+9 plus 1D6 cold, unarmed attack) or +19/+14/+9 melee (1D8+9 plus 1D6 cold, unarmed attack) and +19 (1D8+6 plus 1D6 cold, unarmed attack); SA frostrage, improved frostrage, one-two punch, rage 2/day, rend (2D8+12 plus 1D6 cold); SQ absorb cold, DR 1/-, fast movement, freezing blood, illiteracy, improved uncanny dodge, resistance to cold 5, trap sense +2, uncanny dodge; AL CE; SV Fort +15, Ref +7, Will +7; Str 19, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8. Height 6 ft 4 in. Skills and Feats: Climb +8, Intimidate +3, Jump +11, Listen +12, Spot +8, Survival +12, Swim +10, Tumble +11; Cold Endurance, Frozen Berserker, Improved Cold Endurance, Improved Unarmed Strike, Power Attack. Special Attack: Improved Frostrage (Su): While raging, character grows larger and more massive, and his freezing sweat forms icicles as it streams out of his pores, coating his body in a glittering crust of ice. The frostrager's actual size category does not change (nor does his space/reach), but he does gain a natural armour bonus of +6 from the sheets of ice that form over his body. In addition, his unarmed attacks deal 1D8 points of damage plus 1D6 points of cold damage on a successful hit. One-Two Punch (Ex): While making an unarmed attack, the frostrager may make one extra attack in a round at his highest base attack bonus, but each attack made in that round (the extra one and the normal ones) take a -2 penalty. Rend (Ex): A frostrager gains the ability to rend a target. In any round that the frostrager hits the same foe with two or more unarmed attacks, he immediately deals an additional 2D8 points of damage (plus 1.5 times his Str bonus), plus an additional 1D6 points of cold damage. Special Qualities: Absorb Cold (Su): While raging, the frostrager not only gains immunity to cold, but it heals him. For every 2 points of cold damage that would otherwise have been dealt by an attack, the frostrager heals 1 point of damage. Freezing Blood (Su): A frostrager's blood becomes freezing cold. His wounds instantly freeze over and stop bleeding; he is immune to attacks that cause wounding effects. If reduced to negative hit points, he automatically stabilizes. He still takes 1 point of damage if he takes any actions while at 0 or negative hit points, however. Possessions: masterwork studded leather armour, masterwork battleaxe, masterwork dagger, throwing axes (4), skull talisman of cat's grace at 3rd level, cape of winter, armbands of might, amulet of mighty fists +3, belt pouch, barbarian outfit.

* Ice People Barbarians (3): Male human Barbarian 10; CR 10; Medium humanoid (human); HD 10D12+30; hp 101; Init +2; Spd 30 ft; Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft (10 ft with longspear); AC 17 (touch 12, flat-footed 15); Atk +14/+9 melee (1D8+4, masterwork longspear) or +13/+8 melee (1D8+3, tigerskull club) or +13/+8 ranged (1D10+3, masterwork harpoon); SA rage 3/day; SQ DR 2/-, fast movement, illiteracy, improved uncanny dodge, resistance to cold 5, trap sense +3, uncanny dodge; AL NE; SV Fort +9, Ref +5, Will +5; Str 17, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 10. Height 5 ft 8 in. Skills and Feats: Climb +9, Intimidate +10, Jump +8, Knowledge (nature) +6, Listen +10, Spot +5, Survival +12, Swim +10, Tumble +8; Cold Endurance, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (tigerskull club), Exotic Weapon Proficiency (harpoon), Improved Cold Endurance, Improved Critical (tigerskull club). Possessions: masterwork longspear, tigerskull club, masterwork harpoon, masterwork hide armour, heavy wooden shield, cape of the winter, skull talisman of cure moderate wounds at 3rd level, bead of force, belt pouch, furs.

These guards, if they hear the sound of combat in area 1, will immediately grab weapons and prepare to attack. Grabbing weapons will take 1 round. They will also grab some of the rimefire ice torches for light.

Then, the frost ragers will crush their cat's grace talismans while Injivirrik applies his oil of keen edge. The Ice People barbarians will ready beads of force head down the eastern passageway to area 1, intending to use their beads to aid the malasynep. One of the Ice People will pound on the wall between this area and area 5, hoping to alert the frost mage.

Meanwhile, the frost ragers will head down the western passageway and rage, diving into the water to attack if there are no PCs on the ice shelf there.

Injivirrik will crush his haste talisman, and then his shield of faith skull before emerging down the western passageway and immediately employing his composite longbow. He will close with his keen edged battleaxe if any PCs make it to the ice shelf.

If instead caught in their chambers, they will make a stand here to the best of their ability, fighting to the death.

5. Frost Mage's Sanctum:

This chamber has no direct egress, either on its own level or to the levels above and below. Normal access is by way of the conveyance as described in area 3.

The eastern portion of this area contains this end of the conveyance. In this portion is a strange wavy circle carved into the floor.

This circle is about 3 ft in diameter and radiates strong transmutation and evocation magic. A Spellcraft check of DC 35 will reveal that the circle seems to transform a person who stands within into something related to cold or frost and also evokes some sort of air effect. It also seems that the device is keyed to some item.

Anyone standing in the circle, or even breaking the plane of the diagram, will feel a small blast of chill air emanating from the floor and whooshing up to the ceiling. This is cold enough to cause 1 point of cold damage per contact, and every round of contact thereafter.

If a stygian ice headband is worn while standing within this circle, then the wearer can will the circle to allow him to view into area 3 as if the circle were set right into the ceiling of area 3 and had becoome transparent from this side. In addition, the wearer can will himself to transform, whereupon he and his items are transformed into snowflakes and a gust of wind blasts these down and into the floor, which flickers away for a split second. The wearer then emerges into area 3 and transforms back into his natural form, standing on the now solid floor. All of this takes a mere standard action, and is an effect that can be negated by antimagic. The wearer of the headband can transform and bring along another creature of Medium size or less or another 300 lbs of objects by holding them within the circle.

The short passageway between the eastern portion and the western portion of the area is warded by an icicle spell. Caddernac and all of the allies of The Fimbul (except the eidolon and the witch) may pass through unharmed.

* Icicle Trap: CR 2; spell; spell trigger; no reset; spell effect (icicle, 16th level wizard, 4D6 damage, no save to target, others DC 20 Ref save for half); multiple targets (all within 5 ft); Search DC 27; Disable Device DC 27.

This sanctum is lit by several rimefire ice torches set into the walls and is furnished in rimefire ice furnishings.These include an ornate bed with plush walrus skins and polar bear furs, a silvery mirror of ice in an oval set into the wall, a work table and several chairs, and several shelving units that meld into the ice walls. The table contains some strange alchemy equipment, much of it made of ice and crystal, all designed to allow working with liquids in freezing temperatures. A Knowledge (arcana) check of DC 20 will determine that the equipment is set up to brew arcane scroll ink as well as create special frostfell substances. However, the equipment also has the look of not having been used in some time.

The shelves hold a variety of arcane tomes and scrolls, forming a mage's library. Those that need it are magically protected against the cold of this place.

Caddernac's spellbook is made entirely of magical ice. Even the pages are thin sheets of ice with the spell formulae etched within. The book's cover is plain, and the book itself rests vertically in a niche in the wall near the rimefire ice bed that is exactly tthe size of the book. In fact, the book matches the wall so well that when it is placed in its niche, it is fiendishly difficult to find. Casually spotting it requires a DC 40 Spot check. A close examination of the wall requires a DC 30 Search check. The spellbook is magical, but is warded by a magic aura spell (which Caddernac renews every 16 days). The tome is large, holding all of his spells within it, and is enchanted to be a strong as steel (though fire does full damage to it) and weighs 50 lbs. If taken into warm climes, the book will begin to melt unless somehow magically protected, losing a random page per day.

If Caddernac is made aware of someone at the circle in area 3, he will make the circle here transparent and observe the newcomers, using his arcane sight to judge their powers and capabilities. Assuming he assesses them as intruders, he will then wait until they leave and send his simulacrum down to area 3 to hopefully come up on the intruders as they battle the bodyguards in area 4 or even the pudding in area 7 or the eidolon and witch in area 8. Caddernac himself is charged with spending his life to guard The Fimbul, but he is loathe to actually combat powerful intruders until absolutely necessary. Therefore, he will only confront the PCs, if possible, with his defensive spells fully active and ready, when they enter the Frigid Demiplane. He will want to confront them as they battle the ice golem legion.

Similarly, he will know if the PCs reach the rimefire witch in area 8, as the greater dominate person spell he has cast upon her allows him to telepathically know what the witch is experiencing.

If the PCs have taken the magical snowball in area 6, then Caddernac may have to fight or slip past the pudding in area 7.

Caddernac always has a mind blank spell cast upon himself. In combat, he will attempt to first cast some of his protective spells (dancing shield, shield, ice shield, globe of invulnerability, and mirror image) and then cast mage's sword on the most powerful seeming arcane spellcaster. He will use Snowcasting whenever possible to turn non-cold spells into cold spells, so that he can then take advantage of Cold Spell Specialization and Frozen Magic. He is loathe to use his staff's charges unless absolutely necessary, but will use the iceberg spell if pressed.

If trouble arises, he will also telepathically alert the rimefire witch in area 8, so that she can be prepared should the intruders reach her.

He will use his ice shape spell to flee his sanctum into area 4 if necessary.

* Caddernac: Male human wizard 6/Frost Mage 10; CR 16; Medium humanoid (cold, human); HD 6D4+12 plus 10D4+20; hp 77; Init +1; Spd 30 ft; Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; AC 21 (touch 11, flat-footed 20); Atk +10/+5 melee (1D6+2 plus 1D6 cold, staff of the iceberg) or +9/+4 ranged (touch attack); SQ immunity to cold, vulnerability to fire; AL NE; SV Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +14; Str 11, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 22, Wis 14, Cha 11. Height 5 ft 9 in. Skills and Feats: Balance +5, Concentration +21, Craft (alchemy) +11, Decipher Script +16, Knowledge (arcana) +20, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +11, Knowledge (nature) +15, Knowledge (planes) +16, Listen +6, Perform (singing) +3, Search +10, Spellcraft +25, Spot +6, Survival +6, Tumble +3; Cold Focus, Cold Spell Specialization, Combat Expertise, Frozen Magic, Greater Cold Focus, Piercing Cold, Scribe Scroll, Snowcasting, Sudden Widen. Possessions: staff of the iceberg with 39 charges (treated as +2 icy burst quarterstaff), bracers of armour +6, master ring, minor iceheart, wand of ice darts at 11th level with 78 charges, wand of magic missiles at 7th level with 24 charges, scroll of mage's lucubration at 16th level, scroll of greater dispel magic at 16th level, scroll of freedom at 16th level, skull talisman of web walking at 1st level, skull talisman of cure critical wounds at 7th level, skull talisman of fly at 5th level, stygian headband, spell component pouch, belt pouch, coldfire (15 ounces). Spells Prepared (4/6/6/5/5/5/4/3/2; base DC = 16 [18 for cold spells] + spell level): 0 - detect magic, light (2), ray of frost; 1 - bolt of frost, forgetfulness, lightning arrow, phantasmal force, ray of enfeeblement, shield; 2 - aura of lightning, bolt of ice, glitterdust, mirror image, numbing sphere, web; 3 - befuddle, dancing shield, dispel magic, elemental vulnerability, fireball; 4 - ice shield, ice web, orb of sound, solid fog, wall of coldfire; 5 - dominate person, flesh to ice, gelid blood, greater phantasmal force, ice shape; 6 - entomb, freezing sphere, globe of invulnerability, greater dispel magic; 7 - antimagic ray, mage's sword, prismatic spray; 8 - horrid wilting, mind blank [cast]. Spellbook: 0 - conjurer's toolbelt, daze, detect magic, detect poison, light, flare, mage hand, message, minor ward, quill, ray of frost, read magic, resistance, shelve, silken glue, stumble, synchronized alert, unnerving gaze; 1 - alarm, bolt of frost, charm person, colour spray, comprehend languages, ectoplasmic armour, endure elements, forgetfulness, gills, lesser orb of cold, lesser shivering touch, lightning arrow, mage armour, magic missile, object lore, phantasmal force, protection from chaos/evil/good/law, ray of enfeeblement, shadow hands, shield, web walking; 2 - acid arrow, aura of lightning, bolt of ice, bone chill, brand of frost, claws of darkness, cloudy thoughts, fog cloud, fox' cunning, glitterdust, icicle, levitate, locate object, mirror image, numbing sphere, obscuring snow, protection from arrows, reflective disguise, resist energy, tiny igloo, web; 3 - analyze portal, arcane sight, arctic haze, befuddle, blood snow, clairaudience/clairvoyance, control temperature, dancing shield, dispel magic, elemental vulnerability, fireball, fly, greater enforced answer, haste, hold person, lightning bolt, magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law, sleet storm, slow, tongues; 4 - dimensional anchor, dimension door, fire shield, freeze bolt, glacial ward, ice shield, ice web, intuitive insight, lesser amnesia, lower spell resistance, orb of cold, orb of sound, solid fog, wall of coldfire, wall of ice; 5 - blast of elemental fury, block teleport, dominate person, flesh to ice, gelid blood, greater phantasmal force, ice shape, ice to flesh, lesser planar binding, overland flight, permanency, polymorph, teleport; 6 - claw of ice, contingency, disintegrate, entomb, freezing sphere, globe of invulnerability, greater dispel magic, heartfreeze, planar binding, touch of the artisan, true seeing; 7 - antimagic ray, forcecage, greater teleport, mage's lucubration, mage's sword, mass hold person, plane shift, prismatic spray, simulacrum; 8 - flensing, freedom, greater dominate person, greater planar binding, horrid wilting, mind blank, temporal stasis. Notes: Has arcane sight with permanency cast on himself. Has cast contingency on self to cast a greater dispel magic if silenced or held or immobilized, or controlled in any fashion.

* Stygian Headband: This powerful item is made of an ivory headband carved to resemble stylized tentacles. The tips of these tentacles meet in the front and grasp a marquis-cut shaped crystal of stygian ice. The object radiates a palpable aura of cold and a magical aura of strong evil. Anyone wearing this headband suffers 1D6 points of cold damage per round. Further, if the wearer takes damage from this cold, he must make a DC 12 Will save or take 2 points of Wis damage as his memories are slowly frozen. If the wearer's Wis is reduced to 0, further contact causes Con damage. If the wearer's Con is reduced to 0 by the headband it rises as a wraith in 2D4 rounds. The wearer is constantly protected by a magic circle against good effect at all times. In addition, he may cast a feeblemind spell (DC 17) 3/day and a mind fog spell (DC 17) 3/day. Faint Abjuration and Moderate Enchantment; CL 11th; Craft Wondrous Item, magic circle against good, feeblemind, mind fog; Price 90,000 gp; XP 3,600; Time 11 years 1 month.

Caddernac no longer appears entirely human, due to his becoming One with Cold. He was a member of a clan of gypsies in Northern Jaggarth and an apprentice to a gypsy hedge wizard when he was taken by a raid of Thaneeri warriors. He served as a thrall for over a decade, before escaping and making his way back to his people. However, his people no longer knew him or accepted him, and, embittered, he turned to the worship of the deity his Thaneeri masters venerated, Lothar.

Caddernac travelled north, and eventually learned of the Cult of Fimbul. He joined the group and honed his magical arts, eventually rising to become the righthand of The Fimbul himself. Caddernac is brilliant, but also a very embittered man, who feels that the warm world has rejected him, and therefore he has rejected it.

* Caddernac's Simulacrum: Male human (simulacrum) Wizard 6/Frost Mage 2; CR 8 (included in Caddernac's CR); Medium humanoid (human); HD 6D4+12 plus 2D4+4; hp 39; Init +1; Spd 30 ft; Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; AC 12 (touch 11, flat-footed 11); Atk +4 melee (1D6, quarterstaff) or +5 ranged (touch attack); SQ resistance to cold 10; AL NE; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +8; Str 11, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 20, Wis 14, Cha 11. Height 5 ft 9 in. Skills and Feats: Concentration +13, Craft (alchemy) +7, Decipher Script +8, Knowledge (arcana) +14, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge (nature) +12, Knowledge (planes) +12, Listen +5, Search +7, Spellcraft +13, Spot +5, Survival +6; Cold Focus, Cold Spell Specialization, Frozen Magic, Scribe Scroll, Snowcasting, Sudden Widen. Possessions: quarterstaff, fur robes, spell component pouch. Spells Prepared (4/6/4/4/3; base DC = 15 [16 for cold spells] + spell level): 0 - detect magic, light, mage hand, resistance; 1 - mage armour, magic missile (3), ray of enfeeblement, shield; 2 - acid arrow (2), mirror image, numbing sphere; 3- fireball, haste, lightning bolt, sleet storm; 4 - fire shield, ice shield, orb of sound.

Caddernac's simulacrum was crafted using a disguise skill of +5 (using his intuitive insight spell) and took 10 for a total Disguise check of 15. The being is used by the mage to tend his sanctum when he is absent, and to act as a scout and messenger. Caddernac doesn't wish to throw his simulacrum away lightly, as it represents a cost in gold and XP, but he will also use his simulacrum as effectively as he can.

6. Chapel:

This chamber serves as a chapel to Lothar, especially his Cold and Suffering aspects.

The walls are carved or ice shaped into impressively rendered scenes of people freezing to death, white dragons breathing frost, and stylized snowflake designs.

An altar made of a block of blue ice sits along the south wall, surmounted by a ice statue of a barbaric male in furs with an ice axe in one hand and a ball of snow in the other, his beared sharp like frost covered icicles. A DC 5 Knowledge (religion) check will confirm that this is a statue of Lothar.

If the statue is closely examined, a DC 20 Search check will note that the snowball can be removed from the rest of the statue. The snowball is magical (moderate abjuration), but is warded by a magic aura spell renewed every 16 days by Caddernac, so that it has no magical aura. This snowball's only power is to ward against the white pudding in area 7. The bodyguards and frost mage know of this snowball and use it to pass safely to the areas above the pudding.

To the west is a spiral staircase of ice that winds up into the ceiling to emerge in area 7.

THIRD LEVEL

7. Chamber of Ooze:

The spiral staircase from area 6 ends at the floor of this chamber, but is seemingly blocked by a sheet of ice. The ice is opaque, and is actually a magical membrane. It radiates a moderate aura of abjuration. Placing a hand on the sheet will allow one to pass through the membrane and ascend the final steps to area 7. The membrane works the exact same way leaving area 7 to descend the stairs. This membrane is not designed to keep out humanoids from below. It is instead designed to keep the pudding trapped in this chamber. Passing through the membrane does not actually create an opening. Instead, the person simply walks right through it. The membrance is permeable to air and other gasses, allowing oxygen to reach this chamber.

The chamber itself is bare, and a mere 5 ft tall. It is bare of adornment except for another spiral staircase of ice to the east that twists its way up into the ceiling. This staircase, too, has a magical membrance at the ceiling of this area that operates exactly like the membrance described above.

Within this chamber is a massive white pudding, captured by The Fimbul and kept here as a guard. The humanoid servants of The Fimbul use the magical snowball from area 6 to pass through unmolested. Anyone carrying the snowball cannot be attacked by the pudding, even if the bearer attacks the creature. This protection does not extend to anyone else, even if they touch the snowball or the bearer. The creature is has also learned not to attack The Fimbul, but dint of long experience and certain magic rituals and blessings from Lothar granted to his servant.

The pudding is usually quite still at rest in the center of the area, from where it can pretty much reach everywhere in the room. It tends to lie flat, with a net +3 bonus to its Hide check. Anyone spotting the creature will not immediately know what he has seen. The DM should merely describe it as a slightly off-colour and bumpy area of the ice floor. A subsequent DC 30 Knowledge (dungeoneering) check will reveal the phenomenon's true nature. Grant a +10 circumstance bonus to the check if the observer is native or has significant experience with frostfell regions.

The pudding will generally wait until a creature approaches the chamber's centre before suddenly attacking (its Wis is twice the normal for these creatures, enough to allow it basic ambush instincts). However, if its prey refuses to enter the centre, it will then move to attack.

Note that any creature taller than 5 ft (but not taller than 10 ft) is considered to be in a cramped space when entering this room. He loses his Dex bons to AC. In addition, he moves at half speed and running or charging are impossible. The cramped creature takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls with light weapons and a -4 penalty on attack rolls with one-handed weapons. Two-handed weapons are impossible to use at all.

* Huge White Pudding: CR 13; Huge ooze; HD 27D10+219; hp 363; Init -5; Spd 20 ft, swim 20 ft; Space 15 ft; Reach 10 ft; AC 6 (touch 3, flat-footed 6); Atk +24 melee (2D6+10 plus 2D6 acid, slam), SA acid, constrict 2D6+10 plus 2D6 acid, improved grab; SQ blindsight 60 ft, resistance to cold 10, ooze traits, split; AL N; SV Fort +17, Ref +4, Will +5; Str 24, Dex 0, Con 26, Int -, Wis 2, Cha 1. Diameter 13 ft. Skills and Feats: Hide -13*, Swim +14; none. Special Attacks: Acid (Ex): a white pudding secretes a digestive acid that dissolves organic material quickly, but it does not affect stone or metal (or ice). Any melee hit or constrict attack deals acid damage, and the opponent's armour (if not metal) and clothing dissolve and become immediately useless unless it succeeds on a DC 31 Ref save. A wooden weapon that strikes a white pudding also dissolves immediately unless it succeeds on a DC 31 Ref save. The pudding's acidic touch deals 31 points of damage per round to wooden, leather, or other organic objects, but the ooze must remain in contact with the object for 1 full round to deal this damage. Constrict (Ex): A white pudding deals automatic slam and acid damage with a successful grapple check. The opponent's clothing and armour take a -4 penalty on Ref saves against the acid. Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a pudding must hit with its slam attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict its prey. Special Qualities: Split (Ex): Slashing and piercing weapons deal no damage to a white pudding. Instead the creature splits into two identical puddings, each with half the original hit points (round down). A pudding with 10 hp or less cannot be further split and dies if reduced to 0 hp. * White puddings are difficult to spot against snow and ice. They gain a +16 racial bonus on Hide checks in snowy or icy environments.

FOURTH LEVEL

8. Witch's Chamber:

This chamber is the living quarters of the rimefire witch who is bonded with the rimefire eidolon that owns this iceberg. The witch was away when The Fimbul and his minions invaded the iceberg, but he quickly placed the eidolon under his permanent influence using his Cold domain ability. Once done, he commanded the eidolon to request its witch return to the iceberg. This she did using her word of recall ability, and the eidolon then tricked her into becoming captured by The Fimbul. Since then, Mvrenka has been entralled to serve The Fimbul by way of a greater dominate person spell cast by Caddernac. As this spell is permanent, Mvrenka has not been able to escape the frost mage's clutches (he has used her for his own personal gratification as well).

She currently is completely and utterly devoted to her master, and as per the greater dominate person spell, is independently loyal to him in that she does not need to be commanded, but always acts in the best interests of her master at all times. Since Caddernac is fanatically devoted to The Fimbul, this means the witch is as well.

The chamber is accessed by way of a spiral staircase that enters the middle of the chamber from area 7 below. The staircase continues to wind up past this area and into the ceiling (to end up at area 10). In addition, another ice staircase hugs the west and south walls as it ascends to area 9.

The chamber is decorated in rimefire ice furnishings, including an ornately carved bed showing whales breaching an arctic sea, majestic icebergs floating amidst ice floes, and regal polar bears fishing for their meals with their massive paws. Polar bear furs are used as bedding.

A small table and chair are here as well, and set upon the table is an amzingly ornate rimefire ice chess set with dark squares and pieces composed of blue ice.

To the south is a small shrine to Lothar that pictures the god as a barbaric male in furs with an ice axe in one hand and a ball of snow in the other, his beared sharp like frost covered icicles. A DC 5 Knowledge (religion) check will confirm that this is a statue of Lothar. Several runes etched into the shrine have been gouged out and new ones added. A DC 25 Knowledge (religion) check will allow the observer to determine that certain more benign runes associated with Lothar have been defaced and replaced by runes exhorting Lothar's suffering aspect.

A rimefire ice wardrobe holds various arctic clothing as well as outfits that are clearly ceremonial garb for the worship of Lothar.

Along the north wall is carved a massive engraving of a rimefire eidolon. PCs unfamiliar with these strange looking creatures might assume it is some sort of malefic demon, especially since it looks like some sor of spiderlike aberration and the carving is very large, with its legs stretched out to accentuate its size. A DC 30 Knowledge (nature) check will reveal the true nature of the carving. Allow a +10 circumstance bonus if the observer is native to or has significant experience with frostfell environments.

Mvrenka dwells here unless called upon to perform some task by The Fimbul or the frost mage. The bodyguards from area 4 provide her with food and water daily and take away her waste from a rimefire ice chamber pot (which they dump in area 7 for the pudding to consume).

Mvrenka can usually be found staring at the chess set, figuring out her next move in the game against Caddernac, who has commanded her to learn the game well enough to challenge him. She sleeps and eats the rest of the time. Assume she will be asleep 30% of the time unless she has been alerted to the presence of intruders (e.g. telepathically by the frost mage). She will immediately take up arms against any intruders, casting her protective spells as prudent should she get the chance. She will not leave this chamber, except to pursue intruders up to area 9 or 10 or at the behest of her masters.

The place is lit by several rimefire ice torches set into the walls.

The sounds of combat in this chamber will likely cause the rimefire eidolon in area 9 to emerge to aid its witch and its command-master The Fimbul.

Mvrenka bears her Mark of Hleid on her cheek, and it is very plain to observe. A Knowledge (religion) check at DC 30 will mean the observer recognizes the mark for what it is, while a DC 20 check will merely tell that it is some ritual scarring associated with Lothar. Grant a +5 circumstance bonus to the check if the observer is native to or has significant experience in frostfell environments. It is possible that the PCs, recognizing the mark or detecting its aura of goodness may suspect that Mvrenka is not under her own volition. They could also assume this if they recognize the carving of the rimefire eidolon or note the defaced runes on the shrine. If so, a simple protection from evil spell could temporarily negate the control enough for the PCs to parley with her. She will likely instantly recognize any Heroes of the Gem, and will explain her situation, the situation of her eidolon, and whatever else she can tell the PCs (which is not more than the eidolon can, see area 9 below). She is extremely angry at her predicament and would love to join the PCs to take on The Fimbul and his servants. However, she warns that unless the greater dominate person is dispelled, she may be a danger to the PCs should the protection from evil be dispelled. As such, she offers to slay herself in order to remove the danger from the PCs as long as they vow to attempt to save her eidolon.

Should Mvrenka come into conflict with her still-commanded eidolon, she will use non-lethal means to try to subdue it and will urge the PCs to do likewise.

* Mvrenka: Female ex-human Cleric 6/Rimefire Witch 10; CR 16; Medium fey; HD 6D8+12 plus 10D6+20; hp 98; Init +2; Spd 30 ft; Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; AC 22 [24 vs evil creatures with cold subtype] (touch 12 [14], flat-footed 19 [21]); Atk +11/+6 melee (1D6+2, +2 icy burst club) or +9/+4 melee (1D4, dagger) or +11 ranged (touch attack); SA iceberg, rimefire bolt (3D6+3), turn undead (7/day at +2 synergy bonus); SQ DR 5/cold iron, detect evil minions of Lothar, ice skate, low-light vision, resistance to cold 10, rimefire apotheosis, rimefire bond, word of recall; AL NG; SV Fort +14, Ref +7, Will +19; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 12, Wis 20, Cha 19. Height 5 ft 5 in. Skills and Feats: Climb +4, Concentration +16, Diplomacy +11, Heal +10, Knowledge (arcana) +6, Knowledge (history) +7, Knowledge (religion) +10, Sense Motive +10, Spellcraft +13, Survival +9, Swim +5; Arctic Priest, Cold Endurance, Combat Casting, Improved Cold Endurance (2), Iron Will, Mark of Hleid. Special Attacks: Iceberg (Sp): 1/day - iceberg (DC 23) at caster level 10th. Rimefire Bolt (Su): A rimefire witch's bond with her eidolon becomes powerful enough that she can summon and direct a bolt of rimefire, as long as she is currently in the boundaries of a frostfell. Summoning and directing a rimefire bolt is a standard action. Rimefire bolts have a range of 30 ft and attack as ranged touch attacks. Half of this damage is cold damage and half is fire damage. Special Qualities: Detect Evil Minion of Lothar (Sp): A rimefire witch possesses the spell-like ability to detect evil minions of Lothar at will. This spell-like ability functions like detect evil, except that it detects the presence or absence of devotion to Lothar in an evil living creature's aura and soul. Undetectable alignment can block this ability, as can certain magic items that have similar effects. Ice Skate (Sp): 3/day - ice skate at caster level 10th. Rimefire Apotheosis (Su): A rimefire witch undergoes a dramatic transformation as the bond with her eidolon physically changes her into a fey creature. Her type immediately changes to fey, and she can no longer be affected by effects that target her old type; she does become susceptible to attacks and effects that harm or aid fey. She gains low-light vision, DR 5/cold iron, and a +2 racial bonus to her Cha as her skin and hair become light blue or white in colour. Once she undergoes rimefire apotheosis, the death of her bonded eidolon does not cause the loss of her supernatural or spell-casting abilities. Rimefire Bond (Su): A rimefire witch becomes bonded on a deeply spiritual level with the rimefire eidolon that selected her as its guardian. Both the witch and the eidolon are constantly aware of the other's location and condition, as if both were under the effects of a status spell. This is a permanent effect that cannot be dispelled or destroyed. The bond also shores up the mind and will to live of the witch and her eidolon; both gain a +2 morale bonus on all saving throws against mind-affecting and death effects while the other is alive. A rimefire bond is powerful enough that it even extends across the planes. Word of Recall (Sp): 1/day - word of recall (always recalls to the chamber of her bonded rimefire eidolon). Possessions: +2 blue ice chain shirt, +2 icy burst club (made of a whale bone), +2 blue ice heavy shield, slave ring, dagger, silver holy symbol to Lothar, spell component pouch, belt pouch, whale tooth necklace (150 gp), coldfire (6 ounces). Spells Prepared (6/5/5/5/4/4/3/3/2; base DC = 15 + spell level): 0 - dancing bandages, detect curse, detect magic, guidance, light, resistance; 1 - aegis of the gods, divine favour, entropic shield, fortify cold creatures, shield of faith; 2 - bull's strength, divine zephyr, elation, silence, spiritual weapon; 3 - binding snow, dispel magic, divine speed, prayer, sound lance; 4 - divine power, doom shield, spirit song, winter's embrace; 5 - break enchantment, dispel fire, hibernal healing, true seeing; 6 - algid enhancement, bolts from above, mass frostburn; 7 - destruction, greater shield of the gods, spirit knife; 8 - fire storm, stormrage. Domains: Cold (turn or destroy fire creatures and rebuke or command cold creatures) and Endurance (+8 Con 1/day for 1 minute). Domain Spells (1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1): 1 - chill touch; 2- bear's endurance; 3 - sleet storm; 4 - ice storm; 5 - stoneskin; 6 - cone of cold; 7 - globe of invulnerability; 8 - polar ray.

FIFTH LEVEL

9. Eidolon's Chamber:

This chamber is the demesne of the rimefire eidolon that owns this iceberg. It was enthralled to The Fimbul by means of his domain ability to command cold creatures, and was then used to lure and have its bonded witch enslaved. Currently, the eidolon is commanded to slay all intruders in the iceberg who are in area 8, 9, or 10, as well as anyone aiding them.

The chamber is small, for the eidolon has few needs beyond its bond with its witch and its iceberg.

In the centre of its small lair is an exact replica of its iceberg, complete with accurate little tunnels set within. The replica is at a 1/50th scale, so the whole is 6 ft wide and 4 ft tall. The tip is made of rimefire ice and exudes a glow to light the chamber.

The walls and ceiling are a bedazzling array of reliefs sculpted into the ice of the chamber by means of its ice shape ability. These include scenes of walruses and seals cavorting in the sea, seascapes featuring a variety of icebergs, breaching narwhales, and delicate snowfalls, with each snow crystal enlarged and intricately carved into its unique pattern.

The eidolon is under the mental control of The Fimbul, and so can be temporarily freed by means of a protection from evil spell. If so released, it will be very greatful to the PCs and very saddened that its iceberg is being used for evil and that its witch has been enthralled and abused. It will beg the PCs to slay The Fimbul and save its witch from harm, and will offer to join the PCs in their battle against The Fimbul and its minions if they can somehow remove the control. It is not willing to accompany the PCs otherwise, for fear that The Fimbul will dispel the protection from evil and force it to turn on the PCs (and possibly the witch if she has been freed). Therefore, it will urge the PCs to hurry on before the protection from evil wears off, and if the PCs seem unwilling, it will, ultimately, offer to allow the PCs to slay it if they promise to save its witch.

The eidolon knows what The Fimbul is doing to some extent. It knows that The Fimbul spends most of its time at the top of the iceberg, but doesn't know about the extradimensional connection to the Frigid Demiplane that he has set up. He knows that the Fimbul is performing epic magic to bring about winter to the Kingdom of Slumber, and that he has commanded that the iceberg reach its next destination within 100 days after the first Lothar's cleansing, so that the eidolon has (correctly) surmised that The Fimbul can only enact his ritual once every 100 days or so.

If the eidolon hears its witch in combat in area 8, it will move to aid her (and follow its commands from The Fimbul). The creature loathes physical combat, and will instead rain rimefire bolts down on the PCs from the stop of the stairway, as well as use its spell-like abilities in such a way to aid the witch and harm the PCs. If pressed, the creature will use its ice glide ability to harry the PCs and gain cover.

* Rimefire Eidolon: CR 9; Medium fey (cold); HD 12D6+36; hp 78; Init +11; Spd 30 ft, fly 120 ft (perfect); Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; AC 19 [21 vs evil creatures with cold subtype] (touch 17 [19], flat-footed 12 [14]); Atk +13 melee (1D4 plus 1D6 cold [x2], slams) or +13/+8 ranged (3D6+6 rirmefire, rimefire bolt); SA frost touch, rimefire bolt, spell-like abilities; SQ DR 10/cold iron, iceberg dependent, ice glide, immunity to cold, immunity to rimefire, low-light vision, rimefire bond, tremorsense 60 ft, vulnerability to fire; AL CG; SV Fort +9, Ref +15, Will +11; Str 10, Dex 24, Con 17, Int 15, Wis 17, Cha 22. Height 5 ft 5 in. Skills and Feats: Bluff +21, Concentration +18, Diplomacy +25, Disguise +6 (+8 acting), Intimidate +8, Knowledge (nature) +17, Knowledge (religion) +17, Listen +18, Sense Motive +18, Spot +18, Survival +3 (+5 in aboveground natural environment); Empower Spell-Like Ability (ice storm), Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Mark of Hleid, Weapon Finesse. Special Attacks: Frost Touch (Su): A rimefire eidolon deals an extra 1D6 points of cold damage with each successful slam attack. Rimefire Bolt (Su): A rimefire eidolon can hurl bolts of the burning radiance that constantly surrounds it. A rimefire bolt has a range of 100 ft, and attacks as a ranged touch attack. Half of this damage is cold damage, and half is fire damage. A rimefire eidolon may use the full attack action to make multiple attacks with rimefire bolts. Spell-Like Abilities: At will - blur, clairaudience/clairvoyance (only within 300 yards of home iceberg), detect evil, detect magic, ice shape, ice slick, obscuring snow, see invisibility; 3/day - chill metal (DC 18), cone of cold (DC 21), ice storm (DC 20), wall of ice (DC 20), winter's embrace (DC 20); 1/day - entomb (DC 22), polar ray (+13 ranged touch). Caster level 12th. Special Qualities: Iceberg Dependent (Su): A rimefire eidolon risks death if it travels more than 300 yards from its iceberg home; if forced to do so, it takes 1D6 points of damager per round until it either dies or is allowed to return to its iceberg. As long as a rimefire eidolon is inside of or in contact with its iceberg, it can use clairaudience/clairvoyance as a spell-like ability at will, as long as the area observed is within 300 yards. Finally, a rimefire eidolon can cause its iceberg to move by concentrating; each round it maintains its concentration, the iceberg moves as it directs at a spread of 20 ft. Ice Glide (Ex): An eidolon can glide through ice, snow, or slush as easily as a fish swims through water. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, and its passage does not create any ripples or other signs of its presence. A rimefire eidolon often fights from the cover of an ice wall or snow field in much the same way that an incorporeal ceature can use a wall or floor for cover. An eidolon attacking a creature outside the ice or snow in which it is hiding gain the benefit of cover. Rimefire Bond (Su): A rimefire eidolon may forge a powerful spiritual bond with an aspiring rimefire witch. Doing so requires the rimefire eidolon to simply touch the target and will the bond to exist. Once it is forged, this bond is a permanent effect and cannot be dispelled or destroyed. If a rimefire witch or her eidolon is killed, this bond is broken. If the slain member of the bond is brought back to life within a year of death, the rimefire bond instantly reforges itself despite any physical distance between the two. As long as the bond exists, a rimefire eidolon knows the location and condition of its bonded witch as if by the status spell. Additionally, the rimefire eidolon gains a +2 morale bonus on all saving throws against mind-affecting and death effects. This bond is powerful enough that it can extend across planar boundaries. Tremorsense (Ex): An eidolon can automatically sense the location of anything within 60 ft that is in contact with the ground (or ice or snow on top of the ground).

SANCTUM LEVEL

10. The Fimbul's Sanctum:

This chamber lies at the top of the iceberg, and represents the supposed sanctum of The Fimbul. In actuality, it is merely the material end of a conduit that connects with the Frigid Demiplane where The Fimbul enacts his ritual and taps the power of the dread Kostchtchie.

The chamber is about 15 ft high at its apex, for it follows the contours of the tip of the iceberg. The walls, floor, and ceiling are covered with smoking white runes of power exhorting Lothar, cold, death, suffering, and revenge.

The spiral staircase from area 8 ascends into this chamber and then winds up 10 ft to suddenly end 5 ft below the apex of the ceiling in a 5 ft diameter circular platform. There is no egress, apparent or hidden, to the outside of the iceberg from the top of the staircase. In fact, when The Fimbul is ready to cast his epic spell, he emerges into this chamber and mentally summons the eidolon, who uses its ice shape ability to open the top of the iceberg and allow The Fimbul, standing atop the platform, to finish his epic spell and blast the land with an ice age. The eidolon then closes the opening with another ice shape.

Set into the center of the chamber is a strange sight. A 6 ft diameter hemisphere of strange violet energy surrounds a 5 ft diameter hoop of ice hovers vertically in mid air about 6 inches off of the floor. The circle faces east and west, and its centre is filled with a swirling, icy blue mist that is impenetrable to all forms of sight. The sphere radiates strong abjuration magic, and its a permanent antimagic shell. This functions exactly like an antimagic field spell, except that the effect is a thin 1 inch shell that does not reach any further into its centre. Thus, this shell stops magic from passing through it, but not from functioning within it. This shell was created by The Fimbul in order to allow a planar portal to be set here and not be foiled by the forbiddence spell that covers the iceberg.

The hoop of ice is the planar portal. It forms this end of a conduit that leads to the Frigid Demiplane. The portal radiates strong conjuration magic, though this can only be determined once past the antimagic shell.

The planar portal allows passage to and from the Frigid Demiplane. Unattended objects cannot pass through. Only creatures and attended objects may go through. Creatures larger than Large size also cannot fit through the portal.

Anyone putting a hand or other body part into the portal will feel the temperature within to be unearthly cold, with no wind.

Part Three - The Frigid Demiplane:

The Fimbul has used his unholy arts to capture and mold a demiplane to suit his purposes. He calls it the Frigid Demiplane. This demiplane has a number of unique characteristics that are detailed below. It serves as a prison for Kostchtchie, and provides the means to siphon the demonlord's power to fuel his epic castings. In addition, the demiplane serves as the true lair of The Fimbul, and affords him another layer of protection against invaders.

Only the frost mage is aware of the existence of this demiplane. The eidolon has seen the portal in area 10 and can guess at its function, but does not know for sure what it is or where it leads.

The most unique thing The Fimbul has managed to do with the demiplane is to bring a portion of it to be coexistant to a limited extent with his Iceberg Palace. It took a combination of wish spells cast by entities beholden to him, as well as several epic rituals to bring this about, but now one end of the demiplane essentially follows the iceberg around, so that there is always a measure of coexistence between the iceberg and the demiplane.

This coexistence has only three real effects.

1. It allows The Fimbul to see into the iceberg while in his Frigid Demiplane. Like viewing the Material Plane from the Ethereal Plane, images are muted and distorted as if watching through a frosted glass, but it allows The Fimbul to monitor what is happening in his Palace and, importantly, to guage whether he is likely to have to face intruders.

2. It allows The Fimbul to enter the iceberg while finishing his casting of Lothar's cleansing and still maintain the mystic siphon between Kostchtchie and him.

The Frigid Demiplane has the following traits:

• Normal Gravity.
• Normal Time.
• Finite Size: As indicated on the Frigid Demiplane map.
• Alterable Morphic.
• Cold-Dominant: Always unearthly cold, no normal magic can alter the temperature here.
• Strongly Evil-Aligned.
• Impeded Magic: All fire spells.
• Enhanced Magic: All cold spells are heightened (by 4 levels) and are cast at +4 caster levels.

Refer to the Frigid Demiplane map.

The entire demiplane is fashioned of blue ice striated through with rimefire ice. Touching the walls, floor, or ceiling results in damage as if rimefire ice has been touched. The rimefire ice exudes a blue, flickering illumination that allows for normal sight.

The demiplane is composed entirely of the rooms shown on the map. There is nothing beyond, as as such, no magic can allow someone to tunnel through the walls beyond a certain point. The outer walls are about 5 ft deep and then turn into an impenetrable grey nothingness. Unless otherwise stated, all places are of hewn ice and ceilings are approximately 10 ft overhead. The floors are scoured enough to allow normal movement, but running ro charging requires a DC 10 Balance check and Tumbling checks are at +2 DC.

The Forbiddance:

A forbiddance spell has been cast by The Fimbul upon this demiplane. Using his Snowcasting feat, he has converted the forbiddance into a cold spell and therefore the spell is cast at 26th level, which helps to imprison Kostchtchie (who casts at 25th level and therefore cannot dispel the forbiddance). The effect pervades both the Frigid Demiplane as well as Kostchtchie's prison.

The Unhallow:

In The Ritual Chamber, a widened unhallow spell has been cast upon center of the ritual circle. A protection from energy (fire) spell cast at 26th level has been tied to the unhallow spell. This provides all of the followers of The Fimbul with 120 points of absorption of fire energy damage. This spell covers the entire demiplane. Accordingly, each inhabitant can gain the benefit of a total 120 point of fire damage absorption per day during the entire duration of the unhallow spell.

1. Entry Chamber:

This small chamber has a planar portal set into its west wall that looks exactly like the portal in area 10 of the Iceberg Palace, except that this is set into the wall instead of free standing.

The forbiddance spell begins just this side of the portal, so that anyone entering through is subject to its effects.

2. Guardian Legion:

This large chamber serves as the final guardianship of The Fimbul. It is not so much designed to seriously threaten intruders who have managed to penetrate this far, but should delay them long enough for The Fimbul to prepare and enter combat.

Lairing here are a legion of ice beasts. These are permanent residents of this demiplane, not conjured beasts, formed out of the matter that created the demiplane itself. In essence, they are animated pieces of the demiplane, and they serve the demiplane's master completely. The beasts dwell in ice filled niches in the walls, seemingly forming out of the ice walls themselves.

There are four types of ice beasts present.

* Icebeast Large Gargoyles (4): CR 7; Large construct (cold); HD 12D10+30; hp 106; Init +1; Spd 40 ft; Space 10 ft; Reach 10 ft; AC 18 (touch 11, flat-footed 16); Atk +16 melee (1D6+7 [x2], claws) and +14 melee (1D8+3, bite) and +14 melee (1D8+3, gore); SA ice breath; SQ construct traits, darkvision 60 ft, DR 10/magic, immunity to cold, low-light vision, vulnerability to fire; AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +4; Str 24, Dex 13, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1. Height 9 ft. Skills and Feats: none; Multiattack. Special Attacks: Ice Breath (Su): As a standard action, the ice beast can breathe cold. Its breath weapon deals 6D6 points of cold damage in a 30 ft cone (Ref save DC 16 half). Once an ice beast uses its ice breath, it must wait 1D4 rounds before it can use its breath weapon again.

* Icebeast Hill Giants (4): CR 7; Large construct (cold); HD 12D10+30; hp 106; Init -1; Spd 30 ft; Space 10 ft; Reach 10 ft; AC 14 (touch 8, flat-footed 14); Atk +16/+11 melee (2D8+10 plus 1D6 cold plus Wis damage, stygian ice great club) or +8 ranged (2D6+7 plus 1D6 cold plus Wis damage, stygian ice block); SA engulf; SQ construct traits, darkvision 60 ft, DR 10/magic, immunity to cold, low-light vision, vulnerability to fire; AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +4; Str 25, Dex 8, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1. Height 10 ft. Skills and Feats: none; Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Improved Sunder, Weapon Focus (greatclub). Special Attacks: Engulf (Su): As a standard action, the ice beast can attempt to engulf a single opponent it threatens. The opponent must be one size smaller than the ice beast. The target is entitled to a DC 23 Ref save to avoid being engulfed. A creature engulfed by the ice beast is considered to be pinned and trapped inside its body. The engulfed creature takes 2D6 points of cold damage per round on its turn, and may begin to drown (although it can hold its breath). An ice beast can only engulf one victim at a time. To escape, the victim must escape the pin and then escape the grapple by winning grapple checks against the ice beast. The victim can choose to make Escape Artist checks in place of grapple checks. If the ice beast is killed, any engulfed victims are freed. Possessions: stygian ice greatclub, stygian ice blocks (6).

* Icebeast Trolls (4): CR 4; Large construct (cold); HD 6D10+30; hp 66; Init +2; Spd 30 ft; Space 10 ft; Reach 10 ft; AC 17 (touch 11, flat-footed 15); Atk +9 melee (1D6+6 [x2], claws) and +4 melee (1D6+3, bite); SA cold aura; SQ construct traits, darkvision 60 ft, DR 10/magic, immunity to cold, low-light vision, vulnerability to fire; AL N; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +2; Str 23, Dex 14, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1. Height 9 ft. Skills and Feats: none. Special Attacks: Cold Aura (Su): The ice beast deals 1D6 points of cold damage to all creatures within 10 ft as a free action at the beginning of its turn each round.

* Icebeast Dire Polar Bears (4): CR 10; Huge construct (cold); HD 18D10+40; hp 148; Init +0; Spd 50 ft, swim 20 ft; Space 15 ft; Reach 10 ft; AC 16 (touch 8, flat-footed 16); Atk +26 melee (2D6+14 [x2], claws) and +20 melee (3D8+7, bite); SA engulf; SQ construct traits, darkvision 60 ft, DR 10/magic, immunity to cold, low-light vision, vulnerability to fire; AL N; SV Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +6; Str 39, Dex 11, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1. Length 19 ft. Skills and Feats: none; Weapon Focus (claw). Special Attacks: Engulf (Su): As a standard action, the ice beast can attempt to engulf a single opponent it threatens. The opponent must be one size smaller than the ice beast. The target is entitled to a DC 33 Ref save to avoid being engulfed. A creature engulfed by the ice beast is considered to be pinned and trapped inside its body. The engulfed creature takes 2D6 points of cold damage per round on its turn, and may begin to drown (although it can hold its breath). An ice beast can only engulf one victim at a time. To escape, the victim must escape the pin and then escape the grapple by winning grapple checks against the ice beast. The victim can choose to make Escape Artist checks in place of grapple checks. If the ice beast is killed, any engulfed victims are freed.

3. Ritual Chamber:

This chamber is the ritual sanctum of The Fimbul. As a being who needs neither sleep nor sustenance, his living arrangements are extremely austere, non-existent in fact.

This chamber is rounded into a hemipshere, its centre some 20 ft above the floor. The floor is engraved with powerul and epic arcane symbols, some of which are filled with strange shimmering liquids. A dozen rimefire ice candles stand in crystalline holders, guttering with winking blue rimefire ice flames. In the very centre of the chamber is what can best be described as a bush of delicate silvery ice strips some 5 ft tall and as wide. This bush radiates overwhelming magic of an indeterminant type and cannot be harmed or affected in any way while the mystic cord is in place between The Fimbul and Kostchtchie.

Hovering over the silvery ice bush is a crystalline globe about 3 ft in diameter. This is a seeing device that allows the viewer to peer into the Material Plane anywhere within 300 yards of the iceberg. The point of view is determined by each viewer for himself, and another viewer can view another spot simultaneously. There is no sensor for this viewing, and it is not scrying. Rather, the globe filters out the sigh component of the Frigid Demiplane, which leaves the Material Plane left to view. In this way, The Fimbul can keep watch on his Palace as he undertakes his ritual.

If The Fimbul has somehow not been alerted to the presence of intruders, then he can be found here, arms upstretched, intoning and chanting and weaving somatic rituals as a part of the 100 day ritual necessary to cast Lothar's cleansing. The air over the ritual crackles with overpowering energies, and a strange cord of frost-like energy emerges from The Fimbul's neck and plunges into the bush structure in the centre of the chamber. This cord writhes and pulses as if waves of power are being fed out from the floor and through the cord into The Fimbul.

This cord is, in fact, the siphon that leads to Kostchtchie and taps the demonlord for XP and spell slots to power his casting. The cord cannot be severed by anything less than an epic dispel effect. The cord can be of any length up to 300 yards, except that it cannot cross planar boundaries except in the case of a coexistent plane.

If The Fimbul has been alerted to the presence of the PCs, he does nothing to interrupt his ritual, hoping his formidable guards can deal with the intruders. However, once the PCs arrive at area 10 of the Iceberg Palace, The Fimbul realizes that he may have to fight the PCs himself. To this end, he begins to prepare. His first action is to cast Fimbul's ice armour. This raises his AC to 44. He then begins to cast his various defensive spells, including shield of faith, which will raise his AC to 49.

If The Fimbul can cast his Fimbul's ice armour and shield of faith spells, he will then emerge into area 2 to confront the PCs as they fight the ice beasts. The Fimbul will never flee, even from a hopeless combat, as he knows that once he loses his hold on Kostchtchie he will likely never regain it and, as well, would be hunted mercilessly by the enraged demonlord.

* The Fimbul: Male ex-human Cleric 12/Winterhaunt 10; CR 22; Medium elemental (cold, evil); HD 12D8+48 plus 10D8+40; hp 205; Init +1; spd 30 ft; Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; AC 30 (touch 13, flat-footed 27); Atk +19/+14 melee (1D8+6 plus 1D6 cold) or +16/+11 ranged; SA cold strike +2D6, constant piercing cold, rebuke undead (9/day at +2 synergy bonus), summon the entombed; SQ cloak of winter's chill (9/day, 16 rounds), darkvision 60 ft, frozen skin, immunity to cold, resistance to fire and lightning 10, vulnerability to fire, wintry apotheosis; AL CE; SV Fort +24, Ref +15, Will +25; Str 20, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 20, Cha 21. Height 6 ft 8 in. Skills and Feats: Concentration +29, Diplomacy +9, Heal +7, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (planes) +12, Knowledge (religion) +27, Listen +7, Sense Motive +10, Spellcraft +27, Spot +7, Survival +10; Arctic Priest, Chosen of Lothar, Cold Spell Specialization, Craft Wondrous Item, Epic Spellcasting, Frozen Magic, Piercing Cold, Snowcasting, Sudden Widen. Special Attacks: Cold Strike (Su): Every time the winterhaunt deals cold damage with a spell, spell-like ability, or supernatural ability, he deals an extra +2D6 points of cold damage. When his cloak of winter's chill is active this bonus damage increases by +1D6. Summon the Entombed (Sp): 1/day a winterhaunt may summon an entombed to do his bidding. This is treated as a summon monster IX spell cast at class level + Cha bonus (16th level). Special Qualities: Cloak of Winter's Chill (Su): As a free action, a winterhaunt can shroud himself in a sphere of cold a number of times per day equal to 3 + Cha bonus (8 times/day). The cloak of winter's chill lasts for a number of rounds equal to class level + Cha bonus (15 rounds). While cloaked in winter's chill, the winterhaunt gleams with a frosty radiance that is both alluring and terrifying. He gains a +2 profane bonus on Will saves and Cha-based checks including Cha-based skills and turn and rebuke checks. Frozen Skin (Su): The winterhaunt's skin becomes as hard and cold as frozen flesh, while retaining its flexibility. His skin appears to be coated with a fine layer of frost, and flecks of snow seem to float from his flesh at times. He gains a +2 natural armour bonus to his AC, which increases to +4 while he is cloaked in his winter's chill ability. Wintry Apotheosis (Su): The winterhaunt becomes a powerful supernatural servant of Lothar. His flesh and bones are replaced by snowy flesh and icy bones. His type changes to elemental and he gains the evil subtype. As a being composed of living, profane ice and snow, he is immune to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, and stunning. He is also not subject to extra damage from critical hits or flanking. The winterhaunt cannot be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected (though more powerful magics can restore him to life). The winterhaunt's natural weapons, as well as any weapons he wields, are treated as evil-aligned for purposes of overcoming DR. Possessions: major iceheart, +1 icy burst marrowcrushing heavy mace, +3 fire warding heavy steel shield, Laeral's storm armour (+2 fire and electricity resistance nonmetallic full plate, never hindered or moved in strong winds), master ring, lesser ring of nine lives (with 3 charges, works like a standard ring of nine lives, but does not allow saving throws to be rerolled), greater amulet of proof against detection and location, belt of giant strength +6, boots of the mountain king, bracers of shielding with 88 points of damage remaining (as brooch of shielding), cloak of resistance +5, gloves of dexterity +4, pearl of the sirines, greater phylactery of the priesthood, skull talisman of invisibility at 3rd level, skull talisman of expeditious retreat at 1st level, skull talisman of fly at 5th level, blue ice holy symbol to Lothar, spell component pouch, belt pouch, 10 ounces of coldfire. Spells Prepared (6/7/6/6/6/6/4/4/4/4; base DC = 15 + spell level): 0 - detect magic, fiend's tongue, know the blood, read magic, silver sword, slash tongue; 1 - bless, divine favour, entropic shield, obscuring mist, protection from good, shield of faith, sorrow; 2 - aid, aura against flame, hold person, owl's wisdom, resist energy, silence; 3 - binding snow, cacophony, dispel magic, divine speed, protection from energy, shield of warding; 4 - divine power, energy vortex, freedom of movement, freeze armour, spell immunity, winter's embrace; 5 - boreal wind, divine agility, energetic healing, flame strike, hibernal healing, spell resistance; 6 - algid enhancement, blade barrier, greater dispel magic, wrath; 7 - blasphemy, divine talion, repulsion, wretched blight; 8 - antimagic field, brilliant blade, mass inflict critical wounds, word of absolution; 9 - divination immunity, energy drain, implosion, life slice. Domains: Cold (turn fire creatures, rebuke/command cold creatures), Endurance (+6 to Con 1/day for 1 minute), Suffering (pain touch 1/day), Weather (no penalty to Spot and Search checks due to rain or snow, move through snow and ice at normal rate, wind affects you as if you were a category larger). Domain Spells (1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1): 1 - chill touch; 2 - bear's endurance; 3 - sleet storm; 4 - ice storm; 5 - stoneskin; 6 - cone of cold; 7 - globe of invulnerability; 8 - polar ray; 9 - obedient avalanche. Epic Spells (3/day): Fimbul's ice armour, Lothar's Cleansing, winter's revenge.

* Greater Amulet of Proof Against Detection and Location: This silver amulet protects the wearer from scrying and magical location just as a nondetection spell does. If a divination spell is attempted against the wearer, the caster of the divination must succeed on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) against a DC of 27 (as if the caster had cast nondetection on herself). Strong abjuration; CL 16th; Craft Wondrous Item, nondetection; Price 70,000 gp; XP 2,800; Time 7 years 9 months.

Fimbul's Ice Armour Conjuration (Creation) [Force] Spellcraft DC: 36 Components: V, S Casting Time: 1 minute Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 24 hours (D) Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless) To Develop: 324,000 gp; 7 days; 12,960 XP. Seed: armour (DC 14). Factor: +16 natural armour bonus to AC (+24 DC). Mitigating Factor: change from touch to personal (-2 DC). This spell encases its caster in a shimmering field of crystalline that fits to the body like a bodysuit. The effect grants a +16 natural armour bonus to the AC of the caster. As a force effect, the armour also is effective against incorporeal attacks.

Lothar's Cleansing Evocation [Cold] Spellcraft DC: 40 (-5 to DC if cast by Lothar worshipper) Components: V, S, Ritual Casting Time: 100 days Range: 1 1/3 mile (7200 ft) Area: 20 mile radius emanation Duration: Permanent Saving Throw: No Spell Resistance: No To Develop: 378,000 gp; 8 days; 15,120 XP. Seed: energy (DC 25). Factor: 10 times increase in base area (+40 DC), 24 times increase in base range (+44 DC), permanent duration (x5 DC). Mitigating Factor: 100 days casting time (-220 DC), additional caster contributing 3 epic spell slots (-57 DC), backlash 30D6 damage (-30 DC), burn 20,000 XP (-200 DC). You summon an ice age. A massive glacier fills a 20 mile radius; covering the surface (land, water, and so forth). The temperature drops by 100 degrees (or to 0 degrees, whichever results in the lower temperature) over the course of 10 minutes. At the end of the 10 minutes, all water in the air instantly freezes, creating a blizzard that lasts until the ice age is dispelled. This can only be done with a superb dispelling spell (or any other appropriate epic spell based on the dispel seed).

Winter's Revenge Abjuration, Evocation (Cold) Spellcraft DC: 36 Components: V, S, Ritual Casting Time: 100 days Range: None Area: 104 mile radius emanation Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: No Spell Resistance: No To Develop: 162,000 gp; 4 days; 6,480 XP. Seed: dispel (DC 19), energy (DC 14). Factor: 52 times increase in base area (+208 DC), +120 bonus to dispel check (+110 DC). Mitigating Factor: 1 day casting time (-22 DC), two additional casters contributing 7th level spell slot (-26 DC), three additional casters contributing 6th level spell slot (-33 DC), six additional casters contributing 5th level spell slot (-54 DC), eight additional casters contributing 4th level spell slot (-56 DC), twelve additional casters contributing 3rd level spell slot (-60 DC), fifteen additional casters contributing 2nd level spell slot (-45 DC), twenty additional casters contributing 1st level spell slot (-20 DC). This ritual was developed by The Fimbul specifically to weaken the power of the goddess Galasiria over the Kingdom of Slumber. Specifically, the ritual summons winters from all over the continent to converge upon the area of the ritual and to assault the power that enforces a mild climate over the land. In this case, it is somewhat like a massive dispel magic effect, mixing in the energy of cold, to peel away the layers of Galasiria's power. This ritual is only effective against the power of Galasiria over the Kingdom of Slumber, though in theory it could be further modified to burst through any other climate controlling divine will (such as Onlora's protection over the Isle of Onlor). The ritual is conducted on a daily basis, though the participants need not be in the same location. They must all, however, be located at a site holy to Lothar. This can include a consecrated altar. The center of the effect can emanate from any location where the ritual is being performed. However, all ritual participants must be located within the area of effect. Each use of the ritual essentially lowers the will of Galasiria by 1%. Galasiria's will starts at 100%, and that is the chance of any permanent epic level weather-controlling magic to be thwarted. However, the will of a goddess is even then not easy to defeat, as long as the goddess herself remains alive. The damage caused by this spell will repair itself at the rate of 1% per month. This repair will not have any effect on already successfully cast permanent weather-controlling epic magic, but it will serve to thwart new castings.

Continuing Tactics:

The Fimbul is not about to simply let the PCs raid his Iceberg Palace and then retreat, heal up, regain spells, and re-assault it again. If the PCs retreat, he will order a change of course at full speed to hide out amidst the myriad icebergs and then try to head at slow speed to another location to blast with an ice age. His hope will be to lose the PCs and get another strike against the Kingdom of Slumber.

If the PCs rest within the iceberg or near it, he will order a strike at them with any of his forces he can muster, emerging himself only if he feels it is absolutely necessary, as he does not want to stop his ritual.

The Fimbul is loathe to combat the Heroes of the Gem outside of his forbiddance spells due to the power of Eracuss' staff of the magi, but he will do so if the PCs force him to. Nevertheless, The Fimbul is willing to, in a pinch, take on a fully rested group of PCs by himself in his Frigid Demiplane with his ice beasts to serve him.

Overall, the DM should play The Fimbul as a relatively smart, extremely wise and very experienced foe who will attempt to react to the PC's strategies as adroitly as possible. He can even rejigger his own spells prepared to counter the PCs' tactics.

Part Four - Beyond the Pale:

Note: The DM may wish to simply warn the players that this final encounter is entirely optional, and is an extremely tough encounter that is designed to potentially wipe out the entire party. This final encounter is a "kick-butt" option reserved only for those parties extremely confident in their prowess or who want a chance at glory. The DM should inform the players that if the PCs simply walk away, they will have finished the scenario, saved the Kingdom, and vanquished Cult of Fimbul and will receive full XP for doing so. However, continuing to this last encounter is a chance for truly heroic PCs to rid the world of a great evil. For otherwise, this evil will be set free to resume its evil existence.

The Passageway:

The mystic cord that attacked to The Fimbul leads to a special section of the Frigid Demiplane where the demonlord Kostchtchie is imprisoned.

When and if The Fimbul is slain or moves beyond 300 yards from the iceberg, the cord will snap, snaking back down into the floor of the ritual chamber. The ice in the center of the floor will crack and the "bush" of ice strips will flatten and melt into the floor. If the cracked floor is examined, it will be apparent that something is beneath the floor ice, looming as a motionless black shape. If the ice floor is cracked open (hardness of 16 and 80 hit points to breach) a passageway will be seen extending into the darkness. This passageway is comprised of a floor of silvery ice and a round tube for walls and ceiling made up of grey impenetrable "nothingness". The floor is 10 ft wide and 10 ft tall.

The silvery ice bush that was present in the centre of the ritual was actually a long ice passageway that was miniaturized and wound up into a tangle that turned in on itself in four dimensions. This formed the prison for Kostchtchie. When the cord snaps, the tangle begins to unravel, the passage returning to its original location beneath the floor of the ritual. Once this happens, Kostchtchie's prison starts to dissolve and melt away. This process takes 1 day plus another 1D20 hours. As it dissolves, the ice passageway grows shorter and shorter. Eventually, the prison portal will come into view and draw closer as well. Once the final bit of ice passageway dissolves, the prison portal instantly fades away and Kostchtchie is free to roam the netherworld once again.

When the passageway first forms, it is almost a mile in distance from the ritual floor to the prison portal. The DM should roll the elapsed time until the prison dissolves, and then have the mile distance shrink proportionately to the time that passes.

It is quite possible that a PC can make a connection between the silvery ice bush that was present before and the passageway that is present now. A Knowledge (planes) DC 35 check can allow a PC to come to the conclusion that the passageway under the ice is the same as the tangled ice bush in the centre of the ritual. A Knowledge (arcana) DC 35 check can allow a PC to determine that the bush was a sort of extradimensional prison that is now beginning to weaken.

The Prison Portal:

At the end of the ice passageway is a circular portal made of some strange, undefinable material that is a cross between chitinous flesh, ice, and iron. It pulses in a sort of vague, unsettling way when stared at or touched. The portal radiates overwhelming abjuration magic and overwhelming evil.

Arcane runes are set into the door, but these runes are not carved or etched in it, but rather form and unform as folds of the door subtly ripple. The runes are a combination of Magic and Abyssal, and require a read magic spell and the ability to understand Abyssal. A Decipher Script check at DC 30 can puzzle out the Abyssal portion of the runes and give the reader enough knowledge to know that a read magic is also needed. A DC 50 Decipher Script check can forego the read magic. A Knowledge (arcana) check at DC 25 can tell that the runes need a read magic to decipher and knowledge of Abyssal.

The runes uniformly warn of a great and powerful evil imprisoned within, for the glory of The Fimbul and Lothar. The runes also serve to strengthen the prison, and over the course of the 24 + 1D20 hours they will fade away, requiring a Search check with a DC equal to the hours over 24 that have passed to even read the runes.

Interestingly, some of the runes invoke power to keep contained "the forlorn evil, he of the abyssal wastes, the eater of lost souls and the frost hammer." Other runes ward against the "dreams and prayers of the titans of frost."

A Knowledge (planes) check of DC 30 can reveal that Kostchtchie has the titles listed in the first quote and wields a powerful magic hammer. In addition, he is sometimes venerated and prayed to by frost giants (hence the second quote).

The portal can only be opened in one way...by touching it with bare hands. Doing so will open the door and expose a passageway whose walls, ceiling, and floor are of the same strange material as the portal. This passageway extends for 40 ft before ending in a weird membrane that is ochre in colour and ripples almost as if a giant ochre jelly had settled over the way. Beyond is a massive room that fades away into darkness and shadows.

This portal is a one way membrane. It can be passed through but cannot be exited until the prison dissolves. Anything object poked through the membrane cannot be pulled pack by any means short of a wish spell. any creature or part of a creature that is passed through the membrane cannot be pulled pack by any means short of a powerful epic spell.

A Knowledge (arcana) check of DC 40 will reveal that the membrane is a very powerful prison gate and is a one way entry to the chamber beyond. Examination of the membrane over the course of several hours reveals that it is slowly fading away (which it will do when the prison dissolves).

The Forlorn One:

Beyond the membrane is a massive cavern. Like the rest of the demiplane, the weather is unearthly cold. But herein there is also snow falling and blizzard conditions. Treat as severe wind and heavy snowfall. The ground is a snow field with a depth of between 12-24 inches.

Patches of supernatural hazards dot the place.

For any given area of 9 squares, roll on the table below. Of course, this really only matters when the final battle takes place. The DM should possibly set up the battlefield beforehand. In addition, the DM can have the PCs run into areas of these hazards before encountering Kostchtchie. Perhaps make 2D4 rolls on the chart before they find the demonlord.

Roll	Result
01-05	Blood Snow
06-15	Ebony Ice
16-20	Negation Snow
21-40	Razor Ice
41-45	Rustsnow
46-50	Snow Geyser
51-00	Normal Snow

In addition, check for strange weather every 10 rounds or until the duration for the phenomenon listed in Frostburn expires.

Roll	Result
01-05	Blood Snow Blizzard
06-15	Death Hail
16-20	Negation Flurry
21-40	Razor Sleet
41-45	Rust Flurry
51-00	Normal Weather

The cavern is about a mile square and between 30 ft and 50 ft high. Massive stone columns support the ceiling at various places, but anyone making a DC 5 Knowledge (architecture and engineering) check can tell that there must be immense magic also supporting such a cavern. The walls of the cavern are normal stone, but end after 5 ft in impenetrable grey "nothingness", the border of the demiplane.

In the centre of this immensity is a large stone chair or throne. It is unadorned, except for half a dozen strange, fibrous tendrils that sprout from each side. The tendrils dangle lifelessly, as if they had once been a set of bonds recently burst asunder. This is actually what happened.

Kostchtchie will likely be haunting the cavern near the throne. He knows the place is dissolving, which means The Fimbul is dead, and he now simply wants to escape.

Should he meet the PCs, he will not know the Heroes of the Gem, having not been much involved in the affairs of mortals, even during the heyday of the Deceiver. But, he knows The Fimbul was powerful...powerful enough to capture and bind him, and so he is wary. If the PCs wish to parley, he will do so, trying to gauge their intentions and possibly their weaknesses. He is quite happy, if the PCs display enough bravado and confidence, to let them go their own way and he his. He will state that he has no designs on Therra. He wishes merely to wander he netherworld and take what comes his way.

* Kostchtchie: CR 26; Medium outsider (chaotic, cold, evil); HD 28D8+19; hp 420; Init +1; Spd 30 ft; Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft (10 ft with hammer); AC 47 (touch 11, flat-footed 36); Atk +47/+42/+37/+32 melee (2D6+25 plus stun, large +4 thundering warhammer); SA spell-like abilities, spells, stun, summon demons; SQ darkvision 60 ft., DR 15/epic, immunity to cold, electricity, and poison, resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10, telepathy 100 ft, vulnerability to fire, SR 36; AL CE; SV Fort +23, Ref +17, Will +23; Str 38, Dex 12, Con 24, Int 22, Wis 24, Cha 22. Height 7 ft. Skills and Feats: Concentration +38, Diplomacy +34, Intimidate +34, Knowledge (arcana) +34, Knowledge (nature) +34, Knowledge (religion) +34, Listen +43, Search +34, Spellcraft +34, Spot +43, Survival +34; Blind-Fight, Cleave, Combat Casting, Great Cleave, Improved Critical (warhammer), Improved Disarm, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (warhammer). Special Attacks: Spell-Like Abilities: At will - bestow curse, blasphemy, command, deeper darkness, desecrate, detect good, detect law, fear, greater dispel magic, magic circle against good, pyrotechnics, read magic, suggestion, symbol (any), telekinesis, greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. of objects only), tongues (self only), unhallow, unholy aura, unholy blight; 1/day - harm, poison. As 25th level caster. Base DC = 16 + spell level. Spells: Kostchtchie casts spells as a 25th level sorcerer and a 25th level cleric. he has access to the domains of Chaos, Evil, and Destruction. Stun (Su): Any creature hit by Kostchtchie's warhammer must make a DC 24 Fort save or be stunned for 1D3 rounds. Summon Demons (Sp): 3/day, Kostchtchie can automatically summon one balor or nalfeshnee, or 1D4 babau demons. Possessions: +4 thundering warhammer. Sorcery Spells Known (cast 6/8/8/7/7/7/7/6/6/6; base DC = 16 + spell level): 0 - acid splash, detect magic, ghost sound, mage hand, no light, ray of frost, read magic, resistance, slash tongue; 1 - mage armour, magic missile, protection from good, shield, true strike; 2 - blur, detect thoughts, eagle's splendour, invisibility, piercing bolt; 3 - dispel magic, glacial globe of invulnerability, scintillating sphere, slow; 4 - black tentacles, dimension door, fire shield, orb of acid; 5 - blast of elemental fury, gelid blood, protection from force, reciprocal gyre; 6 - antimagic field, disintegrate, repulsion; 7 - prismatic spray, reverse gravity, wave of unbinding; 8 - clenched fist, horrid wilting, mind blank; 9 - dominate monster, sphere of ultimate destruction, time stop. Cleric Spells Prepared (6/5/5/5/5/5/4/4/4/4; base DC = 17 + spell level): 0 - clarity, guidance, hear me!, know the blood, thunderthump, unclean; 1 - doom, obscuring mist, shield of faith, strength of mind, thunderstrike; 2 - darkness, ghost combatant, masked presence, reflect ray, silence; 3 - binding snow, blindness/deafness, invisibility purge, unholy storm, vigour; 4 - abyssal might, dimensional anchor, lower spell resistance, spell immunity, unholy conduit; 5 - ray of rust, resonating resistance, righteous might, slay living, superior resistance; 6 - barghest's feast, heal, material disruption, spellmantle; 7 - destruction, divine talion, fortunate fate, wretched blight; 8 - bodak's glare, brilliant blade, shibboleth, stormrage; 9 - deluge, energy drain, erupt, storm of vengeance. Domains: Chaos (+1 caster level to chaos spells), Evil (+1 caster level to evil spells), and Destruction (smite 1/day for +4 attack and +25 damage). Domain Spells (1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1): 1 - inflict light wounds; 2 - shatter; 3 - contagion; 4 - inflict critical wounds; 5 - dispel good; 6 - animate objects; 7 - disintegrate; 8 - earthquake; 9 - implosion. Epic Spells (3/day): all used in ritual [he will not regain any of these until 24 hours after the prison dissolves].

The demonlord has a vast arsenal at his disposal. He is too intelligent to underestimate the PCs, and will attempt to destroy them to his best ability.

Part Five - Wrapping it Up:

If the PCs snap the mystic cord between The Fimbul and Kostchtchie, they will essentially have foiled his plans. There is no way The Fimbul can reestablish the cord before the demonlord escapes, and there is no way the dmeonlord would allow himself to be tricked and imprisoned by The Fimbul. Without the demonlord, The Fimbul cannot cast Lothar's cleansing, and thus Slumber is saved from further icy assault. However, the PCs will now have an epic level enemy in The Fimbul, and there is no telling when or where he may strike again. The demonlord will return to the netherplanes to sulk for a while, but his anger will boil and he will likely plot to wreak his revenge on The Fimbul. It could be possible for Kostchtchie to enlist the PCs' aid to finish off The Fimbul, whether openly or unbeknownst to the PCs.

If The Fimbul is destroyed, then his cult is effectively at an end. There is no one left powerful or charismatic enough to take over the helm of the coven, nor anyone as fanatic in his resolve. Kostchtchie will simply return to his netherworld wanderings.

If The Fimbul is captured, then his cult may attempt to rescue him at some point. Kostchtchie could also make an attempt to slay The Fimbul while in captivity, putting the PCs into potential conflict against the demonlord.

If Kostchtchie is slain, he will be destroyed permanently, for it is his true form that has been imprisoned and not an astral form. This will have no cosmic effects, as the demonlord is not much involved with the Material Plane, though perhaps some secret cabals of frost giants may wish to take revenge.

The original Lothar's cleansing and any additional ones that are cast will remain until dispelled by an epic level dispel. Superb dispelling will potentially dispel the effect, as will any epic spell based on that spell or any appropriate epic spell based on the dispel seed. Until that happens, the Kingdom of Slumber will be plagued by a raging frostfell wasteland in its midst.

Experience Points:

There are no special experience point awards for this scenario.

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