[GREYHAWK] After the Giants: The Glacial Rift of the White Wyrm part1

[Ubiquitous]

:Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 12:42:39 -0400
:From: Jason Zavoda <nem...@MAGPAGE.COM>
:Subject: [GREYTALK] After the Giants: The Glacial Rift of the White
:Wyrm
: part1

After the Giants

The Sun rises and its light touches the land. High upon the
Crystalmist Mountains a great plateau of ice is struck by these first
beams of morning sunlight and on this clear day they strike with a
blinding glare.
With the flying eye of an eagle or the enchanted eye of a Mage,
look down upon this frozen scene. The landscape of this mighty plateau
appears first as an unbroken sculpture of ice, as if some vast Sea were
caught and held in an instant of time. Drifts of snow, like waves,
crest and curve, line the still expanse. Then, suddenly, the glint and
sparkle vanish into dark. Ahead a ragged slash runs across the landscape,
a black island in this sea of ice. Then the world falls away, and the
eye descends into...

The Glacial Rift of the White Wyrm


NOTE: What follows is the 2nd in a series of scenarios returning to the
classic adventure setting of the Giant Series,
G1 The Steading of the Hill Giant Chief
G2 Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl
G3 Hall of the Fire Giant King

The first of these scenarios is;

After the Giants, The Ruins of Nosnra's Steading

If anyone would like a copy please email me (not the list) and I
will send one along.

All material here was inspired by and based on the origianl
material found in the G series of modules and is purely a fan
creation for other Greyhawk fans to use or merely find amusing.

START:
The Jarl Grugnir is dead, slain by bold adventurers, and his
folk are scattered, But the Glacial Rift which was their home is not
deserted.

The glacial plateau atop the Crystalmist mountains is home to the
wind. It shreeks and howls, whispers and caresses but is seldom if ever
still. In the lands below the sun is bright and warm but atop the
plateau dark and snowladen clouds perpetually loom and a cold wind bites
through the fur of even the shaggiest yeti.
The climate of the plateau is very harsh. PCs must either have
magical means to protect themselves from the weather or have made
physical
preparations. (Special clothes, tents, etc...). On the best of days the
weather is freezing and windy but sudden storms of varying duration and
intensity are common.
Approaches to the Rift can come from any direction if magical
or airborne means are employed. Flying creatures will have to endure the
climate and be able to succesfully fight the winds and storms of the
plateau. Overland the most likely approach would be from the South or
East. Trails starting in the foothills of the Jotuns and heading toward
the rift are well used but treacherous. The danger lies not in loose
stone
or slippery rock, but from the makers and users of such trails. Evil
Giants, Hill, Fire and Frost, tribes of Ogres and fierce Mountain Orcs
abide here. Following such a footrail the PCs are likely to find many
enemies and few friends.
East of the plateau lies Geoff and Sterich, between them are the
hills of the Stark Mounds. Claimed by Geoff but held by gnomes, PCs
might find at the very least shelter and supplies. West of the Stark
Mounds the imposing height of the Crystalmist range towers over the
hills.
A kingdom of Mountain Dwarves exist somewhere within these peaks. The
Dwarves of this range are hardpressed but doughty fighters. Recluses they
have little or no contact with the outside world. Pitted against both the
elements and their ancestral foes both Giant and Mountain Orc alike, they
keep their dwellings and pathways secret. Trails and passages into the
crystalmist through the Stark Mounds are few and well guarded lest the
Giants of the Crystalmists see them as a gateway to the human lands
below.

THE RIFT

The area surrounding the Rift was home to a large population of
Frost Giants, Yeti, Ice Trolls and Winter Wolves as well as various
types of game animals. Now, for miles out in all directions there is only
desolation. Most notably three large giant halls were within ten miles
of the Glacial Rift. These halls are now only frozen ruins, torn apart.
Their one time occupants vanished, no bodys lie within. The stone and
ice of roof and wall now lie tossed aside, the chambers and caverns lying
open to the wind.

ENCOUNTERS (Within 5miles of the Rift)

1. Off in the distance a flying creature is spotted. It is too small to
make out wuth even the keenest eye, just a speck on the horizon. If some
magical means is at hand it can be seen to be a large White Dragon
heading away from the PCs.

2. A section of ice gives way dropping a PC or NPC up to their waist in
the snow. A cavern is below. The entrance can be widened so that two
man-sized creatures or a single horse could enter at one time. The cave
slopes downward for 20ft then widens into a 30x50 chamber.
Near the entrance way, inside the chamber, are several backpacks
their contents piled in a heap nearby. Many servicable items are in this
pile, such as blankets, clothing of various sizes, boots, coils of rope
etc... These are the leavings of the Adventurers who struck the fatal
blow
against Grugnir years before. the party, sadly diminished in number took
only what they needed and could easily carry. This their secret camp
will have bits and pieces of extra supplies, any common items (besides
food) which the PCs may need.
At the rear of the cavern a triangular section has been roped
off.
The rope, about a 10ft length is secured 6ft off the ground by iron
spikes
hammered into the wall. In this triangular area several shallow pits have
been dug, obviously for use as a latrine.
In the other far corner of the chamber another pile of deris is
gathered. This pile contains broken items, pieces of torn and bloody
clothing, etc...
A circular fire pit has been dug at the center of the cavern.
Along one wall several iron spikes have been set about waist high. The
cave appears to have been abandoned and undisturbed for quite some time.

3. An area of Ice ahead of the PCs has been churned up. The light surface
layer of ice formed over several feet of snow has been flattened in a
wide
irregular circle and a great deal of blood has been splashed about. The
entire are is covered in sprays of blood and the center flattened area
is covered in a thick sheet of dark frozen blood, like the floor of a
slaughter house. A search of the churned up perimiter will yield a toal
of
a dozen Giant sized weapons and bits of armor, depending on how much time
and effort is put into the search.

4. The surface of the Glacier is pierced by outcroppings of stone at
varying intervals, the high peaks of the Crystalmist mountains jutting
out
through the glacial ice. As the PCs near a small stand of rocks they spot
a trail of blooddrops, red splotches aginst the stretch of white ice and
snow. This blood trail leads either to or from the outcropping of rock
and dissappears in the distance along the direction that the PCs were
heading (toward the rift). If the PCs approach the outcropping they will
ehar a faint whinning such as an injured animal would make. If they
examine the outcropping they will find the body of a winter wolf (HP(32)
-1,)
Normally a beautiful silver furred creature, the Wolf, its eyes
glazed and staring blindly, lies in a pool of blood, its pelt soaked and
marred by three long gashes down its side. blood is still running from
these deep wounds and a steady whine of pain escapes from it with every
labored breath.
If healed and well treated the Wolf (named Iceclaw) will bond
with a member of the party, since it believes that its master and its
pack
were both destroyed. NOTE: Winter Wolves respect strength and while it is
intellegent enough to appreciate good treatment it will not respect the
weak. It is likely to bond with the PC who is the most fierce and
aggresive.
If questioned Iceclaw remembers the way to the glacial rift. He
was part of a large group of wolves, Frost Giants, Ogres and yeti. As the
group descended into the rift he remembers a blinding flash of light ,
then while he was stunned a terrible blow which lifted and threw him
dozens of feet in the air and away from the edge of the rift. Horribly
injured Iceclaw went back to find his master and pack, but at the
entrance
to the rift found only blood and the scent of death. From the smell he
recognized the blood of his master and the feear and death scents of many
of his packmates. Knowing that ahead lay only death I ceclaw limped back
the way he had come, but couldn't make it any further than the stone
outcrop.


UPPER AREA

All numbered areas correspond to the G2 map. Upper Area rooms
will be marked UA(#). Lower Area rooms will be marked LA(#)

Wandering Monsters

All wandering monsters are in addition to monsters or creatures
found in numbered locations.

1. 3 Yeti, all wounded, HP(30) 16, (28) 18, (24) 6, Each is
wounded, showing one or more deeep cuts and gashes, their coats of fur
still showing dried blood. They are thoroughly cowed and will attempt to
flee at the first sight of the PCs. If cornered they will fight with
beserk strength. Each ignoring wounds till -10hp or more damage is
reached, then they will topple and die. In this beserk state they will be
+2 to hit and +3 damage, their normal AC6 will be AC8. Once beserk
illusions, charms and animal controlling spells and magic items will not
function. While beserk they will not follow the PCs from where they have
been cornered, but instead will withdraw as far back as they can. If left
alone the beserk state will pass after 5minutes, but will reoccur if they
are again approached. If questioned they remember being part of a large
expedition of Yeti, Frost Giants and wolves. As they approached the rift
a blinding flash of light stunned them. Then yowls and bellows of pain.
They remember a giant whitescaled beast with many heads and arms. It
descended from the sky and tore apart Yeti and Frost Giant alike with
ease. These three ran off each being torn and buffted by the great beast.
Then the very walls of the rift attacked them with arms and bodies of
ice.
These they smashed aside and the kept running.

2. A party of 20 Ice Men. These mindless servants of the winter wizard
are being sent to patrol the upper area. One bears an ice collar
(bearing a strange glyph, marked as (G#1) which will let the winter
wizard
see what is going on. If the collar is destroyed (the destruction of the
Ice man will destroy the collar) it will sound a gong in the winter
wizards chamber. If they come in contact with any PCs they will attack
without warning. Only White Dragons, Ice Men, Ice Golems and those
wearing
a functioning Ice Collar will not be attacked.

3. 2 Very Young White Dragons. HD7, HP50,40 AC3, Breath Weapon 1D6+1
#At3 dmg 1D6+2x2,2d8+2. In the open these Dragons will be flying and just
coming into the rift. Each has the Body of a wolf in its claws. They will
drop these on first sight of the PCs and will immediately attack. Both
consider themselves lords of creation and have no fear even if confronted
by overwhelming force. They will fight to the death and if killed will be
shocked that anything could possibly harm them. If confronted inside a
passageway or cavern they will be carrying the bodies of the wolves with
them seeking a quite spot to have a snack. If communicated with they
are the equivalant of little children though children in a gigantic and
powerful body. They know that their mom dwells to the south and that she
is the biggest and strongest Dragon ever. She has a great pile of shiny
things and they have many brothers and sisters. If subdued they will
be very angry and become sullen. Their mom will punish the PCs for being
bad to them.


--
"Right now, the president is not solving the budget chaos because he
doesn't want to cut federal spending. That's the truth. And the spinners
are misleading you. They are lying to you. That makes me angry. So you
saw that and will most likely see it again in the future."
-- Bill O'Reilly

[kamreitzel]

wow!!! is there more??

[Ubiquitous]

-- Bill O'Reilly