DMs Only: Ice Vein DM Background

Ice Vein

Ice Vein is a large ice plain with the exception of a hilly area in the northwest and a large area of mountains to the east of the hilly area. Near the center of Ice Vein is a large lake that is formed by a stream that flows down from the mountains east of the hilly area. The lake is unnaturally warm for the land and never freezes. It is said that a city use to be in the center of the lake but it sunk a long time ago due to a mysterious accident. The plains are covered in ice with a layer of 6inch thick snow over top of the ice. Throughout the plain area are objects the people of Ice Vein call “ice spike”. The ice spikes are mounds of ice made throughout the plains by a race of ants that have adapted to living in the extreme cold of this area. The ants tunnel under the ground and use the ice spikes to come out of and gather food. The ice spikes stand 4ft tall and as big around as a normal tree. No grass can be seen around this area or any other plant life except some trees that do grow here and there. The ice ants keep most of the small animal numbers down and even the wolf numbers. They do not seem to attack humans though or other humanoids unless provoked. This is proven by the fact that no human or humanoid corpse has ever been found that had any evidence of being killed by the ice ants. Among the specific ice plain creatures that cause problems is the wondering frost giants that come out of the mountains and trolls that come out of the northwest hill area. Other creatures are known to wonder this area and pillage, kill and attack people and places.

The hills in the northwest are about the size of a normal dwarf and like the plains they are covered in ice and snow. The snow in these areas cause slight problems since when wind picks-up the snow is blown and can cause white outs or blizzard like conditions. The hills are breeding grounds for winter wolves and other wolves and are also home to trolls, many other races of monsters live here also but these are the main ones ran into or seen. The hills surround a small village called Ice Peak Village and is used by the people of that village to supply various goods such as winter wolf pelts for clothes, coverings for their tp like homes and food. The hills are also used by the people of Ice Peak as a test for the people who become 16 to prove they are a adult. *This part here will be explained in more detail under the Ice Peak Village*

The mountains east of the hills are called Jagged Jaw Mountains which are made by a group of 12 total mountains connected and standing near another. The mountains are called this due to the tops of the mountains being extremely jagged. The mountains are around 20,000ft high and pretty much covered in snow. Certain areas are covered with a thick sulfur like fog since certain areas are volcanic. No lava or eruption has ever happened here that the people of Ice Vein know. The mountains are extremely hazardess due to the possible and pretty frequent avalanches and also because of the thinner air in the higher areas. The races seen primarily in the mountains here are stone and frost giants that live in small clans but it is not uncommon to find other races that like mountain areas near here or wondering out to gather food or pillage. These clans of giants have never been seen though since of yet no one has ever adventured actually into the mountains. No one has ever tried to built a city, fort or village in the mountains yet since the few who have tried have always been ran off or destroyed by the giants that live here and the other races also that don’t take kindly to the intruders. There is a small cave at the edge of the Jagged Jaw Mountains calls the Cave or Lorgas. *explained more under the Cave of Lorgas*

Water flows down south of Jagged Jaw Mountains from a stream and ends in a large lake that sits in almost the center of the plains that makes up most of Ice Vein. The lake is unnaturally warm and never freezes. This is strange considering the weather of Ice Vein but legends say that a very old city use to sit where the middle of this lake is but some great disaster/accident caused the city to sink and the remaining magics that blessed the water and keeps it from freezing. *more info under Underwater Ruins of Lilliak*

Any Spell or magic item crafted outside of Ice Vein by non native acts as Cold weather gear and provides +4, this includes CC purchases. PC is considered Protected. Non Magical cold weather gear only provides +2 unless a native assists the PC putting the gear on. PC is considered Protected All Survival Checks for shelter DC 25 All Saves are Fortitude Temperature below 40: Unprotected characters need to save per hour DC at 19 +1 per hour Failure Suffer 1d6 lethal damage Protected characters No save required Temperature below 0: Unprotected characters need to save 10 minutes at DC 19+1 per 10 minutes Failure Suffer 1d6 lethal damage Protected characters need to save per hour DC at 19 +1 per hour Failure Suffer 1d6 lethal damage Temperature Below –20: Unprotected characters sustain 1d6 lethal per minute no save and need to make a save DC 19+1 per minute of suffer additional 1d4 damage non lethal. Protected Characters need to save 10 minutes at DC 19+1 per 10 minutes Failure Suffer 1d6 lethal damage All characters under the Effect of Permanent Chill Metal Spell

City/Villages

• Ice Peak Village: One of three barbarian villages in Ice Vein. It is a small barbarian village nestled in the northwest hill area of Ice Vein. The hills protect the village from the winds that pick up now and then in Ice Vein and also provide the village with most of the goods it needs for everyday life. The village is lead by a matron named Karya. Surrounding the village is a well packed snow wall that the people of the village spent many years in making and always being expanded on to make better. The wall is in constant watch to keep repaired and is the village’s main protection from attack. The people use tent like houses, there made from wood poles with winter wolf pelts stitched together to make the walls. To keep these warm a small bowl like hole is made in the floor and a small fire is made in it to produce heat in the small tent. These are the only source of housing used in the village since they are much easier to repair then igloos or other types of shelters. Ice Peak Village worships Celsiun, an Immortal Power, and no other god. The village worships Celsiun believing he gives them strength and the endurance to live in such harsh lands. Everyone in the village also is taught to at least a small degree how to make weapons from the ice of their home (speak heads and such can be hard enough and sharp enough to pierce flesh.) Their worshiping goes as far as to on every full moon a festival is held where four trained dancers of the village dance around a large fire and Karya sings to Celsiun. This festival is held in honor of Celsiun and the protection given to the village from Celsiun. At the age of sixteen all members of the village are given the minimum amount of equipment needed to survive 3 days in the hills outside the city. If the person survives and comes back to the city alive on the 3rd day then the person was considered a adult. As a adult the members of the village are to protect the city with his/her life, hunt and any other duties a adult would do. Many years ago the village was presented with a strange statue that stood 2ft tall and made of ice that never melts. Karya and the other members of the Ice Peak Village seen this as a gift from Celsiun and took great care of it since they seen it as they were blessed. The statue given to the village as a gift from Celsiun was stolen by Twin Tusked Village and for many centuries both clans have been at war. The people of Ice Peak Village believe that if they go without the statue for to long that Celsiun will turn his back on them, especially since the statue was a gift from Celsiun himself. The statue also is believed to bring luck and be a sign of power to which ever clan has it.

[Jerry: What does the statue look like?]

• Twin Tusk Village: One of the three barbarian villages of the area. Twin Tusk Village is made up mainly of orcs, half orcs and a few humans. Twin Tusk Village is mainly a war party and thrive on fighting and ruling. Twin Tusk Village is located in the southeast corner of Ice Vein and consists of a large grouping of rough made igloos. Twin Tusk Village has no defensive wall and the orcs, half-orcs and few humans of the village rely on brute force and strength of arm to defend their home. To die in battle is the single and greatest honor to all the members of the village. Twin Tusk Village is lead by a huge half-orc called Sorvas. The only coming of age rite in the village is simple, to survive. If a person in this village lived long enough to become a adult then they were quite simply a adult. Half orcs are the primary power in the village and rule over all the other races in the village. The males in the tribes mate usually outside of the clan or with suitable females that are captured after or during combat. Getting a mate is fairly simple, the surviving females after combat or captured during combat are used for mating purposes. There is no real marriages in the village but a simple law of ownership, each male brand their mate in some fashion to show she is owned. The brand can be anything from a burned in mark to cuts made in a design that will heal into a scar. Twin Tusk Village is based on the simple rule that men do the work and a woman was to keep her mouth shut and do the house and baby work. Any females caught escaping is punished as her owner decides, this can be ranked to a sever beating, dismemberment and even death. Twin Tusk Village hunts to get it’s food and other things it’s needs. Anything metal or otherwise that anyone might have among the village was stolen or taken after they killed someone. Twin Tusk is known to make a roaring bomb fire and dance and mainly fight around it every week atleast once. This tradition of the village is how battle leaders are decided since whoever is the strongest was the winner of the fighting contests they held. Twin Tusk Village has been at war with Ice Peak Village now for awhile since Sorvas had the statue that Ice Peak Village holds as a holy item stolen.

[Jerry: Just an idea: What if there were born into the tribe, triplets. Three strong women who were as strong as any man. When they achieved adulthood and males tried to take ownership of them, the three of them instead conquered the first ones who tried, branded them and out of fear became equal to men. Only these three. The men constantly scheme to get rid of them and they are hated, yet time and time again, the women show honor on the battlefield and stave off attacks, etc. There, they force themselves into tribal council and are heard as no one has been able to oppose them. Don’t use this Justin unless you really like it and can explain how they have survived so that it doesn’t sound trite.

This now has the dark “rough” feel that a barbarian village should have. Good!]

• Smashed Teeth Village: The last of the barbarian villages and just abit south of the lake in the plains. Smashed Teeth Village is made strictly of humans. Smashed Teeth Village is a small distance south and abit east of Zarnan City. Smashed Teeth Village consists of a lot of fur tents. The tents were given and helped setup by the gnomes from Zarnan City after Smashed Teeth Village signed a peace pact with Zarnan City. The village believes in more honor then anything and will honor a deal or pact blindly, thinking that to loose their honor is as bad as cowering before death. Out of all the villages Smashed Teeth Village is the only one with a signed pact of peace with Zarnan. Smashed Teeth Village thrives on its selling of fish and creatures it cetches from the lake they live so close to. It is a tradition that every third day that the people of Smashed Teeth Village offers small pieces of meat, various plants or herbs and various things that the animals of the lake can eat to the lake as a gift for it’s help in every day life. The people of the village believe that the lake is life itself since it provides them with water and food and some weapons since shells, teeth and bones of creatures from the lake can be used as weapons and for some armor purposes. The village really seems to believe in no god but does have a witch doctor type cleric who guides them. The leader of this village even over the witch doctor is Mekrenden. At the age of sixteen a member of the village must go to the witch doctor and spend a week learning from him before being considered a adult. The week spent is in learning fishing, and the use of certain herbs for poisons and injuries.

• Zarnan City: Zarnan City is thought of marvel and splendor and is west of the lake in the plains. The gnomes of the city have made giant igloos of ice and even made a wall around the city of pure ice. Every gnome in the city knows how to use magic and they use this to craft the walls and the igloos that make up their village. Zarnan City is amazing in the sense that the streets are made of ice that has been crafted to make walking on it easier and so you don’t slip and slide all over. The igloos are large and often have a window or two built into them which is sealed with a spell to keep the wind out u nless the gnome living in the house desires to let some air in. In the center of the city is a even larger igloo called “The Center”. The center is where Pitchen who rules over Zarnan City and the few other watchers of the city spend most of their time. The center has a special set up of special tubes that wands of light can plug into that will channel light throughout the city and released through various areas in the city to light the streets and the houses at nights. There are also other tubes in this area that fire wands can be plugged into to heat the city and keep the gnomes warm. The gnomes of Zarnan believe in comfort and are always seeking new magics or new ways to make their life easier. Lately Pitchen has been trying to put a teleporting device together to make travel and delivery of items easier but has had little luck. Pitchen is also the one who brought peace between Zarnan city and the Smashed Teeth Village. Zarnan City worships mainly magic itself but there is a temple of Flower located within the city since the gnomes love beauty and strive to make their city as beautiful as possible. Zarnan City has a few festivals it holds. It’s most noteable one is the day they signed the peace pact with Smashed Teeth Village. Other festivals consist of celebrating and practicing their magics and also a week long festival devoted to making rare and beautiful works of arts, specially using ice. Zarnan City has a large ice fountain sitting in the middle of the city that has been magically altered to actually look like flowing water. The gnomes of Zarnan City are considered adults as soon as they are old enough to cast their very first spell. Zarnan City is also the only place in Ice Vein with a sewer of any type. The sewer is located under the city and dug by people hired from Smashed Teeth Village, the sewers are vast and flow deep into the ice under the city. A delicacy of Zarnan City is called ice wine, is a special wine made with the ice near the lake in the center of the plains. The city is very large in size and set in sections for nobles, commoners, market section and finally the area where all the guilds are located. The few problems the city has is the thief’s in the city enjoy “collecting” magical stuff, and since the city is full of magical items to run it this causes many problems. Thugs are not uncommon in the city, specially at nights and it is not uncommon for someone to be robbed of magical equipment or money (money since it can be used to purchase magical equipment and pay off people like guards.) There are two thief guilds in the city but they don’t seem to war with each other since one is only concerned in magical items and the other sells info that they learn from contacts in various noble houses and other spies they plant in places. The name of the two guilds are The Silent Watchers (mainly spies and info gathers) and The Magic Distributers (mainly thugs and common rogues. The group fences most stolen magic items.)

[Jerry: I’m not crazy about the name of the second thieves guild, however, I can’t at 5AM come up with a good name for them. The poppers cause they all carry wands instead of weapons? The flow? Simply The Guild? The GAnomishes pronouncing the name with a hard G?

The huge market area of the city deals in various goods, including stuff traded and bought outside of the city. The city trades mainly outside of Ice Vein for it’s various food and other goods such as metal items, clothing, animals, etc which is sold in the city and in return they trade and sell many of the magical items that are made in Zarnan City and the ice wine that is made exclusively in Ice Vein. The nobles of Zarnan life in a large district designed for them. This area has better made igloos and are much larger then the normal igloos of the other people of the city. The nobles, commoners and merchants of the city do not mingle much other then when they shop in the merchant section of the city. Other races do live and visit here do to the uniqueness of the land and life here. The main races that do decide to live in this city though are dwarves, halflings and some humans. Mainly those who live here are those who can survive easier in this very cold and frozen land. Primary barbarian visits are those from the Smashed Teeth Village who live near to the city. The guild area also has three temples, one devoted to Flower, another devoted to Domi and lastly one devoted to Alemi. The temple of Flower was a original temple in the city and ran by a gnome but the other two temples were set up by outsiders who moved into Zarnan City. At first the temples of Domi and Alemi had few worshippers but after many years the temples gained more followers from the gnomes and other people who moved into the city. The gnomes of the city did not mind other races moving into the city as long as they did not interrupt their research of magical items and also enjoy the new arts, specially since the gnomes of the city love art and art works and various other things the people brought to the city. In the market area are four different taverns (Twin Gold Cups Tavern, Golden Beacon Tavern, Jagged Dagger Tavern and Dancing Dwarves Tavern) and three Inns (Nightshade Veil Inn, The Silent Banshee Inn, Half Moon Inn). Government revolves around magic in all ways. People caught breaking a law are taken to be judged in a igloo with wands of truth set in it to detect lieing. This causes problems though do to other magics can be used to get around the wands of truth. Most law breakers are sentenced to time in jail or cleaning the city or doing other duties to help the city. Small other problems in the city is that the sewers sometimes need cleaned to keep smell down. Trading outside of Ice Vein gets cut do to raids by Twin Tusk Village barbarians. The center is ran strictly by nobles and no one else is ever allowed to go inside. Entrance is strictly forbidden and magic wards and traps are set up to make sure that the center is never entered by anyone but those who should be there.

[Jerry: What about a sport? Ice bowling? Where you hurtle down a mountain chute like in bobsledding, but just your body and then do a ski jump and fly through a bunch of ice boulders to see how many you can knock down? Fireworks in the boulders so that you have to wear dark glasses to see the “action?”

What about beards? Helps keep the cold out. Could they be obsessed with beard growing tonic and magical trimmers, etc.?]

• Underwater Ruins of Lilliak: Little is know about these ancient ruins. It was once said that Lilliak was a small city of nothing but magic users who sought power and new magics. The ruler of the ancient city of Lilliak misused his powers of magic though and it is said that the gods cursed him and sunk the city to the bottom of the lake of Ice Vein. To this date the ruins are actually the cause of the water here being unnaturally warm and unfrozen. There is a strange set of stones that will lead to the Ruins of Lilliak called Stones of Altras. The seers of the various cities have made many comments and recordings in books and such that they have not heard the end of Lilliak City but the people of Ice Vein do not pay much attention to this since the city sunk so many years ago and nothing has happened yet. (Notes: Lilliak City was a small city of druids. The city consisted of ice buildings that the druids used their magic to harden and make even more stable. The city was actually ruled by a man named Lilliak who was crazed and wanted power. Lilliak’s craze for power grew to such a degree that he began to seek a way to become immortal so he could spend even past his life time gaining power. In his questing for a power to make him immortal Lilliak caused a imbalance in the ground of the lake bed and a explosion occurred that caused the small island that the city was on to sink to the bottom of the lake. The island and buildings of this city is still intact even at the bottom of the lake and some of the druids have even used their powers combined together to make a item that will allow them to live under water in their city. Lilliak died in the explosion and is buried on the island. The cities houses are still intact and reproduction in the city is highly limited. The single goal of those who live in the city is to still gain power and new magics. Untill the day comes that they think they are ready to be seen in Ice Vein the druids of Lillian City will remain underwater and hidden. The druids here are single minded and care little for anything else but the gain in power and also believe in one simple goal of reincarnating Lilliak.)

[Jerry: This is cool!]

• Stones of Altras: The Stones of Altras is a set of 8 standing stones that have the power to teleport someone to the Ruins of Lilliak, they stand just east of the lake located in the middle of the ice plains. In the middle of the stones is a small alter though where a object can be sat. Till the object that is missing is set here then the stones are rendered useless. The stones radiate a area of holy energy and will cause a calming effect to any good aligned creature nearing them. They will also give a uneasy feeling to those of evil alignments. The only barbarians to have seen the stones are the ones from Smashed Teeth Village who see the stones as holy stones and also think of them as protection of the lake, the other is Twin Tusk Village who no one from it can get to close to them without feeling uneasy. Twin Tusk Village sees the stones as evil and something to be weary of. People from Smashed Teeth Village has told some of the gnomes about the stones but of yet the gnomes from Zarnan City have not seen them since they are to busy working on their experiments of magic. The stones were made by a few good druids who escaped from Lilliak Village when it sank to the bottom of the lake. The druids constructed and used their magic to make the stones and a way to the city. After the magic stones were made the druids gave a single large plate of magical ice that has the words “The Path” on it which is written in high woldian to one of it’s members who left with it. Where the druid went is unsure and the other druids were said to went to Smashed Teeth Village. No one has ever used the stones to go to Lilliak City since the ice slab to activate it has been missing, although by the alter where the slab goes is more writing in high woldian saying, “beware of using these stones. The danger before you is great.”

• Ice Ant Hive: This is the home of the ice ants. The queen of the ants lives here and sends out the ants to build the Ice Spikes throughout the Ice Vein area. The Ice Spikes are actually made do to tunneling spots so the ants can travel the area easier underground and where there is less threat to them. The queen ice ant is very large and lives in a 8ft tall ice spike in the middle of 8 normal 4ft spikes. She nest deep inside of the central mound and hardly never comes out. The queen though is highly intelligent for a insect though and has a limited use of magic which allows it to speak.

• Cave of Lorgas: The cave of Lorgas was discovered by a man named Lorgas Hoff, the cave is located at the southern edge of the Jagged Jaw Mountains. Lorgas Hoff as he explored the edge of Jagged Jaw Mountains found the cave completely by accident that lead into the mountains and decided to explore inside of the cave. He didn’t travel to far into the cave when he came upon a large city of albino elves. Lorgas was seen by the albino elves and barely made it out alive. Lorgas did his best to tell the people of Ice Vein about the albino elves but no one believed him since these elves had never been heard of before. (Note:The albino elves have a society very much like the society of the drow elves. Beyond the city that the albino elves have set up is a very long cave that ends in a opening into the Jagged Jaw Mountains. At this area is a place that is highly volcanic and not active but some lava can be found here and the sulfur in the air is thicker. It is in this area that a great wyrm red dragon calls home. The great wyrm red dragon ignores the albino elves since they do not come out in his area and bother him, nor do they try to rob or harm him. The dragon feeds on giants that venture into the area he lives in deep in the Jagged Jaw Mountains and also makes his treasure by attacking the stone and frost giants.)

People

• Pitchen: Gnome leader and ruler of Zarnan City which is the only true city in Ice Vein. Pitchen is a very wise and strong minded gnome. He will stop at nothing in his work to make better items to make the way of life in Zarnan City more comfortable. He is so single minded in this attempt that he sees little beyond this and is why he has a group of four helpers to run the city and see to other matters. Pitchen is fearless in his work with magic and has to date survived well over 20 magical explosions. When he actually does talk he is cheerful and rather happy go lucky about all matters. Infact he has a charisma about him that can make almost anyone like him easily. Pitchen is going on old age and has became a high level illusionist, his skills of magic are legendary in Zarnan City and in Smashed Teeth Village. Pitch was able to bring Zarnan City which is nothing but gnomes to a peaceful life with their friends Smashed Teeth Village. All inventions within Zarnan City is the work of Pitchen. Pitchen wears colorful purplish colored robes and his white beard is neatly trimmed as is his hair that is also white. He carries no seen weapon most of the time inless if is a small walking stick. Pitchen is the designer of the pipes that go throughout the city and make much of the life here comfortable. Pitchen is also the one who crafted the spell (special wall of force spell) for the windows in the igloos so the spell can be turned on to keep wind and snow out or open to allow the air in depending on the needs of the owner of the igloo. Pitchen also designed the sewers and the design for the bathrooms so waste would drain from houses into it easily. Other things that were designed to make life easier were special magic ice ovens, designed not to melt during the cooking process of bread, meats and other things needing cooked. A magical device was made to help with the making of ice wine also. Pitchen also spent many years on designing a area in the market section of the city to make a green house like so plants for food, herbs and various other plants could be grown even in this harsh cold area.

• Bohdi Nackle: High Magistrate Mage of the Third Vein of Ilmicheal, Protector of Ice Peak and Conqueror of the barbarians of Twin Tusk. Bohdi likes his comforts and his books. Both of which are in high supply in his current position. much better than the days of stumbling about the frozen lands being chased by death at every turn. Adventures that him to endlessly complain about something, usually the cold and threat of imminent death. Adventures and wunjos, the seemingly uncaring crotchety old gnome, would not trade for godhood itself. Unfrotunately Bohdi's third favorite thing, time to himself is in incredibly short supply. Bohdi tends to be grumpy though a very good heart and courage when needed, but in all audiences with him tend to be unpleasant as he wishes to get them done with as fast as possible so that he may get back to his own studies and books.

• Frigga’Isa: Frigga'Isa is an immortal and exists within the Ice Vein. A young woman of great beauty. She gave her life to save her village and much of the southern Wold when she was only 17 and was soon elevated to Immortal Status as a result. She wears a pure white wolf's cloak with matching boots, gloves and hat. Under the full length cloak can be seen an ivory colored fur jacket and pants with a white shimmering belt as if made of pearl. Her brown hair is long, braided and over her front right shoulder. She became intrigued with Glitmer when the old gnome stumbled into her once mortal home of Ice Peak. Half frozen to death, he accepted assitance gratefully took advise very willingly. In all nothing like a gnome the mortal Frigga'Isa had known long ago. But here she noticed him and from then on she kept tabs on him and wondered at his guile, sense of honor and tenacity. Frigga'Isa brokered a pact between Glitmer and Celsiun steeping the gnome in the deep traditions of the Vien. She then could and would watch over him in his travels and studies about all things across the great southern landscapes. But now the Migration has come and Zarnan City has moved beyond her icy realm. Her strong connections to Glitmer are fading and soon she knows he will be completely lost. Still Celsiun has charged her with assisting Gargul's messengers and so she will reach out one last time to someone she would almost call Wunjo as she once did another gnome in another life, Bohdi Nackle

• Karya: Human leader of the Ice Peak Village. Karya is a fearless fighter and sometimes in battle is also very rash in her decisions. She has a strong will though and once she sits her mind to something she will continue trying to accomplish her goal till she does. Karya is in her late 30’s and is loved among her people. She even knows she is a fighter has devoted her life to Domi and believes that Domi will watch over and protect Ice Peak Village and it’s people always. Karya’s single goal is to get back the statue stolen by Sorvas of the Twin Tusk Village and enable her people to live under the protection of Domi and the increased luck and strength the statue gives the village. Karya wears winter wolf skin clothes and carries a longspear that she is very useful with, along with this she has a bow and arrows.

• Sorvas: Half-orc leader of the Twin Tusk Village. Sorvas is a huge half-orc not only in muscle but at the waist line. He unlike most of the people in Twin Tusk Village is more of a coward. He has great strength and can fight very well but if the odds do not look good or he starts to be defeated then he has no problem with turning and running away where as those he rules over will usually fight to the death. Sorvas is almost as old as Karya. Sorvas ordered some of his people to go and steal the holy statue from Ice Peak Village and uses the statue now as proof that he is a great leader for Twin Tusk Village. The theft of the statue however has caused war to start between Twin Tusk Village and Ice Peak Village which makes Twin Tusk Village happy since strength and fighting is the main thing among most of the people within the village. Sorvas wears a barely loose wolf skin clothing and carries a large two handed axe that was most likely stolen. He has ugly black hair that is braided and his dark greenish gray skin has some tattoos on it. Sorvas is able to stay in power do the devoted followers he has gathered over the many years. Most of these followers are family though but they will lay down their lives for Sorvas without question.

[Jerry: Ahh, fat could also be a protection against the cold. What if plump women were the trend in most of these villages and in the gnome town, etc. What if “generous” sized men were valued. This is a theme we could play with if you want.]

• Mekrenden: Human leader of the Smashed Teeth Village. Mekrenden is getting pretty old as leader of Smashed Teeth Village and sometime soon will challenged by one of the members of the clan and the winner would take his position of ruler of the clan. Knowing having a challenge for his position is coming has made him very conscious of every decision he makes and even alittle weary of the people in his village. Mekrenden knows that no one in the village would kill him for his position or anything like that but of yet he has seen no one really showing the skills to become the next leader so he is on constant watch for anyone who could be a good leader. It is a tradition in the Smashed Teeth Village that the ruler should be the strongest of the village and must beat the current leader in combat to become the ruler of the clan. Mekrenden is in his late 60’s and his hair has started to go completely gray. He wears dull gray clothing and a necklace made of shells of animals from the lake the Smashed Teeth Village fishes from. His only weapon is a trident that he got from Zarnan City.

• Lorgas Hoff: A smaller then average dwarf explorer who found a cave where some drow elves live. No one really believes what the dwarf said he seen though. Lorgas is a adventuring dwarf who is legendary for his travels in Ice Vein. There are very few places in Ice Vein he hasn’t been and he rejoices in gaining new knowledge of the land he calls home. Do to his encounter of the albino elves that no one believes him about he will never go into or near Lorgas Cave again. Lorgas is also the sole reason why a map for Ice Vein exists since he copies down what he sees in his adventuers. Lorgas is a crafty fighter with a mixture of thief in him. He is confident in his abilities which someone like him would have to be. He wears dark clothing when he is adventuring along with a pure white cloak so he can hide in the snowy area. He usually has a assortment of weapons from a hand axe, a few dagger and a short sword and even on occasion is seen with a light crossbow. Lorgas’s beard is unruly as is his hair but he doesn’t care since he sees himself as a man of adventure not city life.

[Jerry: Can we call the maps Lorgas Maps? Can we have them curse the name of Lorgas or ask his blessing for travel? He could be infamous. So much so that people think he lived centuries ago and think him dead? But he’s not. He goes around incognito like Elvis. People go searching for his “maps” and “places of discovery.” Gatherings are held I his name. etc. just ideas Justin.]

(This is the main people. The characters can be added to when the group gets here and starts adventuring. Moreless adding people as needed, etc.)

Creatures

• Snow Ants

The snow ant has the same characteristics as the giant ants in the 3.5 monsterous manual except the following.

Ice Ant Worker: Tolerance to Cold.

Ice Ant Soldier: Has tolerance to cold. A poison sting that causes coldness which makes the body feel numb and gives a -2 to reflex saves and checks. The sting causes 1d4+1 points of damage and 1d4 points of poison damage.

Ice Ant Queen: Cold Tolerance. A poison sting, does 1d6+1 and poison that causes numbness and gives a -4 to reflex saves and checks. The poison does a extra 1d6 poisons of damage;

• Iss'Worm

Size Huge Magical Beast (Cold) Hit Dice 21d10+105 (250hp) Speed 30 AC 18 (-2 Size +10 Natural) touch 8 Flat footed 18 Base Attack +21 Grapple +37 Attack Bite +29 (2d8+14 Plus 1d8 Cold) Space/Reach 15'/10' Special Attacks Trill Cold Breath Weapon Special Qualities Darkvision 60' Death throes Immune Cold Low Light vision Saves Fort +28 Ref +12 Will +9 Abilities Str 28 Dex 10 Con 20 Int 2 Will 11 Cha 11 Skills Hide +4 Listen +8 Spot +8 Feats Alertness Improved Natural Attack bite Iron Will Weapon Focus Bite Ability Focus Trill Power Attack, Awesome Blow Trill (Su)A frost worm can emit a noise that forces its prey to stand motionless. This sonic mind-affecting compulsion affects all creatures other than frost worms within a 100-foot radius. Creatures must succeed on a DC 19 Will save or be stunned for as long as the worm trills and for 1d4 rounds thereafter, even if they are attacked. However, if attacked or violently shaken (a full-round action), a victim is allowed another saving throw. Once a creature has resisted or broken the effect, it cannot be affected again by that same frost worm’s trill for 24 hours. The effect’s caster level is 21th. The save DC is Charisma-based. Cold (Ex)A frost worm’s body generates intense cold, causing opponents to take an extra 1d8 points of cold damage every time the creature succeeds on a bite attack. Creatures attacking a frost worm unarmed or with natural weapons take this same cold damage each time one of their attacks hits. Breath Weapon (Su)30-foot cone, once per hour, damage 21d6 cold, Reflex DC 22 half. Opponents held motionless by the frost worm’s trill get no saving throw. The save DC is Constitution-based. Death Throes (Ex)When killed, a frost worm turns to ice and shatters in an explosion that deals 12d6 points of cold damage and 8d6 points of piercing damage to everything within 100 feet (Reflex half DC 22). The save DC is Constitution-based.

• Sne Jkempe - Snow giant similar to an ogre