The neighborhood is on fire!

Can you stop the spread, rescue the families, and prevent more destruction all at once?

This adventure is for 3–4 characters, level 5–6, with 18–22 combined levels.

Background & Synopsis

A nearby building with people inside starts on fire, and the party needs to rescue those inside and stop the fire from spreading, but what started the fire in the first place? As the party rescues those within, they encounter others who may have clues. Rork’s family has been living in the basement and never got along well with the landlord. Naiara Trevica is helping to rescue the residents but seems to know a lot about arson. Aderyn Lloyd has a reputation for mischief—did they inadvertently cause it?

The truth is that the landlord, Arrias, has a gentrification scheme in mind, wanting to burn down the block and rebuild with newer buildings with higher rental costs that will force all of these families, who already struggle, into homelessness.

While constantly blaming others for the problems, he tricks a child into lighting the first fire, then hires someone to unleash a giant crocodile on the neighborhood, then uses his Warlock powers to unleash hell hounds to finish the job. When discovered, he summons two more hell hounds and attacks the party.

Adventure Hooks

This adventure can serve as a side quest or as a way to launch a campaign in an urban setting.

Where are we?

This adventure can occur in any large city with a financially marginalized neighborhood or district. For those using the Nethermaw campaign setting, this adventure would take place in a poorer neighborhood of Smoke.

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire

As the party travels through an economically disadvantaged district, they notice smoke coming from one of the windows, followed quickly by flames and a voice crying for help. When they get to the house, Naiara Trevica is there and tells the party that people are trapped inside and asks, “I don’t know you, so I don’t know how capable you are. How can you help?”

Whatever the party decides, Naiara will help, either rescuing or stopping the spread.

The houses in this part of town are made from sturdy timbers with wattle and daub walls and thatch roofs, each typically housing two or three families in their two-story structures, one on each level, including a cellar. These walls have a 14 Armor Class and 11 (2d10) hp to break through.

Any room that’s burning will cause 1d4 fire damage to all creatures within and be filled with smoke. Medium or larger creatures will need to remain prone and crawl. Each round a creature is not prone and breathing in a smoke-filled room, it experiences smoke inhalation, requiring a successful DC 15 Constitution saving throw every round to avoid taking 1d6 poison damage and becoming poisoned until succeeding on the saving throw, which may be attempted again during each rest until successful.

In addition, every round a room burns, burning pieces of the ceiling will fall. Creatures in the room must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to avoid taking 1d4 bludgeoning damage and 1d8 fire damage.

The building has 2 floors plus a cellar with the following rooms and residents:

1. Kitchen (1 occupant: Leofrick Morningfall)
2. Living Room (1 occupant: Rose Mistsplitter)
3. Bedroom (2 occupants: Daisy & Violet, 7-year-old human twins)
4. Stable (1 goat, 3 sheep, 11 chickens, 1 donkey)
5. Ramp (to upstairs)
6. Upstairs living room (1 occupant: Gorme Twofoot, a 44 year old non-binary lightfoot halfling)
7. Upstairs bedroom (1 occupant: Urzoth Skullbinder, a 90 year old female orc)
8. Cellar (3 occupants: Rork and his parents, Mug and Guk)

The fire began in the kitchen on the first floor but is spreading each round as follows:

1. Kitchen and living room
2. Bedroom
3. Stable (After this round, a rhythmic drumming fills the air as Ollie Dragao summons the town to help.)
4. Upstairs Bedrooms; Rork and family escapes the cellar via the cellar door, dragging out an empty barrel and bucket
5. Adjacent building (upstairs) on kitchen side (occupied by the Brawnblade family downstairs; Na and Erhice upstairs); Rork casts Create Food and Water, filling the barrel with water.
6. Adjacent building upstairs completely burning; Ollie, his dog, Tazz, and several townsfolk will use a fire hook to collapse any vacated burning building and focus on preventing the spread to other buildings. Rork begins scooping water out of the barrel with a bucket, and throwing it onto the fire. People in adjacent buildings have escaped.
7. Both floors weakened. Each round, each medium-sized creature on the floor must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or fall through the floor, taking 1d6 bludgeoning damage. Adjacent building first floor is now burning.
8. Adjacent building on the other side begins burning.
9. Townsfolk have stopped the spread via fire hook and bucket brigade from a nearby fountain.

Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire

Once the fire is under control, an elderly tiefling with long, wavy, black hair, green eyes, and purple skin approaches the party and thanks them profusely. He introduces himself as Arrias, owner of the buildings on this block. He thanks them for rescuing the tenants and preventing further spread. (If the party doesn’t trust him, a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check will reveal that his mannerisms seem forced, like he’s trying too hard to show gratitude.) To any remaining residents, he assures them that he will rebuild the ruined houses and replace them with even better homes than before. He talks about how much the neighborhood could benefit from brick buildings that won’t burn and shops on the first level for easy shopping. He then talks to each family from the affected houses to make sure they’re ok.

Meanwhile, some of those who helped with the fire start cheering for “Mug & Guk’s kid” (Rork) and the way he was the first to the scene with water. Upon receiving this attention, Rork looks up from the wicker ball he’d been focused on, slips behind the closest building, and vanishes. Anyone who chases after him sees a crocodile in the distance slipping into a sewer opening. (He doesn’t like crowds, so he panicked at being the center of attention and wild shaped into a crocodile to slip away, but some may find this suspicious, especially since they don’t know him.)

Local residents:

• Rose Mistsplitter is a human in her late 20’s. She works in The Anvil (the forge district) as a courier. She’s pleasant and friendly but always tired.
• Leofrick Morningfall, Rose Mistsplitter’s husband, is a stay-home-dad who cares for their two twin daughters, Daisy and Violet. He focuses on caring for the children, and after the fire, he’s mainly focused on comforting them. If the party encounters him later, he’s friendly and loves to work puns into his conversations.
• Gorme Twofoot is a 44 year old non-binary lightfoot halfling. They work at the local general store as the shopkeeper’s assistant. Gorme lives with their friend, Urzoth, and their salary barely feeds and houses the two. They get frustrated when they have to skip a meal due to Urzoth giving away yet another knit item, but that’s also why Gorme and Urzoth are such good friends — Gorme proudly wears a sweater Urzoth made for them when they were cold and homeless.
• Urzoth Skullbinder is an elderly female orc, a dear friend of Gorme, who’s always wearing a colorful short-sleeve wool sweater. Urzoth has chronic Pain [IE 3] and Leg Weakness [IE 2] and uses a rollator to walk around the house but also has a wheelchair for travel around the city. Urzoth enjoys knitting and uses that skill to earn some extra money, but she often has trouble charging for her beautiful scarves, mittens, and blankets when she sees someone cold and in need.
• Na Mardon is a 30-year-old human who delivers coal to Anvil with her partner, Erhice. Her clothes and skin are stained black from the coal, but her eyes twinkle like the forges she serves, and she enjoys conversation, often talking long after others are done listening.
• Erhice Ildessint, an elf with a more burly build than is typical for his ancestry, helps deliver coal with Na. Erhice is quiet and enjoys listening and learning from others, which is why he and Na work so well together, Na keeping the long hauls of coal interesting with her stories while Erhice happily enjoys the tone of her voice as much as the stories she tells.
• Gralnar Brawnblade, a middle-aged dwarf, works as an assistant in a weaponsmith shop in Anvil. He’s kind and friendly, but when stressed, he quickly gets angry and yells.
• Arros Brawnblade, Gralnar’s wife and also a middle-aged dwarf, is the neighborhood teacher. She has an excellent relationship with the local children and, out of habit, tends to talk to adults as if they’re small children. (If someone notes her tone, she’ll apologize and take a more mature approach.
• Elrin Brawnblade, their daughter, the dwarven equivalent of a human tween, likes to run off and explore and frequently comes home with interesting items in her pockets that she discovered, which has led to Gralnar and Arros sending her to give the item back to its owner. Elrin doesn’t mean to steal, but she has trouble controlling her impulses when she finds something interesting.
• Mug (kobold) works in the sewers with Guk, making sure everything flows and reporting anything unusual. She takes pride in their work and know that the city would cease functioning without her and her coworkers, and she gets frustrated with those who think less of her for any reason but also avoids conflict with anyone bigger than her.
• Guk (kobold) works with Mug, and while he believes in the work he does, he internalizes the disdain of those around him and feels inadequate as a person. If someone blames him for the fire, he may accept the blame and assume some carelessness led to the fire, although Rork and Mug will defend him.
• Rork lives in the woods but came to town to visit his parents. He doesn’t enjoy being in town and is eager to leave. Once he returns to his parents after slipping away, he’s eager to convince them to come live with him in the woods. He keeps urging them by saying, “We really need to get out of here right away,” which is mainly motivated by his anxiety, but it can appear that he’s trying to avoid getting caught.
• Aderyn Lloyd knows Elrin well, as they’ve been on some adventures together. Aderyn acts as a mentor to Elrin, but while they always keep Elrin safe, and her parents trust Aderyn, they sometimes get into mischief together. If anyone questions Elrin, she’ll confide in Aeryn before anyone else. Meanwhile, some townsfolk may blame Aderyn for their recklessness and suggest that they caused the fire, “by knocking over a lantern or something.”
• Naiara Trevica knows this community, as she acted as a mercenary in a nearby turf war recently. When investigating the source of the fire, she will note that it spread from the wall, not the inner hearth, so it looks like it came from outside. She can point to the exact spot where the fire started and note that this is the most vulnerable part of the exterior. “Trust me. If you’re going to burn this style of house, here’s where you light it.” She has burned houses this way as part of the war, but when some of those fires spread, she helped rebuild the homes of the innocent, which is why she’s still in town.
• Ollie Dragao uses his lute to heal anyone hurt in the fire and immediately begins the cleanup process, encouraging others to join in the effort, which they gladly do. He sings as he works, and many others join in, but he soon needs to stop and rest to catch his breath, although he still taps out a motivating rhythm on his drum.

Note: Arrias has been planning this renovation for a long time and deliberately started the fire to force the current tenants out, because he can charge higher rent to a shop owner, and he recently got a good deal on bricks. He saw the Brawnblades’ daughter, Elrin, playing in the street and told her about some fireworks on the ground between the houses. He told her to stay away from them after making them sound enticing enough that she couldn’t resist, and she inadvertently started the fire, but she’s too afraid to admit it. If questioned, she’ll deny it, but she still has some fireworks in her pockets that she forgot about. She likes Arrias, who knows about her impulse control struggles and often points out interesting items that he secretly wants her to take for various reasons. She will be reluctant to connect him with any of this, but a successful DC 10 Charisma (Intimidation) or Charisma (Persuasion) check will convince her to explain Arrias’s role, although he’ll emphasize that he told her to leave them and was just warning her to stay away from them.

Smoke and Mirrors

When the cleanup work is done, Ollie invites everyone back to the local inn to relax. (Note: The inn is not on the main map. If using an existing campaign setting, any inn within a mile will work, otherwise tell the players that the inn is two blocks north of the map. The Miner Solution Inn map may be used here.) The rhythmic singing, driven by the beat of Ollie’s expert drumming, has a soothing effect on everyone after the stresses of the day, and a belly full of bean and sausage casserole, the inn’s Dish of the Day, brings a sense of that everything is going to work out.

If the party watches Elrin, they will see her pick up a small iron unicorn figurine from the fireplace mantle, examine it, and slip it into her pocket. If confronted about it, she doesn’t remember pocketing it, having done so absentmindedly.

The innkeeper tells those who’ve been displaced that they can sleep on the straw mats there until they find more permanent housing.

The party can use this time to talk to the residents to gather more information, and the innkeeper offers them a straw mat for the night.

Early the next morning, the party awakens to a panicked crowd outside and the sound of another house collapsing in the same neighborhood. A giant crocodile has surfaced from the sewers and destroyed another home, heading toward those still standing.

Once the party defeats the crocodile, even more questions and accusations surface.

• Mug and Guk work in the sewers and slept with Rork in a sewer alcove overnight. Besides their sewer connections, Rork was seen transforming into a crocodile yesterday. And the crocodile broke through the same opening where Rork went yesterday. They show up after the combat, shouting a warning that they found evidence of a giant crocodile in the sewers.
• Aderyn shows up as the combat ends and shows fascination with the massive creature. Some suggest that this was some kind of prank caused by them. While they deny it and insist that they would never deliberately destroy someone’s home, they’re intrigued by the idea of such a massive prank if it could be done without endangering anyone.

Arrias shows up at the end and is quick to blame the kobolds. He complained that they didn’t clean up well enough after working in the sewers, and they were ruining his building. This led to a steady stream of arguments between Arrias and the couple. Arrias insists that they were trying to ruin him.

The crocodile was arranged by Arrias, who hired a lizardfolk animal handler to destroy the other homes. Investigating the sewers will reveal an iron chain harness near the opening, but the handler fled upon unleashing the giant crocodile.

After the battle, Naiara shows up, impressed by the dead creature. If asked about it, she says she saw a lizardfolk heading the other way that she thought looked familiar. It could have been an animal handler that she encountered during a past job involving using giant creatures in a battle. She has no idea where the handler was going and wouldn’t be able to trace them, but if that was them, someone hired them.

If the party wants to investigate the sewer system, Mug and Guk tells them that the sewage in the sewer system is six feet deep, and the city uses oozes as part of their sewage processing system.

Burning a Hole in His Pocket

While the cleanup continues, a pair of hell hounds come running into the neighborhood and begin igniting the remaining houses. The hell hounds will attempt to ignite all the homes, then kill anyone who prevents or extinguishes the burning, lighting the remaining homes as they get to them. If the party continues to extinguish the fires, they will turn their attention to the party, but their primary goal is arson.

After the battle, Aderyn is on a nearby (tile) roof, having witnessed Arrias summoning the hell hounds, and begins laughing, knowing Arrias has incriminated himself.

Arrias panics and summons 2 more hell hounds and then attacks the party and Aderyn. He will use his scimitar on nearby creatures and send the hell hounds after the those out of range. He is on the verge of losing everything and is desperate, so he will fight to the death. After his death, the party will notice paper in his pocket, a receipt for building materials, including all the bricks and tools they need to rebuild the block themselves and take ownership and create something they can afford, that makes sense for the current community, and will help the entire community grow together.

If the party defeats Arrias without killing him, two of the town guards will come to investigate and take him away.

Arrias

Medium humanoid (tiefling), lawful evil

• Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor)
• Hit Points 48
• Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	14 (+2)	10 (+0)	14 (+2)	15 (+2)	18 (+4)

• Saving Throws Wis +4, Cha +6
• Skills Deception +6, Intimidation +6, Perception +4, Persuasion +6
• Damage Resistances fire
• Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
• Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Infernal
• Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Spellcasting. Arrias is a 9th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). Arrias has the following Warlock spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): Eldritch Blast, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Thaumaturgy

1st level (at will): Mage Armor

2nd level (1/day): Darkness, Hellish Rebuke

5th Level (2 slots): Blight, Confusion, Counterspell, Dispel Magic, Hypnotic Pattern, Invisibility, Protection from Evil and Good, Remove Curse, Scrying, Shatter, Slow, Vampiric Touch

Dark One’s Blessing. When Arrias reduces a hostile creature to 0 HP, he gains 13 temporary HP.

Dark One’s Own Luck. Once per short rest, when Arrias makes an ability check or a saving throw, he can use this feature to add a d10 to his roll.

Infernal Armor. When Arrias casts Mage Armor, his armor flickers with red flames. When a creature damages him with a melee attack, it takes 2d10 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Actions

Thirsting Blade. Arrias can attack with his pact weapon twice, instead of once, whenever he takes the Attack action on his turn.

Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage. (Arrias carries 3 daggers.)

Eldritch Blast. Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) fire damage.

Scimitar (Pact Weapon). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage + 11 (2d10) fire damage.

Arrias always begins the first round of combat by casting Mage Armor to invoke his Infernal Armor ability, then usually uses his scimitar against those in melee range or Eldritch Blast if enemies are further away.

Opening Tagline

Can you brave the icy tundra, unravel a sinister plot, and bring warmth back to a frozen village?

An adventure for 4–5 characters levels 11–16.

Background & Synopsis

The party finds themselves in a remote arctic village, where a blizzard sets the stage for a harrowing adventure. The initial encounter challenges the party to navigate the blizzard’s fury, after which they discover the disappearance of Ava, a blind baker from the village. As they track her, they uncover her transformation into a remorhaz and a sinister plot orchestrated by the blacksmith, Kaldur. The adventure includes encounters with frostbite spiders, rescuing wolves from an icy ooze, and the choice to assist or hinder ice trolls pursuing the remorhaz. Along the way, a dwarf barbarian and a dragonborn ranger offer unexpected aid. In the climactic showdown, the party faces the remorhaz controlled by Kaldur and his ice devil patron. The adventure concludes with a heartwarming homecoming in the village, offering closure and rewards for the party’s heroic efforts.

Content Trigger Warning

This adventure contains themes of sudden natural disasters, perilous weather conditions, missing persons, forced transformation, mind control, and combat encounters.

Adventure Hooks

This adventure works as a side quest for larger adventures set in cold climates such as Rime of the Frostmaiden from Wizards of the Coast or chapter three of Empire of the Ghouls by Kobold Press. If you’re using the Andovir campaign setting from Wyrmworks Publishing, this adventure fits well in LOCATION PENDING. This may also serve as a catalyst to launch an arctic campaign or story arc. If not native to the region, adventurers may be present for many reasons, including:

The party may be traveling through the tundra on the way to another mission.

Someone has hired the party to rescue, escort, find, or deliver a person or object in the region.

The party has heard rumors of a powerful magic item’s location.

A caster’s spell misfires and accidentally teleports the party to the village, so they need to find their way home.

Where are we?

This adventure takes place in a frozen region and can be adapted for arctic, tundra, or mountains.

Dramatis Personae

Ava the Baker

Medium humanoid (gnome), neutral good

Armor Class 11

Hit Points 9 (2d8)

Speed 25 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)	16 (+3)

Skills Perception +3

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13

Languages Common, Gnomish

Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)

Baker’s Tools. Ava is proficient with baker’s tools and can use them to prepare delicious pastries and baked goods.

Blindness [IE 4]. Ava’s vision is absent completely, and she has learned to navigate the world with no reliance on her eyes, depending on other senses instead. Because she has grown accustomed to this condition a long time, she has a −4 on sight-related attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws including ranged combat beyond 10 ft. but a +4 bonus when using other senses to compensate, not because they’ve become stronger, but because she’s learned to use them more effectively.

Actions

Baking Tools. Ava can spend 1 hour and use her baker’s tools to create a batch of pastries or baked goods. Consuming these treats grants temporary hit points equal to her proficiency bonus. These temporary hit points last for 1 hour.

Distract (Recharge 5-6). Ava can use a bonus action to throw flour into the air, creating a blinding cloud in a 10-foot radius centered on herself. Creatures within the area must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be blinded for 1 minute. A blinded creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

Frostbite Spider

Large monstrosity, unaligned

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points 26 (4d10 + 4)

Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	16 (+3)	12 (+1)	2 (-4)	11 (+0)	4 (-3)

Skills Stealth +7

Damage Immunities cold

Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 10 ft., passive Perception 10

Languages —

Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Spider Climb. The spider can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the spider knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.

Web Walker. The spider ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, taking an extra 7 (2d6) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A target that fails its save becomes slowed (as per the slow spell) until the end of its next turn. Targets with resistance to cold damage have advantage on the saving throw.

Frigid Fiber (Recharge 6). The spider weaves a web of icy strands in a 20-foot radius sphere around itself. Creatures within the area must make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature is restrained by the icy web and takes 3 (1d6) cold damage at the beginning of its turn until freed. As an action, a creature restrained by the web can make a DC 11 Strength check to break free. The webbing can also be attacked and destroyed (AC 10; hp 10; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity to bludgeoning, cold, piercing, poison, and psychic damage).

Glacial Sludge

Large ooze, unaligned

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)

Hit Points 85 (10d10 + 30)

Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	12 (+1)	16 (+3)	1 (-5)	6 (-2)	1 (-5)

Skills Stealth +7

Damage Vulnerabilities thunder

Damage Immunities cold, lightning, piercing, poison

Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, prone

Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 8

Languages —

Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Amorphous. The sludge can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

False Appearance. While the sludge remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an icy field.

Shattering Shards. When the sludge takes bludgeoning or thunder damage, the damaged area explodes in a burst of crystalline shards. Each creature within 10 ft. of it must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Spider Climb. The sludge can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Actions

Multiattack. The sludge makes two attacks.

Icy Tendril. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage plus 18 (4d8) cold damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the creature is restrained, and the sludge can’t constrict another target.

[Add Ice Devil stat block before publication]

Ice Troll

Large giant, chaotic evil

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points 105 (10d10 + 50)

Speed 40 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
19 (+4)	12 (+1)	20 (+5)	7 (-2)	8 (-1)	7 (-2)

Skills Perception +2

Damage Resistances fire

Damage Immunities cold

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12

Languages Giant

Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Keen Smell. The troll has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Regeneration. The troll regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn. If the troll takes acid or fire damage, this trait doesn’t function at the start of the troll’s next turn. The troll dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate.

Variant: Loathsome Limbs. Whenever the troll takes at least 15 slashing damage at one time, roll a d20 to determine what else happens to it:

1-10: Nothing else happens.
11-14: One leg is severed from the troll if it has any legs left.
15- 18: One arm is severed from the troll if it has any arms left.
19-20: The troll is decapitated, but the troll dies only if it can’t regenerate. If it dies, so does the severed head.

If the troll finishes a short or long rest without reattaching a severed limb or head, the part regrows. At that point, the severed part dies. Until then, a severed part acts on the troll’s initiative and has its own action and movement. A severed part has AC 13, 10 hit points, and the troll’s Regeneration trait.
A severed leg is unable to attack and has a speed of 5 feet.
A severed arm has a speed of 5 feet and can make one claw attack on its turn, with disadvantage on the attack roll unless the troll can see the arm and its target. Each time the troll loses an arm, it loses a claw attack.
If its head is severed, the troll loses its bite attack and its body is blinded unless the head can see it. The severed head has a speed of 0 feet and the troll’s Keen Smell trait. It can make a bite attack but only against a target in its space.
The troll’s speed is halved if it’s missing a leg. If it loses both legs, it falls prone. If it has both arms, it can crawl. With only one arm, it can still crawl, but its speed is halved. With no arms or legs, its speed is 0, and it can’t benefit from bonuses to speed.

Actions

Multiattack. The troll makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.

Bonus Actions

Snowstorm Aura (1/day). The troll can unleash a burst of frigid energy in a 15-foot radius around itself. Creatures within the aura must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Kaldur Ironfist

Medium humanoid (dwarf), neutral

Armor Class 16 (chain mail)

Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 20)

Speed 25 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	10 (+0)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)	8 (-1)

Skills Athletics +5, Insight +2

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10

Languages Common, Dwarvish, Infernal

Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Dwarven Resilience. The dwarf has advantage on saving throws against poison, spells, and illusions, as well as to resist being charmed or paralyzed.

Innate Spellcasting. Kaldur’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 9, +1 to hit with spell attacks). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: Ray of Frost
3/day each: Fog Cloud, Gust of Wind

Actions

Multiattack. Kaldur makes two attacks with his warhammer.

Warhammer. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage, or 8 (1d10 + 3) bludgeoning damage if used with two hands.

Icy Blast (Recharge 5-6). Kaldur can strike the ground with his hammer and release an icy blast in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 9 Constitution saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) cold damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.

Kaldur Ironfist, a talented dwarf blacksmith, harbored a deep desire to craft a weapon of unparalleled power. Having spent too many days helping rebuild after white dragon and frost giant attacks, he was determined to protect his village from any threat. Fueled by this ambition, Kaldur made a pact with an ice devil. The devil's influence pushed Kaldur to seek a legendary forge hidden within the icy wilderness, where he believed he could create the ultimate weapon. Now, Kaldur's journey is marked by his relentless pursuit of power and the moral challenges he faces along the way. Though well-intentioned, his pact has changed him, and he must grapple with the consequences of his choices as he seeks to fulfill his destiny.

[Add Remorhaz stat block before publication]

The Rising Storm

[SIDEBAR: The Frostfang Inn

Gertrude "Gertie" Frostfang is a tough and resourceful halfling with a no-nonsense attitude and a heart of gold. She runs the Frostfang Inn, providing a warm and welcoming home for her family and a gathering place for the village. The inn is a sturdy wooden building with a cozy common room, where Gertie serves hearty meals and ale and other spirits. Gertie's family includes her two adolescent children, Willem and Selma, who help her run the inn.

Gertie is a beloved member of the village, known for her generosity and her determination to keep the community together. Her inn is known for its delicious food and in-house brewery.

The Frostfang Inn is an important hub of activity in the village, serving as a place for travelers to rest and for the villagers to gather and socialize. It is a warm and welcoming place, and Gertie is always happy to make new friends and share her stories with visitors.]

As the party arrives at the village of Frosthold and finds the inn, a sudden storm whips up, turning the air nearly opaque and biting into any exposed skin. The wooden building shakes, and the atmosphere seems to pull the inhabitants toward the roof. Gertie the innkeeper watches the window, pacing, and after a huge gust, says, “The walls won’t hold. We need to get out.”

Gertie tells the party to follow her. Through the gale, they hear something cracking and snapping. A nearby hut looks like it’s about to fly away. A child’s scream barely breaks through the howling wind. Gertie points into the darkness and yells that a stone building ahead will offer safety and continues toward the building regardless of what the party decides.

If the party investigates, the hut flies away shortly after they arrive. A young-looking half-elf father is trying to protect his children, an infant and a toddler. He shouts a plea for help to the party. (If the party doesn’t investigate, they will find the family frozen to death after the storm.)

Finding the shelter requires a DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check, but everyone who leaves the innkeeper for the hut must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or acquire hypothermia unless using protection from the elements beyond standard cold weather gear, acting as if affected by the Confusion spell. If the party doesn’t provide additional protection to the father and children, the father experiences the Confusion effects, and the children become incapacitated with hypothermia.

Treat movement through the village as rough terrain. Every round in the storm after the second, everyone takes 1 cold damage.

Once arriving at the shelter, Brace, the village cleric, immediately attempts to treat those suffering from hypothermia with healing spells and wool blankets that have been warmed near a central fire. The party may attempt to help Brace or treat others at the same time.

The Tumult after the Storm

The storm ends as abruptly as it began. The residents gradually step outside to survey the damage. Some buildings, including the inn, remain standing with some broken windows, while others are replaced with collapsed timber or just a stone floor.

A voice shouts over the chatter of residents, “Ava! Where’s Ava?”

Ava, the village baker, is missing. Her home still stands with relatively little damage, but nobody can find her in the village. The villagers describe her as a gnome with brown skin, black hair, and a tattoo on her neck depicting the faces of her husband and son, who died in a hunting trip many years ago. The ground near her home is icier than elsewhere in the village, and an investigation reveals a path of ice leading to the edge of the village.

Unknown to anyone, Kaldur Ironfist, the dwarven blacksmith, made a deal with an ice devil to improve his craft. The devil told him that the heat of a remorhaz is needed to forge the ultimate weapon in a mystical forge in a cave a day’s travel from the village. The fiend gave him an amulet to summon the storm and an armlet that transformed Ava into a remorhaz and allowed Kaldur to command her to go to the cave.

The ice near her house is the result of the remorhaz’s heat melting the snow and freezing after she left.

Kaldur, who claims to have remained in his stone house during the storm, offers to join the party to look for Ava. He knows the area, as he often travels to nearby caves to mine iron and other ore.

As much as everyone wants Ava back, the villagers suggest that the search party should set out in the morning.

Optional Travel Encounters

D6	Encounter
1	Frozen Stream Crossing: The party comes across a frozen stream. Each must make a DC 12 Dexterity check to safely cross it. On a failure, they slip and fall, taking 1d4 cold damage.
2	Lost Supplies: The party discovers a partially buried dogsled with supplies. They can choose to investigate it and find a crate of preserved food and a bottle of warming brandy.
3	Frozen Carcass: The party stumbles upon a partially frozen carcass of a mammoth. They can choose to investigate or ignore it. If they investigate, they find nothing of value but notice that it has a large bite out of its side. The snow has no tracks around it.
4	Ava's Cane: The party discovers Ava's cane, which had caught on her during her transformation.
5	Frozen Pond: The party encounters a small frozen pond. They can choose to investigate or skate on it for fun. If they investigate, they find the frozen remains of a few fish.
6	Impish Spy: The party notices movement in the distance, something peeking over a snowbank. Anyone succeeding on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check, either by sight or the faint smell of brimstone, recognizes a fiendish connection, and characters who can see it and know the Infernal language or succeed on a DC 12 Intelligence (Arcana) check recognize it as an imp. It disappears as soon as the party discovers or moves toward it.

Cold Feet

Around noon, the party arrives at a treacherous ice field and notices the ice cracking under their feet in some places. Six frostbite spiders emerge from the snow to attack them.

The fresh powder over hard ice conceals hidden thin patches of ice, which collapse into twenty-foot pits. Creatures who enter a space with thin ice must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or fall into the pit, landing prone and taking 2d6 damage. The frostbite spiders can move over the spaces without collapsing them, using their tremorsense to navigate around the thinnest parts.

Anyone who falls into or examines the pits will notice that they are not individual pits, but an irregular icy tunnel that has collapsed in some parts. The tunnel follows roughly the same course that the party is going. It’s the path of the remorhaz, although it has collapsed in many parts, so the party can’t follow it underground.

A Pack of Trouble

The party sees a pack of eight wolves crossing the tundra one hundred feet ahead of them. As the wolves pass just beyond a hill between them and the party, sudden barking reverberates across the landscape. When the party reaches the crest of the hill, they see the ground below the wolves splashing with icy sludge as one of the wolves goes under, and ice and water erupt from the large puddle. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals the icy puddle itself is attacking the wolves.

The puddle is a glacial sludge intent on consuming the wolves and kills one per round unless the party intervenes.

At the end of the first round, more barking emerges from another hill, and a dog sled speeds over the crest and banks hard as a dwarven barbarian in a wheelchair, Donna Nason (she/her), launches from the sled, chains flinging a ram to the front of the chair, crashing into the sludge with a Wheelchair Ram attack. Donna is raging and will continue to attack with her ax in subsequent rounds as her partner, Michael (he/him, veteran), a tall light-skinned human with brown hair and gray insulated clothing, moves the sled out of the way to keep the dogs safe. Michael will only join in the fight if he believes Donna is in danger, as he’d rather let her have all the fun.

As the battle finishes, Michael brings the dogsled down the hill to Donna. Michael adjusts Donna’s legs and helps her detach the ax from her gauntlets. Donna amorously thanks Michael as he wipes the remnants of the sludge from her wheelchair and gear. In an affectionate tone that contrasts the rage the party just witnessed from her, Donna introduces herself and Michael to the party and asks what brings them out to the snowy wilderness.

GM Note: Depending on the strength of the party, Donna and Michael may join them in their quest if they need an extra blade, but otherwise, they will continue on their way, as they’re tracking frost giant marauders. If they part ways and the party gets into trouble, they can return to help, saying they noticed the remorhaz trail and were wondering whether that was a clue to find the giants.

Run with the Remorhaz and Hunt with the Trolls

Mid-afternoon, the party encounters two ice trolls, who have been tracking the remorhaz and are eager to capture it for its valuable hide and quantity of meat. One holds and sniffs Ava’s cane, which caught in the remorhaz’s carapace and fell off nearby. The trolls sniff it and notice an overlap with the smell of the remorhaz, which they find curious enough to discuss with each other, but it’s nothing more than a curiosity to them.

The trolls’ reaction to the party depends on the party’s behavior. They flash their claws and fangs but don’t immediately attack unless they feel threatened or see the party as an easy snack, instead pointing and ignoring the party while still aware of their location by smell. If the party demonstrates power without hostility, the trolls try to ignore the party, focusing on tracking the remorhaz. If the party attacks or interferes, the trolls attack.

Shortly after the party decides their course of action, they hear the sound of a sled approaching from the top of a nearby hill. A blue dragonborn ranger, Rivaan Linxakasendalor, comes into view, using javelins to propel herself down the slope on a sled. If the party is fighting the trolls, she joins in against the trolls. Rivaan is determined to find the remorhaz, as she believes it to be the one that killed her father years ago, and she will ally herself with anyone she believes will help her destroy the monster, which may include siding with the trolls if necessary.

Since the trolls and party are both heading in the same direction, confrontation is nearly inevitable, either by the party or the trolls’ annoyance, although the trolls may decide to let the party kill the remorhaz and then take advantage of the weakened party.

Getting Warmer…

Late in the evening, the party arrives at the cave. The floor is glare ice and slightly wet in spots. Rivaan has no problem navigating it on her sled, but anyone walking must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) saving throw at the beginning of their turn to avoid falling prone during any combat within the cave unless taking measures to stabilize themselves.

Once within the cave, Kaldur attempts to slip away from the party. He points them to a path that he claims he doesn’t recognize and asks them to explore it. If caught, he tells them that he’s too “rusty” to fight a remorhaz and only wants to find Ava, so he’ll wait for them at the entrance to the cave.

Frozen Forge

The party comes to a large chamber with a table, anvil, hammers, tongs, and other forge implements but no bellows, only a fifteen-foot cube cage and a large pile of chains.

The tools lie on a page of scorched and blood-stained parchment inscribed with a poem written in Infernal:

Through ice and fire, power shall rise,

A pact of darkness, a deadly prize.

To wield the forge, no flame's embrace,

The chosen one shall claim their place.

Let molten cold consume your will,

And frozen flames your soul distill,

Till power binds your blood with ore,

Inseparable forevermore.

With passion’s fire and heart of ice,

Invoke the frost's infernal price,

Fulfill the pact, your power seize,

Ignite the world, and let it freeze.

In the corner of the room, a wooden wardrobe holds two pickaxes, two sets of crampons, and Braces of Frigid Flight.

Braces of Frigid Flight

Wondrous Item, uncommon (requires attunement)

The crystalline leg braces have icy wings extending from the sides and reduce leg-related mobility penalties by 1 while worn.

While you wear these braces, you have a flying speed equal to your walking speed. You can use the braces to fly for up to 1 hour, all at once or in several shorter flights, each one using a minimum of 1 minute from the duration. If you are flying when the duration expires, you descend at a rate of 30 feet per round until you land. When the duration expires, the braces melt and cannot be used again and are rendered non-magical.

A Hot Mess

Warm fog fills the final chamber, and the remorhaz senses anyone walking on the floor while waiting in a hot pool in the back of the chamber, springing out once anyone walking approaches within thirty feet of the pool and attacking.

The remorhaz wears a black iron cuff on one of its legs, noticeable with a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check. A successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals an inscription in the neck of its carapace depicting two remorhaz heads, one larger than the other. If the party doesn’t notice the inscription, Rivaan notices after a round of combat.

Remorhaz Subjugator

Tiny construct, unaligned

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points 10 (4d4)

Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12 (+1)	16 (+3)	10 (+0)	3 (-4)	10 (+0)	1 (-5)

Skills Stealth +5

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t adamantine

Damage Immunities cold, fire, poison, psychic

Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone

Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 10

Languages understands the languages of its creator but can’t speak

Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Immutable Form. The Subjugator is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.

Magic Resistance. The Subjugator has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Spider Climb. The Subjugator can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Actions

Anklet Attachment. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target. Hit: 0 damage, and the Subjugator attaches to the target. While attached, the target cannot remove the Subjugator. Anyone else besides the wearer of the Shackler’s Restraint attempting to remove the Subjugator must successfully grapple the remorhaz’s leg (as attempting to grapple, but regardless of size differences). On a successful grapple, the grappler must succeed on a contested Strength check against the Subjugator removes it.

Dominated Remorhaz. When attached to a target, the Subjugator can use its action to polymorph the target into a remorhaz. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw to avoid the effect. Once polymorphed, the target is charmed by the wearer of the Shackler’s Restraint as a Dominate Monster spell. The effect lasts as long as the Subjugator remains attached to the target.

The remorhaz subjugator is a tiny construct designed to resemble a remorhaz wrapped around a creature's leg, specifically crafted to be stealthy and discreet. Its primary purpose is to aid in the subjugation and control of creatures targeted by the corresponding Shackler's Restraint armband or anklet. The remorhaz subjugator can turn invisible to avoid detection until it's ready to use its Domination ability on a target, compelling them to follow the wielder's commands. However, with each use, it weakens the Shackler's Restraint wielder, eventually leading to exhaustion and rendering the Shackler's Restraint non-magical.

Shackler's Restraint
Wondrous Item (armband), rare (requires attunement)
This black iron armband allows you to telepathically control a single remorhaz subjugator and thus the subjugator’s dominated remorhaz. You can mentally command the figurine to crawl onto a target creature whose location is known to the wielder or subjugator. The dominated creature retains awareness but is compelled to obey the wielder's commands. You can command the dominated creature as the Dominate Monster spell, but with unlimited duration, no concentration required.

Removing either your armband or the subjugator ends the domination effect.

Each time the remorhaz subjugator attaches to a new target, you must make a DC 8 Wisdom saving throw, the DC increasing by 1 with each new target. On a failure, you are permanently polymorphed into a remorhaz.

If the subjugator is destroyed, you must succeed on an additional Wisdom saving throw with a DC as if it attached to a new target or 16, whichever is greater, or be permanently polymorphed into a remorhaz. On success, you instead take 4d6 psychic damage.

Kaldur hides in a corner of the chamber behind a boulder, watching the events unfold. If the remorhaz is killed or the subjugator removed from it, he controls it to climb onto another target. He intends to use it on another target as he needs the heat from a remorhaz to forge his weapon. If noticed, he claims to have come in looking for the remorhaz. He denies any connection unless a Detect Magic spell reveals the enchantment aura of the shackle under his coat.

The remorhaz is blind and can’t detect anyone moving silently along the walls or ceiling or flying, but if it hears them, it can attack them with a −4 penalty to hit, attempting to knock them to the floor where its tremorsense can pinpoint their location.

If events turn against Kaldur, he shouts, “Unqon!” and an ice devil appears and attacks the party.

If the combat goes against the party, depending how they handled previous encounters, the ice trolls, Donna Nason, or even the wolves may appear and aid the party.

A Warm Welcome

Night has fallen, and the cave offers shelter for a long rest. The next morning, Rivaan makes sure that the subjugator is destroyed and leaves in search of the remorhaz that killed her parents.

The GM may choose a random encounter from above or skip to the party’s arrival back at the village. As they travel, they hear the howls of wolves in the distance.

The party arrives in the evening. Most of the village sit around a central bonfire, resting after a hard day’s work repairing storm damage. Their weary faces gain new energy as they see the party return with Ava, but they ask about Kaldur and respond to news of his betrayal with shock and sadness.

Brace eagerly offers the party mugs of hot mulled wine and bowls heaping with venison stew in a savory cheese sauce with berry cobbler for dessert, asking them how they’re coping with the stresses of the adventure. “That must have been scary. I bet you’re feeling a tangle of feelings right now.” “Were there times you wondered how you’d succeed? How did you overcome?” “What’s going through your mind now that it’s all done?” He offers no advice, only empathy and appreciation.

Gertie offers her best bedding at the inn and asks whether they need anything else. The smell of roasted nuts fills the warm air, and the beds feel soft and welcoming.

The next morning, the aroma of Ava’s bakery wafts through the village. She’s been up all night baking, and she brings a cart full of sweet rolls and mincemeat pastries to the inn to greet the party. The flavors attract the rest of the village, and soon, the inn is bustling with joyful conversations and expressions of gratitude.

Brace reaches into his pocket and pulls out a package wrapped in string and brown paper and hands it to the party as an expression of the village’s appreciation. The box, padded with cedar shavings, contains an Aurora Breeze Chime.

Aurora Breeze Chime

Wondrous Item (windchime), common

The Aurora Breeze Chime is a beautiful windchime crafted from pure gold with intricately designed antler-shaped chimes. It has one charge. When hung up in an area where even a slight breeze blows consistently for the duration of a short rest, it creates a magical resonance within a 30-foot radius. This resonance affects anyone using hit dice for healing during the short rest, granting them an additional hit point of healing. The chime regains its expended charge daily at dawn.

The tundra is cold and hard, but the warmth of hearth and joy of the community provide a welcome contrast.

Wondrous Item, common

This headband and brooch filters background noise while worn to help you hear the words spoken by the nearest speaker. You can also remove the brooch and give it to the person you’re trying to hear, up to ten ft. away with no obstacles between you to hear their voice directly as if they were speaking directly into your ear. This reduces the IE of Sensory Processing Difference (Hearing) by 2 IEs, but it also gives a −2 penalty on all Wisdom (Perception) checks.

When you’re alone and cold, a close friend will warm you. The Warmth domain focuses on close friendships and trusting relationships apart from the passions of romantic love. Gods of hearth, life, and war can claim influence over this domain, as can gods of love whose focus extends to a broader range of human relationships.

Warmth Domain Spells

Cleric Level	Spells
1st	Bless, Protection from Evil and Good
3rd	Aid, Warding Bond
5th	Beacon of Hope, Mass Healing Word
7th	Locate Creature, Mass Cure Wounds
9th	Forbiddance, Heal

Bonus Proficiency

When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain proficiency with Insight and Persuasion.

Better Together

Also at 1st level, you can strengthen your friends by each others’ presence. As an action, you choose a number of willing creatures within 30 feet of you (this can include yourself) equal to your proficiency bonus. You create a magical connection among them for 10 minutes or until you use this feature again. While any connected creature is within 30 feet of you, you can grant each temporary hit points equal to 1d4 + your proficiency bonus for the duration as long as they stay within range.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Channel Divinity: Bond of Friendship

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to bolster the confidence of your allies. As an action, you present your holy symbol and choose a number of willing creatures within 30 feet of you (this can include yourself) up to your cleric level. While they remain within range, they have resistance to psychic damage and a bonus equal to your proficiency bonus on all saving throws against being frightened or charmed or on saving throws required by uncomfortable emotions such as Amplified Emotions or Baseless Emotions. The effect lasts for 1 minute or until you are incapacitated or die.

Channel Divinity: Through Thick and Thin

Starting at 6th level, your Better Together feature also gives each affected creature advantage on one Constitution or Wisdom saving throw of its choice while under the effects of this feature, and it also restores one hit die to each affected creature.

Divine Strike

At 8th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with divine energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 psychic damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.

Thick as Thieves

At 17th level, when you use your Bond of Friendship feature, all affected creatures also gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.