The sleepy village of Heldren has rarely seen so much excitement or concern. Hunters from the nearby Border Wood speak of unnaturally cold weather at the height of summer that descended on the forest just days ago. Heavy snow followed, and those who returned spoke of an uneasy presence in the woods, as well as new, dangerous predators. No one knows what this event means, but the town's soothsayer, Old Mother Theodora, claims dark times lie ahead.
Councilwoman Ionnia Teppen approached Casia in the Town Square. She looked up at “the Lady” and spoke ardently.
“Casia, we need your help. The Border Wood seems to be under a curse or magic spell. We fear that Qadiran agents have played a role in it. Bring your followers to the Town Hall immediately.”
Casia ran off to the armory where her group gathered, and sounded the alarm, soon Jorgen and the Elf twins Santrel and Fanara joined her and she led them to the hall.
Meanwhile Amadeo entered the village and passing the Livery came upon the town square and a statue of a beautiful woman square in the center. He saw the signage for The Silver Stoat, with a distinctive foamy mug. Before he could enter a woman in fashionable wear approached.
“I am a Ionnia Teppen, leader of the town council. We are in need of some strong bodies, there is an unusual occurrence in the Border Wood. Snow is falling in the midst of summer!”
She actually had Amadeo's attention before snow, but that sealed the deal, he was ready to help.
“Please come with me,” she added as she led him across the square to the largest building in the village, complete with a clock tower.
Heldren was abuzz with activity as Casia and group walked to the town hall. Inside the council, except Ionnia were seated at the council table. They indicated that the group should sit. Shortly Ionnia entered leading an unknown human male with fancy coat, tight breeches, a large feathered hat and high leather boots. He sat in the row next to your group.
Elder Natharen Safander stood up and addressed the group in the hall.
“As you know Hunters from the nearby Border Wood speak of unnaturally cold weather at the height of summer that descended on the forest just days ago. Heavy snow followed, and those who returned spoke of an uneasy presence in the woods, as well as new, dangerous predators. No one knows what this event means, but the town's soothsayer, Old Mother Theodora, claims dark times lie ahead.”
Isker Euphram, the smithy, next
stood.
“We have several reports from farmers of strange happenings. On farmer’s son took ill a few days ago after falling through the ice over Wishbone Creek. The boy said he spotted a white stag in the forest – and heard it talking – then tried to follow it. Locals say a hunter named Dryden Kepp claimed he saw a giant white weasel on the High Ridge in the forest. No one believed him so he went back to trap it and prove them wrong. He hasn’t been seen since.”
Then Ionnia Teppen arose and
addressed the group.
“Two weeks ago, Lady Argentea Malassene traveled past Helden on her way from Oppara to Zimar to meet her betrothed. Rumor has it the two didn’t get along and Lady Argentea caused a scandal by calling off the engagement and returning home. Yesterday a rider from Zimar arrived in town bearing ominous tidings. The rider, an Ulfen mercenary named Yuln Oerstag, was part of the guard escorting Lady Argentea from Zimar to Oppara. As the caravan skirted the Border Wood, however, the noblewoman’s carriage came under attack by bandits and strange, wintry creatures. Lady Argentea was carried off, and Yuln was the only one to escape. He is badly wounded, but he has been able to describe the horrific creatures that attacked the noblewoman’s party.”
Finally, her eyes fell on the group of five and she pleaded, “Our militia is barely large enough to protect the town, we need your assistance. Casia, I know you have been aching to go on an adventure, now is your chance.”
Suddenly the old hermit Milonius Tucca stood in the doorway speaking quietly but intently to the audience.
“Old Man Dansby came by claiming that someone keeps stealing from his fields. His farm lies closest to the Border Wood. Half his crops have died from an icy frost and the rest have been carried off. The weather is unusually cold for midsummer, and it even snowed in the Border Wood!”
"It's the old hermit, Milonius," Casia whispered to her group. "What is he doing here?"
"And who are you," Jorgen inquired of the fancily dressed man with the feathered hat.
"I just walked into town, having left my last ship, and the mayor wondered if I was available for work," Amadeo replied. "My name is Amadeo Volus!"
"We accept the challenge," Casia said to Ionnia, "We would like to speak with this Ulfen mercenary before we leave though."
"Are you interested in joining with this group to investigate the disappearance of the Lady Malassene," Ionnia asked Milos.
"I have determined to leave my hermitage and rejoin the world. I would love to find what is going on in the Border Wood," he responded.
"Despite the best efforts of Elder Safander it will take some time before Yuln is hale and hearty enough to travel again, much less wield a weapon," Tessaraea related to the party.
Despite his obvious pain, he waved the party closer to speak with them.
"Would that I could go with you," he said. "My ancestors would ridicule my lack of valor for fleeing rather than fighting to the end. But I faced enemies that even the greatest warriors in the Linnorm Kingdoms have faltered against, though I think I slew at least one of them before they dragged Lady Argentea away."
Pushing her way forward, Fanara began the questions. "Who attacked you?"
"We thought they were just bandits at first-outlaws who hide like wolves in the forest. They were no match for us. But then came the cold fey of the north. They appeared among us and the battle turned quickly. My people speak of the winter-touched all the time, but I never expected to meet them this far south."
"Winter touched. What are they?" Casia responded.
"Fey creatures who have sworn themselves to the White Witches of Irrisen, those who stole our lands from us during the Winter War. Tiny sprites no taller than the length of a man's forearm. But don't be fooled by their small stature. Legends say they have taken a sliver of ice into their hearts, and their touch bears the harsh bite of winter."
"How does one fight these winter-touched?" Amadeo inquired.
"With cold iron and burning flame. Both burn them, and both are weapons they fear."
"Are you the only one who survived the attack?" Fanara asked.
"Only myself and Lady Malassene."
"Where did they take Lady Malassene?" Casia then asked.
"Into the forest, back through the ice and snow. Beyond that, I don't know. I followed as far as I could, but the winter-touched were too many and too hard to fend off in the snow alone. I barely escaped, and rode to seek help here."
"So the snow is worse in the Wood?" Jorgen asked with glee on his face.
"Yes the snow is heavier as you go into the Wood. It is also colder. You can tell from some of my injuries."
"Why would they want Lady Malassene?" Santrel finally piped up.
"I don't know. But if one of the White Witches took her, no good shall come of it. The winter-touched do nothing without the leave of those who placed the ice in their hearts . If they're here, it's because a White Witch sent them. And much worse will follow."
With that Yuln appeared to sink back down in his bed. Tessaraea moved forward and began to usher the group out of the room. "He needs more rest now. We should really leave him be."
Yuln gasped as he fell asleep, "I have no additional information but I am willing to loan my cold iron longsword to the party to assist in rescuing Lady Argentea."
As the party was leaving the Apothecary, Milos and a few others picked up Alchemist's fire from Tessaraea. Casia was talking to Ionnia trying to negotiate for equipment, especially the cold-weather outfits at the general store.
Ionnia talked with Vavialla and she offered the outfits for free to the party. But she expected them back when the group returned. Mother Theodora sold the scroll of sleep to Santrel and the party picked up some other weapons and armor from Isker the Smithy. When fully outfitted the party headed out south of town the ten miles to the site of the massacre. They came upon the remains of the noblewoman's escort on the fringes of the Border Wood.
Near the forest, the temperature grew noticeably colder. The road ahead was littered with debris and the corpses of slain humans and horses. A carriage stood in the roadway, its team of horses missing or cut free, while another overturned carriage lay sprawled and broken next to the tree line . To the south , more bodies were fallen around what appeared to be a statue of ice . A snowy trail led deeper into the forest. This close to the winter pocket a light dusting of snow covered the ground.
The party spread out over the scene investigating various bodies and debris. Milos and Casia headed to the statue of ice. The remains of the Taldan captain tasked with escorting Lady Argentea from Zimar back to Oppara stand here as a gruesome statue, his slain body mostly encased in ice. Unfortunately,
the captain's body is no longer intact, as pieces of him now lay in blocks of slowly melting ice at his feet.
Jorgen and Fanara were studying the various bodies, Taldan guards, handmaidens and apparent servants lay in morbid gore, along with dismembered horses. There were some bodies of humans dressed in clothes to camouflage them in the forest also lay among the dead. Santrel was examining broken boxes which were surrounded by strewn clothing and courtiers outfits. As he moved closer to the upright carriage he heard muffled sounds of movement inside the carriage.
Jorgen moved immediately to the door on the side of the expensive carriage. It bore marks of Taldan heraldry as well as damage from many arrows fired in the battle. A spear had been wedged between the handles of the doors to hold them closed. Jorgen removed the spear and then opened the door.
Jorgen again stepped back and threw a dagger which missed the mark, Fanara continued with arrows into the dead flesh and dropped a Zombie into unlife. The other Zombie moved up and hit Jorgen, Casia fired again and hit the remaining creature. Santrel cast Acid Splash and Amadeo used his rapier to great advantage with a critical hit that dropped it.
As the party gathered themselves, Milos gave Jorgen a cure light wounds spell. Santrel and Fanara looked into the carriage and noted a small jewelry box under the rear seat. Santrel climbed in and retrieved the box which contained a Taldor Signet ring and other jewelry. Casia and Milos headed back to the statue where they found a chunk of ice which contained the severed captain's arm, still grasping his longsword.
The overturned carriage held the defined bodies of two handmaidens. Fanara found no magic or nothing on them. Jorgen noted the obvious tracks leading south from the Ice statue, between a copse of trees and over a snowy plain toward the Border Wood.
Taking the chunk of ice with the sword the party followed the path south to the Wood. As they entered the Wood the temperature dropped even more and the snow was heavier and deeper slowing movement to half speed. Even with the Cold weather outfit Santrel took some damage from the cold. As the path entered the full expanse of the Border Wood, the trail passed through a small clearing among the taller trees before continuing uphill and out of sight. A large chest lay half-buried in the snow.
Fanara and Jorgen approached stealthily with Jorgen moving right next to the chest. The rest of the party stayed scattered across the clearing. Jorgen checked the chest to see if it was locked. Finding it unlocked he opened the chest and a spiked log dropped down and swept through the area of the chest catching Jorgen with bludgeoning and piercing damage.
The chest was empty but Fanara cast Prestidigitation to move it around in the snow. The party then lifted the chest out of the way exposing spoils buried underneath it. Armor, swords, spears, a fine chain shirt and dagger. Also there were light crossbows and bolts. The party split up some of the loot and left the rest in the chest and prepared to head further into the Wood.
DM's Notes: The party earned 67 XP for the adventures.
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