Second is Ice

Svellkirkja: The Cold-Heart of Faith

In a small wooded glade, with graves scattered around, lies an old church avoided by all. The land around it is covered in frost, and a cold wind blows around the trees. The doors stand ajar, icicles hanging down from the arched doorway.

Notes:

The immediate surroundings are freezing, the wind cold and blustery and it is impossible to get a restful sleep if camping outdoors. All fire-based attacks, magical or otherwise, are reduced in power: damage is halved, saving throws are at +4. Normal torches, lanterns and candles are all dimmed, their flames fluttering and dwindling so that their radius is also halved.

Key:

  1. The church is flanked by frosted graves, inside of which lie the icy remains of sinners. These rise out of the frozen earth, a turn after intruders enter the area.
    - Ice Zombies (12): [AC as leather, HD 3, #Ats 1 fist (1d8), undead, slow].
  2. A pair of frosted glass doors stand ajar, a chill breeze blowing from inside. Arcane runes decorate the glass: runes of warding, cold, and life-eternal.
  3. The main body of the church is partially frozen, with thick ice flowing up to the arched ceiling. Wooden pews stand covered in cracked ice, the wood beneath warped and broken. At the far end stands an ornate altar of white marble flecked with deep blue veins. Snow drifts from the air, covering the altar lightly, but never piling up more than a few inches at a time.
  4. Standing in this cold room is a 10' cube, seemingly a frozen block of ice. Inside, clearly visible is a soft glowing blue crystal globe, which sits perfectly in the centre of the cube. The cube is in fact a frozen gelatinous cube, that will attack anyone who enters the room.
    - F
    rozen Gelatinous Cube (1): [AC as unarmoured, HD 5, #Ats 1 touch (2d6 cold) & paralyse by touch (save allowed, failure means frozen to the spot for 1d6 turns), immune to cold, engulf on a successful hit if victim is paralysed, dealing automatic damage each round until slain].
  5. This cold room has a boarded-up door, a thin layer of ice covering it. Anyone pulling the boards away may alert (4-in-6 chance) the cultists in the adjacent room.
  6. Chosen to protect the church and all it contains, a cult of ice-worshippers guards the church. There are three cultists, each a skilled fighter armed with ice-picks and warm robes. Their barracks holds a cupboard of clothing, rations, a rack of spears (four) and a chest that holds 756 sp, 65 gp and several ice-blue gemstones (total value 250 gp).
    - Cultists (3): [AC as leather, HD 2, #Ats 1 dagger (1d4), spells as 1st-level clerics].
  7. The stairs down to the cellar is blocked by a thick floe of ice, which takes 1d6 hours to hack through, or 3d6 turns if fire is used.
  8. A storeroom that holds barrels of chilled wine and water, sacks and crates of frozen vegetables and slabs of meat, and a rack that holds a couple of spears, a sword, and a suit of leather armour. 
  9. In the cellar of the church stands a tall statue of solid ice, its hand outstretched. If the crystal globe is placed in the palm of the hand it clutches it tight, and the corresponding barrier at the tower is removed.

No comments:

Post a Comment