Chapter: Frozen Sick

Refer to:https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/wa/frozen-sick   Pre-adventure work: determine why the characters are in Palebank Village.

Scene 1

Snow gently falls and the wind bites your cheeks as you stand in the graveyard of Palebank Village, a fishing settlement at the foothills of the Kaedweni Hertch mountains that is home to several hundred dwarves and elves. The sun is low in the sky, sinking behind the fresh grave of Urgon Wenth, an old dwarf who caught a curse or disease that turned him into an ice statue. The folk of the village have gathered to pay their final respects to Urgon’s frozen remains.   Players can decide whether any of them knew Urgon or whether they’ve come to the funeral simply to show respect to the folk of the community. If the party is split between people who knew Urgon (or stayed in Palebank Village for more than a month) and those just stopping by (or are Witchers), we can introduce the former in this scene and the latter in a tavern a short while later.   A gruff voice speaks softly from behind you. “Thank you for attending Urgon’s service.” You turn and meet the gaze of Elro Aldataur, a weathered elf, retired ranger, and the leader of the village. “I’m sorry to speak of dark tidings under such circumstances, but I believe that Palebank Village might be in danger, and I’m hoping you can help us.”   Elro, not wanting to raise alarm and cause even more worry than already exists, suggests that they take the conversation indoors. He briefly leads these characters through the village before taking them to the Slaughtered Ox inn.   Village description:

• Settled on the banks of the Teal river.
• Buildings seem slightly haphazardly placed.
• Watermill by river, windmill near the lookout post (highest point).
• Docking area near the river where fishermen moor their boats.
• Most of the inhabitants are dwarves, next most common are elves and then humans and gnomes.

Slaughtered Ox description:

• A place where musicians and bards are gathered, playing music.
• Inn is lively, full of chatter and soft clanking of utensils.
• Pollard, the Dwarven barkeep recognizes Elro, automatically says he'll get drinks for them at his usual spot.
• Elro guides the characters to a table where other characters are sitting. These are the ones who're just stopping by, including any Witchers. Elro has asked them to wait.

  Elro tells them the following:

• Two months ago, Urgon Wenth returned home after exploring Coedwig Eira. He had been back only for a few days when he came down with a strange affliction, which made the dwarf move slowly and caused blue veins to appear all over his body.
• The village’s priests and medics mustered up all to attempt to heal Urgon, but nothing they tried could stop the bizarre malady. Urgon battled the affliction for weeks until his ever-slowing body eventually turned to ice.
• Until yesterday, Elro and the rest of the community believed that Urgon’s sad fate was an isolated incident, most likely caused by something the dwarf came into contact with while exploring Coedwig Eira. Then Elro noticed Tulgi Lutan, a dwarf trapper, showing signs of the same illness. Alarmed, Elro tried to talk to Tulgi about it, but she pushed him away, asking that he let her die in peace.

Elro wants them to find out what caused Urgon and Tulgi’s affliction. He’s worried that it could spread. Tulgi is extremely distrustful of the authorities, so Elro thinks a group of adventurers might have better luck convincing Tulgi to talk. If the characters agree to help find the cause of Urgon and Tulgi’s affliction, Elro offers to pay them 100 gp. He suggests that the characters start by searching Urgon’s home or talking to Tulgi at her cabin.        

Urgon's Cabin

    Urgon Wenth lived in a one-story, one-room log cabin at the edge of town. A good-natured Glassblade rookie named Mila Teno (a lawful good, female wood elf scout) stands guard outside the front door. If the characters explain why they’ve come, she allows them to enter the house and look around. When the characters enter the cabin, read:   This cramped, dark cabin might have been a cozy place when its owner was alive. Now an unmade bed stands near a cold fireplace, its mantle hung with the head of some beast with white horns. On the other side of the room, a small table strewn with dirty dishes and set with a dwarf-sized chair stands before two empty shelves whose contents are scattered across the floor: kitchen utensils, dried foodstuffs, adventuring gear, and a few books.   Any character who examines the mess in the cabin realizes that someone recently trashed the place while searching it. A successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals the intruder’s footprints. Tulgi Lutan was the culprit, desperate for any clues that might help her cure the frigid woe that is killing her. Her tracks lead outside and back to her cabin (see “Tulgi’s Cabin” below).   Adventuring Equipment Urgon’s adventuring equipment consists of a maul; a suit of splint armor sized for a dwarf; bulky, fur-lined clothing sized for a dwarf; a grappling hook; and a hooded lantern.   Mounted Head Represents a Leshen skull. However, a Witcher or a character who succeeds in a DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check knows that it's a fake as the antlers are made of bone and not wood.   Strange Receipt A character who searches through the books on the shelf and succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation) check finds a folded receipt used as a bookmark. The receipt is dated two months previous and indicates that Urgon sold several Elven items found in Eiselcross to local antique shop Pelc’s Curiosities for 1,000 GP. The items are listed as a dagger, a scroll case, a jade statuette, a quiver of twenty arrows, a silver ring set with jasper, and two blue glass vials.   Characters who are residents of Palebank Village or have been there for a while know of Pelc’s Curiosities—and also know that the shop was robbed and vandalized two months ago.   Development After searching the cabin, the characters can continue their investigation by going to Tulgi’s cabin or by stopping at Pelc’s Curiosities (assuming they found the receipt).  

Tulgi's Cabin

When the characters approach Tulgi’s cabin, read: This snow-covered cabin looks peaceful and quiet from the outside. Its windows are shuttered, and a steady stream of smoke piping out of the chimney indicates a roaring fire within.   Tulgi Lutan’s home is a one-story, one-room log cabin. Because she isn’t keen on letting the characters in, the following features might be important:  

• The roof of the cabin is 12 feet high. Climbing up the outside walls requires a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check.
• The wooden door to the cabin is locked and has AC 15, 18 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. The lock can be picked with a successful DC 12 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools, or the door can be forced open with a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check. Tulgi carries the key that unlocks the door.
• Each of the cabin’s four walls has one window, which is shuttered and latched from the inside. A window can be unlatched from outside with a successful DC 12 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools.
• The inside of the cabin is brightly lit by fires in a brazier and a fireplace, though the smoky haze given off by both makes the interior lightly obscured.
• If the characters knock on the door, Tulgi Lutan (a neutral evil, female mountain dwarf thug with a walking speed of 10 feet) calls from the other side, telling them to go away. A character who shouts back through the door and succeeds on a DC 12 Charisma (Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion) check convinces Tulgi to open the door and allow the party inside. Otherwise, she ignores anything the characters say.

  If the characters aren’t invited inside, they’ll have to decide what other means they’re willing to use to enter. Regardless of how they do so, when the characters enter the cabin, read:   The heat in this small cabin hits like a hammer blow. A table set with neatly stacked dishes, tools, and utensils stands at the center of the room. The smell of a simmering soup comes from a pot hanging inside a roaring fireplace. Another fire burns in an iron brazier at the opposite end of the room, filling the cabin with a smoky haze. Shivering at the end of a bed near the brazier is a dwarf wrapped in blankets. Bulging blue veins streak her face, neck, and hands.   If the characters broke into the cabin, Tulgi attacks as soon as she sees them, fighting until reduced to 10 hit points, then surrendering. She has two pet wolves, Iro and Jira, that hide beneath her bed. If a fight breaks out, the wolves join the fray to defend her.   Fire Hazards Any creature that comes into contact with the brazier or the fireplace for the first time on its turn, or that starts its turn there, takes 2 (1d4) fire damage.   What Tulgi Knows Tulgi is gruff and to the point, and tries to compensate for her illness with bluster. If the characters entered the cabin with her permission or if she surrenders to them, she tells them only that she has the same affliction that killed Urgon, and that she’s looking for a cure.   A character who succeeds on a DC 12 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check convinces Tulgi to reveal the following information:   Tulgi came to Palebank Village a few years back with her sister, Hulil. Both work for the Scoia'tael remnants. The Scoia'tael sent the sisters and a few others to the village to keep an eye on treasures coming back from Eiselcross—with the intent of stealing them for funds. When Urgon Wenth returned to Palebank Village with treasures from Eiselcross, Tulgi saw her chance. She waited for Urgon to sell his finds to Pelc’s Curiosities, then stole them all. Tulgi gave most of Urgon’s relics to Hulil, but kept one for herself—an ornate dagger. She grudgingly gives this weapon to the characters if asked (see “Treasure” below). Hulil has the other items in a site north of the village known as Croaker Cave. Tulgi was the one who searched Urgon’s cabin, convinced that the dead dwarf must have had magic or other secrets stored away there.   Treasure If Tulgi doesn’t offer her dagger to the characters, any character with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 11 or higher notices the ornate blade in a gilded sheath tucked under her shirt. If the characters claim the +1 dagger, a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana or History) check reveals that the dagger is a relic of Eiselcross.   Development The characters have no trouble finding either Croaker Cave or Pelc’s Curiosities if either of those locations is their next destination. If things went bad with Tulgi and she died before revealing any information, the characters might find notes or instructions from Hulil revealing some of the information above.  

Pelc's Curiosities

Pelc’s Curiosities is an antique shop run by an introverted elf named Verla Pelc. Verla keeps to herself, opening her shop only when the mood strikes her. She trades any and all objects that interest her, shipping them across The Continent. Characters who are residents of Palebank Village or have been there for a while know of Pelc’s Curiosities—and also know that the shop was robbed and vandalized two months ago. If the characters are recent arrivals to the village, anyone they ask about the shop mentions the robbery. Pelc’s Curiosities is a one-story, two-room log cabin. The windows are shuttered and locked from inside, leaving the interior dark. The only entrance is the front door, but characters can force open one of the shutters around the back with a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check, granting access to Verla’s quarters (see that section below).   When the characters approach the cabin, read:   The dark cabin before you has a sign over its door which reads, “Pelc’s Curiosities,” with the image of a curving dragon used to make the letter P. Though the shop appears closed, the front door is slightly ajar.   Any character with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 11 or higher hears whispered voices and footsteps coming from inside the cabin. If the characters succeed on a group DC 10 Dexterity (Stealth) check, they can surprise the bandits currently in the shop.   Front Shop Area The antique shop occupies the large front room of the cabin. When the characters can see into this area, read:   Five cloaked elves appear to have ransacked the shop and are searching through the broken debris on the floor. The furniture, shelves, and front counter have been smashed, and the shop’s wares now litter the floor.   This area is difficult terrain thanks to the debris covering it. The five elves are bandits with darkvision out to a range of 60 feet, advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and immunity to magic that would put them to sleep.   The bandits attack as soon as they notice the characters, fighting until only one remains. That survivor then surrenders. If a captive bandit is questioned, a character who succeeds on a DC 10 Charisma (Intimidation) check can learn the following information:  

• The bandits work for Hulil Lutan, a dwarf priestess of Tiamat. Hulil works for the Uttolot family of Shadycreek Run.
• Hulil’s sister, Tulgi, robbed Pelc’s Curiosities two months ago.
• Hulil is sick or cursed with some affliction that causes her to move slowly and is turning her veins blue.
• Hulil ordered the bandits to trash Pelc’s Curiosities in search of potions, scrolls, or other items that might help cure her. Despite their thorough search, the bandits found nothing useful. Hulil is hiding out with more bandits in Croaker Cave.

Verla’s Quarters Verla’s quarters are at the back of the cabin. When the characters gain access to this area, read:   What appears to be an ice statue of an elf is bundled beneath the blankets of a bed along the east wall of the room. A small table loaded with dirty teacups and a kettle stands next to the bed.   The figure in the bed is the unfortunate Verla Pelc, who was infected with frigid woe by Urgon Wenth’s Eiselcross relics. Her symptoms appeared a few weeks after the shop was robbed, but the reclusive elf never told anyone about them.   Development Questioning any of the bandits can turn up solid leads that can take the characters to Croaker Cave, or back to Tulgi’s cabin if there are other questions the dwarf has yet to answer. If they were unable to question the bandits, you can have one of the bandits carrying orders from Hulil that point toward the Croaker Cave hideout.  

Croaker Cave

Croaker Cave gets its name from its resident giant ice frogs. Its entrance is on the shores of the Frigid Depths, due north of Palebank Village. As the characters draw close to the cave entrance, they see frequent signs of tracks where bandits have been coming and going. However, there are no signs of patrols or guards. A plume of smoke rises from the ground beyond the cave entrance, venting through a narrow natural chimney from area C6. The chimney is too small to be climbed, however, and the main cave entrance is the only entry point.   Knowing that the residents of Palebank Village avoid the cave and its dangerous frogs, Hulil Lutan has made the place her base of operations. She and the Scoia'tael bandits she commands have domesticated the giant ice frogs that make the cave their home, using them as guard animals.   The blue-skinned frogs attack any creatures in the cave complex not escorted by bandits they recognize. Each fights until reduced to half its hit points or fewer, then flees. A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check as an action convinces one frog to not attack or to stop attacking. If the character or any of their allies attacks or harms the frog, it resumes combat.   The frogs spend much of their time resting in pools of murky, frigid water in Croaker Cave. A character who succeeds on a Wisdom (Perception) check opposed by a frog’s Dexterity (Stealth) check notices a frog hiding in a pool. If a frog goes undetected, it attacks with surprise when a character comes within 5 feet of the pool.   The bandits sent out with Hulil by the Uttolot family are all dwarves and elves. Up to ten bandits normally occupy Croaker Cave, but only three are currently present (in area C2). They use the bandit stat block and have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. In addition, the dwarves have resistance to poison damage and have advantage on saving throws against poison; the elves have advantage on saving throws against being charmed and immunity to magic that would put them to sleep Uttolot bandits attack any intruders on sight. Each fights until reduced to half its hit points or fewer, then flees the caves. If the characters capture an Uttolot bandit, they can learn the following information with a successful DC 10 Charisma (Intimidation) check:   Hulil is sick with the same malady that killed Urgon Wenth. She plans on trading the items her sister Tulgi stole from Pelc’s Curiosities allows her to pay for healing that will cure her.   Unless otherwise noted in an area’s description, the following features are common throughout all areas of Croaker Cave. Ceilings Cavern ceilings are 10 feet high, with only 8 feet of clearance beneath stalactites. Walls Climbing the rough walls of a cavern requires a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check. Light The caverns contain no light sources, except in area C6, as the inhabitants of Croaker Cave rely on darkvision to see. Frigid Pools Pools of murky, frigid water within the caverns are created by melting snow on the rocky ground above dripping down through the ceiling. Each pool is 10 feet deep. A creature completely submerged in a pool must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion. Creatures with resistance or immunity to cold damage automatically succeed on this saving throw. For each minute the creature spends submerged in a pool, it must repeat this saving throw, gaining another level of exhaustion on a failure.   C1. Entrance Pool   This area of the cave is close enough to the entrance that it is dimly lit by day and on clear moonlit nights. When the characters can see into this area, read:   The slow dripping of water sounds out where it falls from stalactites down into a murky pool that fills the rough tunnel ahead. Every few moments, a loud croaking sounds out from somewhere in the darkness beyond. With darkvision or an appropriate light source, the characters can see a 25-foot-long heavy wooden beam lying against the west wall of the cave at the south end the pool. The Scoia'tael bandits use the beam to cross the pool, and pull it back to the far side when they are in the cave.   Two giant ice frogs hide in the murky pool. If combat breaks out in this area, the bandits in area C2 quickly come to investigate.   C2. Training Pool The slow dripping of water from the ceiling flows to a pool in the southwest corner of this cavern. A large wooden bucket with a lid sits near the edge of the pool. Three Scoia'tael bandits and two giant ice frogs normally occupy this cavern. If the bandits have not yet been alerted to disturbances, they are training the frogs. Add the following:   A dwarf and two elves bundled in layers of winter clothing are throwing dead bats into the air. Two giant blue-skinned frogs leap up to snatch the bats in midair, seemingly as part of some sort of training session.   If the bandits went to investigate disturbances in adjacent areas, the frogs are hiding in the pool.   Bucket The bucket holds six dead bats used as training treats. A character who offers a dead bat to a frog has advantage on their next Wisdom (Animal Handling) check made to control that frog’s behavior.   C3. Bat Cavern   This cavern reeks, and its floor is covered in bat guano.     A swarm of bats sleeps among the stalactites in this cavern. If anything disturbs the bats (including a light source or a loud noise in the cavern), the swarm attacks the source of the disturbance. The swarm fights until reduced to half its hit points or fewer, then flees out of the cave complex. If combat breaks out in this area, the bandits in area C2 come to investigate.   Treacherous Floor The floor of this area is covered in slippery bat guano. Whenever a creature standing on the floor takes damage, it must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or fall prone.   C4. Bandit Camp   Ten empty bedrolls are arranged in a circle around a cold fire pit at the center of this cavern. Chicken bones, empty wine and spirits bottles, and other food waste litters the floor.   One of the bedrolls covers the opening of a 10-foot-deep pit trap. The trap can be spotted with a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check. If not spotted, anyone walking across the bedroll falls into the pit, taking 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage and landing prone. A creature that falls into the pit makes enough noise that the bandits in area C2 investigate.   Treasure Searching all the bedrolls reveals that one contains an unopened bottle of Mahakaman Spirit (worth 20 gp), an alcohol made by dwarves in Mahakam.   C5. Old Croaker's Pool   Water dripping down from stalactites in the ceiling fills a dark pool that completely covers the floor of this cavern.   Croaker Cave’s largest denizen—named Old Croaker by the Uttolot bandits—has claimed this pool. It hides in the water and attacks as other giant ice frogs. Old Croaker is a giant toad with immunity to cold damage. Old Croaker has been trained to ferry Hulil and visitors to her cavern (area C6) across the pool. A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check to convince Old Croaker to not attack the party can also convince the frog to ferry all the characters across the pool one at a time.   C6. Hulil's Cavern   When the characters can see into this area, read: A warm rush of heat comes from a massive fire burning in the center of this cavern, its smoke venting up through a narrow stone chimney. The flames illuminate a rough painting of a five-headed dragon that dominates the north wall. A bedroll is spread out beneath the mural. Near the crackling blaze, a dwarf bundled in a heavy cloak sits on a stone chest beside an elf whose face is covered in dragon tattoos. The dwarf’s face is streaked with pulsing blue veins. Hulil Lutan (a neutral evil, female mountain dwarf cult fanatic with a walking speed of 15 feet, darkvision out to a range of 60 feet, resistance to poison damage, and advantage on saving throws against poison) and her apprentice, Raegrin Mau (a neutral evil, male wood elf cultist with darkvision out to a range of 60 feet, advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and immunity to magic that would put him to sleep), are both in a state of deep meditation, praying to Tiamat for a cure for the dwarf’s affliction. Even if combat broke out in area C5, they remain unaware of the characters’ presence until they are disturbed or attacked. Hulil and Raegrin are both greedy servants of Tiamat and the Scoia'tael. Raegrin follows Hulil’s every order with unshaking loyalty. Hulil is so desperate for a cure for the ailment that is slowly killing her that she doesn’t attack the characters when she first sees them, as long as she isn’t attacked first. Instead, she orders them to stand down and demands to know why they came to the cave. A quick-thinking character can claim to have come to help Hulil (at the direction of her sister, after receiving a message from Tiamat, or with another appropriate rationale). With a successful Charisma (Deception) check opposed by Hulil’s Wisdom (Insight) check, the character convinces the dwarf that all the characters are her allies. On a failed check, or if the characters challenge her, Hulil and Raegrin attack. Campfire Any creature that enters the area of the fire for the first time on its turn, or that starts its turn there, takes 3 (1d6) fire damage. What Hulil Knows If the characters convince Hulil that they are her allies, or if they capture her or Raegrin and succeed on a DC 14 Charisma (Intimidation) check, they can learn the following information: Hulil believes she has a disease called Frigid Woe. Though she doesn’t know any more about the disease than its symptoms, she’s heard rumours that explorers in Eiselcross sometimes succumb to it. Hulil has guessed that her affliction was caused by one of the blue vials Tulgi stole from Pelc’s Curiosities, originally sold by Urgon Wenth. The vial was cracked, revealing that its lovely colour was the result of dark blue dust clinging to the interior. She hopes that she can trade the goods stolen by Tulgi for a cure. Hulil used one of the vials to trap the chest containing the other stolen items (see “Stone Chest” below). Needing quick cash for the trip, she sold the other vial to Irven Liel, a human merchant staying at the Jolly Dwarf inn in Palebank Village while travelling with his family to Uthodurn. Stone Chest The stone chest’s outer lid is carved with the face of a dragon. A character who examines the chest and succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check finds pin-sized openings in the dragon’s mouth that contain a blue powder. The powder can be removed with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools. A character who fails this check must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or contract frigid woe (see the “Eiselcross” section of chapter 3 of Explorer's Guide to Wildemount). A detect magic spell reveals that the chest radiates an aura of evocation magic. When a creature touches the chest without speaking a prayer to Tiamat, a gust of wind escapes the dragon’s mouth. If the blue powder is still in the dragon’s mouth, it forms a cloud that fills a 15-foot cube in front of the chest. Each creature within the area must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or contract frigid woe. Treasure The chest contains the rest of the treasure found by Urgon Wenth—a gilded scroll case covered in a cosmological map of the multiverse (worth 15 gp), a jade statuette of a storm giant (25 gp), a quiver containing six +1 arrows, and a silver ring set with a jasper stone (50 gp). It also holds Hulil’s wealth—160 gp—and a receipt indicating that Hulil sold a blue glass vial to Irven Liel for 100 gp. Development When the characters are done exploring Croaker Cave, they should know the blue glass vials found by Urgon Wenth are the source of the strange malady that is turning people into ice statues, and that Irven Liel has one of those vials. If the characters don’t have a chance to question Hulil or Raegrin, you can have the chest also contain a journal or notes that provide the information they need and point them toward the Jolly Dwarf inn.    

The Slaughtered Ox

  The Slaughtered Ox is a cozy, two-story inn run by a retired adventurer named Arl Bortock. When the characters enter the inn, read: The downstairs of this inn features a large taproom. A gray-haired dwarf behind the bar greets you cheerfully as you enter. Two male humans and two tiefling children laugh among themselves as they enjoy a meal together.   Arl Bortock (a neutral good, male, mountain dwarf veteran) works behind the bar. If the characters ask for Irven Liel, the dwarf points them toward the laughing family. Irven Liel, his husband Fenton Tethwick (both neutral good, male Nordling human commoners), and their adopted daughters Honor and Magic (both tiefling noncombatants) are friendly and invite the characters to join them. Irven and Fenton are traveling booksellers. If asked about the vial, Irven explains that they met Hulil Lutan on the road to Palebank Village. She said she was moving and needed to shed some possessions, so she offered him a chance to buy the Aeorian relic at a great price. He plans to sell the item for a profit in Uthodurn.   If the characters tell Irven the truth about the vial, he panics, saying that everyone in his family has touched the object. Fenton gives the vial to the characters, handing it to them wrapped up in a cloth. Any character who touches the vial directly must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or contract frigid woe.   Development Once the characters have the cracked vial, they can report back to Elro Aldataur. He pays them 100 gp as promised but asks the characters to stay in town. He is quite certain he’ll have need of their services again soon.   The next morning, Elro comes to the characters with good and bad news. The good news is that he and the Glassblades have seized the remaining Frigid Woe vials from the Scoia'tael bandits. The bad news is that Irven, Fenton, Honor, and Magic are all afflicted with frigid woe. Seeing the blue powder in the vial has allowed Elro to consult old lore and learn a few things about the disease. (If the characters didn’t learn the name of the affliction from Hulil, Elro is the source of that name as well.)   Elro knows that frigid woe is said to have only one cure—a milky liquid the elves stored in gold vials. He hopes that the cure might be found in the same place Urgon found the vials of frigid woe in Eiselcross. The retired ranger asks the characters to travel to the islands of Eiselcross and retrace Urgon’s path, hoping they can find the cure. He offers the party 200 gp for the task, and reminds them that time is of the essence for Irven and his family—not to mention for any characters infected with frigid woe. If the characters accept, Elro gives them a day to prepare and tells them to find him at the village docks when they’re ready.   As an action, a creature can throw a vial of frigid woe up to 20 feet, shattering it on impact and releasing its contents as a cloud of spores. Each humanoid within 5 feet of the vial when it shatters must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or contract frigid woe (see the “Eiselcross” section of chapter 3 of Explorer's Guide to Wildemount). If a character has contracted frigid woe, track the number of days that have passed so you can inform the player when their character’s symptoms appear and when they need to make Constitution saving throws.   Character Advancement The characters advance to 2nd level before traveling to Eiselcross.   NPCs Infected with Frigid Woe The characters are in a race against time to cure Irven and his family (and possibly Hulil and Tulgi Lutan, if the characters are feeling merciful toward those two hardened criminals). Irven and his family have at least six days before any of them might die, Hulil has at least three days, and Tulgi has at least two days. You can make saving throws for these NPCs against the disease every day, or you can just decide their final fates.  

Travelling to Eiselcross

  Eiselcross is roughly a 40-mile journey from Palebank Village.   [this remains the same as in the Frozen Sick module]