Portraits
LA SAIA, THE FROSTMAIDEN
Queen of the Ice and Snow and Mistress of Cold and Stillness, La Saia is a minor deity whose domain grants her a great deal of power over the freezing climes of the Frostgale Taiga. To unknown ends, she takes to the sky every night atop a roc and traces the auroras in the skies above, blocking out the warming rays of the sun and giving rise to the blight known as the Everlasting Rime.
The Lonesome Few has made an enemy of La Saia and the cult that worships her, for to oppose the Eternal Winter is to oppose the Frostmaiden. Little is known of her cryptic motives, but one thing is certain; La Saia will not loosen her glacial grip on the Taiga without a fight.
THE LONESOME FEW
Ragna Íssbur - A brusque, uncompromising human barbarian who is quick to anger and who is always eager to put an axe in the face of any problems. Capable of transforming parts of their body to ice, Ragna is unaffected by the excruciating cold that holds all of Frostgale Taiga in its grasp, and is thus the perfect warrior to stand against the horrors that thrive in the ice and snow.
Ragna was once of the Broken Blade tribe, but after being made a botched sacrifice to La Saia, Ragna has become estranged from their people. As their father Siegmar leads a death march south, their siblings pursue mysterious goals throughout the region, and Ragna is finding it more difficult than ever to escape their past.
Melfina Eres - A mysterious drow wizard who draws magic from the air like paint across a canvas. Melfina has been stranded in Frostgale Taiga ever since the Everlasting Rime has begun, and seeks any trace of her missing mentor who disappeared soon before it began. Inquisitive and well-read, her arcane knowledge may be key in ending the winter.
Alithkav - A githyanki artificer and 'daughter' of the githyanki god-queen, the lich Vlaakiith. Alith was an engineer aboard the pirate spelljammer,
Zerthimon's Arrow, before it crashed after being trapped in La Saia's domain. Stranded in the Snowdrift Flatlands in what might be the worst time to be so in Lloegyr's history, Alith now must put her might and mind to surviving the winter; all while looking over her shoulder for enemies seeking her demise.
Having slain her ceremorphosized captain, she is now truly the last survivor of
Zerthimon's Arrow. After a brief time away from the party tracking the arrival of a githyanki spelljammer, she has rejoined the Lonesome Few, and intends to fight for her freedom from both her people and from La Saia's frozen gaze.
Tali von Corthala - A half-elven researcher from the southern city of
Revelmoore, who traveled to Frostgale Taiga to investigate the local fauna just before the onset of the Eternal Winter. They are a half-Shadar-Kai, and their innate connection to the darkness of the Shadowfell puts them at odds with the forces of nature, much to their frustration. They have established a firm bond with Melfina, finding her to be a fellow intellectual.
Peanut & Blamo - Discovered in the downed nautiloid the
Id Ascendant, Peanut is a miniature giant space hamster who has taken a liking to Alith and her inventions; in particular the mobile cannon Blamo. Despite all common knowledge leading most to believe that hamsters cannot handle complicated machinery, Peanut has settled into her role as the 'pilot' of Blamo, operating the powerful mini-cannon from a sealed cockpit within. Blamo, already a deadly armament when guided by Alith, is now more precise and mobile with Peanut at the helm.
NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS
Beren Blackhammer - Prince of the dwarven hall of Duhngrave and the current Heir of the Traitor Prince of Dol Gurhal's curse. A devout forge domain cleric of
Barator, Master of the Forge, Beren wields a tempered warhammer and is clad in heavy plate armor. He was a member of Dzaan's expedition into the nature of the Eternal Winter, bringing him to the Lost Spire where he was frozen in time by the tower's strange stasis magic. He now marches with the Lonesome Few to halt the Broken Blade's invasion.
Thokgrim the Stormlord - Thokgrim is a towering orc who wields a large, black-iron maul carved in the image of his god:
Gromm the Thunderer, he who commands the bolts from on high. Thokgrim is unusually friendly and diplomatic for his kind, and leads his fellow Stormcaller orcs in championing a philosophy known as
The Code of Our Fathers.
After defeating Hortog, Fist of the Orc-Father, in honorable ritual combat at
Votar Venak Aghmat, Thokgrim became the chieftain of the newly renamed Storm's Call. With his ascension will come reforms, cooperation with the people of the Ten Towns, and war with the Broken Blade.
Dahlia Kaltro - A huntress from the town of Whiteridge. She has taken it upon herself to solve a series of murders that have targeted people who have fled the fate of being sacrificed to La Saia, the Frostmaiden. She is a follower of
Silvanath the Oak Father, and is an expert tracker and survivalist.
Having traveled with the party previously, she has now returned to her hometown to help lead its defenses against the barbarians.
Ivory Farrowbane - A rogue Blood Hunter of the Via Venatori who was separated from her chapter when she and three other fellow hunters went on the trail for a ferocious remhoraz in Frostgale Taiga. Now the sole survivor, stuck with a dull blade and a disturbing lack of monsters to kill, Ivory's blood aches for violence - and she has found it in abundance working as a mercenary against the Broken Blade.
This scarred human mercenary hails from the kingdoms to the south, and she is eager to recruit 'new blood' into her fellowship in order to found her own chapter of the Via Venatori.
King Siegmar the Broken Blade - The king of the Broken Blade barbarian tribe. He carries the spear Gungnir that was made from the broken blade of a once-mighty sword, giving the tribe its name, in addition to a menacing black greatsword, Balmung. Siegmar is a mighty warrior, a subjugator of many tribes, and father of many children, including Ragna.
He has laid siege to Whiteridge, making good on his ultimatum of service or death. Although the Ten Towners put up a much more fearsome fight than he expected, Siegmar continues the offensive and intends to push the defenders to their absolute limits.
Úlfur Siegsson - One of Ragna's elder siblings. Úlfur is a wolf in sheep's clothing, a brutal and cunning warrior whose litheness and thin frame mask a disturbing proficiency at killing and maiming. Úlfur is outwardly confident and mocking of his enemies, but he falls silent when fury and rage begin to overtake him. He clambored over the walls of Whiteridge and launched a sneak attack against the defenders atop it, aiming for Dahlia to get revenge for his previous defeat.
Fannar Siegsson - One of Ragna's elder siblings. Fannar has a keen mind for tactics and a lack of sympathy for those he commands. He prefers to let others do the dirty work for him and isn’t concerned with sacrificing pawns to achieve his goals. Although Ragna tried to convince him of the futility of the Broken Blade's invasion, Fannar marched to Whiteridge with his people.
Valdís Siegsdóttir - One of Ragna's elder siblings and one of the best hunters of the Broken Blade tribe. She is an expert marksman despite missing an eye. Valdis is one of Ragna's more reasonable, even-tempered siblings; she is known for her sense of mercy compared to her brethren. She marched with her people on Whiteridge, but was subdued and carried away by Captain Cinderswift as part of his agreement with Ragna.
Hulda Siegsdóttir - An apprentice shaman of the Broken Blade tribe and another of Ragna's siblings. Hulda is another of the more moderate personalities among Siegmar's children, and acts as a mediator between tribal conflicts and as a spiritual advisor to King Siegmar. Marching on Whiteridge alongside her father, Hulda brings healing magics to sustain the warriors of the Broken Blade.
Sherriff Markham Southwell - The leader of Lystheim's militia, this dedicated lifelong military man is the highest ranking commander in the Ten Towns, and leads the defense of Whiteridge against the invading Broken Blade barbarians. With his years of experience, he advises Speaker Duvessa on many matters. Despite his middle age, he went toe-to-toe with some of the frost giants marching with the Broken Blade, managing to survive for the time being.
Speaker Oarus Masthew - Speaker Oarus Masthew is the sharp and charismatic town speaker of Whiteridge. The son of half-orc adventurers, he was adopted by Shaelen Masthew, previous town speaker, as a young child. Although he is honest and hard-working, he does not have the full support of the town, and has more political enemies than he'd like. Despite this, he has proven his loyalty by standing against the barbarian invasion, bow in hand.
Speaker Trovus - The speaker of Caer Sella, this silver dragonborn is a retired adventurer and sellsword who once served in the Overking's armies far to the south. He won over his fellow townsfolk with his good sense of humor and his brawn in the face of threats to the town. Although he had fallen to heavy drinking in light of the Eternal Winter, he has sobered up to join Whiteridge's defense, not knowing the tragedy barrelling towards his town in his absence.
Captain Indra Arlaggath - Indra, a half-elven woman with raven hair and sharp eyes, commands the militia of Three Streams and leads the town's law enforcement elements. With the sentient sacrifices in Three Streams halted thanks to the work of the Lonesome Few, she now dedicates herself wholly to the preservation of her townspeople; to this end, she stood with the defenders of Whiteridge.
Huarwar Mulphoon - The wayward son of Cora Mulphoon who left his home of Icemeet to join the Knights of the Black Sword. Haunted by what he had done in the cult's name, he had resigned himself to dying and his soul being taken by Levistus; instead, he was convinced to join the Via Venatori under Ivory Farrowbane's command. However, he was cut down by King Siegmar in the battle of Whiteridge, and his soul was claimed by Levistus.
Scramzax - A black dragonborn who is a retired adventurer and is now the proprietor of the Northlook, the busiest inn & tavern in Lystheim. He is friendly, if a bit gruff. Putting his experience to the test, Scramzax manned the ballista on Whiteridge's defensive wall, bringing artillery against the invasion.
Fef Moryn - The local scout of Honeybrook, responsible for feeding many of the villagers. This half-elf was usually the first to detect approaching orcish raiding parties from the tribal encampments to the west before Thokgrim's much friendlier administration. Despite her flighty nature, she bravely stood with the defenders of Whiteridge, but was slain by Úlfur Siegsson.
Gorex the Huntmaster - Gorex is the leader of the Giant Paw clan, and as befitting the leader of such a primal people, he is an orc closely tied to the land around him. The winter ails the land, and so does it ail Gorex, who longs for the great beasts of the Taiga to recover so that they may targeted in glorious hunts. With Thokgrim now leading the tribes of Storm's Call, Gorex joined his chieftain in the defense of Whiteridge.
Vicar Ambriel Zamphros - The Vicar of Solanus in Lystheim, this fallen aasimar is one of the highest religious authorities in the far north. In accordance with the teachings of Solanus, this bitter but fatherly cleric endeavored to keep the barbarians back with his powerful divine magic.
Khesen Verdusk - A male human ranger who has hunted the forests of the Snowdrift Flatlands since he was a boy. Few know the land like old man Verdusk, and few understand the damage the Eternal Winter is doing to the land and its people quite like he. As a veteran hunter, Khesen lent his unerring archery skills to the defenders of Whiteridge.
Lord Bellen Blackhammer - Bellen Blackhammer is the white-bearded, venerable lord of the dwarven mountainhome of Duhngrave. Bellen is a widower with two sons; Beren and Barador, both of whom he cherishes beyond all worldly goods. True to his promise to the Lonesome Few, Bellen rode to the defense of Whiteridge, arriving at a critical junction in the battle. He engaged the deadly Úlfur Siegsson in battle with his mighty hammer.
Doluma Sunblight - Doluma Sunblight is the high priestess of
Brúni-Bári, the dwarven twin-god of carousing & drink, in the dwarven hall of Duhngrave. She scorns moderation and treats visitors to brews from her collection, encouraging them to try adventurous spirits (all of which may not be entirely safe for consuption). Doluma is in fact the estranged daughter of the late King Xardorok of the Sunblight Clan, and had not spoken to her father for over a century after she left the clan. She accompanied her liege, Lord Blackhammer, in the fight at Whiteridge.
Hew Mann - Despite what one may think at first glance, this seemingly normal human being is in fact three kobolds in a trench coat, standing atop each other's shoulders. The three kobolds Holgi, Snorp, and Zilbo traverse the Taiga, seeking mischief and shiny things. To defend their home, the kobolds threw themselves into the Battle of Whiteridge, clumsily slaying a single barbarian before claiming victory and fleeing.
The Chardalyn Dragon - This massive machine of death and destruction was built by Xardorok Sunblight out of chardalyn, stolen celestial essence, and raw hatred for the Ten Towns. Conceived by the alliance between the Sunblight Duergar and the Broken Blade Barbarians, the dragon serves as the ace-in-the-hole against the defenses of the Ten Towns, and has been instructed to burn half of them to the ground while the barbarians assault Whiteridge. Having been unleashed from Sunblight Fortress, the dragon brings annihilation to all it sets its sight upon.
Ysmir Siegsson - "He who Dances with the Aurora", Ysmir is the eldest child of and heir apparent to King Siegmar. Ysmir is a brutally efficient warrior who wields the magic greataxe
Skofnung. He values glory, strength, and honorable combat, and rarely leaves opponents standing in his wake. Like Ragna, he seems to be inured to the effects of the cold, and wears little clothing compared to others. Ysmir is also surrounded by an aurora-like aura, and is covered in tattoos with strange, metallic textures. He is the rider of the Chardalyn Dragon, and has taken it south to the defenseless Ten Towns.
Mendrion - A cruel and calculating erinyes who serves Levistus, the frozen archdevil known as the Prince of Betrayal. For reasons yet unknown, he manipulated Xardorok Sunblight by posing as a devout priest of Don Duergedyn, compelling the tyrant to do his bidding. Despite his malice and brimming power, Mendrion allowed the party to go after their discussion, promising to meet them as enemies at a later time.
Seraphiel - An angel from Mount Celestia that had been captured by the devil Mendrion as a gift to Xardorok Sunblight. His celestial being had been siphoned by Xardorok's cruel forge and used in the creation of the Chardalyn Dragon, and the process took its toll on him. Before perishing in Alithkav's arms, Seraphiel gifted the party a rejuvenating talisman bearing the holy symbol of
Muir, Goddess of Virtue & Truth.
Olivessa Untapoor - A half-elven logger with deep roots in Honeybrook, who has been elected as the town's speaker. Her mostly half-elven family has lived in the town since its founding. She's quite reserved and doesn't have any family of her own. She was the target of Melfina's
sending spell, which the party dearly hopes reached her before the Chardalyn Dragon did.
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