The PCs meet Venture-Captain Bjersig Torrsen in the
city of Turvik, which lies just south of the Rimethirst
Mountains in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. Bjersig is
a confident half-orc man wearing dark clothing and an
exasperated expression. He is accompanied by his loyal
husky, Mahki. Although Bjersig is deaf, he speaks clearly
and reads lips easily; many people he meets aren’t aware
that he cannot hear. He instinctively peppers his speech
with Pathfinder hand signs to help convey meaning, and
Mahki is trained to nudge Bjersig if anyone attempts to
get his attention orally.
Venture-Captain Bjersig Torrsen beckons welcomingly
into the spacious private room he’s using as an office
in the Frostchild Inn in Turvik. “Thank you for coming;
I know we’re quite a ways further north than most
Pathfinders ever travel.” The husky Mahki curls up
protectively at the half-orc’s feet, his ears up as though
wary despite his repose.
“The Pathfinder Society has recently allied with a
tribe of goblins, and we’re hoping to deploy them for
scouting missions or, well, anywhere they might be
useful. I dispatched a team of them to follow up on
some rumors about an ancient giant structure off of the
Path of Aganhei, which leads north over the polar ice
cap. This path is millennia old, and it connects us to the
distant nations of Tian Xia. Only three of the nine goblins
returned, including a clever scout named Ogthup who
swiped a chunk of stone from the structure’s entryway.”
Bjersig produces a tile of broken stone about one foot
square. “The goblins took three or four stone tiles like
this, though they lost all but one on the way back.
The script is Jotun, the language of giants, and it reads
‘By my honor, I will wake no sleeper here or suffer the
First Jarl’s curse. By the North Star, and her sign of…’
and here it breaks off. We know that the First Jarl is
a reference to Thremyr, cruel god of the frost giants.
Curiously, the North Star is a Tian name for Desna,
benevolent goddess of dreams and travel. Although the
script is Jotun, the language is more poetic, and seems
Tien in structure. The juxtaposition is intriguing, and I’m
sending a capable group—that is, you—to acquire more
information. The structure is off the Path of Aganhei in
Urjuk, a land claimed by frost giants and taiga giants.
It’s a trip of many days into an inhospitably cold
environment. But with the right equipment, you should
be fine—the summer solstice has just passed, so it’s
warmer and brighter than just about any other time of
the year. My hope is you’ll reach the site, neutralize any
dangers, and provide a complete survey.”
“I asked Ogthup to draw a map of how to find the
structure, and after a great deal of prompting, she
produced this.” Bjersig slides forward a crudely drawn
sketch with several symbols and goblin faces scrawled
on it. “If this is as incomprehensible to you as it is to me,
you can ask Ogthup about it. She has a room here in this
inn. Unless you have further questions for me, I’ll ask
you to meet briefly with her before you go.”
A stout dwarven in full plate stands in front of the deaf Venture Captain. She listens attentively at all the description of what the group shall face and what the Society goals are in this mission "So we will have to work with goblins... Well, at least we will have the opportunity to face some giants I do hope"
"The area seems extreme, will you provide us with some equipment and magic to protect us from the freezing coldness and walk on the snow?" the dwarven female adjusts her clothes a bit uncomfortable "Also are there any ones we can count as Society allies in the area for shelter and other help?"
A short gnome in a purple robe with vials and pouches on his side comes into the room. He stands at 2 feet and has orange hair. He seems to have a nervous energy about him. He listens and then pulls out a notebook. He scribbles down the notes about the mission. Then he remembers his thoughts on a certain chemical. He hears the dwarf mention equipment and magic.
I concur with this dwarf here. Are there going to be resources?
He smiles at the dwarf and tries to be wait.
A ragged-looking goblin dressed in furs scurries forward and grabs the map. "For Poke'um!" he cries, almost greedily, as he squeezes his fingers tightly around the document, crumpling its edges.
The bow slung on his back clacks and bangs against his quiver, as well as the hilt of his blade, as the goblin contorts his body in search of a writing implement.
Upon finding one, he cackles with glee and begins to make a series of crude scrawlings of his own on the map. As he does so, he begins to chant:
"Mostly-orc summoned, so off we go.
End up here, midst ice and snow.
First goblins gone, those he’d sent;
Now we go find out where they went!"
"Place they are now? Such place unknown!
Left little trace, just riddle stone.
Go over path that others saw.
Unfinished map for us to draw!”
When he finishes, amidst the primitive pictures on the map are letters of a message; it reads, "Neeed tock to Ogthup"
A very regal and noble looking man dressed head to toe in full-plate and a heavy steel shield adjusts his footing to not lock his knees. "Will the goblin be able to join us to lead us on the trail?" He doesn't see fit to call such a creature by its name.
An elegant and scholarly elf sits in an armchair in the 'office'. In his lap rests a book Jotun the Language and Culture by Sasha Velinznrarkovich-Blackrose. His posture is exquisite and his face, kind. When he speaks, he does so with a bit of an accent of Chellish mixed with Taldan.
He clears his throat politely, then speaks up while gesturing with an open hand at Poke'um, "Poke'um, my dear lad, would you please hand me the map? Also, Venture Captain, do you happen to have a map of the area we could use or copy?"
Perhaps, not used to being the recipient of politeness, the goblin complies, though somewhat reluctantly, with the request of the scholarly elf.
"Why?" asks Poke'um as he hands over the map. "What you planning to draw?"
"Oh, nothing lad. I was intending to study the map to learn about where we are headed," he says as he takes the map deftly. He then looks away for a moment as if pondering. He lets go of the map and it continues to float in the same position, meanwhile he retrieves a scrap paper from the folds of his book and hands it to Poke'um. "If you wish to write, please do so on this paper. If you run out, I have plenty more." Before Poke'um says anything else he adds, "Imagine lad. Imagine you have to do something in a place. It is smart to look at the place and the people there, right? That is what I intend to do here. Using other people's...'lookings', as it were, we will be ready before we even get there to look for ourselves."
"Venture Captain?" he also adds expectantly.
Niv pulls out a notebook trying to find something about the magic of the north. He waits to see how the Venture Captain answers.
He all sees you look at the map Okay take this map I've shown you but take good care of it. And he even gives you a case to put it in.
Unfortunately, no, goblins can't go with you, their losses were too high. You might find some still over there, but none can go with you, sorry.
To all, I brought you equipment to keep you warm and well fed Enough food and water for the round trip and blankets.
Maybe if you ask around or do some bible study you can know more
Kyra attempts to remember anything she knew about the area.
Later on the day, she will attempt to gather information in the streets and her own contacts.
Crowley tries to find out what he can about Frost giants from the locals. A glamorous smile and sharp tongue has worked out for him most of his life.
Poke'um decides to try and talk with Ogthup. "The nearly-orc tells us you find rocks and see goblins get killed. What can you tell us about what you saw?"
Sashandril flashes a perturbed expression for but a moment before looking down and flipping through the pages of the book he holds. "Hmm..it says in here that Frost Giants..."
"It also states that the prevalent deities here would be Desna and Thremyr." He sets his book down and continues, "Desna you see..."
"And Thremyr..."
The door opens and a gruff dwarf in scale armor with black braided beard, an ornate hammer at his hip and a set of bagpipes on his back comes in.
"Please forgive my tardiness Venture-Captain, I was giving a recital of the Pathfinder Chronicles to the new recruits at the amphitheater and the audience only let me go after three encores!"
He quickly introduces himself to the group and gets a primer on the task at hand.
"A Tien-inspired dialect of Jotun? That's interesting, perhaps the giants are more amenable to coexisting with them than they are with our people!"
Nivmet moves next to Sashandril Liliovenith while he looks at the book. He tries to add to conversation I believe your right about the frost giants because this book says.... Nivmet pulls out his own notebook and takes notes. He digs for it in his robes.
tribes commanded by chieftains. Only great events, such
as domination by powerful supernatural creatures or
the rise of the cruel frost giant god Thremyr himself,
typically convinces the frost giant clans to work together.
The frost giant clans of Urjuk are more active as of late
and have been raiding the Lands of the Linnorm Kings
to acquire plunder.
of Desna, who has many
names and is known as
the North Star in Tian Xia,
are skilled orators who practice ancient
rituals for protection or peace. Often, these
rituals are tied to cosmological events,
like the position of the stars. Some giants
believe they can control when their mighty
progenitor Thremyr wakes or sleeps. As Thremyr is just as
cruel to the frost giants as any others when he is awake, some
frost giants actively pursue rituals of appeasement to keep
him slumbering.
has been seen walking the lands of Urjuk, even wandering
onto the Path of Aganhei to strike down travelers in a
mighty rage. Thremyr
is said to awaken from
terrible disturbances or
when his home grows
too warm. Cold effects
are believed to make him
drowsy, even convincing
him to fall back to sleep.
Meeting Ogthup
The goblin scout Ogthup is currently sitting in a room
she shares with a few other assistants and attendants of
the Pathfinder Society. Thin and small even for a goblin,
Ogthup is friendly but has an unseemly habit of jamming
a finger into a nostril whenever she’s thinking hard about
something. Like many goblins, Ogthup possesses a strong
distrust of the written word, although she’s not sure
whether this extends to maps. She’s looking skeptically
through several maps on a large table when the heroic adventures
arrive. Ogthup stands up to meet them and to answer any
questions they have about the map she drew. The heroic adventures
likely questions and her responses appear below.
Like most dwarves, Snorri was prejudiced against goblins, but he has warmed up to them somewhat after adventuring together with some of their kind. He approached Ogthup respectfully.
"Master Ogthup, your survival skills are clearly top notch if you made it out alive; can you explain to us what you meant by those goblin faces?"
Kyra does not seem very amused of dealing with the goblin. She lets the others to step up and take the lead, but the dwarf looks intimidating at the chaotic and villainous creature.
Nivmet asks Are there any large structures, large persons, towns, and hazards we show know about? The gnome says a super fast way. He does not share any disdain for goblins. In fact he moves closer to see if can smell anything on her.
When you ask him about the goblin faces...
“Oh, that tells time! Every
time we ate a meal, I wrote an eating face. So the first face
is breakfast, and the second face is lunch. We had two
lunches, one before the Pushing Hole and one afterwards.
Bjersig had given us lots of rations, and they were heavy,
so we decided to just eat them quick.”
Speaking of large structures...large person in a way yes, hazards no, towns no, but structures
What is this pile of circles? “We left the Path of Aganhei
very early, right after the sun came up. That shows where
we left the path. It’s an arch of stones as large as this inn,
so you can’t miss it.”
Was the Man with a Bird a statue? “No, because we saw
the bird move. It was eating something, maybe a mouse.”
Any more questions?
"Intriguing.." Sashandril mutters while taking notes on his own piece of parchment. "And where did you have dinner?"
"We were told that six goblins from your party have not returned, how did they perish?"
"The Venture-Captain also showed us the stone you took from the site, and it says something about the curse of the giant god which befalls those who wake some sleepers, does that ring any bells? Did you see anyone sleeping there?"
Kyra looks at the map trying to make sense of the mess. She grimaces and looks disgustingly at the goblin as she approaches to talk with him "It seems by your drawing you came back through a path that avoided the Pushing Hole. Where is that path that avoids the hole and how can we take it?"
Crowley scratches his stubble. "Little one, did you happen to witness any curses." he listens intently. "I am also curious how each of your companions perished. Please be as detailed as possible."
As the heroes ask how did the goblins perish I'm sorry, I really don't know, likely the Frost Giants, but I can't say for sure, things just went south if you know what I mean.
When asked about the Pushing Hole You should be able to see it ahead of time and avoid it, you will have plenty of sight clearance
When asked about the Frost Giants What can you tell us about the frost giants? “They
were pretty mad! And they threw rocks. There were three
of them.”
The Eye of Thremyr
After the PCs have traveled north for 2 weeks, they reach
the distinctive rock arch identified on Ogthup’s map.
Called the Eye of Thremyr, this structure formed from
fierce winds wearing through a wedge of rock thrust up
through the tundra. As the center of the wedge collapsed
first, the resulting formation resembles a massive rocky
arch or—from a distance—an open eye.
The PCs can identify the remains of several old campsites
next to the arch where travelers frequently stop to rest.
The most recent campsite is a month old, and graffiti
written on the rock wall nearby reads, in Goblin, “Do
NOT go that way, the giants are VERY mad.” An arrow
underneath the graffiti points west, toward Dvalinheim.
Sashandril, having spent most of the trip reading various books about the region, inspects the structure thoroughly while taking notes. He chuckles quietly to himself then says, "I do suppose we should 'go that way, the giants are VERY mad'."
"Don't suppose that there is another path that leads to the structure?" Crowley surmises as he adjusts his pack. "Which means we are on the right path."
Following the others, Poke'um looks at the rocks along the way, Wonder bwhich ones had been thrown there by Giants.
Kyra examines with care the stone structure "If the place is clear we should head into that direction, whether there are mad giants or not. We must succeed in this mission"
After traveling for about 2 hours west of the Path of
Aganhei from the Eye of Thremyr, the PCs come upon
a shallow valley several miles long. When they crest the
ridge of the valley, read or paraphrase the following.
Far across the valley below stands an immense humanoid
statue made of stacked stones. One of the flat stones
stretched out like an arm bears a truly enormous nest.
The heroes all move forward to run into elite Rocs
elite Rocs
Roll Init
"Watch out! Elite Rocs!" the dwarf prepares herself, sheathing her warhammer and reading her composite longbow.
"For Torag! What's an elite Roc?!"
"An oversized pigeon is what it is!" Snorri proclaims, looking around and lighting up his hammer on fire.
The rocs fly down as it has to doublemove and try to swipe at the heroes with their Talons
VS Snorri
VS Kyra
Anyone hit take 21 dmg and you are grabbed
You are all in melee cause of reach, unless you back up, heroes are up.
Sashandril will pop from his location back 20ft. He then says a quick incantation, gestures, and then disappears
"Ouch!" Kyra screams in pain when one of the rocs catches her. Unable to ready her bow anymore, she instead holds the grip of her Warhammer and attacks the roc.
With her last action the dwarven paladin of Torag casts shield.
Kyra hits the roc twice very hard. Then shields herself.
Sashandril makes himself invisible
Poke'um hopes that the creatures will not be able to attack him as he loads arrows and fires.
The goblin unleashes a flurry of arrows--three at one roc and a fourth at another.
"Hold fast! Show those glorified turkeys you're a hard nut to crack, and they'll chicken out!"
Snorri strikes the roc twice with his hammer.
With the roc in so close Crowley defensively steps in, and slashes at the beast with his scimitar. "Unholy bird of prey."
Nivmet uses his move to back up and toss two bombs at the Roc.
Poke'um fires four arrows, but only hits one of the rocs
Crowley misses and misses
Sashandril you know.
AC 27, TAC 25; Fort +18, Ref +15, Will +13
Flying Strafe The roc Flies up to its Speed and makes
two talon Strikes at any point during that movement. Each
must target a different creature. The attacks take the normal
multiple attack penalty, which increases between the first
attack and the second. Costs two actions.
Nivmet misses
The one roc do opportunity attack Poke'um with its wings.Poke'um takes 17 dmg and is pushed 10 feet away from the roc, horray, no longer in melee
with their wings
vs Snorri and the miss
The other one tries to hit Kyra with the beak as it has a +2 to hit her because of grapple
Kyra is hit once for 2d10+14 or rather 23 dmg.
All heroes are up
Seeing Kyra takes a devastating strike Crowley points his blade right at the Roc. A righteous aura surrounds Crowley.
[Paladin] Trigger A creature within your reach hits an ally or friendly creature. Make a melee Strike against the triggering creature at a -2 penalty before the opponent rolls the damage for the triggering hit. If your attack hits, the target is enfeebled 1 for the remainder of its turn, or enfeebled 2 for the remainder of its turn if your Strike was a critical hit. The enfeebled condition ends immediately if the creature makes a Strike against you.
Crowley swings just as the roc bites at Kyra and moves into a defensive dance as he tries to draw the creature's attention to himself.
Poke'um attempts to place more arrows into both rocs, but focusing on the more injured one.