Frozen Sick

DM Only
► Palebank Village

► Population: 690 (61% dwarves, 32% elves, 3% gnomes, 4% other races)

► Government: The elf ranger Elro Aldataur is the appointed leader of the village. He delegates tasks to proven
friends and trustworthy allies.
► Defense: Elro commands a small force of errant Glassblades. Some civilians are willing to take up arms to defend
the city in moments of crisis.
► Commerce: Basic supplies can be purchased or traded at the small inns or supply shacks.
► Organizations: There are two humble temples to Moradin and Corellon, respectively. Uthodurn governs from afar,
 
while the Tribes of Shadycreek send agents to seek more information about Eiselcross.
► Along the cold shore of the Frigid Depths, Palebank Village marks the first surviving Uthodurn outpost beyond the
mountains. The settlement is situated against the low cliff boundary of the Crystalsands Tundra, just north of the
Flotket Alps. The denizens of Palebank often take to ice fishing, trapping, or hunting, returning in small caravans to
Uthodurn to sell their wares and restock their supplies. Territorial monsters wander close to the village, so rotating
squads of Glassblades are assigned to protect the people. The small docks have been recently expanded to
accommodate the increased interest in heading northwest toward Eiselcross. Palebank has become a launching
point for northern expeditions, leading to growing trade and a pressing need for more inns.
► Government
► The village is guided by Elro Aldataur, a weathered elf ranger who helped found Palebank roughly sixty years ago.
Stoic and humorless, Elro showed a knack for leadership when the fledgling outpost was beset with danger on a
near-constant basis. Elro earned the trust and respect of the residents, and they asked him to govern Palebank. He
begrudgingly accepted, and has since overseen the expansion and protection of the village. Elro generally has sixty
to ninety Glassblades at his command.
► Government
► The village is guided by Elro Aldataur, a weathered elf ranger who helped found Palebank roughly sixty
years ago. Stoic and humorless, Elro showed a knack for leadership when the fledgling outpost was
beset with danger on a near-constant basis. Elro earned the trust and respect of the residents, and
they asked him to govern Palebank. He begrudgingly accepted, and has since overseen the
expansion and protection of the village. Elro generally has sixty to ninety Glassblades at his command.
► Crime
► The people of Palebank must work together to survive in this frigid land, and there is little room in the
small community to conduct any worthwhile larceny or immoral activity. What crimes do occur are born
out of necessity and punished accordingly by Elro.
► Geography
► Surrounded by four watchtowers and a ten-foot-tall palisade of sharpened logs, Palebank is a
ramshackle village locked in eternal winter. The village is made up of over a hundred cabins and
shacks. It’s too small to have distinct neighborhoods, so most businesses and residences were
established wherever they could fit at the time, creating a meandering layout. Off the northern cliff,
about fifteen feet down to the sand-and-snow beach, the docks hold around a dozen ships, ranging
from fishing vessels to small cargo ships that carry expeditions to and from Eiselcross.
► Palebank Village Adventures
► Palebank Village would be a sleepy place without much excitement were it not for the presence of
eager explorers and the settlement’s importance as a waystation between Uthodurn and the islands of
Eiselcross.

► Troll Night (Mid Level). While the characters stay in Palebank Village, the only survivor of an unlucky
Glassblades patrol staggers into the village. An organized band of trolls is coming down from the
Flotket Alps toward the settlement, which needs every able-bodied warrior to keep the trolls at bay.
How did these trolls get so organized, and what do they seek in the village?
► While the characters are in Palebank Village, community leader Elro Aldataur asks for their
help figuring out who or what has killed Urgon Wenth. An explorer recently returned from
Eiselcross, Urgon was afflicted by a strange malady that turned him into an ice statue, and
which has since shown up in another of the village’s residents. The characters investigate
the mystery while contending with the forces of the Uttolots, one of the criminal families
that control Shadycreek Run. More infected locals are discovered, including one more
already dead, before the characters clear Uttolot thugs out of a local cavern complex called
Croaker Cave. In the end, the vials of frigid woe are reclaimed, but merchant Irven Liel and
his family are infected and will be the next to die without a cure. Moreover, the characters
might well be infected with the disease themselves.
► Elro asks the characters to travel to Eiselcross to seek a cure for frigid woe. The characters
take a boat to Syrinlya, the Uthodurnian outpost on Foren, and retrace Urgon Wenth’s path
to the ruin of Salsvault. This magic laboratory was once a part of Aeor, an ancient flying
city-state that crashed into Eiselcross during the Calamity. Only by braving Salsvault’s
defenses and deadly guardians can the adventurers find the antidote they need.
Say:

• “Snow gently falls from the sky and wind bites your cheeks as you stand in the
graveyard of Palebank Village, a fishing outpost of Uthodurn 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”

►
“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.”.
► Whether the characters are known in the village as adventurers or simply look the
part, Elro (a neutral good, male wood elf veteran) hopes that they’re the sort of
people not afraid to step up to help folks in need. Use the following points to help
guide the conversation as he explains his concerns to the characters:
• Two months ago, Urgon returned home after exploring Eiselcross for a year.
He had been back for only for a few days when he came down with a strange
affliction, which made him move slowly and caused blue veins to appear all
over his body.
• The village priests used every spell they could muster to attempt to heal him,
but nothing worked. Urgon battled the sickness for weeks, until his slowing
body eventually couldn’t move anymore and turned to ice.
• Until yesterday, we believed that Urgon’s fate was an isolated incident, most
likely caused by something the dwarf came into contact with while exploring
Eiselcross. Then I noticed Tulgi Lutan, showed signs of the same illness.
• I tried to talk to Tulgi about it, but she pushed me away, asking that I let her
die in peace
► Tulgi is extremely distrustful of the authorities.
► I think a group of adventurers might have better luck convincing Tulgi to talk. If
you agree to help find the cause of Urgon and Tulgi’s affliction, I will pay you
100 gp. I suggest you start by searching Urgon’s home or talking to Tulgi at her
cabin.

► Option A: Urgon’s Home

► Option B: Talk to Tulgi
Urgon’s Cabin

🞆 Urgon Wenth lived in a one-story, one-room log cabin at the edge of town. A good-natured elf
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 snarling white beast with gray 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.
🞆 Investigation check (DC 12): reveals the intruder’s footprints.If the players follow it leads to Tulgi
Lutan’s cabin.
🞆 Adventuring Equipment
🞆 Urgon’s adventuring equipment consists of a silvered 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
🞆 A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check recognizes
that the head mounted above the mantle belonged to a yeti, a monstrosity
found in Eiselcross.
🞆 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 Aeorian 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 a 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: “This
snow-covered cabin • How to enter: Upon knocking Tulgi tells them to go away.

looks peaceful and • Calling through the door: Charisma DC 12 (deception, intimidation,
persuasion.
quiet from the • Climb the 12 foot walls: Athletics (DC 10)
outside. Its • Break door down: Immune to poison and psychic dmg. (AC 15, HP
windows are 18) or Athletics (DC 15)

shuttered, and a • Pick lock: Thieves tools (DC 12 dex check)

steady stream of • Lock pick shuttered windows: DC 12 Dex thieves tools

smoke piping out of • The inside of the cabin is brightly lit by the fireplace, though the
smoky haze given off by both makes the interior lightly obscured.
the chimney
indicates a roaring
fire within.”
 • “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
Upon entering 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.”
Name AC HP Weapons Initiative
Tulgi 11 32 Mace (double
23 attack): melee Has advantage
attack +4 Range: on attack rolls if
5 ft. (1d6+2) wolf is within 5 ft
bludgeon of her
damage

Heavy CB:
ranged (100 ft)
(1d10) piercing
damage
Wolf 13 11 Bite (melee): +4
to hit, 2d4+2 Has advantage
piercing damage on attack rolls if
wolf or tolgi is
Once it attacks, within 5 ft of it
players must
make a strength
saving throw (DC
11) or be
knocked prone
Wolf 2 13 11
• 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 from Shadycreek Run with her sister, Hulil. Both work for the Uttolot
family.
• The Uttolots 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. When such artifacts come through the small settlement, they are often unusual goods that treasure
hunters are trying to keep away from Uthodurn or the Dwendalian Empire.
• 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 the fallen flying city of
Aeor.
• 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.
Characters local to Palebank Village or who have spent some time there know Croaker Cave. If all the characters are new arrivals to the village, any of the villagers
can tell them about the cave and how to get there.

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 Uttolot
bandits she commands have domesticated the giant ice frogs that make the cave their home, using them as guard animals.

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 setting out for Shadycreek Run soon, hoping that trading the items her sister Tulgi stole from Pelc’s Curiosities allows her to pay for healing
that will cure her.
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.