Snow Blast Island

Orb of the Frost Queen

The Orb of the Frost Queen, so it’s called, is a crystallised
tear containing an ancient elemental spirit who dwelt on the
island long ago. The Frost Queen fell in love with a curious,
kindly, but fairly slow-on-the-uptake giant. Through a series
of tragic (and occasionally hilarious) misunderstandings,
the Frost Queen became convinced the giant loathed
her. Devastated, she wept huge tears at the realisation the
giant would never recognise her feelings. The tears were so
large that they enveloped her and then froze with the tiny
elemental trapped inside. But this orb didn’t just transform
the elemental—it also transformed the island, radiating ice
and snow from where it lay, and plunging the island into
perpetual winter. The giant tracked the tear down. Staring
into its crystal surface, he tried to smash it and return
summer to his home. Instead, the tear fractured, pouring
winter from its heart and transforming the (normal) giant
into a mighty (and very angry) frost giant.

The power of the Orb can be felt across the island. Many
have tried to take the Orb for themselves, believing they can
utilise its power as a weapon. But the Orb is not to be taken
so lightly. It possesses great power, but it also possesses the
keen intellect of the Frost Queen trapped inside. It will not
let itself be taken from the island, and those who have tried
have found themselves in significant predicaments. Mages,
scholars, sorcerers of the most exalted sort… all tried to
extricate the Orb from the island. Rumours and tales of
how such a feat might be achieved have spread far beyond
Flotsam, and adventurers dream of earning such a prize.
Perhaps you will be the one to claim it!

Orb of the Frost Queen
The Orb of the Frost Queen is a gleaming crystal ball,
inside of which can be seen an endlessly twisting blizzard.
A large, jagged crack, spreads across it.
This genius loci covers everything on Snow Blast Island in
ice and snow. So bitter is the cold that if a creature draws
within 10 feet of the Orb, they must succeed on a DC 15
Constitution saving throw or suffer 5 (1d6 + 2) cold damage.
The cold intensifies if a creature touches or picks up the
Orb. They must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving
throw or suffer 10 (1d10 + 5) cold damage. Those that
have survived the icy injuries of the Orb, claim that they
felt possessed by the spirit of an ice elemental, and that the
same elemental has a lot to discuss with the resident frost
giant on the island!

If the Orb allows itself to be removed from the island, then a
player character carrying it gains the following benefits:

• They gain resistance to all cold damage.
  
• They increase their Charisma score by 1.
  
• They gain proficiency in the Insight skill.
  

These benefits remain for as long as the character possesses
the Orb of the Frost Queen. Should they set aside the Orb,
or lose it, these benefits immediately cease.

Stepping onto Snow Blast Island is a strange experience.
You’re filled with the sudden urge to ski, play in the snow,
and embrace the constant winter around you!

All player characters gain the ability to use the Dash
action as a bonus action, as you seem to skate (or ski)
across the frozen tundra.

Player characters can also form the snow into snowballs,
providing a surprisingly effective ranged attack!

Snowball. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 20/60
ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d3) bludgeoning damage.

All enemy creatures encountered on Snow Blast Island
are Ice-Marked. Dwelling so long amidst the frozen
expanses of the island eventually leaves an imprint.

Ice-Marked. The creature forms a thick layer of
crystallised perma-frost across their outer flesh. This
increases their AC by 4. If an Ice-Marked creature suffers
bludgeoning damage of any kind during a combat, the
permafrost is shattered the AC bonus is lost.

The centre of Snow Blast Island is dominated by the
Crystal Wood. The place earned its name more for its
appearance than for any actual crystals hanging about the
place. All of the trees are utterly encrusted in rime. Leaves
have been long stripped away and replaced with fluttering
snowflakes, each uniquely perfect, clinging to the branches
in thick clumps.
Deep, difficult to navigate, and filled with ancient secrets
for those willing to go looking, the Crystal Wood is visited
by all who find themselves on Snow Blast Island at some
point, even if only to witness the sun refracted through the
ice growth on the trees. Indeed, this is considered a great
tourist attraction, and some visit from Flotsam just to see
the sights—always a good money-making opportunity for
those offering protection. For as idyllic to look at as Snow
Blast Island is, the crystal is not without its dangers.
Polar bears, yeti (magnetic and otherwise), winter wolves,
and other, far stranger beasts lurk within its limits. They are,
however, all afraid of the enormous frost giant who dwells
at the forest’s centre. A perpetually grumpy creature, Maius
is extremely dangerous, but he can be talked to. And, with
enough probing—or beer—he might be persuaded to tell
the tale of his lost friend.

It is exactly as described. An old, weather-beaten, decidedly
unwelcoming shack. Murmurous Stan, the island’s sole
permanent inhabitant besides Maius, says (or murmurs)
that the shack was here when he first arrived, and it was
in a state of disrepair even then. At least, on the outside.
The inside is pristine, or so say those who’ve stared
through the windows. Luxurious wooden panelling on the
walls, bookshelves filled with the most ancient and ornate
grimoire, and a kitchen perpetually stocked with the most
delicious of foods. Foods which never go off. The shack was
built by the elemental who once lived on the island, for her
and Maius to live in.
Most who visit Snow Blast Island steer well clear of the
shack. Not even Murmurous Stan will use it for a shelter.
It has a reputation for strange, sinister events. At night, it’s
said, you can hear the chittering of strange creatures within
the walls. By day, the shadow of the place is always a little
too long, a little too dark, and a little too…grasping?
The few who have ventured inside typically return oddly
quiet about the whole affair, shaking their heads violently
when asked to speak of the place. The only person ever
successfully encouraged to speak of what occurred within
simply muttered, “Don’t go into the tunnels,” before
running to the nearest bar, and staying within for a long,
long time.

Astonishing to behold, but dangerous if you’re not
extremely careful, the ice caverns stretch out beneath
the entire span of Snow Blast Island. In fact, you’re best
thinking of the island as some sort of iceberg. Only the top
ten percent is visible on first approach. The real treasure is
underneath. How you get into the ice caverns, to gaze upon
their twinkling, frozen majesty, is a little trickier. There
are some entrances incised into the sides of mountains,
wrenched apart by years of freeze-thaw weathering. Others
insist that tunnels can be found, dug out by some long-
forgotten inhabitants of the island. (The only reason anyone
ever visits the putatively ghost-ridden old shack are the
rumours it contains a way into the ice caverns.)
Whenever Snow Blast Island comes into view from Flotsam,
it is the riches to be excavated from the ice caverns filling
the minds of those watching. But other things lurk in the
depths, too. The ferocious, and baffling, magnetic yeti
hunts down there. And there are tales of an ancient ice city,
hacked into the rime, somewhere deep below the ground.
Of skeletons, hacking their way free of centuries old ice, by
inches every year. Of ancient sorcerers, preserved by the
cold. This is also where the Orb of the Frost Queen can be
found. It was brought here by a wizard hoping to take its
power for himself. His attempt failed… badly.
The room in which the orb lies is covered with frost, into
which an unknown hand has traced the word ‘just say sorry’
over and over again, and is protected by a dozen winter
wolves… who don’t much like anyone getting too close.

The island is, unsurprisingly, home to many creatures who
like the cold. A tribe of orcs dwells in the island’s southern
hilly regions. Winter wolves, yeti, and even remorhaz make
their way across the frozen tundra or dwell in the crystal
forest. Most are extremely hostile, though they typically seek
to protect the island from interlopers.

D10 Roll Random Encounter
1 1d8 + 1 orcs
2 1 air elemental
3 1d3 polar bears
4 1 young remorhaz
5 1d6 + 1 winter wolves
6 1d3 + 1 orcs mounted on polar bears
7 Maius, the frost giant
8 2d4 ice mephits
9 1d4 + 2 yeti
10 1 young white dragon