Adventurers: The primary group consisting of Elara, Halite, Kragor, Scarlet, Whisper, Doctor Pepe, and Gerhard. Having survived the perils of the sea and the Foren wastes, they have breached the sunken Aeorian ruin of Salsvault. Within its silent, geometric halls, they have battled arcane constructs, a tide of zombies, and a giant octopus, all while piecing together the ruin’s grim purpose. They now use a nearby cavern—warmed by a mysterious, caged fire elemental—as a sanctuary from the tomb’s oppressive chill and the biting Eiselcross weather.
Animated Armors: Tall, hollow guardians of Salsvault’s foyer, clad in verdigris-stained metal. Moving with the relentless cadence of machines, these magical constructs proved immune to enchantments that sway the minds of living beings. They were destroyed by the party upon entry.
Animated Cutlery: A silent, murderous swarm of kitchen implements—cleavers, knives, and other utensils—that flew from their racks in the Salsvault kitchen to attack the party. Their small size and vicious speed made for a chaotic and bloody encounter that left Whisper unconscious before they were all destroyed.
Arl Bortock: A jovial dwarf who tends bar at the Jolly Dwarf in Palebank Village. He provides the adventurers with lodging, refreshments, local insights, and identifies the Liel-Tethwick family. He later promises a thorough cleaning of his inn upon learning of potential contamination.
Bandits (Croaker Cave): Followers of Hulil Lutan, tasked with defending her operations within Croaker Cave. They battled the adventurers, resulting in casualties and one captured dwarf (associated with the Uttolot family) who provided intelligence before being knocked out.
Bandits (Pelc’s Curiosities): Followers of Hulil Lutan, encountered ransacking the shop searching for clues to cure Hulil’s Frigid Woe. They engaged the adventurers in combat but surrendered after several were defeated, revealing Hulil’s location and affliction.
Bill: A Glassblade in Palebank Village, encountered at the Jolly Dwarf, providing warnings about the dangers of the Frigid Woe and the port closure.
Bret: A human wizard and member of the Cerberus Assembly, rescued by the Remorhaz after the Frostfang, on which he had purchased passage, was destroyed by a giant squid. He was traveling as a passenger under Captain Gerhard Eisner and seeks urgent passage to Icehaven in Eiselcross, carrying vital news about Aeorian constructs encountered in the wastes. Captain Stonebeard has denied his request for diversion, directing him to Palebank Village.
The Buyer: An enigmatic figure residing in a large, well-maintained yurt in Syrinlya. Elro has instructed the party to deliver the Frigid Woe cure to this individual for teleportation back to Palebank Village. Orvo Mustave sold his share of the Salsvault artifacts to this person. Using a Sending spell, this individual informed Elara of Tulgi Lutan’s death, adding a grim urgency to the party’s quest.
Doctor Pepe: Initially a mysterious rogue observing the adventurers, he formally joined their quest at Croaker Cave. He contributes sharp investigative skills, stealth, and crossbow proficiency. He is proving adept at fishing and cooking. In Salsvault, his Ring of Comprehension has proven invaluable for deciphering the archaic Draconic script of the Aeorians. He was nearly drowned by a giant octopus in a flooded library, an experience that has left him with a profound and unnatural weariness.
Elara: An aasimar bard whose musical talents and spellcasting bolster the party. She excels at negotiation, inspiration, healing, and illusions, and has bonded with others over the novel Tusk Love. She is mastering new melodies and enchantments, enhancing her performance and persuasion, and has taken on a guardian role, watching over Kragor. In Salsvault, she has used her magic to illuminate foes, heal grievous wounds, and revive the fallen. After finding a pristine robe on a long-dead novice, she has adopted the red-robed look of the vault’s original inhabitants. She was the recipient of a magical message from The Buyer, learning of Tulgi Lutan’s passing.
Elf Acolyte (Croaker Cave): A male elf and devout follower of Hulil Lutan, discovered kneeling beside her before a tapestry of Tiamat. He engaged the party in combat in defense of his priestess but was swiftly killed by a crossbow bolt to the neck from Doctor Pepe.
Elro Aldataur: A Glassblade leader in Palebank Village. He introduces the adventurers to the Frigid Woe mystery, confirms the disease’s name and Aeorian origins, explains the cure (milky liquid in golden vials), hires the party to retrieve the cure from Eiselcross, provides payment and bounty for Hulil’s gang, arranges passage on the Remorhaz, and identifies Orvo Mustave and “The Buyer” as contacts in Syrinlya. He has also promised to ensure Irven Liel’s family is cared for.
Fenton Tethwick: Irven Liel’s husband, traveling with Irven and their twin tiefling daughters (Honor & Magic). He helps care for the children while Irven discusses sensitive matters with the adventurers.
Ferol Sal: The undead lord of Salsvault. A letter found in his immaculate bedchamber reveals his identity and chilling purpose: having survived Aeor’s fall, he has continued his work in undeath, seeking to engineer a plague capable of infecting and destroying the very gods he blames for his city’s destruction.
Fire Elemental (Caged): A colossal figure of silent, eternal flame, suspended within a shimmering electrum dodecahedron cage, which is itself contained within a massive, misty-blue sphere. Discovered by Halite and Whisper in a nearby mountain cavern, this powerful being’s prison appears to be leaking, its immense heat creating a hot spring in the frozen landscape.
Gerhard Eisner: The former captain of the Frostfang, rescued alongside his crewman Rorik and passenger Bret. Deeply affected by the loss of his ship, he has joined the adventurers’ quest, contributing his wilderness experience, map-reading skills, and combat support. His magical ring allowing him to walk on water proved decisive during the battle with the giant octopus. He has also taken to wearing one of the strange, un-rotted red robes found in Salsvault.
Giant Ice Frogs (Croaker Cave): Two aggressive, mastiff-sized, blue-skinned frogs that served as guards in the first chamber of Croaker Cave. They ambushed Doctor Pepe and Whisper upon their entry, wounding Whisper before the rest of the party arrived. One was killed by Elara’s magic, and the other retreated after being wounded by Doctor Pepe. They are distinct from the much larger, semi-domesticated Old Croaker.
Giant Octopus: A slick, purpled monstrosity with malevolent intelligence, found lurking in the flooded library of Salsvault. It dragged Doctor Pepe into the depths and ensnared Scarlet before Halite’s furious trident assault ended its life. Its corpse exudes a foul, sulfurous odor.
Giant Squid: A colossal cephalopod encountered in the fog-laden Frigid Depths. It destroyed the Frostfang and attacked the Remorhaz before being slain by the combined efforts of the adventurers and crew. Sparky reported its remains smelled like farts.
Gramini: An elderly elf potion vendor at the Palebank Village docks. She sells the party healing potions, trades for a Scanlan Shorthalt shirt (which she frames and prices highly), and offers initial advice about Westeroff.
Griffin: A magnificent but unnamed griffin encountered with an arrow lodged in its wing. After Scarlet communicated with, treated, and healed the beast, it showed its gratitude by allowing her to ride it for several days. It served as an aerial scout for the party during their trek across Foren and warned them of giants to the north before departing.
Haldor: A deck hand on the Remorhaz, born and raised in snowy lands but with a love for fishing. He confronts the winter wolf in the kitchen with Ironfist and later bonds with Whisper while working the rigging, sharing stories of their respective homes and showing her techniques for tackling ice frozen into ropes.
Halite: A goliath fighter known for his strength, tactical mind, and mastery of the trident and javelin. He has discovered a surprising aptitude for cooking. He delivered the killing blows to the party’s most fearsome foes, the Giant Squid, the Young Remorhaz, and the Giant Octopus. After splitting from the party with Whisper to investigate a steam plume, he co-discovered the cavern of the caged fire elemental and found a mysterious bottle beneath a console. In Salsvault’s flooded library, his focused rage and mighty arm brought down the giant octopus that had seized two of his companions.
Hulil Lutan: A dwarf priestess of Tiamat and sister of Tulgi. Afflicted with Frigid Woe, she led criminal operations from Croaker Cave, seeking Aeorian artifacts and a cure. Defeated by the party, her journal revealed the sale of a blue vial to Irven Liel.
Ice Mephits: Three small, malevolent elemental creatures of ice, described as “flickering motes of azure” and “shards of living ice.” They are drawn to the magic sustaining the Salsvault ruins. Agile fliers, they attack with blasts of frigid air and can exhale shrouds of dense, swirling fog. They are fragile, exploding into ice shards when defeated by the party.
Ingrid: The skilled, if gruff, dwarven chef aboard the Remorhaz. She is revealed to be a lycanthrope (winter wolf), her transformation tied to a moon-and-rune amulet. She mentors several party members in cooking, gifting utensils to Kragor, Halite, and Doctor Pepe in recognition of their talent. She apologized to Whisper for biting her while transformed, and incongruously offered sandwiches during the height of the giant squid battle.
Ironfist: The First Mate of the Remorhaz. He confronts the winter wolf in the kitchen with Haldor and participates actively in the battle against the giant squid, manning a ballista and attempting to throw a rescue rope to the water-walking survivor.
Irven Liel: A traveling bookseller (specializing in wholesale) heading to Uthodurn with his husband Fenton and their twin tiefling daughters. He purchased a cracked blue vial containing Frigid Woe contagion from Hulil Lutan as an investment. He cooperates with the party, allowing Scarlet to confirm the danger, and now relies on them finding the cure for him and his entire family. He is a proponent of “Feather Leather” as a best-selling book.
Javel: An ancient, coughing dwarf trader operating out of a yurt in Syrinlya. He sells the party snowshoes (including blood-stained ones from a halfling eaten by a yeti) and ice hammers, bonding with Elara over a shared appreciation for the novel Tusk Love and gifting her a bottle of Sandkeg’s High whiskey. He warns them about yetis.
Kragor: An orc warlock wielding eldritch power and a conjured war hammer. He has discovered a talent for cooking. He revealed he gained his power from an otherworldly patron after experiencing strange dreams and near-death. These have since evolved into recurring, vivid nightmares, the latest being a vision of being a human in a tribe, fleeing through a blizzard at a god’s command before being crushed by ice. Within Salsvault, his use of a ritual to see magic has allowed him to identify both known and alien schools of power. Like several others, he has taken to wearing the red robes of the vault’s former denizens, and continues his paternal watch over the white dragon egg.
The Liel-Tethwicks: The traveling family consisting of Irven Liel, his husband Fenton Tethwick, and their twin tiefling daughters, Honor and Magic. They become entangled in the Frigid Woe mystery due to Irven’s purchase of a contaminated vial.
Mathias: The harried elf proprietor of “Mathias’s Stuffs” in Palebank Village, where the party buys supplies and sells bandit gear. He provides a warning about violent “wild folk” with black streaks on their faces in Eiselcross.
Mera: The skilled navigator of the Remorhaz. She participates in the card game, expertly pilots the ship through fog and during the squid attack, and calculates their position and arrival time in Syrinlya. She expressed delight at Elara’s musical performance and the liveliness of the group.
Morgo Delwur: A stout, weathered dwarf woman acting as an informal guide or contact in Syrinlya. She directs the party to Orvo and The Buyer, offers them the yurt of a deceased elf lordling (eaten by a saber-toothed tiger), and mentions local dangers before heading off on her own expedition.
Old Croaker: A giant ice frog of unusual size dwelling in Croaker Cave. Used by Hulil’s bandits (and later the party) for transport across an underground pool, motivated by treats (bats, elf hands). It attacked Whisper when startled. Scarlet confirmed it is venomous.
Orvo Mustave: A dwarf adventurer in Syrinlya and friend of the deceased Urgon, identified by a distinctive three-line scar on his cheek. He accompanied Urgon on the expedition where the blue vials were found in the Salsvault ruins (located in the Thin Sheets region). He provides the party with directions, details about the ruins’ dangers (Ice Mephits, animated armor), confirms he sold his share of artifacts to The Buyer, and directs them to Javel for snowshoes. He is saddened and angered by Urgon’s death.
Rorik: A young human crewman from the Frostfang, rescued alongside Captain Gerhard Eisner and Bret. He seems loyal to Gerhard.
Rug of Smothering: An animate carpet found in a ruined Salsvault storeroom. It attempted to suffocate Halite and then Scarlet before the druid’s transformation into a draft horse tore it from its grapple, after which it was quickly destroyed.
Scanlan Shorthalt: A legendary and widely popular bard, known through his merchandise and literary works rather than a personal appearance. His name appears on a rare shirt the party barters to Gramini for a discount, and his book, Adventure Sexy: Impress Potential Lovers with Great Deeds, is found in an abandoned yurt in Syrinlya.
Scarlet: A halfling druid deeply connected to nature. She has an owl companion (“Sparky”) used for scouting. She communicated with and healed a griffin, riding it to scout ahead. Inside the sterile walls of Salsvault, she has adapted her powers, using fire to melt ice and taking the form of a wild boar to fight constructs and a massive draft horse to escape a rug of smothering. To save a drowning Doctor Pepe, she dove into the icy waters of a flooded library, her healing magic a desperate spark in the gloom.
Sparky: Scarlet’s owl familiar. A loyal and effective scout, Sparky provides aerial reconnaissance for the party. He scouted the fog-laden sea for land, reporting back to Scarlet that the remains of the giant squid “smelled bad… like farts.” He also proves helpful with navigating the featureless terrain of Foren.
Stonebeard: The seasoned captain of the Remorhaz. Initially deferential to Elro, he reveals a pragmatic, no-nonsense command style once at sea. He oversees ship operations, directs the crew during crises (the lycanthropy incident and the squid attack), interacts with the rescued survivors, and safely navigates to Syrinlya. His ship requires weeks of repair before another crossing.
Swarm of Undead Snakes: A roiling ball of tiny, desiccated, and venomous undead serpents that erupted from a chest in Ferol Sal’s private quarters. The swarm was obliterated by a radiant blow from Kragor’s war hammer.
Tulgi Lutan: A solitary trapper in Palebank Village and sister of Hulil. Afflicted with Frigid Woe, she confessed her and Hulil’s criminal activities and theft from Urgon, revealing Hulil’s location in Croaker Cave. As confirmed by a message from The Buyer, she has since succumbed to the disease.
Undead Figure: A solitary, decaying humanoid figure encountered walking with unnerving precision across the frozen landscape of Foren. The sound of its voice is like “grinding stone,” and it appears to be sightless. It is driven by a singular, obsessive purpose, asking, “Where is Lucien?” The party redirected it towards the River Inferno, hoping it would incinerate itself. Scarlet identified it as undead.
Urgon Wenth: A dwarven adventurer whose return from Eiselcross afflicted with Frigid Woe and subsequent death sparked the story’s central mystery. He recovered Aeorian artifacts, including the blue vials containing the contagion, from the Salsvault ruins alongside Orvo Mustave.
Verla Pelc: The owner of Pelc’s Curiosities in Palebank Village. Found frozen dead in her shop by the adventurers, a victim of the Frigid Woe after purchasing the blue vials from Urgon and handling them.
Westeroff: A retired wizard in Palebank Village. He provides limited magical identification services, confirms Urgon’s dagger is magical, sells Halite a crystal focus, and identifies a garnet for Doctor Pepe. He is notably not a fan of music.
Whisper: A tabaxi monk known for exceptional agility, stealth, and scouting. She survived being partially swallowed by an ice frog and bitten by Ingrid in wolf form. With Halite, she discovered the cavern of the caged elemental, where her curiosity led her to tamper with a strange lever. She has been battered and stabbed by flying cutlery in Salsvault, but her resilience sees her ever ready for the next fight. She has taken to wearing the strange, well-preserved red robes of the vault’s dead.
White Dragon Egg: A massive, three-foot-tall, alabaster-white egg discovered by Halite on the Foren plains. Radiating an intense cold, it was identified by Scarlet as a white dragon egg that is perilously close to hatching. Kragor, having declared it an “orphan” like himself, has adopted it as his own, carefully protecting it from extreme temperatures, such as the heat of the elemental cavern.
Young Remorhaz: A monstrous, heat-radiating, segmented worm native to Eiselcross, capable of burrowing through snow and ice. The party encountered and defeated a juvenile remorhaz, confirming its aggressive, predatory nature and its unique internal furnace that consumes objects on contact. Its iridescent scales (thrym) offer fire resistance.
Zombies (Salsvault): The reanimated novices and workers of Ferol Sal, found throughout the ruin. Clad in unnaturally well-preserved red robes of a strange plant-like fiber, these desiccated corpses are slow but relentless. They possess the ability to rise again after being struck down, unless destroyed utterly by radiant energy or overwhelming force.