The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giants

I have fallen a few weeks behind on these recaps of Swords & Wizardry sessions. Three sessions to be exact. These sessions were to be the culmination of the campaign with the face-off against the big bad enemy the White Worm. But the players have never really felt a strong connection with this enemy and they want to keep playing. I certainly have learned a lot about how to work a plot into a campaign. Next time I will lay the hooks much earlier. These were an uneven group of sessions for me as a game master. I had a couple of players leave the sessions (one temporarily) which felt like a comment on my ability as a game master. The players did not indicate that but that is what a game master feels when players leave. In this session, a fairly new player left because he felt he was not a match for this group. This is not something you experience in face-to-face play with friends. But with online play with people, you have just "met" this can be common.

Session 119: Glacial Rift of the Frost Giants

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Alrix (couatl sorcerer), Aldus (human cavalier), Fenris the Filch (human thief NPC), Domago (human cleric NPC), Dusig (dwarf fighter NPC).

The adventurers are in the trading post of Phom Thult having freed the locals from the charm enchantment of the agents of the White Worm.

Now that the adventurers have a lead on the location of the White Worm they make plans. Lakima suggests that they leave after darkness falls so that they are not spotted approaching the glacial rift of the frost giants. The sun sets early this far north so they board the skyship and set out just over four hours after noon. The ship rises and sets out to the north-north-east over the Great wood. Below they can see a forest of conifers buried under feet of snow. Occasionally they see caribou or reindeer. In the distance, they see a plume of wood smoke but decide to ignore it.

After several hours they see the open snow fields of the Frozen Lands in the distance. An open expanse of snow leads north to the Wall of Ice. The wall of ice is the leading edge of an enormous glacier. As they get nearer they can tell this wall is at least 200 feet high. On the snowfields, they spot a column of dark dots moving south. As they get nearer they realize that this is a band of 40 or more frost giants and about double that number of enormous winter wolves. All headed south. Lakima casts phantasmal force to disguise the ship under the illusion of a white dragon.

“It looks like the forces of the white worm are headed south to raise the barbarian tribes and attack,” Lakima muses.

Domago asks if they shouldn’t turn around and warn the trading post or even Winterhaven. Lakima argues that killing the White Worm is more important and will put an end to the danger posed by the frost giants. Joe argues that they need to turn around immediately and head for Winterhaven. Dusig reasons that the gnomes have high walls and a protected High City that can withstand a band of frost giants. Joe argues that they must turn back.

Lakima calls for a vote of all members of the company. Only Joe and Domago vote to turn about. Domago accepts the will of the group reasoning that they can do best by killing the White Worm. Joe cannot be shaken from his belief that they must turn back even when Lakima argues that the White Worm’s lair might be unguarded with the frost giants leaving.

Joe insists on being allowed to leave and head south so the skyship (disguised as a dragon) drops down close to the snow to let him off. They wave goodbye as Joe runs south without looking back. The ship then ascends again and heads north leaving the frost giants behind.

As they approach the Ice Wall Lakima tells everyone to look for a safe ledge where the skyship can be moored. They see an enormous crack in the wall of ice almost big enough to park the skyship but decide it would not be safe. Instead, they descend the skyship down to park a few feet above the glacier. The adventurers scramble down to the ice and Fenris moves to the edge of the wall.

“It looks to be about 250 feet to the bottom!” Fenris yells.

Ropes are prepared and Fenris is the first to descend. The ropes quickly freeze and become stiff with ice making it more treacherous but Fenris makes it to the bottom. Lakima casts fly on himself and assures those looking nervously over the edge that he will help them get down. Alrix transforms into a serpent despite his hatred of the cold and flies down to also help if someone struggles.

Aldus volunteers to climb down next and he makes it. He is followed by Eathwund who also makes it without much trouble. By now the ropes are frozen solid. Dusig the dwarf goes next and he struggles to keep a grip on the ropes, falling when he is 30 feet down. Lakima is unable to help but Alrix lashes out and grabs Dusig with his tail constricting about the helpless dwarf. He sets Dusig down at the bottom in the snow a little worse for wear. Domago climbs down last and almost makes it but he loses his grip with 50 feet to go to the bottom. Alrix has to react quickly and he catches Domago but crushes his chest spraining some of Domago’s chest muscles. He sets Domago down on his face in the snow.

“Sorry, are you alright?” Alrix asks Domago.

The cleric nods and grimaces in pain as he gets to his feet and looks at the ominous crack in the ice wall.

Fenris lights and shutters his lantern to project just a narrow beam of light that he aims at the snow and ice. He takes the lead into the ice tunnel. The tunnel is huge but gradually begins to lower. The ceiling above is covered with icicles that tinkle like chimes as they pass. As he moves forward, he sees further progress blocked by a 30-foot-tall wall of smooth ice.

The full company of adventurers comes forward and looks at the wall. Lakima looks at Fenris and points to the top of the wall. Fenris examines the ice wall for a moment then begins scaling straight up the ice. Just as he reaches the top a Frost Giant appears above him looking down. Fenris slides down the ice to the bottom in surprise as the giant picks up an ice boulder and throws it at Fenris. The ice boulder slams into the stunned thief. Lakima immediately casts a lightning bolt spell at the frost giant which hits the giant but only injures it. Then an opening suddenly appears in the ice and two more frost giants advance through it to attack Eathwund and Aldus. Alrix launches his sword of dancing at the frost giant on top of the wall and also casts a magic missile hitting the giant. The giant retreats off the top of the wall and disappears. Domago runs forward and uses healing magic on Fenris. Lakima uses his pearl of power to recover his lightning bolt spell and then casts it again striking both frost giants in the doorway. Aldus is hit once with a giant wood hammer in the melee. Domago now steps back and blows the Silver Horn of Valhalla summoning eight berserkers who join the fight.

With the berserkers in the fight, the combat moves to the favor of the adventurers and soon one falls. Lakima casts passwall opening a passage through the wall and the berserkers flank the two remaining frost giants who try to retreat. Their retreat cut off the frost giants both fall under the rain of blows from swords.

The adventurers pause to take stock. Fenris searches the area and finds a giant horn resting on a table. Eathwund finds some giant-sized sandals in a sack on one giant. Nothing valuable is found.

The group presses forward until they emerge into an enormous rift in the ice. The ceiling is at least 200 feet above and shimmers with faint moonlight. Enormous stalagmites of ice thrust up through the snow. Eathwund checks around and notices giant-sized tracks heading off in all directions – but most head north. They decide to follow the tracks with Fenris in the lead.

Suddenly, there is a huge eruption from the snow, and two yeti roar challenges and leap to attack Eathwund and Fenris. Fenris is slashed open by a claw attack and is forced to defend himself with his longsword. Aldus and Eathwund attack the yeti killing one quickly. The second proves tougher and takes longer to take down. Aldus and Eathwund are aided by Alrix using his Sword of Dancing. Blood is splattered all over the snow after the fight.

Fenris now notices a giant stair carved into the wall of ice on one side of the cavern. He points at it and Lakima suggests they investigate. As they approach the stair, they see a trail of giant-sized footprints leading from the stair to the entrance to the cavern. Fenris takes the lead up the stair that leads up forty feet and then enters an ice cave. Fenris shutters his lantern and sneaks forward. He returns almost immediately to report that he can hear at least two frost giants talking up ahead.

“We should rush them,” Lakima says.

Aldus, Eathwund, and Dusig move to the front of the group and run forward. Followed by Fenris who unshutters his lantern revealing three Frost Giants sitting on wooden chairs in an ice cave. Behind them are another cave and the orange light of a fire. Domago blows the Silver Horn of Valhalla and six berserkers appear directly in front of the frost giants. There is a long fight with Aldus taking one dangerous blow from a frost giant war hammer. Alrix uses his last magic missile in the fight. Eathwund and Aldus take the brunt of the attacks before the frost giants are killed. As the last one begins to falter, three female frost giants rush into the chamber and attack. Alrix and then Lakima both hurl fireballs over the heads of the giants to explode behind them. The frost giants are heaved forward and burned by the flames. The fight begins in earnest. The frost giant fighting Aldus strikes the knight twice with mighty blows but leaves himself open to attacks. Lakima finds he has to use two charges from the wand of fireballs on the giants. Domago stops fighting and uses his staff of healing to rescue Aldus who was losing out to a giant. Finally, all of the giants are killed. Lakima rushes ahead to the next ice cave, while Domago bandages wounds. As Lakima enters the chamber he sees three more frost giants. Two were standing, blocking the entrance to their chief’s chamber, and the chief standing behind. Lakima casts Mirror image and three Lakima’s are standing in the cavern facing the giants. One giant reaches down and picks up a block of ice that he hurls at Lakima, striking the real Lakima and knocking him back into the cavern wall. Domago blows the horn again and four berserkers appear pushing the frost giants back and allowing a delay while Aldus and Eathwund rush up to join the fight. After a desperate, bloody exchange, all three frost giants are killed.

Looking about the wrecked, blood-strewn caves Lakima immediately spots a large wooden chest with a padlock on it. He points at it and nods to Fenris. Eathwund rummages about in a pile of furs with his sword finding only small, useless items. Fenris disarms a trap on the chest and unlocks it revealing a fortune in coins of all types – platinum, gold, silver, and copper. The adventurers take a breather while Domago mends wounds and Fenris transfers gold and platinum coins to the bag of holding.