TEXT: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D 
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  A Four-Hour Adventure for 1st through 4th-Level Characters 
  Optimized for APL 3.
  A Plague of Ancients Adventure
  DDAL10-04
  Credits
  Credits
  Lead Designer: Travis Woodall
  Designer: Justice Arman
  Editing: Ashley Michaela “Navigator” Lawson
  Art Director and Graphic Designer: Rich Lescouflair
  Interior Art: Jedd Chevrier, Marcela Madeiros, Irina 
  Nordsol, April Prime, provided by Wizards of the Coast 
  and used with permission.
  Cartography: Travis Woodall
  D&D Adventurers League Guildmaster: Chris Lindsay 
  D&D Adventurers League Wizards Team: Brandy Camel, 
  Lea Helotis, Chris Lindsay, Chris Tulach
  D&D Adventurers League Administrators: Ma’at Crook, 
  Amy Lynn Dzura, Claire Hoffman, Greg Marks, Alan 
  Patrick, Travis Woodall
  Playtesters: James Bowen, Daniel Oliveira, James 
  Schweiss, JJ Tin, Marcello Velazquez
  Special Thanks: Samantha Cubbage, The GM Tim, Anne 
  Gregerson, Paige Letterman, Laura Thompson
  COLD BENEVOLENCE
  Feral-Tongue must be stopped! But without aid, your efforts will likely be in vain. 
  Amid rising tensions, Old Goat suggests an unlikely ally: chwingas! Her plan, 
  however, isn’t popular among other members of the clan. Can you sway their 
  opinion? Better yet, can you find the elusive elemental spirits?
  Part Four of the Plague of Ancients Series of Adventures.
  
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
  Adventure Primer
  Adventure Primer
  I lay there, pinned under the collapsed ice, frostbite creeping 
  up my crushed foot. Before doom befell me, a small, play-
  ful creature appeared—no taller than my boot and wearing 
  a splendid mask—and bestowed upon me a supernatural 
  warmth. What was this winter spirit?
  —Felrin Emptycup, Felrin’s Frozenfar Phenomena
  This adventure is designed for three to seven 1st- to 4th-
  level characters and is optimized for five characters with 
  an average party level (APL) of 3. Characters outside this 
  level range can’t participate in this adventure.
   This adventure takes place in and around Wyrmdoom 
  Crag, Good Mead, and Dougan’s Hole.
  Background
  ICEWIND DALE, the frigid expanse north of the 
  SPINE OF THE WORLD, is deep in the grip of the 
  EVERLASTING RIME—a name bestowed upon the 
  wrath of AURIL THE FROSTMAIDEN. Denied the 
  sun’s warmth, the people of TEN-TOWNS, the GOLIATH 
  CLANS, and the REGHED NOMADS in the surrounding 
  wilds, huddle near their fires to drive away the cold, 
  hoping they’ll be able to endure the chill until the sun 
  rises once more.
   Unbeknownst to them however, the cold is the least 
  of their concerns. Among the THUUNLAKALAGA 
  clan—the goliaths of WYRMDOOM CRAG—the druid 
  FERAL-TONGUE has gone missing, and in his absence, 
  beasts infused with CHARDALYN are driving away prey 
  and fomenting madness in the minds of the people they 
  encounter.
   All is not yet lost; OLD GOAT, the leader of the 
  Thuunlakalaga clan anticipates a sign. Salvation will be 
  heralded by a FALLING STAR on the distant horizon, an 
  ember of hope to melt away the icy grip of doubt in her 
  heart.
  Overview
  The adventure’s story is spread over four parts, each taking 
  approximately 1 hour to play:
  Call to Action: No Hope Too Small (20 mins). Old 
  Goat reveals her plan to the characters: find three 
  chwingas living throughout Icewind Dale and secure 
  their blessings for the fight against Feral-Tongue and 
  Frostclaw.
  Part 1: Pleased to Mead You (40 mins). The characters 
  travel to the town of Good Mead and attempt to earn the 
  blessing of Singing Gir, a song-loving chwinga which 
  resides in a nearby forest. This is Story Objective A.
  Part 2: Winter’s Witness (70 mins). The characters 
  navigate a maze of jagged ice in a nearby mountain range 
  in search of a chwinga called Sappa Ever-Watching. This 
  is Story Objective B.
  Part 3: Fish Stew (50 mins). The reclusive chwinga known 
  as Lor the Timid hides amongst the Twenty Stones 
  of Thruun in Dougan’s Hole. A local who spends his 
  time reflecting at the stones can help the party earn the 
  chwinga’s blessing. This is Story Objective C.
  Part 4: Frostbite (60 mins). On their return to Wyrmdoom 
  Crag, Frostclaw ambushes the characters during a 
  raging blizzard. They must defeat Frostclaw and return 
  to the Thuunlakalaga Clan. This is Story Objective D.
  Story Awards
  At certain points in the adventure, you’ll see this 
  glyph along with an entry describing how the 
  specified story award is earned or impacted by 
  the story. Ignore the entry if it refers to a story award none 
  of the characters have. If it refers to a story award the 
  characters just earned, it provides information for you and 
  the players.
  Adventure Hooks
  If the characters haven’t played through previous season 
  10 adventures, don’t know Old Goat or the Thuunlakalaga 
  Clan, or just need a refresher, give them handout 1, which 
  summarizes what they need to know for this adventure. 
  Consider using the following hooks to draw new characters 
  into the action:
   Chwinga Scholar. Characters with the Acolyte, Hermit, 
  or Sage background might be seeking out rumors of 
  chwingas in Icewind Dale as part of their quest for 
  knowledge.
   The Hunter Becomes the Hunted. Frostclaw has 
  robbed the character of something precious—a friend, their 
  home, or simply their sense of security. It’s time they had 
  their revenge.
   Friend of the Thuunlakalaga Clan. Characters with 
  the Guild Artisan, Guild Merchant, Hermit, Outlander, 
  or Soldier background may have befriended the 
  Thuunlakalaga goliaths in the past and might feel a desire 
  to help them.
  Narrating Frostclaw, the Hunter
  Though they only directly encounter her twice, the characters 
  are constantly hunted by the awakened owlbear as the story 
  arc develops. To ensure you instill the appropriate sense of 
  paranoia and dread this villain deserves, leave signs of her 
  passage for the characters to encounter as they adventure 
  beyond the safety of Wyrmdoom Crag. Examples include:
  • A large, white feather stained with blood.
  • The mutilated carcass of a beast or a missing goliath 
  hunter.
  • Large paw prints that’re quickly erased by the wind and 
  snow.
  • A dead tree with huge claw marks gouged into the trunk.
  • Growls and roars; their source obscured by blowing snow.
  • A circular pattern of deliberately arranged body parts.
  • A character’s name whispered on the wind.
  
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
  No Hope Too Small
  No Hope Too Small
  Estimated Duration: 20 minutes
  Wyrmdoom Crag
  Themes. Doubt, isolation, hope.
   Old Goat addresses the Thuunlakalaga clan’s concerns 
  with an unorthodox plan. She asks the characters to locate 
  three elusive chwingas living throughout Icewind Dale, 
  secure their magical blessings, and to take the fight to 
  Feral-Tongue.
   Old Goat has spent many nights listening to the clan’s 
  concerns about Feral-Tongue and Frostclaw. After reflecting 
  on the needs of her tribe, Old Goat has gathered everybody 
  in the main hall (area W5 on the Wyrmdoom Crag 
  map in Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden) for an 
  announcement.
  Character Introductions
  Allow each character a minute or so to introduce their 
  character, describe their appearance and mannerisms, and 
  the reason why they’re at Wyrmdoom Crag. Be sure to give 
  everyone equal time in the spotlight and be prepared to 
  gently stop people if they run on. Character introductions 
  are crucially important for the players to understand who 
  the other characters are, to build a basis for roleplaying 
  opportunities, and for you, the DM, to learn more about 
  the characters so you can create story elements that really 
  speak to the characters.
   Award inspiration (explaining what inspiration is and 
  how it works) once everyone’s had a turn.
  Area Information
  Wyrmdoom Crag has the following features:
   Dimensions and Terrain. The main hall is a circular 
  cave approximately 50 feet in diameter with a 30-foot-high 
  domed ceiling. The southern portion of the cave is situated 
  atop a 10-foot-high stone ledge accessible by a set of 
  roughhewn stairs.
   Temperature. Warmth is a luxury to goliaths. With 
  resources dwindling, the clan can’t afford to frivolously 
  waste wood. A pathetic fire sputters in the center of the 
  hall for non-mountain-born guests; the rest of the cavern is 
  freezing cold.
   Lighting. Bluish light reflects off the cavern’s walls. 
  A small fire casts a haunting glow under the goliaths’ 
  stonelike faces.
   Sounds. Howling winds echo through the caverns, but 
  they aren’t loud enough to silence the growing tension 
  within the tribe. A crowd of goliaths murmurs with 
  uncertainty, fear, and anger.
   Well. The center of the cave contains a 10-foot-wide well 
  which the Thuunlakalaga clan draws fresh water from.
  Tension in the Tribe
  Feral-Tongue and his awakened animals have shaken the 
  Thuunlakalaga clan, causing a rift in the friendly goliath 
  tribe. Though normally eager to share the story of the White 
  Dragon’s Doom (see chapter 2 of Rime of the Frostmaiden), 
  a character who speaks with or listens to members of the 
  gathered clan may instead learn of their recent struggles.
   You can use the following sample lines during roleplay to 
  convey the tension within the Thuunlakalaga clan:
  • “Longsight has the sharpest eyes of any hunter. If they 
  didn’t see any other game, there was none.”
  • “That creature dragged Hideminder from his bed 
  screaming. What animal would be so bold?”
  • “Old Goat isn’t the warrior she used to be. Spearsong is 
  strong and speaks true. Maybe he should lead the tribe.”
  Creature Information
  Kaskur Spearsong is here, along with three of his fellow 
  hunters (all goliath warriors), facing the entrance to 
  Old Goat’s cave. Behind him stands the collected four 
  generations of goliaths residing in Wyrmdoom Crag—a 
  mixture of adults and children (a few of the latter bored to 
  the point of batting around a goat-ball, much to the chagrin 
  of the eldest among them).
  Kaskur (KASS-kerr) Spearsong Thuunlakalaga
  Neutral goliath warrior
  This headstrong and impetuous goliath leads the clan’s 
  hunters. He’s grown angry and frustrated at the lack of game 
  in the area, and he resents Old Goat’s “poor leadership” for 
  a lack of solutions. He wields a longbow taller than most 
  humans and claims he once felled an elk from a half mile 
  away. He wears little in the way of clothing, even in the driving 
  wind—a feat that’s earned him the respect of his fellow 
  hunters.
  What They Want. Kaskur has grown tired of Old Goat’s 
  personal fears preventing an alliance with the goliaths 
  of Skytower Shelter. He views her as weak and her ideas 
  as outdated, especially when Kugan Windwhisper (Feral-
  Tongue)—who Kaskur views as even weaker than Old 
  Goat—is involved. He wants to usurp control of the clan 
  for himself.
  Words Are Wasted Wind. Kaskur doesn’t have a negotiator’s 
  tongue; he’s terse and speaks his mind without hesitation. 
  Despite this, he’s experienced and knows the area better 
  than any of his peers.
  Once the characters have had a chance to introduce 
  themselves and take in their surroundings, Ogolai 
  Orcsplitter (Old Goat) emerges from her private cave (area 
  W6) and addresses the tribe.
  
  To Boxed Text or Not to Boxed Text
  You can read this boxed text dramatically to your players 
  or you can ignore it and describe the Old Goat’s entrance 
  yourself; tell the players what they sense and let them decide 
  what their characters do. As the DM, you get to portray the 
  entire world; let the players focus on their own characters.
  The battle-scarred goliath chieftain leans on the hilt of her 
  upturned, chalk-white axe. As Old Goat speaks, her hoarse 
  voice tells the story of many shouts uttered in defense 
  of her clan. “We’ve warred with winter for too long,” she 
  starts. “It’s time we ask it for aid.”
  Old Goat publicly acknowledges the characters and 
  thanks them for their assistance, mentioning that the 
  Thuunlakalaga clan can’t stand alone in these trying times. 
  They must consider all allies.
   If the tribe is to have any hope of surviving the 
  Everlasting Rime, they must be clever. In the past, the 
  headstrong goliaths of Wyrmdoom Crag braved the biting 
  winds of winter to meet their enemies, relying solely on 
  fate and resolve. This time, the chieftain fears, that won’t be 
  enough. To combat a supernatural foe, they must make a 
  supernatural ally—no matter how small.
  Ogolai (oh-GO-lie) Orcsplitter “Old Goat” 
  Thuunlakalaga
  Lawful neutral goliath warrior
  The chieftain of the Thuunlakalaga goliaths is an elderly 
  goliath with a heavily scarred face. She dresses plainly in goat 
  hide clothing and carries an immense greataxe fashioned 
  from white dragon bone. She has a crippling fear of griffons 
  stemming from a childhood trauma that’s created tensions 
  between her clan and the Akannathi goliaths of Skytower 
  Shelter (see Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden).
  What They Want. Old Goat’s priority is the safety and 
  prosperity of her clan—especially in these unusual and 
  trying times. She’s quick to stymie dissent, particularly from 
  Kaskur Spearsong. She fears his disagreements will turn 
  violent but does everything within her power to delay this 
  apparent inevitability for as long as possible.
  Done It, Seen It; but the End Is Nigh. Old Goat has been 
  around a long time and seen many things. This experience 
  lends her a tremendous amount of wisdom to draw on 
  when making decisions. However, she’s getting old and 
  refuses to surrender the yoke of leadership until a worthy 
  (equally wise) replacement is found. If it weren’t for his 
  sharp tongue, Old Goat would’ve offered Kaskur the mantle 
  of leadership years ago. However, she fears what the clan 
  would become under his leadership.
  Sharp-Tongued Hunter
  As Old Goat speaks, Kaskur mocks the aging chieftain 
  and her plan. Normally, most of the Thuunlakalaga clan 
  ignores Kaskur’s brusque remarks, but the recent turmoil 
  has fostered unrest within the tribe. Old Goat ignores the 
  hunter’s pointed criticism.
  
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
   Characters can silence Kaskur with a successful 
  DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check. 
  Alternatively, a character could attempt to best him in a feat 
  of strength, such as wrestling, or earn his respect with their 
  marksmanship prowess. If defeated, Kaskur returns to the 
  southern ledge and licks his wounds. If the characters are 
  unsuccessful or do nothing to quell Kaskur’s comments, 
  other clan members participate in the ridicule, causing 1d6 
  + 2 goliaths to leave the gathering early, dismissive of Old 
  Goat’s plan.
  Are You Talkin’ to Me?
  This part showcases the developing tension in the 
  Thuunlakalaga clan, personified by Kaskur and Old Goat. 
  Rather than portraying the conflict with the characters on the 
  sidelines, consider having Kaskur direct his comments to the 
  characters, attempting to appeal to their sense of reason. 
  This engages your players and spares you roleplaying two 
  NPCs arguing with each other.
  Old Goat’s Plan
  Old Goat tells the characters to find three chwingas—tiny 
  elemental spirits capable of bestowing magical blessings—
  living throughout Icewind Dale. She asks the characters 
  to secure the chwingas’ blessings and take the fight to 
  Feral-Tongue.
   While chwingas don’t use names themselves, Old Goat 
  refers to the three chwingas as:
  Singing Gir, a chwinga who delights in song and pottery. 
  They reside in a frozen forest outside Good Mead.
  Sappa Ever-Watching, a hermetic chwinga who observes 
  Icewind Dale from the peaks of a nearby mountain range.
  Lor the Timid, a shy and reclusive spirit who lives among 
  the Twenty Stones of Thruun in Dougan’s Hole, the 
  smallest Ten-Town.
   This isn’t the first time the Thuunlakalaga clan has heard 
  of these chwingas. Goliath storytellers speak their names 
  over crackling fires on calm, snowy nights, much to the 
  delight of the tribe’s wide-eyed youth.
   Upon the conclusion of Old Goat’s plan, Kaskur tells the 
  tribe that their chieftain is weak and that “All this ice has 
  frozen her judgment.” The hotheaded hunter then storms 
  off, his loyal hunters stamping their spears against the 
  stone floor in support as they follow closely behind.
  Development
  After Kaskur’s exit, Old Goat approaches the characters, 
  accompanied by a goliath storyteller who uses a crutch 
  named Nararhak Tree-Eye. The chieftain hands the 
  characters a bag containing a crystal set in a golden frame 
  with a wooden handle—a gift for Sappa Ever-Watching.
   Old Goat suggests the characters start with the chwinga 
  easiest to locate: Singing Gir. The chwinga lives in a 
  frozen forest just outside the brewing town of Good Mead. 
  Nararhak has told the story of Singing Gir many times and 
  knows the chwinga well. They suggest the characters stop 
  in town first to fetch a few clay mugs and learn a rowdy 
  drinking song or two.
  Exploring Wyrmdoom Crag
  The characters may wish to explore other areas of Wyrmdoom 
  Crag before their departure. Refer to chapter 2 of Icewind 
  Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden for areas other than the main 
  hall. Old Goat stresses the urgency of the situation and 
  encourages the characters not to delay. There’ll be plenty of 
  time for goat-ball after Feral-Tongue is dealt with!
  
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
  Estimated Duration: 40 minutes
  Traveling to Good Mead
  Themes. Denial, desperation, secrecy.
   The first chwinga on Old Goat’s list is Singing Gir. a 
  buzzing elemental spirit who loves a good drinking song. 
  Luckily, the chwinga resides in the frozen forest just 
  north of Good Mead! As they reach the brewing town, the 
  characters are faced with a choice: head to the mead hall or 
  approach Singing Gir despite an imminent blizzard!
  Good Mead
  Good people—honest and true—the folks living in Good 
  Mead are a raucous bunch. Worship of Tempus is prevalent 
  and made more boisterous by their brewing-based economy. 
  They maintain a healthy rivalry with Dougan’s Hole to the 
  southwest. A typical Good Meader has their own “well-
  seasoned” mug always hanging from a belt loop. The buzzing 
  drone of beehives can be heard almost everywhere in town, 
  though the unnaturally cold winter has quieted the hives 
  down considerably.
   As the characters travel to Good Mead, the gray clouds 
  above them become increasingly dark and grim—a sign 
  of an impending blizzard. When the characters reach the 
  outskirts of town, read or paraphrase the following:
  A fur trapper emerges from the spindly evergreens of the 
  frozen forest just outside of Good Mead, dragging an empty 
  sled behind them. The vaguely human-shaped bundle of 
  winter clothing hollers in your direction about the storm, 
  though their shouts are mostly drowned out by the roar of 
  the icy winds. The trapper then continues trudging through 
  the snow toward the warm glow of the town’s mead hall.
   Characters can follow the trapper to the mead hall, 
  where they can attempt to learn a drinking song and obtain 
  one of the locals’ clay mugs while the storm blows over. 
  Alternatively, characters can ignore Nararhak’s suggestions 
  and forge ahead to the frozen forest. If the characters heed 
  the storyteller’s advice, proceed to the “Mead Hall” section. 
  If the characters instead want to go straight to Singing Gir, 
  skip ahead to the “Frozen Forest” section.
   Regardless of where the characters go, Good Mead 
  and the surrounding area are subjected to a blizzard 10 
  minutes after the characters reach the town. The storm 
  lasts 1d4 hours.
  Story Objective A
  Gaining Singing Gir’s charm is Story Objective A.
  A. Mead Hall
  Good Mead is known for its delicious honey wine. The 
  proud brewing town has served Frozenfar stalwarts 
  for over forty years, shipping casks branded with Good 
  Mead’s heraldry to taverns throughout Icewind Dale. The 
  town’s central feature is its two-story mead hall, which 
  buzzes with the droning of thousands of bees used in the 
  production of mead. After a hard day’s work, locals retire 
  to the mead hall to warm their bellies with a mug full of 
  sweet, yellow mead.
   Auril the Frostmaiden has sent Good Mead spiraling 
  into a depressive slump. Recently, the town speaker, 
  Kendrick Rielsbarrow, was killed by a verbeeg who made 
  off with a few casks of mead, and the Everlasting Rime 
  has killed a substantial number of bees with its merciless 
  temperatures. Until the town can get its bearings, Good 
  Mead has halted all mead deliveries to the other Ten-Towns. 
  During this period of uncertainty, however, locals can still 
  seek respite in a foamy mug of mead. Some desperate few, 
  however, believe it’s only a matter of time before the mead 
  runs out—a self-fulfilling prophecy it seems, as they’re keen 
  to drink the town dry.
  A Toast to Those That Came Before
  Good Mead was founded by immigrants from Chult and the 
  Vilhon Reach, who brought with them trophies of the beasts 
  that roamed their homelands in the form of hollowed-out 
  drinking horns. Today, the people of Good Mead continue 
  to honor their ancestors in times of revelry, though few 
  dinosaurs roam the Frozenfar. Hunters boast of their kills 
  while drinking from yeti horns or mammoth tusks, while the 
  town’s less ambitious folk opt to make elaborate clay mugs 
  engraved with pictographic stories.
  Area Information
  An upright flaming sword—the symbol of Tempus, Lord of 
  Battles—is carved above the doors of the mead hall, which 
  has the following features:
   Dimensions and Terrain. The mead hall’s rectangular 
  taproom is 50 feet long and 20 feet wide.
  Pleased to Mead You
  Pleased to Mead You
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
   Walls and Ceilings. The mead hall’s walls are lined with 
  casks of mead, animal hides, and a handful of mounted 
  trophies, including the imposing head of a remorhaz. The 
  20-foot-high ceiling is supported by thick wooden beams.
   Temperature. A rectangular firepit situated between the 
  two rows of feasting tables keeps the hall comfortably warm.
   Lighting. The hall is dimly lit by the orange glow of the 
  fireplace and whale oil lamps.
   Sounds. In addition to a bellowing warrior’s singing, the 
  mead hall vibrates to the buzzing of thousands of bees. 
  Though they aren’t housed in the taproom, a large portion 
  of the mead hall is dedicated to bee husbandry, by which 
  Good Mead draws the honey for its namesake. The droning 
  bees are audible throughout the town, but the buzzing is 
  especially prevalent within the mead hall.
   Beehive. Occasionally, stray bees slip through cracks 
  in the wood and begin constructing a hive within the 
  taproom. Normally, a beekeeper moves this hive back to the 
  apiary, but after the recent discovery of nearly a hundred 
  cold, dead bees, the brewers aren’t taking any chances 
  by disturbing the bees’ preferred location. Bees circle the 
  1-foot-wide hive, which hangs from a support beam over 
  the one of the feasting tables.
   The beehive has AC 10 and 5 hit points. When reduced 
  to 0 hit points, the beehive falls from the beam and crashes 
  onto one of the feasting tables, bursting open and releasing 
  an angry swarm of insects in the nearest unoccupied space. 
  On their turn, the bees attack the creature closest to them.
  Creature Information
  Eleven sullen-eyed patrons dot the taproom; hunters, 
  fishers, and three guards in the local militia taking solace 
  in the mead that still flows into their cups. A boisterous 
  warrior (berserker) sings “Dig It Up, Doddie” (see 
  handout 2) at the center feasting table, only stopping long 
  enough to guzzle mead from his drinking horn. His song 
  draws the attention of a sulking beekeeper at a nearby table 
  and Sigrid Bronzebelly, a dwarf brewer who’s discreetly 
  enjoying spoonfuls of “comfort honey” from behind the bar.
  Pleased to Mead You
  When the characters enter the mead hall, read or 
  paraphrase the following:
  A blond-haired mountain of a man laughs and takes a swig 
  of golden mead from a curved drinking horn, while his 
  other hand slowly brings a clay mug brimming with foam 
  toward his dripping beard. The wooden bench bows under 
  the weight of the muscular, bare-chested warrior, who 
  sings over the droning bees between lengthy gulps.
   “DIG IT UP, DIG IT UP, DIG IT UP, DODDIE! I HEAR THE 
  FISHING’S GREAT.”
   The rowdy patron is a worshipper of Tempus named 
  Bjorn Snowslayer. A character can memorize “Dig 
  It Up, Doddie” with a successful DC 13 Intelligence 
  (Performance) check after listening to Bjorn sing for 10 
  minutes. Alternatively, they can pay any patron 5 gp to write 
  down the lyrics and teach them the melody.
  Bjorn Snowslayer
  Chaotic neutral human berserker
  Until a few days ago, Bjorn was a brave warrior in Good 
  Mead’s militia, when an encounter with a verbeeg left him 
  physically and mentally scarred. Bjorn is shaken by the death 
  of Speaker Rielsbarrow and the town’s uncertain position, but 
  he’d rather drink himself to death than admit he’s afraid.
  What They Want. Speaker Rielsbarrow was like a father 
  to Bjorn, and carousing in the mead hall dulls the pain. 
  Bjorn hasn’t thought about what he’ll do after the storm 
  subsides. The only thing on his mind is the next drink.
  Broken Warrior. Bjorn’s encounter with the verbeeg left him 
  in a state of self-doubt. The warrior’s anxiety manifests as 
  raucous merrymaking and bullying.
  Clay Mugger
  Bjorn’s clay mug belongs to a meager beekeeper named 
  Jordan. Like Bjorn and most residents of Good Mead, 
  Jordan’s had a tough time of late. On top of the recent 
  bee deaths, Jordan recently received word that a caravan 
  transporting a care package from their mother—including a 
  box of homemade cookies—perished in an avalanche along 
  the Spine of the World. They were looking forward to a pint 
  of mead until the towering warrior snatched it from their 
  grasp—mug and all.
   Due to their netted outfit, the doleful beekeeper 
  immediately stands out to any character who surveys the 
  room. At this point, Jordan doesn’t care if they get their mug 
  back. They just want to see Bjorn knocked down a peg or 
  two. Jordan tells the characters they can keep the mug if 
  they retrieve it.
   Here are a few ways the characters could obtain the clay 
  mug:
   Beehive. Though the mead hall sees its share of brawls, 
  fighting with weapons is strictly forbidden. If a character 
  brandishes a weapon, they invoke the ire of the local militia. 
  That said, knocking the beehive from the ceiling is certain 
  to cause a large enough distraction to secure the mug.
   Drinking Contest. If a character asks for Jordan’s mug 
  back, Bjorn challenges them to a drinking contest. Each 
  contestant must make a successful DC 10 Constitution 
  check to drink their mead without succumbing to 
  intoxication. The participants repeat the check until only 
  one remains.
   During the contest, the patrons in the mead hall sing “Dig 
  It Up, Doddie.” A character who doesn’t participate in the 
  contest can memorize the song with a successful DC 13 
  Intelligence (Performance) check.
   Stealing the Mug. If the characters can get Bjorn to set 
  down the mug, a character who makes a successful DC 
  17 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check can swipe the mug 
  without Bjorn noticing.
  To the Forest
  The blizzard subsides after 1d4 hours, at which point 
  the patrons begin to return to their homes. Having had 
  a chance to secure both mug and song, characters can 
  proceed to the frozen forest to meet Singing Gir.
  
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
  B. Frozen Forest
  Just north of Good Mead lies a thicket of snow-covered 
  pines. In the winter months, when trade routes are 
  especially dangerous, locals who tire of knucklehead trout 
  venture into the frozen forest to hunt and trap. Most Good 
  Mead residents understand the importance of conservation 
  and are careful not to overhunt—after all, the town thrives 
  thanks to the careful nurturing of bees.
  Area Information
  A squat, three-tiered igloo rests in a clearing. Dozens of 
  clay mugs dangle above the igloo, suspended by stiff twine 
  attached to the towering evergreens’ branches. A steady, 
  rhythmic buzz emanates from a small opening at the base 
  of the igloo.
  Creature Information
  The glassy evergreens of the frozen forest are home to 
  snowy owls, arctic hares, and a merry chwinga which 
  is often heard but rarely seen. To Singing Gir, the ever-
  droning bees of Good Mead are a nonstop choir of 
  thousands of tiny voices—a choir in which the chwinga 
  frequently takes part. Singing Gir has a striped oval mask 
  adorned with two large white ears and wears a pair of 
  wings fashioned from pine needles and tree sap. When the 
  chwinga hears a song, it hums along with a kazoo-like buzz 
  that causes its mask to vibrate, shaking off ice and snow in 
  a gentle cloud.
   To coax Singing Gir out of hiding, the characters must 
  make a successful DC 13 group Charisma (Performance) 
  check. Any player who sings a verse of “Dig It Up, Doddie” 
  (see handout 2) or any other drinking song makes their 
  check with advantage. On a success, Singing Gir emerges 
  from the igloo and begins a fervent dance, kicking 
  up glittering snow. The chwinga bounces among the 
  characters throughout its performance, bestowing upon 
  them the Charm of Singing Gir story award.
   If the characters proceeded directly to the frozen forest 
  despite the blizzard, Singing Gir is agitated by the storm. 
  The chwinga buzzes angrily at the characters from inside 
  its igloo, refusing to come out. As a result, characters have 
  disadvantage on their Charisma (Performance) checks.
  Chwingas and Their Magical Gifts
  The chwingas are a bit less generous than their counterparts 
  in the jungles of Chult. Because of this, they don’t bestow 
  their supernatural charms during these adventures. Instead, 
  their aid manifests later when it’s truly needed.
  Development
  After the characters have attempted to earn Singing Gir’s 
  blessing, they can seek out either Sappa Ever-Watching in 
  the mountains of Icewind Dale (part 2) or Lor the Timid 
  in Dougan’s Hole (part 3). The characters don’t need to 
  return to Wyrmdoom Crag after each chwinga, but they’re 
  welcome to solicit additional wisdom from Nararhak and 
  Old Goat if they get stumped.
  Story Award: Charm of Singing Gir
  The characters earn this story award if they 
  persuade Singing Gir to lend their aid.
  
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
  Estimated Duration: 70 minutes
  Mount Shatterglass
  Themes. Desperation, paranoia, secrecy.
   From the highest peak of a nearby mountain range, 
  Sappa Ever-Watching looks down on Icewind Dale with its 
  collection of spyglasses. Skeptics within the Thuunlakalaga 
  clan think Sappa Ever-Watching is more curious than 
  vigilant, but Old Goat believes the chwinga is a sentinel, 
  dutifully watching over the Dale. She sends the characters 
  to Mount Shatterglass with a gift for the tiny creature, but a 
  jagged ice maze and a harrowing climb stand between the 
  characters and the chwinga.
   Sappa Ever-Watching spies from the summit of Mount 
  Shatterglass, named for how the mountain rises from the 
  ice maze located around its base, called the Glassfoot. 
  Many explorers have bravely (or foolishly) entered the 
  maze, eager to uncover its secrets, but few return. Where 
  there are secrets, there’s often danger.
  Story Objective B
  Gaining Sappa Ever-Watching’s charm Story Objective B.
  Area Information
  Mount Shatterglass has the following features:
   Terrain. The terrain throughout the icy maze at the base 
  of this 3,000-foot-tall mountain features rock-hard snow, 
  frozen lakes, and smooth, blue permafrost.
   Walls and Ceilings. The Glassfoot’s walls are made 
  from rock and ice, ranging from 10 to 25 feet in height. 
  Frost and powder snow settle on most surfaces, imposing 
  disadvantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to climb 
  walls. Though the majority of Glassfoot is open to the gray 
  sky, some areas descend into sub-zero tunnels with 10-foot-
  high ceilings made of thick, blue permafrost.
   Temperature. Bone-chilling katabatic winds permeate 
  Mount Shatterglass and the Glassfoot below. Creatures 
  who aren’t acclimated to extreme cold or wearing proper 
  winter clothing quickly become grim omens for future 
  expeditions.
   Lighting. Gray clouds block the afternoon sun, allowing 
  dim light, but no warmth.
  Lighting in Icewind Dale
  Unless otherwise noted, daytime hours provide dim light 
  outdoors, while nighttime hours are dark. The permanent 
  dusk of Auril’s curse makes the promise of sunlight seem a 
  teasing possibility, but the sun never breaks the horizon.
   Sounds. Whistling winds grow louder as characters near 
  the peak of Mount Shatterglass.
   Frozen Corpses. The occasional, blue-skinned corpse 
  lies half-buried in the snow. Frozen in time, their poses 
  tell the story of their final moments: huddling for warmth, 
  scribing illegibly on a scroll with frostbitten hands, or 
  injured, crawling along a risky ledge toward companions 
  who forged ahead long ago.
   Fauna. All manner of arctic creatures lurk inside the 
  Glassfoot—crag cats, frost giants, and remorhazes have 
  all roamed the frigid chasm at one time or another. In 
  addition, various beasts acclimated to the cold inhabit the 
  maze. The characters may encounter walruses, foxes, or 
  snowy owls.
  A. Traversing the 
  Glassfoot
  Unlike other mazes, the Glassfoot is alive, and changes 
  by the hour. Frigid air solidifies into thin walls of ice, and 
  whipping katabatic winds collapse precarious passages, 
  transforming them into stretches of treacherous blades.
   Rather than providing a map for the icy labyrinth, 
  navigating the maze is a narrative experience interspersed 
  with discoveries. Roll twice on the Ice Maze Encounters 
  table and consult the following sections to determine what 
  surprises await the characters at the base of the mountain.
   If the characters make quick work of these challenges, 
  consider rolling a third time on the Ice Maze Encounters 
  table.
   Exiting the Maze. After 1 hour of exploring, the 
  characters must make a DC 14 group Wisdom (Survival) 
  check to traverse the Glassfoot. On a success, proceed 
  to the “Scaling the Mountain” section. On a failure, the 
  characters gain a level of exhaustion and must spend 
  another hour searching the maze. This level of exhaustion 
  can only be removed by completing a long rest in a warm, 
  dry location with access to hot food and drink (such as an 
  established tent, tavern, or inn). It isn’t possible to recover 
  while ranging about the frigid wilds of Icewind Dale.
  Winter’s Witness
  Winter’s Witness
  2
  
  Ice Maze Encounters
  d6
  Encounter
  1
  A1. Glacial Snake Nest
  2
  A2. Dead Giant
  3
  A3. Frozen Lake
  4
  A4. Last Resort
  5
  A5. Hot Springs
  6
  A6. Guardian
  A1. Glacial Snake Nest
  This area has the following features:
   Area Information. A thin layer of snow and ice masks 
  the entrance of a smooth tunnel, created years ago by a 
  remorhaz that’s since outgrown its former den. Characters 
  with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 15 or 
  higher notice the tunnel. Any creature who doesn’t make 
  a deliberate effort to avoid stepping in the center of the 
  pathway must make a successful DC 15 Dexterity saving 
  throw or slide down the glassy tunnel, taking 7 (2d6) 
  bludgeoning damage and landing prone at the bottom.
   Climbing back up the ice tunnel requires a successful 
  DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. 
  A character with climbing gear, such as an ice pick, has 
  advantage on this check.
   Creature Information. The den isn’t empty. Since 
  the remorhaz’s departure, two glacial snakes (giant 
  constrictor snakes with immunity to cold damage) have 
  made this lair their nest. At the end of the slippery tunnel 
  is a 20-foot-diameter cavern hollowed from the ice. In the 
  center of the cavern lies a shimmering nest of crushed ice, 
  upon which rest 3d12 eggs. The glacial snakes aggressively 
  defend the eggs from intruders.
  Adjusting This Encounter
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this encounter, 
  according to your group. These aren’t cumulative.
  • Very Weak or Weak: Remove one giant constrictor snake.
  • Strong: Add one giant constrictor snake with immunity to 
  cold damage.
  • Very Strong: Add one giant constrictor snake and two 
  constrictor snakes, all with immunity to cold damage.
  A2. Dead Giant
  This shallow ravine is the grave of an overzealous frost 
  giant. This area has the following features:
   Area Information. This 40-foot-wide chasm is dominated 
  by a 30-foot-tall ice spire, smooth and sharpened to a point 
  by wind erosion.
   Creature Information. Ligvov the Splitter came to 
  Mount Shatterglass to praise Thrym, god of frost giants, 
  from its peak. Like several other frost giants in his tribe, 
  Ligvov incorrectly identified the Everlasting Rime as the 
  fulfillment of a frost giant prophecy which foretold the Age 
  of Everlasting Ice. During his ascent, a loose ledge plunged 
  Ligvov hundreds of feet to the Glassfoot, where he was 
  impaled on an ice spire.
   It’s a grisly sight. Ligvov’s arms hang behind him, resting 
  several feet above the snow, and his head is cocked back 
  lifelessly. The ice spire, covered in crystallized blood, juts 
  from his chest, refracting reddish light across the ravine.
   Treasure. Two objects lay in the snow near the spire: a 
  completely white axe sized for a frost giant and a battle horn 
  with a rune carved into its surface. A character who makes 
  a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check recognizes 
  the white axe as a ceremonial weapon honoring Thrym, god 
  of frost giants. The horn isn’t magical, but a character fluent 
  in Giant recognizes the marking as the ise (“ice”) rune.
  A3. Frozen Lake
  A frozen lake separates the characters from the path ahead 
  to Mount Shatterglass. It has the following features:
   Area Information. The 60-foot-radius circular lake is 
  completely flush with the surrounding ice walls, but several 
  rocky outcroppings stick out the ice.
   Creature Information. Barring utter recklessness, the 
  ice holds surprisingly well—until a mischievous walrus 
  attempts to break the ice. When the characters are halfway 
  across the ice, read or paraphrase the following text:
  The rhythmic slap of flippers echoes across the lake as a 
  majestic walrus appears on a rocky outcropping above. 
  It waddles closer to the precarious ledge, claps its front 
  flippers, and barks loudly with malicious glee.
  
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
   The characters can make a DC 14 group Wisdom 
  (Animal Handling) check to temper the eager walrus, 
  dissuading it from taking the polar bear plunge on a 
  success. At the DM’s discretion, a character can make 
  a Charisma (Performance) check instead—especially if 
  the player imitates a walrus at the table! On a failure, the 
  walrus leaps into the frozen lake. Each creature within 
  30 feet of the walrus must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving 
  throw or be plunged into the frigid water. Once submerged, 
  the walrus taunts the characters from a safe distance, 
  attacking only if it feels threatened.
  Frigid Water
  A creature can be immersed in frigid water for a number 
  of minutes equal to its Constitution score before suffering 
  any ill effects. Each additional minute spent in frigid water 
  requires the creature to make a successful DC 10 Constitution 
  saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion. Creatures with 
  resistance or immunity to cold damage automatically succeed 
  on the saving throw, as do creatures adapted to living in ice-
  cold water.
   A character who was immersed continues to suffer the 
  effects of the frigid water until their wet clothes are replaced 
  with dry ones.
  A4. Last Resort
  Two months ago, Bumheim Seaglade, a foolhardy 
  Waterdhavian noble, bade his southern compatriots 
  farewell, setting out for the Frozenfar in search of ancient 
  ruins. Knowing nothing of the harshness of Icewind 
  Dale, Bumheim and his team quickly found themselves 
  stranded in the Glassfoot. One by one, they succumbed to 
  the horrors of the jagged ice maze, until only one explorer 
  remained: a middle-aged climber named Thomkins (a spy).
   Area Information. The explorers took shelter in a 
  shallow, 10-foot-wide cave with stalactite-sized icicles 
  hanging from its entrance. Characters may be drawn to the 
  cave by the sound of Thomkins’s latest meal, which sounds 
  like the crisp snap of a fresh carrot.
   Creature Information. Thomkins is engaging in some 
  cannibalism when the characters come upon the cave. 
  Read or paraphrase the following text:
  A man in a gray winter coat sits hunched in a dark cavern, 
  turned away from the entrance. The blue-skinned corpse of 
  a human explorer wearing bright-red mittens is slumped 
  against the rocky wall opposite him.
   Upon noticing the characters, Thomkins stands and 
  welcomes the characters nervously. The explorer does 
  his best to draw attention away from Bumheim’s missing 
  fingers, which he’s covered with an attractive pair of 
  mittens. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check 
  determines that Bumheim died from a fall onto a sharp 
  object. Anyone who removes the mittens or physically 
  inspects the body notices Bumheim is missing four 
  fingers, clearly snapped off—three on one hand and one 
  on the other.
  Thomkins
  Chaotic evil human spy
  Thomkins was promised “unfathomable riches” by Bumheim 
  Seaglade, but when his employer slipped and impaled himself 
  on his own ice pick, Thomkins realized he’d never see a single 
  gold piece. Thomkins dragged Bumheim to a nearby cave for 
  medical attention, but by then Bumheim had already bled out. 
  That was five days ago. With supplies depleted, Thomkins 
  did the unthinkable to survive—and developed a taste for 
  Waterdhavian finger food.
  What They Want. Thomkins is too far gone. If the characters 
  bring Thomkins with them, he secretly plots to make them 
  his next meal. If confronted about his cannibalism, he 
  denies it. If at any point Thomkins feels cornered, he tries to 
  bite one of the characters and flees deeper into the maze.
  Got Your Goat. In addition to his recent taste for human 
  flesh, Thomkins has also developed an unhealthy obsession 
  with a scrimshaw mountain goat he calls Franklin. He often 
  says what he’s thinking aloud to the goat.
  A5. Hot Springs
  The Glassfoot offers comfort to those who can find it. This 
  area has the following features:
  
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
   Hot Springs. The hot springs consist of three cascading 
  pools roughly 5 feet in diameter that drain into an 
  underground reservoir. A character who relaxes in the 
  springs for 10 minutes gains 5 temporary hit points.
   Creature Information. If a character relaxes in the pool, 
  a mischievous arctic monkey (use baboon stats) attempts 
  to sneak up and steal one article of winter clothing—such 
  as an overcoat or snow boot—from the character during 
  their time of serenity.
  A6. Guardian
  This area has the following features:
   Area Information. A cylindrical stone head is set into 
  the eastern wall of this 50-foot-square area. The stylized 
  face carved into its smooth black rock scowls angrily at the 
  characters, its open mouth full of glittering treasure. To the 
  north of the area, a 10-foot-wide passage continues toward 
  the base of Mount Shatterglass.
   Creature Information. The ground in front of this stoic 
  guardian is littered with frozen corpses: explorers, arctic 
  foxes, and snowy owls all lay stiff in the powdery snow, 
  their bodies coated with thick frost.
   Greed Trap. The glittering treasure in the guardian’s 
  mouth is an illusion. A creature can identify it as such with 
  a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, or by 
  physically interacting with the illusion.
   If a creature tampers with the stone head in any way 
  or comes within 10 feet of it, the face’s hollow eyes and 
  mouth illuminate with a swirling blue mist and 1-foot-thick 
  walls of ice instantly form at both entrances to this area. 
  Each wall has AC 12, 30 hit points, and vulnerability to 
  fire damage. Reducing a wall to 0 hit points destroys it 
  completely.
   On initiative counts 20 and 10 (losing ties) the stone 
  head casts Snilloc’s snowball swarm (spell save DC 15, 
  see Xanathar’s Guide to Everything), targeting a random 
  creature within range. Casting a dispel magic spell on the 
  head suppresses this effect for 1 round.
   The stone head has AC 20 and 40 hit points. Reducing 
  the statue to 0 hit points destroys the head completely, 
  preventing it from casting further spells.
   Treasure. A character who reaches past the illusion 
  into the stone head’s mouth discovers a potion of 
  resistance (cold).
  B. Scaling the Mountain
  Mount Shatterglass pales in comparison to Kelvin’s Cairn, 
  but its ascent is no less formidable. After exiting the 
  Glassfoot, the characters must make a successful DC 16 
  group Strength (Athletics) check to climb the peak and 
  reach Sappa Ever-Watching’s lofty perch. On a failure, the 
  characters each take 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage as they 
  fall to a ledge 20 feet below, where they can attempt the 
  climb again.
  Sappa Ever-Watching
  A tiny chwinga perches atop Mount Shatterglass, scanning 
  Icewind Dale with one of its many spyglasses. Sappa Ever-
  Watching has a blank white mask with a single black dot 
  in the center and wears several pairs of goggles around 
  its neck. As the characters approach the elemental spirit, 
  it skitters behind a pile of snow, popping up moments 
  later with a set of binoculars. The chwinga inspects the 
  characters from a distance, making sure they aren’t a threat.
   If the characters present the crystal kaleidoscope Old Goat 
  gave them, Sappa Ever-Watching cautiously emerges and 
  approaches the characters. After examining the device, the 
  chwinga clicks its heels together and bestows the Charm of 
  Sappa Ever-Watching story award on the characters.
  Story Award: Charm of Sappa 
  Ever-Watching
  The characters earn this story award if they 
  persuade Sappa Ever-Watching to lend their aid.
  Development
  After attempting to secure Sappa Ever-Watching’s blessing, 
  the characters can seek out Lor the Timid in Dougan’s Hole 
  (part 3). If Sappa Ever-Watching was the last of the three 
  chwingas mentioned by Old Goat, instead proceed to Part 
  4: Frostbite.
   The characters don’t need to return to Wyrmdoom Crag 
  after each chwinga, but they’re welcome to solicit additional 
  wisdom from Nararhak and Old Goat if they get stumped.
  
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
  Estimated Duration: 50 minutes
  Dougan’s Hole
  Themes. Isolation, paranoia, secrecy.
   Continuing with Old Goat’s plan, the characters head to 
  Dougan’s Hole, a small fishing village built along the banks 
  of the Redwaters. There, a reclusive chwinga the goliaths 
  call Lor (pronounced “Lore”) the Timid lives among the 
  standing stones known as the Twenty Stones of Thruun. 
  After a not-so-warm welcome, the characters meet Kurl 
  Seglir, a welcoming local who can introduce them to the 
  chwinga.
  Story Objective C
  Gaining Lor the Timid’s charm is Story Objective C.
  Area Information
  The town has the following features:
   Lighting. Dreary, dark-gray clouds hang overhead.
   Sounds. The town is eerily quiet, save for the crunch of 
  snow underfoot as the occasional fisher returns from the 
  lake.
   Buildings. Dougan’s Hole consists of a cluster of squat, 
  steeply sloped residences, including a modest fish house 
  and the Lake Inn, a boardinghouse of questionable 
  comfort.
   Twenty Stones of Thruun. These mysterious granite 
  slabs stand on a hill overlooking the town. The stones 
  are arranged in an equilateral triangle with a single stone 
  placed in the center.
  Who Is Thruun?
  The townsfolk maintain that the Twenty Stones of Thruun 
  existed before the town’s founder, Dougan Dubrace, 
  arrived at his famous fishing spot on the frozen shore of 
  Redwaters lake. Scholars from all over Faerûn make academic 
  pilgrimages to study the black monoliths. Though no one 
  knows for sure, researchers speculate that the Twenty Stones 
  of Thruun are an ancient temple to a long-forgotten god—or 
  the prison of a terrifying beast.
  Creature Information
  Less than one hundred people inhabit Dougan’s Hole, most 
  of whom are human commoners earning their daily bread 
  from knucklebone trout fishing or scrimshaw carving. 
  If encountered outside, residents appear as amorphous 
  bundles of winter clothing shuffling through the snow.
  A. Warm Welcome
  While Old Goat and Nararhak know how to earn the other 
  two chwingas’ favor, the Thuunlakalaga goliaths aren’t sure 
  how to cajole Lor the Timid into granting the characters its 
  blessing. They suggest asking the locals for help, but that’s 
  easier said than done.
  Speaking with the Locals
  The people of Dougan’s Hole are as inhospitable as their 
  icy village and don’t like to be bothered. A character 
  can attempt a DC 10 Charisma (Investigation) check to 
  locate a resident, whether by knocking on doors, walking 
  down to the pier, or visiting the Lake Inn. Most residents 
  have tired of the Twenty Stones of Thruun and pay the 
  enigmatic monument no attention. In fact, the ill-tempered 
  locals don’t talk about much of anything—except maybe 
  knucklebone trout, but even that subject has its limits—and 
  they’re particularly feisty when responding to “tourists.”
   The Rude Remarks table contains a sampling of phrases 
  the characters might hear when addressing a local:
  Rude Remarks
  d6
  Remark
  1
  “Quit yer yappin’! Yer’ gonna scare off the trout!”
  2
  “Good Mead’s a few miles north of here. Why don’t you 
  head up there so you can mind your beeswax?”
  3
  “I’m busy! Go bother someone at the inn!”
  4
  None. The resident stares at the characters ominously 
  and spits into the snow before walking off.
  5
  “Here’s what I know about the Twenty Stones of 
  Thruun: they’re tall, there’s twenty of them, and they 
  have something to do with someone named Thruun. 
  Now leave me alone!”
  6
  None. The local takes a huge, voracious bite out of a 
  still-wriggling trout while glaring at the characters.
   After the characters have been rebuked a couple of times, 
  they meet Kurl Seglir (an acolyte), a local with no interest 
  in fishing. Kurl invites the characters to his humble abode 
  for a warm drink and hot bowl of fish stew.
  Fish Stew
  Fish Stew
  3
  
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
  Kurl Seglir
  Neutral good human acolyte
  Kurl is a former priest of Amauntor from Bryn Shander. When 
  he wasn’t serving at the city’s temple, Kurl moonlighted as 
  a healer to sellswords and guards, scrimping and saving in 
  hopes of sending his daughter Sylvia to a college far south of 
  the unforgiving tundra. When giants attacked the city a few 
  years ago, Kurl and Sylvia relocated to Dougan’s Hole, where 
  Kurl made a pact with Levistus after nearly drowning in the 
  Redwaters.
  What They Want. Kurl is a protector with a giving heart. He 
  cares deeply for his daughter (who now attends college 
  outside Icewind Dale) and has befriended Lor the Timid in 
  her absence. Kurl wants to live vicariously through the joy 
  of those he loves by ensuring no harm befalls them.
  Twenty Stones, Twenty Years. After Sylvia left for school, Kurl 
  tried his hand at knucklebone trout fishing. When his boat 
  capsized and plunged him into in the frigid lake, Kurl cried 
  out to Aumantor, but it was the archdevil Levistus who 
  answered. Kurl struck a deal with the Lord of the Sixth, 
  exchanging his soul for twenty more years of life—long 
  enough to see Sylvia graduate and find her place in the 
  world. As he lives out his final years, Kurl spends his days 
  carving scrimshaw, reading Sylvia’s letters, and reflecting at 
  the Twenty Stones of Thruun.
  B. Kurl’s House
  Kurl lives in a small one-story house on the western side of 
  town.
  Area Information
  Kurl’s residence has the following features:
   Lighting. A single whale oil lamp rests on a worn kitchen 
  table, providing dim light to the main room.
   Walls and Ceilings. The walls are constructed from 
  logs of varying sizes. They’re mostly barren, save for a few 
  small animal pelts and a dusty holy symbol of Aumantor. A 
  central wooden support beam runs across the 8-foot-high 
  ceiling in the main room.
   Floors. Kurl masks the creaking wooden floors with a 
  series of animal hides gifted to him by gracious adventurers 
  in years past, including a fearsome rug made from a crag 
  cat.
   Sounds. A well-seasoned fish stew bubbles in a cauldron 
  hanging above a low crackling fire. A sleeping dog snores 
  in front of the small stone fireplace.
   Letters. A stack of opened letters rests on a small table 
  beside the front door. Each is addressed to “Dad” from 
  Kurl’s daughter, Sylvia.
  Creature Information
  Aside from Kurl and the characters, the only other creature 
  at Kurl’s house is a friendly old dog named Ginger. The 
  fluffy, brown-haired mastiff greets visitors affectionately 
  before continuing its nap.
  A Break from the Cold
  Kurl takes off his coat and pours the characters a warm 
  drink. Though many folks in Dougan’s Hole bite their 
  thumbs at their rivals in Good Mead, Kurl has always 
  enjoyed the rich taste of honey wine. For those who don’t 
  drink, Kurl offers to brew a cup of steaming black tea.
   As he prepares a hot meal for the characters, Kurl 
  attempts to get to know them. Kurl asks the characters a 
  couple of questions such as where they’re from, why they 
  took up adventuring, and what their favorite meals are.
   Kurl answers what questions he can about the Twenty 
  Stones of Thruun but deflects if asked about the chwinga. 
  A successful DC 13 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals he’s 
  suspicious of the characters’ intentions. The characters 
  can assure Kurl of their good intentions with a successful 
  DC 13 group Charisma (Persuasion) check, convincing 
  Kurl to introduce them to Lor the Timid. Characters who 
  make a successful DC 16 Intelligence (History or Nature) 
  check know an unusual piece of trivia about the stones, 
  impressing Kurl and granting them advantage on their 
  Persuasion check.
   Fish Stew. Given the town’s small population, the 
  residents of Dougan’s Hole have been substituting 
  humanoid sacrifices with aquatic ones. Each night, 
  residents sacrifice a portion of their catch. As a result, 
  Kurl’s famous fish stew is little more than a tasty broth. 
  When he delivers the food to the table, Kurl apologizes for 
  the lack of meat, commenting, “Life is full of sacrifices.”
  C. Twenty Stones 
  of Thruun
  If the characters succeeded on their group check, Kurl 
  takes them to the Twenty Stones of Thruun after their 
  meal. The standing stones rest on a snowy hill on the 
  western edge of Dougan’s Hole.
  Area Information
  Twenty granite megaliths form an equilateral triangle, 
  one of which is located directly in the center of the 
  arrangement. The stones are over 10 feet tall and spaced 
  equidistant from one another.
  Creature Information
  The tiny chwinga Old Goat called Lor the Timid hides 
  amongst the standing stones, invisible to the characters. 
  Lor has a vaguely wolflike mask with eight pairs of dots 
  running along its snout.
   Kurl coaxes the chwinga from hiding by drawing a picture 
  of one of the stones on a sheet of parchment and leaving it 
  on the ground near the central stone. When the chwinga 
  appears, it runs to Kurl and hugs his leg. Then, the chwinga 
  scuttles up the central standing stone and lets out a meek, 
  melodic howl, bestowing the Charm of Lor the Timid 
  story award upon the characters.
   If Kurl isn’t present, Lor the Timid remains hidden inside 
  one of the standing stones, studying the characters. At the 
  DM’s discretion, a character proficient with calligrapher’s 
  supplies or painter’s supplies may still be able to coax the 
  chwinga from the stone without Kurl’s help, assuming they 
  know how to.
  Story Award: Charm of  
  Lor the Timid
  The characters earn this story award if they 
  persuade Lor the Timid to lend their aid.
  
  Estimated Duration: 60 minutes
  Icewind Dale
  Themes. Fear, isolation.
   As the characters return to Wyrmdoom Crag, they’re 
  caught in a blizzard, masking the heavy tread of Frostclaw, 
  the Hunter. Emboldened and stronger than ever before, the 
  snowy owlbear ambushes the characters from the cover of 
  the storm. Refer to the Chasm map in appendix A.
  Story Objective D
  Defeating Frostclaw is Story Objective D.
  Area Information
  The area has the following features:
   Blizzard. A raging blizzard reduces visibility to 30 feet 
  and ranged attacks are made with disadvantage.
   Chasm. The chasm is 20 feet wide and 20 feet deep. Two 
  corpses lie at the bottom, empty flasks frozen to their stiff 
  hands.
   Bridge. A partially ruined stone bridge spans the chasm. 
  Spear-sized icicles hang from its crumbling underside.
  Creature Information
  Frostclaw, the Hunter stalks the mountain around 
  Wyrmdoom Crag, using her heightened senses to ambush 
  goliaths who leave the safety of the caves. Frostclaw 
  has been tracking the characters since they first left 
  Wyrmdoom Crag and intends to make them her next 
  victims.
  Frostclaw
  Chaotic evil awakened owlbear
  Frostclaw was the first creature Feral-Tongue awakened 
  following his discovery of the chardalyn staff. Frostclaw is 
  a murderous creature whose lust for blood is made more 
  terrifying by her intellect. She resembles other snowy 
  owlbears, but her beak and claws have been transformed 
  into chardalyn—a manifestation of the evil magic in Feral-
  Tongue’s staff. Crystals of frozen blood cling to her fur and 
  feathers—tinkling and chiming eerily as she moves.
  What They Want. Frostclaw lives to drive terror into the hearts 
  of her prey; their screams are almost as sweet to her as 
  their meat.
  Thrill of the Hunt. Her skill at hunting is matched by her 
  thirst for instilling terror in her victims.
   If the characters gained all three chwingas’ blessings, 
  when they reach the bridge, read or paraphrase the 
  following text:
  A menacing snowy owlbear with a chardalyn beak and 
  claws blocks the path ahead. She stands on her hind 
  legs—easily measuring over 10 feet tall—and roars 
  over the howling winds, hot breath emanating from her 
  fearsome beak in a cloud of winter fog. Frostclaw growls 
  menacingly.
  Frostbite
  Frostbite
  4
  
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
  If the characters didn’t gain all three chwingas’ blessings, 
  Frostclaw has murdered the chwingas the characters 
  missed for sport. Read or paraphrase the following text too:
  Watching you, she places a tiny, masked statuette in her 
  beak and crushes it with relish.
  Characters proficient in Giant understand Frostclaw’s 
  growls: “Nowhere left to run, your flesh is mine.” Adding, 
  “Just like your little chwinga.” if the characters failed to 
  impress one or more of the chwingas.
   One chwinga is present for each blessing the characters 
  gained during parts 1–3, remaining out of sight while 
  lending their aid. Each chwinga’s identity matches the story 
  award the characters earned. For example, if characters 
  received the Charm of Singing Gir story award, Singing 
  Gir hides in the snow, watching the battle.
  Adjusting This Encounter
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this encounter, 
  according to your group. These aren’t cumulative.
  • Very Weak: Frostclaw uses the brown bear stat block 
  modified by the “Frostclaw, the Hunter” adjustments (listed 
  below the stat block in Creature Statistics).
  • Weak: Frostclaw only has 59 hit points, and her Icy Breath 
  legendary action deals 4 (1d8) cold damage and 4 (1d8) 
  slashing damage.
  • Strong: Frostclaw has 100 hit points and deals an extra 3 
  (1d6) cold damage with her weapon attacks.
  • Very Strong: Frostclaw has 127 hit points, and her Icy 
  Breath legendary action deals 13 (3d8) cold and 13 (3d8) 
  slashing damage.
  Wrap-Up: Yeah, You 
  Better Run!
  When Frostclaw is reduced to 0 hit points (or if the 
  characters are in truly dire shape), whichever chwingas 
  pledged to aid the characters join the fray, attacking the 
  corrupted owlbear with tiny bows and spears. Their 
  incessant, furious attacks send Frostclaw reeling into the 
  driving snow—her roars of pain and anger carried away on 
  the whipping wind. The chwingas celebrate with a series of 
  joyous war cries. If the characters pursue the owlbear, they 
  risk cold damage and gaining levels of exhaustion from the 
  storm—all while coming up empty-handed.
   The characters arrive back at Wyrmdoom Crag just in 
  time to hear the end of a heated argument between Kaskur 
  and Old Goat. Kaskur pushes past the characters as he 
  stomps away from the chieftain’s quarters, mumbling under 
  his breath. Old Goat is thankful for the characters’ return—
  especially if they were successful.
  Treasure
  If the characters successfully obtain all three charms, Old 
  Goat gifts them with a robe of useful items made from tanned 
  goat hide and a handful of valuable baubles.
  Rewards
  At the end of the session, everyone receives rewards based 
  upon their accomplishments.
  Player Rewards
  The players earn the following rewards:
  Advancement
  A character participating in this adventure gains one level.
  Optional: Declining Advancement
  Each player can decline advancement if they so choose; this 
  has its benefits. It’s possible for a character to advance beyond 
  an adventure’s level range, meaning they’d be unable to play 
  an adventure as planned. Similarly, advancing too quickly 
  means a character won’t earn as much gold as their peers.
   Conversely, remind them the amount of gold their characters 
  can earn per level is limited; characters declining advancement 
  might reach a point where they no longer earn gold.
  Gold
  Award each character gold for each hour of the session. 
  Adventures typically features cues for this, but you can add 
  it where you see fit. The maximum gold you can award a 
  character per hour is determined by their tier, as follows:
  Tier
  Hourly GP Award
  GP Limit per Level
  1
  20 gp
  80 gp
  2
  30 gp
  240 gp
  3
  200 gp
  1,600 gp
  4
  750 gp
  6,000 gp
  Magic Items
  If found during the adventure, the characters can keep the 
  following magic items, described in appendix B:
  • Potion of resistance (cold)
  • Robe of useful items
  Story Awards
  The characters may earn one or more of the following story 
  awards, described in appendix B:
  • Charm of Lor the Timid
  • Charm of Sappa Ever-Watching
  • Charm of Singing Gir
  Dungeon Master Rewards
  For running this adventure, you earn a DM Reward. See 
  the Adventurers League Dungeon Master’s Guide for more 
  information.
  
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
  Dramatis Personae
  The following NPCs feature prominently in this adventure:
  Bjorn Snowslayer (bee-YORN)
  Until a few days ago, Bjorn was a brave warrior in Good 
  Mead’s militia, when an encounter with a verbeeg left him 
  physically and mentally scarred. Bjorn is shaken by the 
  death of Speaker Rielsbarrow and the town’s uncertain 
  position, but he’d rather drink himself to death than admit 
  he’s afraid.
  What They Want. Speaker Rielsbarrow was like a father 
  to Bjorn, and carousing in the mead hall dulls the pain. 
  Bjorn hasn’t thought about what he’ll do after the storm 
  subsides. The only thing on his mind is the next drink.
  Broken Warrior. Bjorn’s encounter with the verbeeg 
  left him in a state of self-doubt. The warrior’s anxiety 
  manifests as raucous merrymaking and bullying.
  Kaskur (KASS-kerr) Spearsong 
  Thuunlakalaga
  This headstrong and impetuous goliath leads the clan’s 
  hunters. He’s grown angry and frustrated at the lack 
  of game in the area, and he resents Old Goat’s “poor 
  leadership” for a lack of solutions. He wields a longbow 
  taller than most humans and claims he once felled an elk 
  from a half mile away. He wears little in the way of clothing, 
  even in the driving wind—a feat that’s earned him the 
  respect of his fellow hunters.
  What They Want. Kaskur has grown tired of Old Goat’s 
  personal fears preventing an alliance with the goliaths of 
  Skytower Shelter. He views her as weak and her ideas as 
  outdated, especially when Kugan Windwhisper (Feral-
  Tongue)—who Kaskur views as being even weaker than 
  Old Goat—is involved. He wants to usurp control of the 
  clan for himself.
  Words Are Wasted Wind. Kaskur doesn’t have a 
  negotiator’s tongue; he’s terse and speaks his mind 
  without hesitation. Despite this, he’s experienced and 
  knows the area better than any of his peers.
  Kurl Seglir (CURL SAYG-leer)
  Kurl is a former priest of Amauntor from Bryn Shander. 
  When he wasn’t serving at the city’s temple, Kurl 
  moonlighted as a healer to sellswords and guards, 
  scrimping and saving in hopes of sending his daughter to 
  a college far south of the unforgiving tundra. When giants 
  attacked the city a few years ago, Kurl and Sylvia relocated 
  to Dougan’s Hole, where Kurl made a pact with Levistus 
  when he nearly drowning in the Redwaters.
  What They Want. Kurl is a protector with a giving heart. 
  He cares deeply for his daughter (who now attends 
  college outside Icewind Dale) and has befriended Lor 
  the Timid in her absence. Kurl wants to live vicariously 
  through the joy of those he loves by ensuring no harm 
  befalls them.
  Twenty Stones, Twenty Years. After Sylvia left for school, 
  Kurl tried his hand at knucklebone trout fishing. When 
  his boat capsized and plunged him into the frigid lake, 
  Kurl cried out to Aumantor, but it was the archdevil 
  Levistus who answered. Kurl struck a deal with the Lord 
  of the Sixth, exchanging his soul for twenty more years 
  of life—long enough to see Sylvia graduate and find her 
  place in the world. As he lives out his final years, Kurl 
  spends his days carving scrimshaw, reading Sylvia’s 
  letters, and reflecting at the Twenty Stones of Thruun.
  Ogolai (oh-GOH-lie) Orcsplitter 
  “Old Goat” Thuunlakalaga
  The chieftain of the Thuunlakalaga goliaths is an elderly 
  goliath with a heavily scarred face. She dresses plainly 
  in goat hide clothing and carries an immense greataxe 
  fashioned from white dragon bone. She has a crippling 
  fear of griffons stemming from a childhood trauma that’s 
  created tensions between her clan and the Akannathi 
  goliaths of Skytower Shelter (see Icewind Dale: Rime of 
  the Frostmaiden).
  What They Want. Old Goat’s priority is the safety and 
  prosperity of her clan—especially in these unusual and 
  trying times. She’s quick to stymie dissent, particularly 
  from Kaskur Spearsong. She fears his disagreements 
  will turn violent but does everything within her power to 
  delay this apparent inevitability for as long as possible.
  Done It, Seen It; but the End Is Nigh. Old Goat has 
  been around a long time and seen many things. This 
  experience lends her a tremendous amount of wisdom to 
  draw on when making decisions. However, she’s getting 
  old and refuses to surrender the yoke of leadership until 
  a worthy (equally wise) replacement is found. If it weren’t 
  for his sharp tongue, Old Goat would’ve offered Kaskur 
  the mantle of leadership years ago. However, she fears 
  what the clan would become under his leadership.
  Thomkins
  Thomkins was promised “unfathomable riches” by 
  Bumheim Seaglade, but when his employer slipped and 
  impaled himself on his own ice pick, Thomkins realized 
  he’d never see a single gold piece. Thomkins dragged 
  Bumheim to a nearby cave for medical attention, but by 
  then Bumheim had already bled out. That was five days 
  ago. With supplies depleted, Thomkins did the unthinkable 
  to survive—and developed a taste for Waterdhavian finger 
  food.
  What They Want. Thomkins is too far gone. If the 
  characters bring Thomkins with them, he secretly plots 
  to make them his next meal. If confronted about his 
  cannibalism, he denies it. If at any point Thomkins feels 
  cornered, he tries to bite one of the characters and flees 
  deeper into the maze.
  Got Your Goat. In addition to his recent taste for human 
  flesh, Thomkins has also developed an unhealthy 
  obsession with a scrimshaw mountain goat he calls 
  Franklin. He often says what he’s thinking aloud to the 
  goat.
  
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
  Creature Statistics
  The following creatures appear in this adventure:
  Baboon
  Baboon
  Small beast, unaligned
  Armor Class 12
  Hit Points 3 (1d6)
  Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   8 (−1) 
  14 (+2) 
  11 (+0) 
  4 (−3) 
  12 (+1) 
  6 (−2)
  Senses passive Perception 11
  Languages —
  Challenge 0 (10 XP)
  Pack Tactics. The baboon has advantage on an attack roll against 
  a creature if at least one of the baboon’s allies is within 5 feet of 
  the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
  Actions
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 
  (1d4 − 1) piercing damage.
  Berserker
  Berserker
  Medium humanoid (any race), any chaotic alignment
  Armor Class 13 (hide armor)
  Hit Points 67 (9d8 + 27)
  Speed 30 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   16 (+3) 
  12 (+1) 
  17 (+3) 
  9 (−1) 
  11 (+0) 
  9 (−1)
  Senses passive Perception 10
  Languages any one language (usually Common)
  Challenge 2 (450 XP)
  Reckless. At the start of its turn, the berserker can gain advantage 
  on all melee weapon attack rolls during that turn, but attack rolls 
  against it have advantage until the start of its next turn.
  Actions
  Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 9 (1d12 + 3) slashing damage.
  Brown Bear
  Brown Bear
  Large beast, unaligned
  Armor Class 11 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 34 (4d10 + 12)
  Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   19 (+4) 
  10 (+0) 
  16 (+3) 
  2 (−4) 
  13 (+1) 
  7 (−2)
  Skills Perception +3
  Senses passive Perception 13
  Languages —
  Challenge 1 (200 XP)
  Keen Smell. The bear has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) 
  checks that rely on smell.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The bear makes two attacks: one with its bite and 
  one with its claws.
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 
  (1d8 + 4) piercing damage.
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.
  Frostclaw, the Hunter
  Apply the following adjustments to the brown bear stat block 
  when your party is Very Weak:
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
  Intelligence 10 (+0)
  Languages Giant
  Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Frostclaw fails a saving 
  throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
  Legendary Actions. Frostclaw can take 3 legendary actions, 
  choosing from the options below. Only one legendary 
  option can be used at a time and only at the end of another 
  creature’s turn. Frostclaw regains spent legendary actions at 
  the start of her turn.
  Attack. Frostclaw makes one claws attack.
  Fearsome Roar (Costs 2 Actions). Frostclaw roars loudly. Any 
  creature within 30 feet that can see and hear Frostclaw 
  must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be 
  frightened of Frostclaw until the end of their next turn.
  Icy Breath (Costs 3 Actions). Frostclaw exhales a blast of 
  frigid air in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in the area must 
  make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 4 (1d8) 
  cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a 
  successful one.
  
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
  Chwinga
  Chwinga
  Tiny elemental, neutral
  Armor Class 15
  Hit Points 5 (2d4)
  Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   1 (−5) 
  20 (+5) 
  10 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  16 (+3)
  Skills Acrobatics +7, Perception +7, Stealth +7
  Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 17
  Languages —
  Challenge 0 (0 XP)
  Evasion. When the chwinga is subjected to an effect that allows 
  it to make a Dexterity saving throw to only take half damage, it 
  instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and 
  only half damage if it fails.
  Innate Spellcasting. The chwinga’s innate spellcasting ability is 
  Wisdom. It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no 
  material or verbal components:
  At will: druidcraft, guidance, pass without trace, resistance
  Unusual Nature. The chwinga doesn’t require air, food, or drink. 
  When it dies, it turns into a handful of flower petals, a cloud of 
  pollen, a stone statuette resembling its former self, a tiny sphere 
  of smooth stone, or a puddle of fresh water (your choice).
  Actions
  Magical Gift (1/Day). The chwinga targets a humanoid it can see 
  within 5 feet of it. The target gains a supernatural charm of the 
  DM’s choice. See the Dungeon Master’s Guide for information on 
  supernatural charms.
  Natural Shelter. The chwinga magically takes shelter inside a 
  rock, a living plant, or a natural source of fresh water in its space. 
  The chwinga can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or other 
  effect while inside this shelter, and the shelter doesn’t impair the 
  chwinga’s blindsight. The chwinga can use its action to emerge 
  from a shelter. If its shelter is destroyed the chwinga is forced out 
  and appears in the shelter’s space but is otherwise unharmed.
  Commoner
  Commoner
  Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment
  Armor Class 10
  Hit Points 4 (1d8)
  Speed 30 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0)
  Senses passive Perception 10
  Languages any one language (usually Common)
  Challenge 0 (10 XP)
  Actions
  Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 
  (1d4) bludgeoning damage.
  Constrictor Snake
  Constrictor Snake
  Large beast, unaligned
  Armor Class 12
  Hit Points 13 (2d10 + 2)
  Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   15 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
  1 (−5) 
  10 (+0) 
  3 (−4)
  Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 10
  Languages —
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
  Actions
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. 
  Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
  Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  creature. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage, and the target is 
  grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the creature is 
  restrained, and the snake can’t constrict another target.
  
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
  Frostclaw
  Frostclaw
  Large monstrosity, chaotic evil
  Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 85 (10d10 + 30)
  Speed 40 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   20 (+5) 
  12 (+1) 
  17 (+3) 
  10 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  7 (−2)
  Skills Perception +3
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
  Languages Giant
  Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
  Keen Sight and Smell. Frostclaw has advantage on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell.
  Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Frostclaw fails a saving throw, 
  she can choose to succeed instead.
  Actions
  Multiattack. Frostclaw makes two attacks: one with her beak and 
  one with her claws.
  Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  10 (1d10 + 5) piercing damage.
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage.
  Legendary Actions
  Frostclaw can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the 
  options below. Only one legendary option can be used at a time 
  and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Frostclaw regains 
  spent legendary actions at the start of her turn.
  Attack. Frostclaw makes one claws attack.
  Fearsome Roar (Costs 2 Actions). Frostclaw roars loudly. Any 
  creature within 30 feet that can see and hear Frostclaw must 
  succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of 
  Frostclaw until the end of their next turn.
  Icy Breath (Costs 3 Actions). Frostclaw exhales a blast of frigid air 
  in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 13 
  Constitution saving throw, taking 9 (2d8) cold damage and 9 
  (2d8) slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage 
  on a successful one.
  Giant Constrictor Snake
  Giant Constrictor Snake
  Huge beast, unaligned
  Armor Class 12
  Hit Points 60 (8d12 + 8)
  Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   19 (+4) 
  14 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
  1 (−5) 
  10 (+0) 
  3 (−4)
  Skills Perception +2
  Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 12
  Languages —
  Challenge 2 (450 XP)
  Actions
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. 
  Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage.
  Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  creature. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage, and the target is 
  grappled (escape DC 16). Until this grapple ends, the creature is 
  restrained, and the snake can’t constrict another target.
  Goliath Warrior
  Goliath Warrior
  Medium humanoid (goliath), any alignment
  Armor Class 12 (hide armor)
  Hit Points 67 (9d8 + 27)
  Speed 30 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   18 (+4) 
  11 (+0) 
  16 (+3) 
  10 (+0) 
  15 (+2) 
  10 (+0)
  Skills Athletics +6, Perception +4, Survival +4
  Damage Resistances cold
  Senses passive Perception 14
  Languages Common, Giant
  Challenge 3 (700 XP)
  Mountain Born. The goliath is acclimated to high altitude, 
  including elevations above 20,000 feet.
  Powerful Build. The goliath counts as one size larger when 
  determining its carrying capacity and the weight it can push, 
  drag, or lift.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The goliath makes two attacks with its greataxe or 
  hurls two javelins.
  Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 10 (1d12 + 4) slashing damage.
  Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. or 
  range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage.
  Reactions
  Stone’s Endurance (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). When 
  the goliath takes damage, it reduces the damage taken by 9 
  (1d12 + 3).
  Guard
  Guard
  Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment
  Armor Class 16 (chain shirt, shield)
  Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2)
  Speed 30 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   13 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  10 (+0) 
  11 (+0) 
  10 (+0)
  Skills Perception +2
  Senses passive Perception 12
  Languages any one language (usually Common)
  Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
  Actions
  Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft. or 
  range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage, or 
  5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage if used with two hands to make a 
  melee attack.
  
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
  Mastiff
  Mastiff
  Medium beast, unaligned
  Armor Class 12
  Hit Points 5 (1d8 + 1)
  Speed 40 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   13 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
  3 (−4) 
  12 (+1) 
  7 (−2)
  Skills Perception +3
  Senses passive Perception 13
  Languages —
  Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
  Keen Hearing and Smell. The mastiff has advantage on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
  Actions
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must 
  succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
  Spy
  Spy
  Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment
  Armor Class 12
  Hit Points 27 (6d8)
  Speed 30 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   10 (+0) 
  15 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  16 (+3)
  Skills Deception +5, Insight +4, Investigation +5, Perception +6, 
  Persuasion +5, Sleight of Hand +4, Stealth +4
  Senses passive Perception 16
  Languages any two languages
  Challenge 1 (200 XP)
  Cunning Action. On each of its turns, the spy can use a bonus 
  action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
  Sneak Attack (1/Turn). The spy deals an extra 7 (2d6) damage 
  when it hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage 
  on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally 
  of the spy that isn’t incapacitated, and the spy doesn’t have 
  disadvantage on the attack roll.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The spy makes two melee attacks.
  Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
  Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 30/120 
  ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
  Swarm of Insects (Wasps)
  Swarm of Insects (Wasps)
  Medium swarm of Tiny beasts, unaligned
  Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 22 (5d8)
  Speed 5 ft., fly 30 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   3 (−4) 
  13 (+1) 
  10 (+0) 
  1 (−5) 
  7 (−2) 
  1 (−5)
  Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
  Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, 
  petrified, prone, restrained, stunned
  Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 8
  Languages —
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
  Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and 
  vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large 
  enough for a Tiny insect. The swarm can’t regain hit points or 
  gain temporary hit points.
  Actions
  Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the 
  swarm’s space. Hit: 10 (4d4) piercing damage, or 5 (2d4) piercing 
  damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer.
  Walrus
  Walrus
  Large beast, unaligned
  Armor Class 9
  Hit Points 22 (3d10 + 6)
  Speed 20 ft., swim 40 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   15 (+2) 
  9 (−1) 
  14 (+2) 
  3 (−4) 
  11 (+0) 
  4 (−3)
  Senses passive Perception 10
  Languages —
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
  Hold Breath. The walrus can hold its breath for 10 minutes.
  Actions
  Tusks. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  7 (2d4 + 2) piercing damage.
  
  22
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
  Here’s a quick recap of events you should know for this adventure:
  • You’re in Icewind Dale, a frigid tundra north of the Spine of the World.
  • Feral-Tongue, a member of Wyrmdoom Crag’s Thuunlakalaga goliath clan, 
  recently went missing. Unbeknownst to the clan, Feral-Tongue has been 
  corrupted by an ancient staff composed of chardalyn.
  • Using the staff, Feral-Tongue has corrupted beasts around Wyrmdoom Crag, 
  infusing them with chardalyn. The first beast was a snowy owlbear—Frostclaw, 
  the Hunter. Frostclaw has claimed several lives, most recently that of Rikuur 
  Hideminder Thuunlakalaga, the clan’s beloved shepherd.
  • With their security threatened and resources scarce, pressure rises for the 
  Thuunlakalaga chieftain, Old Goat, to deliver the goliaths of Wyrmdoom Crag 
  from Feral-Tongue’s icy grasp.
  Handout 1: The Story So Far
  Handout 1: The Story So Far
  
  23
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
  This morbid drinking song is a favorite in the town of Good Mead:
  “Dig It Up, Doddie”
  In a tavern out in Ten-Towns,
  A foolish fisher sat with glee.
  They’d set about to catch some trout
  With their loyal dog, Doddie.
  Now, Doddie had some big paws.
  The mutt was born to track and dig.
  But Doddie worried for the fisher
  As they took another swig.
  Dig it up, dig it up, dig it up, Doddie!
  I hear the fishing’s great.
  Dig it up, dig it up, dig it up, Doddie!
  Before it gets too late.
  When the fisher left the tavern,
  They dropped their tackle in the snow.
  Well, they’d had too much that evening
  And they needed Doddie’s nose.
  Dig it up, dig it up, dig it up, Doddie!
  The fishing will not last.
  Dig it up, dig it up, dig it up, Doddie!
  Before the time has passed.
  Well, a blizzard came a-blowing,
  And the fisher paid their price.
  As they hurried off the frozen lake,
  They fell into the ice.
  Dig ’em up, dig ’em up, dig ’em up, Doddie!
  I fear they’ve met their fate.
  Dig ’em up, dig ’em up, dig ’em up, Doddie!
  Before it is too late.
  Handout 2: Drinking Song
  Handout 2: Drinking Song
  
  24
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
  Appendix A: Chasm Map
  Appendix A: Chasm Map
  
  25
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
  The characters may earn the following rewards in this 
  adventure:
  Magic Items
  Potion of Resistance (Cold)
  Potion, uncommon
  A shimmering blue liquid sloshes within this crystalline 
  flask.
   When you drink this potion, you gain resistance to cold 
  damage for 1 hour.
  Robe of Useful Items
  Wondrous item, uncommon
  This robe is made of expertly tanned mountain goat hide. 
  The items depicted in its patches are of spartan design, 
  but exceedingly high quality. The wearer suffers no harm 
  in temperatures as cold as −20 degrees Fahrenheit or as 
  warm as 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
   This robe has cloth patches of various shapes and colors 
  covering it. While wearing the robe, you can use an action 
  to detach one of the patches, causing it to become the 
  object or creature it represents. Once the last patch is 
  removed, the robe becomes an ordinary garment.
   The robe has two of each of the following patches:
  • Dagger
  • Bullseye lantern (filled and lit)
  • Steel mirror
  • 10-foot pole
  • Hempen rope (50 feet, coiled)
  • Sack
   In addition, the robe has seven other patches. The DM 
  chooses the patches or determines them randomly.
  d100
  Patch
  01–08
  Bag of 100 gp
  09–15
  Silver coffer (1 foot long, 6 inches wide and deep) 
  worth 500 gp
  16–22
  Iron door (up to 10 feet wide and 10 feet high, 
  barred on one side of your choice), which you can 
  place in an opening you can reach; it conforms to fit 
  the opening, attaching, and hinging itself
  23–30
  10 gems worth 100 gp each
  31–44
  Wooden ladder (24 feet long)
  45–51
  A riding horse with saddle bags
  52–59
  Pit (a cube 10 feet on a side), which you can place 
  on the ground within 10 feet of you
  60–68
  4 potions of healing
  69–75
  Rowboat (12 feet long)
  76–83
  Spell scroll containing one spell of 1st to 3rd level
  84–90
  2 mastiffs
  91–96
  Window (2 feet by 4 feet, up to 2 feet deep), which 
  you can place on a vertical surface you can reach
  97–00
  Portable ram 
  Story Awards
  Story Award: Charm of  
  Lor the Timid
  The characters earn this story award if they persuade Lor 
  the Timid to aid them.
  Story Award: Charm of  
  Sappa Ever-Watching
  The characters earn this story award if they persuade 
  Sappa Ever-Watching to aid them.
  Story Award: Charm of  
  Singing Gir
  The characters earn this story award if they persuade 
  Singing Gir to aid them.
  Appendix B: 
  Appendix B: 
  Character Rewards
  Character Rewards
  
  26
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  DDAL10-04 Cold Benevolence (v1.0)
  To DM an adventure, you must have 3 to 7 players—each 
  with their own character within the adventure’s level range 
  (see Adventure Primer). Characters playing in a hardcover 
  adventure may continue to play too, but if they play a 
  different hardcover adventure, they can’t return to the first 
  if they level beyond its level range.
  New to D&D Adventurers League?
  https://dnd.wizards.com/ddal_general
  Preparing the Adventure
  Before you start play, consider the following:
  • Read through the adventure, taking notes of anything 
  you’d like to highlight or remind yourself of while 
  running the adventure, such as a way you’d like to 
  portray an NPC or a tactic you’d like to use in a combat. 
  Familiarize yourself with the adventure’s appendices 
  and handouts.
  • Gather any resources you’d like to use to aid you in 
  running this adventure—such as notecards, a DM 
  screen, miniatures, and battlemaps.
  • Ask the players to provide you with relevant character 
  information, such as name, race, class, and level; 
  passive Wisdom (Perception) score, and anything the 
  adventures specifies as notable (such as backgrounds, 
  traits, and flaws).
   Players can play an adventure they previously played 
  as a player or DM, but may only play it once with a given 
  character. Ensure each player has their character’s 
  adventure logsheet (if not, get one from the organizer) 
  with their starting values for level, magic items, gold, and 
  downtime days. These are updated at the conclusion of the 
  session. The adventure information and your information 
  are added at the end of the adventure session—whether 
  they completed the adventure or not.
   Each player is responsible for maintaining an accurate 
  logsheet. If you have time, you can do a quick scan of a 
  player’s character sheet to ensure nothing looks out of 
  order. If you see magic items of very high rarities or strange 
  arrays of ability scores, you can ask players to provide 
  documentation for the irregularities. If they can’t, feel free 
  to restrict item use or ask them to use a standard ability 
  score array.
   Point players to the D&D Adventurers League Players 
  Guide for reference. If players wish to spend downtime 
  days and it’s the beginning of an adventure or episode, 
  they can declare their activity and spend the days now, 
  or they can do so at the end of the adventure or episode. 
  Players should select their characters’ spells and other 
  daily options prior to the start of the adventure unless 
  the adventure specifies otherwise. Feel free to reread the 
  adventure description to help give players hints about what 
  they might face.
  New Players? No Problem!
  With starter adventures like this one it’s possible you may 
  have players new to D&D, or just new to fifth edition. It’s up 
  to you as the DM to ensure they a) have fun with the game 
  and b) learn the basics of how to play. At this level, having fun 
  is more important than learning every rule exactly right. Be 
  gentle with new players who make mistakes.
   Make sure to keep your players smiling and rolling dice. 
  Be positive and enthusiastic when describing the action, and 
  you’ll notice they quickly follow suit.
   If you’re a new DM, then welcome—and thank you! New 
  DMs are the lifeblood of the D&D community. This adventure 
  includes sidebars like this one that explain of some rules used 
  as the adventure progresses!
  Adjusting This Adventure
  To determine whether you should consider adjusting the 
  adventure, add up the characters’ levels and divide the total 
  by the number of characters (rounding .5 or greater up; .4 
  or less down). This is the group’s average party level (APL). 
  To approximate the party strength for the adventure, 
  consult the table below.
  Determining Party Strength
  Party Composition
  Party Strength
  3–4 characters, APL less than
  Very Weak
  3–4 characters, APL equivalent
  Weak
  3–4 characters, APL greater than
  Average
  5 characters, APL less than
  Weak
  5 characters, APL equivalent
  Average
  5 characters, APL greater than
  Strong
  6–7 characters, APL less than
  Average
  6–7 characters, APL equivalent
  Strong
  6–7 characters, APL greater than
  Very Strong
  Safety Tools
  Safety tools ensure that players aren’t pushed beyond their 
  comfort levels. They let your players know you want them to 
  have a positive experience.
   A broad range of safety tools are available for you and your 
  players online, but for more information reach out to your 
  Event Organizer or to community@dndadventurersleague.org
  Appendix C: 
  Appendix C: 
  Dungeon Master Tips
  Dungeon Master Tips
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/Adventure League/S10 - Rime of the Frostmaiden/DDAL10-04 - Cold Benevolence.pdf