TEXT:  
   
   
  The Bleak Holdfast of 
  the Heartless Queen
   
  An adventure for levels 3–4 
  
   
   
   
  Copyright Rob Alexander 2020–2021 
  Contact — mediumquality@imap.cc 
  Release 1.0.0, April 2021 
  All images and image sources used are either original or taken from the public 
  domain, except for the cover art, which uses components by OpenClipart-Vectors 
  and Geralt on Pixabay. 
  Old-School Essentials is a trademark of Necrotic Gnome. The trademark and Old-
  School Essentials logo are used with permission of Necrotic Gnome, under 
  license. 
  Thanks to Jo Maltby, Richard Sharp, Jon Rainer, and Greg Reynolds for 
  playtesting, and to Fiona Murphy for final proofing and editing. 
   
   
   
  Contents 
  1 
  Introduction & overview ..................................................................................... 2 
  2 
  Hooks & strategy .................................................................................................. 4 
  3 
  The area around the castle ................................................................................... 7 
  4 
  How the castle works .......................................................................................... 8 
  5 
  Random encounters ........................................................................................... 12 
  6 
  Major NPCs ......................................................................................................... 16 
  7 
  Monsters ............................................................................................................. 23 
  8 
  Maps ................................................................................................................... 28 
  9 
  Locations — Below the castle ............................................................................ 32 
  10 
  Locations — Level 1 ............................................................................................ 34 
  11 
  Locations — Level 2 ............................................................................................ 46 
  12 
  Locations — Level 3 (including towers) ............................................................ 56 
  13 
  Adversary roster.................................................................................................. 64 
  
   
   
  1 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Ice is cold, but hate is colder. 
  Sustained immersion in icy water is colder than both. 
  — Silvia of Quent, who was notoriously prosaic in her aphorisms 
   
   
   
  
   
   
  2 
  1 Introduction & overview 
  High above the snow line there is a castle on a crag. It is an object of fear and 
  hatred, because the Heartless Queen holds court there and she is pitiless in her 
  anger and host to terrible friends. Between the Frost Wyrms, the Ice Harpies, and 
  the Frozen Thing that Guards the Bridge, even getting in is difficult. 
  Most locals stay as far away as they can, but between courage, pride, and burning 
  vengeance there are always some willing to take a shot at it. And travellers from 
  the soft, warm south might hear stories of the Queen’s fantastical treasures and 
  be oblivious about the horrors that protect them. 
  Design intent & playstyle assumptions 
  The adventure site is built for the Old-School Essentials rules, for 5-6 PCs of 3rd or 
  slightly fewer of 4th.  
  It assumes players who are used to meeting risks they can’t just fight. Mindlessly 
  aggressive groups are likely to get wrecked. Most of the rewards can be had, in 
  theory, without much fighting. And when fights do happen, it assumes that PCs 
  are using clever tactics (backed by freeform GM rulings) that let them punch 
  above their straight-fight weight. 
   
  
   
   
  3 
  House rule assumptions and extra special rules 
  xp-for-gold — this module assumes an xp-for-gold model and an OSE-like xp chart, 
  but (taking a leaf from Tomb of the Serpent Kings) it assumes 1o xp per gp so that the 
  treasure piles aren’t ludicrous. 
  Thief skills — this module assumes they cover actions that only a Thief could 
  succeed at. If a non-Thief would have a chance at a relevant activity (e.g. a 
  Dexterity check to climb something), the Thief rolls both and needs to succeed at 
  only one. The exception is Hear Noise, for which the standard rules already cover 
  the Thief/non-Thief distinction. (I originally heard of this from James V West) 
  Exhaustion — this module assumes a simple model of exhaustion, where each level 
  you gain gives -1 to attacks rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and ability scores 
  when used for ability checks. (This is an extension of the OSE norm where 
  exhaustion gives attack and damage penalties if you don’t rest after six turns of 
  dungeon work or six days of wilderness travel.) 
  Recovery from failure-to-rest exhaustion requires you to take the rest you missed; 
  recovery from other sources will be described when that source is described. 
  Cold — can cause exhaustion. If a character exposes themselves to significant 
  severe cold (e.g. by hiding in a snowdrift) or to sustained moderate cold, they gain 
  an exhaustion level. This level can be healed by spending a full day in warm 
  conditions. 
  
   
   
  4 
  2 Hooks & strategy 
  Hooks and setups 
  For groups coming from far away, there are several plausible options: 
   
  Treasure raid 
   
  Looking to steal a specific high-value item 
   
  Paid to assassinate the Queen or another major NPC (Eugenios would be the 
  obvious one) 
  For locals:  
   
  Assassinate the Queen 
   
  Assassinate the Ice Witch (whose Ice Harpy servants torment people far and 
  wide) 
   
  Steal an item that allows her to oppress them in a specific way 
   
  Rescue a prisoner, servant, or guard 
  o 
  Suggestion — prisoner is actually held by the Ice Witch, in her 
  prison at location R3.13. 
  o 
  Complication if the target is a servant or guard — the ice-in-blood 
  effect that lets the Queen kill them remotely 
  One reason for locals to favour assassination, rather than some other mission, is 
  that it’s too dangerous for them to antagonise her without finishing the job 
  Viable tactics for players 
  The castle, taken head-on, is likely to be fairly lethal. What tactics could work? 
  Some ideas include: 
   
  Sneak in 
   
  Disguise yourself e.g. as traders coming to negotiate and deal 
   
  Subvert the servants or the guards (latter is unlikely… unless you subvert the 
  Captain first, because she’s looking for a way out) 
  
   
   
  5 
  Common knowledge 
  If the PCs ask locals, or anyone who knows about the castle, they can get the 
  following information pretty much for free: 
   
  The Heartless Queen rules the castle with a cruel hand 
   
  The locals hate and fear her 
   
  Her servants and guards are strange, animalistic humanoids 
   
  Those who set out for the castle usually never come back 
   
  Those who do come back were usually turned away by the Thing on the 
  Bridge 
  If running this as a one-shot, definitely add: 
   
  There is a cave about half a mile from the castle that travellers often use. 
  It seems to be basically safe to camp in. 
  … or, indeed, start them off in that very cave. 
  Rumours 
  Rumours are for things that are “good to know”, a little bit obscure, and possibly 
  false. 
  1 
  The Queen has a hold over her servants because she can freeze them 
  straight to death remotely. 
  2 
  The Great Ice Wyrm is sometimes seen near the castle. Its frozen fur is 
  studded with gemstones. 
  3 
  A strange man, a southerner, came to the castle about six months ago. 
  Supposedly he’s a Magician capable of wonderful things. 
  4 
  The castle is also home to the Ice Witch, whom the locals hate and fear 
  almost more than the Queen. She controls the Ice Harpies. 
  5 
  No human will work for the Queen as a guard or servant, so she has had to 
  magically turn animals into people. 
  6 
  The Queen has frozen monsters that she can thaw out and command. 
  
   
   
  6 
  Available retainers 
  It is hard to find hirelings or retainers so far from major towns, but some possible 
  retainers are in the table below. 
  Name 
  Abilities 
  Description 
  Share & reliability 
  Atrix 
  Thief 2 
  A local tracker and hunter. 
  His brother, his aunt, his 
  sister’s child… all taken by 
  the Ice Witch. His blood 
  burns with hate. 
  1 share. Reliable as long as the 
  PCs are making good 
  progress towards the witch; if 
  they are not, he will go solo to 
  go after her. (He will sneak as 
  far as the harpy roost but then 
  the harpies will catch him 
  with their superior senses and 
  kill him). 
  Meluda 
  MU 1 
  Local aspiring sorceress. 
  Gaze intense, movement 
  erratic, words ill-chosen 
  and liable to offend. She 
  knows one spell (Charm 
  Person) and this has given 
  her a hunger. 
  Will agree ½ a share, but will 
  try to grab any apparently-
  magical treasure she can, and 
  if PCs are heavy-handed 
  about making her share it she 
  will run off and try to escape 
  with it. 
  Corrine 
  Fighter 1 
  Southern, hunted-looking. 
  Not young, not successful, 
  many scars. She seeks a 
  living out here where her 
  creditors won’t come. 
  Will aim for 1.5 share, will 
  negotiate with a lot of sad 
  worrying about all her debts, 
  and will settle for a ¾ share. 
  Reliable as long as she is paid 
  and the danger isn’t stupid. 
  One 
  Fighter 1 
  Skin only slightly darker 
  than the snow. Painfully 
  thin and barely dressed, but 
  they never shiver. They 
  don’t say much, and what 
  they say is very odd. If you 
  sleep in camp with them, 
  they appear in your 
  dreams. 
  Will insist on 1.5 share. Totally 
  reliable, seems to have no 
  goals of their own. 
   
  
   
   
  7 
  3 The area around the castle 
  Coming from the south — reaching the castle requires a long journey, ending 
  with a hard climb through the mountains to reach the plateau the castle is on. 
  Movement in the snow — movement rates are about one-third normal, both in 
  and out of combat. So a character with 120’ move will manage about 8 miles in a 
  day or one mile per hour. 
  Looking at the area around the castle — the castle is adjacent to an east-west 
  ridge that runs for a long way alongside a vast plain leading to further mountains 
  in the north 
  Looking north from the ridge, it falls away to the plain 100ft below. Tends of miles 
  beyond that mountains are dark grey and heavy with snow clouds. Beyond the 
  first of those mountains it is so cold no-one goes there. 
  Finding shelter — there is a safe cave, west from the castle along the ridge for half 
  a mile. You can see the castle clearly from near to the cave, so you’re not going to 
  get lost on the way there unless a blizzard hits. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
  8 
  4 How the castle works 
  In rough order of practical importance… 
  Structure — The castle sits on a stack of ice, like a plug that’s been pushed out of 
  the earth. The visible part is about 100’ high, and the cross-section (on which the 
  castle sits) is about 150’ square. 
  The castle is a block of an ice-gravel-stones material that has been shaped by the 
  Queen’s hand (and much, much, often lethal, labour of servants). It’s not that 
  strong so the walls are all very thick — most rooms are connected by narrow 
  tunnels 5-10’ long (rather than just by a door in a wall straight through a wall) and 
  each floor is about 30’ high. 
  One consequence — not as easy to hear things between rooms as it might be in a 
  more conventional building. 
  Ambient temperature — About -5C, steady, just cold enough to keep the ice from 
  melting. That means it’s often slightly warmer than outside, though in the 
  warmest part of the year you get days with positive temperatures, and a few of 
  those will crack the structure once the Queen is not there to sustain it. 
  Common heat sources — two major ones: 
   
  Braziers (can’t fuel for long, though) 
   
  Bedwarmers etc containing hot coals. These come from the kitchen. 
  Common light sources — Most rooms have one or more cold flame lanterns of 
  various sizes. The castle has few and tiny windows, and most rooms are fully 
  encased by others, so the occupants are very reliant on these. They burn with a 
  white flame, the light of which is extremely white and dulls colours towards in the 
  way an overexposed photograph does. It generates almost no heat, and can’t set 
  anything else on fire. 
  Outside the castle, the cold flame oil is worth 10gp/pint. 
  Doors — There are three basic kinds: 
   
  Servant’s doors — just big enough for a small person without hunching, and 
  lightweight (+1 to any open doors attempt). 
   
  Sturdy doors — big enough for any human to comfortably walk through. 
  
   
   
  9 
   
  Special doors — each is unique and will be described when encountered. 
  The two standard door types are made of wood and heavily oiled to prevent 
  freezing.  
  Where doors have interesting properties (or interested sounds behind), this will 
  be noted in the text. Otherwise assume that all doors are sturdy, unlocked, not 
  distinctively marked, and have no sounds of note behind them. 
  Unless otherwise noted, all servant’s and sturdy doors are lockable with a Guard 
  Key. 
  Alarms — An alarm can be trigger by any castle inhabitant using the trapped 
  ghost at location R2.9. The alarm works by opening hundreds of two-inch holes in 
  the walls (exterior and an interior) so that the wind rushes through, making a 
  howling noise and even more chilling the air (thus encouraging the residents to 
  get busy). The alarm has two modes: 
  Standard alarm — this sounds just like wind howling through the walls. It means 
  that there are hostile intruders to the castle, and that everyone should arm up and 
  start searching in small groups. The guards will mobilise — all of them will wake 
  up and the two guard posts will be reinforced.  
  Little Sister alarm — this sounds like the normal alarm, except that the holes in 
  the walls are smaller and thus the pitch is higher. It means that Little Sister has 
  got out of her cell and is roaming the corridors, so everyone (even the guards) 
  should lock themselves in a secure place until the alarm goes quiet again to signify 
  she is back in her cell.  
  When the alarm ends, the holes in the walls will close in a few seconds. 
  Food in the castle — Officially, all food come through the kitchens (location), so 
  only the chef knows exactly what you’re eating. There’s also some hunting the 
  snow, and some cannibalism at bad times. 
  Trade and trade visitors — the castle conducts a bit of trade with the south for 
  small, high-value items. This is conducted almost exclusively by servants and 
  guards going on journeys south. These agents tend to talk some, which is where 
  most of the rumours come from. 
  
   
   
  10 
  The castle also extracts a moderate tribute from the locals, although their 
  population is sparse and over time they’re shifting further and further from the 
  castle. 
  Resting in the castle — overnight or day rests are not viable anywhere in the 
  castle, unless with support from a major NPC 
  Night versus day —the castle at night is extremely cold. Outside at night is 
  deathly cold. Doing anything at night is not likely practical, unless PCs have long-
  duration magical protection. 
  Restocking after losses and disruption — 
  If the PCs disrupt the castle, then leave, the Queen will slowly rebuild the 
  defences. This doesn’t mean she will put things back as they were. 
  Guards and servants —  
   
  The Queen will restock at a rate of 1-2 a week, through a mixture of 
  kidnapping, coercion, and trickery 
   
  In extremis, the Queen will promote servants to guards, improving their AC, 
  weapons and morale but leaving them otherwise the same 
  Other ideas — 
   
  The Queen will investigate how the PCs got in, and repair that first. In 
  particular, cracks in the walls are likely to be sealed up, and whoever allowed 
  them to stay open will be made part of the repair. The crack that Xueshan 
  uses, however, will not be sealed as long as he’s alive. 
   
  The Queen fills an area with freezing mist — not impossible to bypass, but 
  draining. Passing through it requires a Con check to not get an exhaustion 
  level. This could go, for example, in an uncloseable entryway that the PCs 
  previously used for a successful raid.  
   
  
   
   
  11 
  Knowledge of the inhabitants —  
  Most people in the castle know something useful. Some ideas: 
  1. 
  The Queen’s touch is freezing 
  2. 
  The Queen can project a freezing blast that turns everyone in its path 
  straight to ice 
  3. 
  The Queen travels everywhere with her two Ice Wyrm Chimerae 
  4. 
  …except when she goes up to the forbidden tower. 
  5. 
  The Queen hates fire and will only allow the cook and the Ice Witch to use 
  naked flames (apart from the cold flames oil, of course, which doesn’t 
  generate heat) 
  6. 
  Little Sister’s touch withers people 
  7. 
  Little Sister cannot be hurt by mere steel 
  8. 
  A strange but friendly magician has been staying here for a few months. 
  He has wooden mannequins who work for him. 
  9. 
  The Ice Witch is a great friend of the harpies 
  10. Constance, the guard captain, has seemed distracted and spacey recently 
   
   
  
   
   
  12 
  5 Random encounters 
  Each turn, there is a chance of a random encounter: 
   
  In the area around the castle — every hour, 1 in 6 chance of encounter from 
  Encounter Table 1 
   
  Inside the castle, normally — every turn, 1 in 6 chance of an encounter from 
  Encounter Table 2 
   
  If inside the castle and the alarm is sounding — every turn, 3 in 6 chance of a 
  guard response (normally 3 guards, but rising up to 6 if the PCs have shown 
  themselves a serious threat) 
  Guards are drawn come from barracks pool or from a nearby guard post. If there 
  are none left, or if the overall threat situation means that makes no sense, then no 
  encounter occurs. 
  By default, reactions are unfriendly and suspicious, but not hostile. Maybe use a 
  standard reaction roll, modified based on PC behaviour so far (and whether they 
  hid the bodies well). 
  Encounter table 1 — outside the castle, but nearby 
   
  Encounter 
   
  Experience 
  1 
  A solitary Yeti (see Monsters) lurks in a 
  snowdrift d6*10 feet away, surprisingly 
  the party on 1-4 on d6. 
  7 
  Foreign (southern) adventurers, frozen 
  in a snow-drift that just got reduced by 
  the wind, revealing them. (they just 
  froze to death) 
  2 
  1d3 Juvenile Ice Wyrms (see Monsters) 
  come swishing across the snow, their 
  furry bodies hard to see against it 
  (surprise 1-2 on 1d6). 
  8 
  Tracks of Xueshan, leading between the 
  climb up to his room and a place where 
  he fought a juvenile ice wyrm. Some 
  blood trail back to castle as he was 
  injured. 
  3 
  The Great Ice Wyrm (see Monsters) moves 
  past in the middle distance (1d6 * 100 ft 
  away). It will not do anything unless the 
  PCs work to draw its attention. 
  9 
  Trail of the Great Ice Wyrm — a 10’ wide 
  smooth trail through the snow 
  
   
   
  13 
  4 
  A long-dead Polar Bear Zombie (see 
  Monsters) crawls over the snow, looking 
  for something it can never find (and of 
  course cannot describe). Inside its chest 
  cavity is what might be ice and what 
  might be a gently glowing gemstone. It is 
  not aggressive unless interfered with.  
  If the PCs somehow communicate with 
  it, it is looking for its mate, which is now 
  a rug in location R3.4. If it is reunited 
  with that, it will cry mournfully and then 
  die. 
  The gem in its chest is a unique item, 
  perpetually cold and gently glowing. 
  Worth 500 gp. 
  10 
  Out of sight, a few hundred feet away, 
  something howls. 
  5 
  An Ice Harpy (see Monsters) flaps out of 
  the castle and around, scouting. If the 
  PCs are still, it will see them 1-2 on d6; if 
  they cover themselves in snow, risking 
  hypothermia, it will not see them, 
  If it does see the PCs, it will swing down 
  to harass them, aiming to make sure they 
  fear its kind and by extension the Ice 
  Witch. 
  11 
  A blizzard hits. PCs can wait it out (will 
  take d3 hours and get them an 
  exhaustion level) or press on (50% 
  chance of getting lost and spending an 
  hour going in the wrong direction) 
  6 
  A patrol of four guards have been 
  dispatched to investigate suspicious-
  looking people in this area. Might have 
  been the PCs, might have been someone 
  else, might have been some bullshit a 
  servant made up. The guards are not 
  expecting serious trouble. 
  12 
  Blood, signs of a struggle. Something 
  was killed here. 
  
   
   
  14 
  Encounter table 2 — inside the castle 
   
  Encounter 
   
  Experience 
  1 
  1d3 guards, patrolling 
  11 
  Wind howls through the corridors 
  2 
  1d3 guards, illicitly drunk 
  12 
  A crack has formed in the ice here, and 
  then been patched up 
  3 
  1 guard, fiddling with their boot, which 
  seems to have something wrong with it 
  13 
  A small hole opens up in a wall, and 
  wind briefly howls through 
  4 
  1d2 servant(s) being bullied by guards 
  14 
  Laughter, as if at a crude joke, echoes 
  5 
  Servant patching up a crack 
  15 
  A random PC gets the impression they 
  are being watched 
  6 
  Servant carrying food to the neatest 
  guard post or major NPC 
  16 
  Some solvent has been spilt here — the 
  icy floor is slick with water 
  7 
  One of Eugenios’s wooden servants, 
  carrying woodworking supplies 
  17 
  A lamp breaks and falls to the floor. Cold 
  flame spreads, but does no harm to 
  anything. 
  8 
  The alarm starts to sound with the 
  second tone - Little Sister has got out. 
  She will start at R3.2 and move thru the 
  castle mostly randomly, though being 
  drawn to loud noises and to 
  concentrations of body heat. 
  18 
  One PC sees a vague form, like a human 
  face trailed by a torn sheet, slither 
  through the icy wall right next to them. 
  9 
  Xueshan, carrying an Ice Wyrm or snow 
  wolf he just killed. Probably he’s taking it 
  to the larder; if the location makes that 
  implausible, he’s probably carrying it to a 
  guard post to keep the guards on his side. 
  19 
  A gust of wind blows through the room, 
  and carries with it an unusually clear 
  fragment of dialogue e.g.  
   “…of course she’s our enemy, but 
  we need to be careful” 
   “…I’d wager her heart was cold 
  before she cut it out…” 
   “…it would be better for everybody 
  if that castle wasn’t there…”  
  10 
  Freezing fog has filled this area, not for 
  any reason anyone knows. Con check or 
  take an exhaustion level if you pass thru 
  it. Will last an hour or until Queen comes 
  and dismisses it. 
  20 
  There is a slow, loud creak from inside a 
  nearby wall. 
   
   
  
   
   
  15 
   
  
   
   
  16 
  6 Major NPCs 
  In rough order of importance to the castle… 
  Elizabeth of Ruania, The Heartless Queen 
  The Heartless Queen AC 7[12], HD 6** (hp 26), Att 1 × touch (d10 + paralysis), THAC0 14[+5], 
  MV 60’ (20’), SV MU6, ML 10, AL chaotic, XP 725 
  ► Undead — unaffected by attacks that target living bodies (e.g. poisons) or minds (e.g. 
  charms) 
  ► Freezing touch — when she hits in melee, Para. save or paralysed until start of her next 
  turn 
  ► Frozen almost solid —immune to cold-based attacks, half damage from stabbing or 
  slashing weapons, double damage from heat or fire attacks  
  ► Spellcaster — as MU 6. Default memorised spells are charm person, hold portal, web, 
  invisibility, clairvoyance, dispel magic. Given a day’s warning of dangerous intruders, she will 
  swap the clairvoyance for freeze ray — as lightning bolt, but cold-based and doesn’t bounce. 
  ► Items carried — crown of ice (will melt, but has aquamarines worth 200gp), silver heart-
  hole ring (worth 100gp), Little Sister key, Queen’s key 
  Tall, incredibly pale, bleach-white hair. Has a bloody hole in her chest, slightly to 
  the left, and she features this with her clothes and accessories (e.g. a silver ring 
  around the hole). When she is animate, the seeps blood, at a modest rate. Again, 
  she dresses so you see this. 
  The only warm colour on her is that blood. 
  She needs to average a quarter of her time in the coffin in R3.7 or she starts to 
  break down. This is slow — 1 max hp a day, regained at the same rate if she — but 
  also can’t recharge powers (e.g. rememorize spells) while in this condition. 
  Eugenios thinks he can preserve her in his insulated box, but then he’s planning to 
  suppress her consciousness and much of her powers. 
  Acting as her — hollow voice like she’s speaking down an ice tunnel. Speaks slowly 
  like it’s an effort to push out words. Pause, but keep your eyes moving, to show 
  she’s thinking much faster than she speaks. Say “I expected you would do that”, 
  often (she didn’t know you would, but in her constant vigilant catastrophising she 
  
   
   
  17 
  realised that you might). Be unremittingly hostile, and quickly escalate to violence, 
  unless the PCs claim to know of a plot against you, in which case you are all ears. 
  Plans and motivations — none that make any sense, not any more. She is paranoid, 
  constantly seeking out “plots” against her, and consumed by a desire for revenge 
  against the family that sidelined her, the community that rejected her, and the 
  lover who cheated her out of the estate she inherited. Paranoia and revenge fight 
  in her mind, daily, leading to a stalemate that keeps her (and the castle) in stasis. 
  Her plans for vengeance are mostly pointless now, as everyone she wants revenge 
  on has been dead for thirty years. But her sense of time has deteriorated so she 
  can no longer really understand this. 
  The only people in the castle who know her actual name or history are Eugenios 
  and Grandmother — latter because she was there, former because he heard 
  stories in the Great Kingdom, stories originally told by the aforementioned 
  cheating lover who fled there in fear of the Queen’s wrath.  
  What happened to her heart? — she always had powers over cold and ice. But to 
  reach her current mastery, and so better enact her revenge, she sacrificed her 
  heart to an old god of winter, death in winter, and frost-born famine. That 
  worked, but what shreds of empathy and fellow feeling she still had went with it. 
  What if she feels a servant has betrayed her? — she can inflict the ice death (see room 
  R3.6). 
  What if she is killed, or removed from the castle? — the castle will start to break down. 
  This will take weeks, maybe months, but eventually the structure will crack and 
  tumble. Someone with sensitive hearing (e.g. a Thief listening at doors) will pick 
  up that the normal cracking and creaking is getting steadily louder. 
  The queen is escorted, most of the time, by two Ice Wyrm Chimeras. 
  Ice Wyrm Chimeras AC 5[14], HD 3* (hp 13), Att 1 × bite (1d4 + wrap), THAC0 17[+2], MV 
  120’ (40’), SV F3, ML 9, AL chaotic, XP 50 
  ► Snowshimmer — moves at normal speed in heavy snow 
  ► Wrap & squeeze — on bite, paralysis save or target is wrapped — 1d6 automatic damage 
  immediately and on each round following. One action and a paralysis save to break. 
  The Chimerae are human heads transplanted onto juvenile Ice Wyrms and 
  coerced and abused so that they are totally loyal to her. Not clear where their teeth 
  came from but it was definitely a carnivore. 
  
   
   
  18 
  Issumatar, the Ice Witch 
  Issumatar the Ice Witch AC 7[12], HD 4* (hp 17), Att 1 × hand claw (d4 + paralyse), THAC0 
  18[+1], MV 90’ (30’), SV MU 5, ML 10, AL chaotic, XP 125 
  ► Paralysing hand — her main weapon is embalmed right hand of her disobedient son. 
  She’s sharpened it into a claw and on any hit the target must save vs Paralysis or be twisted 
  into an agonising fixed contortion for one turn, unable to move or speak. 
  ► Spellcaster — sleep, hold portal, web, mirror image 
  ► Items carried — hand claw (after her death, can be used by someone else, but might no 
  be placid and obedient), Issumatar’s key 
  Issumatar has wild grey hair, grey rheumy eyes, and loud shouting voice that 
  echoes through the corridors. 
  Acting as her — Shout. Make constant minor demands (“Move out of the way!”, “Let 
  me look at your shield!”, “Don’t shout in here!”). Laugh, loudly, as if what they (or 
  you) just said was very funny. 
  Plans and motivations - Her main motive is maintaining her mortal life — she is 113 
  but looks and feels about 70. She achieves this by tinctures and ointments made 
  from the blood and body fats of local people she kidnaps. Only one in six people 
  have the right mix of humours for this process, and there’s no way to tell until she 
  cooks them up. 
  She runs a brood of harpies, who scout and kidnap for her. The locals, 
  unsurprisingly, hate and fear her. 
  Role in the castle — She is a native of the region, but only moved in here about five 
  years ago, when the locals ran her out of a yet another hiding place. The Queen 
  gives her protection in return for harpy-based scouting and local knowledge, 
  which suits the witch very well because most people in the locality want her dead. 
   
   
  
   
   
  19 
  Eugenios of Heraclea, the Magician 
  Eugenios AC 9[10], HD 2* (hp 10), Att 1 × dagger (d4), THAC0 19[0], MV 120’ (40’), SV MU4, 
  ML 9, AL chaotic, XP 25 
  ► Spellcaster — As MU 4, memorised spells magic missile, shield, invisibility, burn (Last of 
  those is a 2nd level custom creation which causes a single target within melee range to take 
  2d6 damage. For the Queen, this would then be doubled by her heat vulnerability.) 
  ► Items carried — dagger +1, fine robes albeit rather worn (worth 50gp), Eugenios’s key 
  Tall, olive-skinned, poised, dressed in blue and purple velvet robes. And an 
  arrogant, narcissistic sociopath. He has no empathy at all, and does not use moral 
  concepts in speech, ever. 
  Acting as him — Calm, open, easy speech, punctuated with smiles and pleasant 
  laughter. (See boxout for some dialogue ideas) 
  Dialog samples for Eugenios 
   
  "This is a strange place. Always good to meet some people who aren't all frozen 
  into its ways!" <chuckle> 
   
  "If we were in Heraclea now, or perhaps in my little place in the Great Kingdom 
  we would be delightfully warm, sipping blended drinks on my veranda while my 
  many well-wishers came and went" (maybe once, before he did those bad things)  
   
  "When I am finished here, and return home with the wonderful treasure I am 
  close to now, the people will welcome me back with open arms. And probably a 
  parade. (delusional, given those things that he did) 
   
  "And I'm sure that in return for exclusive access to the treasure, some rich 
  individual will give me a fine little nest in their Palace in which I can continue my 
  studies uninterrupted" (probably true) 
  Plans and motivations — For his plan, see the nearby boxout. 
  If the PCs offer to assist him, he’ll send a couple of wooden workers with them, 
  thus marking them out as his friends. 
  Knowledge he can share — If friendly, will tell PCs lots about the castle. He knows 
  everything from the knowledge list (see “How the castle works”), and be quite 
  open about his plans. (He can’t imagine the PCs successfully betraying him, and in 
  any case doesn’t see why anyone would think his plans particularly offensive). 
  
   
   
  20 
  He can't tell them about the awful things he did back home in Heraclea, or indeed 
  in the Great Kingdom, because remembering them is socially inconvenient and 
  thus he has forgotten. Indeed, he doesn’t really understand that they were bad, so 
  doesn’t even accord them particular significance. 
  Role in the castle — respected visitor, potentially valuable because of his powers, but 
  both the Queen and the Ice Witch are somewhat suspicious of him. 
   
  Eugenios is waited on by a dozen wooden workers: 
  Eugenios’s plan 
  He wants to overpower the Queen, cut her up and take her back home as an ice 
  machine. “In my country, the only thing we do want for is ice…”. He already has 
  the insulated box made. 
  He was driven out of his home country because of the things that he did, but 
  rightly suspects that a year-round source of ice might persuade a few people to 
  forget that… and, if not there, maybe in the Great Kingdom (in a sub-Saharan 
  Africa-alike) where it is hot as fuck all the time. 
  How does he plan to betray the Queen – 
  1. 
  Arrange for the guards to “accidentally” die, allowing her to propose his 
  constructs as substitutes. He knows about the cistern (see R3.10) but needs 
  someone else to trigger it. Failing that, he has a deadly ingestible poison that 
  looks like food poisoning. 
  2. 
  Replace the guards and servants with his wooden constructs. He has about a 
  dozen in total, but he struggles to get more materials. (he needs wood; he’s 
  experimenting with bone but it is “a more lively material, more prone to have 
  its own ideas”). Given adequate wood he could make about two a day, up to 
  about 40 before he lost control of them. 
  3. 
  Incapacitate the Queen using his special spell. 
  Eugenios has promised Little Sister “a tiny sun, for her chest, to make her warm”. 
  He’ll give it her once the Queen is gone – the heat will loosen her tendons and 
  within a few hours she’ll be hot wet bones. He knows this, of course. 
  If his plan fails, he will use Invisibility to get back to his rooms, have his wooden 
  servants gather up his treasure (including the Sun, which they’ll need for the 
  journey) and move on to his next unfortunate residence. 
  
   
   
  21 
  Wooden worker AC 7[12], HD 1/2 (hp 3), Att 1 × club (d6), THAC0 19[0], MV 90’ (30’), SV F1, 
  ML fearless, AL neutral, XP 5 
  They are reasonably dextrous but not particularly strong. Their joints are oiled 
  against the cold.  
  Xueshan, the Wild Man 
  Xueshan the Wild Man AC 5[14], HD 6 (hp 25), Att 2 × great hands (d6) or by weapon, 
  THAC0 14[+5], MV 120’ (40’), SV T6, ML 9, AL neutral, XP 500 
  ► Thief skills — as Thief 6 
  ► Counterattack — when attacked in melee, spend 1 unused attack (can borrow one from 
  next round if necessary, but only one) to either disarm (thrown d6*10 ft in rough direction 
  of Xueshan’s choosing) or throw (d6*5 feet in rough direction of Xueshan’s choosing). In 
  either case, Para save avoids. If thrown into a solid wall d6 damage, if into lesser 
  objects/breakable wall d3. 
  ► Snowfooted — moves at normal speed in heavy snow 
  ► Items carried — none of note 
  Bear-like bearded man, of East Asian ethnicity, dressed in thick furs. 
  Acting as him — simple words and phrases, hand gestures, sounds. Randomly 
  swap in words from any other language you know (he does this in any language — 
  doesn’t speak even his native one well anymore). Very short attention span for 
  anything that doesn’t fit his life. 
  Plans and motivations — He likes to hunt and to go outside, to survive as long as he 
  can. His admires, more than anything, the majestic polar bear, and his ultimate 
  ambition would be to be like that. He’s not there yet, hence he keeps coming back 
  to the castle, but he’s getting closer. 
  Might be interested in an arrangement where he could have a base in the castle 
  but have no obligations to it. 
  Role in the castle — After roaming for decades and thousands of miles, it gives him 
  a base to work from. In return he gives the proceeds of his hunts — meat and fur. 
  He neither understands nor cares about anything else that’s going on. 
  If threatened — hide and ambush, set snares, or just leave. 
  
   
   
  22 
  Constance, the guard captain 
  Constance AC 4[15], HD 4 (hp 15), Att 1 × harpoon spear (d6+2 + hold) and 1 x cleaver (d8+2), 
  THAC0 17[+3], MV 90’ (30’), SV F3, ML 9, AL neutral, XP 125 
  ► Harpoon hold — when hit by her harpoon spear save vs Paralysis or her future attacks on 
  you are at +2 until you spend a round’s action to rip it out, doing 1d4 more damage. (If you 
  take a full turn to remove it, no damage) 
  ► Items carried — guard key, prison key, Little Sister key 
  A large woman who has been on staff for over ten years and so is very blubbery 
  and seal-like. She is somewhat loyal to the Queen, who has treated her (relatively) 
  well, but she is pregnant and does not want to raise the child in this environment. 
  (she’s also a bit freaked out about what form the child will have) 
  (When she tacitly agreed with Queen that she could pull her lover out of the 
  servant pool and host him at his leisure in her quarters, the Queen signed off with 
  “Don’t get pregnant”. It was friendly advice, but it quite clearly wasn’t.) 
  Arabella of Ruania, the Little Sister 
  Little Sister AC 6[13], HD 6** (hp 24), Att 2 × claw (d6) + energy drain, THAC0 14[+5], MV 
  120’ (40’), SV F6, ML 10, AL chaotic, XP 725 
  ► Undead — unaffected by attacks that target living bodies (e.g. poisons) or minds (e.g. 
  charms) 
  ► Energy drain — when she hits, the target loses a level permanently 
  ► Immune to ordinary weapons — only silver or magical weapons will hurt her 
  Long wild hair, pretty dress in rags, pale skin gone green-brown.  
  Long estranged but now found at last by the Queen’s agents, alas angry dead but 
  rotting as normal. The cold preserves her. Extremely hostile to everyone except 
  the Queen and Eugenios (latter has managed to win her over with promises of 
  warmth and comfort). 
  When cogent she thinks she’s alive and craves warmth (it’s bad for her, accelerates 
  decay and makes her stink). When not cogent she screams and claws and snaps 
  your bones. On any given day, roll 1d6 to see how she is doing — 1-2 angry, 3-4 
  catatonic, 5-6 relatively cogent. 
   
  
   
   
  23 
  7 Monsters 
  Harpy, Ice 
  Ice Harpy AC 7[12], HD 3+1 (hp 13), Att 2 × claw (d6) or crude weapon, THAC0 16[+3], MV 60’ 
  (20’) or fly 120’ (40’), SV F2, ML 8, AL chaotic, XP 25 
  ► Flight — clumsy fliers 
  ► Dive and grab — if airborne, they can dive down and grab a human-sized or smaller 
  target. Paralysis save to resist. While carrying a human-sized one, their flight move drops 
  to 60’ (20’). 
  Humanoid, ugly, covered in off-white weathers. Big pale eyes and sensitive noses 
  that work best when there’s a cold wind. Semi-intelligent with semi-coherent 
  word use, but can’t form true sentences and are hard to understand because of 
  alien priorities. 
  Ice Wyrm, juvenile 
  Juvenile Ice Wyrm AC 5[14], HD 3* (hp 13), Att 1 × bite (1d4 + wrap), THAC0 17[+2], MV 120’ 
  (40’), SV F3, ML 7, AL neutral, XP 50 
  ► Snowshimmer — moves at normal speed in heavy snow 
  ► Wrap & squeeze — on any successful bite, wrap target and do 1d6 automatic damage 
  immediately and on each round following. 
  10’-long snakes or worms with furry bodies and furry, dragon-like heads. They 
  enjoy hiding in snowdrifts and surprising their prey on a roll of 1–4.  
   
   
  
   
   
  24 
  Ice Wyrm, The Great 
  The Great Ice Wyrm AC 0[19], HD 10* (hp 45), Att 1 × bite (4d8 + swallow) or slam (2d8 
  area), THAC0 11[+8], MV 150’ (50’), SV C10, ML 9, AL neutral, XP 1600 
  ► Snowshimmer — moves at normal speed in heavy snow 
  ► Swallow  — on a bit attack roll of 19 or more it swallows its target whole Then 1d8 damage 
  per round while the Wyrm lives. Target can attack from inside but only with sharp weapons 
  and at -4 to hit. 
  ► Slam — rear in the air and slam down, attacking everyone in an area 10’ wide by 40’ long. 
  The Great Ice Wyrm is the greatest living instance of its kind. It’s 6’ wide and 80’ 
  long, majestic and old and studded with what appear to be gemstones. The 
  “gemstones” are, sadly, just ancient encrustations of ice, nourished by its secreted 
  oils. The oils are of some value, however, anyone following the Wyrm around can 
  gather 1d6 fallen stones an hour, work 1gp each. 
  Queen’s staff and retainers, The 
  The Queen’s staff are human, but they don’t stay looking like that — over time, 
  they inexorably deform to resemble the Killer Seals from location R1.21. Their face 
  becomes seal-like, their skin gains an under-layer of blubber, and a fine fur grows 
  all over. This is the Queen’s doing, though the hand the serves the poison is 
  Graegus the cook (see location R.1.12). 
  Generally, the guards are loyal (partly because they are loyal to Constance and she 
  says “the best thing for all of us is to serve the Queen loyally”, convincingly) but 
  servants are not so much (because they are looked down on and mistreated and 
  don’t have a leader). 
  The Ice Death — if the Queen wants to kill one of her staff, she can. She goes to the 
  Servant Control Room (R3.6) and turns their body temperature down to zero. See 
  R3.6 for more details. To set this up, she takes a drop of blood from each servant 
  and drops it into the Ice Whirl in R2.13. 
   
   
  
   
   
  25 
  Servants 
  Servant AC 9[10], HD ½ (hp 3), Att 1 × crude weapon (d6), THAC0 20[-1], MV 120’ (40’), SV 
  F1, ML 6, AL neutral, XP 5 
  ► Fear of the Queen — +2 ML if a guard or other authority figure is present 
  Things for servants to be doing: 
  1 
  Trying to keep warm 
  2 
  Slowly dripping water over a crack to fix it 
  3 
  Whispering about concerning events in the castle 
  4 
  Being patched up after a guard knocked them about 
  5 
  Scraping meat from a frozen haunch of unclear species 
  6 
  Refilling lamps with cold flame oil 
   
  If the servants see the PCs — as long as there are at least two of them, they will 
  approach, offering to help, asking if they are lost, etc. If they are given a good 
  excuse, they will probably let it slide; otherwise they’ll alert the guards who will 
  send a two-person patrol to investigate. 
  Some example servants: 
  Name 
  Nature 
  Desires 
  Pettie 
  Conniving and 
  manipulative 
  Get better from her gut 
  cramps and diarrhoea 
  Tweriana (“Twerpi”) 
  Obedient and disciplined 
  Be the next cook 
  Corrun 
  Effusive and open-
  hearted 
  Win affection of 
  Morris, a guard 
  Minas 
  Aggressive and diligent 
  Be promoted to guard-
  hood 
  Flox 
  Imaginative and really 
  quite odd 
  Get a bit of actual 
  downtime 
  Jerobi 
  Vain and uncritical 
  To be generally admired  
  
   
   
  26 
  Guards 
  Guard AC 5[14], HD 2 (hp 9), Att 1 × ice axe (d8), THAC0 18[+1], MV 60’ (20’), SV F2, ML 8, AL 
  neutral, XP 20 
  ► Freeze bomb — Patrols may be issued with a freeze bomb (usually only one) – takes a 
  round to light and then an AC 9[10] attack roll to deliver usefully. On success, it does d4 
  damage in a 5’ radius and everyone hit must make a Paralysis save or skip their next turn. 
  ► Items carried — 4d6 sp, ice axe, 1 in 6 chance of a freeze bomb 
  As with all the staff, the guards are on a continuum from clearly human to 
  anthropoid seals. They wear thick furs all over – under the fur there is a mix of 
  leather and metal. Their main weapons are ice axes with a vicious beak. 
  See the Adversary Roster for where the guards are likely to be. 
  Things for guards to be doing: 
  1 
  Trying to keep warm 
  2 
  Taking bets on which crack in the ice will be a foot long first (the trigger 
  for servants to fix it) 
  3 
  Harassing a servant for no particularly good reason 
  4 
  Practicing axe technique 
  5 
  Sleeping 
  6 
  Gambling (with one of them trying to win back what they lost yesterday) 
  Some example guards: 
  Name 
  Nature 
  Desires 
  Morris 
  Intense and self-critical 
  To learn to relax a bit 
  Elurin 
  Abusive and arrogant 
  To make the servants respect her 
  Obiefune 
  Downbeaten and morose 
  He came with with Udumele (see 
  R1.15) but was captured and chose 
  to serve the Queen rather than be 
  killed. He feels ashamed at 
  abandoning Udumele and her 
  cause. 
  
   
   
  27 
  Yeti 
  Yeti AC 6[13], HD 4 (hp 18), Att 2 × claw (d6), THAC0 16[+3], MV 120’ (40’), SV F4, ML 9, AL 
  neutral, XP 75 
  ► Snowfooted — moves at normal speed in heavy snow 
  Someone took a human and made it big and made it hairy and gave it terrible 
  teeth and claws and made it live in the snow. Or maybe it was just born that way.  
  Zombie, Polar Bear 
  Polar Bear Zombie AC 6[13], HD 7 (hp 33), Att 2 × claw (1d6), THAC0 13[+5], MV 90’ (30’), SV 
  F7, ML fearless, AL neutral, XP 450 
  ► Snowfooted — moves at normal speed in heavy snow 
  ► Bear hug — if it hits a target with both claw attacks in the same round, it can bear hug 
  them for 2d8 extra damage. 
  A polar bear grew large, died, and rose again. 
   
   
  
   
   
  28 
  8 Maps 
  Level 0 — Below the castle 
   
  
   
   
  29 
  Level 1 — Lower floor 
   
  
   
   
  30 
  Level 2 — Middle floor 
  
   
   
  31 
  Level 3 — Top floor 
   
   
  
   
   
  32 
  9 Locations — Below the castle 
  R0.1 Base of the stack 
  Snow is deep all around, which slows movement as described in The Area Around 
  the Castle. 
  Depending on what side they are on, and how far they are from the actual stack 
  (further gives better sight lines), they can see the following interesting features: 
   
  Level 1  
  o 
  Side ledge around southwest corner 
  o 
  Windows near to that 
  o 
  Crack on west side to R1.4 
   
  Level 2 
  o 
  Opening on east side to storeroom (R2.18) 
   
  Level 3 
  o 
  Opening on east side to disused room (R3.19) 
  The stack, and the castle walls, are in general only climbable using a Thief’s 
  climbing skill. 
  The climb to the towers is a long one, and unless you start from the west (secret 
  side entrance) or east (storeroom and disused room) you’re not likely to see 
  another entrance until you get there. The fall from the top of the stack is 100’ 
  (though counts as half because of the deep snow); the fall from the top of the castle 
  is about 200’ (again, halved) 
  R0.2 Tunnel entrance 
  An almost circular hole in the side of the stack leads into an upwards-curling 
  tunnel, smooth and round and sow narrow you’ll have to crawl. 
  After about 30ft it splits: 
  Left — upwards, silence. 
  Right — gently downwards, slight fluttering sound if you listen carefully. 
   
  
   
   
  33 
  R0.3 Cave of the Ice Bats 
  A natural cave 40’ wide by 60’ deep and a 40’ ceiling.  
  The sound of fluttering is everywhere, as 18-inch bats roost all over the ceiling, 
  their grey fur making a smooth mass. 
  In the centre of the cave is a pile of frozen meat and bone in which gold glints. 
  If someone tries to dig out the gold — they make progress each turn (if there’s a 
  second digger, the cover the first two in one): 
   
  First turn — can get at furs and clothing, good but rather spoiled by 
  guano. Worth maybe 50gp. 
   
  Second — under the cloth is about 180 gp. 
   
  Third — under everything else is a necklace of (rare) orange porphyry 
  worthy 200 gp 
  But the fucking bats won’t stop hassling you — diggers take 1d6 hp/turn damage 
  from a thousand bites and scratches and wing-buffets per turn of digging (can’t 
  take you before 1hp, and tell the player the damage roll before to anyone messing 
  with the pile albeit can’t take you below 1hp. If you only have 1hp at the start of the 
  turn, you just can’t make useful digging progress in the face of the bat’s attacks. 
  R0.4 Awkwardly placed dormant vampire 
  Compared to the R0.2, the tunnel widens and the floor flattens. A block of clear ice 
  in the wall contains a skeleton, apparently intact and with very pronounced 
  incisors and a sharp wooden pole wedged through its rib cage. It’s surrounded by 
  particularly rocky wall-matter. Behind it, clearly visible through the clear ice, is a 
  mid-length spear of fine crafting and intricate silver decoration.  
  The spear is +1 and would sell for 500gp to someone rich and fancy. 
  If someone breaks the ice and thus disturbs the skeleton — it lurches forwards, 
  falls to the ground, crawls a bit, then shatters into three hundred inert pieces. 
  R0.5 Antechamber before the castle 
  A rough-hewn room, but definitely a room. Empty except that someone has 
  written in white paint on the wall a variety of crude images, and a couple of legible 
  messages. e.g. “in the end, we are all seals” (followed by a crude cartoon of a seal), 
  and “fly with the harpies”. 
  
   
   
  34 
  10 Locations — Level 1 
  R1.1 The great bridge 
  About 8’ wide and 40’ long, wind howls across it burnishing the ice to a shine. 
  To the right of the bridge is a narrow path which switchbacks its way down to the 
  plain below. 
  If they study the castle from here — they will see 
   
  The general shape of the castle, including the three towers 
   
  The main doors (see R1.5) 
   
  The Icegyle, in its alcove (see R1.5) 
   
  The Tower 1 platform, which faces south. If they watch for long enough, 
  they’ll see an Ice Harpy take off or land there. 
  If they pay close attention to the precise shape of the castle — they will notice the side 
  ledge.  
  If someone tries to climb the underside of the bridge — only a Thief has a chance, and 
  that at -10%. They will then be able to reach the main doors or the side ledge 
  without attracting the attention of the Icegyle. 
  R1.2 Path down 
  A path switchbacks 100’ down to the plain below. It’s narrow, precarious, and 
  meant for sure feet, but there’s no actual risk unless rushing or attacked. 
  R1.3 Side ledge 
  A narrow ledge, perhaps 10 inches deep on average, works its way around the 
  castle wall from the western side of the bridge to the secret side entrance (R1.4) in 
  the middle of the western wall. It is a little hair-raising but safe to traverse unless 
  you are being attacked or the weather is vile. 
  Once around the corner, you can climb from the ledge without being seen. 
  
   
   
  35 
  R1.4 Secret side entrance 
  A crack just wide enough for an armoured human to squeeze through leads to a 
  6’x6’ room with cloaks hanging up and an old wooden stool. The stool is sturdy 
  and too large to fit through the crack. A door leads east. 
  If someone looks behind the cloaks — there is a hole in the wall containing two 
  days of iron rations and a Potion of Cold Resistance (12 hours duration). 
  R1.5 The main doors 
  Double doors of solid wood and metal reinforcement 10’ high and 8’ wide. The left 
  door has a stylised metal snowflake and the right door a stylised metal crown. 
  They are guarded by the Icegyle, which crouches above the gate in built-for-
  purpose niche. It is a 9’ high spider-thing with six arched legs and a crude human-
  esque face that hangs below its rough-ovoid body like an old leather bag. Its legs 
  end in curved climbing-spikes that double as claws, and its mouth is full of rock 
  teeth. It is made of the same thing as the castle wall itself — ice, small stones, and 
  gravel. 
  Icegyle AC 3[16], HD 6* (hp 30), Att 2 × claw (d8 + grab), THAC0 14[+5], MV 120’ (40’) or 
  climb, SV F6, ML 10, AL neutral, XP 500 
  ► Construct — immune to mind-affecting spells, poisons, and similar things that rely on 
  animal minds or biology. 
  ► Ice climber — it can climb easily without error on any cold surface 
  ► Grab — when it hits with its claws, target must make a Paralysis save or be picked up by 
  the Icegyle. They can spend their next action to make another save to escape; otherwise, on 
  its next action the Icegyle can throw them 1d6 * 10 feet in a rough direction of its choosing. 
  (If there is nowhere useful to throw them, it can instead bite them for d8 automatic 
  damage). Either throw or bite uses one of its attacks that round. 
  ► Statuesque — while still, it is indistinguishable from an inanimate statue 
  ► Vulnerable to heat — takes double damage from heat or fire attacks 
  If PCs talk to the Icegyle — It will engage, but share only basic, obvious facts only — 
  “This is the castle of the Heartless Queen. You are not welcome here. If you find a 
  way in you may find that you never leave. You should return to the south where it 
  is warm in summer rather than cold all year round…”  
  If PCs try to open the doors — this will take about 3 rounds, as they are heavy and 
  stiff, and during this the Icegyle will warn them to stop (first round) and attack 
  
   
   
  36 
  them if they resist (latter two rounds). It will not pursue inside, however, or sound 
  any alarm (it’s not been told to, and has never needed to before, so no-one has 
  noticed this error). 
  If the PCs try to climb, move around the side ledge, or otherwise enter the castle by unusual 
  means — the Icegyle will warn them of the dangers they are facing but will not 
  otherwise interfere. 
  R1.6 Entrance hall 
  20’ wide, 30’ deep, and 30’ high, with fine-cut ice and ice-on-glass-flower patterns 
  on the walls. A chandelier of ice has a dozen cold-fire lamps burning in it. 
  R1.7 Statue of the Queen 
  This room, 20’ and circular, contains nothing at all except a 12’ high state of the 
  Queen made (of course) of ice. It emphasises her emaciated looks and the hole in 
  her chest, and her Ice Wyrm Chimeras curl around her legs. 
  The workmanship is middling, but it is striking and unusual whole would be 
  worth 1500 gp if you could maybe get it out of here without it just melting. 
  East door —listening at it, you can hear guards laughing or bickering (no roll 
  needed). 
  R1.8 Entertaining hall 
  This room is 40’ by 40’, with elegantly carved pillars and roof and fourteen frozen 
  people and animals who serve as talking points, seats, and drinks stands.  
  Great windows (of two-inch thick clear ice) provide excellent views across the 
  plain to the west.  
  If the PCs study the ice formation on the frozen people — they can probably infer that 
  this room hasn’t been used in quite a while. 
   
   
  
   
   
  37 
  R1.9 Staging area 
  Small backstage area for running events out of. Full of furniture, props, 
  decorations, and a few more interesting items: 
   
  A long pole (12’) for lighting and refilling the chandelier in the entrance 
  hall, and a stepladder to help with that 
   
  A 30-gallon barrel of cold flame oil 
   
  A silver flask with “LIME” engraved on it — worth 50 gp 
  o 
  Inside there is, indeed, a faint smell of limes. 
   
  200ft of decent rope 
  R1.10 Audience chamber 
  This 30’ by 30’ room is dominated by a high throne of jagged ice, having the rough 
  shape of a sunburst or a spray of icicles. In contrast to the status in R1.7, it is for a 
  person of roughly normal stature. 
  There is a row of notable depressions in the floor in front of the throne (these are 
  where visitors are supposed to kneel). Careful inspection will reveal that there was 
  a set about 10ft from the throne, but they were recently erased and a new set dug 
  at 15ft 
  North door — listening at it, you can hear guards laughing or bickering (no roll 
  needed). 
  R1.11 Servants’ quarters 
  A room with rough walls, menially appointed with lots of small cubbyholes for 
  sleeping that have been lined as best they can with insulating materials like 
  blankets and furs. 
  It’s just a bit too small for the people using it. And it’s in the middle of the castle so 
  there are no windows. 
  At any time, there are about six servants here, most of them sleeping (wrapped up 
  densely). Maybe 2 or 3 are awake, talking in hushed tones or gambling for tiny 
  stakes. 
  If the PCs search the room — Taking a turn to loot it, if there is no opposition, will 
  uncover money and trinkets worth 200gp  
  
   
   
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  R1.12 Kitchen 
  30’ by 30’ room with tables, cupboards, and a wide range of cooking implements 
  (some of them for very large animals). The room has clear damage from cooking 
  it’s riven with cracks and recent re-freezes, despite being heavily exposed to the 
  elements by many small windows and several large chimneys.  
  The chimneys can be climbed up to the roof of the castle — Dex check to do so 
  without a 2d6 damage fall (the chimney walls will break your fall but may break 
  bones in doing so). 
  4 in 6 chance Graegus the cook is here — a large moderately-transformed man 
  who is very depressed by his situation (He was a great chef in the south before he 
  was captured by a trading party from the castle. He’s particularly frustrated 
  because he can only slow cook — can’t have a fire hot enough to fry or roast. He 
  would like to escape, but he knows about the ice-death (see R3.6). 
  If he’s made very angry, Graegus might fight (stats as a Guard). 
  Graegus is also unhappy because he puts a special substance in the food, a 
  substance he gets directly from the Queen. He doesn’t know what it does, but he 
  suspects (correctly) that it’s what makes everybody turn seal-like over time. 
  If Graegus is here, his assistant (Twerpi — see servant’s list) will be, too. 
   
   
  
   
   
  39 
  R1.13 Larder 
  A crudely-shaped room with many, many meat-hooks and open barrels. 
  Only the cook and his assistant are allowed back here, so that that source of meat 
  remains ambiguous. That one there looks very humanoid. Lightly marbled, good 
  colour. 
  There’s not much here — wouldn’t take a lot to starve the (living) residents out 
  R1.14 Back stairs 
  A narrow stairwell, with rough ice walls, much cracked, crudely repaired. 
  R1.15 Menagerie storeroom 
  10’ by 15’ rough-walled room, with a low ceiling and no light sources. 
  There is a crowbar leaning against the wall. 
  A wooden platform, covered in ice, can be levered up to get access to the secret 
  passage. Open secret this exists, but not guarded because it’s not supposed to be 
  there. 
  There are several barrels here of the (green) exochemical used to melt the 
  menagerie ice. It’s useful because it produces a short-duration heat of moderate 
  intensity (about 100C). It’s worth 50 gp per gallon and there are three 2-gallon 
  barrels/tuns here (plus the small amount of clear-liquid starter you need). 
  R1.16 Menagerie on ice 
  This 30’ x 40’ room is a a gallery of frozen monsters that the Queen can thaw out. 
  The north and south walls have blocks of clear ice (or empty spaces for same), six 
  on each side.  
  In each block of ice is someone or something, frozen solid and suspended in time. 
  There is a chute at the base of each space, into which an exothermic chemical can 
  be poured which melts the block in about five minutes. (the chemical is stored in 
  R.1.15) 
   
   
  
   
   
  40 
  The people and creatures in the ice are as follows: 
  Yeti 
  Constance has tamed a Yeti (see Monsters) and he is now her friend, 
  much like someone might have a trained bear. 
  Yetis, evolved for extreme temperatures and two minutes into thawing 
  out it will burst out through the ice, getting surprise on 1-4 on a d6. 
  Only the presence of Constance (or the Queen, whom it fears) will stop 
  it killing to eat.  
  Shapeshifter 
  This is frozen as a shapeless mass, like a green-yellow liquid that 
  exploded or dropped into near-freezing water. It will reform during 
  thawing process into a humanoid shape, resembling one of the guards. 
  Shapeshifter AC 6[13], HD 4* (hp 18), Att 1 × claw (1d10), or by weapon, 
  THAC0 16[+3], MV 120’ (40’), SV F4, ML 9, AL chaotic, XP 125 
  ► Shapeshift — If it kills someone it can take their form immediately. 
  It has a “library” of forms corresponding to the last three people it 
  killed, and can change between them given a minute or so. 
  On the surface its replicas are nearly perfect, but and it inherits 
  instincts and tacit knowledge, but it doesn’t get episodic memories 
  and it can’t speak in any form — when it tries it makes a variety of 
  mouth-noises but they always sound very wrong. 
  Photine of 
  Heraclea 
  A Mediterranean-complexion woman, with a shepherd’s crook. She 
  speaks in an elaborate and elliptical fashion, full of allusions, 
  metaphors, and similes. It sounds like riddles, but no-one except her 
  can honestly make sense of it. 
  If taken to Heraclea, a few elderly people might recognise her as a 
  noted prophet and seer who disappeared about forty years ago. 
  Horvix 
  An elderly man, naked and hairless, frozen with a wild grin. He is the 
  exact clone of Gorvix (imprisoned in location R1.17) and cannot be 
  distinguished from him by sight. 
  Udumelue 
  Udumelue AC 7[12], HD 3 (hp 12), Att 1 × by weapon, THAC0 17[+2], MV 
  120’ (40’), SV F3, ML 10, AL lawful, XP 35 
  Dark-skinned warrior with long hair and elaborate armour.  
  She tracked Eugenios here after he fled the Great Kingdom; she 
  planned to kill him but was captured and ended up frozen. 
  
   
   
  41 
  Her story — Eugenios came to her city promising to make industrial 
  machines that worked by themselves. Rumours soon reached them of 
  terrible things he had done in Heraclea, but the Council of her city 
  protected him because they wanted to profit from his work — he gave 
  them promises of perfect slaves and fearless soldiers. In the end, “all 
  the wooden chairs and brooms” rose up in night of frenzy and two 
  hundred were killed (including her husband and child). 
  Her loyal companion Obiefune was also captured, but surrendered and 
  ended up as a guard. He is guilty and repentant but she is so angry at 
  him. 
  Centipede 
  monstrosity 
  20ft-long centipede with many tentacles on its head, has been there for 
  decades and has died due to progressive ice damage 
   
  West door — sturdy, locked with a guard key  
  R1.17 Prison 
  10’x by 20’ and mostly given over to a single metal cage built into floor and ceiling. 
  A bench of castle matter runs down either side. The room smells of rank filth and 
  is in no sense clean. 
  The cage is locked with the Prison Key and two people. 
  Gurta is an elderly local woman who was tracking the Great Ice Wyrm for its oil-
  stones when she seized by a guard. She is terrified, but if calmed down and 
  reassured is a good source of information about the castle. She could also lead 
  them to her settlement, about three hours walk away, where she could arrange 
  supplies and healing. 
  She is leered at by Gorvix. 
   
   
  
   
   
  42 
  Gorvix AC 6[13], HD 3 (hp 16), Att 1 × grab (1d3 + grapple), THAC0 17[+2], MV 120’ (40’), SV 
  F3, ML 9, AL chaotic, XP 35 
  ► Grapple — when he hits you make Paralysis save or he twists you like a leather strap each 
  round thereafter for d10 automatic damage. Spend an action to make another Paralysis 
  save to break. Anyone attacking him while he’s grappling you, including you, has 50% 
  chance of hitting you instead. 
  A naked bald man who doesn’t feel the cold. He hides in snow and jumps out and 
  wraps his hypermobile body around you and snaps your neck. He actually likes the 
  Queen, and likes being a killer for her. He is not very nice. He does not speak. 
  R1.18 Guard post 
  15’ x 15’ and respectably appointed. There is a mid-sized oak table and a large 
  man’s skeleton — the latter is suspended face-down above the table, as if flying. 
  The guards call him “Regulon” and he gets a vote in any decision (although in 
  practice he always abstains).  
  By default, four guards are on duty here at any time; six if there’s been an alarm in 
  the last hour or so. The Prison Key is held by the most senior guard present — it 
  has a wooden key fob with “P” scratched in it. 
  There are usually two Freeze Bombs in a box on the table. 
  R1.19 Main stairs 
  A grand sweeping stairway, 10’ wide. It goes smoothly around corners because ice 
  is easily malleable (if you are an immortal undead Queen with an inborn ability to 
  manipulate it and little else to do with your time). 
  South door — listening at it, you can hear guards laughing or bickering (no roll 
  needed). 
   
   
  
   
   
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  R1.20 Quartermaster’s store 
  This room is a hatch in the wall backed by 20’ by 20’ space full of valuable goods. It 
  is occupied most of the time by Ogrue, the Quartermaster. 
  Ogrue, the Quartermaster AC 6[13], HD 4 (hp 17), Att 2 × fist (d4), THAC0 16[y], MV 90’ (30’), 
  SV F4, ML 8, AL neutral, XP 75 
  ► Arm/off — can detach arms (AC 7[12], hp 3, move 10’, THAC0 19[0], ML fearless) 
  ► Grab and bite — instead of attacking normally, they can try to grab and bite — paralysis 
  save or be grabbed, and on the next round and each round thereafter chew for d8 
  automatic damage in addition to their normal actions. Victim can use an action to get 
  another paralysis save to escape. 
  Ogrue has stubby arms (four) and legs (two) and a great head that’s basically part 
  of their torso. Somewhere between the head and torso (the boundary is not clear) 
  is a huge mouth of stubby but robust teeth. They have grey-white fur thickly all 
  over 
  Ogrue likes it here because they are of an extremely rare species and are basically 
  accepted nowhere. So their life here isn’t bad. This makes them loyal to the Queen. 
  Their species has no sexes. Supposed to get fat and pod off, but that’s not 
  happening here because it’s too cold and they can’t get the plant matter they need 
  to grow well. That’s the one thing they’re sad about. 
  Can detach arms to do tasks (they have two dozen stubby tentacles at the join 
  point), including hanging off a shelf and throwing ice bombs from it 
  What’s in the store? 
   
  Ice bombs (14, less the number recently used by guards or stolen by PCs) 
   
  Exothermic chemicals for menagerie (8 gallons) 
   
  Cold-flame oil (20 gallons) 
   
   
  
   
   
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  R1.21 Seal pond 
  30’ by 40’ and dominated by a 10’ by 20’ rounded pool of actual liquid that appears 
  to be water. There is a stench of rot and there are bones and there are bloodstains. 
  The pool stays liquid because of a lump of rough porphyry (about 6” square) that 
  sits at the bottom and exudes a gentle heat. (It’s sat on a larger, more inert stone 
  so it doesn’t steadily melt down through the ice stack). 
  In and around the pool are half a dozen Killer Seals, which the Queen keeps as 
  genetic templates for the transformation she inflicts on her staff. 
  The seals are slow-moving, and docile when well fed. But they are not always well 
  fed and have horrible tempers. 
  Killer Seal AC 7[12], HD 1 (hp 5), Att 1 × bite (d4), THAC0 19[0], MV 60’ (20’) or swim 120’ 
  (40’), SV F1, ML 7, AL neutral, XP 10 
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
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  46 
  11 Locations — Level 2 
  R2.1 Main stairs down 
  Stairs, as R1.19. 
  R2.2 Main corridor 
  10’ wide corridor. Compared to the public-facing ground floor rooms, this is more 
  austere and functional, but the ice is cleanly cut, with arches around the doors and 
  similar subtle decoration. 
  West door in north wall — sturdy door with a red ‘X’ painted on it. On a listen 
  check you can hear a weird slurping noise from behind. 
  East door in north wall — locked sturdy door with a message in fine gold lettering 
  spelling out “Eugenios of Heraclea” (worth 60gp total but would take a turn to get 
  off and likely would draw Eugenios’s attention). If Eugenios is elsewhere it will be 
  locked with Eugenios’s key. 
  East door on south wall — Sturdy wooden door with a large swirl gouged into the 
  wood 
  North door on south wall — listening at it, you can hear guards laughing or 
  bickering (no roll needed). 
  West door in south wall — Listen check to hear something slurping about in there 
  South door in the west wall — “Guests” painted on it in white paint 
  R2.3 Main stairs up 
  10’ wide stairs with elegant curves.  
  If PCs listen for noises from upstairs — mostly quiet, except for sometimes a wailing 
  and banging (Little Sister at the door of her cell), and some odd sounds on the 
  wind like musical notes (the surveillance tower). 
  East door — listening at it, you can hear guards laughing or bickering (no roll 
  needed). 
  
   
   
  47 
  R2.4 Guard post 
  This 15’ by 15’ room has a table and chairs and a polar bear head, crudely stuffed, 
  sticking out of the wall, along with enough of the bear’s shoulders and fur to make 
  it look like it’s just crashed through the wall and is very angry with you. 
  By default there are four guards here at any one time, going up to six if there’s 
  been a recent alarm.  
  There are usually three Freeze Bombs in a box on the corner. 
  If a fight starts here — 1 in 6 chance each round that someone will come through 
  from the barracks to investigate (at which point all awake guards in the barracks 
  will realise what is happening). 
  North door — narrow 10ft corridor to another door and then guard barracks. At 
  that second door can hear talking and snoring (listen check). 
  R2.5 Guard barracks 
  30’ x 30’ with three small tables and eight cubbyholes for sleeping. The cubbyholes 
  are long enough for normal adults to sleep comfortably. There are lots of boxes 
  and bags as well — the possessions of the guards. 
  A latrine is accessible via a short passage and curtain. On the wall above it 
  someone has written “The Guard Shit” in frozen chalk. 
  Normally there around 8 guards here, six of them sleeping, dropping to four if 
  there’s been an alarm in the last hour (and those will all be awake). 
  Treasure, revealed by a turn of unopposed searching through bags and boxes: 
   
  A leather belt with embedded fire agates — the leather has perished, but 
  stones are worth 60gp  
   
  Knucklebone dice that are always discretely biased in your favour. If you 
  hold them in your hand, you feel lucky. 
   
  Miscellaneous coin and jewellery worth 250 gp 
   
   
  
   
   
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  R2.6 Guard captain’s room 
  A 15’ by 10’ bed-sitting room. Constance, the Guard Captain (see Major NPCs) has 
  her quarters here. It more comfortable than the barracks but hardly luxurious. 
  There is a next of thick blankets and furs, in which you can usually find her lover, 
  Idiope. He is small and has a weak heart but is beautiful. He is not uncomfortable 
  here but is rather bored. Constance has a tacit agreement with the Queen that 
  Idiope can idle here rather than working as servant or guard. 
  Treasure: 
   
  Key to armoury strongbox 
   
  Locket with two indistinct faces carved from hardwood — her face and those 
  of her mother, although she’s very transformed now so you wouldn’t know it 
  — worth 50gp 
   
  Quite a lot of money and valuables, including the pearls that Idiope wears in 
  his hair — 350 gp total value 
  R2.7 Armoury 
  A 10’ by 10’ room with a large amount of mundane weapons and leather-based 
  armours (not much metal armour). 
  A heavy strongbox has been dug into the ice on the north wall — it would take 
  three turns to dig it out and two characters of average-or-better strength to carry 
  it. Constance has the keys. It contains an ice axe +1 (1d8 base damage), three 
  potions of healing and a potion of heroism, and the Skull of Nordon. 
  Skull of Nordon — a human skull decorated with small electrum pieces. Worth 25 
  gp as an ornament. If a Magic User holds it, they can feel the ghost inside and how 
  cold it is and how much it longs to suck human body heat. A Magic User can 
  release the ghost, and it will swirl around them for three rounds, sucking 1d6 hp of 
  body heat from every living creature within 10’. It can be used once a day, 
  although if it kills a sentient being it will be greatly sated and will not function for 
  a week. 
  North exit — A sackcloth curtain covers access to R2.8. 
  
   
   
  49 
  R2.8 A plant in a crack 
  A vertical crack in the wall hosts a small, dark-green plant which is somehow 
  growing despite the conditions. It’s rooted in a small amount of earth. Clearly 
  someone has taken the time to grow a plant in this cold place. 
  If PCs dig up the plant — they will find a red porphyry stone that generates a steady 
  low heat, about 5C. 
  R2.9 Alarm station 
  10’ x 10’ room in which the only feature is a column of clear ice against the west 
  wall which a vague ghostly figure is frozen. If you bang on the ice it manifests a 
  face and hands and it writhes and screams and the alarm sounds. If you tap three 
  times on the ice with a metal weapon it screams at a higher pitch and the Little 
  Sister alarm sounds. 
  See How the castle works for a description of what the alarm does and when the 
  inhabitants will try to sound it. 
  R2.10 The useless room of the oil-creature 
  10’ x 20’ room of no particular note. It is useless because a cow-sized transparent 
  oil-creature owns it. 
  Cow-sized oil-creature AC 5[14], HD 6* (hp 22), Att 1 × pseudopod (d6), THAC0 14[+5], MV 
  60’ (20’), SV F6, ML 8, AL neutral, XP 500 
  ► Regenerate — 3hp/round while any part still lives 
  ► Oily nature — immune to bludgeoning attacks; half damage from cold or piercing 
  attacks; double damage from fire or heat attacks 
   
  Looks like any oily mostly-transparent mass — picks up a temporary 
  covering of ice-dust as it moves. Normal surprise chance. 
   
  Ignores familiar people. Reaction roll at -2 for strangers. Dumb as shit so 
  easily fooled by disguises. 
   
  Chemically weird so never freezes 
   
  Attempts to drive it off have failed — the bastard regenerates and comes 
  back. The Queen could kill it (at about -25 it would freeze and you could 
  smash it). But she won’t, just so everyone remembers they need her. 
   
  Quickly wrecks any object left in the room. 
  
   
   
  50 
  R2.11 Eugenios’s audience room 
  This 20’ by 20’ room has six fine oak chairs and numerous warm-coal heaters on 
  stands. The air is mild and rather humid. 
  Eugenios is here more often than not, with two of his wooden workers attending 
  him. 
  Treasure: 
   
  Eugenios’ insulating box — an oaken box slightly smaller than a coffin, 
  with a cloth lining containing thick layers of wool and kapok. Worth 200 
  gp to someone who understands its properties; worth much, much more 
  to the right wizard who could actually exploit it.  
   
  600 gp in coins etc 
  R2.12 Eugenios’s garden 
  30’ x 40’ space that Eugenios has hollowed out himself, using an alchemical “sun” 
  to melt the ice. Plans grow in pots and there is pleasant seating. The walls sweat 
  continuously. 
  The sun (which Eugenios claims is genuinely a star “plucked from the sky, casting 
  a world like ours into inky darkness”) hangs from the ceiling and casts a pleasant 
  heat on the garden. It’s worth easily 1000 gp, or much to the right alchemist, but it 
  weighs 1000 cn, and if not tuned once a day by Eugenios (or an alchemist of 
  equivalent skill) there is a 1 in 6 chance that it sets on fire. 
  One of the ten wooden worker stationed against one wall will, without prompting, 
  serve cocktails form a tray.  
  In the back of the room is a rough wooden box which rattles sometimes. A sturdy 
  chain holds it closed. Inside is: 
  Angry Skeleton Worker AC 5[14], HD 2* (hp 10), Att 1 × claw (d4) or thrown rib (d4 + 
  dance), THAC0 18[+1], MV 120’ (40’), SV F2, ML fearless, AL chaotic, XP 25 
  ► Bone dance — if hit by a thrown rib, Paralysis save or launch into a crazy dance for a turn 
  that renders you useless for the duration and does d6 exhaustion damage 
  This is skeleton has had its joints reconnected with screws and bolts, and a few 
  missing bones replaced with mismatched ones. It is animated by cowed 
  fragments of several spirits, but its bones remember enough of life to make them 
  angry and aggressive and defiant of attempts to order it around.  
  
   
   
  51 
  If released from the box — it will attack anyone and everyone nearby. 
  R2.13 Ice whirl 
  10’ x 15’ space with a hole in the ground, 8’ across, that contains a frozen whirlpool. 
  When one of three command word is spoken loudly (only the Queen and 
  Constance know this word) it comes alive… 
   
  … seemingly still frozen but moving like a swirling liquid. In this mode, 
  it freezes solid without killing, leading to ice blocks like those in the 
  menagerie (or, rather, a safely frozen person/animal who can be taken 
  downstairs and iced up a bit more for security). 
   
  … swirling icy water (in which you will be quickly pulled under and 
  drowned). 
   
  … still water which is merely cold (which is how the queen applies the 
  ice-for-control effect — see R3.6). 
  R2.14 Message room 
  This 10’ by 10’ room is empty except for the words “NOW EAT FAT CHILDREN” in 
  foot-high letters on one wall, as white paint just beneath the top ice layer. 
  R2.15 Guest rooms 
  This is a cluster of four small rooms (8’ by 6’) with fur beds, cold-flame lamps, and 
  with antique bedwarmers (hold warm coals and release their heat slowly) worth 50 
  gp each. 
  South door — sturdy door with “Forbidden Room” written on it in red paint. 
  R2.16 Forbidden room (ice trap) 
  This room is 10’ deep by 6’ wide. A basket sits on a pedestal at the far side of the 
  room, very clearly containing 180 gp. The floor in between is thin, semi-
  transparent ice, almost as black as the pit below.  
  It is maintained by the Queen as a test of who isn’t following the rules. 
  If an adult walks on the floor — it cracks and they fall 10ft onto ice spikes for 2d6 
  damage. 
  
   
   
  52 
  R2.17 Back corridor 
  A narrow corridor, 50’ long and only 5’ wide in most places. Wall are rough and 
  covered in lumps from crude repairs. 
  West door in north wall — sturdy door, crude image of a knife or similar gouged 
  into the wood. On a listen check you can hear a high-pitched whistle or wine. 
  West door in south wall — sturdy door with ‘G’ carved on it. If you listen can hear 
  guards laughing or bickering (no roll needed). 
  East door in south wall — sturdy door with a red cross painted over it. On a listen 
  check can hear a weird slurping noise from behind. 
  R2.18 Storeroom 
  20’ x 20’ rough-walled room, full of boxes and bags and shelves and stacks. 
  It stores things not important enough to be under the quartermaster’s control. It’s 
  mostly lower-grade stuff  like worn furs and rough cloth. There is also 200’ of 
  decent rope here. 
  The wind is unusually active in this room, because there is a crack in the east wall 
  big enough to climb through. This can be climbed up (Dex check on d20) to the 
  Disused Room (R3.19) on the upper level, or down (Thief climb skill) to the ground. 
  Failure of either means falling 130’ on snow (half damage, but still likely fatal). 
  R2.19 Cutting blade 
  10’ circular rooms contains a floor to ceiling column of ice, 3 inches diameter on 
  average with a teardrop cross section. The point of the teardrop forms a sharp 
  blade (which points towards the door). 
  The blade is harder than diamond, and anything short of short of stone pushed 
  through it cuts with negligible resistance. A normal metal weapon is destroyed 
  (50% chance it shatters for 1d6 damage in 5’ radius); for a magical weapon roll d6 — 
  on 3-6 it survives, 2 it breaks, 1 it shatters as above. 
  If somehow cut off without cracking it, will keep its edge for about a minute. 
  Pouring a gallon of cold water over it, quickly, will restore its edge for another 
  minutes. This is at the castle’s temperature — in positive temperatures it won’t 
  hold an edge and will disintegrate permanently within an hour. 
  
   
   
  53 
  R2.20 Shrine of Cwomom 
  This tiny room has been cut out of the ice by hand — you can see the chisel marks. 
  It contains a shrine in black ice, like a crude figure with a sneering mouth and 
  grasping hands. The black is like soot — it’s a kind of slow-growing mould.  
  This is a shrine to Cwomom, a local god, mostly abandoned these days because it’s 
  such a dick. A handful of servants minimally propitiate it but don’t otherwise 
  engage (1 in 6 chance of one visiting it during any given turn). Cwomom is a 
  jealous god, and would like you to pray to it. If you do, you will hear it say “There is 
  no god but me!” and then: 
  If you have already prayed to Cwomom this week — it ignores you. 
  If you are a cleric — it hates you. Black mould buboes sprout from your face and 
  shoulders. They are harmless, if uncomfortable, but looks very like the plague and 
  most people you meet will react accordingly. A Cure Disease will cure this, though 
  you will dream of Cwomom for  a month afterwards. 
  If you are not a cleric, but you do not offer a gift worth at least 30gp — suffer as if you 
  were a cleric, though maybe the buboes are slightly smaller. 
  If you are not a cleric, and you offer an adequate gift — Cwomom blesses you (after 
  telling you that there is no god but it several more times) — roll below (unless 
  noted these last for 6 days): 
  1. 
  Skin gains a fat layer that makes you immune to cold 
  2. 
  Skin hardens for +1 AC  
  3. 
  Literally turn into a small-ish polar bear 
  4. 
  You can see in total darkness 
  5. 
  You can extend an icy chill through any metal weapon — take 1 damage 
  yourself to do +1d4 on your next attack (if you miss, that 1 damage is wasted). 
  6. 
  Cwomom shows you secrets in your mind. You gain 500xp (permanently), but 
  you tend to talk about weird things now (permanently). 
   
   
  
   
   
  54 
  R2.21 Stash in wall 
  Someone hollowed a hole out of the wall here, stored their special things here, 
  then concealed it. Everything has frosted over thickly — clearly they’ve not been 
  back in a while. 
  Things — boiled sweets, a lock of curly hair, 15 gp, and a animal bone on a leather 
  necklace. 
  R2.22 Back stairs down 
  A narrow stairwell, with rough ice walls, much cracked, crudely repaired. 
  A wooden panel mostly covered in ice conceals the entrance to a hidden shrine 
  (R2.20). 
   
   
  
   
   
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  56 
  12 Locations — Level 3 (including 
  towers) 
  Tower 1 — landing platform  
  A 15’ wide circular tower. One wall has a 10ft wide by 8ft high opening the air. 
  Everywhere is caked in harpy shit, some of it fresh enough not to have frozen and 
  thus there is a profound stench. 
  A hole in the floor provides access to R3.11. There is no ladder or stair, only a rope. 
  If PCs listen at the hole — they can hear the Ice Harpies below.  
  Tower 2 — frozen grandmother 
  This 15’ wide circular room contains a single lump, like a stooped human figure 
  mostly encased in ice. 
  It is in fact Katherine, the Queen’s grandmother, encased in preserving ice. Mostly 
  she sleeps in suspended animation, having slow thoughts and slower dreams. 
  1 in 20 chance that the Queen is here (without her ice wyrms, because they scare 
  grandmother) and has thawed grandmother enough for the latter to be conscious 
  and to whisper words. She’ll be asking about some threat and whether they should 
  take it seriously — quite likely some paranoid speculation about some resident of 
  the castle. 
  One a 2 on the above roll, the Queen was here recently and Grandmother is still 
  partially conscious. 
  If the PCs manage to talk to grandmother — she doesn’t say much that makes sense 
  unless you spend a very long time, and a Charisma check, interpreting her 
  confused recollections.  
  She taught the Queen, as a child, to manage her ice powers somewhat, and thus 
  knows about her weaknesses. She can also describe the kind of things the Queen 
  has recently asked her for advice on. She calls the Queen by name, though, and 
  will only recognise her by that — you can’t talk about “the Queen” and expect 
  sense from her. 
  
   
   
  57 
  Tower 3 — surveillance tower 
  Stairs lead up through the middle of the floor in a 20’ round room. A thousand 
  small holes in the walls let the wind in, a cacophony of moaning, crying, even 
  talking. The noise is disorientating, and it is very cold here. 
  There is a single chair of frozen wood. 
  There is a 1 in 10 chance that the Queen will be here, and will have her Chimerae 
  with her. 
  This is a surveillance device — the holes and slots in walls carry whispers to you, 
  sometimes from hundreds of miles away. If you spend a few minutes listening 
  you can get a feel for what it is, and after a few hours have a good feel for how it 
  works, but using it is very hard. Need to learn the skill of tuning in to the right 
  voice, and still need to be patient as you may be waiting a long time before you 
  hear anything useful. You need to hear a snatch at one point, then spot that a later 
  snatch is part of the same conversation. It may not be in order, and you’ll probably 
  only get their side of the conversation. 
  After 6 hours practice, a user has a 1 in 100 chance per hour of hearing something 
  relevant to them. After 60 hours practice this rises to 1 in 10, and after 600 hours 
  practice (the Queen has been at this a long time) to 1 in 6. 
  The longer you spend, the colder you get. Roll a Con check every hour or take one 
  exhaustion level.  
  This tower is vulnerable to breaking in from outside, brick-by-brick, in a way that 
  the rest of the structure is not. 
  R3.1 Main stairs down 
  10’ wide stairs with elegant curves.  
  R3.2 Main corridor 
  10’ wide corridor. Much like R2.2 on the floor below, this somewhat austere and 
  functional, but the ice is cleanly cut, with arches around the doors and similar 
  subtle decoration. 
  West door in north wall — sturdy door labelled “Forbidden”, leading to a narrow 
  spiral staircase upwards. 
  
   
   
  58 
  Middle door in north wall — sturdy door heavily reinforced with metal bands. If 
  the Queen is out and has taken her ice wyrms with her this will be locked with the 
  Queen’s Key. 
  West door in south wall — sturdy door leading to a passageway that opens into 
  the harpy roost. A listen check will reveal shuffling and strange cawing speech in a 
  language no human speaks. 
  East door in south wall — heavily reinforced sturdy door, locked with the Little 
  Sister Key. If the PCs listen at it, they will first hear nothing, then (as Little Sister 
  senses their life and warmth) she will come and (50%) scratch at the door or try to 
  talk them into letting her out (she knows that “my beloved sister” and “Constance” 
  have the key). 
  R3.3 The Queen’s antechamber 
  This 20’ by 20’ room is decorated with the frozen heads a dozen of the Queen’s 
  former enemies, stuck on vertical spikes that are tastefully arrayed around the 
  room. She always keeps two or three spikes free, just to be clear. 
  If the Queen is here, or any of the rooms leading off it, the Ice Wyrm Chimeras 
  live here. Usually they are hidden in a purpose-built nest in the west wall, 
  concealed carefully cut ice-and-gravel doors. If starting out of combat this gives 
  them a normal surprise chance; if starting in combat, they can emerge on this 
  first round but cannot take any other action. 
  R3.4 The Queens receiving room 
  30’ by 30’, ornate relief carvings of the castle and the events that occurred there. 
  These are rather grander than the reality, featuring more pennants and guests 
  and less cowering and punishment. White furs and throne, on which the Queen 
  sits when she has visitors. 
  Concealed holes in the southwest corner allow the Ice Wyrm Chimerae to enter 
  this room, as in R3.3 — see there for details. 
  Treasure here — Furs and other finery worth 800 gp but weighs 4000 cn. 
   
   
  
   
   
  59 
  R3.5 Frozen predictors 
  Here, ice sculptures animate to act out predictions on two dioramas, each 6’ 
  across. They change when the Queen speaks to them, and they rely on her for 
  information (although they can animate some consequences based on what they 
  already “know” from past conversations). 
   
  Abstract strategic scene covering a hundred mile radius. Pieces describe 
  settlements and leaders, along with a few powerful individuals (e.g. the 
  most influential local leaders and the Wizard of the Glacier). 
   
  A more detailed version covering a ten-mile radius, showing groups 
  moving. 
  The dioramas are probably not useable to anyone but the Queen, although with 
  extensive study the right wizard or alchemist might make something of them – 
  and might pay 1000 gp each if they could someone be prevented from melting. 
  R3.6 Servant control room 
  This 10’ by 10’ room hosts the mechanism that the Queen uses for the Ice Death.  
  The machine is a rough boulder of ice, about 3’ by 2’ by 5’ wide, on which each 
  servant and each guard has a face on top of a foot-long ice pole. The ice-faces 
  move, roughly in sync with what the real people are doing but in a jerky, sporadic 
  fashion. On each pole is an icy ring, which can be moved up and down — if it is 
  below the very top the corresponding person feels an icy chill, and if it touches the 
  bottom they will die in ten rounds (and then freeze solid over the next two or 
  three). 
  The Queen uses the machine to express her displeasure and concern with her 
  staff. At any time, maybe a third of the servants and a quarter of the guards are 
  below the top of their poles, and 2 or three will be around halfway and thus 
  painfully cold. She decides who goes where partly based on informants amongst 
  the staff, but mostly based on scenarios that she plays out in her head. 
  R3.7 The Queen’s bedroom 
  This 15’ square room is dominated by its 45-degree-angle back wall and the coffin-
  like shape in it. This is where the Queen rests about a quarter of the time to 
  maintain her immortal state (see her description in Major NPCs). 
  
   
   
  60 
  R3.8 The Queen’s dressing room 
  This room is 10’ by 10’ and the walls are lined with dresses and robes. All of them 
  are white or grey and have a hole in the chest so you can see straight through. 
  R3.9 The Queen’s treasure room 
  10’ by 10’ and decorated in the same elaborate style as the Queen’s audience room. 
  It contains the Queen’s finest treasures, displayed on frozen (parts of) former 
  enemies:  
   
  Waist-up body of a young woman with a beautiful, kind face holds out 
  two flat palms on which rest a music box. It’s frozen stiff, but if you heat 
  it up it can play a sad tune. This is not common technology so would be 
  worth 300 gp to the right buyer. 
   
  Torso and head of a woman wears an elaborate diamond necklace. Facial 
  features were chiselled off after freezing; arms were hacked off before 
  freezing. The necklace is worth 700 gp. 
   
  Powerfully muscled naked man holds a bastard sword in a rough 
  approximation of a swing charge. The upper half of his head is missing. 
  The sword is Reisurvine, Bane of Ice and is (1h/2h 1d8/1d10) and +1 / +3 
  versus anything that’s vulnerable to heat or fire. After a fight you can 
  cook an egg on the blade. 
  On the floor there are coins and mixed jewellery in a casket — 500 gp worth. 
   
   
  
   
   
  61 
  R3.10 Cistern room 
  One wall of this 15’ square room is dominated by what appears to be a water tank 
  — four 30’ walls of solid, glassy-clear ice containing a gently-bubbling liquid. A 
  foot-wide tube, also of clear ice, descends from the tank into the floor. An oiled 
  metal plate with a pull-handle on the front of the tank prevents the liquid pouring 
  out down the tube, but it can be easily pulled, causing the tank to rapidly drain. 
  The tank is a magical artefact which is keeps water in a state of suspended 
  freezing — a state which will break down about three rounds after it leaves the 
  tank, causing it to freeze almost instantly. 
  The tube leads into a concealed hole in the ceiling of the barracks, and thus if the 
  liquid is released everyone in the barracks will be frozen solid in three rounds. 
  (Constance and Idiope, if in their chambers, will survive but will be trapped 
  there.) 
  R3.11 Ice Harpy roost 
  This 40’ square room is dominated by eight 10’ poles with crossbars, on which at 
  any time roost d6+1 Ice Harpies (see Monsters). The poles and floor are caked with 
  harpy shit and strewn with gnawed bones, some of them human. The rooms 
  smells about as well as you might expect, with additional floral notes. 
  A rope leads up to a hole in the ceiling, and that in turn to Tower 1. 
  Dealing with the harpies — The harpies are fiercely loyal to the Ice With but couldn’t 
  give a fuck about the Queen or anyone else. They are easily distracted by noise, 
  prey, or anything shiny. 
  Searching the room — There is scope for three person-turns of searching through 
  the filth, each such turn coming up with 50gp in assorted coins and (once-shiny) 
  jewellery, but each such turn causes a 1 in 6 chance of contracting Arse Rot (causes 
  loss of 1 maximum hp per day until Cure Disease or similar — if cured, half those 
  hp will eventual return). 
   
   
  
   
   
  62 
  R3.12 Ice Witch’s chambers 
  This collection of small rounds around a 20’ square kitchen/living 
  room/laboratory/pigsty is cleaner and tidier than the harpy roost next door, but 
  the difference is one of degree. There are bits of food and tools and materials and 
  experiments (involving animals fats and organs) all over the place on tables and 
  shelves and in jars and urns and bowls. Despite the prevailing cold there is a 
  microbial liveliness to the environment and you can smell it, not least because a 
  cauldron is on a low boil day and night and the single chimney is not adequate. 
  The Ice Witch (see Major NPCs) is here nine-tenths of the time. If she is awake 
  (and she doesn’t sleep much) she will be working on her preservation ointment, 
  either making it or refining her formulae. 
  Treasure — given three turns of rooting through the mess, the PCs will be able to 
  find 200 gp in other coins and jewellery. 
  R3.13 Ice Witch’s prisoners 
  This room is 10’ deep and 20’ long, giving comfortable room for six prisoners to be 
  chained to the back wall. At any time there will be 3-6 prisoners here, usually all 
  locals and with no illusions what they are headed for. After all, they can smell the 
  bubbling fat in the Witch’s cauldron. 
  The prison are a range of people, united by how they’d all very much like to be out 
  of here. 
  (some names – Krevit, Weenan, Creese, Atropia) 
   
  R3.14 Little Sister’s prison 
  15’ wide and 30’ deep and icy bare. Little Sister (see Major NPCs) is kept here (at 
  least most of the time). 
  R3.15 Little Sister’s bedroom 
  This 10’ by 10’ room is filthy with the smell of human rot. The floor is covered with 
  rags and what might be (and is) the effects of someone slowly disintegrating. 
  In the corner of the cell is a discarded locket. Painted inside is the Queen and 
  Little Sister, but both long ago. Worth 150 gp. 
  
   
   
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  R3.16 Xueshan’s room 
  The 10’ by 10’ room has one old fur on the floor, worn smooth by use, and a raw 
  snow wolf that has been about half-gnawed by human teeth. 
  Xueshan (see Major NPCs) lives here, though he often away hunting. 
   
  During the day, 5 in 6 he’s away 
   
  At night, 1 in 6 he’s away 
  When he enters and leaves the castle, he climbs out via the ice climb in R3.19. 
  R3.17 Xueshan’s furs 
  Hanging furs in which Xueshan will hide to ambush — 1-4 chance of surprise. Also 
  meat he’s hanging to cure — smells terrible. Nothing obviously human but just 
  about anything else. 
  These are his treasures — he doesn’t care for gold etc. E.g. the superdense fine fur 
  of an adult Ice Wyrm — 800gp, but heavy (1300 cn). Also other rare pelts e.g. two 
  full polar bears worth 50gp each. 
  R3.18 Library 
  20’ x 10’. There are dozens of books here, many rare and precious — if fully legible 
  they would be worth 750 gp in a major city. A few contain spell scrolls — fireball, 
  invisibility, and cure disease. Their pages, however, are frozen solid. To get them out 
  of here you would have to thaw them out carefully, isolating the pages and drying 
  them somehow.  
  R3.19 Disused room 
  This room has got out of shape, and is now longer a clear room anymore. 
  Stalactites and stalagmites dominate. A hole in wall leads to climbable ice wall 
  down. 
   
  
   
   
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  13 Adversary roster 
  The following adversaries will obey the Queen in a coordinated attempt to defend 
  the castle:  
   
  Guards (20 total) 
  o 
  8 in guard barracks (R2.5) — 4-6 of those will usually be sleeping 
  o 
  4 at ground floor guard post (R1.18) 
  o 
  4 at mid floor guard post (R2.4) 
  o 
  Others elsewhere (if in doubt, leave for random encounters) 
   
  Servants (20 total) 
  o 
  1-2 in the kitchen (R1.12) 
  o 
  6 in the servant’s quarters (R1.11) 
  o 
  Others elsewhere (if in doubt, leave for random encounters) 
   
  Ogrue, the Quartermaster (R1.20) 
   
  The Queen (see NPCs) 
   
  Issumatar, the Ice Witch (see NPCs) 
   
  The Icegyle above the main doors (R1.5)  
  o 
  NB this is too large to effectively move around inside the castle 
   
  The creatures in the Menagerie (R1.16), if thawed out (takes about a turn) 
   
  Little Sister (see NPCs), though she will likely be indiscriminate in her killing 
  The following adversaries will defend the castle if the situation suits them and/or 
  they don’t see a better opportunity: 
   
  Eugenios 
   
  Xueshan 
  The following adversaries will not likely leave their areas: 
   
  The Killer Seals (R1.21) 
   
  The Oil Creature (R2.10) 
   
   
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  High above the snow line there is a castle on a crag. It is an object of fear and 
  hatred, because the Heartless Queen holds court there and she is pitiless in her 
  anger and host to terrible friends. Between the Frost Wyrms, the Ice Harpies, and 
  the Frozen Thing that Guards the Bridge, even getting in is difficult. 
  Most locals stay as far away as they can, but between courage, pride, and burning 
  vengeance there are always some willing to take a shot at it. And travellers from 
  the soft, warm south might hear stories of the Queen’s fantastical treasures and 
  be oblivious about the horrors that protect them. 
  Player characters may have many reasons to interfere with the castle, and this 
  thus constitutes an adventure location for the Old-School Essentials rules, for 5-6 
  PCs of 3rd level or slightly fewer of 4th.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Medium Quality 
  Products
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Old-School Essentials BX Essentials/Old-School Essentials Adventures & Settings/The Bleak Holdfast of the Heartless Queen [v1.0.0] (OSE).pdf