Nestled in the foothills to the west of the Khared Draz mountains, the village of Hemlock is known for its harsh winters. This year, however, the weather has been particularly unforgiving. Recently, a brutal storm dumped an unusually heavy load of snow on the area. A thick white blanket covers the landscape, adding to the rustic charm of the village. Naples Creek, now frozen over, splits the village in half.
What the Party Knows
The party arrived in Hemlock on the heels of the last storm, seeking respite from their recent endeavors. Hemlock, though small, offered a warm welcome amidst its snow-covered surroundings.
During their stay, the party quickly has learned that Hemlock is facing a pressing predicament. The villagers have been anxiously awaiting a crucial delivery of supplies from Summersville to the east. However, it has not arrived. With winter’s grip tightening, the absence of these supplies spells serious trouble for the village.
Herr Vogelmann, the village’s appointed steward, has approached the party with a proposition. A man with a grave demeanor, the official realizes that the party may be the village’s only hope. Offering up a modest reward, he has tasked the party with an urgent mission: to head east and locate the missing shipment.
What the Party Doesn’t Know
The situation in Hemlock is even more perilous than the villagers, or the party, realize. The much-needed shipment did indeed set out from Summersville days ago. The dependable and hardy driver, Gunther Baumann, loaded his wagon and headed out on schedule. But fate, it seems, had a cruel twist in store.
Two days ago, as the most recent storm reached its peak, a trio of mischievous ice mephits named Flurry, Sleet, and Squall chanced upon the struggling wagon. Always on the lookout for opportunities to create chaos, these elemental tricksters saw the wagon as a perfect target for their malevolent games.
Utilizing their fog cloud ability, Flurry, Sleet, and Squall shrouded the path in a dense, disorienting mist. Confused and blinded by the sudden fog, Herr Baumann lost control of the wagon. It veered off the road, crashing down a slight incline, and onto the fragile surface of a frozen pond. The impact was severe, and while the horses escaped unharmed, Herr Baumann was grievously injured in the accident.
The mephits, in their twisted sense of amusement, chose not to deal a fatal blow to the driver. Instead, they left him wounded and barely clinging to life, a bait of sorts in their cruel game. They hoped that his plight would soon attract rescuers, bringing more unsuspecting victims into their icy playground. Now, Herr Baumann lies helpless, the vital supplies scattered and at risk, as Flurry, Sleet, and Squall wait with bated breath for more ‘players’ to arrive.
The Encounter
As the party nears the site where Herr Baumann went off the road, their presence does not go unnoticed. The trio of ice mephits, Flurry, Sleet, and Squall spot the adventurers from afar. Anticipating new targets for their mischief, they prepare their icy trap with malicious intent.
Employing their fog cloud ability, the mephits cloak the edges of the frozen pond in a dense, chilling fog. This strategic move is designed to disorient and confuse any newcomers, masking the dangerous transition from the solid ground to the ice.
Upon the party’s arrival at the scene, the aftermath of the wagon’s crash is visibly evident. The deep ruts left by the wagon’s wheels veer sharply off the road, leading down a gentle hill. The tracks disappear into the fog-laden area, where the sound of Herr Baumann’s groans and calls for help can be faintly heard.
Approaching the site of the wreck, each party member should make a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check in order to discern the shift in landscape from solid ground to snow covered ice. Characters failing this check will become aware of the ice once they reach the wagon. However, by then they will be some 40’ out onto the ice.
As the party approaches, their every move is silently observed by Flurry, Sleet, and Squall. The mephits use their false appearance ability to disguise themselves as innocuous shards of ice on the pond’s surface. When a party member finally reaches Herr Baumann, the mephits seize their opportunity to strike. They spring to life and launch a surprise attack on the unsuspecting party.
At the start of each character’s turn, the Dungeon Master rolls a d20. On a roll of 1-2, the ice beneath that character begins to crack. The player must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw to quickly move to a more stable area or fall through the ice. If a character falls into the icy waters, they must immediately make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw to withstand the shock of the cold. Failure results in the character taking 1d6 cold damage, being unable to climb out of the water and suffering disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks due to the numbing cold. Allies can attempt a rescue, but each round the character remains in the water, they must repeat the saving throw, with failure resulting in additional cold damage.
The mephits focus their attacks while on the ice and will not pursue the party onto land. If two of the mephits are defeated, the remaining one, realizing the tide of battle has turned, flees across the ice to safety.
Set a timer for 6 rounds after the encounter begins. If the party fails to defeat the mephits or move the wagon by then, the weakened ice gives way, causing the wagon and its supplies to sink into the pond. If the party manages to defeat the mephits before the timer expires, the immediate threat to the wagon is neutralized, and it does not sink.
Aftermath
If the party has horses and sufficient rope, they can attempt to pull the wagon to shore. However, taking horses onto the fragile ice is risky. If a party member possesses appropriate skills, such as proficiency in carpenter’s tools, they can make repairs to the wagon on the spot. If not, or if the party lacks horses, they will need to return to Hemlock and seek Herr Vogelmann’s assistance to recover the wagon and its contents.
Conclusion
I’m still not settled on the mechanics for this one. I kicked around the idea of having certain squares be more susceptible to having the ice crack than others but settled on this. I’ve also been back and forth on the total number of mephits. Ultimately, since these posts are merely a method for me to give ideas to GMs, I figured I’d leave it as it was. If you happen to incorporate this encounter or some version of it into your game, please let me know how it goes.
That’s all I’ve got for this week. I hope you’re staying warm wherever you happen to be and thank you for stopping by. Good gaming!
For more maps & plot hooks, go here.
For my Idea Chest posts, go here.
For some random tables, go here.
Want to help me to compile a list of TTRPG conventions? Click here.
Finally, for a bit about me and some general stuff, this is the spot.
Talaraska 