Frozen Sick
Snow gently falls from the sky and wind bites your cheeks as you stand in the graveyard of Palebank Village, a fishing outpost of Uthodurn that is home to several hundred dwarves and elves. The sun is low in the sky, sinking behind the fresh grave of Urgon Wenth, an old dwarf who caught a curse or disease that turned him into an ice statue. The folk of the village have gathered to pay their final respects to Urgon’s frozen remains.
Thus begins the adventures of Connal, Hakuran, Taq, Mara, Regal, and Regulus.
Strangers at first they gathered in an inn that was so nondescript as to not even have a name.
The innkeeper buys them all a drink. “For Urgon,” he says
A gruff voice speaks softly from behind you. “Thank you for attending Urgon’s service.” You turn and meet the gaze of Elro Aldataur, a weathered elf, retired ranger, and the leader of the village. “I’m sorry to speak of dark tidings under such circumstances, but I believe that Palebank Village might be in danger, and I’m hoping you can help us.”
Elro relays the following to you
Two months ago, Urgon Wenth returned home after exploring Eiselcross for a year. He had been back for only for a few days when he came down with a strange affliction, which made the dwarf move slowly and caused blue veins to appear all over his body.
The village’s priests of Moradin and Corellon used every spell they could muster to attempt to heal Urgon, but nothing they tried could stop the bizarre malady. Urgon battled the affliction for weeks, until his ever-slowing body eventually turned to ice.
Until yesterday, Elro and the rest of the community believed that Urgon’s sad fate was an isolated incident, most likely caused by something the dwarf came into contact with while exploring Eiselcross. Then Elro noticed Tulgi Lutan, a dwarf trapper, showing signs of the same illness.
Alarmed, Elro tried to talk to Tulgi about it, but she pushed him away, asking that he let her die in peace.
Urgon’s Cabin
This cramped, dark cabin might have been a cozy place when its owner was alive. Now an unmade bed stands near a cold fireplace, its mantle hung with the head of some snarling white beast with gray horns. On the other side of the room, a small table strewn with dirty dishes and set with a dwarf-sized chair stands before two empty shelves whose contents are scattered across the floor: kitchen utensils, dried foodstuffs, adventuring gear, and a few books.
Inside the cabin, they found a receipt
The receipt is dated two months previously, and indicates that Urgon sold several Aeorian items found in Eiselcross to local antique shop Pelc’s Curiosities for 1,000 gp. The items are listed as a dagger, a scroll case, a jade statuette, a quiver of twenty arrows, a silver ring set with a jasper, and two blue glass vials.
Tulgi’s Cabin
The heat in this small cabin hits like a hammer blow. A table set with neatly stacked dishes, tools, and utensils stands at the center of the room. The smell of a simmering soup comes from a pot hanging inside a roaring fireplace. Another fire burns in an iron brazier at the opposite end of the room, filling the cabin with a smoky haze. Shivering at the end of a bed near the brazier is a dwarf wrapped in blankets. Bulging blue veins streak her face, neck, and hands.
The dwarf is Tulgi. At first, she was very grumpy and very unhelpful. After some conversation, she realized how dire her situation is and relayed the following info.
Tulgi came to Palebank Village a few years back from Shadycreek Run with her sister, Hulil. Both work for the Uttolot family.
The Uttolots sent the sisters and a few others to the village to keep an eye on treasures coming back from Eiselcross—with the intent of stealing them. When such artifacts come through the small settlement, they are often unusual goods that treasure hunters are trying to keep away from Uthodurn or the Dwendalian Empire.
When Urgon Wenth returned to Palebank Village with treasures from Eiselcross, Tulgi saw her chance. She waited for Urgon to sell his finds to Pelc’s Curiosities, then stole them all.
Tulgi gave most of Urgon’s relics to Hulil, but kept one for herself—an ornate dagger. Hulil has the other items in a site north of the village known as Croaker Cave.
Tulgi was the one who searched Urgon’s cabin, convinced that the dead dwarf must have had magic or other secrets stored away there.
Pelc’s Curiosities
The dark cabin before you has a sign over its door which reads, “Pelc’s Curiosities,” with the image of a curving dragon used to make the letter P. Though the shop appears closed, the front door is slightly ajar.
Having made no effort to sneak in and making quite a racket outside, the five elf bandits waited in ambush for the party. Things were looking grim, but the elves were soon defeated.
One bandit surrendered and relayed the following info:
The bandits work for Hulil Lutan, a dwarf priestess of Tiamat. Hulil works for the Uttolot family of Shadycreek Run.
Hulil’s sister, Tulgi, robbed Pelc’s Curiosities two months ago.
Hulil is sick or cursed with some affliction that causes her to move slowly and is turning her veins blue.
Hulil ordered the bandits to trash Pelc’s Curiosities in search of potions, scrolls, or other items that might help cure her. Despite their thorough search, the bandits found nothing useful. Hulil is hiding out with more bandits in Croaker Cave.
Out the back of Pelc’s Curiosities, a frozen solid Veral Pec was discovered.
Armed with all the info and a way forward, the party headed to Croaker Cave.
Agreeing to help solve the mystery, the party checked out several points of interest around town
