Setting the Scene, Frozen Secrets Campaign Primer

Frozen Secrets is meant to be a kind of classic adventure with some twists and turns, to be played through in its various parts, by a group of 4-5 players. If you play through all the parts, it would take a party from 1st to 20th level, and would see them travelling through a great deal of a large region of the nation of Suranth. However to start off, you will need to prime your party and that is what this first section is meant to offer you, a plot setting document with material for the players to utilize to connect to the beginnings of the adventure. As well as offering a little background understanding of the beginnings of the adventure, and the sort of environment and culture one may expect to find to begin this story.

Themes

Exploration, Adventure, Tragedy and Triumph, Bravery, Fantasy. A bit of a spin on a more classic sword and sorcery type adventure, but taking it and adding some twists and touches of complexity and other themes and genres.

Structure

Exposition

This section would be reserved to set the scene in the local tavern of Spruce Point, the Charcoal Horn. However it is suggested you perhaps do a small flashback with each player's character based on background and the connection they have with the region based on the trait from the Hooks section they choose to take (or if you and that player came up with another one).

The reason you would do this is to sort of introduce them that way, before moving to present day where the group can begin to meet up. It gives everyone a chance to kind of flex their muscles a bit, a solo moment, doing a little bit of roleplay, getting into character in rapport with just you, before diving head first into the experience with 3 or 4 other people plus you as the GM playing anyone else they meet in the world. This brief little 'easing' in for a few minutes with each player in turn in a small flashback before kicking off the in game 'present day' can be really helpful for everyone, though ultimately if your group feels it is unnecessary, do not feel obligated to partake in such an exercise.

They do not all need to be in The Charcoal Horn to start the session, though ideally they should all make an appearance in short order. Perhaps one of them will be coming in with the lumber foreman, angry at losing another wagon, the third in two weeks, to have some stiff drinks. Perhaps one of them is a local hunter who specializes in dangerous game, having a drink alone in the corner, and hears the loud discussions of the problem and decides to make contact, to seek a contract. Each player can have their own reasons for arriving here and need not arrive at the same time. However it is assumed that whatever their reasonings, they will feel some obligation or desire to pay attention. This will be better explained in the plot article for that first adventure, titled

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Howls and Cackles

Components

Goals

So this exercise will in this plot outline, lack direction. That is because again this first article is more of a light primer for you as a GM to help set your party up, help with character creation, help them insure they have some base connection and motivation within the context of the story. To that effect a few simple details are presented in the Hooks section. These are not full blown talents, however they are something similar and it is suggested that each player select one of these as a tie in to connect them and provide a tied in motivation to the overall region and some of the hooks and such that will be laid out. They offer narrative connectivity and a small benefit, however they are not required and can be entirely ignored if you and your group so choose. Think of them more as backstory building aides for those whom wish to have a brief and easy connection to the regional worldbuilding and story with cheap and easy levels of effort.

Hooks

Each character may take only one of these. Under the trait name will be a brief explanation of its narrative connection and its small benefit.

Caravan Guard

You are directly connected to the current issue, perhaps you survived one of the attacks (giving knowledge that would be a Spoiler

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the raids have been carried out by goblin raiding parties of eight to twelve or so, sometimes led by a hobgoblin with a vicious one eyed worg that he rides.

Perhaps you've sworn vengeance for your comrades, perhaps you feel great shame for having fled and wish to make it right, perhaps you were asked by the Shipper's Guild, which you are a part of in the region, to investigate and aide in solving the problem however you can. Whatever the connection, your knowledge of the local roads and tradeways will prove invaluable, besides any other knowledge you may possess.

Any Profession can take this trait: Grants a story guild connection to the local Overland Freight Guild as a member in good standing, specifically a caravan escorter. This is mostly a story benefit, though your GM may expand as they wish. Also grants you 1 free rank in Lore (Local) as well as making it a profession skill for you.

Lost Profits

This trait is tied to one of the various lumber magnates or noble families in charge of wider shipping and distribution in the region, basically being tied to someone or some organization whom has notable financial interest in seeing this issue resolved rapidly. Perhaps you were merely hired to investigate and find out the full depth of the problem and report back, perhaps you were hired directly to not only do this but also establish a method to solve the issue in a permanent manner. Whatever the details of your agreement, you have a direct fiscal interest in this matter.

Once again this can work for almost any profession, except for Priest or Templar in this case: Again in narrative you start with a contact in high places, perhaps some extra funding to put to use as established by yourself and your GM. This will also come with a circumstantial benefit in social checks all throughout the Fir-Jiem Crescent Valley, granting +1 to any Bribery, Intimidation, Persuade or Subterfuge skill checks you attempt to make in dialogue/conversation (so Persona based).

Missing Family

This trait is tied directly to the opening conflict of the campaign. Perhaps a brother, a sister, a cousin, an uncle, whatever it may be, you had a family member in one of the lost expeditions, and since no bodies were recovered, and at least one person who survived and made it to Spruce Point told of prisoners being taken, you hold out hope that perhaps they are alive. You are not foolish enough to go out on your own to seek your missing family member but await the first opportunity to rather forcibly interject and add yourself to any such hunt or expedition.

This trait matches up best with professions like Hunter or Scoundrel or perhaps Warrior or Brawler, however ultimately it can be used by any profession and work just as well.: You start play with local contacts and information, however you and your GM wish to work that and roleplay that, and gain a +1 to any Lore checks attempted to recall knowledge about local creatures, plants or other information whilst exploring the rural countryside.

Dark and Wyird Rumors

This trait is very specific and only truly works for Magister, Shaman, Priest or Templar. You are here to follow up on this and aid these fine folks, perhaps ordered by military, perhaps as their local 'herbalist' or perhaps on the orders of the local church, or holy visions all your own. Whatever you and your GM come up with, you do not believe all is as simple as it seems. Perhaps it is the one eyed worg, perhaps a story of one of the

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goblins

wielding strange and wild powers, whatever it is and whomever or whatever has drawn you here, you are here to attempt to get to the bottom of this beyond the mere attacks on lumber wagons. You believe there is more going on here.

You begin play with +1 to any Lore (Arcana, Occult, or Religion) skill checks you roll, and these skills all count as profession skills for you even if you would not normally have access to them.

Local Militia

You are one of those whom is basically as close to military as is available immediately, or even within the next two weeks or so, in Spruce Point. As such when the mayor approached you and explained the nature of the situation and explained that the Wilcovic family, the owners and founders of Spruce Head Lumber, were intending to drum up a group of some sort at the Charcoal Horn, to investigate and hunt down these raiders. It has been requested you insure you are a part of this task, keeping the town and the surrounding villages foremost in your mind as you try and insure how this is all handled is not detrimental to the communities in the Fir-Jiem Crescent Valley.

Any Profession could take this, but it is best suited narratively to Warrior, Scoundrel, Brawler, or Hunter; You gain the benefit of local discounts, as you are a well known associate of the lord-mayor of Spruce Point. Any goods and services you seek to acquire in the town of Spruce Point itself are always 20% off for you, and 10% off in any of the three villages of Lazal, Harrom or Vinat, the three small villages that answer to and are part of Spruce Point in an economic and political sense, each only about a half day's ride from Spruce Point itself, in different directions.

Shady Business

This trait is tied to something most interesting. Within Vorgistal, a larger quarry town two days travel southeast of Spruce Point, there is a small but lucrative criminal operation which actually takes advantage of the lumber and stone network, the interior trade system of the four major townships in the region and the shipping of such goods further out and south onto the rail system. With ties to larger organized crime this small but lucrative operation is based on the discovery of something highly illicit in a 'closed' part of the quarrying operation, something which for the time being has mysteriously continued to go unreported and unhandled.

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There is a sizeable hunk of Voidstone which was accidentally discovered and then covered up by the locals there, due to a fear of the Magisterium and Churches responses and the desire to not have the livelihood of quarrying the fine and solid granite shelf taken away from them for any length of time. The town itself is heavily reliant on this quarry.

Unfortunately two of the trade shipments to get hit in the past weeks both had some of this additional 'bonus' cargo, and as such this small group known as the Vorgi have dispatched you to see if you can't find a way to involve yourself in any recovery efforts, and to try and insure that their little lucrative side business remains hidden. Recovering the missing product would also see a tidy little bonus lining your pockets, however it is a secondary objective.

This trait obviously works best with those whom could easily be attached to such a criminal enterprise, so Scoundrels, Entertainers, even a Chemist perhaps: You gain Underworld Connections to the Vorgi Syndicate, which should include a contact or two whom can provide some level of aid in almost any town or village in the Fir-Jeim Crescent Valley, as worked out between you and your GM privately. In addition you start play with the Etiquette (Vorgi Syndicate) Talent.

Cover Up

This is another criminal tie in, though this one is interesting. In a small village along the White-Fir River, where a tributary known as Pyr's Run joins it, there is a uniquely interesting little operation, a counterfieting operation intenting to make fake gold suns and start moving them to market. That operation is stalled, as one of the attacks was not on a logging shipment, but a civilian 'merchant'.

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This merchant was actually a former Topaz Magister, a branded apostate whom was going to hire on with your little outfit to help insure your counterfiet coins wouldn't fail the common regional knife test, as well as a former employee from the Cuanior minting office, someone very disgruntled at their termination, who was going to handle the physical counterfieting designs and was bringing a stamping machine. You've been tasked by Colm 'The Hammer' Pearson, the head of your little illicit gang, to try and insure the recovery of one or both of these assets. The magister is likely dead, however the machine is hopefully still intact and will eventually be discovered, if not found by yourself should you be able to get access to the remains of the wagons from the attacks.

This one works best for either Scoundrels, or perhaps Magisters, Shamans or even Chemists or Tinkerers, though again any profession may choose it: You begin play with an extra 100 gold to spend, though it is counterfeit, so spend it wisely, as well as gaining a permanent +2 boost to any attempts to use the Bribery skill.

Related Locations

• Fir-Jeim Crescent Valley GM Overview
• Ironcliffe Connighclann Region
• Spruce Point