The Winterstones

The Winterstones were a collection of three magical stones hidden across the Kingdom of Icenglav. They became the subject of national security in the year 5699, when the necromancer Mathias Mane from Goth tried to use them for a nefarious plot.

Significance

The Winterstones were formed during the reign of Putyiv the Great in Icenglav (2098-2190). As the political climate grew within Icenglav, the Ice King Putyiv felt he needed to control the literal climate for his bidding. As such, the great wizard contacted the Icepodin, a group of wizards in the northern wastes, in order to learn how to control it. After intense study, the Ice King started to use powerful magic to bend nature to his whim. He climbed to the top of Mt. Strynovo and bottled the winds of Icenglav into three separate stones.
King Putyiv then used the powers over the weather to drive away the Men of Danen away from his lands or make them integrate into his rule. He extended his might by placing the stones into a palantir so he could control the land from the comfort of his castle. However, long after his death, the palantir would eventually shatter from misuse of his heirs.
Finally, the lich king Koschei collected one of the Winterstones in the years of King Piotrev (2296-2372). He used it to raise an army of the undead to use against the pacifistic king. Evidently, with King Piotrev's knights assembled at Bardinca, the king eventually placed a full-fledged assault. He recollected the missing Winterstone and finally used the magic to fight back Koschei's army. As the king's final act (as he would be stabbed by the lichking in a battle), Piotrev used the Winterstones to banish Koschei to a plane of never-ending ice, containing the lich within an icy prison for the rest of eternity.
After the death of King Piotrev, his loyal knights, including the paladin Sir Stepnov, decided to disperse the Winterstones so they would never be used again. They hid them in the regions of Elkin, Bytea, and the Mountain of Strynovo into dangerous dungeons. Sir Stepnov would die keeping the secret of the locations to himself, being buried in his hometown of Bardinca.
Evidently, in 5699, the necromancer Mathias Mane uncovered the locations thanks to his apprentice, a bard named Amadeus, discovering the locations. Mathias Mane then sent an expedition of orcs and goblins to uncover the locations, while he kidnapped Princess Durkavna of Icenglav and placed a curse on the queen to kill her. This prompted a group of adventurers to go searching for the princess, until they accidentally uncovered the Winterstones and started to collect them.

Stylized magic crystals by Daniel Medina de Haro

A winterstone, crackling with the forces of winter contained in a crystalline shell.

Item type

Unique Artifact

Current Holder

Mathias Mane

Owning Organization

Icen

Rarity

The Winterstones were an entirely unique item, created by the Druids and Icepodin to control Icenglav's weather.

Weight

2 lbs.