The Snow Lord†

The Snow Lord

"Your strength impresses me, little one, but it is in vain." - The Snow Lord to Balcorus 

There was once a time the Snow Lord was considered a fair ruler. From a long line of male Jotun who claimed the title that came from the lordship of Jastingrag, The Snow Lord was blinded by his nostalgia for a long fallen empire and the corrupting influence of a long dead god.
In 1052, 3e, the Snow Lord waged the four week war on Jameleska, striking whilst the Frost King was weak and the vassals divided. The city stood alone, whilst his armies stormed Storonthorpe, beseiged its walls, and staged a coup in Astergor; cutting them of from supplies whilst his navy blockaded the sea entrances. This invasion was launched to capture the five descedents of Jamel and Valeska, the founders of the city he so destested, that contained the gifts of Varpak, a gift he believed rightfully belonged to him.

What Once Was Ours

Since Krowethia first colonised the lands that would become Jotun, the fortress of Jastingrag ruled the river valley of Rivers Arthos and Fathas, one of the few fertile areas of Jotun itself. This land once housed the mighty Svartvelheim Empire until the Jotun came and conquered it, and they thought they would keep it for 10,000 years. This changed with the coming of human settlers on the coast line, the Jotun would strike at these small forces, subjugating or destroying them, until one known as the Eternal One claimed dominion over a small village known as Jotunbrygge.
This village was entirely unremarkable, its crop yields small, its fishing poor, and a tiny population built around a shrine to Thor. The Eternal Ones, three powerful giants who venerated a mysterious god known as Varpak, the father of trolls, began to subjugate this. Two travelling Ice Elves seeking their right of adulthood landed here, and saw these jotun as a target.
The Eternal Ones had infact become a single jotun due to their worship of Varpak, fromed into a three headed chimera of a beast. Jamel and Valeska defeated the beast, and unwittingly took its power, a power that would subtly spread throughout their bloodlines. These heroes changed that small settlement, using paladin magic to create fertile ground for generations, swelling the population and allowing this upstart frontier town to stand up to the Jotun jarls. The heroes would return centuries later, and form a new kingdom.
This kingdom waxed and waned, eventually changing its name to Jameleska in honour of its founders. This city would fight with the giants, especially those holding the ancestral title of Snow Lord, who was supposed to hold the land the city was now built on. This dynamic was forever changed with The Treaty of Lastlight when peace was finally achieved, the city would offer its fealty to the Frost King of Jotun, but in turn, the lands of this valley became the Duchy of Jameleska, and the Snow Lord now had to swear his oath to the dukes of Jameleska, their dominion of this heartland lost.

Turn to Darkness

This Snow Lord, their birth name long lost to the records, had visited the Archives of Storvakis as a child and learned of the ancient glory his people once held. It was his own father, the preceding Snow Lord, that had agreed to to the Treaty of Lastlight, a sin for which he would never be forgiven. This idealisation of Krowethia and ancient Jotunheim was always in the Snow Lord's mind, even as he kept his oath. The Snow Lord also visited his ancestral homeland, now the Commonwealth, during the 40 year war, and was dismayed at the ruins of ancient Krowethia that lied beneath its marshes, it is said he stood in the Kernmoor during the middle of battle, and louded sang the Lament to Krowethia.
Things would change in 1049, when the Snow Lord was hunting in the Vodengold Glen and came across a hidden cave home to a frost giant priestess called the Eyes of Varpak. This powerful jotun witch told The Snow Lord of her master, the god Varpak, and how his power was stolen by Jamel and Valeska, and passed through to his descendents. The Snow Lord would visit her frequently, and became convinced he was the prophised saviour and avatar of Varpak, and his mind was forever lost in this fantasy.

Prelude to War

The Snow Lord knew he could not just strike at Jameleska, and he needed to time to find the five targets he needed to consume to earn the power of Varpak. He only knew two by the time of his ambush on Storonthorpe, Prince Haakon, and Lady Eris Snowflower. The Snow Lord worked on an alliance with three powerful giants in his realm, a hill giant known as the Tundra Baron who ruled Theygor, a powerful stone giant called The Boulder Jarl, and a master alchemist called The Cauldron Brewer. Using his connections with these allies, the Snow Lord had also gained the help of the Jameleskan Syndicate to help kidnap Prince Haakon, and find him information on the other power barers.

The Four Week War

By 1052, the Frost King of Jotun had grown week. The various jarls and nobles of Jotun were functionally indepedentent, and a well organized strike would ensure no help would come to Jameleska. The attack began at Storonthorpe, the Snow Lord and on of his warlods, the Boulder Jarl, easily dispatched the local milita and entrapped the baron. It was here the Snow Lord learnt of a new potential target, Reeve Mester. He also sent his wife, The Snow Lady, into Astergor under a banner of peace. In the night, his armies turned on their hosts, driving The Blizzard Maiden into hiding and cutting off Jameleska's supply of ore.
The Snow Lord laid siege, and used his army to deter any help from other Jotun cities. He weakened their defences, and journeyed into the mountains to find a powerful magical staff that would allow him to tear down Jameleska's mighty walls. During this time, the band of adventurers known as Doomed 2 Die had heard of this conflict, and began to sail to Jameleska to earn some new allies.
The Snow Lord found his staff, a powerful item that could create mighty thunder and bursts of lightning. With this staff, he marched on Vorrenborg, and brought down there mighty walls, hoping to steal Lady Eris from the Weeping Halls Asylum so he could devour her. He would not get his wish, but he did find the fourth aspect, a soldier named Heli Ristor † who transformed into a Titan, confirming he contained the strength of Varpak. When he later sent his seeker giants to find this soldier, he was again thwarted by Doomed 2 Die, giving the Snow Lord a target for his attacks.

A Plan Undone

The Snow Lord had nearly won, he was about to take Heli, Eris, and the Prince, but Doomed 2 Die stopped all three. Enraged, he went to rally his forces, but over the course of a week, each of his takings were liberated. Eagle Falls, his military camp, was destroyed. Storonthorpe was freed, the Snow Lord forced to retreat before he could devour the Reeve and Heli, Astergor and his wife turned against him, and Theygor was destroyed. He was left with nothing, he had learnt the last of the five, and adventurer named Falia Rayes, but by the time his soldier's arrived to claim her, she had already escaped with his new enemies.
He was left with nothing but his keep, and a heroic last stand. His new lover, the Eyes of Varpak, used her dark magics to poison the heirs of every jotun house, blackmailing them into joining the war so they could destroy Jameleska and the heroes that were unravelling their plans, but it was too late. Doomed 2 Die had arrived at his ancient home, their army led by Horsha Lenn.
The Battle of Jastingrag would ultimately take his life, but the Snow Lord earned one small victory, a taste of Varpak's power. Heli Ristor fell to his hands, and was consumed. For a single minute, the Snow Lord had fulfilled his destiny, then he was slain, his lasts words echoing out the market of his town, "Varpak? I... It is dark."

Status: Deceased
First Appearance: Session 48, Wall Vorrenborg Falls

Species

Frost Giant

Ethnicity

Jotun

Date of Death

15th Endstarre

Place of Death

Jastingrag

Pronouns

He/Him

Gender

Male

Eyes

Glowing cyan

Hair

Platinum

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Ice White

Height

17ft

Appearances:

• Session 48: Wall Vorrenborg Falls
• Session 49: The Titans
• Session 58: Snow Lord Cometh
• Session 64: The Battle of Jastingrag