Adventure Hook: One Peak

The first snows of the season had come too soon as usual. But today the temperatures climbed way above the melting point. So much so that where the warmth of the air touched upon the frigid snows, a light fog had formed creating a slow moving blanket of moisture that threatened to cover the entire tundra.

The raised land around Solomon's Mound was the last source of color to be seen for miles. In the same way, it was always the first place to the shake loose any snow that dared desecrate its boundaries.

There was an oddness to the small hill, and not just because of the giant rock slab that perched precariously at the very center. There was a slight warmth that seemed to permeate the air as if the ancient lava field were still active just below the surface.

The local barbarian tribes avoided the area, heeding the ominous warnings of the shamans and their visions. Part of the myths surrounding the strange mound included the humming that seemed to emanate from the very rock itself. Given it`s reputation, the site was shunned by all except the most brave hunters.

If any barbarians were in the area on this day, they would have added a new story of their own. Today the rock seemed alive and positively thrummed with a presence all its own. It wasn`t continuous, which made the occasional stillness all that more eerie. Today, the air around the mound seemed suspended, as if in anticipation. And rightfully so because something was coming.

Scenario 1 - Dwarven Wars
The Goldhammer clan of dwarves has long lived below the cold tundra here in the frozen north. Living an isolated existence, they rarely come above ground and are careful to keep their existence a secret from the surface barbarians.

Solomon`s Mound is a vent for one of the Goldhammer deep furnaces. Trace amount of heat work to warm the ground just slightly while the occasional thrumming sound from the slab is produced by the distant vibrations of hammer on metal.

The noises heard on the mound this day reflect the increased activities of the Goldhammer clan. The dwarves would soon be at war to settle an ancient debt against a local duergar tribe. Both sides knew the war was coming and this would be a final battle.

A battle which threatens to spread beyond the caverns below and break through to the surface for the first time in generations.

Scenario 2 - Frostwing
The rock slab on Solomon's Mound hides an entrance to the lair of Frostwing, a large white dragon. This secondary lair is used only occasionally by Frostwing and she is careful to hide the entrance whether she is there or not. She tends to use the lair to recuperate from injuries because of its isolation and cosiness. Her snores as she sleeps vibrate up through the rock causing it to tremble slightly.

Frostwing has been in her lair for six months now after a near death experience with a group of adventurers. Although she gave as good as she got, she was able to fly away at the last minute to save herself. But she bears a grudge against the surviving party members and her dreams have been filled with anger and revenge.

She has been waking up slowly these past few days and as such has fidgeted more, causing the rock slab above to tremble. Now fully awake, Frostwing recognizes the pain in her belly as hunger. In the past she has been reluctant to raid the local tribes but she realizes she needs some nourishment. As she unfolds her wings for the first time, she contemplates the best way to approach the situation.

Image by Kepli
Text by dDA

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