Adventure Primer Part 4: Come with Me If You Want to Live! (60 mins).

After running into an old goliath friend, the party must

evade pursuit and escape Xorvintroth before the bombs
They curse the ice that swallows the day / While the madness detonate. Escaping Xorvintroth with Nararhak Tree-Eye
beckons, that comes of the dark / In a world without sunrise. is Story Objective D.

— C.S. Friedman, The Longest Night Story Awards

At certain points in the adventure, you’ll see this
This adventure is designed for three to seven 10th-
glyph along with an entry describing how the
through 13th-level characters and is optimized for five
specified story award is earned or impacted by
characters with an average party level (APL) of 11,
the story. Ignore the entry if it refers to a story award none

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but provides adjustments for a group consisting of 10th-
of the characters have. If it refers to a story award the
level characters. Characters outside this level range can’t
characters just earned, it provides information for you and
participate in this adventure.
the players.
This adventure occurs in the Spine of the World, the vast
mountain range that runs south and east of Icewind Dale.
Adventure Hooks

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Background This adventure continues immediately after the events of
DDAL10-09 Recipe for Retribution. If the characters didn’t
The fallen star witnessed by the THUUNLAKALAGA
play the previous adventure, the following hooks provide
GOLIATHS isn’t what it appeared to be: it’s a NAUTILOID
ways to involve them in the scenario:
piloted by gnomish CEREMORPHS that was chased into
one of Auril the Frostmaiden’s great blizzards and now lies Far Realm Worries. Sages from the Harpers or the Lords’
earthbound. Alliance detected worrying signs of Far Realm activity in
To make matters worse, the neogi masters of the the Spine of the World. Added to rumors of a falling star
DEATHSPIDER pursuing the nautiloid arrived. in the same vicinity, the factions became desperate for
Slavers, the NEOGI capitalized on the havoc sown by information. Characters sent to investigate come upon
Lieutenant Prook at Wyrmdoom Crag—with the bombs,

with the Thuunlakalaga goliaths.

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the Everlasting Rime to capture and enslave whomever
they could find. One such captive, a GIFF named
LIEUTENANT PROOK, managed to escape and has allied

The goliath settlement at WYRMDOOM CRAG has lost

many of their hunters—some to internal strife and others
but without the goliath allies he was counting on to
protect him on the final excursion to the city.
Following the Star. The characters witnessed the falling
star from Ten-Towns and sought it out on their own
initiative. Characters with the acolyte background may
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to the neogi. A rescue expedition discovered the bodies of see the star as a sign from their deity, sages may see it as
some of the missing hunters within the ancient ABERIAN an opportunity for research.
city of XORVINTROTH. However, the characters quickly
learned the neogi were the least of their concerns—the
city is festering with ABERRATIONS from the FAR Xorvintroth, That Which Survives
REALM; long-dormant terrors that threaten the entirety of Derived from Xorvintaal, the ancient “game” by which
ICEWIND DALE. Lieutenant Prook now intends to bury dragons wage war and determine power among
themselves, this ancient Abeiran city was one of many
the city and end the Far Realm threat with arcane bombs
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ruled by dragonborn. It was once a place of learning and

constructed especially for the task. enlightenment, but a sect of dragonborn wizards dabbled
with sources of magic best left undisturbed. Pulling back the
Overview veil of the stars and gazing into the madness of the Far Realm
drove the wizards to open portals to the Far Realm. For
The adventure’s story is spread over four parts and takes thousands of years, the city—and the horrors it housed—lay
approximately 4 hours to play: dormant until the Spellplague in 1385 DR when they were
Call to Action: The Far Realm Threat (10 mins). The expelled from Abeir like a festering infection and transposed
characters, having assisted Lieutenant Prook in into the depths beneath the Spine of the World.
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constructing the explosives to bury the city, head out to

Xorvintroth to make good their deed.
Part 1: Into Madness (50 mins). The characters head
into Xorvintroth, where they find signs of the missing
Thuunlakalaga goliaths. Surveying the city, deciding
where to plant the bombs, and finding a way to reach the
northern and southern towers is Story Objective A.
Part 2: Path to the Towers (60 mins). The characters are
beset by the haunted remains of the city’s past as they
make their way to the northern tower. Setting a bomb
here is Story Objective B.
Part 3: The Southern Tower (60 mins). The party must
overcome the ancient trap and construct that still guard
the southern tower before they can plant the explosive
device. Setting a bomb here is Story Objective C.

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 Call to Action:
The Far Realm Threat
Estimated Duration: 10 minutes
Lieutenant Prook (lef-TEN-ant pr-OOK)

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The action begins in the Thuunlakalaga settlement at Giff interstellar mercenary
Wyrmdoom Crag in the Spine of the World. Lieutenant Prook (he pronounces lieutenant as “leftenant” and
prefers to be addressed as such) once commanded a brigade
Character Introductions of his fellow hippopotamus-headed giff mercenaries, but his
Allow each player a minute or so to introduce their entire unit was captured by neogi slavers. Of them, he’s the

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sole survivor. The neogi ship recently crashed in Icewind Dale
character, describe their appearance and mannerisms, and
while pursuing the Id Ascendant—an illithid nautiloid piloted by
their reason for being at Wyrmdoom Crag. Be sure to give
gnomish ceremorphs. In the chaos, Lieutenant Prook managed
everyone equal time in the spotlight and be prepared to to escape, but underestimated the cold.
gently stop people if they run on. Character introductions What They Want. While Lieutenant Prook’s immediate goals
are crucially important for the players to understand who are survival and recovery, once out of the woods, he plans
the other characters are, to build a basis for roleplaying to find a way to exact his revenge on the neogi who enslaved
opportunities, and for you, the him and killed his unit.
DM, to learn more about the Gruff and No-Nonsense. Lieutenant Prook doesn’t waste
characters so you can create time on pomp and circumstance; he focuses on his goals
story elements that really speak with laser precision and those who question his orders
(yes, orders) or methods are quick to earn a scathing
to the characters.
Award inspiration (explaining
what inspiration is and how
it works) once everyone’s
had a turn.
e admonishment. To that end, however, he’s loyal and
honorable without apology. He would throw down his life to
save those he considers allies.
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Area Features
Wyrmdoom Crag has the following
general features:
Dimensions and Terrain. Wyrmdoom
Crag is the cave complex that houses
the Thuunlakalaga goliath clan. A
massive dragon skeleton dominates
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the entrance area, past which twin

tunnels lead into the mountain where
the goliaths live. East of the entrance, a
raised area serves as a goat-ball court.
Lighting. The sun is high in the sky again, brightly
lighting the area. If the characters are playing
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden and haven’t
completed it yet, the Everlasting Rime offers only a
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dim twilight.
Smells and Sounds. A haunch of meat roasting on a
spit near the entrance to the caves. Sounds of
activity as the goliaths go about their business,
but no sounds of merriment or laughter.
The gathering’s overall mood is somber
and worried.

Creature Information
Ogolai Orcsplitter (“Old Goat”) watches with curiosity
as Lieutenant Prook maintains his pistol before the
impending mission. Nearby wait three fully harnessed
sleds, each carrying a large, well-secured barrel.

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DDAL10-10 Burying the Past (v1.0)
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 Ogolai (oh-GO-lie) Orcsplitter Back to Xorvintroth
“Old Goat” Thuunlakalaga Some characters may have the Captured Goliaths story
Goliath warrior award from DDAL10-06 The Fallen Star. They’re aware
The chieftain of the Thuunlakalaga goliaths is an elderly the strongest Thuunlakalaga hunters are missing, they
goliath with a heavily scarred face. She dresses plainly in goat were either kidnapped by the neogi or they left with
hide clothing and carries an immense greataxe fashioned Kaskur Spearsong. See the “A Tribe on the Brink” sidebar
from white dragon bone. She has a crippling fear of griffons
if the characters need to be brought up to speed on the
stemming from a childhood trauma that’s created tensions
between her clan and the Akannathi goliaths of Skytower
Thuunlakalaga clan’s current state.
Shelter (see Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden). For characters who haven’t participated in the previous
What They Want. Old Goat’s first priority is the safety and adventures, Lieutenant Prook can inform them about
prosperity of her clan—especially in these unusual and trying Xorvintroth and the danger the Far Realm abominations

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times. She’s quick to stymie dissent, particularly from Kaskur within the city present. He explains that the barrels are
Spearsong. She fears his disagreements will turn violent, explosives, with which he intends to bury the ancient city,
but does everything within her power to delay this apparent ending the threat. Without the Thuunlakalaga hunters for
inevitability for as long as possible. an escort, however, he looks hopefully to the characters for
Done It, Seen It; but the End Is Nigh. Old Goat has been additional muscle.

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around a long time and seen many things. This experience Old Goat is of two minds regarding the trip. On one hand,
lends her a tremendous amount of wisdom to draw on when she understands that if whatever was in Xorvintroth could
making decisions. However, she’s getting old and refuses to
kill both the Thuunlakalaga hunters and the slavers that
surrender the yoke of leadership until a worthy (equally wise)
kidnapped them, then the threat it poses is too serious to
replacement is found. If it weren’t for his sharp tongue, Old
Goat would’ve offered Kaskur the mantle of leadership years ignore. On the other hand, she still hopes against hope
ago. However, she fears what the clan would become under that some of the tribe’s hunters, including Nararhak
his leadership. Tree-Eye, can be rescued. She begs the characters to
spare no effort to find and rescue Nararhak and any other
surviving hunters. She can’t offer anything more than the
Thuunlakalaga clan’s friendship, but does what she can
to convince the characters the tribe’s survival may well

e depend on it.
Lieutenant Prook accompanies the characters on their
mission. One of the players (chosen at random if they can’t
agree) can control Lieutenant Prook as a sidekick during
this adventure. Give that player handout 1.
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A Tribe on the Brink
During the events of DDAL10-06 The Fallen Star and DDAL10-
07 Into Darkness, most of the Thuunlakalaga hunters were
lost. Several left with Kaskur Spearsong, the leader of the
hunters, who became fed up with Old Goat’s leadership.
More were kidnapped by neogi slavers. Adventurers tracked
both hunters and slavers to the city of Xorvintroth. They
m

found the bodies of hunters and slavers alike there—killed by

the Far Realm aberrations inhabiting the city. However, not
all the goliaths were accounted for. Several are still missing,
including Nararhak Tree-Eye (see part 4).
Be Careful with That!
The bombs (AC 12, 25 hit points, and immunity to poison
and psychic damage) Lieutenant Prook crafted are large,
powerful, and cumbersome. Each is housed in a three-foot-
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tall, one-and-a-half-foot-wide wooden barrel and weighs 30

pounds. To aid in their transport, the Thuunlakalaga clan
has provided sleds. The creatures that inhabit Xorvintroth
don’t recognize the bombs for what they are and don’t attack
them; but allow paranoid or cautious characters to convince
themselves the party needs to take extra care safeguarding
the bombs. As every good player knows: “If it has hit points, it
can be destroyed.”

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 1
Into Madness

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Estimated Duration: 50 minutes make their way into the city, the ambient whispers grow
louder and louder, eventually turning into wailing shrieks

Horror in the Ice and cacophonous gibbering.

Themes. Alien horror versus the comforts of mortal

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The ancient city of Xorvintroth is buried in the side of an society. Traveling through Xorvintroth affects the
enormous crater. The city extends deep within the ice, characters’ minds and sanity—although currently home
but part of the city is exposed, providing an entrance to to Far Realm influence and alien horrors, the city
the surface. was once the peaceful home of a proud dragonborn
race. Once the party steps inside, the echoes of these
Story Objective opposing impressions vie against each other in the
characters’ minds.
Determining where to plant the bombs, then finding a way to
the northern and southern towers is Story Objective A. Tracking. Trails from previous visits to Xorvintroth have
been snowed over and can’t be followed except in
sheltered areas. However, once the characters reach
Trekking to Xorvintroth
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Overland travel through the Spine of the World is always
treacherous, given the bitter cold, strong winds, endless
night, and the possibility of mountain predators, but this
the sections of the city sticking out from the crater
wall, they spot obvious bloodstains in places that are
sheltered from the elements. These trails lead in various
directions, but one trail is more prominent than the rest.
It eventually leads through twisting tunnels, opening up
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particular trip is uneventful. into a larger chamber (see “City Map,” below).
As the characters crest the edge of the crater where
Xorvintroth lies, the cloud cover is pierced by a fleeting
beam of sunlight that strikes the crater wall, giving the Sanity within Xorvintroth
group a brief vision of an ancient city of green stone As the characters travel through Xorvintroth, the Far Realm’s
buried deep within bluish ice. The moment passes and influence might affect them in negative ways. The adventure
the sky is once again overcast. Trails from prior forays into calls for saving throws throughout to resist the escalating
Xorvintroth that were open to the sky have been snowed madness the party encounters. Track the number of failed
saving throws for each character separately. If one of these
m

over and can’t be followed. However, once the characters

saving throws fails by 5 or more, the character also develops
make their way to where the buildings intersect with the
a form of short-term madness (see the Short-Term Madness
crater wall, they come upon dried bloodstains on the table in appendix D).
ground in areas sheltered from the elements. The city also contains fragmented memories of the
noble dragonborn society that once lived here peacefully.
Area Features As characters interact with these legacies of a normal (if
Xorvintroth has the following general features: unfamiliar) society, the Far Realm’s influence has a chance
of dwindling. As noted in part 2, each successful interaction
Dimensions and Terrain. The buildings of Xorvintroth
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reduces that character’s failed saving throw tally by 2.

are wrought from slightly translucent green stone that In part 4, the characters’ overall ability to resist the Far
intertwines into the icy crater wall. Most are damaged Realm’s influence will be tested. The total number of failed
in some fashion, which makes for difficult terrain about saving throws influences how likely each character is to
half the time. succumb during that crucial combat.
Lighting. The sun is high in the sky, brightly lighting the A lesser restoration or greater restoration spell can remove the
area. If the characters are playing Icewind Dale: Rime effects of short-term madness and also reduces the number
of the Frostmaiden and haven’t completed it yet, the of failed saving throws—one for lesser restoration or two for
Everlasting Rime offers only a dim twilight. Within the greater restoration. However, characters can only benefit from
this reduction only once, using the highest reduction gained.
city, it’s unlit and dark. Occasionally, an eldritch glow
Even if none of the characters experience short-term
suffuses certain areas with eerie radiance.
madness, be sure to describe the ominous feelings the
Sounds. The Far Realm’s influence in Xorvintroth is characters encounter as the number of failed saving
increasing over time. Whereas the city was ominously throws increases. They can become jumpy, experience
silent during previous visits, now, a mysterious susurrus hallucinations, shout gibberish (which forms dire omens in
can be heard almost continuously. As the characters Deep Speech), etc.

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 A. City Map
The characters emerge from claustrophobic tunnels into
a 50-foot-wide, vertical cylinder chamber. Characters with
a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 17 or higher see
a series of grooves or carvings in the floor (see “Floor
Map,” below). Characters actively examining the room
notice these carvings with a successful DC 12 Wisdom
(Perception) check.
Terrain. Most of the floor is covered in a thick sheet
of ice, making the chamber difficult terrain. Worse, the
ice is covered with blood and viscera from a number of

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corpses. When a creature moves onto the ice for the first
time on a turn, it must make a successful DC 10 Dexterity
(Acrobatics) check or fall prone.
Bodies. The corpses in the room have mostly been
consumed, but characters can identify some with a

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successful DC 14 Wisdom (Medicine) check. There are
bones belonging to at least one goliath, as well as animal
bones, Medium humanoids that can’t be identified more
specifically, and a yeti.
Creatures. Four gibbering mouthers with the
adjustments listed in Creature Statistics are busy
consuming what’s left of the corpses in the room. The
noises they make are unearthly and horrifying.
Floor Map. Characters who investigate the carvings
on the floor determine that they represent a stylized

e
map of Xorvintroth with a successful DC 15 Intelligence
(Investigation) check. The map isn’t perfectly accurate, but
it gives a good overview of Xorvintroth’s layout. However,
due to the blood and viscera on the floor, this check is made
with disadvantage. If the characters clean up the mess
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to see better, the Intelligence (Investigation) check can be
attempted a second time without disadvantage. However,
characters who help clean up must succeed on a DC 14
Wisdom saving throw or have their overall sanity impacted
(see the “Sanity within Xorvintroth” sidebar).
Planning the Explosion. It takes time, but once the
group recognizes the map for what it is, the characters
are able to piece together where they are on it, where they
came in, and Xorvintroth’s general layout. With a successful
m

DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) group check, the party

can use the map to determine the best locations to place
the explosives—a pair of towers on opposite sides of the
city. The map shows the towers are connected by a single
long corridor with a building in the center. Placing one
bomb high up in each tower and placing the third bomb
in the center structure for good measure seems like the
best approach. Characters with the Stonecunning feature
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or proficiency with mason’s tools have advantage on the

check. Allow players to suggest alternative ability scores
or proficiencies for their check (for instance, a dragonborn
character might suggest History because they have
knowledge of how dragonborn cities tend to be laid out).
On a failure, it takes the party longer to interpret the map
and plan the best locations for the explosives. The extra
time spent impacts the party’s sanity, and each character
adds 1 failed saving throw to their tally for the purposes
of the “Sanity within Xorvintroth” sidebar.
Playing the Pillars. Here are some suggestions for this
encounter:

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 Combat. This fight may not require initiative if the Viaducts. Spanning the city on a series of crumbling
characters attack with surprise and all the gibbering arches, these passageways give the characters a bird’s-
mouthers flee. It’s intended to help set the tone rather eye view of Xorvintroth. If they’re hesitant to go into the
than provide a challenge. However, if you have a fast building or travel through the viaducts, allow the characters
group, or a group that emphasizes combat, feel free to to catch a glimpse of aberrations, some as big as city
have the gibbering mouthers flee—not because of the blocks, walking the streets in the direction they want to
characters, but because three star spawn manglers go. They can also see that a poisonous miasma fills many
(two for Tier 2, Weak, or Very Weak parties) have crept of the streets. It should be clear the sheltered corridor is
up behind the party. They attack using their Ambush and the safest route. The walls of these enclosed corridors are
Flurry of Claws. enchanted such that viewers outside can’t see into them,
Exploration. Xorvintroth may seem like a treasure trove but they’re almost transparent to those inside.
for characters bent on exploration, but the danger posed

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by aberrations and the urgency of the mission naturally Development
prevents long detours from the party’s goal. This room The characters can place one of the three bombs here
provides an opportunity to drop a hint or two about the in the central structure—either now or on their way out.
nature of Xorvintroth’s history from the “Xorvintroth, The bomb must be placed as high as possible within the
That Which Survives” sidebar to whet the appetite of

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structure to direct the blast upward into the bulk of the
lore-hungry characters before the library encounter crater wall. Lieutenant Prook can set the detonator for a
(see part 2). specific interval of time. If a character wishes to set the
Social. There’s no opportunity for social interaction with bomb instead, roll an Intelligence (Arcana) check for them
the aberrations, but Lieutenant Prook can be used to in secret. The bomb explodes as they’re leaving the city
good effect here. If the characters haven’t played the regardless, but the mystery of whether they succeeded or
previous Plague of Ancients adventures, he can fill the not may incentivize them to depart as quickly as possible.
characters in on the recent backstory as they discuss
plans. In particular, the gruesome scene may cause him
to recount the horrors of finding the neogi and goliath
corpses during the events of DDAL10-07 Into Darkness.

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After the gibbering mouthers are chased off or destroyed,
the party will probably take time to plan their next steps.
There are no clear paths from this chamber to continue
tracking the goliath hunters. If the characters hesitate for
too long, Lieutenant Prook suggests they get on with the
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business of planting the bombs, and hopefully they’ll find
the goliaths along the way.

B. Viaducts
After finding the map in the previous section, the
characters can make their way to the central building
on the map.
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Terrain. The city’s crumbling walls have littered the

ground with patches of difficult terrain as the characters
make their way through areas that were damaged or
destroyed. The central building is largely intact, and its
floor is smooth and unbroken.
Lighting. Darkness, with the occasional eerie glow from
other parts of the city.
Sounds. The whispers and murmuring throughout the
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city can still be heard, but are muffled while in the viaduct.
An occasional unearthly shriek rings outs when passing
over parts of the city where the Far Realm is reasserting its
influence.
Central Building. This sprawling four-story structure is
made of the same green stone as the rest of the city. The
first floor doesn’t have an entrance—only four grand pillars
that support the upper stories and two winding stairs that
lead up into the building proper. The first floor once served
the ancient dragonborn society as an open-air market and
town square. Viaducts connect the central building to the
towers on the map, which can be reached from the fourth
floor. The central structure’s other stories are deserted;
mainly ransacked offices where the city’s mercantile
leadership worked. Little remains of interest or value.

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