New! Frostgrave Campaign Overview

[MordeanGrey]

(I plan to share some details from a new campaign here if there is interest.)

 

After years of not running a Fantasy Hero game, I brought my old group together to create new characters and start on a fresh campaign.

 

I used my own fantasy world setting and added in plot elements from the Frostgrave miniatures skirmish game. If you’re not familiar with Frostgrave, it’s set in an ancient city called Felstad that was overcome by a cataclysm more than 1,000 years ago that destroyed much of the city and buried it in ice and snow. The winter curse has finally faded and the city has begun to thaw, uncovering the ruins and artifacts of the former great civilization that await discovery by adventurers seeking power and riches. However, the city is now home to creatures ranging from wolflike canine humanoids to the undead and demons. Rival wizards and their war bands roam the ruins and often fight each other to recover valuable items.

 

More detailed description here:

https://www.frostgrave.net/wiki/Main_Page

 

 

 

 

This is the intro I used after they created their characters.

 

 

 

Silver and adventure. That’s what you heard.

 

Whether it was by word of mouth from a friend, rumors in a tavern, or a note tacked to a public board in a small village or city square. The message was the same.

 

*****

 

“Calling all brave souls to Whiteridge on the last day of winter. The best will be chosen for a task promising silver and rewards beyond imagination. Only the determined need apply.

 

Applicants will be considered in person at the Tower of the High Mage.

 

Posted by order of Captain Rainard, Commander of the Tower Guard, on behalf of the Most Venerable Lord Vandriel”

 

A red wax seal from a signet ring was affixed to the bottom of the letter.

 

*****

 

After years of getting by through participating in or avoiding the war completely, the promise of silver from a validated source along with a chance to leave the devastation behind was more than enough for you. You checked the dates and maps, packed your most important items, and set off for Whiteridge and the promised opportunity.

 

Your journey here brought you through the border areas most affected by the war between Kolos and Talea. Burned homes and buildings were common along the muddy roads, and in many places, there were recently built cemeteries showing many freshly dug graves with simple wood or stone markers. The villages were refilling with tired-eyed residents, working to rebuild their homes and lives, who stopped to watch as you passed through, making sure that you were no threat to them.

 

The temporary truce has provided a little hope for a return to life without suffering, and the occasional sound of music from the inns and taverns has replaced the sounds of war and the suffering of the victims, yet the presence of military camps along both sides of the river showed that the current peace is tenuous at best.

 

The gates of Whiteridge were a welcome sight after traveling days or weeks to reach your destination. The large, gray outer walls of the city blended well into the stone of the surrounding side of the mountain, but farther up, the Tower of the High Mage shone brightly in the sunlight, appearing almost white when viewed from afar. Colorful flags and banners flew from the wall towers and buildings, giving the city a festive look that was welcome to you after traveling through the landscape destroyed by the war. It seems this city was spared the worst by virtue of its location far from the front.

 

Inside the walls, the city was filled with life as merchants called out their wares to the crowds of people buying food and everyday items. You walked past carts and tables filled with fresh meats and cheeses and bought yourself baked treats to break the monotony of the bland diet from many days of travel. The difference in the attitudes of the people of Whiteridge compared to the villages was remarkable. People smiled and talked to each other, and happy children ran through the streets, laughing and playing games.

 

As you made your way through the lower city, you found the street rising up to the second set of walls and gates that housed the upper levels of Whiteridge, home to temples, government buildings, and the estates of wealthier residents. The area was quiet and less crowded than before, and uniformed town guards stood at attention or patrolled near the gates.

 

But now, today is the day.

 

Whether you arrived early and spent time at a local inn or traveled through the night to arrive at the last minute, you have made your way through the third set of gates and walls and arrived at the Tower of the High Mage. The guards here questioned your purpose and directed you to join the queue leading up the long stone stairs after hearing that you have answered the summons of the high mage in hopes of being selected for the job and the silver that was promised.

 

The long line of applicants was filled with all manner of people seeking entrance. Countless men and even a few women waited their turn to enter the doors of the keep. Many wore armor and carried well-worn weapons while others were dressed in little more than rags with few belongings. Fewer still but no less impressive were the robed and hooded individuals who seemed to have slightly more space around them in the line, as though their presence created a zone of space around them that even the most hardened veteran avoided.

 

One by one, the line moved forward as individuals entered the arched doorway past the soldiers wearing the blue and gold cloaks of the Tower Guard. Upon entry, everyone was asked to write their name or leave their mark to identify them before being shown into the great hall to be seated in one of the long, wooden benches provided. You eventually reached the gate, made your mark, and joined the crowded room awaiting further instruction. As the room continued to fill, you noticed small groups who entered and were seated together in addition to countless individuals. It took more than an hour for everyone in the line to reach the room, and many near the end were forced to stand along a wall to the sides or back of the hall. Nearly 100 people were there.

 

Finally, a tall, middle-aged man wearing plate armor and the colors of the Tower Guard made his way to the raised platform at the front. His graying hair was cut short, and his beard was well trimmed. He looked around the room and then raised his hand, calling for silence and waiting for the conversations to end before continuing.

 

He introduced himself as Captain Rainard, Commander of the Tower Guard, and welcomed everyone and thanked them for making the journey to Whiteridge. He went on to explain that everyone would be given an individual meeting to discuss their merits to be considered for the mission offered by Vandriel. He then asked all present to be patient and await their turn in the process which would likely take several hours to be completed.

 

At this point, Rainard left the platform and was replaced by a sergeant who began reading the names and directing the applicants to follow a guard who took them from the room.

 

Eventually, you hear your name called and rise to follow the guard.