Frost Giants' Glacial Rift
Dwelling in the seemingly eternal glaciers of the far north and south and in snowy mountain ranges, frost giants work the ice itself into magnificent castles and fortifications to better suit their frozen hearts.
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Outside the Lair
Intricate ice arches shot through with wide cracks rear from the glacier at regular intervals.
Embedded just under the surface of the ice lie the bodies of the frost giants’ slain foes. Bright crimson pools of frozen blood surround each corpse.
A small stream of melt-water rushes down the centre of the path. The sound of the running water is audible from quite some distance.
Large dog-like footprints scar the ice’s surface.
What’s Going On?
An old giant tends to a herd of heavily furred cattle. Their hot breath mists the air, and their steaming dung dots the ground.
A young giant viciously kicks a white wolf.
Several freezing slaves cook food on a fire, watched over by a haggard and elderly giantess.
Two younger giants chip away at an ice wall to form spikes and sharp blades of ice.
Major Lair Features
A bubbling spring of hot water cracks the ice and sends steam venting into the air.
Blood from previous battles stains the walls and floor permanently red.
The skeleton of a massive fish is visible deep within the ice floor.
Strange brightly coloured murals painted under the surface of the ice decorate the walls. They uniformly depict scenes of battle and glory.
Minor Lair Features
The frozen heads of the giants’ vanquished foes, their features frozen in terror, are sunk into the ice around the room as decorations.
Hundreds of frozen corpses—animal and human alike— dangle on chains from this vast chamber’s ceiling.
A near-frozen slave lies shivering atop a tall, flat-topped ice pillar surrounded by hundreds of sharp icy spikes.
Sunlight filtering through from above has melted the floor of this room to a polished finish. It is exceptionally slippery in this area.
Frost Giant’s Appearance
Long black horns adorn this old giant’s pauldrons. Its armour is battered and dented but was obviously of good quality…once.
Three long braids of pure white hair dangle over the shoulders of this giantess. She wears a striking blue dress and red cape.
Hobbling around with a pronounced limp, this giantess still commands her kins’ respect. She has an imperious look in her eyes.
Dressed in fur and white-dyed hides, this giant carries a huge bow and a quiver of two-metre long arrows. The giant wears light armour and carries only minimal gear; she looks like a hunter or scout.
Treasure
This pile of reindeer hides is rolled neatly together. A beautiful painting of a landscape or portrait of various clan members decorates each hide. The images are vivid and breathtaking.
Bubbling and hissing, a flaming longsword is embedded deep into a rock in an ice-fringed pool. Removing the weapon causes the pool to freeze over in seconds.
This black-shafted longspear is tipped with polished narwhal horn and embedded with ivory. Wolf and tiger fangs are tied along the weapon’s haft.
Carved from a walrus’s tusk, this horn is polished to a high sheen and detailed with small red gems.
Trinkets & Trash
A squashed helm, trodden on by a giant, lies partly frozen into the floor.
A giant-sized wooden spoon encrusted with dried food lies discarded and forgotten on the floor.
A collection of leather boots and shoes, all for left feet, fills a lidless chest.
A small bag holds rotting wolf teeth, each with a hole drilled in the thin end (probably to make a necklace).
Credit
This is a short system-neutral extract from Monstrous Lair #38: Frost Giants’ Glacial Rift by Steve Hood.
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