G2 - Upper Level (Caves and Rift Floor)

The northern sections of the caves and caverns are basically formed from ice, with a few areas of rock here and there. In these areas a faint greenish light makes torches or similar lights unnecessary. Fireballs used in such areas makes the footing within the area of effect very slippery (slip and fall 2 in 6 per 10 feet moved). For from 2 to 5 turns after such magi-cal fire is used, the area is also filled with a thick fog which reduces visibility to 5 feet.

A boulder blocking passage can be moved by three persons of normal strength, success indicated by a roll of 1 – 2 on 1d6. A character with 18 or better strength can move such a rock alone, at the same chance. If aided by other party members, add 1 to the chance for each helper with 18 or greater strength.

If the party is on the floor of the rift and fleeing from pursuing monsters, any change in direction by the party calls for a die roll (1d6) to determine if the monsters continue to follow; 1 – 2 indicated that they do so, but 3 – 6 means that the party successfully eludes the monsters. This is allowed due to the blizzard-like conditions in this area.

Upper Level Wandering Monsters

Encounter occurs 1 in 12 (Id 12); check each turn. Wandering monsters are assumed to be creatures not shown on the matrices, and their appearance is simply chance, although they can reinforce existing monsters in an area if circumstances favor this action on their part.

Upper Level Rooms and Areas

B. Positions of large boulders.

1 · Guardroom Ice Cavern

Four frost giants lair in this place at all times to prevent any unauthorized use of the south passage. If any combat is going against them, one of their number will flee down this passage to give the warning of intruders to the guards at Areas 9 and 10. There are four piles of hides, four giant sacks, and a pile of rocks and ice chunks for hurling. The guards will certainly hurl missiles if they are not immediately meleed. Their treasure is at Area 6. See also Area 2 hereafter.

Encounter: Frost Giants [4]

2 · Guardroom Ice Cave

Three frost giants on standby guard. If they hear noise from Area 1 they will rush to their help, or if they are attacked they will raise a cry to bring the guards from Area l to aid them. There are four piles of sleeping skins and two bags in the cave. Under the third pile of skins is a silver belt worth 1.600 gp, one giant wears a jeweled chain on his wrist (3,000 gp necklace), and one sack holds 4,126 gp. There is an ample supply of boulders and ice blocks at hand for hurling at opponents.

Encounter: Frost Giants [3]

3 · Empty Ice Cave

If loud noise is made herein, the ceiling of ice and icicles will collapse, inflicting 3 – 30 hit points of damage on each creature in the cave.

4 · Small Ice Cave

This is the den of five winter wolves-a male, female, and three half-grown young. If the young are molested, the parents will fight at twice normal values. They have no treasure, although there is a litter of bones and the like in the place.

Encounter:
Winter Wolf Adults [2]
Winter Wolf Cubs [3]

5 · Ice Cavern

The giants have frozen eight corpses of their victims, standing them upright in blocks of transparent ice. Evidently these are meant to frighten off trespassers. The bodies are obviously mutilated and very dead, not merely frozen whole. Each of these corpses has some valuable item with it in the ice:

Dwarf with a battle axe +1
Elf with a long case at its feet (wand of cold with 16 charges)
Human wearing a jeweled belt (worth 7,000 gp)
Human with a tube in its hand (a scroll of protection from elementals)
Dwarf with a spilled pouch of 37 gems (10 gp each) at its feet
Human wearing a ring of fire resistance
Half-elf grasping a sack with a burst seam showing silvery coins (471 sp)
Human in gleaming armor (armor of vulnerability –2 but appears as + 2 until actually struck in combat)

If a fireball is used to melt the ice blocks, all magic and jewelry will be destroyed. Lesser fires or chipping will cause melting or vibrations which have a 10% per block cumulative chance of causing the ceiling of ice and icicles to collapse and inflict 6 – 60 hit points of damage on each creature beneath.

Ice Provision Cave

There are various pieces of frozen meat, some bales of cloth, piles of hides, and a few odd boxes and barrels of foodstuffs here. The third barrel moved will reveal a hole with 3,000 gp, four 1,000 gp base value gems, and a cleric spell scroll with one cure serious wounds on it inside a silver tube worth 300 gp.

6 · Cavern

This natural rock cavern is covered with ice formations, so that unless the party pays particular attention, only the lack of light which pervades the ice caves will make this place different from earlier caves and caverns. There are four big heaps of furry hides near the southeastern end of the place (or more if ogres from the Steading survived, for they will also be here). Under each is an ogre, who awaits audience with the Jarl. Any noise will awaken them, and they will give the alarm to Area 8 and attempt to give the party the slip and warn the giants, too. Each ogre has from 100 to 400 gp and 1 – 4 gems (100 gp each).

Encounter: Ogres [4]

7 · South Cavern

Ogre mercenaries serving Jarl Grugnur dwell here. There are 12 ogres here. All fight fiercely. Also in the place are five chests, twelve sacks, and three barrels, as well as many piles of the usual skins and hides used for beds. Chest #2 contains an ear collection, and #4 holds 1,300 cp, 2,111 sp, 792, ep, and 5,300 gp. Sack #9 contains six pieces of silver jewelry (worth 100 – 600 gp each) and eight pieces of gold jewelry (200−800 gp each). Barrel #1 contains skulls. Hidden under the 10^th pile of skins are two potions of healing and a gold armband with an inset ivory and amber bear (jewelry value 2,000 gp, damaged value 700 gp). The latter is a pass to the Jarl.

Encounter: Ogres [12]

8 – 10 · Cavern Guard Complex

The giants here are always alert, and the position of each guard is shown by a circled number. These guards will co-operate and attempt to set up ambushes by the movement of those in area 9 eastward to 10, via the north passage, while those in area 10 move clockwise into area 9 to come into the rear of attacking forces.

This area holds four frost giants. Each has his regular weapon plus one boulder at hand. There are plenty of additional boulders piled near guard positions one and four. These giants have no treasure.
Four additional frost giants occupy this area. Each wears an armband exactly as described in Area 8. There are eight bags piled into the corner at guard position eight, each holding 200 – 1,200 gp. There is also a rock ledge at about 9 feet high which has a stone box on it; inside this box are six more armbands and a pouch of 21 gems (100 gp each). The stone box will not be seen unless it is actively looked for by a creature within 5 feet able to view something that far off the ground.

Encounter: Frost Giants [8]

10 · Cave of Bones

This place is the disposal area for unwanted bodies and similar refuse which is tossed into the place by the various giants in the upper area. Although it certainly appears that there might be some treasure scattered among all the bones, there are only a few coins (1−6 each of cp, sp, gp) and some broken weapons, pottery shards, and the like. It takes 1 turn to search a 10-foot square area, and the toads from area 12 will come into the place to look for expected food when they hear noise. Roll each turn, giving 1/6 greater chance per turn with a 1 in 6 probability on the first turn.

11 · Lower Bone Cave

This place is littered with bones and skulls, and is the lair of five ice toads. These creatures feed on the leavings in area 11. They have but one treasure, a naturally shaped piece of reddish-purple amethyst (5,000 gp base value) which resembles a toad. They have it on a protuberance in the middle of the cave, and worship it as a god. The toads rest on small ledges from 8 feet to 12 feet above the cave floor, and they will hop down and savagely attack anything which touches the gem.

Encounter: Ice Toads [5]

12 · Ice Cavern

This place is the home of a band of yeti who are scouts for the frost giants. Six yeti are here, but have no treasure. The yeti leader is at location A. He wields a longsword +3, frost brand (Neutral, no intelligence, +6 vs. fire-using or fire-dwelling). He has a hoard of 11 ivory tusks (each worth 800 gp, weighing 40 pounds) under a mound of snow.

Encounter:
Yeti Leader
Yeti [6]

14 · Misty Ice Cave

Escaping hot air from somewhere beneath filters into this place, making it full of damp, cold fog. The stuff cuts visibility to 3 feet, and the floor is very slippery (with a 2 in 6 chance of falling). Check to see if the fall causes the fumbling and dropping of whatever the party has in hand. Dropped items (which are not too large) have a 1 in 4 chance of falling into a crack in the floor and dropping somewhere into the bowels of the earth, to be forever lost.

15 · Ice Cave

This is the den of two snow leopards which are the “hunting dogs” and pets of the yeti in area 13. These creatures lair on a ledge above the floor of the cave, and they will always attack intruders by surprise (1−3) or complete surprise (4−6). They have no treasure.

Encounter: Snow Leopards [2]

16 – 19 · Barracks Cavern Complex

This area houses the band of frost giants currently readying for a raid into the lands of mankind and his associates. Each of the subareas has piles of hides for sleeping, a table and stools, and a few extra giant-sized weapons around, but there is no treasure except as indicated. All have club, spear, and four boulders to hurl.

At location “X” in area 18 is a clear spring of water about 30 inches deep, at the bottom of which are 272 clear rock crystals worth 10 gp each.

Encounter:
Frost Giants [4]
Frost Giants [4]
Frost Giants [6]
Frost Giants [4]

20 · Ice Storage Cave

This place is full of large and small pieces of frozen meat, some of the chunks resembling parts of human and demi-human bodies.

21 · Ice Cavern

A rune of warning carved into the ice floor clearly shows that this place is to be shunned.(Any party member able to speak the language of frost giants, or if a comprehend languages spell or the like is available to the party, will immediately understand this as a dire warning!) Only 10 feet beyond the west bend of the cavern, the walls appear to be covered with old, rough ivory-it is full of brown mold. Mounds down the corridor appear to be the bony remains of various creatures, but the growth covers them, so no positive observation can be made. There is no treasure.

22 · Guard Ice Cave

Two frost giants are posted as guards here, one watching at the cave mouth, one sleeping on a pile of hides. Each is armed. and there are eight throwing boulders in the cave. They each have a sack, but neither have any treasure.

Encounter: Frost Giants [2]

23 · Guard Cave

This position is manned by four frost giants. One giant watches down each passage while the other two sleep on heaps of skins. Each has his weapon and four boulders to hurl. There are sacks in the cave but no treasure.

Encounter: Frost Giants [2]

24 · Visitors’ Cave

Five hill giants are camped here awaiting a summons from the Jarl. The cave has five heaps of hides and five giant-sized bags. Bag #4 has a gold-inlayed skull with a report from Nosnra, the hill giant chief, to the Jarl inside. It is a pass to the Hall of King Snurre, the fire giant king, also, and the biggest hill giant knows that they are bound south to the realm of the fire giants after seeing the Jarl so as to take a message to the fire giant king. Each hill giant wears a fur cloak worth 1,000 – 6,000 gp

Encounter: Hill Giants [5]

25 · Visitors’ Cave

Five stone giants of very large size have come here to pay their respects to the Jarl and to see how well the frost giants are doing in their war on humankind. They will report their observations to other stone giants if they get the opportunity. They will fight only if attacked. Each has a weapon and three rocks handy. Among the five piles of skins in the cave is a jeweled crown worth 15,000 gp (9 gems worth 1,000 gp each, 2,000 gp worth of platinum) which they intend to give to the Jarl as a gift if he appears to be doing well.

Encounter: Stone Giants [5]

26 · Special Visitors’ Cave

This location is warmed somewhat by volcanic activity, and it is lit by dim reddish light. In it are three fire giant messengers who have delivered their message and are about to depart for their own land. There are three huge piles of furs and skins in the place, a rude table, a bench, three stools, a large brazier, and three sacks, each with 3,000 gp plus the usual contents. The strongest fire giant carries a token of the Jarl’s fealty to King Snurre, a solid silver statue of a bear, rampant, with topaz eyes (500 gp each) and ruby fangs (eight gems worth 500 gp each) worth 6,000 gp (silver is worth 100 gp). The statue is carried in a bag at his belt.

Encounter: Fire Giants [3]

27 · Wolf Pack

This wild pack of seven animals is encouraged to roam the place by the frost giants. They have no treasure.

Encounter: Winter Wolves [7]

28 · Snow-covered Dome of Ice

This formation has been caused by the creature which lairs inside, a remorhaz 30 feet long which has recently moved into the rift. A number of skeletons arc around its icy den, one of a human with a ring of three wishes on its bony finger and a bastard sword +2, giant slayer (unintelligent, either Lawful Good or aligned to suit the most likely PC user). If the monster is destroyed by magical violence (such as a fireball, lightning, wall of fire, or fire elemental), the treasures are lost-destroyed or sunk into the ice and non recoverable.

Encounter: Remorhaz

29 · White Pudding

There are two of these monsters; one at each place 29 is shown on the map.

Encounter: White Puddings [2]

30 · Sinkhole

This is an ice-coated sinkhole around 12 feet diameter and 100 feet deep which gives access to the Lower Level (area 2).

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