Wardens of Heroes Gate

Scene Notes – C01.S03.11

What happens in this scene?

The main purpose of this scene is really to trigger the hook for the next cycle. Dawndra has come to Icewind Dale with two purposes, to test her martial skill in the Frozenfar Fray games and to attempt to learn something about her kin and kind. She was not in Bryn Shander long before someone mistakes her for someone named Shavisala – who it turns out may actually be her mother. She travels to Alzvar because this is where Shavisala is known to dwell.

Well… Shavisala will not actually be in Alzvar currently. She received news (by way of a skalds poem) of a village of Firbolg in Norland which had raised a strange castaway – a girl of white hair and white fur with giant porportions. Upon hearing the story, she left Alzvar for the Moonshae Isles to find this Firbolg Village.

Dawndra and party arrive in Alzvar and are welcomed by its sole remaining resident – a Frost Giant Skald named Sol Koli (naming herself, in part, after her hero the outcast Skald Solkona). Solkoli may also mistake Dawndra for Shavisala – and then welcome her in, knowing she surely must be the lost daughter.

But then what? Spent some time exploring the ice temple? The entire interior is intricately carved ice which will never melt. The artificer gift helf by Shavisala (and eventually Dawndra) began with Solkona. (Perhaps Solkona and a werebear fell in love? Maybe Solkona gave birth to a new race – kinda. Each Arktikos has one ready egg, one female child, that is dormant within until some event triggers its growth period and birth. That would mean a single lineage, born of an Empyrean. Maybe there is a magical chance that a full race can one day be birthed and allow Arktikos multiple children but for now, a single lineage is all that exists. Shavisala was a 100 years old when she gave birth to Dawndra and may live to see Dawndra turn 100

.

But that is all for much later… what about this scene/session?

Would Sol Koli give magical weapons away to the party? It is probably not her place

Would Sol Koli recite poetic lore? Of course she would.

Would Sol Koli ask the NPCs about themselves? The hear their stories? Yes she would

What else? I don’t want trouble in the temple – there is enough trouble elsewhere.

So this session:

Arrive at the gates

Meet Sol Koli

Learn of Shavisala’s departure and journey to Norlan

Hear the “Song of the Lofty Snow Lass”

Hear a story from Dawndra (“Share a story with Sol Koli?”)

Hear a story from Shent, Samsam and maybe Melthor

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Thrym

https://dungeonsdragons.fandom.com/wiki/Thrym

Alzvar…. The Ice Temple

Alzvar was once a frost giant temple created by Dwarves alongside the empyrean Solkona – daughter of Thrym and Auril. She was an empyrean – the elder sister of Nalkara – daughters of Auril and Thrym.

Solkona was good-aligned and hated the evil alignment of her parents. Where her father taught that beauty was deceptive and dangerous, she felt the pursuit of beauty to be a grand purpose. She was a lover of music and poetry and art. The early warrior Skalds of Icewind Dale were students in Alzvar and were taught by Frost Giant Skalds who followed and worshiped Solkona away from Thrym and his ways of war and blood.

Alzvar’s creators were redeemed Dwarves. Nalkara had imprisoned the Chainfist Clan of the Talagbar Hold in the Angsaas Chain. Solkona rescued the clan and relocated them to the Spine where they were free to find and make a new home. They choose a location somewhere east of Frostfalls Vale

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Iallanis

In the center of the Temple Alzvar, there is a massive statue of Iallanis.

The emperyan SolKonadesired to not only follow Iallanis, but to be with her. The Dwarves of Chainfoot Clan (or was it Chainfist? Or maybe… Chainaxe?)

wanted to repay SolKonafor rescuing them so they built the Ice Temple Alzvar. SolKonaimmortalised the ice with her magic.

dwarves built Alzvar temple to Ilallnis to honor Solkona, who desired to join her, and did

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Angsaas_Chain

before the Ice Run glacier covered the region, there was a dwarven hold in the Angsaas Chain

The population were enslaved and forced to make weapons for their enemies.

Solkonashared their enemy and freed them, relocating the entire hold to The Spine. The Dwarves buult Alzvar in tribute and thanks which expkains the beauty ot it

Sharvasla

So changing names is not fun… I came up with Shavisala back when I ran Snow Stalkers at a real table. The was always the destination for Nim’s delivery. I planned on making her a quest giver… “find my missing daughter” who was, of course, Dawndra. We never continued playing that storyline but… that is where Frozenfar Fray Games began. Dawndra was lost and th party would have discovered that she went to compete in barbarian games. The idea took time to develop beyond that, but it started there. Why did I change the name? I kept getting its pronounciation confused and it began to remind of me of other words. Maybe it really matters little… but after some playing with it, Sharvasla is what I have decided upon. It is important to like the names of your characters – as you write you repeat them over and over in your head, and then there is the proof-reading (if it goes that far). I dislike reading books with names that are difficult to pronounce, or otherwise strike the inner ear weird… you repeat names so much… I have given nicknames to charaters in books I read – when their name comes up in the text, I just substitute my nickname in my head… silly business I know. Point is, names should be 3 syllables or less and be easy on the ears. Sharvasla (shar Va sla) is preferable to Shavisala.

Lallargh and Hergatha

The Lofty Snow Lass is about Dawndra defeating Lallargh. It was actually Hergatha

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Hergatha

Hergatha also destroy Dawndra home village however…

And Dawndra does not know it yet

Back to the session 11…

Soll Koli wants stories. She will not tell Dawndra her own stories because “Sharvasla would be hurt if I stole that away from her” that is… Sharvasla has expressed a deep desire to find her daughter and tell her their story and Soll Koli would not take that away.

Does Dawndra tell a story?

Maybe everyone in the party does. (Perhaps some are doubled up)

Shent has lots of stories but is reticent to tell his own, perhaps he tells his fathers story?

Brallga tells a story about finding her sentient mace, Verna

Samsam (and Melthor) retell the Cliffs of Xovor

Garlvan and Thavlia recount one of their adventures together – perhaps in honor of Lorvus, their fallen Rogue

Dawndra has stories from the monastery, from traveling from Moonshaes to the coast and looking for a monastery, and may want to straighten the record about Lallargh