Frozen Dreams

Chapter Six 71

Tomb of Frozen Dreams

Deep within frozen glaciers lies a series ofice caves long inhabited by a reclusive sect ofarcanists.These sorcerers and wizards have sequestered themselves in order to study magic more fully and expand the range oftheir capabilities for wielding its power. They have also tapped into the natural essence ofice and found a way to freeze dreams within its chilled soul.

Far to the south,in the uncharted wastes beyond Talesh-Mhor,lies a series ofcaves within the nevermelting ice ofeternal glaciers.Visitors describe the caves as mazelike.Most ofthem are filled with frigid seawater,so one must navigate by boat.

Background

The vast,cathedral-like caverns feature majestic pillars ofice rising up to the 100-foot domed roof,while narrow passages with tight,nearly impassable turns and deceptive drop-offs send water cascading down into deep,dark chasms.Rumor has it that some ofthese chasms contain magical portals that lead to other realms or planes,since the water pours down into them,but they never fill up—and those who explore them are almost never seen again.

At the center ofthe ice caves lies a cavern ofimmense size and particular grandeur.The ice here glistens like crystal, with scintillating colors playing about the walls,cast from the light ofa column ofenergy that falls from the apex ofthe roofdown into the cold,clear water.The energy,it is said, flows from the subconscious minds ofall the intelligent beings in the world.These thoughts,dreams,images,and memories fill the cavern and freeze,trapped here forever. This is the Tomb ofFrozen Dreams.

The tomb is the creation ofthe Hedrudal,a small group of arcanists who live within the ice caves,sequestered by their own volition to spend all their time studying the intricacies ofthe arcane.As a grand experiment,the Hedrudal long ago used natural magic bound within the caves themselves to create a place where they could store dreams,thoughts,and emotions—frozen within the ice.So many centuries have gone by that the Tomb ofFrozen Dreams has become filled with these stored visions and thoughts.

Using This Location in Your Campaign

Player characters may attempt to find the Tomb ofFrozen Dreams to uncover some secret lost to all living beings but left frozen within the ice.They may wish to tap into the powers locked within some ofthe frozen dreams.Or they may need to contact the Hedrudal to learn arcane secrets from them.

Ofcourse,getting to the place might prove difficult (except through the Nexus,perhaps) since it lies within the ice caves ofa distant,frozen land.Characters can reach the caves only by crossing a frigid and sometimes frozen sea, making it extremely difficult for a conventional ship to undertake the journey.The arcanists who live here prefer to transport themselves and their supplies magically.They do not even own a ship capable ofmaking the journey away from their frozen home.

Frozen Dreams

Also known as “dead dreams,” frozen dreams are thoughts and emotions stored within the ice ofthe Tomb ofFrozen Dreams.Frozen dreams are difficult to distinguish from normal ice.A searcher must look carefully for the tell-tale sign: tiny,almost imperceptible images within the facets ofthe crystalline ice itself.Ifyou melt a frozen dream using your own breath,you unleash the dream and it flows into you. Most ofthe time,you then experience the dream,memory,or thought as ifit were your own.These frozen dreams can contain important lore,knowledge lost to all but the one who can loose it from the tomb.Sometimes, however,special frozen dreams grant powerful abilities to those who thaw them: • Frozen Dream ofCombat: You gain a +2 competence bonus to attack rolls for 1d4 days. • Frozen Dream ofKnowledge: You gain a +10 competence bonus to a random Knowledge skill for one day. • Frozen Dream ofLife: You can create any creature that you have ever seen that has up to your Hit Dice.The creature is not a specific individual—it is a brand-new, average specimen ofits species not under your control. • Frozen Dream ofLove: You feel rejuvenated and filled with warmth.The dream heals you ofany damage you have sustained to your mental ability scores and restores your lost levels or negative levels as a greater restoration spell. • Frozen Dream ofPower: You gain the ability to cast a random spell 1d4 times,as ifyou were a sorcerer ofthe minimum level needed to cast the spell. • Frozen Dream ofRest: You feel rejuvenated and refreshed.The dream heals you ofany damage you have sustained to your physical ability scores and restores your lost levels or negative levels as a greater restoration spell.

Placing the Portal

You can place the portal from the Nexus in any of the caves in this cavern maze (see map, page 72). Keep it away from the central tomb proper, however, allowing the player characters to discover this vast chamber on their own.