The Ice Gnomes
by Alan Jones

This reclusive group of gnomes lives high up in the mountains of Karameikos. They have piercing blue eyes and silver-gold hair. Slim and agile they love nothing better than climbing the mountains in search of small glaciers and sheltered snow fields upon which to work their art. They are accomplished ice-sculptors and people have travelled far to marvel at their creations. They specialise in creating statues in the likeness of both magical and mundane creatures. The best amongst them is Skip Gildersleeve. This young gnome has created quite a following amongst his people, many of whom trail up the mountainside as he searches for the perfect piece of ice. This can be a dangerous quest, several gnomes have died in ice and rock falls over the years and so complex devices have been invented to help them climb. To reach the most popular snowfields a cable car like vehicle has been invented. The open sided car is hoisted on a twisted cable of horsehair up to the snowfield. The gnomes descend either the same way or by skiing down the snowy slopes. While the gnomes love this device, happily waving their speedysnowfeet (skies) out of the open sided car to friends below. Humans, elves and especially dwarves are less enthusiastic!

They tend to wear bright clothes. Emerald greens, bright sky blues and ruby reds are most common. Thick hose, woollen jackets over thick linen shirts, fur lined boots and most typically of all tall pointed hats which often have tassels and fluffy woolly balls. The hats are an indication of status, the stripes, both number and colour, show the gnomes profession and rank. Beards and moustaches are common in male gnomes but tend to be neatly trimmed rather than long and straggly. Names are a little less extraordinary then their lowland companions but still tend towards the flowery and descriptive rather than the prosaic.

The largest settlement is that of Snowymeadowundermountain. It has a population of several hundred gnomes plus a few humans and dwarves. It lies beneath the tallest peaks in the range and it can take a while for lowlanders to adjust to the altitude and the bright clear light reflecting off of the snow. Many gnomes wear brightlightmadedarker goggles constructed from sheets of dark mica, especially on sunny spring and summer mornings.

The gnomes normally choose from the following non-weapon proficiencies:

• Mountaineering
• Art (Ice Sculpture)
• Riding (Land Based - Skiing)
• Survival (Mountains/Arctic)
• Engineering
• Gem Cutting

The main resources of the area are gems and precious metals from the few mineral veins, snowberries harvested from steep cliffs and narrow ledges, snowberry wine that is made from the berries and is a delicacy, goat skin jackets and fur lined boots. Tourism is also a major draw to the area; lowlanders come to sky and to climb and to hunt the mountain lions and white apes that eke out a living in the bleak, rugged mountains.

The gnomes are not overly religious. There is a temple to Garl Glitterlode in the town centre but people also revere the Old Man of the Mountain, the spirit of the mountain itself.

Adventure Type:

Side Trek

Adventure Level:

Low-Medium

Adventure Description:

The PCs are staying in the gnomish town of Snowymeadowundermountain when an avalanche occurs. The town is buried and the PCs have to dig themselves out and rescue survivors. XP awards should be given for use of appropriate skills and non-weapon proficiencies. E.g. leadership, bravery, climbing. Also the imaginative use of spells should also gain XP bonuses.

Notable Encounters / NPCs:

1. Gnomish Mayor
2. Skip Gildersleeve

Adventure Links:

1. Perhaps the avalanche was not natural; the PCs could find evidence that someone or something had triggered it.

Adventure Type:

Full (1,2,4) or Side Trek (3,5)

Adventure Level:

Medium - High

Adventure Description:

The PCs are staying in the gnomish town of Snowymeadowundermountain. They may have seen the excitement that accompanies the gnome Skip Gildersleeve and may even see some of his work. One sunny morning a gnome, out of breath and flustered tells them that Skip has vanished. He was meant to be unveiling a new sculpture that morning but his bed has not been slept in and no one has seen him since the previous night.

Adventure Options:

1. Skip could possibly have fallen into a crevasse or cave complex. This could lead to a sprawling 'dungeon' crawl with encounters with cold loving low lives and traps such as thin ice over bottomless lakes and slippy passages.
2. Ice Trolls or Frost Giants could have kidnapped Skip. Perhaps they like what he does on the other hand they may see what he does as blasphemous and they want to sacrifice him to their deity.
3. He may be hiding from his fans, as he cannot think what to carve next. It is up to the PCs to persuade him to return to the town or to smuggle him out.
4. Other jealous carvers may have kidnapped him. Perhaps today is the day of a major contest and they want him out of the way. It is up to the PCs to rescue the gnome and expose the plot.
5. He has gone into hiding to try and create the perfect sculpture. He does not welcome the PCs attentions and uses various tricks and traps to keep them away until the sculpture is complete.

Notable Encounters / NPCs:

1. Low lives, creatures that like the cold, Skip Gildersleeve.
2. Ice Trolls or Frost Giants and their pets/minions, Skip Gildersleeve.
3. Skip Gildersleeve.
4. Bandits (human or gnomish).
5. Skip Gildersleeve.

Adventure Links:

The cave complex in #1 may lead to a Shadow Elven city or possibly a long deserted dwarven stronghold.

Adventure Type:

Full

Adventure Level:

Medium-High (Frost Giants) Medium (Ice Trolls)

Adventure Description:

The village of Snowymeadowundermountain has come under attack from a tribe of Ice Trolls / Frost Giants. The creatures have a cavern in the mountains near the village and the attacks have got worse recently. The cave will be well guarded and contains 9 Ice Trolls / 13 Frost Giants (7 mature, 3 infants, 3 'teenagers').

Adventure Options:

1. The giants/trolls have started attacking the village because the gnomes have started sculpting too near their cave.
2. The giants/trolls cave is getting too small and they need more space. The gnomes store caves would be ideal for them.
3. The giants/trolls are being controlled by an evil mage/cleric who hates gnomes.

Notable Encounters / NPCs:

1. Frost Giants / Ice Trolls
2. Frost Giant minions (winter wolves, yeti, white dragons)
3. Evil Mage/Cleric (Option 3)

Adventure Links:

1. The caves could have been discovered by Skip Gildersleeve in adventure 2.2

Adventure Type:

Full

Adventure Level:

Medium

Adventure Description:

Under the instruction of their leader or shaman the Ice Trolls / Frost Giants are steeling half-melted carvings from the upper snowfields. They believe they resemble their god and as such they belong to them not the gnomes. The PCs have to investigate why they are being stolen.

Notable Encounters / NPCs:

1. Skip Gildersleeve
2. Ice Trolls / Frost Giants

Adventure Links:

1. This investigation and the retrieval of the statues could cause friction and ultimately combat with the Ice Trolls / Frost Giants - sacrilege is not looked upon favourably by the monsters.

Adventure Type:

Full

Adventure Level:

Medium - High

Adventure Description:

A gnomish spellcaster was trying to increase the amount of snow and ice on the lower carving fields by using a captive Ice Mephit. Unfortunately the Mephit got free and started to gate in others of its kind as well as other creatures from the Plane of Ice. The Ice Mephit and its friends have taken control of the spellcaster's tower and are torn between running wild in the Prime Material with the items they have or taking them back to their home plane.

Adventure Options:

1. PCs have to rescue the spellcaster and his items and shut the gate.
2. The Mephits take a powerful item back to their home plane. The PCs have to go and retrieve it.

Notable Encounters / NPCs:

1. Ice Mephits
2. Denizens of the Lower Planes
3. Gnomish Spellcaster

Adventure Links:

1. Good starting point for a Planescape campaign.

Adventure Type:

Side Trek

Adventure Level:

Low

Adventure Description:

The PCs are staying near the mountains in spring when a heavy snow fall covers the village they are staying in. The local farmers are angry and demand that the PCs find the cause of the problem. It seems that a local gnomish mage/druid/cleric in the village of Snowymeadowundermountain has been trying to create a snowfall so that there is enough snow and ice to make the snowberries ripen and form ice for the Spring Carving Festival. He misjudged the area of effect and it has caused heavy snowfalls further down the mountain. He apologises and changes the weather back again.

Notable Encounters / NPCs:

1. The village of Snowymeadowundermountain.
2. Gnomish spellcaster
3. Some mountain/arctic monsters
4. Dangerous climbs

Adventure Links:

1. Good way to introduce PCs to the Ice Gnomes

Adventure Type:

Side Trek

Adventure Level:

Low - Medium

Adventure Description:

The PCs are staying in or near the village of Snowymeadowundermountain when snow starts falling heavily. It is the eve of the inter-village skiing championship and there has been a shortage of snow. A gnomish engineer has created a snow making machine but he:
1. Gets it wrong and it produces either too much snow or a strange creature like an ooze or pudding.
2. Needs a particular item/plant/creature to power it

Adventure Options:

1. The PCs need to destroy the monsters being created by the machine and then the machine itself.
2. The PCs need to go on a quest to find the item the engineer needs.

Notable Encounters / NPCs:

1. Gnomish engineer.
2. Ice Ooze or Sleet Slime

Adventure Links:

1. The quest for the specific item may lead the PCs into the Ice Troll / Frost Giant domain.

Adventure Type:

Full

Adventure Level:

Medium - High

Adventure Description:

Skip Gildersleeve or the village elders to investigate an ancient temple to an unknown god built by unknown race hire the PCs. The race is a strange species of humans/elves/dwarves never before seen. They are only sleeping and dislike being disturbed. They will repel the invaders using unusual spells (psionics?) and magic devices (devices that will only work within the confines of the chamber).

Adventure Options:

The sleepers could be Spelljammers or survivors of the Beagle. They should have the opposite alignment to Benekander/Rheddrian. Once awakened they may wish to return to their sleep or perhaps try to take over the Known World with their unusual powers.

Notable Encounters / NPCs:

Sleepers

Adventure Links:

This could be a link into an Alternity or Spelljammer campaign or it could give the PCs clues in the Wrath of the Immortals campaign.

Copyright (c) 2000, Alan Jones. Used by permission. All rights reserved.