CotN:D - The White Fiend

[Joël of the FoS]

I would like to have my players meet this fiend, which I think is a very cool evil nature fey.

However, the adventure that goes with it is pretty, well, straight. It boils down to finding the fiend and then she say I'm goon kill you and disappear, leaving wolves to fight the party.

Any idea to enhance this great friend?

Joël

[DeepShadow of FoS]

I planned an adventure for my Awakenings game where the White Fiend and Jezra Wagner teamed up to create an eternal winter in the Balinoks, which also led to a huge trade problem in the southern core. More than that didn't get fleshed out, but I'll give it some thought.

[Joël of the FoS]

With Jezra, interesting.

Or J and the WF could battle while the PCs (or a village) are in between ...

[Malus Black]

I've always found that, when dealing with straightforward threats, it's best to take some time to get there. Build up tension with mini-quests and mysteries which should be, directly or thematically, tied in with whatever it is the White Fiend wants.

For example, the PCs could arrive in a tiny village in the middle of nowhere. At first, everything seems normal, but the village is even more quiet than it ought to be, and there's a weird coldness in the air. You might have someone talk about stillborn animals and other strange occurences. Later in the evening, while the PCs are trying to get some sleep the calm is broken by a chorus of wolves' howling which is suddenly cut off, as though something got to them. In the morning, the landscape, which was bare yesterday, is covered in three feet of snow, and there's heavy snowfall. This also means that a small lumber camp up in the mountainside is isolated, and the burgomeister asks for someone - the PCs - to bring them supplies. Heading up the mountain, they notice that it is eerily quiet. When they get a bit further and enter the pine forest clinging to the mountainside, they find the frozen corpses of terrified animals - deer, wolves, birds - all of which appear to have been fleeing the mountain. Continuing, they suddenly hear a horrible scream. If they go to investigate they find tracks coming down from the mountain and then ending abruptly at the frozen corpse of the single survivor of the White Fiend's attack on the lumber camp.

When they finally arrive a blizzard has started. Through the wind and snow they think they see shapes moving in the shadows, though they can't be sure. The camp itself is empty. The front door is open, and the floor around is covered in snow. There is no sign of anyone, and the weather is too bad to go back through. They'll have to wait the blizzard out. This, of course, would be a nice time to scare them with banging shutters and dark shadows. And then, when they've finally calmed down, they hear howling. A few wolves, now completely mad, have surrounded the lumber camp, trying desperately to get in. Maybe to get food. Maybe to get away from something. The PCs will have to fight off the wolves, or they'll be chased into the storm. Either way, this is when the White Fiend makes its entrance. First comes an ice-cold blast of air (the White Fiend's breath weapon), and then it attacks. The PCs should be so weak that their best chance is flight, and the White Fiend isn't really interested in them at this point - the village's turn will come later.

As they (hopefully) flee, they catch a glance of the White Fiend retreating up the mountain towards its lair near the peak. If the PCs survive the night in the blizzard (they should, but just barely) they will have to find out as much as they can about the White Fiend with limited time and resources. More snow is falling every day, the passes are closed, and there is a growing hostility among the villagers towards the strangers. After all, didn't the snow come with them? Ultimately, the PCs will have to climb the mountain and face the White Fiend, or wait until it comes to them.

Er, this turned out to be more of an adventure than an idea. Well, I hope you can use some of it.

[Joël of the FoS]

This brings more flavor to the straightforward adventure. Thanks for the inspiration.

I'll read again Jezra's profile too to think of a possible crossover.

Joël

[DeepShadow of FoS]

FWIW I think Jezra's profile falls short. I think she went a step further than her profile says: maybe she wouldn't let her brother leave to go get help, insisting that he stay and keep her warm. Something to that effect.

Thus she's not a DL, but she's definitely a monster, and far more intelligent and cunning than just the "I need to warm up" Jezra I've seen other places.

[Ryan Naylor]

I quite like the pathetic misguided Jezra. Gothic horror has a lot of room for characters like that.

[Joël of the FoS]

Me too. I like her this way, i.e. naive, alone and really lost, like a little girl lost in the woods.

She doesn't need to be scheming to be interesting.

Joël