Fantasy NPC: King Hoarfrost, Tyrant Of The Hoarbound Vale

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King Hoarfrost, Tyrant Of The Hoarbound Vale

The king is tall and disproportionately wide, with cold blue skin and long sparkly white hair. Like his children, he wears opalescent robes, though his reveal a suit of complex armor beneath.

CR 8; 1,600 XP

LE Large Fey

Init +6; Senses low-light vision; Perception +23

Defense
AC 21, touch 14, flat-footed 19 (+7 armor, +3 deflection, +2 Dex, –1 size)
hp 99 (18d6+36); regeneration 30 (special)
Fort +10, Ref +13, Will +13

Defensive Abilities divine pretender, winterborn; DR 10/cold iron and magic; Immune cold, death, disease, poison; Resist acid 20, electricity 20, fire 20, sonic 20

Offense
Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)

Melee scepter of frost +15/+10 (2d6+7 plus 1d6 cold)

Ranged icicle spear +11 (2d6+7 plus 1d6 cold)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks unleash the wrath of mountains

Statistics
Str 22, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 15

Base Atk +9; CMB +10; CMD 38
Feats Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Defensive Combat Training, Diehard, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Intimidation)

Skills Intimidation +26, Knowledge (nature) +23, Knowledge (nobility) +20, Knowledge (religion) +20, Perception +23, Ride +16*, Survival +20, Swim +23*; * –4 armor check penalty included

Language Aklo, Aquan, Auran, Common, Ignan, Infernal, Sylvan

Divine Pretender (Ex and Su) King Hoarfrost taps the forced reverence he squeezes out of the denizens of the Hoarbound Vale into a degree of immortality. As long as the festivities in his honor continue and a year and a day thereafter, he is immune to death effects and his regeneration can only be suppressed with damage inflicted by a person bearing both of blessing of winter prince and blessing of winter princess.

Unleash The Wrath Of Mountains (Su) When standing on a mountain side or a mountain top, king Hoarfrost can spend at least 10 minutes invoking powers of ice, snow, and mountains and cause an avalanche, snowstorm, or a blizzard to strike anywhere within his line of sight. If he takes at least 1 hour the effects can extend to cause intense snowfall over whole Hoarbound Vale or trigger multiple avalanches.

Winterborn (Ex) King Hoarfrost ignores detrimental effects of winter weather, such as cold temperature, slippery ice, snowdrifts, and freezing wind. He can swim in almost freezing water without ill effects. If he desires so, water freezes under her feet allowing her to effectively walk on newly formed ice. He can eat and drink but can actually live without sustenance for at least a season.

Notable Gear scepter of frost (Large +1 frost heavy mace, that he can call into his hand as a swift action), icicle javelin (Large +1 frost javelin, that he can call into his hand as a swift action), royal armor (Large +1 steel lamellar armor, that he can call onto himself as a swift action)

King Hoarfrost is a cruel and selfish fey lord that came one day to the land now known as Hoarbound Vale and subjugated the denizens with threats of catastrophic blizzards and avalanches, and hordes of minor fey and spirits of mountains and ice. Now, the vale remains trapped in endless winter and its people are forced to maintain an endless cycle of winter festivals in the honor of their wanna-be deity.

King Hoarfrost cares little for his subjects seeing them as a mere cogs in a machinery of his divine ascent—mortals are petty beings with no purpose beyond being tools and pets for the fey lords and deities to his egocentric mind. He doesn't treat lesser fey or spirits that much better, though he does accepts that they have at least their own desires and plans that he might let them indulge... As long as they serve him. He won't ever admit it even before himself, but he is scared snowless of mightier fey, dragons, and outsiders, especially those with power over cold and winter season. If ever faced with one, he will try to maintain a façade of cordial kinship while desperately trying to get them leave his domain.

As for his children, prince Shinwhite Snowflake and princess Icicle Blues, he seems to show them a otherwise unseen degree of leniency and affectation as long as they play the role in his story that he intended for them to have—mostly secondary witnesses to his greatness, with an occasional bout of harmless rebellion. He doesn't really love them, though—he only loves the reflection of his own greatness that he sees in his personal creation, and if they ever truly threaten his existence or his reign, he will be willing to destroy them and make new children.

Fantasy NPC: Icicle Blues, Princess Of The Hoarbound Vale

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Icicle Blues, Princess Of The Hoarbound Vale

A tall and unnaturally thin young woman, with stern face, pale blue skin, long white hair, and striking purple eyes. She wears an opalescent shirt of mail, seemingly made of multihued ice.

CR 5; 1,600 XP

CN Medium Fey

Init +7; Senses low-light vision; Perception +15

Defense
AC 18, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+3 armor, +2 deflection, +3 Dex)
hp 55 (10d6+20); regeneration 5 (cold iron, fire)
Fort +5, Ref +10, Will +9

Defensive Abilities winterborn; DR 5/cold iron; Resist cold 10, electricity 10

Offense
Speed 30 ft.

Melee freezing touch +6 touch (5d6 cold)

Ranged icicle bow +9 or +7/+7 (1d6+2 plus 1d6 cold/×3)

Statistics
Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 13

Base Atk +5; CMB +6; CMD 26
Feats Defensive Combat Training, Improved Initiative, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot

Skills Knowledge (nature) +14, Knowledge (nobility) +12, Perception +15, Perform (sing) +14, Ride +13, Survival +12, Swim +14

Language Aquan, Auran, Common, Sylvan

SQ blessing of the winter princess

Blessing Of The Winter Princess (Su) If Icicle Blues engages in an act of passion, such as kiss, with another person, that creature gains benefit of endure elements (cold only) and resist cold 10 for the next 24 hours.

Winterborn (Ex) Icicle Blues ignores detrimental effects of winter weather, such as cold temperature, slippery ice, snowdrifts, and freezing wind. She can swim in almost freezing water without ill effects. If she desires so, water freezes under her feet allowing her to effectively walk on newly formed ice. She can eat and drink but can actually live without sustenance for at least a season.

Notable Gear icicle bow (+1 frost composite short bow, that she can call into his hand as a swift action), princely garb (+1 lamellar cuirass), jewelry (at least one piece bears a minor magical effect), a few +1 fey-bane arrows kept for special occasion (such as hunting a significant Otherworldly prey or engaging in blood-feud with another fey family)

Princess Icicle Blues is the daughter of King Hoarfrost and sister of prince Shinewhite Snowflake. Unlike her brother, she has little but contempt for mortals, their lives, their culture, and their reverence—she'd rather be riding across the wilds of the Otherworld and hunting in the company of other young fey royals than being stuck in the endless cycle winter festivals of the Hoarbound Vale.

For now, she honors her father's wish, attending the festivals with him and her brother, though she occasionally takes out her irritation on the servants, misperceiving their hospitality and reverence as the thing that chains her to this boorish, mortal place. Like her brother, she doesn't understand, that it's their father who holds the locals in thrall, forcing the natives to revere and fete him as their would-be god, and that as long as he can have his way, they are never leaving.

Fantasy NPC: Shinewhite Snowflake, Prince Of The Hoarbound Vale

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Shinewhite Snowflake, Prince Of The Hoarbound Vale

A short and stocky young man, with pleasant face, pale blue skin, chin-length white hair, and striking purple eyes. He wears opalescent robes and silver jewelry with pink stones.

CR 3; 800 XP

CG Medium Fey

Init +1; Senses low-light vision; Perception +1

Defense
AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+2 armor, +2 deflection, +1 Dex)
hp 33 (6d6+12); regeneration 5 (cold iron, fire)
Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +6

Defensive Abilities winterborn; DR 5/cold iron; Resist cold 10, electricity 10

Offense
Speed 30 ft.

Melee princely scepter +5 (1d6+2 plus 1d6 cold)

Ranged snowball +5 touch (3d6 cold)

Statistics
Str 12, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 15

Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 20
Feats Defensive Combat Training, Great Fortitude, Skill Focus (Knowledge [nobility])

Skills Diplomacy +11, Knowledge (nature) +10, Knowledge (nobility) +10, Perform (dance) +11, Ride +7, Survival +7, Swim +10

Language Aquan, Auran, Common, Sylvan

SQ blessing of the winter prince

Blessing Of The Winter Prince (Su) If Shinewhite Snowflake engages in an act of passion, such as kiss, with another person, that creature gains benefit of endure elements (cold only) and resist cold 10 for the next 24 hours.

Winterborn (Ex) Shinewhite Snowflake ignores detrimental effects of winter weather, such as cold temperature, slippery ice, snowdrifts, and freezing wind. He can swim in almost freezing water without ill effects. If he desires so, water freezes under his feet allowing him to effectively walk on newly formed ice. He can eat and drink but can actually live without sustenance for at least a season.

Notable Gear princely scepter (+1 frost light mace that he can call into his hand as a swift action), princely garb (+2 clothing), jewelry (at least one piece bears a minor magical effect)

Prince Shinewhite Snowflake is one of the two children of the King Hoarfrost. Unlike his cruel father and his distant sister, the prince is deeply curious of mortals and enamored with all parts of their culture and life—despite having very flawed understanding of it and mortal condition in general. He combines charming naivety with exceptional baggage of misconceptions regarding humanoid beings. He desires nothing less than to fully immerse himself in human condition—which is next to impossible, because he doesn't really experience the world like human beings, neither physically, nor mentally. For example, all smells and tastes are intriguing to him, even those which humans would find repulsive and he'll gladly will listen to the worst cacophony of sounds if he'll think it is some form of music.

Currently, the prince is having a time of his life taking part in the never ending winter solstice celebrations taking place in the Hoarbound Vale—trying (and mostly failing) to understand the traditions and ritual that take place, savoring the food, flirting (rather awkwardly) with mortals, and watching the ceremonies... So far, he remains unaware of the hidden distress of denizens of the vale, trapped in the never ending cycle of festivities, forced to entertain king Hoarfrost, his family, and his retinue, slowly running out of food, supplies, and hope.

Fantasy Monster: Fluxwarp Gremlin Swarm

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Fluxwarp Gremlin Swarm

A bunch of minute, identical-looking, grotesque figures flickering in and out of existence with accompanying flashes, buzzing, and 

CR 5; XP 1,600
CN Tiny Fey (extraplanar, swarm)
Init +9; Senses low-light vision; Perception +20

Defense
AC 18, touch 18, flat-footed 12 (+5 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 size)
hp 56 (16d6); fast healing 5
Fort +4, Ref +15, Will +8
Defensive Abilities half weapon damage, swarm traits

Weakness self-summoning

Offense
Speed 20 ft., phasing
Melee swarm (4d6)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

Special Attacks distraction (DC 15)

Statistics
Str 1, Dex 20, Con 8, Int 3, Wis 7, Cha 5
Base Atk +8; CMB —; CMD —
Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Improved Lightning Reflexes, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Run, Skill Focus (Perception), Toughness
Skills Knowledge (planes) +12, Perception +20
Languages barely coherent bits of Sylvan
SQ hitch a ride

Ecology
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or a pack (3–6)
Treasure none

Hitch A Ride (Su) When a creature occupying space shared with a fluxwarp gremlin swarm uses a teleportation effect, the swarm can teleport with the creature as an additional passenger. If there are other creatures sharing space with the swarm, the swarm splits in half, forming two new swarms with half the hit points of the original swarm. In unlikely circumstance when multiple creatures are teleported away to different destinations, the swarm splits into a number of copies equal to number of destinations (plus one if any creatures remain within the swarms original space) and divide its hit points adequately. Fluxwarp gremlins can recognize teleportation magic on sight.

Phasing (Su) Fluxwarp gremlin swarm flicker in and out of phase with the rest of the plane they are currently on. It can move through difficult terrain and obstacles without penalties. It can also move through walls, except force effects, but can't end their move within solid object.

Self-Summoning Fluxwarp gremlin swarms replenish themselves by summoning more copies of themselves and are always treated as summoned extraplanar creatures without a home plane. A fluxwarp gremlin swarm can be targeted with banishment, dimensional anchor, dispel magic, dispel chaos, dismissal, or any spells or effects that control, harm, or dismiss summoned creatures suppressing their hitch a ride ability, phasing, and fast healing for 1 round. All of those qualities are suppressed within area of dimensional lock and other effects that block teleportation effects.

Fluxwarp gremlin swarm form out of terrible teleportation or portal malfunctions that involved a gremlin. The original creature is caught in endless loop, bouncing between its destination and its origin points, while its countless replicas are summoned on both ways, transformed but recognizable.

The copying process is imperfect, leaving fluxwarp gremlins with even less intellectual capacity than most other gremlins strains. Their primary interests are eating and spreading themselves, preferably via teleportation and portals. Tests performed by diligent inane teleportation researchers showed that perplexingly, traveling via portals do not copy fluxwarp gremlins, unlike most other forms of teleportation.

Many extraplanar beings, at least those not thoroughly chaotic, consider spreading fluxwarp gremlin swarms across the multiverse an odious act, if not an outright offense.