Ice Spire

Positions conflict on published maps. See Talk:Ice Spire/Conflicts.

Ice Spire is a vast dungeon located in the northern plains of the Thanelands in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings.¹²³⁴

History

The Ice Spire was once the lair of an ancient and fierce linnorm named Vyalldehun, and many of the dungeon's denizens are still somewhat related to that dragon,¹⁴ who perished more than 300 years ago.⁴

Structure

Located on the Vyalldehun River✝ and close to the southern edge of the Stormspear Hills, Ice Spire is a singular spire that rises approximately 40 feet out of the frozen tundra.¹²³⁴ The spire's upper reaches attract arctic eagles, as well as ice scamps⁵ during especially cold periods.⁴

Frozen stairs lead from a wide opening at the spire's base into its underground caverns. Vyalldehun laired in the dungeon's upper levels, but only frost drakes remain, with most of the dragon's hoard looted long ago.⁴

Adventurers tell that countless levels of dungeons and ice caves exist below the spire, most of them occupied by dangerous creatures and fearsome monsters.¹²³ These deeper caverns contain sparkling crystalline formations of ice above deep crevasses, which are also bridged by exceptionally strong ice structures. Crystals in these levels can grow to the size of houses.⁴

The depths are guarded by ice golems, infested with frozen undead, and home to the exiled devil Damozent. Further down are the lairs of three winterwights who battle each other in perpetual stalemate for dominance,⁴ then hidden unlit chambers in its deepest levels that are constructed with alien architecture and house black puddings, gugs, and faceless stalkers. All seem to defer to a glowing altar-like structure within an organic structure that emits a hypnotic voice.⁴

Scholars have posited that the spire's dungeons must connect to the Darklands, but as of 4711 AR no entrance to that layer of Golarion had been found by surviving explorers.⁴

References

Paizo depicted the Ice Spire on the cover of the Pathfinder Playtest Rulebook and published a section on it in Lands of the Linnorm Kings.

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 James Jacobs, et al. “Linnorm Kings, Lands of” in The Inner Sea World Guide, 104. Paizo Inc., 2011
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Amanda Hamon, et al. “Famous Dungeons of Golarion” in Dungeoneer's Handbook, 19. Paizo Inc., 2013
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 Jason Bulmahn, et al. “Introduction” in Dungeons of Golarion, 3. Paizo Inc., 2011
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 ^4.4 ^4.5 ^4.6 ^4.7 ^4.8 ^4.9 Matthew Goodall, et al. “The Proving Grounds” in Lands of the Linnorm Kings, 37. Paizo Inc., 2011
↑ Paizo referred to elemental scamps as mephits until the publication of the Pathfinder Second Edition Bestiary, and began solely referring to them as scamps in Rage of Elements. See Bestiary pg. 150, Rage of Elements pg. 3, and Pathfinder Core Preview pgs. 2, 13. Their appearance also changed from small humanoids to small bat-like creatures.

[the-inner-sea-world-guide-104-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 James Jacobs, et al. “Linnorm Kings, Lands of” in The Inner Sea World Guide, 104. Paizo Inc., 2011

[dungeoneer-s-handbook-19-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Amanda Hamon, et al. “Famous Dungeons of Golarion” in Dungeoneer's Handbook, 19. Paizo Inc., 2013

[dungeons-of-golarion-3-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 Jason Bulmahn, et al. “Introduction” in Dungeons of Golarion, 3. Paizo Inc., 2011

[lands-of-the-linnorm-kings-sourcebook-37-4] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 ^4.4 ^4.5 ^4.6 ^4.7 ^4.8 ^4.9 Matthew Goodall, et al. “The Proving Grounds” in Lands of the Linnorm Kings, 37. Paizo Inc., 2011

[5] Paizo referred to elemental scamps as mephits until the publication of the Pathfinder Second Edition Bestiary, and began solely referring to them as scamps in Rage of Elements. See Bestiary pg. 150, Rage of Elements pg. 3, and Pathfinder Core Preview pgs. 2, 13. Their appearance also changed from small humanoids to small bat-like creatures.

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