Chapter 6: Caves of Hunger - Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

Chapter 6: Caves of Hunger. After opening a fissure in the Reghed Glacier, a party of explorers prepares to head inside. Equipped with the "Rime of the Frostmaiden," the characters can begin their search for the lost Netherese city buried deep in the Reghed Glacier. Ideally, the characters should be at least 8th level when they embark on this journey. Lower-level characters can survive the Caves of Hunger if they're cautious and rest often to regain their spent hit points and magic. The characters must use the "Rime of the Frostmaiden" to open a crack in the glacial wall at a place where a waterfall once tumbled down the glacier. The newly formed passage leads to the Caves of Hunger, a dungeon that was sealed off by the Frostmaiden long ago-a network of sepulchral ice caves haunted by ravenous beings. These chambers must be successfully navigated to reach the Netherese city of Ythryn. After opening a fissure in the Reghed Glacier, a party of explorers prepares to head inside Running This Chapter This chapter focuses on the characters' exploration of the ice caves. There's a good chance that Vellynne Harpell is present as well, serving as an NPC guide. If she died earlier in the adventure, the characters can use Professor Skant as a substitute guide, assuming they retrieved Vellynne's professor orb from Auril's island in chapter 5. If neither Vellynne nor Professor Skant are around, you can furnish another NPC with the information needed to reach the Caves of Hunger. Likely candidates include Hengar Aesnvaard (see "Elk Tribe Escort" below) and Dzaan's simulacrum (see appendix C). Character Advancement The characters should gain a level when they reach area H39 for the first time, regardless of the route by which they get there. Thus, if they were 8th level at the start of this chapter, they will be 9th level when they enter Ythryn for the first time. Race to the Glacier If Vellynne Harpell survived the perils of Auril's island and returned to Icewind Dale with the...