Dolmenwood Factions: The Cold Prince
Back with more Dolmenwood factions. This time, I take a closer look at the powerful yet banished Cold Prince and his fearsome frost elves. How can this seemingly limited faction snowball into one of the biggest game changers in this world? Let's find out!
Goals
- Locate Secret Pathways into Dolmenwood (Landmark): This essential goal helps the faction gain a foothold. Multiple pathways are ideal, but even one fast and easily reachable passage will suffice. Until achieved, this faction plays a minor role in the campaign.
- Seek Alliance with Other Fairy Nobles (Hidden): Known primarily to those traversing Fairy, this goal supports the first one. Alliances with other Fairy Nobles diversify the threat to mortals, adding new dynamics.
- Destroy the Ring of Chell (Secret): The ultimate goal. The Campaign Book describes the dire consequences if the Standing Stones fall. The return of the Cold Prince will herald an eternal winter over Dolmenwood.
Resources
The Cold Prince has powerful resources but faces the challenge of bringing them to Dolmenwood.
- Frost Elves: From large cadres of highly trained, elite knights to intricate spies and powerful elf lords.
- Execute intricate missions.
- Attack and defend key positions.
- Treat with other Fairy Nobles as equals.
- Winter Magic: Mastery over powerful frost and winter magic.
- Control the environment.
- Provide powerful enchantments.
- Create magical barriers and constructs.
- Ancient Artifacts: Relics and enchanted items from Frigia.
- Enhance combat abilities of followers.
- Tempt mortal dissidents with trades.
- Unlock long-forgotten secrets in Dolmenwood.
Actions
This faction has a slow start due to its lack of footholds in Dolmenwood. My campaign began with the Winter's Daughter module, where players traveled to Frigia, meeting Lady Snowfall-at-Dusk and attracting the interest of other Frost Elf Courtiers at her tower. This likely caught the Cold Prince's interest, before I introduced Faction Turns to the campaign.
- 📔 Locate the rift that has sent mortals to Frigia (Winter's Daughter)
- 📝 Send word to Lady Frost-Dust-Shadow.
- 📝 Have enchanted servants find and verify the rift's existence.
- 📝 Frost-Dust-Shadow conducts experiments to stabilize the rift.
- 📔 Tip the eternal battle in Everborne into the Lady of Midnight's favor and gain her as an ally.
- 📝 Frost Elf Knights win an important battle against the forces from the moon.
- 📝 Courtiers sway important people in Tainglass with promises and gifts.
- 📝 Field a campaign to secure another foothold outside of Tainglass.
- 📔 Establish a secret foothold in the High Wold.
- 📝 Send a trusted courtier through several detours to Dolmenwood.
- 📝 Find a suitable location and disguise.
- 📝 Gain the trust of the locals.
⚠ REMINDER
You should only have about three active actions, so pick and choose what sounds interesting. You can either pick the Mission 📔 or the Task 📝 to be active. You also need to add a progress clock to each action you choose. Tasks should have 1-2 segments, and Missions should have at least 4 or more.See this previous post for a more detailed explanation.
Other potential missions include recruiting a Breggle Lord by promising control of the High Wold, sharing common enemies like the Drune for a temporary or permanent alliance.
Once enough passages to Dolmenwood are secured and alliances forged, the primary goals include gathering information about the Ring of Chell, questioning captured Drune, and starting missions to topple the Summerstones. At this point, the presence of the Frost Elves should cause chaos and panic among mortals, leading to swift reactions from other factions.
As stated in the Goals, the consequences of the Summerstones falling are outlined in the Campaign Book, providing inspiration for the next steps.
Alliances
The Lady of Midnight is not the only possible Fairy alliance. The Cold Prince could also try to mend his relationship with his estranged brother Prince Mallowheart or former ally Queen Abyssinia.
Among the Breggle Lords, either Lord Malbleat or Lord Ramius seem likely candidates. However, their Houses as a faction would need to be in poor standing for either of them to consider treating with the Frost Elves.
Additional Notes
The biggest advantage the Cold Prince has is that apart from the Drune and Ygraine, he is on nobody's radar. The Drune are heavily occupied on all fronts dealing with the Nag-Lord, the Church and Nobles, and the Breggles. Ygraine is powerful but not a huge force. Her best bet is to interrupt possible alliances with other Fairy Nobles or even try to turn them against the Frost Elves, but this is a slow process requiring many favors and goodwill from whimsical beings.
However, once the Frost Elves gain momentum, they will be a key factor in Dolmenwood, dedicated to achieving their ultimate goal with arguably the biggest impact on the world. I'd love to see it happen!
This concludes the deep dive into the faction of the Frost Elves. As always, if you have other ideas or implementations, feel free to share them!