The Frostmaiden was fickle, demanding, impatient.

And inevitable.

The last, and only dwarf to depart the frozen mountain halls of his kin Bhagrim was set on a path of penance by the Goddess. For what he did not know. But over the recent months purpose was provided through his prayers. A vision, a feeling or a sense of direction guided him across the frozen wastes on what was seemingly often senseless or trivial tasks. Collect eighteen frozen acorns from a giant oak and plant them in specific areas around Damara. That may have been the worst; time consuming, pointless, wasteful. Equally pointless were the days and nights spent in civilisation, doomsaying and spreading the word of the Goddess; again for what purpose the dwarf did not know.

He had arrived at the foot of the Great Glacier in northern Damara. It seemed to be a pattern with his duties that every step forward sent him hundreds of miles across ice capped mountains and frozen plains. It was almost deliberate. It had been roughly a week and close to 300 miles traveled from his last destination in the south-western mountains of Damara, along Bloodstone Pass. Bhagrim had done as directed, filling a glass vial with water from a remote frozen pool he had been directed to carry it to a cave in the far north, set in the glaciers.

On arrival it was a crevice in the ice through which he entered and it was tall frozen tunnels that he travelled, 30ft to 60ft high the tunnels split into smaller side passages but Bhagrim continued along the path he had felt in his vision. He had to follow the coldest path and the small offshoots were much warmer than the glacial center. After about half a mile the dark of the cavern opened into a large room, open to the sky above. A creature turned towards the dwarf from deep within the open cave.

The creature was huge, easily 25ft tall and armored in chain, a massive greataxe sat beside it and leaned against the wall. Long white hair was covered in frost and icicles hung from a greying beard. The creature had a light blue hue to it's skin and piecing blue eyes. It moved towards Bhagrim and rumbled out a curious Hmm?  "Icedawn told me one would come." The creature spoke in the Giant's tongue. He leaned down and studied the dwarf, "I was not expecting a single small mountain creature."

"I am Skyrröd. You have something for me and then I have something for you." The frost giant held out his hand expectantly.

Endless marching whilst listening the crack of snow and ice under his feet was about as maddening as the voice on the wind pegging him on and on like a nagging old woman. And when the monotomy finally broke, it led into a cavern of ice that might collapse on him at any moment. But the gods would not be so merciful to give him his grave. No, instead, he wandered on and on, to meet a giant.

"Aye, aye, and I wasn't expecting someone so ugly. But here we are eh? Not as if I'm ever told anything as plain like go meet a giant in a cave over yonder." He replied in the giant tongue. He had learned it a long, long time ago. Giants and dwarves were rarely friends, but they shared the mountain tops. That's why even the most remote dwarven hold had walls.

Scowling, his eyes piercing from under the rim of his frozen helmet, he rummaged about in his bag.
"Name's Bhagrim, if ya care. And ah... here it is."

He pulled out the bottle of water, pointless as it seemingly was to someone who didn't have a god's farsight or madness. Bhagrim placed it on the massive palm of the giant's hand. He wondered what he would end up next. Hopefully something dwarf-sized. With his luck, he'd be carrying a mammoth tusk down from here..

The giant gave a frown at the insult and started to grumble a reply but stopped when Bhagrim presented the vial. "Hmm. Good. Good."

He turned back to the wall, which Bhagrim noticed held a bench cut from the ice.  "A creature lived in this cave once. A dragon named Thexenfrar." Various urns, sacks and chests sat frozen on top of the bench and the giant tipped a handful of granular white powder into his hand and poured it into the vial. "These are the creatures scales."

He blew his frosty breath across the top of the vial and incanted in a language unfamiliar to the dwarf. "He refused the Ice Queen; covetous and selfish as such creatures are, he took it to extreme. Hoarded gold, enslaved creatures, fed his foolish pride. But he lost all and will lose more."

He clasped the vial in his hand and then presented an open palm to Bhagrim. On the giants palm was a dagger made of jagged ice shards. "You are to send a message to the creature. One of his hatchlings is nested in the Galena Mountains, close to a small human village. Barrow's Edge." He gave a deep chuckle, "You are to find this creature and stab this shard of ice through its heart. Its sire will know of its death and the warning will be sent." He pushed the hand closer to Bhagrim.

"Kill a dragon? Oh, sure, and while I'm at it I'll also find the lost hold of Baruz-Brok and reclaim the sapphire crown."
Bhagrim looked up incredulously at the giant and what he proposed. Kill a dragon? with that? And piss off its parent to no end? Now that was quite something.
"Why don't you do it? You seem more of a size to go wrestle dragons and kill 'm with a tiny little shard a ice."

The giant rumbled, "I do not go because I have not been asked."

He bent down closer and grinned, breath turning to rime in his beard, "Get bigger. Get friends. Do what tiny creatures do."

He turned over his hand, dropping the icy dagger at Bhagrim's feet. "Come back if you are not eaten."

It was another task that required a trek across the entire length of Damara, only this time perhaps the traveling would not be the most dangerous part.

"Ah, and come back? As if it's around the corner?"
With a groan Bhagrim bent over to pick up the ice dagger. Complain as he might, it was her will. As stupid as this whole idea was, it was also inevitable.
"Better get to it then, before I'm told to also bring back the bloody dragon, eh?"

Not really waiting for an answer, he turned around to leave the way he came. Another  stroll across the land with the wind cackling at him all the way. Just lovely. Can't the gods just fall over already and leave him be? Bloody nuisances..

The journey south was just as Bhagrim had experienced too many times before. Another two weeks of travel across the frozen land and avoiding roaming tribes of goblinoids which were once again becoming a problem for the nation.

After just under a week of travel Bhagrim passed through Heliogabalus, the one time capital of Damara. It was still the capital in all but name, the busy metropolitan streets were abuzz with trade commerce and apart from the crowds it was the best place to take a short rest before continuing on his journey.

Further south the occasional wagon was met as traders traveled to the more temperate southern villages. It was still cold, often freezing, but spring would start in earnest soon and the thaw would come. Less help to Bhagrim as he had just spent the last couple of months traveling the wastes in the dead of winter.

After traveling through Valls Bhagrim followed the road west and then a smaller road south. Ahead of him was a wagon which disappeared in a wooded thicket. A trader of some sort, guards in tow and likely headed for the same location he was. Bhagrim followed the road as the caravan disappeared into the forest and around a distant corner but after a few minutes more of travel he heard the sounds of battle ahead.

The caravan was under attack.

Marching on, one step after the other, hour after hour, day after day. Travel quickly loses its charm if its through snow and icy weather. Even more so if one knew that he was on a fool's errand, and went anyway.

The city had been a welcome reprieve. At least there was a chance for ale and a warm bed, even if most of it was sized for the longlegs. As thanks for their kind treatment he had warned them that the ice would come, and would always come. All lands would be covered in it one day. Such was the will of the laughing wind. They had not appreciated his warnings of course. Fools.

And then, finally, he saw he was not alone on this foolhardy journey. A wagon loomed in the distance. Perhaps he could catch up. They would probably carry supplies for a traveler, or at least an iron pot for some warm food to share in the evening. But no, no, of course the frosty bitch-queen had to deny him that, as he heard fighting ahead. Soon they would be naught but corpses staring blankly at the sky, as the eyes were being covered with snow and froze forever. That was her will after all. And it was inevitable.

Well. It was also on the way. Avoiding this entire road would add days of trudging through the wilderness to avoid some little pests. Perhaps... they would survive the ambush, with a little help. Then it was whatever had laid the ambush that would have frozen eyes come night. Either way the wind would be laughing. With a sigh he loosened his axe and shield, and trudged on. He doubted he would have the pleasure of dying here. Would save the bloody dragon the effort..

Prologue Complete