Frosthammer's Span

Thalric Frosthammer was an ambitious dwarf adventurer who dreamed of ending his days building a keep on the Ironwind Pass, the rugged, windy ascent through the rocky terrain of The Starshard Traverse. The land was unclaimed and undesirable due to its harsh conditions, so the Morkehuler government, seeing no value in the territory, was more than happy to grant it to him as thanks for his years of service. Thalric saw potential where others saw only hardship—he envisioned a strategic stronghold that could control passage through the Ursa Mountains and bring him wealth and renown.

Thalric began his grand project by constructing Frosthammer’s Span, a sturdy stone bridge designed to bypass a treacherous miles-long detour around a deep ravine, cutting days off the journey for travelers heading from Belegost to Ft. Auir. He named the bridge after himself, a bold declaration of his intent to leave a lasting legacy in the pass. His plan was to tax Frosthammer’s Span, using the revenue to fund the construction of his keep, which he intended to name Frosthammer Hold. The bridge, with its multiple arches and weathered stone, became a marvel of dwarven engineering, standing firm against the relentless winds of the pass.

However, Thalric’s dream was never fully realized. People aren’t sure what happened to him—some say he perished in a sudden blizzard, caught unprepared by the brutal winds of the Ironwind Pass. Others whisper that he was driven mad by the isolation, the endless howling of the wind eroding his sanity until he wandered off into the mountains, leaving his project behind. A few even claim he saw something in the pass—something ancient and terrifying—that forced him to abandon Frosthammer Hold and flee for his life. Whatever the truth, Thalric disappeared before completing his keep. Frosthammer’s Span remains untended and untaxed, a silent monument to his ambition, freely used by travelers who whisper tales of the dwarf who dared to tame the Ironwind Pass.

For years, there was no evidence of the keep anywhere, leading many to believe it was never started. But recent rumors tell a different story of a hidden start in a narrow, wind-swept crevasse just north of Frosthammer’s Span. Adventurers may have found the partially carved foundations of what could only be Frosthammer Hold. The site is thought to be little more than a series of rough-hewn stone walls and a half-dug moat, now filled with ice and debris. Strange, rune-like markings—etched in a style unique to Thalric’s clan—adorn the stones, glowing faintly with an eerie blue light on moonlit nights. Some say these runes are protective wards, hinting that Thalric may have feared something in the pass, while others believe they are a map to a hidden vault where he stashed his wealth as he built the keep but has frozen over since his disappearance.

The mystery of Thalric Frosthammer endures, and Frosthammer’s Span stands as a testament to his vision—a vital crossing that has outlasted its creator, while the ruins of his unfinished keep whisper secrets of a dream cut short in the harsh winds of the Ironwind Pass.

Frosthammer’s Shadow

Location: Just north of Frosthammer’s Span in the Ironwind Pass, hidden in a narrow, wind-swept crevasse, the partially carved foundations of Frosthammer Hold contain a small underground lair known as Frosthammer’s Shadow. The entrance is a rough-hewn stone archway, partially obscured by ice and debris, with faintly glowing blue runes that pulse on moonlit nights.

Background: Thalric Frosthammer, an ambitious dwarf adventurer, began carving the foundations of his keep into the bedrock of the crevasse, intending to build Frosthammer Hold to control the Ironwind Pass. Below the surface, he excavated a small underhold—now called Frosthammer’s Shadow—for storage and shelter. But something went wrong—rumors suggest he either perished in a blizzard, was driven mad by the isolation and howling winds, or fled after encountering an ancient terror in the depths. The underhold now lies abandoned, holding clues to his fate and the dangers he unearthed.