The Battle of the Three Igloos

A tale in which the origin of the abandoned goblin igloos in the everfrost peaks is explored, a hint at the terror of the Permafrost dungeon is given and last, but not least, the origin of Katyna Elfenblut is laid out.

Dark Clouds Ahead

Dark clouds were gathering over the Everfrost Wastes and it looked like a lot of snow was waiting to come down on the tundra again, muffling the sounds and covering up the tracks of the hunters and the hunted. A cold morning as usual while in Halas the mightiest sons and daughters of the barbarian tribes gathered at the docks, awaiting the final order to purge the land of the bane of the ice goblin menace.
In the early days, the goblins did not attack the barbarian folk unless provoked and although there was little love between them, both could live in relative peace towards each other. But in the last months, the icy goblins started to leave their home in the underground lair of the permafrost dwelling, building outposts in the Everfrost Wastes and Peaks. It was rumored that a great evil had once again awaken in the depths of Permafrost, which forced the goblins to seek new ground. Of course this expansion was viewed upon with open contempt by the barbarians who felt threatened by this behavior and rightly so. Guards were established at the main entrances to the peaks and towers were erected in the tundra to watch out and study the goblin movement.
The tension between the two tribes grew over the course of the following months with each new igloo erected by the blue skinned folk. At last, the goblins had established a rather large outpost deep in the heart of the Everfrost Peaks. It was then when the first unprovoked fights erupted. Each side suffered some casualties in these encounters and the barbarians blamed the goblins on starting these attacks. So they longed to expulse the blue folks from the peaks again and the call went out to gather the greatest of the tribe.

The Blood of the Proud

At this cold morning in Halas, the order finally was given. The assembled barbarians went out into the everfrost peaks and attacked the goblin forces at the large outpost, carrying the names of the Seven Hammers on their lips and the raging fury of the Wolves of the North in their hearts. Many brave and great men and women fell on this day, but so did a great lot of the blue skinned dwellers. Among the assembled fighting force was one man, not barbarian by tribe, but by heart, who had made Halas his home away from home. His blades were running wet with goblin blood while he was standing aside his barbarian friends against the goblin forces.
The battle raged on for the longest part of the day until it finally came to an end with the first signs of the night coming about. The late sun showed a battlefield where glory and death gave twinlike impressions. But the barbarians had won. It had cost the lives of many childs of the tribe, but the goblin outpost had been cleansed of all blue skinned life and the few remaining survivors had been scattered into the deeper peaks or out into the wastes of the tundra again. Glory!, glory!, as the barbarians went home to Halas, celebrating their victory, while honoring the dead as the shamen sung the praise of the lifes of those who had passed away on that day.

Permafrost

During the next year, the guards were reinforced and a plan was assembled to investigate what had driven the goblins from their dwelling place in Permafrost. The old shamen knew a tale about the hidden terror that was said to have been alive there a long time ago, but was assumed to have been laid at rest an equally long time ago as well. Finally a small band of barbarians, the bravest of the brave of those who had survived the fight at the igloos gathered and set out into the Permafrost dungeon.
Little is known of what happened to that band of 18 stronghearted souls in the depths of the evil place. Only one surviving shamen came back to Halas, barely alive but robbed of his wits, muttering and raving endlessly about the cold, the mercyless, unbearable cold of the icy breath that killed his kin. About the dragon, the long thought extinct evil Lady Vox, that had awaken after a long stasis and was renewing her strength once again.

The Shaman Girl

...a few years later a young barbarian girl, barely old enough to become an apprentice shamen, stood at the Halas docks and watched the snow fall on the lake in Halas. She had watched the old shaman mutter in his corner in the Golden Torque and felt the need to be alone again, as she had many times before. Her mother had been on that expedition to the bowels of Permafrost and had met her fate there. The girl had no real memories of her mother, as she had been just two moons of age when she died. And little did she know about her father, but that he was a traveller from far away, who had aided the tribe in the battle against the goblins some years ago.
The girl sighed, once, deeply and then, renewing her inner strength by calling upon the gods of the north, she turned and went back to her home and just a single tear could be seen, frozen on the wooden planks of the docks in Halas. Glistering like a jewel of precious grace, unfolding the light in as many rays as the possibilities of her life would be.

...thus ends the tale of the battle of the igloos, which is also the tale of Katyna Elfenblut, the daughter of Dragan, ranger from Kelethin. But the war between barbarians and goblins will rage on, and one day the great Lady Vox will be slain by the tribe, to honor and revenge the brave souls who gave their lifes to uncover the hidden evil and to warn their kin.

Back to the family overview