Eric L. Boyd - Magic Items: Frostmaiden's Tear

Frostmaiden's Tear (Minor Artifact)

The Frostmaiden's Tear is a fist-sized frozen tear, a gem more commonly known as a kings' tear (see the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting), set in a miniature white dragon's claw forged of mithral. It is bitterly cold to the touch, inflicting 1d4 points of cold damage per round of contact with bare flesh.

Like other kings' tears, a haunting image can be seen in the heart of the Tear, in this case the ruins of a spired keep built a massive glacier and buffeted by a fierce blizzard. However, unlike most other such jewels, the image depicted within the Frostmaiden's Tear slowly changes over time, as the howling snowstorm waxes and wanes in intensity and a massive white wyrm swoops and soars high above it in the sky.

The Frostmaiden's Tear is a cherished relic of the church of Auril, believed by the Frostmaiden's followers to have been shed in the Year of Winter's Warmth (879 DR) by an avatar of their goddess. According to legend, the Frostmaiden appeared to an assemblage of the faithful northeast of Mirabar, at the site of what is now a fortified abbey known as Frostspire Towers, as her followers despaired during a particularly warm Midwinter's Night. The Tear of the Frostmaiden is said to have hung suspended in midair until the coming of dawn, at which point it dropped into the outstretched hand of the highest-ranking priestess present, Lady Deep Winter Inira Dae'Esphan.

For decades thereafter, the Frostmaiden's Tear was passed from one Aurilian priestess to the next, at some point acquiring its dragon's claw base as part of an offering by a particularly devout servant of the Cold Goddess. During this period, many devout followers of Auril searched for the mysterious keep depicted within the gem, but to no avail.

In the Year of Cold Claws (940 DR), the Tear-holder at the time was slain outside of Sundabar by a huge white dragon which flew off to the south and east. This was seen at the time by the church of Auril as a sign of the Frostmaiden's displeasure, prompting many acts of penance among the faithful and inspiring some to try to regain her favor by questing for the Tear, albeit without success.

The Frostmaiden's Tear did not resurface until the Year of the Harp (1371 DR), when an orc shaman of the Nether Peaks employed it in battle against a small contingent of the Knights in Silver on the slopes of Turnstone Pass. Reports of the relic eventually filtered back to the followers of Auril, and subsequent divinations revealed that the Tear had lain for many years in the hoard of Ghaulantatra, in the mountains north of the High Gap, until her death in the Year of the Worm (1356 DR). Apparently, following the death of "Old Mother Wyrm," the Tear had passed into the possession of one of the orc tribes that had venerated the huge white dragon.

During the most recent winter (1371 - 1372 DR), small bands of Aurilian crusaders launched repeated forays into the Nether Mountains seeking the Frostmaiden's Tear, but without success. These attacks stoked the anger of the orc tribes, prompting many reprisal raids against the human communities of the region, regardless of any direct participation in the attacks. The brewing strife between the two groups, with promise of another Aurilian "crusade" next winter, has generated great concern among the leaders of the Silver Marches that the actions of the Frostmaiden's followers might precipitate the rise of a Nether Horde. However, to date, diplomatic attempts to reach some form of accommodation with the church of Auril have proved fruitless.

The Frostmaiden's Tear is magic (although the dragon's claw base that holds it nonmagical mithral, worth 1,000 gp, and can be safely removed by a skilled metalsmith). In addition to the aforementioned supernatural chill, the Tear has several spell-like powers. At will, the bearer of the gem can call down an ice storm, with each hailstone a miniature, short-lived replica of the Tear. Likewise, the bearer can create a cone thrice per day that appears to emanate from the mouth of the dragon within the jewel. During the winter months, a cleric of Auril bearing the Tear can control weather at will, but this power only operates from the first winter snowstorm of the region to the spring thaw. Finally, a divine spellcaster who venerates the Frostmaiden and speaks a secret word is transported, as a word of recall, to the altar of Auril within the mysterious keep depicted in the Tear. As no one has ever discovered this word of command, it is unclear where the keep lies (or even if it exists somewhere on Abeir-Toril), what treasures its contains, or whether the draconic guardian really exists.

Caster Level: 15th; Weight: 5 lb. (with base).

References:

• Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
• Volo's Guide to All Things Magical
• Faiths & Avatars
• Dragon #230
• Cult of the Dragon
• Prayers from the Faithful