Players! Want to play this quest? Stop reading and notify your DM. Save the fun for the game-table!Running this Quest
You can adjust any of the information below according to your campaign, preference, or imagination. Feel free to experiment and let other visitors know what works for you in the comments below.
As you trek across the frozen plains you can hear the bitterly cold wind whistling by you. The landscape is inhospitable with sudden drops and large icy dunes. The sun is blinding against the snow and it is easy to become disoriented. You feel incredibly small and alone compared to the unending expanse of ice about you.
Have the party roll a DC10 perception check.
10-15
Far in the distance you hear a nearly imperceptible warbled trumpet. Though you’ve never heard such a funny sound, you think it needs an equally funny word to describe it—Kazoo.
16-19
The sound appears to almost sound like the words “noot noot” being repeated. You can hear that it isn’t one specific source, as there is variation and instead there seem to be many trumpeters.
20
The sound is coming from North-East of your location and is coming from just beyond an ice ridge. Though it sounds like trumpeting, it sounds organic and not like an instrument. You can deduce that it may be some sort of animal call.
Players have two options. They can ignore the sound or they can investigate the sound.
Ignore
If the party chooses not to go towards the sound, the sound will get a little closer later as penguin guards look about the area. In the event that the party decides to rest without either leaving back the direction they had come from or investigating the camp, when they awake, over the ridge they will see a dozen penguins sliding down the icy ridge on their fronts, weapons in flipper.
If someone from the party is on watch, periodically they will hear slithering, padding, noots and occasionally catch glimpses of little birds ducking down behind rocks and ridges.
As you wipe the sleep from your eyes, you find yourself confused. In the distance, you see a little waddle of penguins sliding down the icy bank towards you. They are gaining speed quickly. They appear to be looking at you. They hop up, waddling closer to you with military precision. They squawk at you with enraged noots. Only as they get closer do you realise they are brandishing spears made from fish bones.
Attack
Roll initiative.
The attack party will be comprised of 5 Spearguins, and 4 Bladeguins and 4 Bowguin.
The final penguin will trumpet at death, alerting another wave of penguins which will arrive in a minute. This wave is comprised of an additional 12 penguins (5 Harpoonguins and 6 Elite Bladeguins and the Emperorguin riding a polar bear).
The final penguin looks at you. Deep defiance burns in his eyes. With his final breath he tilts his head back and lets out a final ‘nooooot’ before slumping down into the bloodied snow. On the snowy ridge you hear a terrifying roar. Looking up you see a very muscular penguin riding an armoured polar bear. On either side of it, penguins slide down towards you. They sound like war trumpets as they begin to chant. You ready yourself for the next wave.
If a party member is able to understand the penguins they will hear them chanting:
“We march down, unto the fray. We are warriors of frost, shadows on the ice.
All we did was ask for fish. The Camp of Guin does not ask twice.
So now we will march to claim our prey. One-by-one you’ll meet your end.
Then the Camp of Guin will march again.”
During the course of this wave, when the Emperorguin is at half health, they will very briefly begin to transform into a human. They will use their next attack to instead drink a potion and revert into a penguin. Killing the Emperorguin or disarming him at any time causes the remaining penguins to cease fighting and return to general penguin behaviour. They will not attack the party members.
Upon completing the battle, the party can loot the bodies. The encounter can end here however, if they decide to seek out the origin of the initial sound they can find their war camp. A few straggling penguins will be here however they will leave the party members alone. They will be weary, of party members. They will behave like normal penguins and simply waddle around the camp completely neutral.
Investigate
If the party does investigate the original sound, after some trekking they will get to the ridge. They can look over the edge.
You lean over the icy lip to see the settlement below. There are casks of fish and fishbones. There are thin sheet tents with stone beds. Penguins are practicing with weapons and taking meetings with each other. One penguin rides grandly through the small settlement upon an armoured polar bear. This penguin clearly appears to be the one in charge. In one flipper he holds a fish, offering it to his polar bear. The polar bear begins to sniff about, suddenly turning towards you. You slide back, hoping it didn’t see you.
Roll a DC 15 Stealth (Dexterity) check.
Succes:
You rise back up tentatively, and it seems as though you’ve been lucky this time. As you peer over the edge, you notice an abundance of heads on stakes—elves, humans, orcs and even trolls have seemingly crossed this waddle and lost. It may be for the best that you didn’t alert them all.
Following a succes, players may wish to infiltrate the camp stealthily (read Infiltrate below).
Fail:
You rise back up tentatively, and see both the leader and his polar bear looking at you. A roar booms and suddenly there is the clanging of weaponry beneath you as the penguins ready themselves for war.
Following failing the stealth check. The party can carefully move back from the ledge. Penguins flank the party.
The penguins squawk at you, brandishing fishbone spears and flipper blades. They look at you demandingly and menacingly yet they hold off attacking.
If the party immediately goes for weapons, roll initiative. The penguins will respond to the threat in kind. If however the party does not immediately go for their weapons the penguins will squawk at them. If someone within the party is able to communicate with them, they can attempt diplomacy instead of fighting.
The Emperorguin is not present however, an Elite Bladeguin will speak for the group. He is direct, no-nonsense. For example:
- “Give us the fish.”
- “You are far from the lake, little fish.”
- “The Camp of Guin demands fish, supply some other fish or we will eat you.”
- “We’ve asked you once, we will not ask again. Give us the fish that we crave or prepare for your end.”
Attack
Fighting the group here would have a three wave attack. The first of which has 1 Elite Bladeguin; 5 Spearguins and 4 Bladeguins.
The final penguin of the first wave will trumpet at death, drawing the next wave, an additional 8 penguins (4 Harpoonguins and 4 Elite Bladeguins).
Halfway into this battle, the third wave will begin with the Emperorguin arriving flanked by 4 Bowguin, 4 Elite Bladeguins and 4 Harpoonguins. During the course of the third wave, when the Emperorguin is at half health, they will very briefly begin to transform into a human. They will use their next attack to instead drink a potion and revert into a penguin.
Killing the Emperorguin or disarming him, at any time causes the remaining penguins to become regular penguins and they will not attack the party members. Searching the Emperorguin’s corpse, the party members will find potions which they can assume will turn the consumer into a penguin though they do not know the duration.
They also will be able to find a +1 quarterstaff which has the power to control penguins however it can only be utilised by a penguin. Only once they have become a penguin will they be able to understand the use of the staff or if they happen to find literature about it. It can, however be used as a standard quarterstaff.
Infiltrate the camp
The final player option is to infiltrate the camp tactfully having not alerted the penguins/polar bear previously. During this encounter, the players would fight small groups or individual penguins. They can attempt to stealthily avoid penguins and immediately attack the Emperorguin. However, attacking the Emperorguin will alert other penguins nearby.
There are 49 penguins and the armoured polar bear (10 Spearguins; 10 Bladeguins; 8 Bowguins; 10 Harpoonguins; 10 Elite Bladeguins and 1 Emperorguin). When the players first encounter the Emperorguin in this instance, the penguin will begin to transform into a human only to drink a potion and return to penguin form.
Monsters and NPC's
Bladeguin
Small Beast, Unaligned
Armor class 15 (leather armour and shield)
Hit points 10 (3d6)
Speed 25 ft., downhill or swimming 50 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8 (-1) | 18 (+4) | 10 (+0) | 10 (+0) | 8 (-1) | 12 (+1) |
Senses Darkvision 30 ft., Passive Perception 13
Languages Penguinic
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2
Short and Slippery. The bladeguin is resistant to being grappled.
Actions
Flurry of Swipes. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit. Reach 5ft. Hits all targets within 5ft. Hit: 3 (1d4 +1) slashing damage.
Berserker. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit. Reach 5ft. One target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) slashing damage.
Elite Bladeguin
Small Beast, Unaligned
Armor class 16 (quilted leather armour and shield)
Hit points 15 (3d6+2)
Speed 25 ft., downhill or swimming 50 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8 (-1) | 18 (+4) | 10 (+0) | 10 (+0) | 8 (-1) | 12 (+1) |
Senses Darkvision 30 ft., Passive Perception 14
Languages Penguinic
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2
Short and Slippery. The bladeguin is resistant to being grappled.
Actions
Flurry of Swipes. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit. Reach 5ft. Multi-target. Hit: 7 (1d6+2) slashing damage.
Berserker. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit. Reach 5ft. One target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) slashing damage.
Razorbeak. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit. Reach 5ft. One target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) piercing damage.
Spearguin
Small Beast, Unaligned
Armor class 15 (hide armour and shield)
Hit points 10 (3d6)
Speed 25 ft., downhill or swimming 50 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12 (+1) | 14 (+2) | 10 (+0) | 10 (+0) | 8 (-1) | 12 (+1) |
Senses Darkvision 30 ft., Passive Perception 13
Languages Penguinic
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2
Short and Slippery. The bladeguin is resistant to being grappled.
Actions
Prod. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit. Reach 10ft. Hit: 4 (1d6) piercing damage.
Bowguin
Small Beast, Unaligned
Armor class 15 (leather armour and shield)
Hit points 10 (3d6)
Speed 25 ft., downhill or swimming 50 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12 (+1) | 14 (+2) | 10 (+0) | 10 (+0) | 8 (-1) | 12 (+1) |
Senses Darkvision 30 ft., Passive Perception 14
Languages Penguinic
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2
Short and Slippery. The bladeguin is resistant to being grappled.
Actions
Icicle Shot. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit. Range (30/90ft). Hit: 4(1d6) piercing damage and an additional 4(1d6) cold damage.
Polar Bear (Mount)
Large Beast, Loyal
Armor class 12 (leather armor)
Hit points 34 (4d10 +2)
Speed 40 ft., downhill or swimming 20 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 (+0) | 14 (+2) | 10 (+0) | 14 (+2) | 12 (+1) | 16 (+3) |
Senses Passive Perception 13
Languages Orsin, understands Penguinic
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2
Keen smell. The bear has advantage on Wisdom (perception) checks that rely on smell.
Actions
Multiattack. The bear makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws. The bear cannot multiattack if being ridden as a mount.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d8 + 4) piercing damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.
Emperorguin
Small Beast, Unaligned
Armor class 13
Hit points 26 (4d12)
Speed 25 ft., downhill or swimming 50 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 (+0) | 14 (+2) | 10 (+0) | 14 (+2) | 12 (+1) | 16 (+3) |
Senses Darkvision 30 ft., Passive Perception 14
Languages Penguinic
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2
Short and Slippery. The harpoonguin is resistant to being grappled.
Worth Protecting: The ally closest to the Emperor, within a 5ft radius will block any attacks the Emperorguin receives.
Spell Casting: The Emperorguin is a 4th level wizard. His spellcasting ability is intelligence (spell save DC 13, +4 to hit with spell attacks)
- Cantrips (at will): Ray of Frost, Frostbite, Shape Water
- 1st level (4 slots): Ice Knife, Frost Fingers
- 2nd level (3 slots): Misty Step, Snilloc’s Snowball Storm.
Actions
Quarterstaff: Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit. Reach 5ft. Hit: 3 (1d8-1) bludgeoning damage.
Emrik Juku (Emperorguin)
Personality
In penguin form while holding the staff: he is majestic, regal. He has an air of confidence. He is very self-assured. In penguin form, upon losing the staff or upon the death of Esben (his polar bear mount): he is angry, desperate and a little more reckless. In human form, he is very emotional, very desperate. He is not above begging. He desperately does not want to lose his community.
Backstory
Emrik Juku grew up isolated in a small northern cabin. From an early age, Emrik had a penchant for magic but struggled with most other things. His parents were two rangers who abandoned him for being weak and slowing them down. While waiting eagerly for his parents, Emrik found a polar bear cub caught in one of his parents’ abandoned traps, seemingly abandoned by his sleuth. Emrik took in the polar bear and nursed it back to health. He named the bear Esben and over time, forged a deep bond with the bear. Eventually Emrik realised that his parents were never going to return. Wanting nothing more than to find his family and show he would be strong enough to be their son— Emrik readied Esben and set out to prove himself.
At first, the adventures seemed fruitful—Emrik learned how to better wield magic and had even acquired a strange staff, though he did not know what it did. Unfortunately, while many adventurers find each other, in the cold expanse of the north, it was just Emrik and Esben. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, months into years. Without party members he found himself unable to go up against more powerful foes.
When all seemed lost, Emrik came across an apothecary who promised to give him the power to gain what he had been searching for. Emrik expected the potion would perhaps teleport him or cause others to join him—instead it turned him into a penguin. Angered by what seemed to be a con, Emrik drew the quarterstaff but found it felt different, betraying for the first time its true purpose. Over time, Emrik learned how to use the staff to control nearby penguins. He could communicate with them and for the first time he had a family, an army. He wasn’t some scared, weak little boy anymore, he was a force to be reckoned with. Satisfied, and feeling for the first time, as though he belonged, he abandoned his quest to earn the love of his family—instead he focused on honing his strength.
Human Appearance
Emrik has a scrappy appearance. Time and the cold has taken its toll. He has long wiry salt-and-pepper hair. He has incredibly defined muscles but is thin and relatively slight. He has a long scraggly beard and smells like fish. He is slightly unsteady on his feet when in human form since he spends the majority of his time in penguin form.
General Emotions
Emrik is deeply bonded with Esben, if Esben dies he will became very upset. Overtime the familial bond shifted to more of a governing bond and thus Emrik does not get overly emotional about the deaths of the individual penguins.
Emrik’s bloodlust comes from a need to overcompensate for all the times he was too weak in his life (both as a child but also from his time spent adventuring). Emrik refuses to be weakened or perceived as weak ever again.
Emrik has strong abandonment issues and almost childlike tantrums—especially so in human form. Possibly because of his abandonment issues, Emrik isolates himself from other people and instead fully surrounds himself with penguins as the penguins can never leave him. Humans—he can never trust to stay.
Penguin Potion
Rare – Consumable
Weight 1lb.
Value 100 GP
Effects
Upon drinking this potion you transform into a penguin. You still possess your stats. You are able to speak and understand penguinic. You remain in this form for 2 hours. You do not gain any temporary hit points from drinking the potion nor do you heal from it.
Staff of Guin
Rare – Wondrous Item
Weight 4lb.
Value 1200 GP
Requires attunement by a penguin. This staff can be wielded as a magic +1 quarterstaff.
Effects
The staff has allows its user to control nearby penguins, up to a maximum of 50. The user can relay simple instructions telepathically to them for an indefinite amount of time. Instructions sent to penguins are translated into terms penguins better understand usually involving fish.
