TAC Season 4 (Lvl 3-8) - Project Winterbloom w/ DM Zach - Process Wizard

Title: Thornmarch 3: Project Winterbloom
DM: Zach - Process Wizard
Level(s): 3-8
Rewards: TBD
1
Mission Premise: Traverse the frozen wilderness of Norvanada and retrieve fragment of a mad wizard's shattered mind.

Description:
The heroes of Primordia have uncovered a hidden doorway within Boom’s tower—an ancient portal leading to the Dungeon of the Mad Mage, a legendary metaphysical labyrinth woven through the fabric of alternate planes.

Beyond the threshold lies a realm as surreal as it is dangerous, overseen by a mysterious power broker: a sentient chimpanzee in a yellow suit and wide-brimmed hat. This enigmatic figure offers a tempting bargain—retrieve a fragment of the Mad Mage’s fractured mind from the war-ravaged snowscape of Norvanada, and he will grant access to deeper layers of the dungeon… and perhaps, a glimpse into the truth behind the Mad Mage’s unraveling.

But Norvanada is no ordinary land. A nation of untamed beauty and warrior-saints, it now lies shattered, a battlefield consumed by the Winter War. On one side stand the Miche, hardy yeti-folk who fight for their freedom with grit, smarts, and skill. On the other, frost giants and the relentless legions of Maeve: botanical horrors born of faye magic and dark designs.

Intel from a group of Miche cadets suggests that the shard can be found in an enemy (Maevish) stronghold called "Thornmarch." After helping a local Miche Mountie brigade capture a war criminal, the adventurers learned the location of the hidden Thornmarch facility. To reach the mind shard, the party must cross hostile terrain, slipping through shattered towns, howling blizzards, and no-man’s-lands slick with frozen blood. Supplies are scarce, maps are outdated, and the cold claws the life out of the unprepared.

The adventurers must move deftly, think fast, and ask themselves how much of their own humanity they're willing to lose in the cold.

Update: In Thornmarch I, the party set out to locate the stronghold but quickly lost focus, diverting their efforts to rescuing a freezing horse companion and battling the local wildlife, including a woolly rhinoceros and a weasel named Thornaxe, who harbored a relentless vendetta against one of the players. While they failed to make meaningful progress toward their objective, they did manage to survive, so that’s something. In Thornmarch II, the adventurers helped a local Mountie brigade to capture a war criminal. In return, the Mounties provided a map and directions to Thornmarch.

Trigger Warnings: Death, violence, war, genocide, executions, assassinations, body horror, swearing, crude jokes/innuendo. As with all my games this season: Animals may die in this game - mostly at the discretion of the players.

Inspiration:

• 1 point of inspiration if you post your character sheet in the discord the night before the game.
• 1 point of inspiration if you write a brief flashback for your character or "micro-problem" that they are trying to overcome during the Thornmarch adventure. Handout on Micro-Problems. Handout on Flashbacks.
• 1 point of inspiration if you wear at least 1 item of clothing that helps you embody your character.

Discord Thread: Click here

Tabletop Adventuring Club (TAC), LLC is a group of Dungeon Masters running a 5e Dungeons & Dragons MMTTRPG.

Venue Notes:
Tabletop Adventuring Club (TAC), LLC is a group of Dungeon Masters running this game at Off the Shelf Games (OTS). Players must make sure they pay the entry fee or have the appropriate membership in order to attend the game. Price for a daily entry fee is $8 for anyone who is not a member.

Additional Notes:
If you are running late, please contact your event host/DM to let them know. Thank you! Arrivals later than 15 minutes without communication may result in your seat being given to a member on the waitlist.