Deadly Ice

While sitting quietly in your favorite inn in the city of Areneis, drinking goblets of fair wine and eating dried fruit along with some bits of seasoned cheese, you see an elderly, austere dwarf approaching.

"Good evening, noble sirs. My name is Agamar—I’m the seventh cousin of King Hradroom of the dwarven citadel of Kurum-Dam. May I speak with you for a moment?

Well, I’m in a bit of trouble and I need group of adventurers for a dangerous mission. You see, I was trying to escort a man through Frozen Orc Pass. My fellows and I tried to make the journey three times, but we were forced back because we were dwarves. Warriors from the Frozen Scimitar tribe, lousy orcs and their king Kdank, killed all in our party save myself and this man. I think that an all dwarf party will not make it through the pass. I’m terribly old and alone now, and the man must make it to the citadel soon. I’d prefer a younger, more able, party to get him to Kurum-Dam, so I can pay 500 gold pieces now, and give you a note for 1,500 more once the man is safely to the citadel. What do you say?"

"The man to be escorted is named Stolypin. He’s not a noble nor is he a merchant-truth be told, I believe he’s a little dupe-but he’s a ‘noser.’ Nosers are a unique lot, there’s maybe two or three of them the world over. They’re able to determine the potency of the Spirit of the Black Dwarf—our famous liquor-simply by smelling over a closed barrel. We dwarves of Kurum-Dam are the leading producers of the liquor in the world, so you can guess how valuable the man is to us."