Frostcrypt, Throne of the Shade King

Part 1 - Overview of Frostcrypt Overview of Frostcrypt, Throne of the Shade King

When Solusek Ro raised the Serpent Spine Mountains, one clan of hill giants was trapped in the valleys and marshes that were created between the sheer mountains. The vast mausoleum of Frostcrypt was carved into the ice and stone of the mountain on Icefall Glacier, built to house the honored dead.

The giants of Valdeholm have always revered their dead. Kings, queens, soldiers, priests and even common folk were buried in the great crypt, carved out under a frozen lake. Giants live long lives, and in the days of their dominance they had little need for open battle, so deaths were few. Each time one of their kind passed on, they were given rites by the priests, fitted with attire appropriate to their station, and placed upon a litter. They were then carried down to the tomb by a procession of mourners and priests. The procession arrived would stop at the statue of Rallos, then move on to the appropriate wing of the crypt. The body was laid upon a stone table along with any appropriate tools needed in the afterlife (weapons, trade tools, etc.) Then the family would walk past the body and place with it any other items that they wanted to travel with their loved one.

After resting in state for three days, the body would be placed into a slot along the wall of the crypt and a metal nameplate would be affixed to remind every one who was resting there.

Then came the curse of Rallos Zek cast upon his own giants because they refused to participate in his war on the Plane of Earth. When King Beltron Wulfnor—the king who turned his back on the war—was being taken into the tomb, the voice of Rallos Zek was heard. The dead king's body rose up and attacked the procession. As each person slain, they rose again as Shades of Zek and turned on those that still lived. Few survived that day, but the current king—Odeen Wulfnor—was one of them, and he will never forget that evil day.

The upper portions of the tomb are damaged from the battle and other battles since. The royal areas remain untouched by battle because even the undead giants hold their royalty in high esteem.