Temple of Nezaroth

Temple of Nezaroth is a tabletop roleplaying adventure designed for the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons. It is a flexible adventure module, fit for two to six characters of second to fourth level, over the course of two to four hours.

This short adventure is designed to fit into many campaigns. It is presented here with the setting and plot devices necessary to make it run as a one off adventure, but it is designed to fit into any campaign world--icy or not. A temple of ice is a notable feature in any environment, be it desert, forest, city or even more snow and ice. You can keep the local legends, the blizzard encounter that lures the characters to the temple, and the ultimate appearance of Nezaroth, or not. When I first used this in my home game, I used the temple as an impromptu hideout for a major villain, giving the characters an active and deadly environment in which to pursue their primary story.

Background

The adventure takes place in an ancient Ice Temple of Nezaroth, a demigod who had a small cult following in ages long forgotten, during the height of Old Felmenirian Culture. The followers of Nezaroth sought to deify their holy figure and built several temples across the realms. Nezaroth was not, however, interested in full godhood, and was aloof to the followers. The various temples fell into disrepair, except for this one. A priest of Nezaroth named Morganzer turned to ice-necromancy to preserve his failing religion. It was his hope that many ages after his lifetime, Nezaroth would change his mind and accept his deserved godhood. He wished to preserve this temple in wait of that time, encapsulating his own essence within in the form of his disembodied head, willingly given to the cause.

He created an eternal blizzard to maintain the cold temperatures needed for the maintenance of his temple (and head). He awakened bits of the ice as watchers for his temple to protect it from pretenders. And then he sacrificed himself, infusing his power into his disembodied head which will see his will done through another. His goal was to preserve the temple and attract potential heirs, destroying anyone not worthy of the cause.

Over the centuries, many souls have been attracted to this place and perished. One of these individuals was a paladin named Kelsham. From his teacher he heard legends of Morganzer and his obsession with Nezaroth. Then he heard reports of a strange, out of season blizzard into which people vanished forever. He had his mentor, a divinely powerful descendent of Old Felmenir, create a magical weapon for him, the Bane of Nezaroth. With this weapon he sought to destroy the lingering destruction of Morganzer...to no avail.

Optional Adventure Hook

The town of Greytree is a cheery market town surrounded by fertile farms. There is a danger, though, in the forests to the southeast: many people have disappeared in these forests over the decades. Locals know to do their hunting elsewhere and teach their children to stay away from the forest, which often seems unseasonably cold, even in the hottest summers.

Just the other day, however, a powerful merchant, Saer Kelter, came into town looking to invest in the local market. This presented great economic opportunity for the town, and they offered her and her family the warmest welcome. The day after their arrival, during the bustling market day, Saer Kelter’s son and daughter both disappeared. They had told their mother they were going to explore the forest, and when Kelter told the townsfolk which direction her children had gone, their faces turned ashen. No one who had disappeared into those woods had ever been seen again.

Being the fittest, bravest, and [insert superlative here] souls around, you are urgently approached by the townfolk. Saer Kelter is grief stricken at the disappearance of her children, and offers an immense reward for their return. The townfolk would also appreciate any information about why these disappearances happen, and put up another reward for an end to this blight on their region’s safety.

You set off in a southeasterly direction, searching through forest. After a few hours, a cold wind suddenly rises. A blizzard begins with almost no warning. The snow blows thick and cold, reducing visibility to five feet. Through the howling wind, the moans of voices begin to greet the ears of the adventurers. The moans seem to come from the northeast. It sounds like the cries of children. All of the adventurers must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or become overwhelmed by concern for the person making those moans. Anyone subject to this effect immediately sets off in pursuit of the voices and is drawn into the Ice Temple. The voices lead them through the northwest entrance, through the passageway in a clockwise direction, and south toward the etched writing in the southeast passage. When they arrive in front of the writing (area 3), the moaning suddenly stops.

If your players are outside of the structure, you can use this description to help them visualize it.

Ice Temple of Nezaroth

General Features

Spreading 10 feet out from the ice structure in all directions, and within, the ground is covered in hard frost, which makes tracking difficult; all Survival checks made to track in this area are made with disadvantage.

The temperature is well below freezing. The walls are all a foot thick and allow light to be seen from the other side, but no clear images. There are no windows or moving doors. All of the walls are 20 feet high unless stated otherwise. Climbing any of the walls is prohibitively difficult, as the walls are made of vertical, sheer ice. Taking time to carve out footholds, or something, is not easy, but certainly in the realm of possibilities. If anyone tries to destroy the walls, they have AC 5, HP 50 / cubic foot of ice, immunity to cold, poison and psychic damage, resistance to lightning, and vulnerability to fire. Let a torch held up to an ice wall deal 1d4 fire damage / turn.

1. Southern Triangual Structure

If any character gets a view of the top, they immediately see a circular hole. Investigation of this hole reveals that there are hand and footholds carved into its sides, and with a DC 15 Perception check it is clear that the hole goes down farther than 20 feet.

The light is a soft blue inside, and the ice is cold. Descending into the tunnel takes the climber below the surface of the ground, at which point the blue light gets a bit darker. The hole drops into a small room with the same ten foot equilateral triangle dimensions as the structure above, ceilings only 5 feet high. Climbing back into the vertical tunnel once dropping out of it requires a DC 20 Athletics or Acrobatics check for a medium creature, or a DC 25 for a small creature, with advantage if someone helps.

A DC 18 Perception check reveals a small passage leading north, out of the rough walled triangular chamber. This passage is roughly tubular with a diameter of 3 feet. It leads north with a downward slope in a bit of a zigzag to area 6.

From the top of the triangular structure, view of the main temple is good, and jumping over the top of the wall is feasible for most creatures, as it is only five feet away. There is not enough space to run 10 feet before jumping, however, so leaping to the roof of the inner structure is much harder. A standing jump to the top of the wall and then to the south edge of the inner structure’s roof requires a raw Strength score of 14 or higher and a successful DC 13 Acrobatics check, or 2d6 in falling damage. The view afforded shows staircase b descending into the roofed inner pentagon in its southwest corner, the walkway leading around the south and southeastern edge of the roof, and the sword stuck into the roof. A DC 22 Perception check is needed to spot the unusual block of ice in the corridor which is the glacial cube.

A DC 15 Perception check discovers a spell scroll under the surface of the ice. The scroll is an unused Magic Circle spell, which may help characters fend off various threats, like the Magical Blizzard Conditions and Nezaroth.

2. Entrances Through Outer Wall

The pentagonal structure has two entrances near the northern point. They are both ten feet wide, and reveal a passageway with no roof that seems to encircle an inner structure. From either entrance, the other entrance is not visible. From the northeast entrance, staircase a is visible, rising up toward the top of this inner structure.

3. Inner Corridor

The corridor inside the exterior walls is seven feet wide, except where it narrows near the stairway. There is a glacial cube in the south eastern corridor, moving at a glacial pace. Looking at this cube, a character with a passive Perception of 15 notices that there is ice filling the passage. Otherwise the cube blends in with the walls behind it, tricking the eye into thinking the passage is clear. A creature that tries to enter the cube’s space while unaware of it is surprised by the cube, and subjected to the cube’s Glacial Erratic ability.

Inside the cube is an idol made of platinum. It has a triangular base, six inches on each side, which supports a small statuette depicting a stoic face on top of a muscular body within swirling snow. If anyone has prior knowledge of the religious sect of Nezaroth, they can make a DC 25 History or Religion check, identifying it as an image of Nezaroth on a success. It looks quite old, and sold to the right buyer it might fetch more than the 50 odd platinum pieces that could be made from it if it were melted down.

Inside the cube there are also a few twisted weapons, the crushed and frozen bodies of several people and a smattering of coins: 35 copper, 57 silver, and 24 gold.

<img src=https://i2.wp.com/torstenjohnson.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/file_000.jpeg?ssl=1&w=450 style='width:300px' />

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Glacial Cube

Large ooze, unaligned

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• Armor Class 10 (natural armor)
• Hit Points 105(10d10 + 50)
• Speed 1 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	1 (-5)	20 (+5)	3 (-4)	8 (-1)	1 (-5)

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• Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, prone
• Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 11
• Languages --[make a real dash]
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)

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Ice Cube. The cube takes up its entire space, adapting its shape to conform to obstacles that constrain it. Other creatures can attempt to enter the space, implying that they touch the cube, and they are immediately subjected to the cube’s Glacial Erratic ability and have disadvantage on the saving throw. If a creature knowingly touches or makes a melee attack against the cube, it is subject to the Glacial Erratic ability with no disadvantage. If a melee attack strikes the cube with a weapon and the creature’s body does not come in contact with the cube surface, the creature still makes the saving throw, but can drop the weapon if it fails, giving control of the object to the cube and not subjecting itself to the Glacial Erratic ability. Objects entirely within the cube are not visible through the translucent, opaque ice.

Ice Camouflage. When surrounded by ice or snow, the cube blends in so well that it takes a successful DC 15 Perception check to spot a cube that has neither moved or attacked. A creature that tries to enter the cube’s space while unaware of it is surprised by the cube.

Glacial Calving. When the cube is reduced to 0 hit points it collapses along its various crevasse lines into a pile of inanimate ice. Anyone standing within five feet of it must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 bludgeoning damage on a failure and half as much on a success. Anyone inside the cube is no longer restrained.

Actions

Glacial Erratic. The cube moves up to its speed. While doing so, it can come in contact with any Large or smaller creature whose space it enters. Whenever the cube enters a creature’s space, that creature must make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw. On a successful save, the creature avoids the one foot advance of the glacier and remains in its remaining 4x5 foot area. On a failed save, a crevasse in the cube’s surface encloses around whatever part of the creature it came in contact with, beginning to grind it down to silt inside the river of ice it embodies. The creature takes 3(1d6) cold damage and is restrained. If the cube continues to move toward a creature restrained in this way, it encloses more of that creature’s body, and the creature takes a cumulative 3(1d6) cold damage each time this happens, meaning that a creature subject to the Glacial Erratic ability for the second successive turn will take 7(2d6) cold damage, for the third successive turn 10(3d6) cold damage. At the fourth successive advance of this ability, the cube subsumes the full torso and head, leaving only extremities exposed, and the creature can’t breathe. At the fifth successive advance, there is nothing for any other creature to grab to attempt to pull the restrained creature free, and the creature is not able to make Strength checks to attempt to break free. They are completely engulfed by the cube until it is destroyed, and continue to take 17(5d6) cold damage each round. A creature subjected to the Glacial Erratic ability can try to escape by taking an action to make a DC 13 Strength check. Another creature can assist by taking an action to pull on the creature, and then the restrained creature can make its next check with advantage, and using the combined strength modifiers of the two creatures. If the glacially-grabbed creature fails to break free, for each turn the cube advances another foot, the DC increases by 4, to DC 17 for the second turn, DC 21 for the third turn, DC 25 for the fourth turn, and by the fifth they are unable to be freed by this method.

Visible from the base of staircase a are words etched into the surface of the exterior wall to the south, around the corner. They are in Old Felmenir, a language of ancient ice peoples that is related to modern Elvish. Someone who can read Elvish discerns the words with a successful DC 14 Intelligence check:

If a character kneels before this etching, the glacial cube will deposit the platinum idol of Nezaroth on the ground behind its glacial movement, left for the devotee of Nezaroth who has just knelt. If any character reads out loud or touches the words of this script, and does not kneel on the ice within one round of doing so, a magical trap is set off. If an object or creature more than 50 pounds falls from more than 10 feet above its surface, then the false ground also breaks and lets anything on its surface fall into the pit.

The trap has two parts. First, a 10 foot cube of cold air bursts out of the ice wall where the words are inscribed. Anyone who fails a DC 14 Constitution saving throw takes 2d8 cold damage, or half as much damage on a success. Immediately thereafter a section of the icy ground which fills the entire corridor for a 10 foot long area falls away into a 20 foot deep pit. Any creature standing in this 10 foot section of the corridor must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or fall into the pit. Any creature who failed the save against the cube of cold has disadvantage on this second save. The walls of the pit are sheer ice and require great ingenuity to climb. For example, a character that attempts to carve hand and footholds with a dagger must spend an hour doing so and make a DC 22 Athletics checks. The ceiling begins to grow back slowly as soon as the trap has gone off. The ceiling encroaches from all sides equally at a rate of one foot per hour.

At the bottom of the pit are the frozen remains of several unfortunate souls. There are a few fully outfitted adventurers here, with gear dating back to distant eras and styles. Searching the bodies is difficult, as ice covers everything, but 15 minutes of chipping rime off of leather satchels produces a total of 220 gold off of the bodies. There are many useful items, but nothing that would seriously help climb the ice. The one item in very good condition is a shield covered in fur. This is a shield of cold absorption. If the shield is being used actively by a creature, the first time that creature would take cold damage the thick furs of the shield instead soak up the cold and the creature takes half of the cold damage they otherwise would have. The fibers of the furs are then encased in ice and it becomes a normal shield until the ice is knocked from its surface and it is prepared for another use, which can be performed during a short or long rest.

Etched into the ice on the wall of the pit, written in Elvish are the following words:

The ice wall in the northwest of this pit is two feet thick, on the other side of which is area 6. Do not give this away, unless the party has already discovered that there is a basement to the structure, as no light emanates from inside. If they should happen to dig through the ice in that direction, use the ice wall statistics given above.

The thinness of the icey ground in the 10 X 7 foot area hiding the pit is apparent with a DC 18 Survival check or a DC 22 Perception check.

4. Roof of Inner Structure

Staircase a leads 20 ft up from area 3 to a ledge along the top of the inner structure. There is a roof over the inner structure, gently sloping up in a dome, with one opening in this roof in the southwest corner. This opening allows access to staircase b which leads down to the floor of the inner chamber, area 5, 20 feet below. Traversing the lower, steep sections of this roof requires a successful DC 14 Athletics or Acrobatics check; on a failure the creature falls and slides down to the nearest horizontal surface, which probably means falling off the roof into area 3 (unless they happen to fall directly into the opening at staircase b), taking 2d6 bludgeoning damage from the fall, and potentially setting off part of the trap if they slip near the sword.

From any point on the southeastern side of the roof, clearly visible is a sword that appears to be stabbed into the roof itself, about 10 feet up the slope from southeast edge (directly above the script in the wall below, and the pit trap). Closer investigation reveals this to be a scimitar of frosty blue and icy white hues. If any creature medium or larger gets within 5 feet of the sword they can hear the ice cracking with a DC 15 Perception check. If a creature medium or larger attempts to pull the sword free, they do so with a successful DC 16 Athletics check, and at the same time the top of the roof collapses. Anyone within 10 feet of the sword must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity check or fall into the hole. The creature that pulls the sword free automatically fails this check. Any character that falls through the roof takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage from the fall and lands in the southeast area of area 5.

The sword is Nezaroth’s Bane. This name is inscribed into the hilt in Old Felmenir, a language of ancient ice peoples that is related to modern Elvish. Someone who can read Elvish discerns the name of the sword with a successful DC 14 Intelligence check. It is a unique, rare weapon that requires attunement. The blade appears to be a shard of ice, the hilt well constructed in the ancient Felmenir style, and when a hand is held close to the blade, it is felt to radiate heat. When you hit with an attack using this magic shortsword, the target takes an extra 1d6 fire damage, and you may use a bonus action to break the blade off of the hilt, leaving it lodged in the target as a shard of ice. That creature takes an additional 1d6 fire damage at the start of each of its turns until the shard is removed. If you make a critical hit with this weapon, the blade automatically sheers off and lodges deep in the target, dealing an extra 2d6 fire damage at the start of each of the target’s turns. Any creature can take an action to grab and remove this blade with a successful DC 15 Athletics check, and takes 1d6 fire damage from grasping the magical blade. The blade reforms from the hilt of the sword at midnight every day.

5. Inner Structure

Staircase b descends into a room lit by blue light filtering through the domed ice roof. Four triangular pillars of ice span from floor to ceiling surrounding a dais that rises 2 feet above the floor, on top of which there is a 4 foot altar, a swirl of snow blowing two feet above it. If any creature who can see the top of the altar (6 feet above the ground) specifies that they examine it closely, or succeeds on a DC 18 Perception check of the room, they see a triangular inset into the icy surface of the altar, equilateral and about 6 inches to a side, 2 inches deep. A creature who is 6 feet tall or more can see this from the ground next to the dais, but if any other creature wishes to examine the altar, ask them if they step onto the dais.

If any creature steps onto the dais without the idol depicting Nezaroth, the snow swirl above the altar grows in size for the next five rounds and 2d4 ice blights dislodge from the four columns. They splinter off the frozen surface of the ice for a full round. During the second round advance toward the dais, swarming and attacking any creature on the dais, after which they continue to attack any creatures in the chamber. One or two ice blights use their Ice Burst ability each turn. During the third round, 2d4 more ice blights begin to splinter off the columns, and on the fourth round they attack, again swarming any creature on the dais before attacking others. By the fifth round after any creature has touched the dais, the swirling snow above the altar has grown to a size that engulfs the whole dais, making it difficult to see in that area. On initiative count 10 of the fifth round, with the exception of any ice blights, all creatures within this snow swirl are teleported out of the room. On initiative count 0 of that round, the snow dissipates back to its initial small swirl above the altar. The ice blights continue to attack anyone in the room, or go back to their pillars if there is no one they see with their blindsight. If anyone else touches the dais without the idol depicting Nezaroth, the five round cycle begins again, complete with new ice blights.

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Ice Blight

Tiny ice, neutral

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• Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
• Hit Points 5 (1d6 + 2)
• Speed 20 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
4 (-3)	11 (+0)	14 (+2)	3 (-4)	8 (-1)	3 (-4)

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• Skills Stealth +2
• Damage Vulnerabilities fire
• Damage Immunities cold
• Condition Immunities blinded, deafened
• Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 9
• Languages --[real dash]
• Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)

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False Appearance. While the blight remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a chunk of ice.

Actions

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 2 (1d4) slashing damage plus 2 (1d4) cold damage.

Ice Burst. The blight explodes in a burst of ice shards. Each creature that is not also an ice blight within 5 feet of it must make a DC 12 Dexterity save, taking 2 (1d4) piercing damage plus 2 (1d4) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

If a creature steps onto the dais bearing the statue of Nezaroth, the snow swirl increases in the same five round cycle, resulting in the teleportation of anyone on the dais to area 6, but no ice blights attack. If the statue is in the possession of a creature on the dais at the moment of teleportation, the statue remains on the dais, appearing at the top of the altar, facing south. As long as it remains on the dais, the five round teleportation cycle will commence anytime a creature steps onto the dais, but no ice blights will attack. If the statue is placed into the indentation in the altar so that it points northeast, the Glacial Cube reverses the direction it is traveling. If the statue is placed so that it points northwest, 2d4 ice blights fly off the pillars and leave the central chamber, attacking any other creatures in the complex.

In the base of the wall along the southwestern side of the chamber there is a thin layer of ice covering a small hole in the floor. This can be found with a successful DC 20 Perception check. Breaking the crust reveals a tight passage, just large enough for a medium creature to squeeze through, down into area 6.

6. Basement

This room is roughly the same size and dimensions as area 5, including the pillars, but the ceilings are only about 10 feet high. The walls are not as perfectly flat and there is a large icicle hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room. This room is quite dark, only dimly lit by light filtering through the ice above. Seeming to be stirred by the icicle, a large swirl of snow fills the center of the room, causing other spin drifts of snow to blow throughout the room.

Because the walls are not perfectly smooth, the two locations for potential egress are rather hard to see. The passage from area 1 can be found with a successful DC 18 Perception check. The hole in the corner of the western ceiling which leads up to area 5 can be found with a successful DC 22 Perception check. As long as the spin drifts are blowing, all Perception checks have disadvantage.

When the characters are teleported to this chamber, they land in the center of the room, lying on the ground in a swirl of snow identical to the one on the dais of area 5, filling a five foot area directly below the icicle.

<img src=https://i1.wp.com/torstenjohnson.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/file_001.jpeg?ssl=1&w=450 style='width:300px' />

During the first round that any creatures enter this chamber, the snow swirl begins to take on a colder feel, and anyone that touches it takes 1d4 cold damage.

During the second round the snow gets thick enough that there are Magical Blizzard Conditions within 10 feet of the icicle: anyone in this area must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 2d4 cold damage, have its speed reduced by 25 ft and become blinded. On a success, a target takes half as much damage and is not blinded or slowed. A creature subjected to these effects may repeat the save at the end of its turn, ending the effects on a success. Any creature who has devoted themselves to Nezaroth is immune to these effects (you can decide what suffices for such devotion). The Magical Blizzard Conditions are a twisted byproduct of an ancient snow elemental, and are considered effects produced by an elemental for spells such as magic circle.

During the third round, the magical blizzard grows to encompass the area within 20 feet of the icicle, completely filling the northern area of the chamber. Anyone within this area is subjected to Magical Blizzard Conditions. Note that if the children have not been moved, this damage will effect them.

By the fourth round this effect fills the entire chamber, and a howling moan fills the room, emanating from the icicle. This is the moan that enticed the group here, filled with sorrow and seeming to beg for help from the depths of the soul. This moaning scream does not abate until someone destroys the icicle.

The icicle in the center of the room is glowing bright blue, has an AC of 5, 15 hit points, and has a vulnerability to bludgeoning damage. There is a face visible within the ice, hollow cheeked, its eyes shut and its mouth open in a permanent scream. If anyone destroys the icicle, the teleportation cycle from area 5 ceases to function, the magical blizzard conditions immediately cease, and the disembodied head falls to the ground out of the icicle.

This is the Head of Morganzer, the priest of Nezaroth that bound a blizzard to this chamber with his own soul. His head is mummified, and powerfully enchanted. The eyes remain closed until a creature touches it, at which time the eyes open to reveal pure white eyeballs. The creature touching it must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or become cursed by the Head of Morganzer. The head is a sentient artifact which will speak to the creature touching it, proclaiming that “The savior is come!” and imploring its new companion to “Speak the name of the Cold One!” The head promises to impart great power to the creature, specifying all of the positive attributes listed below (increased Wisdom, resistance to cold, ray of frost) but none of the negative ones. The head tells the creature that it knows the way out of this chamber, and indeed the head does know about the passage to area 1, but not the melt hole leading up to area 5. The Head desperately urges its host to speak the name Nezaroth, and whenever you deem appropriate can force its host to succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be compelled to shout the name, "Nezaroth."

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Nezaroth, Avatar of the Platinum Idol

Medium celestial (demigod), lawful neutral

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• Armor Class 15 (natural ice armor)
• Hit Points 90 (12d10 + 24)
• Speed 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
21 (+5)	14 (+2)	15 (+4)	12 (+1)	17 (+3)	19 (+4)

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• Saving Throws Con +5, Cha +7
• Damage Immunities cold
• Damage Resistances radiant; bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical weapons
• Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17
• Languages Old Felmenir, elvish; telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

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Ice Glide. Nezaroth can glide through ice and snow at his normal speed.

Idol Avatar. If Nezaroth, Avatar of the Platinum Idol is reduced to 0 hit points, it transforms back into a platinum idol and Nezaroth's essence returns to the outer planes from whence it came.

Vulnerability to Nezaroth's Bane. Any weapon attack that made against Nezaroth with the magical weapon Nezaroth's Bane is made with advantage. Any hit with this weapon is a critical hit, causing the blade to shear off in the demigod's body.

Cold Vortex. Nezaroth seems to be a vacuum of heat energy. Every time a creature touches it or hits with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it, the creature takes 1d6 cold damage.

Godlike Presence. The first time a creature comes within 30 feet of Nezaroth they must make a Charisma saving throw (DC 15) or be stunned until the end of their next turn..

Actions

Multiattack. Nezaroth makes two attacks

Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 7 (1d4 + 5) bludgeoning damage plus 5 (2d4) cold damage.

Snowball. Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit 7 (1d4 + 5) bludgeoning damage plus 5 (2d4) cold damage.

Shape Snow and Ice. As an action, Nezaroth can choose an area of frozen water within 30 feet which fits into a 5-foot cube. He can manipulate it so that it moves in whatever manner he chooses, up to 5 feet in any direction.

While cursed by head of Morganzer, you gain the following benefits:

-Your Wisdom score increases by 2 to a maximum of 24

-Your Constitution score decreases by 2

-You gain resistance to cold damage

-You gain vulnerability to fire damage

-You can use an action to cast the ray of frost cantrip

-You can see out of the eyes of the head, but no longer your own

-The curse can be removed by the greater restoration or remove curse spells, or by destroying the head of Morganzer. The head is impervious to all damage except that dealt by Nezaroth’s Bane, and any damage dealt by that weapon will instantly destroy the head. The head of Morganzer knows this information but will not share it with anyone unless tricked into doing so. The head of Morganzer does not know where Nezaroth’s Bane is.

The two small bodies huddling in the corner are the missing children of Saer Kelter. They have been lying unconscious in the cold for quite some time, and are not far from hypothermic death. They are able to withstand further harm only a number of times equal to their constitution modifiers, which is 0 for the younger boy and 2 for the older, resolute girl. Given their proximity to the icicle, if they are not moved or protected by the third round of the magical blizzard's expansion, they begin to take damage from those effects, meaning that the boy will be dead after only one round of exposure to the blizzard, and the girl after three.

With a successful DC 12 Intelligence check, characters determine that this chamber must be directly below area 5. Getting out might not be straight forward.

As soon as an individual cursed by the Head of Morganzer utters the word “Nezaroth,” the platinum idol, wherever it is, begins to transform into an avatar of the demigod, powerful magic summoning him to this place. This process takes a full minute, during which ear rending cracks are heard and tremors pass through the earth. When he arrives, he bellows from wherever he has appeared, “Who has the audacity to summon me!?”

Nezeroth is irate at being forced by archaic magic into this farce of a temple. He considered Morganzer a nuisance centuries ago when he was alive, and thought that whole thing episode was finished. Now he’s got a relaxed existence in a nice outer plane, he really has no interest in dealing with silly mortals and their obsessions with deities. So he’s determined to destroy whatever is left of Morganzer. He will attempt to destroy anyone holding the Head of Morganzer, and the head itself as soon as he can. This can only be done, however, with Nezaroth's Bane, which is anathema to him, as well. He has little patience for explanations and while he has never seen Nezaroth's Bane before, he has an instinctual averstion to it. Once the Head has been destroyed, he then proceeds to destroy the entire temple with his Shape Snow ability. He has no regard for anyone within the structure.

If Saer Kelter’s children are not dead, they are able to be roused with healing magic. Extricating them while Nezaroth is destroying the temple may prove challenging, however.

Aftermath

With the magic of Morganzer disipated, the eternal ice and snow will succumb to whatever the latent temperature is of its surroundings. Nezaroth is satisfied once this temple is razed to the earth and departs for the outer planes, leaving no platinum idol behind.

If Saer Kelter is reunitied with her children, she is overjoyed. She rewards the party handsomely. If one of her children was killed, she is grief stricken, but still very thankful to know the fate of her offspring and rewards the party. If the bodies are not recovered but their fate is known, she is less appreciative, and her grief turns to anger. If there was no sign of the children reported from the ice temple, she is upset, feeling sure that they must have fallen victim to the strange ice necromancy and mad at the party for failing to prioritize her children.

The town is glad to have any answers about the mystery which has plagued them for generations. If the temple is destroyed, they are even more happy, and reward the party very generously.