The Staff of Frost is a powerful magical artifact recovered from the frozen heights of the Sword Mountains. It is deeply connected to the cold, wintery elements of the region and has served as a potent tool of war in the hands of the party.

Acquisition

During an expedition into the peaks of the Sword Mountains, the party defended the Snowmont Monastery from a devastating onslaught of Ice Trolls and Ice Mephits. Though the defense was successful, the monastery was largely destroyed, and the party’s allies Clarissa and Dorian perished in the battle.

The survivors of the order bequeathed the remnants of the monastery’s sacred trove to the party as a reward for their valor. Among these relics was the Staff of Frost, alongside a Pearl of Power and a Wind Fan. Historical accounts of the surviving monks vary:

• Some chronicles record them as a halfling monk named Jaque and a human female monk named Zoe.
• Other logs identify the survivors as a halfling man named Jackson and an elven woman named Caitlyn, both of whom silently followed the party’s troop back into Phandalin following the disaster.

Environmental Legacy

The staff’s recovery is deeply tied to the freezing alpine climates of the Sword Mountains. Shortly after obtaining the staff and beginning their descent, the party bore witness to the return of Cryovain, a legendary white dragon whose serpentine, ice-scaled form cast a freezing shadow over the range, causing temperatures to drop instantly and ice to coat the landscape.

Combat History and Capabilities

The Staff of Frost has been wielded effectively in several of the party’s major conflicts:

• Ambush at the Temple of Ioun: Nalini utilized the staff’s magical properties to hold off an ambush by a Green Dragon Wyrmling and three Dragonborn cultists. Nalini shot off freezing spells to slow the attackers down, helping to protect Gilmore and his soulstone pendant.
• The Battle of Dragon Barrow: During the high-stakes confrontation inside the skeletal remains of the green dragon Villathas (the Jade Queen), Nalini wild-shaped into a bear and used the staff to cast a devastating Ice Storm at a range of 300 feet, dealing heavy cold damage to multiple cultists and slaying one outright.
• Counterspell Utility: During the final moments of the resurrection ritual within the barrow, Er’evyn Sehahine recognized the Staff of Frost’s innate Counterspell capability as a critical potential tool to disrupt Sidorna’s dark magic.