Auril the Frostmaiden, Lady of Winter, is the goddess of Winter, snow, and ice- and all of the dangers that come with it. She embodies winter's cruelty, having no love for mortals save for those few who devote their lives to her. Auril's ice grasps all things in her clutches, preserving things from the ravages of time. She hoards beauty in all forms, from art objects and flowers to skilled artisans and their wondrous works, freezing them in magical ice for her pleasure alone. Among her epithets are The Frostmaiden, the Snow Queen, and The First of Frost and Stone.
As the first of the Frost and Stone Giants, Auril often appears as a woman standing 20 feet tall, with pale skin, long white hair, and white eyes devoid of emotion. She wears a cloak of pristine white snow, that trails behind her, and her footsteps create patches of ice on the ground upon which she walks. Alternatively, she can appear as a statue of living ice and frost.
Auril's Influence
Born from Melora's blood shed on snow, Auril has dominion over all that occurs in nature during the winter months. Among mortals she is feared, and her worship stems from an attempt to appease and placate the goddess, as winter can be deadly.
The winters Auril creates serve as her challenge for mortals, testing their mettle against the harshness of the elements that can be conjured. She spares no gentleness, nor does she pretend to. Those that fall to the ice and snow are simply weak, and in the depths of winter only the strongest survive.
Despite her cold cruelty, she is appreciative of art and beauty, particularly sculpture. A masterwork carved from stone or ice is said to give her enough pause to spare a village from a blizzard, however most speculate she appreciates these for their timelessness- a ephemeral flower holds no meaning for her, but a carving lasting for millennia may catch her eye.
In addition to the Frost and Stone giants, Auril has a special appreciation for White Dragons, and she is occasionally depicted in myth as riding a flying chariot pulled by two adult white dragons. Alternatively, she is depicted as having a sled pulled by a team of dire wolves for overland travel.
Auril's Goals
Auril seeks to blanket the Material Plane in eternal winter, caring not for the regulation of the seasons or the balance of light and dark. Melora, understanding the necessity of balancing the seasons, cedes control of nature to Auril every winter, and come winter's end Auril fights to keep it, but every spring is defeated by the Wildmother. She does not wish death for mortals, but she does not care if they do die as long as her children, the giants, live.
Divine Relationships
Auril is often in conflict with the other gods, especially the gods of nature, who do not particularly appreciate her domain. Some gods however, she has a kinship with, having ideals that align with each other.
Melora and Auril are old rivals. Melora respects that in nature there must be balance, so come the winter months, she cedes control of nature to Auril. Auril is reluctant to give up any form of control, and the spring tends to be a violent battle for control between the Wildmother and the Frostmaiden. So far, the Wildmother is undefeated, but if aided by outside forces, the Frostmaiden could prevail.
Talos, god of storms and one of Melora's children, is perhaps the closest to Auril's ideals. Talos, like Auril, is a creator of giants (storm and cloud), and has no concern for the safety of mortals that cannot whether his storms. Auril and Talos work together occasionally to bring terrible storms upon mortals, and both are typically prayed to to appease their wrath. Fierce blizzards are said to be signs of Talos and Auril working together, and are to be feared.
Opposite of Auril is the god Moradin, god of crafts. Moradin created Hill and Fire Giants, and opposed to Auril's ice and winter, Moradin represents fire. In addition, Auril envies Moradin's ability to forge- she covets things that are beautifully crafted but cannot tolerate the heat of a forge, so she must only preserve what she can scavenge from others and preserve in her ice. The two are not enemies though, and they actually have a strange kinship with each other. For a while, they were married, but due to incompatibility they separated.
Worshipping Auril
Most of Auril's worshippers are non-humanoid creatures, primarily giants, who live in remote areas in the north and thrive in the cold that Auril brings.
Her human worshippers are usually those who live in the north as well, and include people of all manner of trades that seek to appease the winter goddess in hope that she shows mercy. Trappers, hunters, and adventurers who travel in the winter occasionally give sacrifices to her in order to stave off the bitter cold. Sailors who traverse in the northern seas, particularly whalers, also attempt to appease Auril.
Auril's Favor
Auril offers power and strength to those who would eschew the bounds of society and live out in the harsh reaches of the frozen north. In her service, followers find themselves spreading bitter truths and preparing mortals for harsh realities.
Auril's followers are seldom cheerful sorts, often exhibiting cold and savagely honest personalities.
Why did Auril seek you out as a champion? The following table offers a few suggestions.
| d6 |
Sign of Favor |
| 1 |
You were born during a terrible snowstorm, one that may have killed members of your community, or even your family. |
| 2 |
You were born on Yule or midwinter. |
| 3 |
You fell into a frozen lake as a child, and glimpsed something beneath the surface, something that you still see in your dreams. |
| 4 |
You have the lineage of a white or silver dragon, a favorite creature of Auril. |
| 5 |
You climbed the peak of a dangerous and freezing mountain peak- either as a test of strength or on a quest to retrieve a precious item |
| 6 |
You have no idea why Auril has shown favor to you, and sometimes you wish she hadn't. |
Following Auril means dedicating yourself to the icy chill of winter. As a follower of Auril, consider the ideals below as alternatives to those presented by your background.
| d6. |
Ideal |
| 1 |
Devotion. My devotion to my god is more important to me than what she stands for. (Any) |
| 2 |
Apathy. I care not for the lives of others, my heart is frozen to their concerns. (Evil) |
| 3 |
Dread. Winter and it's cold death comes for all eventually, regardless of circumstances (Neutral) |
| 4 |
Savagery. The world is cruel, I must be crueller yet to survive it. (Evil) |
| 5 |
Change. Everything's just waiting to be something else, including me. (Chaotic) |
| 6 |
Power. Like the winter winds, I answer only to Auril. (Evil) |
Myths of Auril
Myths of Auril typically show that she is as merciless and powerful as her domain suggests.
The Creation of Auril.
During the Aeon Primus, Melora would wander the world as a young maiden, and one of her favorite places was a garden where winter never ceased. At that time, winter was her domain, and was gentler than it is now. One one of the days that she wandered in the garden, the god Caethes, Keeper of Secret Knowledge, came to her and told her that her very blood could give life to inanimate objects. She spilled a drop of her own blood on the snow, and the giant goddess Auril was formed, who used her own magic to bring the races of giants to life.
Marriage of Auril and Moradin
One day, one of the fire giants slew a frost giant that was Auril's closest companion. Angered, she went to the other gods of the world, and demanded payment for the death of one of her favored companion. The gods offered her a spouse of her choice, with the stipulation that she would choose based only on their voices. Based on voices alone, Auril chose Moradin, the god of the forge, whose voice was as musical and clear as a bell. Their marriage failed because Auril preferred to live in the frozen north, while Moradin preferred to live in the depths of a volcanic mountain. The two did come to an understanding though, and parted amiably.
Comments