Winter Event: Frigid Eruptions!

In one night of the Northern Hills, all was quiet, and all was calm. The moon was full, and not a creature was stirring, except for a lone Wolfos. He threw his head back with a howl... a howl of lonely despair.

From the base of the hills, one heard the cry. From a cave deep within the mounds, there came another pair of ears to hear the wailing. And finally, from the sky, a beast on wing gazed down to see its brother's despair. At once, they all understood his suffering, each with their own story to tell... as to why they, too, were abandoned and alone.

As the beast howled to the sky, the three each converged upon him in their own time. It would be midnight before the eyes of a Wolfos, a Wizzrobe, a Yeti, and a Wyvern would meet. Though none of their words shared the same language, they could read the gaze in each others' eyes. They had all been forsaken...

The Wolfos of white fur. The warmth of Hyrule had slowly, one by one, brought all of his pack to lay in the dust. Where was the snow from the land they hailed? Why were they forced from their homes? His feral mind could not understand and recall everything... but he knew that he too, would soon succumb to the climate here.

The Wizzrobe of blue robe. From his hands came icy fog, a permanence of his dark creation. Like he has done with so many of his pawns, the King of Darkness tosses aside one of his minions after he was finished with it. Loyalty, skill... it did not matter. A pawn is a pawn.

The Yeti of monstrous strength. He is of the last of his kind as well... somewhat savage, but intelligent and heartfelt, the denizens of Hyrule could not understand him. When they see his powerful arms, they think not of how they could be used to build and create, but only imagine how they could maim and destroy. His form is only that of a monster to their foolish eyes. And so, he wallows in the caves, unseen and unheard.

The Wyvern of ice-covered scales glances to the ground beneath their feet. There was once a great warrior who rode upon her back, knowing no peers to his might and his valiance. What brought him down was not fate, nor a glorious battle to end him proper. It was a coward... stabbing him in the back as he slept, seeping into his flesh the poison of Moruge Swamp.

They stood in a circle, quiet. While their tales remained a mystery to each other, they could nonetheless understand... they could trust... they knew. A lifetime's bond is born in a moment of desperation and despair. None of them had much left to live for, it seemed...

The Wizzrobe gave a soft sigh. From the depths of his robe came an orb of darkness. He held it aloft, and from it oozed a frosty mist to fill the air around them. At once, his newfound companions relished in the refreshing cold. What now seems like ages ago, the sorcerer stole this most sacred treasure from the one who tossed him aside. The fools knew little of its true power, but he has come to know it all.

The sphere draws upon their plight, their sorrow, and their light. It takes all, leaving them only to their frustration, their darkness. A vortex of harsh and cold winds spins around the assembly, growing faster and stronger with every passing moment of the orb's increasing strength.

"Yes," the Wizzrobe spat with delight, eyes ablaze upon the sphere in his hands. The weapon had been waiting for this day, to draw upon the hatred and amplify it all, to bring forth darkness. If used correctly, he believed, it would be a power that even rivaled Ganon...

...But the winds grew too intense. The others grew suspicious, and hesitant. Though none remember how it happened, the orb fell from his palm. The sorcerer's eyes gaped in terror and in shock. The sphere that sucked in and destroyed all light broke against the hard ground.

...

All across Hyrule, there came a deafening boom. The ground beneath every village shook, the air of every sky resonated, and the animals of every forest hid in their homes. The moon looked down upon the Northern Hills, and sighed.

The earth beneath was torn asunder by a ferocious and fearsome force. Earthquakes slashed apart the land, and new mountains burst forth from the hills. From the depths of the earth came forth a terrible cold, and out from the hills launched ice and snow skyward--like the mightiest of volcanoes could hope to spew lava and ash.

Ice Keese, Chilfos, and all forms of fearsome creatures which are rarely seen in the temperate land of Hyrule quickly populated the hills... rapidly transforming a quaint mining prospect into a lethal lair of ice and feral beasts. None but four knew what caused the initial eruption, but as the ice continues to constantly gush forth, snow begins to cover night only the hills, but the surrounding area...

...

Several days pass. Confusion and panic fill the streets of the nearby Castle-Town, eyes pointed towards the distant sky. Pouring from the hills comes a terrible and unending blizzard, encroaching closer and closer to the city with every passing day.

The Royal Family's most powerful of sages perceive from the hills four sources of fearsome magical potence, bearing such strength that even they tremble before it.

As the story goes, the King is rallying his army to set forth and destroy the sources of this dark power... but will the invasion begin soon enough? Could they even hope to win against the fury of nature, with their forces already spread so thin by Ganon? Such are the worries coming forth from rumor-spreading lips.

...

Even as the days march past, the snowstorm brewing in the Northern Hills can be seen growing in intensity... ice bellowing constantly from the frigid volcanoes. Dark clouds of cold swell miles into the sky for all of Hyrule to see. The blizzard steadily begins to spread across the land, swallowing up Castle-Town in mere days, its arctic winds filling the air; its ice coats every street and begins to slowly bury every structure. Lon Lon Ranch is swept up in the cold as well, its many cattle and steeds forced to stay indoors as the farmhands struggle to cope with the arctic weather... hoping in vain that this nightmare simply passes over.

Though royalty still bellows of sending forces towards the source, the people are growing more doubtful that their salvation lies in the king's men. The climate seems to plummet dramatically with every passing day, as panic begins to rise up in all who witness nature's fury.

The snow soon begins to coat Hyrule Field and Impa... It is now only a light sprinkle, barely below freezing, but those evacuating from the north bring with them tales of a horrid future.

...

A certain someone was supposed to update the Map of Hyrule. A week ago. Seeing as they no longer seem to care about the fact the Hyrule they've founded is perishing in the cold hands of mere unfortunate circumstances, I suppose you'll have to do without an accurate map of the blizzard's progression. Regardless, please try to incorporate these happenings in your role-plays.

After too much preparation, a force of Hyrule's finest soldiers ride and march towards the Northern Hills early in the morning. The citizens and the children wish them luck... or at least, those who can afford the thick furs necessary to survive outside in this unspeakable weather.

...It takes three hours for true fear to strike Castle-Town. It tears through the hearts of one and all as lightning, slashing away what petty hopes were laid on the shoulders of those soldiers. Already they are retreating, driven back by not only the furious winds and ice, but the monsters sprung forth from them. Hordes of white-furred wild beasts, golems of ice, and titans of snow drive the soldiers back... Their origins are clear, but their motives mysterious.

The knights scurry pathetically back into the gates, fleeing for their lives against unspeakable forces. Those too valiant or too foolish to stay behind are quickly slain before the eyes of their comrades--the bridge drawn just before some fall to the iced moat below, death coming to them swiftly.

Though the moat is made useless now, the impenetrable walls surrounding the town keep them safe for now if only because the forces they face are both feral and stupid. Arrows rain down from above, and boiling oil pours down the walls, decimating any Chilfos foolish enough to attempt to climb them. Ice Keese are shot down with ease.

Yet, as those soldiers perched onto the walls gaze into the distance, they cannot see the end of this army of ice... fearing that sooner or later the beasts will find away through or around these walls... knowing that even if they don't, the sealed off trade route will slowly starve the populace.

The stalemate continues... days on end... Those who have not yet given up all hope head to the temples, praying unto their gods for heroes...

...

From the skies, it is clear Castle-Town is as lost to the winter as are the Northern Hills, both of them under constant blizzards. The bulk of the monsters are pounding on the walls of the city, but rogue beasts roam the nearby lands as well, bands of them sparsely filling Hyrule Field.

Lon Lon Ranch and Impa are suffering their own blizzards now, shut inside and hoping in vain for things to pass over... Progress on the new town is all but halted.

Though the snow is only beginning in the outskirts of the storm, the trees of the Lost Woods are quickly thinning to only evergreens, and ice is beginning to coat the forest floor. Small icebergs are forming within the vast Lake Hylia. From a distance, it is clear that the peak of Death Mountain and the surrounding hills are suffering their own blizzards...

Those lucky enough to have evacuated safely to Nabooru are followed not only by tales of terror, but the very nightmares of which they speak. Already, snow is beginning to coat the rooftops of the town. Although the resident Gorons are less fearful of enduring the climate itself, even they fear what the monsters may do to their relatively unguarded home...

The bitter cold has all but claimed the most northern areas of Hyrule. Deep snows become deeper with every passing day, hopes buried in icy tombs. The bitter cold strikes to the heart, sapping all life, fear grasping every heart. The soldiers are forced back time after time, fewer returning with every venture into the newborn tundra. The dead are left behind, those alive with too little strength to bring them back. Even the tears of widows cannot fall in this dark winter.

The refuse of Castle Town are all but condemned; bodies are taken from the city every day, men, women, and children that could survive another night. There are not given the courtesy of a burial, cemetery grounds frozen solid. The one boon the cold brings is that the bodies to not decay, do not bring pestilence to the once prosperous city.

Though the enemy has not yet entered the city, there is no longer any hope that the city will survive the winter. Already, food stores are dwindling, and many families go hungry for days at a time. What little food remains has been seized by the Castle Town Guard, and has been divided into rations. But, though they are the embodiment of justice, there are some, driven by hunger, who secret food for themselves and their families. Those who have not eaten for weeks wander the streets, pleading for a quick death. The city borders on madness, the shadow of death looming above every bed-post, noble and peasant alike.

Others now suffer, too. The Lost Woods is nearly lost beneath the icy dunes, plants and animals alike falling in the staggering cold. Deku and Hylian alike have begun journeying south, where there is a chance of survival. An ancient race joins them, one long forgotten, remembered only by moldering texts. The Kikwi, forced from their secret places by the cold, have joined the migration south, towards Nabooru. Though they are now known by both Deku and Hylian, the Kikwi still remain suspicious, knowing full well that as food becomes more scarce, so does hospitality. The small, ground-dwelling birds huddle for warmth, and though physically weak, they are strong in heart and spirit. Although they may not survive, their will remains strong...

As new snows fall, old hopes die and new ones are born. The blizzard rages on from the north, ravaging the land with its passing; but with the destruction of two of the beasts of winter, the Yeti and the Wyvern, a change can be felt. The knives of cold wind do not bite so deep, nor is the land entirely impassable. Still the ice spreads, crystallized fingers stabbing ever deeper south. All of Northern Hyrule is consumed in its fury, even parts of the Eastern Sea frozen solid. Storm clouds above Saria, Kasuto, and Ruto herald the coming tribulations.

With the snows moving ever southward, a new ally emerges from the far north, far beyond the northern reaches of any map. At first, in the veil of the snow, they seem as giants, draped in great furs. Upon closer inspection, though, they are more beasts than men. With large feet and hands, they pass across a familiar looking land, surging southward. Though their motives are unknown, they have begun to aid Castle Town, assaulting the monsters keeping the once proud city under siege. Though the situation remains grim, warmth has spread through the city through the efforts of several heroes, heating the city and keeping it alive, if just barely, through the deadly winter. Food supplies are still low, as man and child alike are forced to steal to survive; but as the siege is broken, more and more men are sent into the wild to find food. With the help of their mysterious new allies, the Yeti, they return to Castle Town with increasing success...

As the fight for survival rages on in the north, those men and women, of all races, whom had fled south are pinned by the now furious storm. Finding shelter in the last bastion, the Eastern Caves, these ragged travelers find the situation there little better. Those dwelling in the cave are forced to dig ever deeper, seeking the warmth below the earth to survive the bitter cold. Even children work on empty stomachs, moving rock upon rock with pure will. But the refugees and citizens of the Eastern Caves are a determined people, and though determination cannot be eaten, their strength of will pushes them every further.

As they dig further into the depths of the earth, they stumble upon a strange thing; complex cave systems had existed below them, and stretch for miles on end. Even stranger are the creatures that dwell beneath, furred humanoids with large digging claws. Though a gruff people, the Mogma understand the plight of the free races of Hyrule, giving them what assistance they can...

With the passing of the final two beasts of winter, the raging storm has begun to die. The back of the siege on Castle Town has been broken, the monsters of cold and ice now scattered across the land. The Yeti beckon the Hylians from their city, as they rejoice in the end of winter. A strong pact has been forged between the two, and though the Yeti will find the oncoming warmth of the year discomforting, they have made their homes within the Northern Hills, ever a bastion for the still weak Castle Town. Though plants and animals alike are still scarce, the beginnings of new life have already begun to show signs as the snow melts, green buds shooting from the ground and the unheard wail of newborn creatures sounding through the air.

Likewise have the Mogma made a new friend with those who live in the Western Caves. Quietly coaxed to the surface, the Mogma find a different beauty from that which they are accustomed. Climbing deep from the soil, the Mogma look at the surface world in wonder, and even through the blinding glare of the sun, they find joy in the life they see. The winter storm, that had threatened to consume all of Hyrule, has disappeared from the south, as if it were simply a dream, the only sign of its passing the melted snows on the ground.

Though the Kikwi remain enigmatic, they are now known through Hyrule as rumor spreads. Messengers and mailmen bear letters from North to South, from estranged family and from parent to child. As word spreads, so too does the knowledge of the mysterious creatures that had emerged from the forest, seeking refuge in the south. None know if they reached their goal, though many suspect that they have come to rest within the Kokiri Forest, returning to their ancient homeland, returning to the other creatures of the forest.

With the snow gone, Hyrule stretches its arms as if waking from a deep, dark sleep. As ever, the people look towards the future, and what new hopes, dreams, and adventures it may hold...

(Although the Winter Event is finished, please continue to finish your threads. The adventures therein will be considered canon once completed, and rewards will be received as usual; please note that if these quests aren't actually finished, rewards will not be received. Being in a Winter Event thread will not count towards the total number of event threads in which you can participate. Hyrule has returned to its previous state, and travel, and other activities, should be resumed as normal.

Yeti and Mogma should be posted in the near future and player character races.)