Hold through, little Selva, do not close your eyes. It is not sleep, that comes so lightly to you. Soon you will rest under the Shroud, and wake up when the spring comes.
First place
Quest - Winter
Winter. The final frontier. For who truly knows, if spring will ever come. This months quest revolves around the concept of winter, in all its hoary splendor. Cold, death, decay, and torpid hibernation. Snow, ice, and fr… Open the quest
Full quest brief
Winter. The final frontier. For who truly knows, if spring will ever come.
This months quest revolves around the concept of winter, in all its hoary splendor. Cold, death, decay, and torpid hibernation. Snow, ice, and frost. These are the ubiquitous images of the long, bleak season.
We are looking for the finest examples of winter-themed submissions. The winners of this major quest, will become worthy recipients of frosty mugs and glasses, engraved with odes to victory, courtesy of Scrasamax! Good luck to all. Don your mittens!
Full Item Description
It is a large cloth, more than enough to cover a man. It is thick and heavy, with fine embroidery, of a strange texture and a weak herbal smell. There is no warmth to be found beneath it.
History
Odolan was an Elven healer of some repute. When his people left their brethren, he followed, through woods and hills, far away from their native lands. They settled in a deep valley, where the weather seemed warm enough, and the few humans not hostile. There should be their new home.
He remembers the first winter, when the snow came soon. Then came the frost, and ever colder nights and days. Never again have so many Elves died in such a short period. They learned, and adapted. It is rare to mention the First Winter now.
But Odolan hasn't forgotten. When the settlement was built, and he had less work, he traveled the valley, and learned from the beasts and plants, how they survived, and how they resisted the deep winters. One of his first creations was the Winter Shroud.
Magic/Cursed Properties
The Shroud needs the cold of winter. Exposed to freezing temperatures, the liquid inside starts to harden. Placing the Shroud on a person or creature will slow down his metabolism until a genuine winter sleep is achieved. The process takes up to a few hours, to some discontent of its creator. He hoped to save lives of those, who are seriously ill, or wounded. But even at this rate it is useful:
A sleeper can last through the winter with nary a sign of life, as long as the Shroud is on him. The hard, cold body seems dead, but is very receptive for surgery and other other normally invasive techniques.
Once the sleeper awakes from a long sleep, it is imperative to assist him with regaining consciousness, and control. Spring is also an ideal time for the more standard ways of Elven healing. Thus one can many survive wounds and illnesses a winter usually makes terminal.
The Shroud itself is made of finest linen, impregnated with the resin of several trees, and with water of a winter's first icicles. Herbs are employed as well, and what its creator is ashamed to mention, the bodily fat of a large animal able to hibernate.
It can preserve a large man through all winter, maybe even longer, if it is cold. More sleep or too much warmth could lead to waking up, expiring in sleep, or even freezing to death. Fire will damage or completely destroy it.
—-
Plot hooks
The friendly hand - a local hunter, a human, helped the newcomers, when they badly needed it. They don't forget. Now that he is old and sickly, they let him 'spend the winter' with them - sleeping under the Shroud. He wouldn't survive a winter here, but now is he the oldest in the cruel valley, his life prolonged beyond mortal norms. You search for something, you may want to speak him first.
The snatcher - in the right conditions, the Shroud can be an effective kidnapping tool. There are surely better ways, but someone's got his hands on one, and has to try it.
The wrong care - even worse, the secret of the Shroud has gotten out, and is advertised as the best way to prolong youth, and dial back old age. First there will be adventurous sorts trying to get their hands on one, then will someone important try it out... what if the wife of the neighboring king dies from this 'guaranteed elven cure'?
Scrolls
Twists, chapters, and details meant to stream with the submission — not general discussion.
No scrolls yet — leave one if you have a twist worth keeping.
Sign in to plant an idea scroll.
Enjoyed this? Sign in and cross blades for manfred — five clashes, up to 25 XP.
Sign in to cross the blades.
Enjoyed this? Sign in and Grant your Favor.
Sign in to Favor
Discussion
Reader talk, questions, and feedback — not scrolls.
No comments yet — be the first voice in the hall.
Sign in to join the discussion.
Bonds
Curated bonds across the Citadel — sign in to bind a bond.
Links to this article 1
- New Takes on Classic Magic Items valadaar linked by manfred
Also for this quest
Other entries under Quest - Winter.
-
Winter's Gem
Bluest of sapphires; the ice-cold jewel. From its hoary breath flows the bitter winter winds. The Lady Karina sits there for all eternity, looking deep into the…
-
Stamagast
Behold, the Harbinger of ill-tidings, the blizzard rider, the thief of winter, the Stamagast.
-
Candenheim
The hyperborean realm of the Eternal Flame
-
At The Foot of the World
At the foot of the World can be found both great treasure and danger! Adventure Awaits!
-
The Frozen Woman of the City
Frozen to death by a penny pinching, cruel landlord, the Frozen Woman has found her vengeance against her killer, and now seeks to destroy those who might do un…
-
The Glacier's Fist
Carved to bring glory to the Patient One, the silent and frigid Abomination that holds dominion over the frozen wastes, the Glacier's Fist is heralded as a dead…
-
Winter's Tempest
Forged of destruction, in the name of hatred, Winter's Tempest is a cold echo of its parent blades, yet still it bears the destruction of the frozen elements.
-
Iceman's Lantern
A small silver lantern, at whose heart there burns a shard of ice.
Use alongside
Submissions that pair well with this one at the table.
-
Stamagast
Behold, the Harbinger of ill-tidings, the blizzard rider, the thief of winter, the Stamagast.
-
Candenheim
The hyperborean realm of the Eternal Flame
-
At The Foot of the World
At the foot of the World can be found both great treasure and danger! Adventure Awaits!
-
The Frozen Woman of the City
Frozen to death by a penny pinching, cruel landlord, the Frozen Woman has found her vengeance against her killer, and now seeks to destroy those who might do un…
-
Glacier's Sigh
The delicate flower of the deepest Arctic, bearing the essence of ephemeral purity.
-
Winter's Gem
Bluest of sapphires; the ice-cold jewel. From its hoary breath flows the bitter winter winds. The Lady Karina sits there for all eternity, looking deep into the…
I have linked this one to the "New Take on Classic Magic Items" codex. There are all sorts of magical widgets, that put a person into stasis to be cured or imprisoned.
The Shroud is more of an Old Take: it freezes literally, and it is bound to very specific conditions.
*shivers*
No, it is not that cold, it is actually very comforting. Just don't fall asleep under it, when it IS cold.
I was intrigued by the science story which I assume inspired this one. It is a nice treatment and use of that idea!
"The process takes up to a few hours, to some discontent of its creator. He hoped to save lives of those, who are seriously ill, or wounded. But even at this rate it is useful"
love that little detail ^
Also, "....impregnated with the resin of several trees, and with water of a winter's first icicles"
Very nice! ^
A nice, romantic, clan-of-the-cave-bear type of opening, and wonderfully subtle item!
Healing hibernation. I like it. The "Bear-Lord's Favor" could be another colloquial name for this shroud.
Finally, I cant help but put forth the idea, that perhaps another legend exists out there somewhere amidst the tundra and arboreal forests. A semi-mythic Winter Shroud of giant proportions! One that could gently envelop entire tribes and communities, and protect them from the harshest winters. It could have the added power of cloaking villages in snowy camouflage. One could pass by an entire tribe hidden beneath the Winter Shroud and never know it.
Bear-Lord's Favor... now that sounds good.
There may indeed be such a legend (and who knows, it might have inspired Odolan in the first place!). If there is, it could be the cape of the Winter Lord, or another personification of winter. He or she came upon a village hit hard by the cold season... and showing mercy, he would cover it with the Shroud. And so they were saved for the winter, without even noticing that it has passed.
Nice idea!
Also, I might add, this captures the spirit of the Quest wonderfully.
Very nice, and I must concur with what Muro said, this item really gets the idea of the Winter Quest. Kudos.
Thanks a lot! I wanted to create some 'classical' winter item, and it didn't work until I connected it to the Elves in all their old-fashioned glory. Now, you could detach them from the item and it would stay usable.
So I have to thank the elves (and random scientific articles) for the inspiration.