The Frostmaiden

## Auril

Auril (pronounced: /ˈɔːrɪl/ AW-rill), is the neutral evil goddess of cold and winter. She is known by many names - Lady Frostkiss, the Frostmaiden, the Frost Sprite Queen, Icedawn and the Winter's Tomb just to name a few. Her worshipers often mark their havens with a six-pointed snowflake. As she represents the deadliest aspects of winter, she is a creature of cruel and lethal beauty. Over the years, as other Gods have infringed upon her influence, she has made the winters in Faerûn even more relentlessly cruel.

#### Quote of the Week

> "*Cover all the lands with ice. Quench fire wherever it is found. Let in the winds and the cold; cut down windbreaks and chop holes in walls and roofs that my breath may come in. Work darknesses to hide the cursed sun so that the chill I bring may slay. Take the life of an arctic creature only in great need, but slay all others at will. Make all Faerûn fear me.*
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> ― Auril's charge to her clergy.
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## Description

Auril was known to take a number of distinct forms depending on both her mood and what her current goal was.

The Frostmaiden - Auril's most frequently used avatar. The Frostmaiden appears as an incredibly attractive, athletic woman with blue skin and white hair. Upon closer inspection her body appears to be made from ice and snow itself. She is garbed in a high quality furred gown and little else.

Icedawn - A form taken when she expected battle, the Icedawn is most readily identified by her lightish blue armor, crafted of ice, and the ornate crown she wore. There is an ethereal, almost serene, element to this avatar.

The Cold Crone - A seven foot tall, hunched monstrosity. While the body is vaguely human in shape no one could mistake it for anything other than what it is. The head is that of a snow owl except for the curled ram horns framing the face. The whole body below the neck is covered in a grayish-white fur similar to that of a wolf. The arms are long and slender, ending in black owl talons. The feet are like those of a goat, cloven and sturdy.

Lady Icekiss (aka The Brittle Maiden) - A ten foot tall figure of akin to a sentient ice storm. There is a vaguely feminine shape surrounded by a cloak of mist and glowing blue eyes. But the body, crafted fully of ice, cracked and snapped as she moved. Blade-like protrusions grew from her body at random, breaking off as they grew in length.

Winter's Womb - Also known as the Queen of Frozen Tears by her most devoted. This appears as a three foot diameter diamond of ice with a sharp point at the bottom. This diamond hovered in the air and radiated intense cold in every direction. Those in her presence could almost feel her divine spark radiating from within and when she spoke her voice seemed to pulse forth from within.

## Personality

Arrogant and vain, Auril was incapable of true feelings of love, honor, or other noble emotions, yet adored her ice and all forms of beauty. From natural wonders, to art objects, to the artists themselves, the Frostmaiden froze them all in magical ice, preserving them from the ravages of time and hoarding them away for her viewing pleasure alone. Her ultimate goal was to cover the Realms and all other lands beneath her ice and snow.

Despite being capricious, fickle and unpredictable, Auril was also supremely cold, unfeeling and apathetic. She was incapable of mercy or compassion, a sadist that took great pleasure in torturing her enemies and harassing her foes. She trapped offenders in blizzards and drove them insane with visions of warmth and the comforts of home, ultimately seeking to kill them with the sheer, bitter cold.

## Divine Realm

Auril had a divine realm called Winter's Hall in Pandesmos, the topmost layer of Pandemonium in the Great Wheel cosmology. Norse god Loki also made Winter's Hall his abode, a place to hide away whenever he fell out of grace with the other Aesir.

During the Spellplague, Auril's realm was located within the Astral Dominion of the Deep Wilds and was known as the Land Under Eternal Ice.

## Relationships

In earlier centuries, Auril was a member of the Deities of Fury, along with Malar, Umberlee, and Talos, and used their combined destructive powers to inspired much reverent fear and tribute. Her relationship with Talos was said to be close and cordial, but this was no obstacle from his attempt to usurp her following and she preferred not to rely on him due to his habit of responding but then directing all glory to himself. Meanwhile she and Malar mutually hated each other. Umberlee was the only one she cooperated with to some degree of confidence, but eventually the wrathful sea goddess came to despise her enduring cold and the motionless sheets of ice her roiling seas were turned into, forming an alliance with the other Gods of Fury against the Frostmaiden.

Following the Spellplague, Auril gained significant power by siphoning the faiths of Ulutiu, Aerdrie Faenya, and Gruumsh/Talos into her own. In addition to her classic portfolio of cold and winter, the Frostmaiden claimed dominion over wind and storms, bringing her into direct conflict with the ancient primordial power Akadi.

Auril and Chauntea were mortal enemies, constantly battling each other. Sune opposed Auril, as she blamed her for the destruction of much that was beautiful. Uthgar despised Auril because the Elk Tribe abandoned him for her faith. Rellavar Danuvien, a minor elven god of cold, sought to interfere in the plans of Auril whenever he could.

At one stage, Auril was in a relationship with Thrym, god of the frost giants. During that time she became the mother to the empyrean daughter Nalkara.

## Worshipers

Sacrifices and veneration were primarily performed for the Frostmaiden out of fear.

In the North, Auril was a commonly worshiped, and feared, goddess and an integral part of northern cultures. Worship of the Frostmaiden was common in lands such as the Great Glacier, the Icerim Mountains, Sossal and Vaasa. Her worshipers among the Ilutians called her Saukuruk.

Northlanders considered Auril one of their primary deities and was a key part of their culture. She was feared and seen as the harbinger of winter upon the whole world. In the late autumn and over the winter, regular sacrifices were made to her. Sacrifices of food were place upon rafts which were then set adrift in the ocean. Human sacrifices, usually prisoners of war or slaves, were placed on these rafts. Human sacrifice was a rare occurrence and was only seen during dire times.

In the Moonsea region, followers of the Frostmaiden were shunned by society and was most commonly encountered in Mulmaster and Zhentil Keep. During the winter in Zhentil Keep, followers of Auril openly recruited from the destitute, homeless and refugees. They were offered salvation, instead of the risk of freezing to death in an alley, if they joined the faith.

Worship and sacrifices to Auril were sparse in the Sea of Fallen Stars region, isolated to the northern shores. Illuskan invaders brought the worship of Auril to Tethyr.

Air / Water Genasi: Many of these Genasi who live in cold regions worship her. They tend to have a fanatical devotion to the Frostmaiden and enjoy causing pain with cold air.

Druids: While most druids do not worship her, many consider her to be of primary importance among the nature deities. In spite of her violent nature she is held in very high regard.

When she needed to communicate with her followers Auril tended to use Frost Giants or Winter Wolves. Winter hags are held to be her handmaidens.

### Holy Days

Most of Auril's holy days are less about worship than they are about appeasement. While her worshipers might see these days as days to bask in her glory, all others seek merely to avoid Auril's ire for another year.

* Midwinter (Night), Hammer 30 to Alturiak: Auril's most holy night. A night long festival of ice dancing. Many druids paid respect to Auril on this night.

* The Coming Storm and the Last Storm: Less a holiday and more a name for informal gatherings. Auril's priests gather and call down ice storms in a region to mark the onset and end of winter.

* Auril's Blesstide, or Auril's Day: A holiday in Waterdeep held on the first day of new frost for the year. Prayers were sent to Auril on this day, hoping for a gentler winter.

### Temples

Shrines dedicated to Auril could be found in Bezantur, Calaunt, Iriaebor, Nashkel, Phlan, Tasseldale, and Zhentil Keep. Notable temples to Auril were:

* The House of Auril's Breath: Glister

* Icedawn's House: south of Nashkel

* The Towers of Fury: Calimport

* The Winter Palace: Luskan

* Ice Temple: located between Andora and the Wandering Village in Icewind Dale

### Notable Worshipers

* Artus Cimber: Chosen of Auril following the Spellplague.

* Bjornhild Solvigsdottir: queen of the Reghedmen Tribe of the Tiger during the late 15th century DR.

* Cierre: wandering drow surface spy.

* Gerti Orelsdottr: effective leader of the Shining White frost giants.

* Hedrun Arnsfirth: Chosen of Auril during the Second Sundering.

* Ihanora the Merciful: Chosen of Auril circa 1099 DR and the creator of the Snow Maiden's Reaver.

* Iyraclea: self-styled queen of the Great Glacier.

## Notable Events

Year of Holy Thunder, 1450 DR: During Calimshan's Second Era of Skyfire, Auril's involvement turned the situation into a three way battle. After freezing the Skyfire Wastes she sent her followers to battle both genie and efretti alike.

Year of the Iron Dwarf's Vengeance, 1485 DR: Auril's Chosen, Hedrun Arnsfirth, began a war in Icewind Dale. She laid siege to the Ten Towns and sought to destroy Bryn Shander. She was eventually slain by a group of adventurers.

## Trivia

Among the northern islands of the Trackless Sea, such as Gundarlun, the Purple Rocks, Ruathym and Tuern, the constant bitterly cold northwest winds were called "Auril's Breath".