Auril

**Auril** (pronounced: /ˈɔːrɪl/ *AW-rill*  listen), also known as **The Cold Goddess**, **The Frostmaiden**, **Icedawn**, the **Goddess of Winter**, and the **Frost Sprite Queen**, was a fickle, vain, and evil deity, who was primarily venerated out of fear. The few among the Iulutiuns of the Great Glacier who worshiped her called her **Saukuruk**. She was additionally seen as being synonymous with the Queen of Air and Darkness by some communities of fey, such as those of the Shiverpine Forest in the Deep Wilds. However, after the Sundering the Queen of Air and Darkness was seen to be only impersonating Auril in order to retain followers on Toril.

Auril typically appeared as an attractive human woman with blue skin. Her body was made from ice and snow.

In the late 15th century, Auril had three distinct avatars. In her first form, called the Cold Crone, she appeared as a hunched bipedal creature standing 7 feet (2.1 meters) tall and with snowy owl's head with a pair of curled ram's horns, cloven hooves, and arms that end in sharp talons.

## Personality

Auril was the embodiment of winter's wrath. She was arrogant, capricious and unpredictable. She took great pleasure in torturing her enemies and harassing her foes. Sacrifices and worship to her was often done out of fear. An evil goddess, her main goal is to cover the Realms under ice and snow.

## 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

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.

In earlier centuries, Auril was a member of the Deities of Fury, along with Malar, Umberlee, and Talos. Umberlee and Auril cooperated with some degree of confidence, while Malar and Auril despised each other.

Auril and Chauntea were mortal enemies, constantly battling each other. Kossuth and Auril were also mortal enemies, but their followers seldom came across each other. Sune opposed Auril, as she blamed her for the destruction of much that was beautiful. Uthgar hated Auril as she turned the Elk Tribe away from his worship.[*citation needed*] 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.

In the Year of Holy Thunder, 1450 DR, Auril intervened in Calimshan's Second Era of Skyfire, freezing over the Skyfire Wastes and sending her followers to battle both Calim's genies and Memnon's efreeti.

In the Year of the Iron Dwarf's Vengeance, 1485 DR, Chosen of Auril, Hedrun Arnsfirth, began her war in Icewind Dale.

In the late 15th century DR, Auril encroached onto Umberlee's domain by freezing her chaotic tides. Though Umberlee was once allied with Auril, she cut off this alliance, and turned to the other Gods of Fury, Talos and Malar. The three allied deities sought to take down the Frostmaiden, and she was forced to retreat to the most frigid region of Toril: the Sea of Moving Ice. From an island known as Solstice, the Goddess of Winter caused the Everlasting Rime beginning in the Year of the Rune Lords Triumphant, 1487 DR. This seemingly eternal winter covered the area and extended over Icewind Dale for two years. This taxed the goddess, and as such, Auril became very weak, vulnerable, and self-isolated. In fact, she became so powerless that she could be slain by mortal creatures, which could force her to be banished until the next winter solstice.