WINTER'S END
FeySeasonal Herald and Ice Sculptor
"I have loved spring for a thousand years. I have never touched it. I have never felt warmth. But I have loved. Is that not enough? Is that not... enough?""
Identity
- Residence
- The Crystal Palace, Winter Court
- Civilization
- Fey
Appearance
• Physical: A being of living ice and snow, constantly shedding snowflakes that melt before they hit the ground. Their form shifts between humanoid and abstract shapes—sometimes a person, sometimes a snowflake, sometimes a flurry. • Clothing: They wear nothing but the ice that forms their body, though they sometimes drape themselves in aurora-light for formal occasions. • Distinguishing Marks: Their heart is visible through their chest—a frozen rose that never wilts, the last flower of a garden they froze centuries ago.
Relationships
- Family - The seasons themselves, which they consider siblings
- Allies - The Spring Herald, who returns their affection but can never stay
- Rivals - The Summer Champion, who mocks their cold nature
Personality
- Traits: Melancholic, surprisingly warm-hearted for a being of ice, deeply lonely, fascinated by warmth
- Mannerisms: Leaves frost patterns on everything they touch, speaks slowly as if translating from a colder language
- Voice: Sounds like wind over snow, with crystalline chimes beneath
Backstory
Winter's End was born from the final snowflake of the first winter, tasked with heralding the end of each cold season. They've done this for a millennium and a half, watching spring arrive each year and feeling the warmth that they can never touch. They've fallen in love with spring a thousand times, and lost it a thousand times.
Daily Life
They spend winters at the Winter Court, sculpting ice and heralding the season's arrival. At winter's end, they travel to the border between courts, watching spring approach. They spend the warm months in isolation, sculpting memories of cold into crystal, waiting for winter to return.
Story Hooks
- 1 They've discovered a ritual that might let them survive warmth, but it requires ingredients from across Landorya—they need help gathering them
- 2 The Spring Herald has been captured, and Winter's End is desperate enough to enter the warm world to rescue them
Narrative Value
Tragic romantic figure, connection to the seasons, quest giver, embodiment of longing and impossible love ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════