Frostling

Daughters of Myrrea who were made of frost and snow.

Basics

• Taxonomic Order: Akhoata

• Alignment: Aetherial

• Energy: Hvittdogg

• Lifespan: 300 years

• Diet: Polar mortal fare

• Habitat: Cryovolcanic islands

Origins

When Myrrea’s tears froze, the frostlings were born.

Description

Frostlings appear to be female-assigned figures with blue and white skin and hair, eyes like motes of white light, and tears of ice crystals.

Procreation

Frostlings reproduce with the male-assigned members of any sexual species that has male-assgned members, always producing sora children, except when reproducing with enders.

Powers

Frostlings have breath that freezes water. They can survive in the intense cold.

Emotional Powers

Frostlings have numbed emotions. They still have emotions, but they do not feel them as intensely as others. However, under extreme circumstances, their emotions may flare up, turning into a cold fire that erupts from their skin. In this state, they can direct the cold fire anywhere within 20’ and freeze solid any target.

Cryovolcano

If a frostling enters the cryolava of a cryovolcano, they become one with it, turning into a coldfire elemental being that can control the cryovolcano. Only if their emotions are disturbed will it erupt while they dwell like this. They remain there for a year, then are reborn as a frostling child in the flesh, left at the base of the cryovolcano.

Weaknesses

Frostlings do not function very well in warm places. Direct heat can literally melt them. If they must go to warm climates, they need special protections.

Nations

There are two nations of frostlings: the Qimuttuitsut in the far south and the Lumihiutale in the far north.

Qimuttuitsut Culture

In the far south, in the islands just north of the southern polar ice, there is an archipelago in the Island Bridge known as the Fontaenit (“fountains”), each of which is home to a cryovolcano. On these islands, the Qimuttuitsut live in small fishing villages.

Each of their villages is led by an elder council of six frostlings. These elders go yearly on midwinter night to the cryovolcanoes to offer themselves to keep them from erupting. Usually, the frostling elders find the volcano dormant, and they simply go home and report it will be peaceful. If they find signs of activity, however, they will toss themselves in. However, being elemental beings, the cryovolcano does not kill them; instead, they become one with the cryolava and turn into incandescent coldfire elementals who will be returned as children the following year’s midwinter night. Most elders never experience this rebirth.

Children in Qimuttuitsut villages are raised by the whole community. They are taught fishing, hunting, whaling, survival in the snow, and basic tasks to serve the community from a young age. At the age of thirteen, they perform a ritual coming-of-age during which they go on a solo hunt or fishing voyage. If they return with food, they are given voting rights. If they return without food, they are expected to keep trying every full moon until they do. If they try for three years and never succeed, they are given a special role in the village with limited voting rights. Though they may be considered adults at thirteen, they are not allowed to couple until they are nineteen, at which time they go through a different ceremony, called a aputqitinneq, which is a communal dance party.

As adults, they are expected to participate in all the tasks of the village, no matter what role they take on. Many are allowed to specialize in hunting, fishing, whaling, or various crafts, if they show aptitude, but all take part. This includes recreational activities, including the three sacred sports of their villages - nalunneq, a swimming race; orpik, a game played with thick tree branches used to sweep snow; and tuaviusaarut, dogsled racing. Any frostling who does not play one of these will attend the events and bring support.

Dogs are a very important part of their culture. Dogs, called qimmit (sing. qimmeq), provide protection, hunting, companionship, and transportation, and caring for them is a task always given over to children or non-hunters. It is a sacred role. They keep special dogs for each task - ones for protection are trained to fight, ones for hunting are trained to track, ones for companionship are trained as service dogs, and ones for transportation are trained for endurance. Then there are the most elite - the ujaasisoq dogs, or seekers, are trained to find people lost in the snow.

The Qimuttuitsut do not need protection from the cold the same way other species do, so they have minimal shelter, usually animal skin canopies or tents. They decorate their tents with elaborate stitchings that display legends of their people, epic stories, or in some cases, stories made up by the children. Music, dancing, and bone sculptures are also popular artforms amongst them. Many of them are snowsingers, though not very powerful ones, as it is considered secondary to the cryovolcanic powers they have.

Lumihiutale Culture

In the Borean Ocean, there are islands between Ranu and Cassaru where the Lumihiutale dwell. These islands are cryovolcanic islands said to have fallen from Gyrah centuries ago, though this is likely just a legend.

The Lumihiutale live in a warrior culture determined by their constant defense against Vesturian slavers and Jorgendish raiders. As such, they have developed a rudimentary class structure wherein the warriors have a slightly elevated status. The entire nation is led by a warrior-queen called a keihasaiti. She is supported by an elected council of elders, who determine most policies, but in times of crisis or war, she leads. She is also expected to be the sacrifice to the cryovolcanoes if there are signs of activity; however, instead of checking every year, they only check if they feel earthquakes.

Warriors, called teistelija, get extra food and goods, more weight to their votes, and the right to choose the keihasaiti via trial by combat. The combat trial is ritualized and non-fatal, though accidents do happen. They also get first sip of the poro blood drink they create. Poros are reindeer found on their islands; these are herded for food and transportation, but their blood is harvested for festivals and said to be an aphrodisiac. This is used at the midsummer festival, which involves sexual rituals for the adults of the community.

The others in the nation learn and partake in every task of the community, including raising children, herding reindeer, preparing food, hunting, fishing, cleaning, and crafting. Children are taken at age ten to be tested and trained for combat; if by thirteen they have not proven themselves as potential warriors, they become commoners. At age twenty, they are allowed to vote and couple.

Art amongst the Lumihiutale is focused on ice sculptures, martial music, and animal arts. They build homes from wood - their islands are forested - and have special festivals for the warm months. Their culture of defense has made paranoia a part of their arts; many of their stories and songs focus on the unknown dangers beyond the seas.

Esoterica

Frostlings are beings of hvittdogg and can wield it with their voices. In the north, they are also wielders of tykva vlast, nzwara murazvo, tmakikan, and conflueverant. In the south, they focus on conflueverant, nzwara murazvo, tmakikan, and bijalee. All other powers except brown aether are possible.

Religion

The Qimuttuitsut worship Taanna Nillertumik Ikuallattoq, She Who Burns Cold, a goddess said to dwell within the cryovolcanoes. She is a figure of slow wrath and vengeance against those who would harm her people, but she is also a figure who is the cause of rebirth amongst the elders. Therefore, she is both a warrior and a mother figure. The elders are also religious leaders in the community; there are no special religious roles.

The Lumihiutale worship Pakkanen Laulu, a goddess whose song is heard in the snow. She is a protector who taught them how to fight and warns them of the arrival of raiders or slavers. She is said to have two subservient deities that are also honored, Sarvimainen, the Reindeer God, and Loimu, the Burning Shield. In their communities, there are special religious leaders called putkis, or shamans, who bond to the ancestors and thus to the gods. They also recognize Kaarme, the snake goddess of Vesturia, and Tuhota, the unseen destroyer god of Jorgendheim, as evil deities to be opposed.

Gender

All frostlings are assigned female at birth. Among the Qimuttuitsut, this is just a starting point, and all frostlings in their tribes are allowed to choose their own way with gender as they grow up. Sexuality and gender are considered fluid and malleable. Among the Lumihiutale, it is a point of pride to be a woman, and anyone who deviates is unfit to be a warrior - but they are still respected as their gender.

Economy

Both cultures are mostly matriarchal, bartering cultures, but the Lumihiutale have a rudimentary slave trade burgeoning as they take their enemies as slaves to counter their being taken slave themselves.

Language

They are based on Kalaallisut or Finnish.

Occupations

Some common roles include the following:

• Dog-keeper

• Dogsledder

• Elder

• Ice swimmer

• Keihasaiti (warrior-queen)

• Putki

• Snow singer (grylukert)

• Snow sweeper

• Teistelija (warrior)

Outside View

The southern frostlings are considered primitive by other cultures nearby, though they do trade with them for whale oil and are too afraid of them to try to conquer them. The northern frostlings are hated as witches or “savages” by those who enslave or raid them.

Notables

Anaana, Mother of Frost, Frostling Manifest

Estimated Populations

• Qimuttuitsut: 10,000

• Lumihiutale: 10,000

• Other: 3,000

Sample Stats

PRO 9
ATH 9
STR 8
AWA 8
WIL 8
PRS 9
STH 9