Sunday, December 4, 2011

Trollslayers - The Snow Queen

Much is speculated, but little is truly known, about the enigmatic figure known as the Snow Queen.  That she resides in the frozen northern lands, and is a magician of great power, is accepted as fact.  Of the rest of what is said, most of it is contradictory, and all of it may be unreliable.  After all... men lie.

There are three common theories as to the nature of her existence.   Some say that she was once a mortal sorceress who bargained for, and gained, great magical power, but at a terrible cost.  Others say that she was a demon who has been trapped in a mortal guise, bound to the frozen lands by an ancient pact.  Still others whisper that she was once of the Sidhe, but was banished from the faerie lands for crimes so horrible that even the other fae could no longer abide her.  Only the Snow Queen knows for certain what is true, and she prefers not to speak of her past.

Although she prefers her frozen domain and the castle of ice that resides there, she can travel to any land where snow or ice can be found on the ground.  Her home is said to be rich in treasures acquired from ships that sailed too far north into the icy waters, as well as the weapons and armor of those who dared to try to invade her castle.  Some whisper that those who have died in her domain continue on in a half-life, forever under her command.

It is said that she can see and hear anywhere that the winter winds blow, should she so choose.  It is for this reason that some seek her out, not for sake of treasure, but instead to gain knowledge.  It is for this same reason that those who live in the northern lands often do not speak of the Snow Queen by name, for fear that she will hear them and take offense.

It is possible to bargain with the Snow Queen, but the bargainer must be very careful in doing so, for she both wise and unforgiving of error  More than one adventurer has found himself trapped in her domain, a victim of their own hubris. 

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