The Frost
The Frost
Known Before as: Hailor, the White Quiet
Current Form: Dormant Essence, Echoing Through Ice, Winter, and Stillness
Embodied Concept:
Stasis, Silence, and the Slow Death of Heat. Hailor is not merely the god of cold—he is the absence that cold creates. He is the freezing of motion, the numbing of memory, and the inevitable end of fire. He represents the point at which all things slow, still, and become too quiet to be remembered.
Patron Of:
- Ice, Snow, Glaciers, and Eternal Winter
- Preservation, Isolation, and Emotionless Judgment
- Stillness Before Death, and Silence That Lasts Forever
- Frost Giants, Winter Spirits, and Hermits of the Far North
Symbol:
A snowflake formed of six sharpened points encircling a hollow center. It is carved into stone using glacial blades or etched into frostbitten skin with frozen iron. Often marked with silence—no words spoken when it is drawn.
Common Appearance to Mortals:
Hailor does not manifest visually—he manifests atmospherically. A sudden drop in temperature, a total absence of wind, or a moment where the world falls utterly still. If seen at all, he takes the form of a towering ice-cloaked figure with a crown of frozen mist and eyes like still stars, unmoving, unblinking, unknowable. His voice is the cracking of a frozen lake under strain.
History and Myth:
Hailor is said to be the last breath of the dying sky, the first silence after the Old Gods' war fell quiet. Unlike Ignis, his twin in concept, Hailor never raged—he simply outlasted. When the world burned, he did not scream; he waited for the fire to die. His power grew in the silence afterward.
Some claim he was once a being of perfect memory, who froze every moment so it could never change—until he became so cold even he forgot who he was. Now, he drifts in the deepest snows, the dead poles, and the frozen echoes of forgotten wars.
Doctrine and Devotion:
“There is peace in what cannot change. There is truth in what cannot move.”
Those who follow Hailor do not seek warmth. They embrace stillness, emotional clarity, and preservation. His rites include days of silence, burial in snow, or the intentional freezing of sacred relics to keep them eternal.
His faithful are frost giants, keepers of the forgotten, monks of still thought, and archivists of tragedies none wish to remember. Many take vows of silence or bury themselves in glaciers to await enlightenment.
Relationship to the Pantheon:
The gods respect Hailor but do not call upon him lightly. He is the end of arguments, the death of passion, the last step after even decay is done. Ignis once tried to melt him—and failed. Even Tiamat fears Hailor’s touch, for all tyrants fall silent in the snow.
Where Zephyra moves and Ignis transforms, Hailor erases.
Perception by Mortals:
Feared and Honored. Among mortals, Hailor is a paradox—hated for his indifference, but respected for his permanence. To those who lose loved ones to winter, he is a cruel thief; to those who seek escape from pain or change, he is a god of peace. In the far North, some say he waits to one day freeze the stars themselves—and finally rest.
Relic of the Frost: Stillfang, the Silence That Ends All Things
"No fire burns forever. When it fades, I will be waiting."
Weapon (Greataxe, halberd, greatsword), Legendary → Artifact
Requires attunement by a Barbarian, Paladin, Fighter, or Warlock who has watched a loved one die, or has allowed Icey indifference to creep into their soul.
Initial Form: Stillfang (Levels 10–13)
A massive greataxe forged of translucent glacial steel, its blade rimmed with constantly forming rime. It makes no sound when swung—not even when striking flesh or bone. The air around it grows colder with each breath the wielder takes, and even nearby fire dims or flickers strangely in its presence.
Inevitable Strike:
Stillfang deals an additional 1d6 cold damage on hit. If the target is below half HP, this increases to 2d6 and the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC 16) or have their movement speed reduced to 0 until the start of your next turn.
Aura of Stillness (1/short rest):
As a bonus action, you exude Hailor’s chilling presence in a 10-foot radius for 1 minute. Enemies who start their turn in the aura must succeed on a Wisdom save (DC 16) or suffer disadvantage on all Dexterity checks and saving throws, and be unable to speak above a whisper.
Winter’s Endurance:
You gain resistance to cold damage. In frigid environments, you do not need to eat, sleep, or breathe.
Awakened Form: Stillfang, Blade of the Final Quiet (Levels 17–20)
Once awakened, the axe grows jagged, glacial veins creep along the haft, and its edge seems to cut through light itself. Each swing now leaves behind lingering arcs of frost that mute the world behind it.
Absolute Stillness (1/day):
As an action, you bring down Stillfang in a silent cleaving arc that freezes time for a moment. All creatures of your choice within 20 feet must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 20) or become frozen in place—paralyzed and deafened for 1 round. Creatures immune to cold are not immune to this effect.
Frozen Wound:
When you deal a critical hit, the wound does not bleed—it freezes. The target suffers an additional 6d10 cold damage, and their body begins to crack even if immune to cold or magical freezing.
The World Grows Quiet:
You gain immunity to being charmed, deafened, or frightened. While wielding Stillfang, spells cast within 10 feet of you must succeed a DC 18 Spellcasting Ability check or fizzle silently, their magic smothered by your presence.
Awakening Trigger:
Stillfang awakens when:
- The bearer chooses stillness over vengeance, sparing an enemy and accepting a loss in silence.
- Or, when they stand vigil for 3 days and 3 nights in a blizzard, unmoving and without fire.
- Or, when Hailor’s presence passes through them in the moment after death, but before judgment, and they choose not to cry out.
Once awakened, Stillfang no longer echoes—even in magical silence. Birds will not fly near you. Winds bend around you. The world respects your stillness, whether it fears it or not.
