The Piercing

The Piercing is a dreaded affliction that strikes without warning in the frozen wastes—a sudden onset of excruciating pain described as phantom needles of ice driving into flesh, bone, and deeper still. Unlike ordinary frostbite, which numbs and deadens, The Piercing brings acute, searing agony that many survivors claim feels almost deliberate, though the cause remains a mystery.

Those who have experienced The Piercing describe sensations that defy normal understanding: pain that originates from within rather than without, ice that forms in patterns too precise to be natural, and a profound sense of being watched or judged. Whether this is a peculiar form of environmental hazard, a side effect of the world's magical corruption, or something else entirely, no one can say for certain.

Physical Manifestation

When The Piercing strikes, victims report:

• Sudden, stabbing pains that seem to originate from within the body rather than from external cold
• Crystalline formations appearing just beneath the skin, visible as pale blue or white lines that trace along veins and nerves like frost on a window
• Phantom needles that leave no physical wounds but cause excruciating pain nonetheless
• Spreading numbness that follows the pain, as if something cold is being injected directly into the bloodstream
• Auditory hallucinations of faint tinkling or crystalline chimes, like ice breaking in a distant cave

In severe cases, actual ice crystals begin to form in the extremities, and the victim's blood may take on a faintly luminescent blue quality visible through their skin. Some victims report seeing their breath crystallize into shapes or patterns, though this may be delirium from the pain.

Common Triggers

The Piercing does not strike at random, though predicting when it will occur remains difficult. Survivors and scholars have noted several patterns:

Emotional Distress

The Piercing often manifests during moments of profound despair, hopelessness, or existential dread. Whether the phenomenon is somehow attracted to such emotions or whether stressed individuals are simply more susceptible remains a matter of debate.

Corrupted Areas

Regions heavily tainted by magical corruption—the Shardstorm Crater, the Bleakwood, or anywhere marked by failed rituals—carry a significantly higher risk. The phenomenon is especially common near wreckage from the fallen fortresses, where unstable magic saturates the area.

Sudden Temperature Changes

Paradoxically, The Piercing sometimes strikes those who transition rapidly from warmth to extreme cold. Travelers who leave the safety of a heated shelter and venture into a blizzard report higher incidence rates, as if the sudden contrast somehow triggers the effect.

Recent Patterns

Since news of the miracle child's birth began spreading, reports of The Piercing have increased notably in both frequency and severity. The connection, if any, is unknown.

Cultural Impact

Among Survivors

The Piercing has become synonymous with suffering in survivor settlements. To say someone has "felt the needles" is to acknowledge they have endured profound trauma and lived to speak of it. Veterans of The Piercing are treated with wary respect; they have faced something terrible and inexplicable and survived.

Many settlements have developed rituals and practices meant to ward against The Piercing, though their effectiveness is questionable:

• Burning offerings of aromatic herbs before venturing into the wastes
• Wearing talismans made of bone or wood (never metal, which some say "calls the cold")
• Reciting prayers to various gods, particularly to Anemoi, asking for protection from winter's cruelties
• Traveling in groups and maintaining constant conversation, as The Piercing seems to prefer solitary, silent victims

Among the Cults

The Frost Cults hold dramatically different views of The Piercing. The Children of Silence actively seek it out, believing that enduring the pain grants profound spiritual insight or power. Their initiates undergo rituals involving exposure to extreme cold while meditating, hoping to "receive the needles." Those who survive with their sanity intact claim to have glimpsed truths about the nature of the Endless Winter.

The Brotherhood of the Long Night preaches that The Piercing is divine judgment upon those who resist the natural order of the frozen world. They use vivid descriptions of The Piercing in their sermons to convince others that fighting against the Endless Winter is futile and sinful.

Survivor Accounts

"Day 47. Camped in the lee of an old warehouse. Thought I was safe. Then it started. Pain in my fingers—sharp, so sharp I thought I'd grabbed broken glass. But there was nothing there. The pain spread up my arms, into my chest. I could see lines under my skin, blue-white like frozen lightning. I screamed until I couldn't, until the numbness took my voice. When it passed, I found frost in my breath had formed words on the wall: 'STILL.' I don't know what it means. I don't want to know."

— From the Journal of Mara Coldhand, Scavenger

"I had lost my faith, you see. Twenty-eight years of winter, and the gods gave no sign. I stood in the ruin of our temple and cursed Anemoi's name, demanded he show himself if he truly cared. That's when it came. It felt like the winter itself reached into my chest and grabbed my heart. I fell to my knees in agony. When I begged forgiveness—from the god, from the winter, I don't even know—the pain stopped immediately. Coincidence? Perhaps. But I rebuilt that temple stone by stone, and I have never doubted since. Something heard me that day."

— From the Testimony of Brother Isen, former Priest of the Old Faith

"You warm-bloods don't understand. The Piercing isn't weather. It's not frostbite. We Frostmarked can endure cold that would kill you in minutes, but we fear The Piercing as much as anyone. Because it doesn't care about your resistance to cold. It finds you anyway. Makes you wonder what it really is, doesn't it?"

— A Frostmarked Elder's Warning

Treatments and Prevention

There is no known cure for The Piercing once it has begun, though several methods can alleviate its worst effects:

Immediate Warmth: Huddling near fire or another heat source sometimes reduces the duration, though it rarely stops the pain entirely.

Alcohol or Painkillers: Strong spirits or rare medicinal herbs can dull the sensation, but most survivors lack access to such luxuries.

Distraction: Some claim that focusing on another intense sensation—biting one's own hand, gripping something sharp—can redirect the mind away from The Piercing's agony.

Prayer or Meditation: Faith-based practices have shown inconsistent results, but enough survivors swear by them that they remain common. Brother Isen's account has made prayers to Anemoi particularly popular, though whether they work or not is unclear.

Magical Intervention: Cleansing rituals performed by priests or mages can sometimes halt The Piercing, but these require magic that induces corruption, creating a dangerous trade-off.

Prevention is more reliable than treatment. Experienced travelers in the wastes:

• Never travel alone if it can be avoided
• Maintain mental discipline and avoid dwelling on despair
• Avoid areas known for heavy magical corruption
• Keep morale high through songs, stories, or shared rations
• Watch for warning signs: unusual silence, geometric frost patterns, or feelings of being watched

Competing Theories

Scholars, particularly those at the Aurora Conservatory, have proposed numerous theories about The Piercing's nature:

The Magical Corruption Theory: The most widely accepted explanation is that The Piercing is a side effect of corrupted magic saturating certain regions. The "needles" are chaotic magical energy manifesting as pain when it interacts with living tissue.

The Psychosomatic Theory: Some scholars argue The Piercing is primarily psychological: a trauma response triggered by extreme cold and stress that manifests as very real physical symptoms. The crystalline patterns could be the mind's interpretation of normal frostbite.

The Ritual Remnant Theory: This theory suggests The Piercing is residual energy from the failed rituals that preceded the Eternal Winter. Like echoes of a catastrophic magical event, these energies continue to affect those who enter contaminated areas.

The Divine Judgment Theory: Religious scholars, particularly from the Old Faith, argue The Piercing represents divine displeasure. Brother Isen's account is often cited as evidence that the gods—especially Anemoi—still interact with the world, albeit painfully.

The Warning Phenomenon Theory: A minority view holds that The Piercing is not hostile but protective—a painful signal that someone has entered an area too dangerous for survival. This theory is unpopular, as it implies the winter itself has some form of awareness.

The Parasitic Theory: The most disturbing theory, whispered primarily among cultists and fringe scholars, is that something in the cold is actively seeking out warmth and life, "tasting" victims through The Piercing. Most reject this as paranoid fantasy.

Rumors and Legends

• Some say if you survive The Piercing three times, you become immune to its effects but lose the ability to feel warmth ever again.
• There's a folk tale of a woman who experienced The Piercing so many times she turned into living ice - a Glasgrim, perhaps, or something worse. Some claim to have seen her wandering the wastes, leaving trails of frost wherever she walks.
• Travelers whisper of a place called the Needle Forest in the far north, where The Piercing is constant and inescapable, and the ground is littered with the frozen bodies of those who wandered in.
• A cult somewhere in the wastes reportedly harvests the crystalline formations left in The Piercing's wake, grinding them into powder for use in forbidden rituals.
• A scavenger once claimed he saw a pattern in the frost-words that victims' breath leaves behind. He said if you collected enough of them, they would form a message. He died trying to prove it.

Notes for Travelers

If you're planning to venture into the frozen wastes, keep these warnings in mind:

1. Don't Travel Alone: The Piercing shows a marked preference for solitary victims. Groups seem to experience it less frequently.
2. Keep Talking: Silence seems to invite The Piercing. Maintain conversation, sing songs, anything to break the quiet.
3. Trust Your Instincts: Many survivors report a feeling of unease or being watched just before The Piercing strikes. If something feels wrong, seek shelter immediately.
4. Avoid Crashed Fortress Sites: The areas around fallen fortress wreckage show the highest concentration of Piercing incidents. The risk is rarely worth the salvage.
5. Don't Mock the Winter: As superstitious as it sounds, several accounts describe The Piercing striking immediately after someone cursed the cold or boasted about their hardiness. Better safe than suffering.

Related Articles

• Frost Corruption
• Shardstorm Crater
• Children of Silence
• The Miracle Child
• Old Man Winter (Anemoi)

"The winter does not simply kill—it makes you suffer first, like it wants you to know you're dying. The Piercing is when you feel the winter's attention on you personally, and it's not kind."

— Common saying among survivors