The Knight of Frost.
Whispers of winter, intrusion so cold. In our homes, hearts and our bones. (Pause) Let there be honour and let there be light, as the time of death cometh so does their might. (Pause before chorus.) From the darkest of depths with a soul filled with passion, comes a great knight who bring warmth to our castle. They lay ease to our burden and siege to our shivers, bringing us gifts from the pain that we witnessed. (Pause and solo) All hail, to the Knight of Frost, bringing us hope in this night of frost. (Chorus repeats) (Female solo) To slash through the darkness and joust through the wicked, they'll save me from sin on their steed made of wicker. (Male solo) To defeat evil alone, with kindness as weapon, their mystical might comes from love and compassion. (Chorus) All hail, to the Knight of Frost, bringing us hope in this night of frost. We honour your memory, with peace and good spirit, so judge us not for the pleasure we're bringing. Whoever you are, the weak or the strong, neither of you will be left on your own. The rich and the poor, tonight we both will endure, even humans and dwarves may us join. All hail, to the Knight of Frost, bringing us hope in this night of frost. -The night of Frost, by Agatha Lullaby 300 BtC
Summary
Each winter, when the snow is at it's worst, and the Dark Elves freeze and shiver unless protected by their braziers, a restles soul that never got to pass away to the afterlife would rise from the grave to once again walk the lands.
However, this old creature does not return from hatered with a lust for revenge on whomever killed them. No, they rise again to honour the houses and their fallen.
As the night passes on and the Dark Elves sleep, the knight rides on his bone-mare through the Dark Elven houses, in his hands, he carry a scythe that can tear through the very veil between the myst and reality.
With this scythe, he can pass through any door, any wall, any defence. He enters every barracks, every house, tower, castle or keep. Then as he sneak up to to the residents as they lie in sleep, he will read their very dreams, learn what they long for, learn what they have lost and miss. He will draw power from the pain and anguish, to create one of these rifts, and from it, he transmutes the sorrow to compassion, and the compassion to an object that reflects the individuals soul.
A sword for the warrior, a bow for the archer, a toy for the child, a tool for the adult, money for the poor, jewelery for the rich. The Knight of Frost gives to everyone, indicriminately.
And once the night starts to come to it's end, the Knight can be seen at various graveyards, saying his last goodbyes to old friends and fellow soldiers, before he, satisfied and happy, return to his grave, to once more rest untill the next winter, dreaming about his deeds, and all the kindness and love he has managed to spread, to forever grant him eternal peace, even if he cannot pass into the myst.
Historical Basis
The history of the legend is quite strange, because it was once recorded, that a keep next to a graveyard, at the coldest night, after suffering a lost battle against Drakkarum raiders, one of the graves dug had been disturbed, and the soldiers had all been gifted new weaponry.
When they well had woken up, there was no sign of break in, but the weapons were infact new, proper tools, and each weapon fit the personal Dark Elf's fighting style perfectly. The confussion spread throughout the keep and once they checked the outskirts for a trace of the friendly intruder, one of them found tracks in the snow that lead to the grave. The soldiers understand nothing, but were gratefull for their weapons.
The next day, came reports of similar action within the nearby village, and rumors of a robed figure on a bone horse had been sighted, paying respects by the graves. This demanded investigation.
Several days had gone since the appearance of the figure, and investigators had managed to deduce that in fact, one person which information about remains classified, had not been counted among the dead and gone M.I.A. This very person was a high ranking officer accused of heresy by following the ways of Draghânir, later detective work had even managed to find purple runes and idol's within his home.
It was deduced that the officer's very soul had not been able to pass on to the afterlife, due the shame of his deeds, and priestesses believed that Sarak, the god of justice, had given him a chanse of eternal peace, whatever his mission was, they could not tell, but they believed his kind actions were a part of it.
The very next year, the same happened, and the year after, and the year after, for a good while. It also spread wider, from the one village and it's keep, to the whole house, to the whole empire. The figure had been seen several times, in several shapes, doing the same things. However on later days, it's gone from an otherworldly phenomen to a thing officers or family do for their soldiers and/or relatives. This added with a big feast and lots of songs and theater that gave birth to a whole new tradition. The Knight of Frost's ressurection.
Though, how do the scholars explain how it went from a living spirit granting gifts to a well known tradition where important people play the Knights role?
The religious believe that Sarak gifted him a way to the myst.
The scientific believes the old officer had been knocked out in combat, and knew his secret would spill out when he didn't return to base, so he wished to repent and later died of natural causes.
The cultural believe he still walk among the living on that day, taking use of every second to see the effects of his work, so that the happiness he brought will keep him resting peacefully untill next year.
Spread
The myth has spread wide. It's common knowledge all over the Dark Elven empire and has even managed to spread north to human territory, and east to the low-elven border territory.
Variations & Mutation
The story is very similar in all the Dark Elven empire, but from house to house other stories has cropped up around this person, like why they believed in Draghânir and why they aimed to purify their soul, and what happened in the battle against the Drakkarum. It has caused different songs and theatres to be played in different parts of their territorium.
Cultural Reception
Borderlining low-elven towns that heard about the legends almost instantly took after the tradition and made their own version of it, now depicted as an elven maiden that fell from grace, rather than a knight. This seem to have mutated from similar low-elven stories and political noble-elven influence. It is however not a very important tradition of theirs, but rather stolen for the joy, and to keep up spirits within the cold times.
The human version is more based on the original one, but the spirit has been inacurrately defined as a male soldier, of the rank sergeant, by no real evidence. The rest of the tradition has been kept Dark Elven, but songs and food for the tradition have been remade in a more human cultured touch. This has grown to become an important part of the Frozen Empire's culture, as it both increases their diplomacy with the Dark-Elves and means a lot to their people within the cold periods and has become a way to celebrate one of mankinds greatest heroes. Emperor Max Isen.
In Literature
There are several poems writen about the myth, many that have been woven into songs even, and a book made from old stories, reports and sightings of the old phenomen. It has become an important part in Dark Elven school, and is often one of the first books students are given to learn the language and culture.
In Art
Several songs, famous paintings and tapestries have been made in relation of the legend.
Date of First Recording
Year 140 before the collapse.
Date of Setting
140 before the collapse.
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