Vraskia

Winter's Frost

Rumoured to have been an ice witch that ascended to divinity, Vraskia (Vurr-rass-kee-ah) represents the season of winter, as well as all things cold. She is worshipped more heavily in northern regions with colder climates, especially in Sonrheim in the Barrowdowns. The prevailing mythos surrounding her is that she is being restrained, that the ice that she represents holds her prisoner due to her ascension sacrifice. There is however, dispute about why she is restrained. Some devout believers seek a way to free her to save her while some more twisted cultists tell tales of plunging the realm into eternal winter by doing so. When manifested, Vraskia is said to appear as a figure, frozen solid in ice. Stories of her are often about visions of a Goddess trapped under a frozen lake, in an ice shelf and occasionally a solid block of ice. Some claim that she has appeared to them as a frozen corpse, covered in frost bite and unable to move anything but her mouth. She can manifest longer than the other gods but is typically unable to move anything but her mouth and eyes. This is usually more than enough to demonstrate her power, though. When manifested, the temperature in the surrounding area drops significantly, causing shivering, hypothermia and occasionally instantaneous frostbite.

Divine Domains

Ice

Tenets of Faith

Ice baths are taken, often soon after waking up, in honour of Vraskia. This practice is typically done in the north where cold waters are more regularly available. This ritual is done in order to clear the mind and center your focus, as well as to build tolerance to the cold.

Holidays

Winterwind, a festival held near the end of every year, in the middle of winter. It is tradition on Winterwind to give gifts to those in your family, starting with the person you've most recently argued with (if it applies). Winterwind celebrations involve placing candles along the streets and windowsills of your town, and then gathering in the town square for a feast of roasted goose. After the feast, families will exchange gifts with each other. The town square where the celebrations are held is usually decorated with the largest pine tree the village-folk can find, dressed up with wreaths of furs, and lit up by a mage with glowing lights.