Ashen Winds

Burning Snow of the Castle of the Damned

Whisps of black and burning snow flow through the air around the Castle of the Damned, never leaving the dome of magic that contains the castle and its creatures. The circle of ancient runes is the boundary, protecting those that stay on the outside of the ring, but more than likely harming those that step across the line. The snow looks odd, but in some ways, it does not, having the same powdery quality of that white blanket that sometimes covers parts of the surface. A hand reached out to touch the snow, to see if only the coloring has changed from the surface, returns burned and blackened.
The ashen winds of the Harrowing are odd even by Káto standards. It does not rain or snow in Káto, making the phenomena of the ash-like snow so curious. Many assume it's a trick of the light, causing snow like that on the surface to look black instead of white. But it must be more than that. The ash burns like fire, quickly scorching flesh and cloth, lighting the thinnest materials ablaze.
In the hallways of the castle, the ashen snow takes shape, moving from whisp to figure to whisp again. Great cats of black shadow, large beasts of burning flesh, creatures that have no body of their own but pull their form from the burning ash. These creatures are just as deadly as their living or undead counterparts, possibly more so if the ash of their bodies touches your skin. Their forms are fluid, unpredictable in movement, impossible to escape from unscathed.
Soon again the winds are gone, stopping for a brief moment before they are gone again. The winds begin their howling at the beginning of the Eve of Harrowing, only dying down completely once the Eve of the End has arrived. Nothing can protect those who dare enter the circle of runes from the burning snow. Nothing can stop the ashen creatures from rising and chasing their prey. Nothing can hope to escape the deadly traps of the Castle of the Damned.

Manifestation

The winds manifest as great whisps of blowing black snow outside of the castle, whipping around in a frenzy inside the ring of ancient runes. Inside the castle, the ashen snow takes form, shifting between various deadly creatures and back to the wind again.

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane

Related Locations

Castle of the Damned
Káto
Lost Paths

Related Holidays

Eve of Harrowing
Eve of the End
Harrowing

Localization

The ashen winds are a phenomenon that can only be found inside the area where the Harrowing occurs. Snow, rain, and other weather effects that require an open sky do not apply here, although Káto is known for its wind. Even so, the wind upon which the ash is carried is far different and nearly impossible in Káto.