The Winter kingdom

Version 2.0

The party, now joined by Hawthorn, embarked on their long journey south, back home. They ventured away from the frozen reaches of the north. Hills rolled beneath their feet, their ascent and descent providing cadence to their journey. The air grew slightly milder, but the once vibrant forests now stood silent and desolate, devoid of the bustling life that had once thrived within.

Crossing a once-flowing river, the party found it frozen solid, the water beneath crystallized into a serene, icy tableau. Fish suspended in time caught mid-swim gave an eerie stillness to the landscape. The chill of the north had reached even the heart of the river.

Moving into the open plains, the signs of destruction became more apparent. Villages lay in ruins, clear remnants of a desperate struggle. The Others were gathering the dead, amassing their army from the fallen.

Through plains with blankets of snow, they continued, that once held both bird and beast in freedom, now stand empty and lonely. Yet, amidst the desolation, a few survivors clung to life. Villages struggled against the biting cold, eking out a living from what remained. Their livestock and meager crops were all that stood between them and the gnawing winter.

As the party traversed the desolate plains, they stumbled upon an abandoned village, eerily silent and devoid of the typical signs of battle. The air hung heavy with an unsettling stillness, broken only by the distant sounds of macabre feasting. The gruesome sounds reached their ears, of flesh being torn, bones snapping.

Arriving at the village centre they are greeted by 3 ungodly abominations. Thick fur, a dense coat of frost-covered strands, covered it. Moving on all fours, it navigated the village square moving between courses of both human and animal.

The front legs of the ghoul are adorned with sharp, elongated claws, finely honed and sharp looking as they easily shred through a corpse's flesh and bones. The back legs, broader and more muscular, were what moved them forward whilst their shorter claws clung to the frozen ground.

A slight hunch mars the creature's back like it is curling into itself. The head, reminiscent of a canine but with a truncated snout, harbours a row of serrated spear-tip teeth, laced with human flesh between teeth as they leek saliva. Beady, nearly lightless eyes fixated on the surroundings, their darkness interrupted only by a faint, abyssal brown iris.

"What. Is. That?" Jocelyn whispered.

Jon smiles. "Let me get back to you on that one, whilst I do that you can go up and ask it." He says before earning a slap on the arm.

Their conversation doesn't seem to disturb them in the slightest, though something else does. One of the creatures raises its body and head into the air before wiggling its rubbery nose, sniffing the air. Catching a scent, it turns towards them, creating a hissing gurgle that alerts the other two. Protecting their food, they gutturally gargle at them, like a drowning dog barking. The party is bewildered by these creatures, stunned for too long.

They rush towards them, using their hind legs to propel them forward. Their thick brown fur stands out in the snow as they close the distance with an unsettling swiftness.

The first lunges, claws extended, aiming for Jon. With a deft sidestep, he avoids the initial strike but is met with the creature's relentless assault. The sharp claws graze his side, tearing through clothing and drawing blood. Lyanna and Edric, quick to react, strike at the ghoul, slashing at its fur-covered form. However, the creature seems unfazed, as it shrugs off the blows.

Jocelyn, with precision, lands a perfect shot straight through the eye of one. The arrow squelches through the eye spluttering black blood as it does so. Yet again, undeterred, the ghoul charges on jumping towards Jocelyn. Quick to roll to its blinded side she managed to avoid its claws.

Brandon and Hawthorn engage the third ghoul. Despite his powerful swings, the creature endures the onslaught, only its light fur getting a shaving. The ghouls, relentless in their pursuit, continue to fight with an unneeded determination. With a lunge one dives for Edric, with a quick flicker of both feet and hands he quickly parts the head from its body allowing it to crash to the ground.

As the headless body collapses, the other two ghouls grow more frenzied. The party is quick to follow, focusing on precision strikes. Blades swing and cut through the air, aiming for the ghouls' necks. The battle intensifies, each swing aiming for a decisive blow. The remaining ghouls, formidable in their resilience, resist until, finally, a well-aimed strike severs the head of the second creature.

The third ghoul, now alone, faces the party with a mix of aggression and desperation. Despite its tenacity, a coordinated effort leads to the final beheading. The once-threatening creature crumples to the frozen ground, lifeless.

Lyanna kicks its body. "Well, that was …"

"Yeah." Edric finishes.

"Ghouls," Hawthorn says. "They are similar to the tales of Ghouls from Dorne." Earning a confused look from the group.

He awkwardly scratches his head. "A monster that feeds on the dead wherever it can find them, it hunts both day and night, in both packs and alone, wherever food goes it follows. Well, that is what elder Brittlebush used to say to scare us at night." Slivers of moisture gather at the corner of his eyes.

"Great." Brandon huffs. "A monster not seen in the north sounds like Aloe's work."

Lyanna takes one of the teeth from the Ghoul. "He creates a monster that eats humans' bodies. That sounds counterproductive to the Others army,"

"Kind of difficult to understand someone who seemingly wants us all to die," Jon broadly smiles and shrugs his shoulder, Brandon pats his shoulder before leading everyone on.

The journey led them to a familiar sight – the forest of Long Lake. The familiar trees stood sentinel, their branches reaching out like a grandma welcoming home her grandkids.

The forest embraced them with a quiet stillness as the party traversed the familiar terrain. The trees, their skeletal branches adorned with a dusting of snow, seemed to hang low and plenty of the trees could not hold on falling crushed under the weight of snow.

As they approached the village, the distant sounds of life became more pronounced. Smoke lazily rose from chimneys, carrying with it the scent of burning wood. The village, once again within reach, stood as a testament to resilience in the face of adversity.

The river, now more frozen than in their previous visit, still flowed beneath the thin ice surface. A glimmer of sunlight caught the frozen edges, casting a gentle sparkle on the crystalline surface.

Navigating through the village, the party observed the inhabitants going about their daily routines. The simple joys of life continued amidst the prevailing hardships. Children played in the snow, their laughter echoing through the frosty air.

Seeing no reason not to they make their way to Sara and Ronnel's house, the door creaked open to reveal a warm interior. Sara, visibly in the later stages of her pregnancy, greeted them with a warm smile. The familiar warmth of the hearth bathed the room in a comforting glow. Ronnel, stood by her side, a mixture of concern and joy etched on his face.

"Oh, it's so good to see you again," Sara beams, moving to hug the group.

"Come in, come in," Ronnel said, opening the door wide for them. "How have you been? How was the north?" he asked, letting everyone in before helping his wife sit.

With light snacks served, a tale was told of the far reaches of the north. Of dying lands, forgotten homes, hideous monsters, and dining winters.

"Oh, Hawthorn," Sara said, giving a very tight hug to him while starting to cry herself.

Lyanna smiles sadly at the pair. "Well, enough about us, tell us of what is happening here."

Ronnel stroked his wife's hand. "Well, nothing much, just food becoming scarcer and people tightening belts. Oh, and some interesting fella coming around, I think he was called Hother. Was seeing if anyone wanted to join his fight against something called the White Walkers and The Others, said that they were what was causing all our problems. Seem like a passionate guy, gave quite a rousing speech to get some of the younger lads and older guys to go with him."

"Though that was quite a way back now, said he came back from the children of the forest trying to get weapons from them," Sara added.

"Good work, Hother," Jon says. "Looks like he has got some life in him."

Ronnel and Sara start to clean up the table. "Well, it's getting late but you are welcome to stay the night."

"Appreciate it," Brandon says. Loving the idea of a warm house to sleep in.