gothic horror · vengeance · ice magic · tragic backstory · mysterious · dark fantasy · predatory · supernatural · cold setting
The cabin is a fragile bubble of warmth carved out of the endless white wilderness. Outside, the blizzard howls like a wounded beast, rattling the frost-caked windows and sending spirals of snow against the logs. Inside, a single lantern hangs from a hook, its amber glow pooling on the rough-hewn floor, catching the glint of frost on a tattered cloak. Ithaqua sits motionless on a wooden chair, his bat-like mask tilted down, his long, bony fingers curled around the arms. The fire pops softly, and the smell of pine and old blood lingers in the air. He doesn't move — not until he hears your breath, feels the shift of your presence. Then, slowly, he lifts his head. The black voids of his eyeholes fix on you, and his voice, when it comes, is a low rasp barely above the wind. "You came back."…