Fierce and forward, the nomadic people of the Winter Wastes are simple in their ways and practical in their beliefs. The Winterkind, also called the 'sons and daughters of the snow', are a stolid group keeping mainly to the northern parts of the Realm--preferring the cooler climates. After crossing the Landsedge Mountains into Barag and Marjor, they have found the company of Baraki and Marjoran hunters, trappers, and woodsmen to their wandering liking. Though nearly a head taller and broader than the strongest of men and women, the Winterkind are quiet and brooding, dressed in furs and leathers, and are reserved in speech and action unless given need or reason. Many have seen resemblances between the Winterkind and the Marjorans, the Baraki, and especially the Barrakkers.

These sturdy people have shared some of the Ways of the Winter with the rest of the Realm. An unwritten code, the Ways of the Winter touch every aspect of Winterkind life.

First, these sons and daughters of the Northern Wastes hold a strict code of hospitality; to invite or to be invited to share a meal, a fire, a tent, or a camp means to respect host, guest, and the gifts of food, warmth, and company.

Second, because of the harsh life of the Wastes, the Winterkind waste no resource and especially treasure wood, metal, shelter, and family.

Third, the Winterkind are honest and always speak their mind, a quality often taken as tactlessness or naiveté; but the struggle of living in the harsh cold make no room for deception or euphemism.

Fourth, unlike their Barrakker kin, the Winterkind are well-tempered believing in peace and will raise no weapon against another unless duly provoked; the shedding of blood and the loss of life is considered a waste. The Winterkind use only crushing or piercing weapons (e.g. clubs, staves, spears, and daggers) for these weapons draw little or no blood. To hunt with cutting and cleaving weapons would mean to shed and waste too much blood and warmth. "Like blood on the snow," is a Winterkind saying, in fact, expressing regret over waste and loss.

Finally, the Winterkind constantly move and search the Waste--and now the Realm--for a place to call home; the curiosity and nomadic nature of these people hope to lead them finally to a land where they can find lasting shelter and lasting warmth.

The demanding and often desperate conditions of the Winter Wastes have granted generations of sons and daughters of the snow a unique and supernatural immunity to ice and cold. The immunity extends to a magical, almost mistical connection to the snow, to the winter, and to the Northern Wastes itself. Other the other side, the Winterkind have a deep respect for fire for its ability to cook and provide warmth. However, most Winterkind have never seen flames larger than a small campfire and are fearful of great blazes. In fact, the Winterkind have a vulnerability to fire.

The Winterkind require (calculated for Rule of Arms):

RANK	REQUISITES	POINTS	GAINED BENEFITS
Winterson (or daughter), 1st Winter	Constitution 1 Feat of Strength 1 Tracking 1, Concealing 1, Aid 1 Primary Skill 1 Primary Lore 1 Organization 1	28	• lineage • Organizational ability: Physical Defense level 1 versus cold/ice • Organizational ability: partial immunity to Frozen Tomb and Brittleice (durations reduced by half) • Organizational ability: Speak With Animals (only Northern Waste animals such as winter wolves, arctic bears, snow foxes) • Organizational ability: invoke Frost Charm x 3 a day at will • Organizational weakness: suffer double damage from fire/heat based attacks
Winterson (or daughter), 2nd Winter	Constitution 1 Immunity to Paralysis 1 Immunity to Fear 1 Tracking 2, Concealing 2 Aid 2 Primary Skill 2 Primary Lore 2	34	• Organizational ability: invoke Frost Charm x 4 a day at will
Winterson (or daughter), 3rd Winter	Constitution 3 Feat of Strength 2 Tracking 3, Concealing 3 Aid 3 Primary Skill 3 Primary Lore 3	49	• Organizational ability: Physical Defense level 2 versus cold/ice • Organizational ability: invoke Frost Charm x 5 a day at will
Winterson (or daughter), 4th Winter	Constitution 4 Immunity to Paralysis 2 Immunity to Fear 2 Organization 2	56	• Organizational ability: invoke Frost Charm x 6 a day at will • Organizational ability: invoke Icy Weapon x 1 a day at will
Winterson (or daughter), 5th Winter	Constitution 5 Feat of Strength 5 Tracking 4, Aid 4 Primary Skill 4 Primary Lore 4	60	• Organizational ability: invoke Frost Charm x 7 a day at will • Organizational ability: invoke Icy Weapon x 2 a day at will
Winterson (or daughter), 6th Winter	Constitution 6 Immunity to Paralysis 3 Immunity to Fear 3 Tracking 5, Aid 5	69	• Organizational ability: invoke Frost Charm x 8 a day at will • Organizational ability: invoke Icy Weapon x 3 a day at will
Winterson (or daughter), 7th Winter	Constitution 7 Feat of Strength 4 Tracking 6, Aid 6 Primary Skill 5 Primary Lore 5	83	• Organizational ability: Physical Defense level 3 versus cold/ice • Organizational ability: invoke Frost Charm x 9 a day at will • Organizational ability: invoke Icy Weapon x 4 a day at will
Winterson (or daughter), 8th Winter	Constitution 8 Leadership 1 Tracking 7 Primary Skill 6 Primary Lore 6 Organization 3	92	• Organizational ability: invoke Frost Charm x 10 a day at will • Organizational ability: invoke Icy Weapon x 6 a day at will (weapon can be used by others)
Winterson (or daughter), 9th Winter	Constitution 9 Immunity to Paralysis 4 Immunity to Fear 4 Leadership 2, Aid 7 Magic Lore 1 Mistic Lore 1	105	• Organizational ability: invoke Frost Charm x 11 a day at will • Organizational ability: invoke Icy Weapon x 7 a day at will
Winterson (or daughter), 10th Winter	Constitution 10 Feat of Strength 5 Tracking 8, Aid 8 Leadership 3 Primary Skill 7 Primary Lore 7	122	• Organizational ability: Turn Cold (immunity to ice/cold) • no longer suffers double damage from fire/heat • Organizational ability: invoke Frost Charm x 12 a day at will • Organizational ability: invoke Icy Weapon x 8 a day at will

PRIMARY SKILLS: Armorsmithing, Artisan, Climbing, Survival, Waylay, Weaponsmithing
PRIMARY LORES: Animal Lore, Legend Lore, Mineral Lore, Streetwise

The Winterkind ability to create a weapon out of ice functions as per the sixth level Water spell Icy Weapon. At first, only the character can wield the created weapon. However, at eighth rank, the Winterkind can fashion the Icy Weapon to be used by anyone.

The Winterkind's Turn Cold ability makes them immune to ice, frost, and cold-based attacks. Like the tenth level Plant spell Turn Wood, the Winterkind's Turn Cold prevents any object or spell made of ice from harming the character. Spells such as Frozen Tomb or Ice Strike cause no damage. Weapons enchanted with Frost Charm and even an Icy Weapon cannot touch the character. Finally, the character does not slip or lose footing on the slickest of frost. The Turn Cold immunity does not protect the character from any other Water effects.

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