The Winter's Oasis Wiki

Romps and Reconstruction in Loka: Steam, Magic, and Mysteries in the Frozen Wasteland.

The Legend

Travelers who take to exploring the Alburz Mountain Range south of the Sea of Rocana are often warned by the region’s denizens of a local legend, one which has only popped up within the last five years. The tale speaks of a chilling wind that cuts the mountain fog, bringing with it a demon. This being is said to descend upon unwary travelers, demanding a fare of them to pass along the trails. It is said that the demon does not recognize money, and will only accept food or clothing.(Skeptics often point out that a ‘demon’ should have no need for food.) Those who refuse the toll are said to be cut deeply by the creature’s sharp claws, the demon then leaving with a gust of cold wind. Of course, those who claim to have been accosted by the massive, snarling demon, never seem to show any scars large enough to merit the tale. As such, those who remain skeptical of the legend’s validity are somewhat common in number, but the more superstitious among Lokans often find themselves staying well back from the Alburz range.

The Rumor

Those with sharp ears and a thirst for the intoxicating sort of drink, who find their thirsts to be quenched in a Noria watering hole, often hear some interesting takes on the region’s infamous legend. Every spring, shopkeepers exchange anecdotes about an odd, unkempt weasel coming to town to exchange handmade goods. What interests the shopkeepers is that he refuses to accept money, only food and supplies.

Several versions of this rumor fly around: Some believe that this strange, wild fellow is the demon himself, coming once every year to scout the town. Others are more skeptical, saying that the weasel is not the creature in the legend, simply a hermit who lives in the mountains. Still others are convinced that both stances are correct, and that the ‘Wind demon’ of the Alburz Mountains is nothing more than a hyperbole of a simple wild-man.