Winter

Winter
Details
Race	Human
Birthplace	Unknown
Lifetime	Mending Era-Omenpath Era
Born	c. 4537,[1] bef. 5441 AR
Colors

Winter is a human survivor of Duskmourn, originally from an unnamed plane.^[a][4][5]

Description

Winter stands tall, his spiky, black hair a wild mess.^[6] He wears a long, loose jacket-vest patched together from various sources, including pieces that resemble wallpaper. His appearance is scrappy yet functional, his face is narrow and pale, his cheeks gaunt, and his eyes are sharp and alert.^[7] Winter's demeanor is both wary and practical as if he has learned to adapt to the ever-shifting nature of his surroundings. With no magical ability, he moves with a calculated grace, using his slingshot with precision to divert threats and evade the perils of the House.^[8] Winter is cunning and smart, and is a survivor at any cost.

Bitter, jaded, and cynical, Winter has survived using only his intellect after being trapped within the House's walls for over a decade.^[9] His primary concern is his survival, and he won't hesitate to throw other people into the path of danger if it means the difference between his own life and death. He's willing to share his hard-won knowledge of the House with anyone — for a price. Life and loyalty are transactional, and Winter is willing to make a deal with anyone or anything as long as it benefits him. This unscrupulousness has resulted in him getting kicked out of various survivor groups, leaving him to fend for himself. A dry, cynical sense of humor masks his intentions and keeps any would-be allies at a comfortable arm's length.

During the 2nd Ghirapur Grand Prix, either through powers gained from Valgavoth or through his connection with the Speed Demon, he was able to enhance his body with blue flames.^[1]

History

Winter and his best friend came to Duskmourn through one of its doors over a decade before 4564 AR, when he was a teenager.^[5][8] When Valgavoth offered him freedom in exchange for four lives, he offered his best friend, the person he loved most, to the demon.^[10][11] He lost his glimmer long ago.^[12]

When Niko and the Wanderer arrived on the plane around 4564, Winter intervened just in time, shielding them from a dangerous razorkin.^[6] He signaled them to remain silent and used his slingshot to distract the razorkin, allowing them to avoid a deadly confrontation with the creature. After the razorkin was caught in a beartrap, Winter led Niko and the Wanderer to a warmer parlor. There, he introduced himself, explaining that the House was their only world now, and cautioning them about its dangers.

Winter walked across the small parlor with a deliberate, rolling gait, carefully avoiding the moth motifs woven into the faded carpet.^[13] Niko observed Winter's precise movements, realizing nothing about him was as casual as it appeared. Winter warned Niko and the Wanderer not to step on the moths, explaining that their house, called Duskmourn, was alive and hunted those within it. He revealed that Duskmourn lured people inside, isolated them, and used creatures, including razorkin, to hunt them down. Winter advised them to stay close to him, remain cautious, and follow the Wanderer's Glimmer - a glowing dragon spirit which represented her hopes and dreams - a miniature version of Kyodai. Together, they followed the glimmer, hoping it would lead them to safety and possibly reunite them with their lost companions.

Winter, Niko, and the Wanderer following the glowing form of Kyodai traversed the labyrinthine House in search of Nashi.^[5] Along the way, they encountered various horrors, including all manner of foul creatures, and glitch ghosts that emerged from mirrors. The group navigated dangerous rooms filled with shifting illusions and monstrous beings. At one point, they stumbled upon a clearing where four nezumi, including Nashi, were held captive by sinister creatures known as Wickerfolk. Niko and The Wanderer, using quick thinking and teamwork, managed to rescue Nashi and defeat the Wickerfolk by exploiting their fear of fire. However, they discharged the Wanderer's fatespinner in the process. Despite the rescue, the group faced the disheartening realization that the House remained a formidable adversary with its ever-changing rules and endless rooms. Nashi's obsession with finding his mother Tamiyo continued to drive them deeper into the unknown.

The party led by Nashi continued their journey deeper into Duskmourn through a series of natural environments that seemed impossible to contain within the House.^[14] They entered the Valley of Serenity, home of the Cult of Valgavoth, a dangerous group dedicated to the demon Valgavoth, and then their altar room, where they encountered the Cult. The cult had captured three Survivors, including a wounded girl named Rill and an uninjured captive named Sunset.^[15] Rill gave in to the cultists' demands, agreeing to become one of them. Despite trying to intervene, Niko, the Wanderer, and Nashi were captured after a betrayal by Winter, who sealed them in the room with the cultists.

Having finally provided his remaining three sacrifices, Valgavoth granted Winter his end of the bargain and opened a door leading to Innistrad.^[10] Before Winter could enter the door, Niko captured him in a shard. After the visitors escaped Duskmourn, he was freed from the shard before being further conscripted by Valgavoth.^[11]

2nd Ghirapur Grand Prix

Winter was chosen by Valgavoth as the living representative and co-captain of Duskmourn's racing team for the second interplanar Ghirapur Grand Prix.^[16] The team was primarily composed of possessed racers and their tormentors who drive specter-haunted vehicles, led by a demonic entity known as the Speed Demon. Loot was also forcibly conscripted onto the team as a navigation aide, using his ability to locate Omenpaths to help the Speed Demons get a lead. Winter was expected to win the race and its prize, the Aetherspark, potentially earning his freedom, or facing the consequences.^[17][7]

In the preparations for the race, Winter got on Chandra Nalaar's bad side for his callous mistreatment of Loot.^[7] During the race proper, Loot's assistance propelled the Speed Demons to first place in the first leg through Avishkar, but an altercation with Chandra slowed them down in the second leg through Amonkhet. Although they eventually lost Loot near the end of the third leg in Muraganda, they maintained a position toward the head of the pack until the home stretch, and Winter was neck-and-neck with Spitfire of the Aether Rangers, who was in first place, as they neared the finish line. However, Spitfire and Winter's cars were both totaled by autonomous safety measures activated by Mohar Varma, a deposed former Avishkari politician who had consolidated power with the help of the planeswalker Jace Beleren. He planned to use the race's interruption to gain support for his coup against the government.

As Winter sat in the wrecked car, Jace approached and rendered Winter unconscious with his mental magic. He then searched his mind for information on Loot's whereabouts, finding nothing. Jace realized he had created a loose end and decided to abduct Winter. However, the arrival of Chandra at the finish line with Loot in tow forced Jace into a confrontation with his fellow planeswalker, and when he controlled the minds of racers around him to force them to attack Chandra, he could not maintain his focus on Winter. He woke up, and even with a broken leg and a battle raging around him, he desperately limped toward the finish line, since the rules did not disallow finishing on foot. But at the last second, the Champions of Amonkhet came from behind and barely beat him to first place. At precisely that moment, as he collapsed to his knees in defeat, a door to Duskmourn opened at his location and he was dragged inside, his howls of terror echoing across the track until the door closed with an awful finality.

Planes visited

• Amonkhet
• Avishkar
• Duskmourn
• Muraganda
• Winter's home plane

Gallery

• 
  Magic: The Gathering Arena avatar.

Story appearances

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