HOL Ravenclaw

The river looks solid at first. A sheet of blue ice gleaming under the moon. But when you step closer, you see movement below. Sleet Fish glide beneath the surface, each one singing in a tone too low to hear.

“The River of Glass,” Finn says, awe in his voice. “Every step here has a sound. Step wrong, and…” He shrugs. “Splash.”

You’re trying to cross to reach the far bank, where the path continues north. But when you test the ice, it whirs dissonantly. The rhythm’s broken.

You kneel, pressing your hand against the ice. Beneath your palm, the faint vibration of the river’s song reaches you, a melody of patience, slow and deep. The fish are out of tune because the current is confused.

So you begin to hum again, matching the notes you feel rather than hear. The fish pause, turn, and align themselves beneath you. The current settles.

Finn follows carefully in your footsteps, muttering something about not being paid enough for this.

When you reach the far shore, the river glows faintly behind you, singing its proper melody once more. You bow your head to it in thanks.

The map-sphere brightens in your hand. The path ahead is clear again.

Task:
Create your own Snowbeast! Imagine up a magical creature inspired by the snowy season and tell us about them below in 100 words or more.

Alternatively share a piece of Creative Writing using 150 words or more to describe a challenge encountered while crossing the River of Glass.

15 beans/sapphires are available for this task, with an extra 15 for completing all Week One tasks by end of activity. Deadline is 11:59pm (HOL time) on Wednesday January 21st.

Luminara Driftwhale is a great, gentle snowbeast that glides through winter skies as if swimming in the sea. Its body resembles a crystalline whale formed from compacted snow and ice, etched with glowing runes that shimmer when the moon rises. Instead of fins, it has wide, cloudlike wings that trail soft snowfall wherever it passes. Veins of pale blue and silver energy run along its sides, forming natural patterns reminiscent of auroras across the night sky. These lights brighten or dim in response to the emotions of the land below. They feed on starlight, storing warmth in their core to release during blizzards, calming storms. Travelers lost in whiteouts often hear a deep, melodic hum before seeing its light, a sign that safe passage is near.

The Aeralichens are large snowbeasts commonly mistaken for Yetis. They are mostly white, a natural camouflage, but have splotches of a moss-like green, which can help them blend into snow-covered ground. They’re protective of their habitats and the creatures within them, making sure of their large size as an intimidation factor, though they’re known to be primarily passive. However, they have a unique defensive mechanism that is best not to provoke for safety: strong lung capacity capable of blasting a wind gust of up to 60 mph. They are omnivores, with a strong preference for plants. A favorite of the Aeralichens is the Gurdyroot plant, which may give insight into its food preferences, as most would describe its taste as unpleasant.