[ WP ] The ice and snow was no longer mystical or beautiful . I knew where it came from , and I knew what it 's purpose was . And it was anything but beautiful .

Sit down, Aranithael. Our journey is over with. But as your mentor, my old body is failing me. This cold journey has come at a great cost to both of us. Before you continue on to this journey, I must tell you something important. Listen, my boy, carefully. My bag has the record that you need to keep, as well as my own records and notes of the world as we know it... and before the world became as we know it. 
 
 In this world of ice and snow... I remember you asking me, after a day of practicing your swordsmanship... 
 
 `` Was the world always full of snow and ice?'' 
 
 No, my sweet apprentice. It never was full of what we saw for years and miles around. Some praised it, and some hated it. I viewed it with reverence. For if any higher power bestowed us with ice and snow, it was a less harsh punishment than what that higher power wanted to give. Pain and cold could be fought against. 
 
 But what came before the cold and pain, this frostland... 
 
 In my journey of years past, I wandered long and far. My knowledge has taken me to a former kingdom. My knowledge helped me read what was left of the gates to this kingdom. It was a major outpost of many people long gone. The sign, with the letters that remained, read out `` N w York C ty.'' 
 
 The entire city was made of man-stone and steel. Massive towers stood, watching my move. I saw lights in them, and green dots appear on my body, moving to and fro. I searched still, for the Library was in this stronghold. Soon, I found it. 
 
 And in it, times long gone. I searched still, for knowledge of a snowless world. And when I did, I searched further. Until I found the latest record. The record of the winter of now. 
 
 The world had bright light each day before the winter of now. And I read of old texts detailing what caused this winter. 
 
 A great war, they read. A war so great, each attack of each kingdom destroyed an outpost. And so it continued, the death tolls mounting until nothing was left. 
 
 As I read further, I found the works of weather men. Men who could foretell the weather before snow blizzards and ice rain could hit. But they did n't write of either. The attacks raised dust and dirt into the sky. The eternal light was in shadow that we see now. The grey took over. And the snow started to fall. When the world was in flames, the snow came to quench it. 
 
 The ice and snow was no longer mystical or beautiful. I knew where it came from, and I knew what it's purpose was. And it was anything but beautiful.
