Snow Beast (Oathbound)

[@LexitaMai]

In my mind, this is being sung by an old woman sitting on a chair, with little kids sitting around her on the floor, learning how to be cautious and identify a snow beast as they sing the words back with her lol

[@doredam8919]

While this song is from the album Oathbound, I think it's from Oathbreakers where Tarma sings to Kethry about this snow beast in one of the rare occasions she still wants to sing, right after getting the news about Idra

[@shaunablack8512]

Songs were originally meant to teach that's that's how it happened now we sing for little s*** but they those words the songs they were originally meant to teach

[@shaunablack8512]

We learn from the past over June to repeat it these songs were meant to teach if we do not learn we die

[@meyatetana2973]

Won't you invite me in, I am cold and near death. >:D

[@Makkaru112]

And honouring what the elders have lived through so I take it she lived through this story

[@tellmeastoryraggedyman68]

There's another song about a similar incident from the perspective of two survivors who became Oathsworn and tracked the creature down. I remember the line " never waste your pity on the snow"

[@noireclair7671]

Hindsight- same album

[@noname1314100]

Definitely going to use it as a story in Icewind Dale campaign

[@johnmandrage3248]

Always pictured this monster being a Hag.

[@THEFIRST39]

Just bought that campaign; now I can’t wait to play it!!!

[@THEFIRST39]

@@johnmandrage3248 or a changeling, or a Wendigo, or a demon of some kind, not to mention any of the other crazy nightmarish crap they have in D&D

[@addygil5000]

I'm playing a performer in Icewind, and I am absolutely going to do this as well.

[@nedhunter4444]

@@THEFIRST39 In the original story I think it actually was a demon. Hindsight (which I think is from the same album), is the same story from a different perspective, and the narrator calls the snowbeast a demon. I should really finish reading the series of books this was based on. I've only read book 1 and the first couple chapters of book 2.

[@blackblackheart26]

Melodic and creepy at the same time. Awesome.

[@SilverMe2004]

Isn't the moral of the story that, before inviting creepy old people into your home you should check with your parents?

[@heskan]

nah its to always do an x-ray on new people

[@THEFIRST39]

It’s both: but “things aren’t always what they seem.” and “Always look beneath the skin.” sound cooler.

[@LexitaMai]

Yes.

[@jnharton]

The moral is that you shouldn't blindly believe what is presented at face value, but look past the surface for the truth. Just because someone seems nice enough and what they want from you sees reasonable doesn't mean they aren't deceiving and have no ulterior motives.

[@zigzaghyena]

"Mama told me not to talk to strangers", could have prevented all of this.

[@shaunablack8512]

Can I get an amen totally agree

[@lordbuss]

Which is exactly the point of the story.

[@meyatetana2973]

Would not have saved them. They were already dead moment the stranger got close.

[@jnharton]

@@meyatetana2973 Perhaps, but had they even remotely suspected something was wrong... Well, then they might have been able to warn the others of the danger. -- Generally there is safety in numbers, especially when dealing with dangerous animals (or people).

[@kyleedwards6026]

@@jnharton yeah but according to the song, they were far from camp, well isolated, if they'd have said no, they would have died right there

[@electrofonickitty823]

Some lessons are that some things are NEVER what they seem. Use caution when meeting new people

[@meyatetana2973]

Even monsters want love though, not all are bad.

[@Murloc017]

@@meyatetana2973 They are. Your nature knows that they are not to be trusted, to reject it is to reject all rationality. No sheep that trusted wolves is alive today.

[@sorexA1-v3h]

@@meyatetana2973 but this one was...

[@ladyloki10035]

This book is awesome!! I love Mercedes Lackey! 🥰😍🤩

[@masked_cryptix4831]

My favorite lullaby. It's helped me sleep night after night. Thank you for that.

[@heskan]

Moral of the story: always perform an x ray on new people you meet

[@killuazoldyck7442]

Okay, that made me laugh 😂😂 Thanks

[@LucidWanderer]

Never waste your pity on the snow

[@asktokeatzen3689]

Always keep your caution, for all you think you know...

[@CuteBoy-vh5zt]

For as the world is beautiful, likewise is it cruel...

[@tatyannaallen1929]

I like the reference to the Dark Hunter series in your username.

[@nekowitch417]

Same here.

[@AKJasszy]

OMG I LOVE THIS SONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@hunnybee971]

I always imagined the Snow Beast as something like a very large rabbit or mountain cat. Rabbits aren't usually meat eaters, but they can bite and claw like ... So, I'm thinking of a story of any type of critter shifting into an old woman and being welcomed to the family. Then, when she shows her teeth and claws, the old decrepit dog laying by the fire gets up and shifts into something cute and cuddly but also with tooth and claw. And very fast. Hmm. The family's little baby girl who likes to sleep near the fire, and just happens to be a Changeling who just happens to like this family. Well, my grandkids will like it. snicker

[@pandroidgaxie]

There's a different story in Winds of Fate with a similar thing. The Tayledras have extra concern for children so they let one inside the Vale. It was a Mage Adept in disguise and it wiped out half the clan.

[@chelonianmobile]

I was thinking fleshgait, but those weren't a cultural icon at the time the books were written.

[@snakes3425]

Moral of the song: Live your life like it's a fairy tale, believing that everyone who is ugly is automatically good, or pretty is automatically bad, you're going to make a mistake that has dire consequences for all involved

[@MegaMementoMori]

No... moral of the story: don't help beggars, they could be deamons that will butcher your whole family.

[@PrimordialNightmare]

you could take it by word, and just look at wehats under the skin - wouldn't take too big of a cut.

[@stephenskinner7207]

I saw it as more of an anti-immigration message.

[@issadwarf3989]

@@stephenskinner7207 This is a song based off of Mercedes Lackey's Valdermar series. If you've ever read any of it, you'll find she is anything but anti-immigration.

[@jnharton]

It's really about naive assumptions and blind trust.

[@bouillonpandemonium9270]

Certified hood classic

[@alexanderwells5393]

A song about a Skinwalker, huh.

[@centurion7993]

It seems to be about the kind of vampire that shifts from a human to a vampiric form, so a type of shapeshifter sure

[@juliecavanagh7399]

ALWAYS look beneath the skin...

[@meyatetana2973]

This is a good sung! Goot lesson for us monsters, if you wait you can eat a village instead of some skinny brats :P :D Sorry I've always cheered for monsters :P

[@NuriannaGypsyArts]

My son also. So I will leave you with scritches and the knowledge that you are not alone.

[@m4sherman926]

The beast is rightfully slain in the song that takes place after this one by two of the children if I remember correctly.

[@meyatetana2973]

@@m4sherman926 Such is life, all things end

[@janet6421]

Moral of the story: The uncanny valley (a strong distrust of anything that looks almost human but there is something WRONG) exists in ALL HUMANS from every culture, every continent, and every generation. This suggests that there was a STRONG evolutionary benefit to this fear. As in anyone without this instinct and their family groups didn't survive to breed. In the deep primal recesses of our brains, there is a vivid memory of real danger. Well, goodnight everyone. Sweet dreams. 🙍‍♀🙍‍♂🧛🙅‍♀

[@centurion7993]

The homo erectus does look a lot like us and we know for sure that they treated anything that entered their territory as potential food, even other hominids and (if I recall right) other homo erectus, and that says nothing of other hominids

[@JustARoamer]

​@@centurion7993it is also known that there were groups of homosapiens that lived with homo erectus and cross breed with them (chances are we out competed to extinction them with a mixture of killing them and breeding with them)

[@masterlee9822]

How can you look beneath the skin without a sharp knife?

[@grahamscott7308]

This is just how it feels when 47 grabs a new disguise in Hitman

[@gc6096]

Apparently this is children’s music

[@shineyluna1268]

a b s o l u t l y! (its a wonderful bedtime song!)

[@PatienceKiss]

Imagine not teaching your children to avoid snow beasts

[@gc6096]

KZbin algorithm strikes again

[@gc6096]

Yup

[@sphynxiepixie]

I see something like a skin walker

[@Haxi_The_Jester]

Definitely an annis hag lol

[@throughthecarnage7673]

Much more like Bheur hag. They always seek to inspire the cruelty and fear in the times of cold winter. What is the best way to do that but to pretend a stranger, then massacre all but few villagers for the remaining ones to struggle for survival and be utterly distrustful to the outsiders? Masterfully executed plan. But... it backfired in the song "Hindsight"

[@Haxi_The_Jester]

@@throughthecarnage7673 thank you for the correction it seems I had my hags mixed up lol