January 22nd Writing Prompt: Ice
Long ago, a ruined temple was found in a nearby jungle. After years and years of excavation, an adventuring party delved inside, and exited the temple with a great treasure in hand. Since then, people have noticed strange occurrences in the jungle. The trees nearest the temple are covered in ice, and anyone who ventures inside immediately notices the biting cold. What caused this sudden shift in climate?
Ideas and questions:
Perhaps the treasure was not exactly meant to be a prize, but was used to stave off the icy enchantment that sits about the temple and spreads through the nearby jungle. It could be that moving the treasure allowed the phenomenon to return.
The treasure could be a misdirect. Now that the temple has been properly excavated, a mighty wizard may have decided to make it their home, and the cold snap is their way of encouraging others to leave them alone.
If the treasure was magical, it could have torn a hole in the aether when it was removed. It could be that ice elementals, or some other ice-based monsters were able to navigate the tear, and have entered the world through the temple.
Did retrieving the treasure from inside the temple unleash a terrible curse? Is it something that will eventually find its way to the adventurers? Can the curse be broken by returning the treasure?
Is there something that has lived inside the temple which remained peaceful until it was disturbed? Is it an actual being that can be seen in certain circumstances?
Challenge:
Write a tale about a researcher who is trying to learn more about the strange occurrences surrounding the temple, and they’ve somehow discovered that the adventurers did more than just take the treasure within. Holy items have been damaged, whether intentional or indirectly, and messages are now written in snow and ice, promising to enact revenge on those who caused the damage.