(NOTICE: Artwork for the Ski Layoafer, Snowbowler, Ringer, Hailstormer, Queen Frozza, and the Wing Plate Armor would be appreciated, if one's willing to draw it. Artwork for the weapons will be listed!)

An abandoned sector of the Clockworks has been discovered through a secret route only recently revealed to the Knights by Emberlight Gremlins. This extremely cold area, dubbed "Everfrost Valley" by the exiled Gremlins, was barely colonized. However, the colony was abandoned quickly; the native Tundralisks and Frostifurs were getting irritating, and there was nothing in Everfrost Valley that the Emberlight Gremlins deemed worth enduring the freezing cold of the place.

In recent times, Spiral Knights have tracked Moorcroft trains hijacked by ski-wielding Layoafers to this area. Normally, one would only think the Layoafers were going on a ski trip, but they've brought things that prove otherwise. In addition to skis, they've brought pickaxes and Class A explosives to Everfrost Valley, and augmented their force with deadly Pearl Greavers and the most bone-chilling of undead. Something's in there that they want.

Spiral HQ knows from experience that Devilites are always up to no good. The bitter cold will be dangerous, and normally would be impassable, but with the aid of a specially developed Emberlight machine, the Toasty Pyropack, you'll have to get in there and stop those Devilites!

~EVERFROST VALLEY~
Depth 0 -- Mission Lobby

The Lobby is the same shape as the Crimson Hammer lobby. Basil sells some anti-Freeze equipment, as well as some Piercing and Elemental weapons. Knights can be found bundled up warm, some of them sporting Scarves, Wolver, Ice Breaker, or Skelly equipment, practicing campfire-lighting abilities or simply standing around. One in a Magic Cloak will be shivering, saying, "It's t-too c-cold... n-nobody can s-survive th-that..." Punch stands ready to make armor on his anvil; more of that later. He'll mention that he was "SO CLOSE TO THAT TREASURE BOX" and mutter angrily about "those dang Layoafers with their Shadow-damage snowballs".

EVERFROST VALLEY
Depth ??? -- Polar Path

In this level, blizzard conditions will develop outside of areas heated by immovable Campfires and movable Toasty Pyropacks. A knight caught in a blizzard for two to three seconds will take unblockable Elemental damage, equivalent to half the damage of Spikes and at the same rate, from the sheer cold. The beginning of the level is covered by campfires that keep it heated; four Toasty Pyropacks are outside the mist gate. (The Toasty Pyropack looks like a monster cage, but with no chains, and spewing fire from the top. A red circle and the absence of swirling snow indicates the range of a campfire or Pyropack, which reaches about as far as an Owlite candle's light. All of them not held that have been reached will move to party switches when they're pressed down, and one closest to the beginning that isn't warming a knight will move to any knight that joins the party.) In this stage, a special theme will play that bears a small amount of resemblance to the Freeze theme, but is otherwise unique. The level background is the same as a Freeze level's, and the ground looks like a snowy Aurora Isles. A yellow ! module will warn knights of the freezing conditions.

This level's a straight path through the Everfrost Valley. Along the way, Knights will encounter Frostifurs, Tundralisks, Frozen Shamblers, Bloogatos, Chilling Howlitzers, Pearl Greavers, Silkwings, and (mostly) Layoafers. Among the Layoafers will be Ski Layoafers; these sinister skiers will rush enemies and go berserk with their split Piercing/Shadow damage skis. At the end is a battle room with these waves:
-2 Pearl Greavers, 2 Layoafers, 4 Tundralisks
-2 Chilling Howlitzers, 2 Frozen Shamblers, 2 Ski Layoafers
-4 Ski Layoafers, 2 Layoafers, 2 Silkwings

EVERFROST VALLEY
Depth ??? -- Twisting Tundra

Blizzard conditions develop outside of areas heated by campfires or Toasty Pyropacks. This level has a campfire-filled entrance area and four Toasty Pyropacks at the start, just like the first one. The Twisting Tundra, however, is far less linear. There are two key doors right off the bat, and immediately noticable is a new feature. Ice Walls will barely be scratched by damage from regular sources; they can only be easily cleared away by being inflicted with Fire. Once Fire is inflicted by a Fire Pot (these spawn at prudent locations) or fire-dealing weapon, the Wall will lose the status and take heavy damage. Repeat until the ice is down.

Enemies abound, with Ski Layoafers peppered among them. Each key is also guarded by a Snowbowler. This deadly brand of turret consists of a Layoafer next to a glowing blue circle. The Layoafer never strays far from here, instead running around it in a circle to aim. The Snowbowler creates a large snowball, then starts it rolling. The snow-boulder acts like a killer battering ram, dealing Normal/Shadow damage and causing Freeze as it goes. When the Snowbowler dies, the blue circle dissipates.

After the key rooms are a few more winding passages, usually with switch doors that have out-of-the-way switches, followed by a battle room that features:
-2 Ski Layoafers, 2 Frostifurs, Chilling Howlitzer
-2 Pearl Greavers, 4 Layoafers
-4 Ski Layoafers, Snowbowler
After this is the elevator; you'll notice used boxes of explosives lying around, as well as a knocked-out Layoafer. Feel free to rofl.

EVERFROST VALLEY
Depth ??? -- Chilled Cavern

This level looks rather like a cavern, with icy floors and icicles adorning the walls and floor. Even in ice caves, blizzard conditions develop outside of heated areas. As usual, you'll have a campfire-filled entrance, and four Pyropacks out the mist gate. The place is full of Layoafers; Frostifurs are more sparse in the cave, but the other enemies still abound, including Ski Layoafers and the occasional Snowbowler. Also, you'll find Layoafers holding bells, called Ringers. If they spot you, they'll ring the bell, and immediately multiple icicles will fall like Mortafire missiles. They deal Piercing damage. Layoafers riding Greavers are called Hailstormers; the Greaver won't attack, but the Layoafer will fly about, hurling snowballs at you. If

Moving through the ice caves, you'll come to a narrow path (about, say, a Snowbowler snowball wide) with a party button a small way through. After it's pressed, a red mist gate will appear separating you from the outside of the path... and a Snowbowler will appear out of your range and send a snowball down the path! You'll have to run to escape its snowball, which will actually push your Pyropack along with it. At the end of the pass, you'll see a wounded knight among a group of dead knights and a Campfire. Talking to him, you'll start this dialogue.

Wounded Knight: "Can it be... you're alive? That infernal snow boulder killed my entire squad... I thought I was going to die with them."
Player: "It'll be fine, Spiral HQ will send more aid. But is there anything ahead?"
Wounded Knight: "Something... something dark. I went ahead, and eavesdropped on the Devilites. Those fiends said they were going to do something... awaken something that would ravage Haven, the Clockworks, all of Cradle! I can't stop it... I'm too weak. The Devilites spotted me, hit me with a ski. But you can stop them... all of you can fight."
Player: "Then I guess we'd better get going!"
Wounded Knight: "May your victory over those fiends be swift."

Four more Pyropacks will be at this campsite, in case the Snowbowler made you drop yours along the pass. Up next is a battle room with the following enemies:
-4 Ski Layoafers, 2 Ringers
-2 Ringers, 2 Hailstormers
-4 Hailstormers, 2 Snowbowlers, 2 Silkwings

EVERFROST VALLEY
Depth ??? -- Brumal Battleground

More Blizzard conditions in another Ice Cave, campfire filled entrance, four Pyropacks out the mist gate. After some Ringer/Bloogato combination mobs, you'll come to a party switch. Hitting this switch will start a cutscene with the following dialogue, in speech bubbles.
-Pit Boss: "Hmm. It looks like there are knights here. So much for giving them a raise."
-Ski Layoafer: "Argh! We'll never get Frozza out at this rate!"
-Pit Boss: "We'll have to minimize our losses. Get the gates active... and do tell everyone they've got unpaid overtime tomorrow. I'm going to my office."
-Ski Layoafer: "WHAT?! It wasn't even my fault... GAH!"
-Ski Layoafer Overtimer: "Those Knights are gonna pay for this!"

After this, most of the Layoafers will be Overtimers. Ski Layoafer Overtimers will fight the same way, but attack more vigorously. Snowbowler Overtimers will make snow boulders with spikes that do Normal/Shadow/Piercing damage. Ringer Overtimers will bang the bell louder, causing more icicles to fall, and Hailstormer Overtimers will hurl pitchforks like regular Overtimers. A large maze of Ice Walls and purple/yellow switch gates (not polarity walls, but gates, a la Clockwork Tunnels) will be sprawling before you. One optional room has the following enemies:
-2 Ski Layoafer Overtimers, 4 Layoafer Overtimers
-2 Hailstormer Overtimers, 2 Ringer Overtimers
-2 Ski Layoafer Overtimers, 2 Ringer Overtimers, 1 Pit Boss, 2 Yesmen, 2 Silkwings
Killing this one Pit Boss will convert all Overtimers that spawn after his death into regular... whatever they are. Remember, though, that Yesmen turn into Overtimers when a Pit Boss is killed! Beating the optional room also nets four treasure boxes.

Of course, the exit of the maze will not be the end of the level. Afterward is a tunnel with Ice Walls and a smattering of Snowbowlers. These as Overtimers will be deadly; maybe that Pit Boss isn't so optional after all! At the end, there is a large room with eight Ice Walls in the way to the elevator, and respawning Frozen Shamblers and Layoafers; be quick about burning down the walls!

EVERFROST VALLEY
Depth ??? -- Snowbound Showdown

Blizzard conditions, campfire filled entrance, four Pyropacks outside. After a battle room with some Howlitzers and Ski Layoafers, you'll find a party switch; hitting it triggers a cutscene. (The Layoafer and Ski Layoafer have their backs to the Knights initially.)
-Layoafer: Whew! We just made it outta there.
-Ski Layoafer: Queen Frozza's one angry Greaver! Good thing our boss was around to take hits for us.
-Layoafer: Now we wait for her to get out and go berserk all over Haven. Meh heh heh heh heh!
-Ski Layoafer: That'll show those Knights! Heh heh heh... hey, what's with that look?
-Ringer: Look... behind you.
(Ski Layoafer and Layoafer turn around)
-Layoafer: It's the Knights! Run!
(They all run, and immediately you hear the sound of a very large and angry Greaver.)
-Ski Layoafer: Um, excuse us, madam Frozza, we just need to run from-
(You can hear the Greaver attacking, and three Devilites getting killed at once)

Heart pads will immediately be accessible, and you'll find a path with a lot of Tortodrones and a Recon Knight frozen in large blocks of ice! The frozen Knight is in the way; hit him with a nearby respawning fire pot to thaw him out. He'll cloak away after thanking you for getting him out. (None of the Tortodrones can be unfrozen.)

BOSS: Frozza, Greaver Queen
-Weak to: Piercing
-Resists: Shadow

The boss room has unlit Campfires, and spawning Fire Pots. Unlit Campfires can be lit by fire pots. The room itself is large and circular, with large, blue eggs dotting it. In the center, Frozza, a giant black Greaver with light-blue markings on its wings (like all Pearl Greavers) and large legs with glowing light-blue tips will fly around the room, accompanied by two Pearl Greavers. She'll fly about and attack random targets, determined by aggro; there is no set pattern. Her attacks are as follows:
-Blow Back: Frozza can push away knights in front of her quickly with her wings.
-Blow Out: Frozza can put out campfires with her wings.
-Screech: Frozza screeches at a high pitch, causing Piercing/Freeze damage icicles to fall from the ceiling.
-Swipe: Frozza can attack much like a regular Greaver, with the same effects. A large icy mist will appear afterward, and four large Shadow/Freeze bullets will come out from her.
-Air Drop: Frozza can fly out of the arena, and drop three large snow boulders with the area of rockets before coming back. They leave freezing mist and deal split Normal/Shadow damage.
-Wing Shield: Frozza will block bullets with her wings like a Mecha Knight. However, she can't do this during an attack; anyone packing a Needle gun might want to hit her during Screech, or from behind when a party member is kind enough to shoot at her front.
-Frost Breath: Frozza can hover in the air, and breathe out a continuing stream of icy wind that deals Shadow damage and Freezes targets to the spot.
-Icy Brood: At one-quarter of her health, Frozza will hover in the air, then screech. Immediately, the eggs in the room will begin hatching into Pearl Greavers! Hit her enough to stop this attack or just kill all the hatchlings; they will be a tier below the mission.
-Memento: Once Frozza is down, during her death throes, she will let out one final screech that sends a storm of Piercing icicles on the field, in a last ditch effort to kill her foes. The iciciles will cover most of the arena, however, they will come in waves. The final icicle will squash Frozza once and for all!

Once Frozza is dead, the blizzard will stop, and the exit will open.

EVERFROST VALLEY
Depth ??? -- Warm Welcome
(This floor does not cost any energy to access.)

No more blizzard conditions (YAY!), you auto-heal in here, and you'll immediately walk past a peaceful pack of Frostifurs, who won't attack you at all (nor can they be attacked). In the center of the Frostifur room, alongside a sitting Alpha Frostifur, there will be a material: a Tattered Chill Wing in Tier 1, a Chill Wing in Tier 2, and a Pristine Chill Wing in Tier 3. Knights will be assembled in the next room, commending you as you take from some red treasure boxes. Biotech Hahn will talk a little about Frozza:
-Hahn: "The blizzard abated when you killed Queen Frozza. This is an interesting development."
-Player: "I guess it means Frozza was respo-
-Hahn: "Correct, Frozza's presence in the area, even while sealed in her den by an army of Tortodrones, was causing an unnatural blizzard. The Devilites wanted to release her in the hopes that she'd come flying into Haven and raze it to the ground."
-Player: "It's a good thing we took her down, then-"
-Hahn: "Indeed it is. Already, her hatchlings were leaking out, attacking and killing the native animals. Even though the animals deal Piercing damage, the Greavers were managing to swarm and kill them. Even the wild Frostifurs and Tundralisks here aren't attacking us anymore, because they know we stopped all the Greavers."
-Player: "So peace will return to-"
-Hahn: "Indeed, peace will return to Everfrost Valley. It'll still be cold- research indicates it was a cold place before Frozza came- but no more unnatural blizzards will threaten life here. You've done good work here. I'll ensure you get the best weapons we can make from things in this area."
-Player: "Thanks, Hahn. I really app-"
-Hahn: "Anytime."
An elevator leads out of the area.

~REWARDS~
For completing the Tier 1 Mission, you get:
-Shardshooter: A 1* 4-shot gun that fires like the Antigua; it looks like the Antigua, but is light blue. Deals Piercing damage, with a high chance of Freeze on the Charge Attack. Flavor text: "This weapon was built by the same people that crafted the Tortodrones, the giant stone constructs that kept Queen Frozza sealed away. It's capable of unloading ice shards that can freeze a target on the spot."
-Snowball Cluster: A 1* Bomb with the charge time of a Blast Bomb. Its initial explosion does half the Normal damage (Normal only at 1*, Elemental at higher levels) of a Cold Snap, with the chance to Freeze; the initial explosion shoots out four more bombs that deal a little less damage than the Cold Snap. All bombs have a chance to cause Freeze. Flavor text: "Emberlight Gremlins mixed Everfrost Valley snowballs with an experimental explosive compound, and the resulting weapon will break down any snow fort you come across."

For completing the Tier 2 Mission, you get:
-Freezing Shardshooter: A 3* Piercing damage six-shooter like Antigua. It's a darker light blue, but still light blue, and has a wing like the Silversix and Blackhawk. Deals Piercing damage with a high chance of Freeze on the Charge Attack. Flavor text: "A dangerous six-shot pistol that unloads razor-sharp ice shards. These weapons were crafted for gunmen in ages long past."
-Perfect Snowball Cluster: A 3* Bomb with a Blast Bomb's charge time. It has a white snowy explosion, and deals Elemental damage with a chance of Freeze and very little knockback. The initial explosion is half the base damage of a Twisted Spine Cone, and the four bombs that come out have a little less base damage, adding up to a total damage caused of somewhat less than the Twisted Spine Cone's Piercing amount. Remember, though- it causes Freeze. Flavor text: "Everfrost Valley snow mixes well with the powerful Emberlight explosives, creating a cluster bomb that'll make monsters much less eager to have snowball fights in the future."

For completing the Tier 3 Mission, you get:
-Primed Hailstone Shardshooter: A 5* six-shooter like the Argent Peacemaker and Blackhawk. It's light blue and has a freezing aura, and two wings. The Primed Hailstone Shardshooter deals Piercing damage and can Freeze on the Charge Attack, and its charge attack bird is what appears to be a snowy owl. Flavor text: "After his fall, Lord Vanaduke commanded that all these ancient guns be destroyed, because he feared them. Obviously, he didn't get this one."
-Everfrost Snowball Cluster: A 5* Elemental Bomb with a Blast Bomb's charge time. It has a white snowy explosion, and deals one-third the Elemental damage of a Dark Briar Barrage, and splits into four. The catch? These four explode and split into four MORE bombs. All of them have an improved rate of Freeze. Keep in mind that the damage still adds up to less than a DBB, assuming all three bombs connect. Flavor text: "These deadly cold snowball are crafted from Everfrost Valley snow, as well as actual Everfrost and an unstable prototype Nitronome. It is highly recommended that Knights using these polar plastiques wear very toasty mittens."

Artwork for the Shardshooters here and two ideas for the Cluster here and here.

At Punch's Anvil, you can use your Chill Wings to make the following items:

-Dull Wing Plate Armor: 1* armor that looks a little like armor made out of purple wing plates. Claws in the back, sticking up out of the sides, are the only adornment on this armor, which has Normal and Freeze defense, a penalty to Fire, Curse and Poison defense, a global Attack Speed Increase: Low, and Bomb CTR low. Flavor Text: "Made out of the wings of Queen Frozza, this armor fails to match her true strength. However, it's still not bad for a squire."
-Wing Plate Armor: 3* armor that looks like the Dull Wing Plate, but jet-black. It has Normal/Shadow defense, Freeze resistance, a penalty to Fire, Curse and Poison defense, a global Attack Speed Increase: Low, and Bomb CTR: Low. Flavor Text: "This armor, made from Queen Frozza's wings, makes one move quicker, and has many of the traits of the Greaver Queen. It could get more powerful, though."
-Chilling Wing Plate Armor: 5* armor that looks like the Wing Plate armor, but with an icy aura, as well as animated Greaver wings with Pearl Greaver markings. It has Normal/Shadow defense, Freeze resistance, a penalty to Fire, Curse and Poison defense, a global Attack Speed Increase: Low, and Bomb CTR low. Flavor text: "This armor was crafted from Queen Frozza's wings. It makes the Knight attack as swiftly as the dreaded Greaver Queen herself, and to this day, Devilites know to fear its bearer."

If any of the items are over/underpowered, just let me know. You may notice these weapons fill niches: a Piercing Antigua and an Elemental Bomb designed (mostly) for damage. The Chilling Wing Plate is a sort of alternative to Chaos, that gives Attack Speed and Bomb CTR instead of Global Damage and CTR.

Suggestions? Compliments? Scathing rebukes?