I'm never fully satisfied with how I make refs, especially since my art tends to look different every time I try to make one in relation to my regular art, and usually in the sense that it looks less good, which is frustrating. But in spite of that, I'm pretty okay with how this one turned out! I'll be slowly cranking out refs for my other characters, but I had to start with Wintertide of course. She's the main character of the Kirin Verse, after all.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

BIO
full name. Wintertide Frost
aka. Wintertide, Winter, Queen Regnant, Your Majesty
age. 34 — 42 / immortal
gender & pronouns. Female, She/Her
orientation. Gray — Aromantic/Pansexual
species. Kirin
occupation. Subordinate to the Storm King (Formerly)

PERSONALITY
alignment. Lawful Evil
positive traits. Intelligent, determned, outspoken
negative traits. Manipulative, cold, resentful

MEDICAL RECORD
mental. Depression, Insomnia
phobias. Heights

BACKGROUND
birth place. The Kirin Village
species. Kirin
notable skills. Manipulation, Singing
languages. Ponish
abilities. Kirin magic, nirik transformation
Born to a pair of kirin within the village, Wintertide's life was what was considered normal. There was nothing unique about her aside from her coat and name differing from most others that surrounded her. Her name itself being a reflection of how her coat and mane gave off a more winter-like vibe than the rest of the kirin. It didn't bother her in the slightest.

Wintertide enjoyed singing and dancing like the rest of her kind. However she could not help but feel something was missing from her life. She felt out of place and like she was destined for something much greater than this. Plays, jokes, poetry… None of it was for her. She would only find that missing piece of her after her parents died.

The grieving process was not an easy one. Wintertide kept herself secluded from the rest of her village, even spending a lot of time away from their hidden home. There was no desire in her heart for singing and dancing and seeing it only began to make her angry. At one time during a moment of solitude, her anger became too much for her and she had become a nirik. This was her first real experience in dealing with her other half. The power that coursed through her body was unlike anything she had known before. She found great pleasure in it, and felt her grief begin to ebb away. It occurred to her then that this was the missing piece she was searching for all that time.

Unfortunately, the nirik and their destructive powers were to be kept hidden and under control. The kirin leader, Rain Shine, wanted to make sure her tribe never got out of hand with their anger. Regardless, Wintertide could not see such power and potential go to waste like that. In her mind, they should use the nirik to their advantage and become something greater than what they were now. They could become the most power race in Equestria if their leader would just give them the chance. When she had proposed the idea to Rain Shine and her village she was met with harsh criticism. Wintertide refused to back down, and it ultimately resulted in her exile from her home. She would become the very first kirin to ever be cast out.

For years, she lived out in the jungle alone before deciding she needed to find something for herself. So she began a long journey of wandering the foreign lands. With no set goal in mind, she just went on searching for something, anything, that could give her a sense of purpose.
In another part of Equestria, the Storm King has won against the mane six. Twilight has been turned to stone, Tempest is out of the picture, and the others are imprisoned while he sits on the throne. He’s still looking to further spread his rule, and where else would be best to start than the Crystal Empire? Before this can happen, an intruder is found within Canterlot and taken to the king upon her capture.

After traveling far and wide, Wintertide Frost had stumbled upon the fallen city where the tyrant now reigned. She knew not of what had happened there and did not expect to be put into a fight for her life when ambushed by a large group of Storm Creatures. After an exhausting chase, she was taken to the king for punishment. After meeting with him and displaying her power, the Storm King instead agreed to form a "partnership" with her in exchange for allowing her to use her abilities the way she wanted and also exact her revenge on her old home.
Leading his army to the kirin vilage, the Storm King soon had the kirin under his command when their attack was a success. Meanwhile while he was away, the remaining Mane Six have escaped their binds and flee to the Crystal Empire to seek the help of Shining Armor. After hearing what happened to his wife, sister, and the other princesses, he was more than ready to take charge and lead the empire to battle in order to save everyone.

A war was waged that lasted several years with neither side backing down. The Mane Five decided to go and seek the help of other creatures in order to win, while the Storm King works on strengthening his own army with Wintertide remaining at his side. Early on in the war, she offers to be the mother of his children in order for him to become “immortal”, because she knows even if they were to win, once he dies his reign is over. She also wanted to be given her own immortality as she has been calling herself "Queen Regnant" behind his back and considers herself his equal.

They have two children, Storm Burst and Monsoon Blossom. Storm Burst, being the oldest and only son, is considered the Storm King’s prodigy by the conqueror and so all his focus is put onto him, where monsoon blossom he views to be a sort of “mistake” and not fit to rule his empire. Wintertide, however, loves both of her children. They are the only thing in the world she had ever loved and cared for since leaving her home.
Meanwhile back in the Crystal Empire, Flurry Heart has grown older and wants to help her father fight, but he forbids it because she’s still too young. Flurry knows she can help so she runs off on her own to go to Canterlot on a “secret mission”. Once there, she runs into Monsoon who is just a few years younger than her. they form an unexpected but fast friendship because they don’t see the other as an enemy. They want to put an end to the war but aren’t sure how to do it. As they are trying to plot another huge battle breaks out. The two go missing during that time, and Wintertide assumes her daughter is dead. Storm Burst is lost in the fight, and Shining Armor is taken captive.

Wintertide begins making plans to kill Shining Armor for the fates of her children, while the Storm King prepares to take over the Crystal Empire at last. Before either plan can be executed, Flurry and Monsoon show up with the rest of the Rebellion. They are made up of ponies, griffons, hippogriffs, changelings, dragons, yaks, and the kirin who they have broken free from their bonds. The final battle resulted in the Rebellion's victory. The Storm King is killed in the battle, and Wintertide is ultimately sent to Tartarus.

As for Monsoon, Flurry convinces the others to let her be free because their friendship is so strong and just because her parents were evil doesn’t mean Monsoon herself is. With the princesses freed, peace is restored to Equestria and everything returns to normal.
Wintertide spent over a year within Tartarus with only the monsters and centaur, Tirek, for company. Her imprisonment gave her more than enough time to reflect on everything that had happened during the Storm King's reign. It was now she began to feel some regret for what happened, but not enough to quell the anger that still dwelled within her heart. She wanted her revenge on Equestria for what happened to her. However she was certain that she would spend the rest of her days trapped in her cell without much opportunity for that to come to be.
Freed from her prison by magical means, Wintertide Frost found herself in the company of Tirek, Cozy Glow, and Chrysalis when she is summoned by the legendary Grogar to help work as a team to take over Equestria once more. Having not much else to lose with her former king and children gone, she agrees to work with him without much hesitation. While most of the company kept within the lair is considered unfavorable, Wintertide found much to admire in her new leader. She decided Grogar was more than fit to be someone she would dedicate her life to, and feels utmost confidence in the group succeeding in their plans. Some time later, to her own surprise, she developed romantic feelings for the ram, and he returned them in kind.

The pair tried to keep their relationship a secret and made plans to eventually dispose of the others so it would be only them who controlled Equestria when they destroyed Twilight Sparkle and her friends. However as the time to set the plan in motion drew closer, Wintertide began to fear it would fail. Not wanting to lose Grogar or be defeated by the ponies yet again, she proposed they forgo their plans and run away to somewhere they wouldn't be found. At first Grogar refused to listen, but eventually gave in to the idea after much thought and coming to the realization that history was bound to repeat itself. The pair took the Bewitching Bell and book the other three had gotten and left without a word or trace one night.

Grogar took them to a place far beyond Equestria. While not the place intended to be their new home, he wanted to pick up something. Another magical artifact that was just as powerful as his bell; the flash stone. Once they had it, he took them to the place he intended for them to stay. To Wintertide's intial dismay, it was the place where her old king had come from, an abandoned fortress that dug up all of her past heartache. Even if it was unfavorable at first, the location was far enough away where Grogar was convinced no one would go to look for them, so Wintertide accepted her new home.

The two later had a private wedding ceremony, using the flash stone as a replacement for wedding rings and breaking it in two for them to share. Grogar also granted Wintertide the gift of immortality by sharing half of his own magic with her, which transformed her appearance into a mixture of kirin and nirik. Over the years they have five children together, and they hope to live a peaceful and safe life raising them without threat from others.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

NOTES:

The necklace she wears as an immortal is half of the flash stone: a powerful artifact from Equestria's past that she and Grogar split in place of wedding rings.
The blue glow she has from her magic in her immortal state is only present in darker areas/at night. The glow resembles that of a dim ember's, so it's not overly bright.
Before Grogar shared his magic with her, Wintertide's magical prowess was that of the average kirin. She was not more powerful than any of them. Her true strength and power resided in her mind and ability to take charge in order to be seen as intimidating to those around her thanks to her cold and unreadable demeanor.