A party of traveling wizards, not knowing the source of the howling wind. Art by wwsketch.
Yetis
Mostly based on folklore
Yetis originate in early Himalayan folklore, where it is mostly agreed that only one exists. The earliest depictions of it were from the Leptcha People, who described it as the god of the hunt. It was known as "Mi Rgod" meaning wild man. It was thought to be a large ape-like creature with dark fur who carries a rock that makes a whistling sound when swung, and is used as a weapon by the Mi Rgod. The word Yeti is derived from the Tibetan word "Wylie", which can be translated into many things including: "Wild Man", "Man Bear", "Cattle Bear", and "Snow Man". It was later nicknamed "The Abominable Snowman" in 1921 by British explorers. Some of the abilities it was thought to possess were: "If you look at it, you will die", and "It howls before a snowstorm or avalanche". In d&d, Yetis are Large, white, furred monstrosities with an ape-like silhouette sprouting ram horns and thick blue skin. They wander the untamed Arctic looking for prey to kill with their chilling gaze, only fearing the unknown force of fire. The rulers of their domains are the Abominable Yetis, standing five feet taller than a normal yeti, they can breath a cone of frigid air to freeze its prey.
In Folklore
A photo of a supposed Yeti footprint taken by Michael Ward in 1951.