From the journal of Ardebast Raconteur:
Pelaria is at its most peaceful in the winter months. The farmers have completed the harvest and huddle in their homes to relax. Most fisherfurs dock their boats and do much the same. Heavy snowfalls can block the roads, keeping furs from travelling very far and making towns more isolated. The rangers narrow their patrol routes to keep closer to their station houses. The Mouse Wing is almost completely shut down as many of their bird steeds migrate south (Verdant is almost a ghost town for much the same reason).
This isolation means that towns must be self-sufficient. Emergencies arise however, forcing furs in one town to brave the elements to reach another town for much-needed supplies.
Even activity in the capital city of Sixtus is noticeably slower in the winter months. There are massive storehouses in the city to provide for any emergency. The Order maintains strict control over these stores for if they were to run out, it would be disastrous for the city, if not the entire continent. A town in need can ask Sixtus for help. Aid from the capital comes at a cost in the form of a special tax for the following year proportional to the amount of aid provided. The tax is calculated fairly, taking into consideration that town’s ability to pay.
The Coven also maintains storehouses for the lean months, although their aid is much more costly. Immediate payment is required.
I try to time my travels to be back in Sixtus before the first snowfall. The winter months provide me with time to rest my weary bones (much wearier now than during my younger years) and assemble the notes taken during my travels throughout the year. Great stories are not written in a day after all. In truth however, this is work that could be done anywhere. The reason I prefer to do so in Sixtus is to have easy access to the great library to research all the little questions I’ve also amassed during the year.
Carja’s Notes:
When you’re building a world, questions arise. I was thinking of creating a roleplaying scenario set during the winter months and naturally the question, “What happens to these furs in winter?” came up. It seemed to me that just travelling from one place to the other would prove difficult, so I’ve reformulated the scenario to start at the onset of winter instead. The results of the roleplaying session, when I finish it and my friends and I get to playing through it, will no doubt make for a story later.