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Seasonal Cycle
13.1 Overview
| Season | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Spring (The Thawing) | The time of renewal and reawakening, when the Frostborn emerge from their winter dwellings to repair damage, re-establish hunting grounds, and prepare for the short summer. Melt-water fills natural cisterns and ice formations shift, revealing new terrain. The first fresh game sightings are celebrated with communal feasts. |
| Summer (The Bright Hunt) | The busiest time, when the Frostborn must hunt, gather, and stockpile resources for the long winter ahead. This is also the time of festivals and clan gatherings, when the Frostborn celebrate life and community. An intense focus on hunting and gathering takes advantage of the brief abundance. The summer solstice is marked with elaborate celebrations. |
| Autumn (The Hardening) | A time of preparation and urgency, when the Frostborn are busy curing meats, crafting winter clothing, and fortifying their dwellings. There is a sense of urgency as the first snows begin to fall and the days shorten rapidly. Final trade caravans depart and arrive before the passes close. |
| Winter (The Long Dark) | The long, dark time of survival. The Frostborn huddle in their communal spaces, repairing equipment, crafting, and telling stories. They venture out to hunt only when necessary, relying on their stockpiles and each other to make it through until spring. Winter is the time for extended storytelling sessions and the teaching of clan history and traditions to the younger generation. The longest night of the year is marked by The Howling, a ritual honoring Boreas. |
13.2 Seasonal Transitions
The transitions between seasons are marked by specific natural phenomena that the Frostborn use as calendrical markers. The arrival of the first "ljosbrot" (sunbreak) signals the coming of the Thawing. The first sighting of the great snowbird flocks migrating northward marks the true beginning of the Bright Hunt. The freezing of the Vintergate pass signals the start of the Hardening. And the first night when the aurora fills the entire sky
called "Aurelia's Veil"
announces the onset of the Long Dark.