Wintry Conditions
Wintry conditions describe a temperature range between 0 and 9°F. This is a lingering cold, where the air has a crisp bite that clings to every surface. The snow is thick and powdery, packing down underfoot but not yet turning to solid ice. The landscape is stark and white, with the sun offering little warmth, its pale light refracting through crystalline frost. While breath does not freeze in heavy plumes, it lingers, curling in the still air. The cold is persistent but not yet unrelenting, allowing for movement and activity, though only with preparation.
Travel remains difficult, with roads buried under snowdrifts and ice forming in patches rather than solid sheets. Horses struggle less than in deeper cold, their breath frosting at the edges but their movements still functional, though hooves slip on unseen ice beneath the snow. Wagons require steady hands and careful navigation, their wheels crunching over frozen ground. Streams may still flow sluggishly beneath a crust of ice, and ponds freeze unevenly, their surfaces dangerously deceptive. The wind, while not as sharp as in colder extremes, still cuts through cloth and armour alike, carrying the ever-present sting of winter's grasp.
Settlements endure this temperature with effort, but not outright desperation. Fires are kept burning in hearths, and insulation is a necessity rather than a luxury. Homes are draped with heavy curtains and furs, and thick wooden doors fight against the creeping cold that seeps in through the cracks. Water barrels freeze overnight, requiring axes or boiling water to break through the crust. Wells are usable but prone to freezing at their edges. Food is still available, though fresh produce becomes rare, and stored meats and grains become the staple diet. Hunting is possible but difficult, as many animals have burrowed deep or migrated to warmer regions.
Daily life moves at a slower pace, though it does not stop. People venture outside with care, wrapped in layers that make movement cumbersome but necessary. Those who work outdoors do so in shifts, rotating inside to thaw out fingers and warm themselves by the fire. Markets persist, though traders display only what is essential — furs, wool, salted meats and other goods meant to endure the cold. Inns and taverns become places of refuge, filled with bodies drawn to warmth, where conversations turn to weather, survival and the necessity of preparation. Community gatherings still occur, but often in smaller, enclosed spaces where fires can keep the chill at bay.
For those venturing beyond civilisation, the cold is an obstacle, but not yet a death sentence. Travel is exhausting, requiring constant motion to keep the blood flowing, but it does not yet sap the will entirely. Ice creeps into boots and stiffens fingers, but the prepared can endure. Water must be kept close to the body to prevent freezing and supplies must be carefully managed. Resting for too long risks frostbite, but warmth can still be found if sought out. Wildlife, though more scarce, still lingers — foxes move through the snow in search of prey, great birds glide overhead and wolves prowl, drawn by the scent of struggling creatures. Some beasts have made this temperature their home, thriving in the winter landscape and lurking where warmth is scarce.
Underground spaces remain frigid, though not yet unbearable. Caverns and ruins hold the cold in their stone walls, their floors slick with frost and moisture turned to ice. Stalactites glisten with freezing condensation and old wooden beams groan under the slow, creeping expansion of ice. Traps, doors and mechanisms still function, though some may be stiff with the cold, requiring extra force to move. Torches and lanterns burn well, though their flames flicker in the drafts that sneak through unseen cracks. In the depths of forgotten places, winter does not dominate, but it lingers, waiting for those who tread too long without caution.
Survival in wintry conditions demands awareness and preparation, but it does not yet demand sacrifice. This is a season that tests endurance, that forces adaptation but does not yet claim the unready outright. It is a cold that encourages vigilance, that makes warmth a necessity but not yet a desperate fight. Those who brave it find that, while the cold is a constant companion, it can be endured — so long as one does not forget that winter always waits, pressing in, patient and unyielding.
