Winter

"As a new cycle begins we celebrate and warm our hearths as the snow falls and soil freezes. Thus, shall our revelry awaken Årethjul from beneath the soil to begin the cycle of the year once more."

— Line 1 in the Ode of Årethjul

Winter, the season where nature rests, the chill brings us closer together, and snow blankets the lands in a pristine showering of powder. For the common Eddan, it's a time of beauty, of festivals, of craftsmanship, and of introspection. Not everyone in the modern day has the luxury to bunker down for the winter, as the world keeps moving regardless of the season, but the chill breeze and celebrations to remind us of what's most important keep all hearts warm regardless.

The winter season marks the beginning of the year in Edda, with the first three months of the year titled after the season in their common translations. They are:

1. Falling Winter - When the last of the leaves fall off the branches in time with the temperatures and the snow from the sky
2. Freezing Winter - When the drop in temperatures do the most work to solidify the waters and embrittle the soil
3. Melting Winter - When the temperatures begin to rise again, ever so slightly, to make way for spring and new growth

Manifestation

Natural Manifestations

With the arrival of Winter comes the calming of the seasons. The air chills, the plants shudder, and the animals pack in tight, growing their longer coats and protections. Winter across all of Edda is colder, wetter, and cloudier with some specific variations based on region, which will be expanded upon under the Localization section.

Overall, however, agriculture switches to deep rooted vegetables and specially cold-resistant and/or flourishing crops, all but the sturdiest of trees lose their leaves, creatures that prefer the cold expand their hunting grounds, the waters freeze, the lengthier nights lead to more indoor personal activities, and various folkloric stories and celebrations take place either to celebrate the coming of the season or some momentous occasion within.

Fishing and sea travel also get more complicated with ice floes and wild storms aplenty, but some sought after delicacies only come closer to the surface this time of year, leading many of the more experienced and thrill-seeking sailors out to sea even in the worst of times.

Magical Manifestations

As Winter rolls in various types of Mana become stronger and more prevalent. Elementally, Water and Ice based mana is at it's peak, as is to be expected, while outside the usual elements mana and magical effects involving the Moons, Stars, or Darkness are stronger. This increase in magical strength also means that magical crystals and mana-rich plants of these varieties will be more populous, even in areas that don't get much winter-y weather.

The increase in these mana levels can on occasion cause an increase in violent storms if not properly monitored and released, but aside from folkloric rituals releasing some of the pressure, there are several groups of mages and magical organizations who tend to these issues.

Magical animals that are attuned to any of the aforementioned types of Mana are also stronger and more dangerous in the Winter, and most of the Fae go through their seasonal changes, save for the uniquely powerful. This is also a rough time for the Fae, as Winter is when the Unseelie are at the height of their power, causing chaos and misfortune among nature.

Localization

Due to the different, often strange, temperature currents of Edda, each nation experiences the coming of Winter in different ways

• Atalanta: The western part of Atalanta, closer to Magnum Opus, gets a majority of the nations snowfall during this part of the year, especially in the northwestern mountainous region. While the central and eastern parts of the nation do get a decent amount of snowfall, being closer to the eastern warm air current means that they get far more rain than snow, even on the coastal regions. This season also brings most farming to a halt as most of Atalanta's agricultural staples do not do well in the cold.
  In the swamp regions, even without as much snowfall, the shallow waters often freeze, giving more walkways and passageways for mortal and animal travelers, and allowing some unique herbs and plant life to grow beneath the frost and ice.
• Magnum Opus: The land of the Seat of Giants has always been cold and temperate, with its northern mainland and the large island in its northern waters being snow laden year round. As Winter rolls around however, the northern isle becomes more treacherous with intense blizzards and ice sheets, while the mainland snowfields expand to the center of the nation. The southern part of the mainland and its related islands also see their fair share of snowfall in this season, but it is the first to melt once Spring comes around.
  As many root vegetables are grown in Magnum Opus, not as much agriculture is stymied by the cold, although the ice covered land and waters make it harder for transport without the proper precautions.
  The nation, or rather the pre-colonization cultures that make up much of its history and traditions, are also responsible for the ground work for many modern-day winter holidays, even if the other nations give them their own unique spin in the process.
• Laputa: The smaller Nation is entirely within the range of the North Eddan cold air front, and so year round remains frigid and snow-covered. This means that there are few changes for the nation as Winter hits, save for some of their local fauna expanding their hunting range. The shorter days, however, do mean that they need to rely more on non-solar power methods, especially in the flying cities.
• Afallon: The desert nation is an arid environment year round, so with the coming of Winter usually just brings ice and cloudy days without much precipitation. The western and southern areas that edge against the cold fronts do see some rainfall, but still remain relatively dry compared to its neighboring environments. The Oases of the nation do have to be careful their water sources do not freeze, and even without natural weather changes the influx of winter Mana through the leylines does require their vigilance nonetheless.
• The 'Oki Islands: In the center of two warm air currents, the 'Oki Islands remain warm and humid during the winter seasons. It is the beginning of their storm season, however, requiring much preparation for city infrastructure and the various biomes of the nation, lest they be buffeted by intense flooding and hurricanes.
• Boncly: In the hottest part of the South Eddan warm air front, the mountainous badlands of Boncly share much the same fate as Afallon, being cold and frosty but still dry and lacking precipitation. The western part of the nation past the mountains remains rather temperate as the direct warm air front meets the pieces of the North Eddan cold air front that the winds blow southward, resulting in middling temperatures and plenty of rainfall, with snow and ice mainly dotting the highest peaks and coastal regions.
• Agartha: The westmost part of Agartha, bordering Boncly, remains as temperate and rainy as it usually does, but around the World-Mountain and on the eastern edge of the nation the East Eddan cold air front brings in plenty of frigid temperatures and snowfall, with the central mountain getting thousands if not tens-of-thousands of feet across all its range during the season. The winter also leads to many draconic species migrating to the warmer west or north-east with many groups monitoring their paths to avoid any complications.
• The Kaguyan Federation: Similar to the 'Oki Islands, the Federation largely deals with increased storms and rainfall during the winter season, although there is a south-western cold front that brings a moderate amount of snow and ice to the federation, with its south-western-most islands getting the brunt of it. Many ice-based phantasmal creatures also come out to play during this time of year, bringing an influx of ice mana that creates unpredictable snow and frost to the people.
• Hippolyta: Nestled between two cold fronts, Hippolyta in the winter undergoes the greatest changes, as the vast forests of the region lose many of their leaves with the branches and bark becoming brittle. This benefits crafters and hunters, but does lead to many animal migrations and hibernations, and makes farming land or orchards difficult. Around the middle of the nation, the South Eddan warm air front cuts through, creating a more temperate swath of land that encompasses many of the mountainous regions and the capital. However, despite that the mountains still generate enough snow to lead to vast streams and waterfalls come spring.

All nations also go through their various disruptions and maladies based on the increase of winter mana throughout the leylines, with them being most chaotic in the warmer nations while in the colder nations they're seen as more of an exotic event or rare creature.

Type

Natural

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Full List of Seasons

1. Winter (You are here!)
2. Spring
3. Summer
4. Autumn