Warding for the Winter Witch

Created by Hruthgar

This Copan Shire day of remembrance takes place in mid-autumn. It is known as the official close of "Hurricane Season" as no natural hurricane is going to form later into the year than this date, but it first was commemorated for its own purpose.

Observance

Warding is not a happy time as those who live in the barcos get ready for the long winter and stop all unnecessary trade with outsiders until spring comes. It's the last day until spring that the fishing boats sail, so having stocked up and made ready is a must.

Warding for the Winter Witch is also observed in the port cities of Binaket within the ethnic neighborhoods descended from Copan Shire traders and settlers. Neighbors often comment on the annual burst of canning, pickling, smoking, and other food storage preparation while preparing "perfectly sound" vessels for dry dock; many of the Binaket Karavels attribute this tradition to ship maintenance without understanding that it is the other way around. Hulls are cleaned and resealed and so forth during the winter months because it is not wise to sail from the Silver Mist Coast at this time, so shipmasters might as well do maintenance.

The ex-patriate Halflings living inland at Aquitaine, Morodar, and other cities will still trade with people in their area, but merchants will stop all Caravans unless it's a necessity.