WINTERBORNE’S SEASONAL CYCLE

Winterborne’s climate is unlike any other settlement in Lunar Vale. Its seasons stretch unevenly across the year — six months of winter, four months of spring-summer, and two months of autumn — each one shaping the rhythms, culture, and daily survival of its people. This cold-heavy cycle defines the town’s architecture, its economy, and the dragon-born shifters who have adapted perfectly to its harsh beauty.

Winterborne is, at its core, a winter village.

WINTER — The Long Season (6 Months)

Climate

• Heavy, steady snowfall covers rooftops, forests, and mountain paths.
• Riverbanks freeze early and remain locked in ice for months.
• Icicles gather thickly along eaves, chiming softly in the winter wind.
• Daylight is pale and brief, while long nights dominate the horizon.
• Cold winds sweep down from the Winterborne Peaks with cutting force.

Culture & Atmosphere

• Winter lantern walks create glowing paths through the snow-covered streets.
• Dragon-born families gather for rituals, ancestral offerings, and communal feasts.
• Hot springs become vital hubs of warmth, relaxation, and social bonding.
• Daily routines slow into a gentler rhythm marked by shared resilience and warmth-centered traditions.

Dragon-Born Effects

• Shifting abilities operate at full power.
• Internal body heat stabilizes, making transformations effortless.
• Cold air enhances flight, providing lift and clarity.
• Breath magic strengthens, often producing visible heat bursts in frigid air.

SPRING & SUMMER — The Thaw (4 Months Total)

Climate

• Melting snow feeds the rivers with clear, cold runoff.
• Wildflowers bloom across valleys and forest edges.
• Warm, misty rains arrive throughout the season.
• Skies clear into bright blues as the mountains shed winter’s heaviness.

Culture & Atmosphere

• Outdoor markets, flower stalls, and riverside cafés return to life.
• Seasonal festivals celebrate renewal, water, and returning wildlife.
• Mountain trails reopen for pilgrimages to shrines and ancestral sites.
• Dragon-drawn sky carriages offer sweeping aerial views to visitors.
• Weddings and community gatherings frequently occur during this warm window.

Dragon-Born Effects

• Shifting remains strong but requires more energy and internal heat.
• Overuse of abilities risks heat drain or fatigue.
• Bodies instinctively conserve warmth, increasing reliance on hot springs and firelit spaces.

AUTUMN — The Quiet Months (2 Months)

Climate

• Dawn frost returns to rooftops, stones, and riverbanks.
• Trees shift into vibrant gold, amber, and scarlet hues.
• Morning mists drift along rivers and forest paths.
• Temperatures drop quickly, signaling winter’s approach.

Culture & Atmosphere

• Families gather for harvest feasts and community meals.
• Winter lanterns are repaired, polished, and prepared.
• Tailors craft thick, insulated clothing for the coming cold.
• Dragon-born clans reunite to fulfill pre-winter obligations and rituals.

Dragon-Born Effects

• Magic stabilizes after the strain of warm-weather shifting.
• Senses heighten, especially scent and hearing in cold mornings.
• Instincts shift toward dens, hearths, and strong familial bonds.

❄️ WHY WINTERBORNE IS A “WINTER VILLAGE”

Despite its brief warmth and bloom, Winterborne’s identity remains firmly tied to winter for several reasons:

• Winter dominates half the year, shaping architecture, fashion, trade, and everyday life.
• Frost lingers long after spring arrives, and even summer nights carry a sharp chill.
• The surrounding peaks remain snow-covered year-round, creating a permanent winter aesthetic.
• Dragon-born physiology is optimized for cold, making winter their natural season of strength and comfort.
• Tourism centers around winter attractions, including snowy hot springs, lantern festivals, frozen lakes, and dragon sightings in the crisp mountain air.

Winterborne is not simply a place that endures winter — it is a town built for winter, shaped by it, and proud of the magic and traditions that thrive within its frozen landscape.