Winter Hath Fallen [300 Subscriber Plot]

The villagers of Routa, a medieval farming hamlet, have always lived a solitary, boring lifestyle. They knew only one thing; Rye. In fact, Routa’s inhabitants are so experienced with furrow-cropping, their growing season lasts through the winter. With the help of an old farming-ritual, Routa has made a name for itself; the first choice for nobles to buy grain.

Even so- the settlement is poor. Taxes are high. Requisition and tithe more than halve the peasants’ earnings. Routa barely has enough coin to scrape by, but somehow has always managed. Preparations for winter are costly; repairs, stockpiling, and trading in order to have everything in place before Boreas, or the North Winds, roll in. Ever so slowly, the bitter cold will freeze the soil until rendered untillable.

The Alderman of Routa, descendant of Henrik Muhlfeld, who originally settled here decades ago, is the upholder of ceremonies in the town. He alone holds the secret of Routa’s Chillfurrow. When his son of twelve winters comes to age, these ceremonies and rituals will be passed down, and entrusted to the next generation.

However, even with the aid of the Chillfurrow, the Alderman have found themselves unable to prepare in time for winter. Rats have made their way into the house, ransacking the chaff on the roof. The supports on the roof are rotted-through and must be replaced with haste; one has already splintered under pressure, causing the roof to sway. The Alderman’s wife prepares Rabbit and Potato stew. She was taught the recipe by her mother; A leg of Rabbit, 3 Ripe Potatoes, 2 Chopped Carrots, 1 Minced Tomato, Various Herbs and spices, and a hint of Dandelion as the special ingredient.

The plow has been put away for the season, though in near disrepair. The Alderman’s son has made a desperate attempt to replace the broken before his father learns what has happened. While his wife prepares food, the Alderman sees off a shipment of grain, granting him enough coin to pay the Butcher for his cuts of meat and fish. There is still a long way to go; logs need chopping, hides need tanning, chaff needs threshing, rye needs grinding, snow needs shoveling…

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I know this isn't a really big project, but nonetheless I spent a lot of time making this. Personally (though of course, I have not seen every plot), I would argue this is the highest quality plot of its size (16x16) - that is saying something coming from the ravand server. I have packed this plot with purposeful detailing, putting a lot of thought into everything, researching (threshing floors, etc).
Overall this plot took me 5 days to build, quite a while more to write the lore (I went through a lot of drafts) (I also apologize cause I kinda suck at writing lore)
I am very satisfied with the result.
Anyways, thanks for 300 subscribers! Its amazing to me that barely a month ago I has just uploaded my 200 Subscriber plot, Castillo Cefiro. Your support is amazing and humbling!