Once Frostfall began, temperatures in the Anduin River Valley fell day by day. As the last month of the year, its cold generally lingered until after the New Year, when the weather finally began to improve.
Today, the Maia Arien seemed distracted as he steered the ship bearing the sun, ducking in and out of the clouds.
Without sunlight, Wilderness Town was far colder than usual. Under normal circumstances, most people would have been reluctant to leave their homes.
Yet now, busy crowds filled the town, creating a lively scene amid the biting wind.
The annual New Year's feast was only a few days away.
Ymira, who was chiefly responsible for the event, had issued orders in the Cabinet's name several days earlier to begin preparations.
Answering their lord's call, large numbers of villagers eagerly volunteered to help the Cabinet's officials prepare for the feast.
Bundled in thick clothes against the cold wind, they wore enthusiastic smiles as they worked together to put up tents around the grounds.
From time to time, people drove horse carts or ox carts in from outside the town, bringing loads of firewood to pile into the brick fire pits.
Judging by their enthusiasm and the expressions on their faces, the townspeople were in good spirits.
Whether that cheer came from the wages Allen offered or the revelry awaiting them was hard to say.
It had probably started the year before last: on the day of the New Year's feast, Wilderness Town's residents would put on their finest clothes to attend the banquet hosted by their lord.
Some of the more talented residents would even build a stage on the grounds. Lit by the rising bonfires, they performed acts they had organized themselves, making the feast all the livelier.
This year, with his purse considerably