Re: Fimbulwinter Tales

From: Bryan <bethexton_at_...>
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 21:40:20 -0000

Well, it depends on how good your barn is, and how cold it is outside. I could imagine a barn that was originally built to be 'good enough' but is getting old and hasn't been re-chinked ending up inadequate if you have prolonged temperatures below -30C with high winds. Most cattle would be OK, but I imagine if you had some that were poorly it could do them in.

Although, in all honesty, I'd expect that the bigger problem in those conditions is getting enough water to the cattle, and keeping it thawed enough for them to drink it. Based on KoDP type numbers, a clan will have on the order of 1000 cattle. If you have to chop a hole in the stream because even the well and the rapids are frozen up, and carry them all the water bucket by bucket (or else melt enough snow), while a several day blizzard populated by vadrudi is blasting you, well, love cattle or not, I can see the clan deciding that it can better afford to lose some cattle than any more clansmen.

Next on my list of winter calamities would probably be the roof collapsing under a heroic snow fall. Cattle could be crushed under the roof/snow, or just die from lack of shelter if you don't have room for them in the other barns.

--Bryan

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