Time, Weather, and Life on the Farm
Oct 2, 2017 21:17:28 GMT -5
Post by Adagio on Oct 2, 2017 21:17:28 GMT -5
Life on the Farm
The ground is soft for diggin, the red barn cold and empty.
The Farm
A quaint wheat farm somewhere in the mountains of the eastern United States - though the mice don't know that. Recently abandoned by its humans, it has been left to the critters that remain. The farm totals about 40 acres of land, with a cute old cabin near the front of the property. It's backed by a wide backyard with a fire pit, a lovingly built (And now empty) dog run, and an empty barn that once housed a couple horses. Beyond that is a huge wheat field, now filled with snakes and cats. A millhouse sits off to the west of the barn a ways, powered by a little creek that runs throughout the entire property.
The colony is centered around the millhouse, and you can travel from one end of colony land to the other in twelve hours on foot. Crossing the backyard on foot takes about 24 hours, a feat required to reach most things outside the colony. Reaching the treeline on the other side of the wheat fields when leaving from the colony takes roughly a week.
Timeline
Fall 2012 :: Steadyset founds the colony, nestled into the wall of the millhouse.
Winter 2013 :: Steadyset disappears, certainly eaten by something.
Spring 2017 :: The humans seemingly disappear from the farm.
Weather
The farm is in a mountainous, temperate climate with four distinctly defined seasons. If you're struggling to come up with what sort of weather you want in your post, consider looking up the current weather in Knoxville, Tennesee in the United States - this city is in the region the game's climate is based on. Generally, weather will be moderate and somewhat rainy.
Spring :: The dry, windy season. Wild flowers bloom around the edge of the property. Food is finally becoming a bit easier to access, though there is still the occasional light snow. Sprays of tiny white blossoms explode from the dogwoods along the front of the property and the barn is noisy with the mewl of kittens. Temperatures are generally still cool. (Lasts from March 20th to June 21st.)
Summer :: Hot, muggy, rainy, with wet air that hangs like dog breath. Frequent thunderstorms - on bad years the creek might flood. But - blessedly - the days are long and there's plenty of food to find. (Lasts from June 21st to September 22nd.)
Fall :: A mouse's undisputed favorite season. It finally begins to cool again. Winds scented with corn, apples, and autumn leaves roll crisply over the farm. The horticulturist's crops come into season and the process of storing food for winter begins. It's during this season the mice celebrate the founding of the colony with great feasts and burning of effigies of the summer hound. (Lasts from September 22nd to December 21st.)
Winter :: Cold, with frequent snows in January and February, but more wet and miserable than anything. Skies are grey and windy, ground slushy and chilled. At least one can count on most predators being asleep. Although those that are not are typically desperate - best to stay to the ground little mouse. (December 21st to March 19th.)