Perrenland Climate

Autumn and Winter

The combination of Lake Quag and the mountains surrounding Perrenland produces a climate of odd extremes and incongruous rainfall. In winter the cold dry air masses of the steppes push southeast, only to be channelled due south by the Clatspur Mountains, and then west by the Yatils. This great swirl of air is then forced north again, as the Yatils turn back in that direction. This swirling effect channels the steppe winds into collision with the wetter but equally cold airs moving south and east from the Drawmidj Ocean.

The effects of this collision are heavy snows and storm fronts along the southern and western mountains during winter and tornadoes across the Feronwold during autumn. Trails and passes through the Yatils quickly become snow blocked once autumn arrives and are often impassable well into spring, cutting southern and western Perrenland off from the outside world for four to five months of the year. During these times, people and monsters alike are restricted to their towns and lairs until the snows begin to melt.

By contrast, this same air pattern means the east and north of the country is dry and cold during winter, with passes and roads still passable in perhaps one year in three. This should not be taken as an indication that the Clatspur ranges may be traversed in winter - far from it. Rather it is possible to traverse the mountains if one is lucky and has a very good guide.

Lake Quag typically freezes over during winter and brave adventurers have been known to try and cross its entire breadth on skis or ice skates. Few of these venturesome persons succeed and fewer survive the experience. Every winter, though, several parties attempt this trek and betting on the likelihood of success is a popular pastime in a frozen Traft.