A. The Northern Circuit

• The Season: Operates strictly from Spring Thaw to Late Autumn.
• The Winter Cessation: When the northern ice sets in (freezing the fjords at Haleport and Kelrun’s Landing) and the mountain passes to Darkswell become impassable, the Circuit halts.
• Political Reality: Northern towns are expected to be "self-regulating" during winter. This creates a rhythmic tension in northern life: "Circuit Season" is a time of imperial order and judgment; "Winter" is a time of isolation, local survival, and autonomy. This necessity for self-governance contributes to the independent, harder character of the Northern subjects.