Spring had passed, and the ice and snow in the north should have melted according to past routines, but this year was different. The surge in spiritual energy made the lingering ice in the Mortal World unusually tough. In a time lacking food, this deadly weather proved fatal.
It made the already difficult survival of the common people even harder.
Since the serpent disaster, the Northern Territory had suffered heavy casualties. Near the Capital City in the north, areas not invaded by the giant python could previously hold on. But that was only up until six months ago. By this year, the Imperial Court had essentially lost the ability to govern locally. Almost every district below the county level was out of control, with refugees everywhere. Daily, thousands either starved to death or were killed by mutated livestock.
