Horses in Irrisen

[Darrell Impey UK]

What's everyone's take on horses in Irrisen?

I'm leaning towards the permenant snow cover meaning no grass, and nobody wanting to waste good grain on an animal, so no horses. And any the PCs take there really only be worth selling for meat. (No way to feed them, and cutting them loose being a death sentence through starvation.)

That said, the vilages have cows. How are they fed?

[Jeven]

They have domovoi (household fey) which help care for animals with magic.
There is also a semi-magical Irrisseni conifer whose bark is edible -- the locals grind it down to make flour for bread.
Ground up fish-waste can also be used as animal feed.
And hay bails brought over from the grasslands of the Realm of the Mammoth Lords.

Although domestic animals should still be rare.

[Tangent101]

Horses are rare and usually only owned by the "nobility" of Irrisen (or at least that's how I'd rule it). Do note that if any PC manages to bring a horse over that rope bridge leading into the heart of the cold region (yeah, right!) then the horse DOES have to roll for hypothermia just like other people. (In fact, animal companions may have to as well, at least until they develop a winter coat. Fortunately there are spells to cope with this beyond Endure Elements.)

Mind you, there are alternative routes. Otherwise a certain atomie couldn't have gotten his white-furred companion into the initial area where the PCs meet him. ;)

[captain yesterday]

since horses are one of the animals listed in the RoW players guide as a good choice for winter themed companions i myself wouldnt make it roll for hypothermia. Also i speak from experience having had horses and cows while living in north central wisconsin when our barn burned down right before christmas and our animals, 3 cows and a horse, had to live in the fields the rest of the winter. They did just fine. I would like to point out however that in a land of eternal winter the villages would not have hardly any cows, it would mostly be goats. Thats what makes life so hard for the peasants and why all the towns are either along rivers, trade routes or in forests.

[Darrell Impey UK]

Trust me, they went through quite a series of ideas and handle animal checks to get them accross the bridge. :)

I'd forgotten about the domovoi helping keep the animals alive, I'll have to look into that. I am making the horses pass cold weather saves too, but at least the PCs thought to get warm "clothing" for them too.

I _may_ have bypassed they problem, as they've told Nadya about the supplies in the caves, figuring she may have a use for them, and asked if she'd leave the horses on the other side. The cleric if the party is loathe to part with his light warhorse though.