awashrpg | #C7131D - winter preparation guide

[ color and with apologies for the length i'm so sorry about sebastian ]

All,

Before I get to the matter at hand, please allow me to introduce myself if I have not yet met your acquaintance. I am Sebastian Michaelis, the head butler of the Phantomhive household, though from my conversations thus far, I do expect that this may not mean anything.

Regardless, as the season seems to be autumn, I have some inquiries and matters to bring up with regards to winter. After speaking with Mr. Arisato, I was given the impression that this may not be being prepared for. So first, if you are making preparations for the upcoming season, please let me know. This brings us to the main reason that I am reaching out.

From my understanding, no residents have experienced the winters here, and so I would believe it to be of critical importance that we over-prepare with the idea that the winters may be quite harsh. It is better to assume the worst and have extra rather than the opposite, after all. As such, here is a list of the most important tasks that should be undertaken to ensure a survivable, if not comfortable winter:

Firewood - Wood should be collected and cut for firewood at a steadier rate than current. While it is not impossible to collect firewood during the winter, if there is a snowfall, it is much more difficult and could not be used immediately. I am used to preparations for a manor, so my estimation may be off, but I expect that for a particularly harsh winter, the houses here should expect to keep between nine and eleven cords of firewood. Storage for keeping the wood dry should also be built if you do not wish to or do not have room to keep your stockpile indoors.
Chimneys - Similarly, all chimneys (should your home have one) need to be cleaned in preparation for increased use. If you do not know how to clean a chimney, I offer my skills for this, since it is not a straightforward task.
Winter Clothing / Blankets - The clothing that can be found in the town may not be glamorous, but it is a good start for clothing more suited for the cold season. As you are running errands, pick up the clothing you find, since simply layering clothing is the best option to beat the chill. If you truly despise it, keep the fabric and begin making blankets, or donate it to someone who has the skill to do so. Similarly, for those of you hunting, please take care when skinning your animals to keep the fur as solid as possible. This fur can be used to line existing clothing, or larger pelts can be combined to make quite comfortable blankets once it has been treated.
Garden Preparation - While there are some crops that can be grown in the winter, they will not be as simple to undertake, especially in the case of snow. As the garden seems to be staffed by quite competent individuals, I will not delve into this topic too much unless requested, but I bring it up as a reminder, should it be needed.
Food Preparation - And most importantly, a portion of the food being currently harvested needs to be preserved. There are many methods with which to preserve both crops and meat alike, but the methods to best preserve each are dependent on the type of food it is. For example, some crops are best dried, while others should be pickled. If you would like my recommendations for a particular item, I will be happy to provide it.
General Maintenance - If your house is in a rather dilapidated state, now is the time to make any repairs you may need. The less sealed the house is, the more cold will seep in. It is especially important that you try and repair your roof if it is in poor shape, since it will help the most in keeping your home warm.

I personally have begun with these tasks, so if you would like instruction or simply company for them, either would be my pleasure.

And finally, as a general offer, if you are ever in need of assistance, do not hesitate to reach out. The nature of my profession has left me with a great many skills, and so I would imagine that I would be able to help with a great many tasks.

Thank you,
Sebastian Michaelis

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Absolutely. You will find me at the forest's edge (though as away from the town as possible so I do not disturb anyone that is still sleeping) at sunrise. As for the recipes, here are both of the ones I have used in the past:

PICKLED FISH
Using freshly caught and cleaned fish, soak the fish in a weak brine for one hour. Drain the fish, then set it in a strong brine for twelve hours in a cool place. Rinse the fish, then cut into smaller pieces.

Take the following and bring to a boil: 1/4 ounce bay leaves, 2 tablespoons allspice, 2 tablespoons mustard seed, 1 tablespoon cloves (whole), 1 tablespoon ground pepper, 1/2 pound onions, 2 quarts vinegar, five cups water.

Add fish and simmer until tender (approximately ten minutes). Remove fish and lay the pieces flat, then chill. Once the fish is cold, pack the fish into clean jars and add spices as you wish (I recommend bay leaf, fresh onions, and lemon if possible). Strain the vinegar solution and bring to a boil. Pour the solution into the jars until covered, then seal tightly as with any other pickling process.

SMOKED FISH
Using freshly caught and cleaned fish, set the fish in a strong brine for twelve hours in a cool place. Prepare a very strong brine with cold water, then set the brined fish in this for fifteen minutes. Then smoke the fish quite thoroughly for thirty minutes.

Do note, both of these necessitate that they at least be kept cool. If you do not have an icebox, there are quite simplistic but effective forms of cooling that should keep them from spoiling.

You're quite through! That said, we do not have most of the ingredients for pickled fish in Chroma at the moment. I'll have to go with the smoked fish.

There is a house of ice near the well. That should work well enough.

That was my impression as well. It is perhaps the most effective way to preserve food, hence my suggestion, as I had hoped that perhaps there were ingredients I simply had not found.

But at least in the case of fish, they are not quite as necessary to preserve, assuming that the stock we have stays. I have heard of ice fishing, though it does sound quite miserable to me.

It seems like what's in the garden is what the town has as a whole. I haven't seen lemons yet.

I assume ice fishing will bring in larger fish. Salmon and the like? I've never done it myself, but I wouldn't be against trying something new.

No, I would imagine not... At least in my experience so far, the climate does not suit them well. Still, at least that is for flavor more than anything else.

I suppose? It is admittedly something I know very little about, save for how to cut through the ice... England does not get so cold as to require it, so it is a curiosity from a far off land.

Hades is suspended above magma. I don't have much of a chance to go ice fishing. There's no sea and ice simply wouldn't last in that climate.

Hades? Pardon me if this is an odd question, but do you mean Hell, by any chance? The image of magma certainly evokes it.

[ He definitely doesn't know that this is someone he's talked to before, but. He'd probably answer the same way regardless... ]

It's the lowest level of the Netherworld. Humans do tend to call it Hell and the Underworld whenever I reference my home.

[Val is too stubborn to lie about anything, so here he is.]

My goodness... Again, forgive the possibly ignorant question, but would that make you a demon or some other sort of fiend?

[ It's the most polite way to ask the question, but really, it's more loaded than that. Despite being one himself, there's no one he trusts less than a fellow demon... ]

I'm a demon vampire, that's correct.

[ He won't even bother with being suspicious back. Besides, he's told a decent amount of people exactly what he is. ]

[ this is the worst thing he's ever read ]

Both, truly? I do not believe that I have ever heard of a combination of the two... I imagined that they were somewhat synonymous.

They're not exactly the same thing. Where I'm from all vampires are demons, but not all demons are vampires. My steward is a werewolf, for example.

I see. My, then I take it the many tales I have read of demons and their ilk are not exactly accurate? I would have guessed they were quite distinct beings.

It may depend on where you, specifically, are from.
Where I'm from a vampire is simply a subset of demons.

It is certainly nothing like stories. Why, to even be speaking with a vampire or demon is quite the surprise! They tend to be purely subjects of legends and stories.

Out of curiosity, how do you find that these compare to the reality?

Most of them are wrong. I'm not repelled by something as ubiquitous as sunlight. Stakes aren't that threatening either.

I can turn into bats and most vampires do drink human blood.

[ Well, that's little surprise, at least. He's definitely just asking to ask, since it's the same for him, at least so far as the weakness go. But he is curious: ]

Do you?

Drink human blood? No, but I used to. I made a promise and I haven't fully fulfilled it yet.

Is it not necessary? I thought it was the equivalent of food for vampires.

I do need blood. It just doesn't have to be human. At the moment, it can't be human.

#C7131D - winter preparation guide

i'm so sorry 😬

oh my god

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