*** Snowkeep - Central Plaza ***
The morning broke cold and white over Snowkeep. Frost still clung to the rooftops, the air sharp enough to sting one's breath.
Usually, mornings in the capital were quiet, only the clatter of carts, the low murmur of markets, and the steady march of the city guards.
But today, the streets were loud.
Hundreds of people crowded the main plaza, forming lines that snaked between the frozen fountains and the old stone steps. Scribes stood behind makeshift tables, their ink freezing faster than they could write.
Soldiers barked orders, struggling to keep the lines from collapsing.
"Next! State your name, household count, and trade!"
A grizzled old man muttered, "Census, huh? Haven't had one since the famine."
"Because last time half the scribes froze before finishing," another replied bitterly.
