Welcome to Frostfall!

The morning before departure, Marron stood at the edge of Whetvale. Her apron was folded neatly over one shoulder and her hands were currently full: a scroll of train routes in one hand and a frosty blueberry pastry in the other.

She looked at Mokko, who was busy adjusting the cart harness. He gave it one last tug before letting out a satisfied grunt.

"Hm? What's up, Marron?"

"Hey, Mokko... What should I expect in Frostfall?"

The big bear paused, one paw resting on a crate. He squinted at the pale-blue horizon, then let out a snort.

"Cold. And not the fun kind. It gets in your bones. Better make that tofu recipe Balen shared with you before we go—Mapo-style, remember? That'll warm your guts for hours."

Marron nodded slowly. "Tofu... check. Spicy heat bomb... check."

Mokko scratched behind his ear. "Also... you're a local winner now. Folks in town might want to help. Warm clothes, travel tips. Don't be too proud to accept it."

Marron smiled. "Think they'll give you anything?"

The bear grunted. "I'm a bear. What would I need that I don't already have?"

+

Two hours later, Marron left Whetvale bundled in a thick plum-colored coat with brass embroidery, a matching hat with earflaps, and hand-knit gloves from Kyoko, the family who owned the orchard.

Mokko, meanwhile, stood in front of the cart, his expression unreadable as three elderly seamstresses from Whetvale wrapped a fur-lined cloak around his massive shoulders and looped a plaid scarf around his neck.

"You'll catch a cold otherwise," one scolded, patting his paw.

"We added reinforced pockets," another whispered. "For your seasoning jars."

Lucy bounced nearby in a tiny bubble-lined travel pouch, proudly wearing a miniature cowl with a snowflake stitched in.

Mokko looked down at Marron. "Don't say anything."

She grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it."

+

The moment Marron stepped onto the icy cobblestone of Frostfall's East Gate District, she felt it in her chest—the air here wasn't just cold.

It felt like Frostfall was expecting her, and the city couldn't wait to see what she did next.

Snow dusted the rooftops, mist curled from enchanted chimneys, and every breath fogged the air in swirls. Magic infused even the frost. She saw it shimmer faintly between the market stalls as if the ice itself were listening.

Comfort & Crunch clicked into place beside a steaming vendor lane, connected to the Frostfall merchant grid by enchanted cables. The cart chimed with soft recognition.

[Cart Synced: Frostfall Region Registry Enabled]

[Current Status: 1-Star Fame Chef | Local Recognition Active]

"Alright," Marron whispered, tugging her scarf tighter. "Time to get to work."

Mokko stretched beside her, the frost crackling softly beneath his paws. "Keep your menu small today. New region, new mouths. Let's see who bites."

+

As Marron continued setting up her cart and scoping out the competition, she noticed clusters of cloaked figures passing through the vendor streets. Many of them wore gear reinforced with enchanted fur and armor stitched with cooling runes turned inside-out.

Dungeon adventurers.

She'd heard of them, of course—but in Frostfall, they were everywhere.

A pair of hunters walked by with steaming barrels of enchanted coal strapped to a sled. Another group passed with glowing fungus, frost carrots, and what looked like salt-glass shards slung in leather pouches.

"Almost everyone we've seen has a connection to heat-gathering or dungeon foraging, so far."

Mokko grunted as he handed her a storage list. "Frostfall runs cold because they rely on dungeons for more than monsters. They mine for warmth. Fire shards, lava-root, enchanted coal… all of it comes from the deep. That's why the guild is so strict. No good heat, no city."

Marron watched as a child waved at one of the adventurers and got handed a mini briquette that glowed faintly.

A whole town relying on flavor, heat, and the kindness of cooks.

She tightened her scarf.

"I'm going to cook something that gives warmth too."

+

Before Marron could prep her chalkboard menu, a voice called out: "Hey! Food stall girl."

She turned to see a stout man in a wool cloak dusted with flour, spice pouches strapped across his chest like bandoliers.

He pointed a ladle at her. "You're the one from Whetvale, yeah? Marron Louvel? With the duck fries and the teacup pudding?"

Mokko tensed, but Marron stepped forward. "That's me."

The man grunted. "Name's Rauk Hallowmere. Regional guild officer. I knew a chef who used to cook with a big bear just like him. Long mint-colored hair."

Mokko blinked. "Mint. Haven't heard that name in a long time."

Marron's thoughts started to race. If I'm not the second chef he's teamed up with, I wonder how many people owned this cart.

She couldn't wait to ask Mokko about it later. No wonder he knows so much about different ingredients.

Rauk's expression softened for just a second, but then he fixed Marron with a challenging look.

"Just because you got permission to travel here doesn't mean you can enter town. We gotta be careful with the dungeons around here--who knows how many monsters kill our adventurers and steal their travel passes, yeah?"

Marron nodded. "That's understandable...but they can use travel passes?"

Rauk nodded. "Smarter ones can, and then they bring others with them. So we don't open the city gates for strangers. Guild officers like me will give you a test, or we challenge you to a cook-off. Win, and you can enter town." 

"Is it like this everywhere in Savoria?"

Rauk scratched his beard. "If the city doesn't have guild officers, go to the merchant's hall. Food carts are under their jurisdiction."

Marron raised her brows. "So what's my challenge?"

A system ping answered her.

[Pop-Up Quest: Pantry Proving Test]

[Objective: Craft one satisfying dish using only ingredients found within 20 meters of your cart.

Time Limit: 30 minutes.

Reward: Regional Pantry – Daily Restock Tier I

Bonus: Local Reputation +10]

A daily restock I don't have to go into town for? Sounds really useful.

Marron grinned. "You're on."

She rushed through the snow-crusted stalls, hands numbing slightly as she bartered and traded. A frostfruit vendor gave her a discount.

A mushroom hunter donated a handful of snowvine caps.

And a familiar farmer from Whetvale, passing through, pressed a warm egg into her hands. "For luck."

Back at the cart, she worked fast:

Cold-smoked trout sliced fine

Sautéed frostfruit and greens

Poached egg with snowvine sauce

Toasted spicebread crumbled on top

Dish Name: Snow-Warmed Market Hash

It came together like instinct. Like the air had whispered the recipe into her ear.

Rauk took one bite, paused—then nodded. "Tastes like home after frost patrol. You pass."

[Culinary Guild Permit Updated: Frostfall Entry Permitted]

[Cart Upgrade: Regional Pantry Tier I Unlocked]

[Effect: If 200 Coins Earned Daily, Random Pantry Ingredients Replenish at Dawn. If not met, ingredients must be sourced manually.]

"Welcome to Frostfall, Chef. Don't get soft."

+

Later that day, Marron opened the new pantry interface with growing curiosity—and a spark of worry. A randomized daily stock sounded great… unless it was filled with ingredients she didn't know how to use.

[Today's Pantry Pull:]

Snowroot (Mild bitterness, used for tea or pickling)

Glacier Squash (Savory, starchy, high mana retention)

Spiced Charred Beans (from under-furnace vents)

Coalcrisp Apples (Tart. Black-skinned. Used in savory stews)

She blinked. "I've never cooked with any of these…"

"Local fare," Mokko rumbled, peering over her shoulder. "Part of learning Frostfall is learning to listen to what the land gives you. It's not always friendly. But it's always honest."

Marron wrote notes in her recipe journal. "Looks like I've got homework. If this pantry is going to change daily, I can't just rely on what I know."

She looked up at the flickering lights of Frostfall. Steam curled above distant rooftops. Somewhere out there were cold fingers and colder bellies.

Time to figure out what warms them up.