Population

The steading's Population reflects the number of able bodies living there, relative to its Size.

Population starts play at +0, and can range from -1 to +3.

When Population is -1, buildings stand empty and key jobs go undone. Labor and free time are in short supply.

As Population rises above +0, quarters become more cramped and folks start living in makeshift homes. Some folks sit idle, looking for meaningful work.

Population can go down when:

• The steading Meets with Disaster (page 532)
• The steading runs out of Surplus in winter (see Seasonal gains).
• Fictional events dictate that they do (for example, if a plague kills a few dozen folks).

Population can go up as the result of a seasonal gain, or to reflect fictional events (like refugees settling in the village).

Players roll +Population to Muster (page 534) or Pull Together. But the steading also consumes extra Surplus each winter based on its Population.