Insulation

John Swanson 

The hall was as long as it was wide and had been insulated by reams of hay banked up, creating an inner wall, from which the animals would feed from constantly.

Brother Pious invented this system and it worked well - the blocks of dry weed seemed to hold a warmth of their own, however in the years to follow one wall generated so much heat it caused a fire to ignite, and their communal hut burnt to the ground.

The pets were many and varied, pacified by Francis whose very presence calmed them to quiet. He would often rise early for Matins - seeking out the furtherest nub of the hill, and the creatures then would stir, with a moan and a squeak, beginning their pre-dawn medley.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, AZLANDER: NEVER ENDINGS: Second Chances