The Dark Cold

The Dark Cold was a time of extreme cold, famine, illness, and death generally considered to have occurred between Opening of R73 and approximately the end of R75* as a result of the First Flash, a volcanic-like magical "eruption" in Ra'athaen Haka'am, the insular realm to Araela'a's east. This eruption, caused by experimentation with and localized corruption of Worldfire (resulting in an energy eventually known as Hatefire), spewed clouds of vaporous "ash" (actually energetic particles of Hatefire), land debris, and unnatural fungal spores into the atmosphere. While the majority of the land debris rained down upon the Ra'athaen population, the lighter-weight Hatefire "ash" and fungal spores covered both Ra'athaen and Araela'a, creating three 'Risings of full darkness.

First Thunder R73

Though the air cleared visibly over the next few et'Rise, large volumes of Hatefire lingered high in the atmosphere until the combined effort of the Haka'am's khurandrae'em and mages, augmented as much as possible** by the Twinned Guardians, were able to completely dispel it. This took several 'Rounds. In the meantime temperatures declined steadily from early Opening of R73. Recognizing that declines in temperature even as aal'khen approached heralded a potentially bitter vhe'jhet and jhe'nox, Ghelbrana, King of Araela'a Haka'am, sent messengers throughout the Haka'am recommending the population to make their way to their nearest Khurnae or Garrison as soon as harvests were brought in should storms and snow come early.

Warming R73

Following heavy and unseasonal storms and continuing declines in temperature, the King ordered the Rhejhen to perform an inventory of all supplies in government coffers and, wherever possible an assessment of disaster readiness throughout their communities. She reinforced the recommendation to seek the closest Khurnae or Garrison, advising that those not critical to the harvest and transportation of said harvest and herds to shelter should go immediately with only what was absolutely necessary to jhe'nox survival. King Ghelbrana also decreed that all Khurnae'em and Garrisons should open their doors to as many who sought shelter with them as could be accommodated. The King herself opened the entire Keep with the exception of a portion of the barracks and the suites of the Royal Family to any seeking shelter, including any small livestock that could be accommodated in the outbuildings or indoor areeas set aside for them.

Harvests

The combined talents of those with land-sense and hedgewitchery skills were able to some extent to preserve aal'khen and early vhe'jhet harvests in the warmest or most sheltered areas of the Haka'am but the majority of crops normally harvested after Night Spirits could not be saved. Even the jhe'nox cold-crops in the Fyvontian and Pocket Mountains suffered or failed completely. Used to supplementing canned and other preserved supplies with the cold-crop harvests, many did not have enough stored goods to see them through a normal jhe'nox, much less the coldest one on record.

Snowfall

When, even before the end of Night Spirits, snow fell in Strong Tides, which rarely sees snow at all, the recommendation to seek shelter in Khurnae'em and Garrisons became a Royal command. Squads of ne'Guarda were dispatched to their local Khurnae'em to assist in gathering haka'a'manem in and keeping order. Garrisons were given standing orders to attempt rescue of those who might be unable to seek shelter, even if it meant reducing the number of ne'Guarda regularly on duty. The decree was accompanied by what additional supplies and equipment could be reasonably spared and feasibly transferred through magical means from the Keep's own stores. Mages in the Capitol placed warming charms upon the Keep's outbuildings which could be activated if it grew even colder in order to preserve the lives of the animals housed in them.

Jhe'nox R74

King Ghelbrana's foresightful preparations were nevertheless wholly insufficient to a jhe'nox considerably colder than any the Haka'am had ever experienced. Due at least in part to the presence of Hatefire in the atmosphere, it was a cold both physical and spiritual. A time of depression and despair. In communities that refused to leave their homes until it was far to late many simply walked out into the snow and vanished. Though ne'Guarda sent out patrols to more isolated villages in the hopes of saving more, it quickly became too cold for even the best equipped to spend more than a few minutes out of doors. On the brighter side, however, it was discovered that the Garrisons, the Keep itself, and the King's Stables (later referred to as the Quiet Stables) possessed innate warming properties that maintained them at a temperature which, while not exactly comfortable, was sufficient to preserve all but the weakest of constitution. Heated rooms for the youngest, the oldest and the sick were established in all refuge buildings, but they never seemed capacious enough. Separate warming rooms were also maintained where space allowed so everyone else could rotate through periodically. If use of the warming rooms became contentious, schedules were created by local administrators and enforced by ne'Guarda. Though initially rather complicated to set up, it was recognized by all that the living arrangements could be longer term than anyone would prefer.

Illness

At the time of the First Flash, haka'a'manem throughout Araela'a and Ra'athaen inevitably breathed in varying amounts of the fungal spores mixed in with the Hatefire ash. Once temperatures dropped sufficiently, the spores activated, igniting an outbreak of what came to be known as The Cold Death. Weakened by hunger, unaccustomed temperatures and other cold weather ailments, hundreds of Araela'ans died of the fungal pneumonia. The only saving grace was that the Cold Death was not contagious.

Balancing R74

The arrival of ae'vhes tempered (a very relative term) the cold slightly and shuryth and other hedgewitches were able to coax the premature and barely-sufficient growth of crops in the Miller's Bounty Region which had always been one of the most fertile in the Haka'am. Shuryth and hedgewitches who had taken shelter in or near areas where cold-crops were normally grown actually had greater success at initiating an almost bountiful off-season harvest of cold-crops. With the calming of jhe'nox storms and moderate warming of temperatures, fisher'a'manem accustomed to the often severe conditions of the deep ocean were able to return to their trade, bringing in the biggest hauls they could, distributing as much fresh caught as would reasonably keep--even into Keeplands and Fyvonts--then drying, salting or pickling the rest against another tragically cold jhe'nox. Any forage that could be found was collected to be communally distributed as needed. Hunting parties were sent out to acquire game, but returned empty handed more often than not.

Warming R74

Ironically temperatures began to decline again during the Circle of Warming R74, though they had never really climbed higher than the average temperatures experienced in jhe'nox at any point since the initial decline in R73.

Jhe'nox R75

Though better prepared, better provisioned and accustomed to the necessarily close quarters the jhe'nox of R75 was only marginally better than the previous one. More haka'a'manem were lost, though not nearly as many as the first 'Round. Plunging temperatures during Bitter Cold ignited another outbreak of the Cold Death among those with more poorly insulated shelter, those who had run out of fuel to maintain warmth, or those who spent more than the briefest of moments outside.

Ae'vhes & Aal'khen R74

Though hardly what could be called traditionally normal, ae'vhes and aal'khen of R74 were sufficiently warmer to spark the hope of a less severe jhe'nox in the next 'Round. Crops were still in need of what magical help could be provided, but held the promise of sufficient, if not bountiful yields.

Night Spirits R74 And On

The promise of sufficient yields was mostly fulfilled in the early harvest and carried through to the late harvest. Jhe'nox saw a deeper drop than vhe'jhet, but nowhere near the extremes of the previous two 'Rounds. There was no third outbreak of the Cold Death. Though most remained sheltered through the jhe'nox of R75, the arrival of ae'vhes saw most haka'a'manem heading once more for their homes. Confused by the earlier shift in their growing season, the cold-crops were not what anyone would have wished in R75 or R76, but by R77 they seemed to have bounced back to more normal levels. Un-seasonably low temperatures persisted over the next four 'Rounds, though each of those 'Rounds moved closer to normal. By R81 the nearing of jhe'nox no longer brought a sense of panic, but those who had survived the Dark Cold were never as complacent about jhe'nox stores as they once had been, nor were the generations that came after.

* Technically, the Dark Cold would not truly be considered 'over' until R81 when the final particles of Hatefire ash were dispelled and temperatures finally returned to normal ranges.

Established Rhejhe in R73

• The Keep & Surrounds
• Keeplands
• Crumbling Bay
• Strong Tides
• Five Garrisons

NOTE: Five Garrisons, whose primary function at the time was to secure the eastern border against incursions from beyond the pre-existing border wall, eventually became known as Fyvonts. Once the area became more settled and a political capitol was established, focus of the Rhejhe shifted away from its military origins (though the garrisons remained fully maintained and their importance acknowledged). To mark this change of focus, the Rhejhe was renamed Five Fonts, which eventually contracted to Fyvonts.

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane

**Prior to the advent of VisionWalkers, who became their avatars among the Araela'an haka'a'manem, the Twinned Guardians were limited in their ability to directly apply their powers in the Haka'am and, until the First Flash created The Dark Cold, had taken a relatively hands-off approach to their stewardship of Araela'a.