The Stone Winter

In Theros’s earliest days, the people vociferously honored Heliod, Nylea, and Thassa for the comforts of nature. Gradually, Purphoros grew bitter that mortals never acknowledged his flames, which kept the earth warm and fertile. So, Purphoros quenched the world’s core. For a year, a lifeless winter gripped the world, with neither the sun nor the seasons warming the corpse-chill earth. Ultimately, it was the mortal engineer Chersio who brought about the winter’s end. Instead of cursing the situation, Chersio sought a solution, creating a hypocaust system to bring warmth to her community. Delighted with the innovation, Purphoros waited until Chersio completed and lit her substructure furnace. When she did, the god returned warmth to the entire world. Today, an autumnal festival called the Kindling or the Forge-Lighting (the Chalcanapsion) lends its name to the seventh month in the Meletian calendar. During this festival, worshipers keep a bonfire burning from sundown to sunrise, acknowledging that Purphoros warms the earth and makes the harvest possible.