Flow storms

Flow storms were the magical equivalent of hurricanes in the Shadow World setting, the result of severe imbalances in the flows of essence. These were caused by backlashes of excessive power, including collapsing portals and celestial alignments. Though there could be idiosyncratic, strange effects unique to any given storm, they typically had severe winds and elemental disturbances. They would often cause random portals to form in uncontrolled fashion, whether unstable voids or shimmering tears in the fabric of reality. If they were to anchor on a powerful source of energy, they had the potential to swell up to great sizes, potentially becoming permanent rather than dissipating over weeks or months.

In the Elanthia setting the analogous concept is called a "mana storm", though it has not been as explicitly defined. The storm over Darkstone Castle was originally a "flow storm" in the I.C.E. Age of GemStone III, but continues to exist as a "mana storm" to the present day. There have been various examples of magical storms in the history of Elanthia, such as the constant storming and erratic magical effects or total failure of magic that occurs in the Wizardwaste.

Flow Storms

Warning: This page concerns archaic world setting information from the I.C.E. Age of GemStone III. It is not canon in contemporary GemStone IV, nor is it canonical for Shadow World as the details may be specific to GemStone III. It is only historical context for certain very old parts of the game and these things should not be mixed.

Flow storms in the Shadow World setting had a significant amount of definition in the source books. They were caused whenever there was a large disruption in the Essaence. This could occur from solar flares and celestial alignments, such as the lunar conjunctions, or if a mage lost control of a great deal of power or attempted to tap into a strong flow of essence (both of which occur in the same spot over Melgorehn's Reach.) They could also be triggered by natural phenomena, such as a strong enough thunderstorm. They were extremely dangerous for anyone attuned to the essence. They were even dangerous to deities. There was an archaic story of Cay and Z'tarr, the gods we call Kai and V'tull, being blasted apart by a flow storm during the Wars of Dominion.

Due to the instability of the flows of essence, magic would become unreliable at best. The effects of a spell would be greatly reduced or severely amplified, or misfire, or result in a completely different spell entirely. The availability of mana may fluctuate wildly. It is possible for spells to be ripped off or dispelled, as well, which is an effect that still happens under the lingering storm over Darkstone Castle. When flow storms traveled below ground or through mountains, they were also known to cause earthquakes and volcanic upheaval. Whatever rifts or tears in the veil resulting from a storm had the potential of allowing extra-planar entities to have access to the world.

Effects

Flow storms typically took the form of whirlwinds, ranging in diameter from 100 feet to 10 miles. Small flow storms would dissipate and end within a few minutes. This was the original premise of the Sorcerer spell Energy Maelstrom (710), which had the term "flow storm" in its spell description. Flow storms could become much larger, hundreds of miles across, or very rarely engulf the whole world. These could last for months, or even become permanent, if they anchored on a major focus. Their effects were described in the Tomes of Kulthea and Shadow World Master Atlas 1st Edition (1989), but were later expanded in the Master Atlas 2nd Edition (1992).

Minor flow disturbances and flow squalls do not form whirlwinds or tremors, but squalls may have essaence bolts which are like lightning. Large squalls have a small chance of causing a rift. Flow storms range from minor, to serious, major, and cataclysmic. The odds of effects increase with the storm power, which correlates with diameter and duration. The following is a brief summary of the more specific information, adapted from Shadow Master Atlas 2nd Edition:

• Essaence Discharges: There is a build-up of magical energy and electrical charge, which creates a tingling sensation and ozone smell. Discharges take the form of explosions of colored light. Small ones are called microbursts, which give extra power (mana) to spell casters. Large ones are essaence bolts, resembling multi-forked, multi-colored lightning. These give electricity critical damage, but give power to essence and hybrid casters, and take away all power from other spell casters.

• Essaence Draining: Flow storms severely drain the surrounding flows of essence and foci, which causes a great reduction in power point (mana) renewal for essence (elemental) and hybrid realm spellcasters, up to weeks or months after the storm.

• Rifting: Dimensional rifts are temporary portals to other planes of existence that happen in several forms. Black holes (similar to the Sorcerer Implosion (720) spell) may form, 10 to 50 feet in diameter, which can be closed (dispelled) by spell casters. These close on their own within minutes or an hour. Larger storm rifts take the form of curtains of light, hundreds or thousands of feet high, leaving behind a debris trail of otherworldly creatures and sweeping things in their path into other realities. These last for hours or longer. They may also take the form of instant flash effects, relocating essence sensitive beings and objects within up to 100 feet.

• Spell Failures: There is up to a 50% chance of failure for any spell cast, or even worse for teleportation spells, as well as for every minute of a continuous spell. There is a 50% chance of magic items not working, and a 5% chance per minute chance of setting off randomly.

• Whirlwinds: These are tornado-like effects that spontaneously form and inflict impact criticals on everyone within some radius between 10 and 100 feet.

• Vulcanism: Planes of essence energy cutting into the earth set off tremors and in some places volcanic reactions. It is somewhat rare for flow storms to cause strong earthquakes.

Examples of Flow Storms

The following are excerpts that illustrate some of the properties of flow storms as they originally existed in GemStone III.

Darkstone Castle

The lingering "mana storm" over Darkstone Castle originates in a late I.C.E. Age story involving Estrion and Siarl attempting to take over the world with an artificial flow storm. This involved using a machine with the aid of what are now called kiramon. The precise details are a bit fuzzy now. Estrion was a follower of the dark god that is called Sheru in the modern setting, and they are said to have attempted to open a portal to what is now called Lornon. In the archaic setting the dark gods were restricted in their ability to be physically present in the world for long periods of time without such a portal with perpetual upkeep. The perpetual storm resulted from a backlash in their bungled attempts.

These storm effects exhibit some of the classic "greater essence focus" symptoms, and are plainly adapted from the Shadow World "flow storm" documentation, including microbursts and essaence bolts and rifting. The flow storm over the castle originally caused physical damage to characters. It would play chaos with magic by cloning the spell casting system, separately in each room, causing the wrong spells to be cast. But this feature was removed decades ago.

Outside

The exterior of the castle displays essaence bolts and microbursting. There are also haunting effects in the form of auditory and visual hallucinations.

Dark flames arc toward the ground, their frightening, reddish-gold glow throbbing with unspeakable power!

All around you, the sound of bells pealing wildly assaults the quiet.

The ground undulates beneath your feet for several seconds.

Horrified screams suddenly pierce the air, as every soul ever claimed by the demonic seems to rip the very fabric of your sanity with their agony.

High above the old castle, a gaunt figure appears, extending his long arms toward the skies in a gesture of summoning.

The clouds overhead converge, and the strange spirit is engulfed in flame, leaving no trace but insane cackling that lingers for several moments afterward.

Deep rumblings vibrate through the ground beneath you, as the whole world nears apocalypse... or so it seems.

A bolt of pure red light suddenly arcs down from the sky to bathe everyone and everything in an evil, bloody glow.

The air around you flashes with an intense, pale blue light!

For an instant, the whole world seems blanketed in darkness as the clouds thicken and swirl outward, like some malignant tumor eating away at the light.

Leaves, pebbles, and bits of soil pelt your forehead as a hot whirlwind pops up nearby! 

Thundering blasts of heat explode all around you!

Bolts of lightning from the everpresent cloud overhead streak downward, lacing the air with delicate webs of energy.

Suddenly there is a faint tingling sensation that seems to course through your body, you feel as if the energy surrounding you is weakening slightly.
The [defensive spell] fades from around you.

Bilious green fingers of energy streak toward the ground!

The scent of ozone rains down from the sky in a thick wave of darkness that stings your eyes and leaves you gasping for breath.

Inside

There are more microburst and essaence bolt effects inside the castle. The bolts do not hit player characters, at least in contemporary game mechanics.

Suddenly, the temperature drops dramatically, and the walls in the old castle vibrate with the sounds of bells pealing, whistles screeching, and drums pounding violently, relentlessly.

The noise ends abruptly.

Pale blue mists seep through the walls, settling like a malodorous cloak onto your clothes and skin.

Hideous black flames leap down toward you from the ceiling, then dissipate, leaving no remnant but the foul stench of singed flesh.

A brilliant bolt of pure energy flashes across the ceiling!

Cold, clammy fingers of darkness reach out to caress the hair at the back of your neck, sending small shockwaves through your skull.

Searing, pale blue light illuminates every corner of the room for an instant, then, just as suddenly, flickers into utter darkness for several seconds before all returns to normal.  Or does it?

Barely muffled blasts of thunder from somewhere above the castle rock every stone, every brick, every nerve in the beleagured old fortress.

Deep rumblings, like the moans of a thousand tortured souls, lurch through the room and beyond, echoing through the old castle before fading into a dull, insistent hum.

Coppery tasting bile rises in the back of your throat, as a wave of intense vibrations courses through the room.

Tiny pinpoints of light burst just over your head!

A wave of nausea nearly overtakes you, as the distinctive scent of ozone permeates the air.

Shadows around you fragment and leap toward the ceiling then explode in a flash of energy that leaves you with a queasy stomach and cold sweat covering your forehead.

A sudden chill races down your spine as you notice the floor pulsate beneath you for a brief moment.

Chaotic flares of multicolored light rise up from the floors and skitter along the ceiling.

The walls and floors creak under some gigantic weight as a loud, shrill whistle nearby causes you to hold your head in agony.

Other

The castle has some dimensional rifting phenomena, which may or may not be responsible for the sounds. But it is clearly responsible for the otherworldly visions.

There is a great booming sound as of a bronze bell being struck by giants. Far beneath your feet it resounds in the earth. Again and again its metallic tongue cries out so that even the gods must hear it on distant Orhan. The din rattles your mind and numbs your senses and threatens to overwhelm your reason. Slowly the sound fades away leaving an echo in your mind to make you wonder if you still hear it or merely the memory of it.

Echoing in the distance is the voice of a frightened child crying endlessly, alone and terrified. The sound comes from all directions and has no source you can locate. Finally, it dies away and is no more than a bad memory nagging at your mind.

Your sight dims and a new image replaces the room you were in. An ominous black plane of broken and cracked rock stretches out forever under a sky filled with stars in patterns unknown to mortal lands. Endless rows of gravestones stand at crazy angles in uneven ranks across this landscape. There comes the sound of the earth rumbling and stones cracking and falling and, as you watch dumbstruck with horror, the graves begin to open and vomit out streams of zombies onto the cruel plains of death. The vision fades swiftly but the scene haunts you for hours.

Mana Storms

In the modern history of Elanthia there are still "mana storms", though they tend to be less immediately dangerous than flow storms. These often feature random rifting of adventurers to other locations, mass dispels, spikes and sudden drops of mana, bleed through of otherworldly phenomena, spawning portals to other places, and invasions of extra-planar entities. There have even been overtly violent weather effects such as all of the mana in an area suddenly bursting into flames. The intense weather sometimes generated by the storms can spawn elementals, and Melgorehn's Reach once notably set the town on fire.

Mana storms will generally be anchored on some source of power or great disturbance. Magister Remuliad Calreulius has said: "Every mana storm I've encountered or studied has been anchored to great power, and often beyond what we believe to comprehend."

Examples of Mana Storms

• Darkstone Castle (presumably anchored by unstable portal in Great Hall, originally made by Estrion's flow storm machine)
• Obsidian Tower (anchored by crystal sphere, using Estrion's Staff)
• Drake's Shrine (anchored by Eye of the Drake, no longer present)
• Wizardwaste (presumably anchored by the Crater, perpetual mana storming)
• Talon Isle (anchored by glass orb on artificial altar of Charl)
• Melgorehn's Reach (Althedeus incident, Ithzir incident, Bleaklands incidents; celestial alignment, portal/temporal/planar in nature)
• Felstorms (Teras Isle; Maelstrom Bay incident involving Luukos)
• Celestial Alignments (Melgorehn's Reach; The Red Forest)
• Planar Intersections (DragonRealms phenomenon; The Confluence; Melgorehn's Reach)
• Energy Maelstrom (Spell 710)

Background Effects

The following are excerpts that illustrate some of the properties of mana storms as they have existed in GemStone IV.

Breath of Luukos

The "Felstorm" called the "breath of Luukos" was an unending "unnatural tempest" anchored off Teras Isle, which has souls trapped within it. Another Felstorm was formed separately and expanded toward River's Rest in 5112 Modern Era. Luukosians used it to rain foul creatures and abominations from the sky. It was frozen in place with an artifact called the Heart of Jaston, which resembled a Chronomage orb. Adventurers went into the storm and destroyed its core, which was guarded by a spectral serpentine head.

[Wind Tunnel]

The wind speaks with a passionate voice, the voice of the damned souls that have been borne here from the swirling storm off-shore.  Throughout the years the unnatural tempest has been known by many names.  Sailors call it the Felstorm, or simply "the Squall", and you remember a mendicant preacher once mumbling something about "...the breath!  The foul breath of Luukos..."

Obvious exits: east, west

[Dark Palisade, Fissure]

Black volcanic rocks rise abruptly from the sea forming a wall against the furious tide.  To the east, malignant clouds blot the horizon in a roiling storm front.  Several fissures split the dark rock nearby, one looks as if it is dormant.  The largest spits an almost constant geyser of boiling steam and black ash.

Obvious exits: north

Melgorehn's Reach

The extreme power nexus that resulted from the artifice of Melgorehn's Reach has caused planar vulnerabilities in a number of storylines. In the Cross Into Shadows story arc, blood was being collected by evil trees toward the end of allowing access from the Shadow Realm, which was setting the stage for Althedeus to travel into this world. In the final struggle with Althedeus there were effects that could arguably be called a mana storm, beyond the blood rain that had been happening for months prior to his defeat.

The disturbances in this case were temporal, with visions of the past. Though the time warp vision effect is a phenomenon that is perpetually present under the Reach. The following may be significantly incomplete, and took place late into 10 Lormesta of 5115 Modern Era.

Instabilities Around Town

Dark, chilling laughter echoes across the sky like a powerful thunderclap.

Stars begin to blink out of existance, overtaken by large forms approaching in the distance.

Streams of crimson bleed across the sky like jagged, dripping wounds

A flash of crimson light flares in the distance. (these effects were probably Walkar's armor)

Airships soar into view over Wehnimer's Landing, crimson lightning crackling around them as golems fall from the sky along South Ring Road!

Shadows writhe and flicker along the ground. The shrieks and moans of those long dead resound around the exterior of Wehnimer's Landing!

The air bends and shimmers, odd sounds popping and humming in the distance. Colors bleed away all around you and you feel a brief, but powerful sense of vertigo as your surroundings shift. (random teleportation effect)

A low rumble echoes through the room making your hair stand on end. A single point of light flickers to life in the center of the room moments before erupting into a massive swirling vortex! (random temporal rift effect)

Slowly, Lake Eonak shifts to black like living, writhing shadows. The stars reflected in its once smooth surface bleed away.

A shadowy, bone-chilling haze settles over Wehnimer's Landing, flashes of crimson lightning arc within it as the moan of the undead echo around you!

Shadows bleed through the night sky, suffocating the stars. Around Melgorehn's Reach, a crown of shadows slowly forms.

The stars begin to fade in the sky as it darkens, blood dripping from the air. The stars soon return, glowing fiery red like a black banner filled with a thousand glowing crimson eyes.

The shadows spread across Lake Eonak begin to bubble and twist.

The shadows of Lake Eonak begin to slowly dry up, visibly shrinking..

The shadows of Lake Eonak shrink further and further.......

The last of the shadows of Lake Eonak close up, returning the waters to normal, cutting off those who had traveled beyond.

Under Melgorehn's Reach

Temporal Instability

Colors bleed away all around you and you feel a brief, but powerful sense of vertigo as your surroundings shift.
[The Reach, Ravine's Edge]
Far above, the stone bridge is almost entirely concealed by a thick cloud of ethereal smoke that swirls along the jagged outcropping inside the ravine. Likewise, far below, tendrils of ethereal smoke coil about like ghostly ribbons, accompanied by the faint cacophony of a thousand voices. Further into the depth of the gully is almost complete and utter darkness.
Obvious paths: none

The air bends and shimmers, odd sounds popping and humming in the distance. Colors bleed away all around you and you feel a brief, but powerful sense of vertigo as your surroundings shift.
[Beneath the Reach]
Far beneath Melgorehn's Reach, a huge earthen cavern expands out, its jagged walls hugged by shadows and shaped like a giant bowl emptying out into a wide tunnel that declines sharply. The air is chilled and hums with a powerful, ever-constant energy. Throughout the darkness, lengths of ghostly white smoke twist and coil, like the moving bodies of ethereal eels. Along the ceiling of the cavern, a network of glistening black roots spreads out like webbing, steady droplets of blood falling from them.
Obvious paths: down

A ripple of heated air begins to waver in midair, emitting waves of heat throughout the area. Soon, a jagged crimson line begins to form in the center of the disturbance, extending both vertically and horizontally, the line begins to rip a tear in reality. Within moments, a blood-covered large silver eyeball emerges from the newly formed opening and when it is clear, the tear shuts rapidly behind it.

The air grows warm and ethereal lights drift through the area like ghostly white smoke. Among the pale mist, images form and shift, first depicting a vast stretch of dunes swirling with sand, a small band of black-veiled tehir moving across them, and then next to a swath of a night sky as a bright green star falls.

The air grows warm and ethereal lights drift through the area like ghostly white smoke. Among the pale mist, images form and shift, first depicting a sky filled with ancient Drakes, their fiery breaths pouring out to burn a gnarled black Ur'Daemon that floats through the air like a giant squid, and then next an Ashrim ship gently floating on the waves as fires rage on the distant land.

The air grows warm and ethereal lights drift through the area like ghostly white smoke. Among the pale mist, images form and shift, first depicting a fleet of krolvin warships maneuvering through a network of jagged icy islands, and then next a cloud of ash erupting from a huge volcano as the sky above it goes dark.

The air grows warm as a myriad of voices echo through the area. Faces and images flash across the walls in flittering moments, some full of war and ruin, others filled with places of beauty and peace.

[Beneath the Reach, Tunnel]
The tunnel declines more sharply now, curving at a dangerous angle, and the walls continually shift. Ethereal white energy coils through the air, curling up like the pale smoke of a candle. At the end of the tunnel, a nest of glistening black roots spread out like a bed of shadows, each one twisting off into the distance and disappearing into the darkness. You also see a shifting portal of silvery light. Obvious paths: up

The air grows warm and ethereal lights drift through the area like ghostly white smoke. Among the pale mist, images form and shift, first depicting a port town being lost beneath a huge watery tide, and then next a mountain filled with the clans of dwarves and giants, both races locked in a ferocious battle.

The air grows warm and ethereal lights drift through the area like ghostly white smoke. Among the pale mist, images form and shift, first depicting an ancient battle of elven armies clashing with hordes of undead, and then next a sky filled with airships and stained the color of blood.

The air grows warm and ethereal lights drift through the area like ghostly white smoke. Among the pale mist, images form and shift, first depicting a trio of Nalfein elves wading into a swarm of imperial soldiers, their swords dancing as they move about, and then next to a glowing white sword shattering into four pieces.

A whirling snowstorm approaches you from a distance. As it gets closer it becomes evident that the snowstorm is really a spirit. Tiny hailstones drop from the core of the spirit and fall to the ground in a pattern that spells out the name "Jodeco." * Jodeco just bit the dust! (note: he was somewhere else, not in the room)

The air shimmers, and for a brief moment you see: Flashing against the battered sky, crimson streaks of lightning illuminate the area briefly with a ruddy haze. The barren countenance of the landscape becomes even more so here, stretching out flat and unblemished by anything larger than the small stones found here and there. An ever-constant tremble runs through the ground underfoot, subtle but unrelenting.

The air shimmers, and for a brief moment you see....Lord Nottinghamm, Xanith, Anru, Roblar, Morgahan, Puptilian, Shimmerain, Czeska, Durakar, Hadya, Jeg, Grand Lord Raincail, Vault Guardian Fyrentennimar, Yinh, Lady Aeavenne, Cruxophim, Vohndolarr, Anyauma, Sarvia, Grand Lord Masrath, High Lady Evia, Bellaja, Rtune, Qistra, Lord Balantine, Kembal, Ta'la'hai Azimar, Eshielle, Sepher, Jaqen, Archales, Lady Lylia, Alasatia, Laelithonel. (note: glimpse of shadow plane)

The air shimmers and for a brief moment you see....In the distance sky, dark clouds form, pooling together, beads of crimson light forming with them like a host of glowing eyes. The shadows descend slowly....

High above Wehnimer's Landing a burst of fiery-orange light erupts in the sky, radiating outward and shining with intensity. The searing glow lingers in the air for a few moments before fading away. Suddenly militiamen take to the streets, rushing off in different directions as orders are shouted out amongst them.

You step into the shifting portal of silvery light and all colors fade around you, blending and blurring as you feel yourself being torn in multiple directions. Suddenly, your surroundings change.

[Shifting Cavern]
The walls of the cavern are more crystal than rock, their glass-like surfaces in a constant state of shifting, each one reflecting a myriad of images and hues. Hushed voices echo through the chamber like a dissonance of sounds, and wisps of ethereal light curl and bend in the chilled air.
Obvious paths: none

The air bends and shimmers, odd sounds popping and humming in the distance. Colors bleed away all around you and you feel a brief, but powerful sense of vertigo as your surroundings shift.

[Beneath the Reach, Nexus]
The air bends and shimmers, odd sounds popping and humming in the distance. The cavern is huge, surrounded by smooth polished rock walls that constantly shift between shades of light and dark. Descending from the tunnel above, blood drips like a steady rain, covering the entire earthen floor in a pool of crimson.
Also here: Madelyne, Elithain
Obvious paths: none

Shadows and Elithain Cross

Shadows begin to slowly seep in through shimmering pockets in the air, twisting and coiling like black ribbons.

Ribbons of shadows infuse into the air, swirling about like ink in water.

A thousand voices echo across the chamber and some of the walls go black, completely engulfed by shadows.

The ground beneath you violently shakes and rumbles causing you to fall down!

Madelyne goes to move forward, trying to lower herself to your mercy, when tendrils of shadows bleed through the air, snaking around her head, throat, torso, arms and legs. With a ear-piercing cry, Madelyne's voice echoes on the air and a pale ethereal specter, her blurry form appearing like Madelyne, rises from the urnon golem and is pulled into a shimmering pocket of air.

Madelyne grins coldly, her eyes reflecting no emotion. (golem possessed now by Elithain)

Narrow bands of shadowy energy bleed in through the walls, twisting and bending to attach to the back of Madelyne, (what was once her) back.

The urnon golem, still somewhat resembling Madelyne, stands near motionless, as shadows continue to fill the chamber around you.

A voice can be heard faintly in the distance, resembling Aralyte's at first. Her voice, alien and beautiful pierces your mind, "Ledo patan rena tilnak tenek klaloc de lenath!" (Ithzir language)

The room begins to pool with shadows, Madelyne's form begin to slowly shift. Silence suffocates the air for a moment.

The silence of the shadows is pierced by a melodic voice resonating all around you, "Leneth da roh klaneo cra heef, leneth da roh klaneo cra heef, leneth da roh klaneo cra heef."

Suddenly, a tendril of shadows snaps off of the golem's back, recoiling into oblivion.

A gnarled, demonic growl echoes through the chamber. More shadowy tendrils leap forward, grasping onto the golem.

Another tendril shatters, breaking apart.

Like a tapestry of shadows being slowly unraveled, the threads of darkness go taut, fighting, resisting, trying to pull back. A dark, cold voice rumbles across the broken and bleak realm, "You are weak... you are powerless... you are..."

A soft voice echoes, "Undone."

The shadows swirl about the chamber, some desperately grasping at the urnon golem.

Voices, many familiar to you, echo throughout the chamber of time, "Undone...."

Through the shimmering air you see....Aralyte's eyes shatter like glass, tiny shards of feystones scattering and dissolving away. The four shadowy tendrils pull tight one last time and a loud, painful, and harsh growl resounds all around you. The threads of darkness split, each one torn from the others, and each one dissolving into the distance as the demonic growl fades to silence.

Suddenly, the air grows warmer, the chill fleeting. The walls fade from black, to grey, to white, to nearly like glass. Shadow tendrils thrash around the golem...some limp, some writhing, some reaching....grasping...

The shimmering veil between the nexus and the shadows beyond thins and fades, the tendrils of shadows severed in half.

The coils of shadows try to wrap around the urnon golem, trying to survive...trying to make contact....

As the shadows reach out to the urnon golem, the structure of the golem shifts slightly, turning various shades of black...and the metal stops moving.

Shadows twist, trying to burrow into the urnon golem, and the metal appears vulnerable.

With nothing left to grasp, nothing left to contain it, nothing left to give it life....the last of the shadowy tendrils falls flat, slowly wilting and crumbling away.

Blood Rain (generic weather at the time)

Blood trickles down from the grey skies.

A sudden gust blows the bloodrain at you in a stinging attack.

Sanguine rain soaks the area.

Dark droplets of blood rain from the grey skies.

Puddles of blood form along the ground as the blood rain continues.

The sky is stained crimson as the blood rains down from the heavens.

Blood oozes from the clouds high above, as if the very sky is bleeding.

>look up

Blood rain completely obscures the sky.

Melgorehn's Reach Summit (its usual "unnatural" clouding effect)

[Melgorehn's Reach, Lift Apex]

You are on a small shelf on the face of the mountain, very near its summit. The air is terribly misty and above you lurks the bottom of a cloud, looking strangely unnatural this near.  The view of the lands below is spectacular and frightening at the same time.  The side of the mountain from this point up is completely hidden behind an opaque wall of fog descending in plumes from the cloud above.  You also see a wooden cab which is riding the wooden trellis and is presently parked at the level of the ledge allowing easy entry.

Obvious paths: none

(inside)

Suddenly a beam of moon light peeks through several tiny holes in the intricate ceiling and converges in a star pattern upon the altar.  The light carries with it a strange shearing sound.  The onyx of the altar begins to glow faintly blue.

Suddenly the moonbeam ceases and with it the strange shearing noise it made.  The altar's blue glow fades back to black onyx.

Ithzir Incident - Grishom Stone / Return to Sunder

In late 1st Olaesta 5116 Modern Era, Melgorehn's Reach acted up again with more storm effects and temporal rifting, with runes appearing in the sky and a faint voice heard. The altar room at the summit would plunge into pitch darkness and had people becoming invisible, seemed to phase as well as movement appearing along the floor, and faint whispering could be heard in an archaic language. It would turn out this was the Ithzir language, and that they were only interested in conquest. The glasslike floor was their world, and the movement was temporal riftworms.

It would later become clear that Grishom Stone was making a deal with the Ithzir, taking advantage of a regular mana storming anomaly of the Reach to give himself access to their world. They acquired knowledge of his blood magic ritual for transforming children in floating cocoons to open extra-planar portals, and attempted to anchor themselves in this world with their floating obsidian pyramids acting as beacons. (These children acquired the Ithzir's mental powers.) This was ultimately unsuccessful and the portal closed when the storm was no longer feeding it. Rodnay is the lone surviving human-Ithzir hybrid. He would later cocoon himself inside the Reach, engaging in some kind of metamorphosis.

The storm effects reflected the properties of their world Kol Tar'sken bleeding through into our own, and when the planes decoupled it unexpectedly returned the missing Hendoran outpost. The copper smell came from venting of veridian mists on their plane, and their sky was celadon colored. The firefly effect was also an environmental factor of their own world, which was crystalline and made of volcanic rocks. The constellations would randomly change into other patterns of golden stars. There was most likely bleed through from the Elemental Confluence due to the damaged nature of the veil, but no apparent connection to the shadow world. Temporal monsters slipped through the interplanar rifting, with huge breachworms raining from the skies.

A faint shimmer ripples in the air.

A warm, copper smelling breeze stirs through the area.

A light rain continues to fall from the sky.  For a brief moment, the falling drops vanish midair, as the very sky seems to 
splinter for just a second.  A clap of thunder resounds in the distance and the rain falls normal once more.

The air hums with an unseen energy as pulses of dark blue lights flash in the distance. 
 
Many townspeople begin to hurriedly race back into town from the fields, and citizens scatter in the streets, rushing to their 
homes.  Windows shutter quickly, doors slam shut.  The wild barking of dogs can be heard echoing from a nearby street.

Golden runes glow in the sky, drifting like particles of joined light, shifting and reshaping at the mercy of the warm wind that 
churns through the area.

The sky grows restless, the black heavens suddenly splintered by streakd of yellow lightning.  The sky is pierced by garlands of 
malachite-hued light that coils about like elongated serpents.

A host of birds lift up from the tops of the trees in the Lower Dragonsclaw forest, scattering across the sky as streaks of 
yellow and emerald lightning dance across the heavens.

A forest wolf runs in.
A panicky rolton ambles in.
A terrified velnalin trots in, snorting to announce his arrival!
A frightened striped gak charges in, flaring his nostrils angrily!

Streaks of green light blend across the night sky overhead, whorled about as if by the brush stroke of an artist.

The air hums with a strange energy.
 
A low rumble echoes through the room making your hair stand on end.  A single point of light flickers to life in the center of 
the room moments before erupting into a massive swirling vortex!
XXX is sucked into the vortex!
XXX is sucked into the vortex!
XXX is sucked into the vortex!
The vortex pulls at you intensely as you lose control and are sucked directly into its depths!
Time and space blur before your eyes, stretching and warping until...
[Temporal Rift]
Time and space seem to swirl around you.  You catch brief glimpses of events both past and future.  Beyond these strange and 
confusing visions extends a vast, ever-changing field of stars, pinpoints of light against unfathomable utter blackness.  It is 
very cold here.
Also here: XXX, XXX, XXX
Obvious paths: north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest, up, down

The air is alive with a dull hum and the faint whispers of an archaic tongue.

The air undulates with a dizzying intensity!

The air crackles with potent energy!

Ethereal energies buffet the surrounds shoving a wall of air before it!
XXX flashes with a bright ethereal light!

The air shakes and twists as waves of irreality wash through the area!

The air hums with an unseen energy.  Flashes of dark blue lights erupt in the sky, broken up by the dark silhouette of the 
Hendoran Outpost in the grasslands.  Yellow lightning streaks across the sky.

A wreath of green and gold energy dance around the highest peaks of Melogrehn's Reach like an ethereal crown. 

The air is filled with a pungent, coppery odor.

Ribbons of ethereal light swirl along the peaks of Melgorehn's Reach.

Strips of celadon and citrine light streak across the sky, twisting and coiling outward from the peaks of Melgorehn's Reach.  Their brilliant light is eerily reflected along the glassy surface of Lake Eonak.

Coils of brilliant energy swirl about the peaks of Melgorehn's Reach as thunder echoes in the distance.

The sky flashes with a citrine light and suddenly the rain stops and the thunder quiets.  The sky returns to normal, speckled with the pale glow of stars.

The Ithzir opened the portal by using the children cocoon method of Grishom Stone, except with the use of their own blue blood. The first time this was attempted was an experiment on the grocer's son Jimmy, who died and his body burst with riftworms, which kept showing up along with breachworms and temporal warriors as a side effect of the instability of the Reach. The ancient monolith on the Reach also had a krodera and veil-iron orb appear into existence at some point. The twelve-pointed star is a religious symbol of some kind worn by the Ithzir seers. The red crystal in the clip had been embedded in a woman's neck.

The ground rumbles again and a large yellow cocoon rises up out of the ground beneath the shadow of Melogrehn's Reach,
slowly lifting into the stormy sky where it hovers hundreds of feet in the air.

The ground roars and trees collapse in the Lower Dragonsclaw forest as a second large yellow cocoon rises into the sky,
hovering in the air a good distance from the first cocoon.

The ground ripples and tremors, and a third large yellow crystal cocoon rises into the night sky, floating up and away,
hovering directly across from the first cocoon a good two hundred feet.

The ground shakes and a fourth yellow crystal cocoon rises into the sky.

The grounf trembles and two more yellow crystalline cocoons rise into the night sky, each one across from another,
hundreds of feet apart, bathed in the shadow of Melogrehn's Reach.

An cacophony of metallic voices carry on the wind, "Koh! Koh! Koh!"

Suddenly, the rain subsides and the storm clouds dissipate.

One by one, the stars in the sky blink, then turn a bright celadon hue. The blanket of night becomes freckled with
emerald motes.

Slowly, beams of bright moonlight are drawn towards the peak of Melgorehn's Reach, bathing its summit in a silvery
glow.

Beams of moonlight blast out from the top of Melogrehn's Reach, striking each of the six floating cocoons.

One of the yellow crystal cocoons in the sky begins to crack.

A second, and third yellow crystal cocoon begin to crack, small fractures forming along the glistening exterior.

Every star in the sky suddenly flashes with a bright green light and many seem to shift as if forming a new series
of constellations. After a brief moment the sky returns to normal.

Like shards of yellow glass, fragments of each cocoon fall from the sky as all six of them break apart. What remains
behind are pale yellowish-white membranous sacks, floating in the sky. Inside each vessel is the body of a child.

The floating, membranous sacks begin to tilt, the bodies of the children pivoting to become horizontal as they hover
in the sky. Bolts of green and yellow lightning spark across Melogrehn's Reach.

The yellowish-white membranous sacks float towards each other, slowly connecting in the sky, the heads of each child
only a few inches apart. Within their mucus-like shells, the childrens legs stretch, the collective of their outstretched
limbs forming the pattern of a twelve-pointed star near Melogrehn's Reach.

Drifting barely into view, a small red-veined crystalline shard emerges from the murk of night and comes to rest
in the center of the membranous shells.

The red-veined crystal shard explodes in a flash of light and blood, bands of sanguine energy connecting each body
in the air, painting the night sky with a blood red twelve-pointed star.

The blood red pattern in the sky flashes with a bright light and the bodies and their membranous shells disintegrate!

Left in the wake of the ethereal explosion is a churning celadon-hued portal in the sky.

The celadon-hued portal begins to shimmer and partially fades for a moment, as if unstable.

Bolts of lightning shoot out from the top of Melgorehn's Reach and the celadon portal seems to shrink.

The celadon-hued portal continues to churn in the sky, directly above the riverbank in Melogrehn's Valley.

Through the churning portal, a vast yellowish-green sky can be seen, where huge onyx black pyramids float through
the sky. The ground is smooth and glass-like, with pockets of crystalline rocks jutting up like bright teeth.

The celadon-hued portal continues to churn, but reshapes and reshifts unable to keep the same size for very long.

Despite its erratic size, the portal remains, and the air around Melgorehn's Valley begins to shimmer as blue-skinned
figures emerge....

The celadon-hued portal in Melgorehn's Valley seems to shrink again, finally stabilizing, but not large enough to
allow passage for the floating obsidian pyramids on the other side.

The Ithzir were occupying Melgorehn's Valley while the portal was still open. Adventurers drained the soulstone of Aralyte to make the portal briefly work in two directions, which turned it brilliant red in color, allowing them to rescue a few dozen Hendoran soldiers from the missing outpost. It was revealed from notes studied by museum curator Vynessa that Grishom Stone believed the Ithzir had somehow fragmented (sundered) their world into many island planes to evade or hide themselves Althedeus. He was fascinated by their mental powers, and was using her predecessor Glethad remotely. He was not found and remained on Kol Tar'sken.

(mages stabilizing portal, empaths searching out soldiers location, sorcerers convert and open two-way portal) 

Flashes of yellow light appear briefly within the celadon-hued portal.

The celadon-hued portal suddenly becomes erratic, twisting like an ethereal tempest in the sky and grows larger.

Thin tendrils of amber light seep from Bekke's hands and swirl into the energy of the celadon portal.

Thin tendrils of white fiery light seep out from *Raelee's hands and melt into the celadon-hued energy of the portal.

Jagged bands of reddish-orange light angrily leap from Hapenlok's fingers and bleed into the celadon energy of the portal.

The celadon-hued portal finally slows, the wild tempest of energies settling down. The portal begins to glow brightly.

Pylasar steps closer to Lylia, mouthing something unheard.

A spark of light flashes within the red talisman in Lylia's hands.

A flash of brilliant red light ripples outward from Melgorehn's Valley.

Skin begins to slowly flake off of Lylia's fingers.

Pylasar says, "DO not let it go."

Pylasar begins to chant in an archaic tongue, over and over and over as he stares at Lylia.

The celadon-hued portal looks unstable for a moment and a bolt of energy soars off into the night, arcing up and landing outside of North Gate!

The air shimmers outside of the North Gate.

More skin peels back from Lylia's fingers, leaving ribbons of incarnadine blood and bone in its wake. The red talisman begins to glow brightly!

The light within Lylia's talisman begins to churn and slowly dissipate until it grows paler, murky, then dull white.

Pylasar asks, "Did it...not work?"

You glance down to see a dull white soulstone suspended by a frayed leather cord in your right hand and nothing in your left hand.

The celadon light of the portal begins to melt away, slowly turning bright red as if blood were seeping out across it.

Motes of yellow light drift down the mountainside of Melgorehn's Reach like a cascade of sallow tears.

The powerful scent of copper washes through the portal!

You hear the sound of a dozen heartbeats. (note: empaths were seeking the soldiers)

Within the red portal, the movement ends. The sky is yellow, riddled with green beams of energy. Beyond clusters of rock, a battered stone outpost can be seen.

Within the portal is revealed walls of stone, layered with fresh and dried blood. Bodies of Hendorans and Ithzir litter the ground. Within a crumbled hall of a tower, a man lies wounded, bloodied and dirty, caked in red and blue blood. He looks up with steel grey eyes, as if hearing something, as if hearing you.

From within the portal a cacophany of metallic voices carry loudly, "Koh! Koh! Koh! Koh!"

XXXX steps into the celadon portal and wisps of sanguine light surround him before he vanishes out of sight!

XXXX steps out of the portal and wisps of red light coil up like incarnadine ribbons from his head.

Pylasar says, "It...must not be done yet..."

The red portal seems to stop stretching, and a wave of heat from the other side ripples out into the valley. 

The portal is opened.

You step through the celadon portal and the sensation of a thousand tendrils of silk brush across your skin. For a brief moment your mind is flooded with countless memories of your life before you step through to the other side.

[Kol Tar'sken]
Celadon ribbons of light streak through the citrine-hued skies above, where pale ashen clouds shift about like tattered grey veils. The ground is smooth and crystalline, its depths opaque just enough to capture a smoky reflection from the yellowed sky above. A great formation of basalt peaks rises in the distance and a faint, dull whirring sound can be heard. You also see a churning brilliant red portal.
Also here: Sir Metadi, Sir Geijon, Sir Bristenn, Sir Aydan
Obvious paths: south

[Kol Tar'sken]
The landscape stretches out long and wide, where yellow and green shades from the reflected, smooth horizon bend up to meet the hazy sky above. A warm, copper smelling breeze stirs through the area, carrying whispers of strange, hushed voices. 
Obvious paths: north, southeast, southwest

[Kol Tar'sken]
Jagged clusters of crystalline shards reach up to the broken yellow sky, each facet capturing bands of light from above, redirecting them along the glass-like earth below. Motes of golden light float endlessly through the area like a sea of glowing fireflies. You also see an Ithzir herald.

[Kol Tar'sken]
Deep cracks have formed along the glass-like earth. Viridian mists intermittently emit from the jagged fissures, suffocating the air with a pungent, coppery odor. 
Obvious paths: north, southeast

[Kol Tar'sken]
The ground here is dangerously uneven, with pockets of razor-sharp crystalline shards jutting up like a thousand teeth from a giant maw. Streaks of green light blend into the sallow sky overheard, whorled about as if by the brush strokes of an artist. The air is alive with a dull hum and the faint whispers of an archaic tongue. You also see a shimmering wall of force and a battered stone outpost.
Also here: Sir Metadi, Sir Geijon, Sir Bristenn, Duskruin Arena Champion Mynon, Lady Shannivar, Sareyna, Taluric, Dirra, Dame Evia, Eshielle, Sir Balantine, Duskruin Arena Champion Cruxophim, Duskruin Arena Hero Zarston, Magister Raelee, Ashnak, Rowmi, Sir Cryheart, Eruheran, Lady Aeavenne, Matriarch Berkana, Duskruin Arena Hero Roblar, Elder Marshal Beldannon, Sir Aydan, Duskruin Arena Combatant Jiarine, Dergoatean, Duskruin Arena Champion Aurach
Obvious paths: northeast, northwest

Adventurers had acquired high quality plinite and converted the pylon defenses of Wehnimer's Landing into supercharged weapons to shoot down their pyramids, but at the peak of the storm the instability in elemental magic made the pylons explode. The elemental energy was immediately converted into a horde of plinite elementals. This storm was remarkable for becoming explosively violent if the wrong kind of magic was used in the area. When the pylons were charged in the storm through mages holding shards of plinite, they were notably incapable of casting magic at all for about an hour.

Hazy emerald bands of light drift through the night sky, reminiscent of bright viridian smoke rings.

Tendrils of flaxen light stretch out from the peaks of Melgorehn's Reach, lazily coiling about in the air before dissolving.

The clouds light up in an array of blue, white, and violet hues.

(XXXX renewing his song, making the air shimmer)
All the mana in the area suddenly bursts into flames!
Talinvor is caught by the effects!
Some [armor] partially deflects the onslaught of the fiery attack.
... 25 points of damage!
Flames incinerate scalp completely and blacken skullcap. Not very fashionable.
He is stunned!

(note: he was actually hit twice by it)

XXXX is caught in the effects!
... 50 points of damage!
A large patch of flesh is seared off XXXX's back.
He is stunned!

* XXXX drops dead at your feet! (some critted, not all)

You are caught by the effects!
... 30 points of damage!
Extreme heat melts the skin off your right hand. Gross!
You are stunned for 3 rounds!

A grey-beaked dark hooded figure is caught by the effects!
... 30 points of damage!
Left eye propelled out of socket by fiery explosion!

Pockets of air shimmer within the walls of Wehnimer's Landing!

Waves of energy ripple through the area causing dust particles to dance in the air!
Black tendrils of anti-mana climb over you as you sense your mana being drained away!
Roundtime: 3 sec.
You feel the magic alien to you slipping away...

The air crackles with potent energy!
You feel the magic alien to you slipping away...

The air shakes and twists as waves of irreality wash through the area!
You feel the magic alien to you slipping away...

An eerie calm falls over the area like a suffocating blanket of heat. (Ithzir sanctuary?)

XXXX flashes with a bright ethereal light!
An ethereal light washes over you as you sense mana collecting around and in you!
Roundtime: 3 sec.
You feel the magic alien to you slipping away... 
(random big increase of mana)

The air ripples in sickening waves, distorting the surroundings!
Black tendrils of anti-mana climb over XXXX draining his power!
XXXX seems a bit less imposing.
Black tendrils of anti-mana climb over you as you sense your mana being drained away!
Roundtime: 3 sec.
You feel the magic alien to you slipping away...

Spectral bursts of energy erupt in the air!
You feel the magic alien to you slipping away...

The atmosphere crackles and sparks of energy snap across the area!

Black tendrils of anti-mana climb over XXXX draining his power!
Black tendrils of anti-mana climb over you as you sense your mana being drained away!
Roundtime: 3 sec.
(sudden random drain)


The air shimmers and a coppery odor drifts through the area.

A medium lightning elemental bursts forth into existence!
A medium lightning elemental bursts forth into existence!

A huge lightning elemental bursts forth into existence!

A huge floating obsidian pyramid breaches the celadon-hued portal in the sky and blots out the stars as it drifts overhead.

A huge floating obsidian pyramid breaches the celadon-hued portal in the sky and blots out the stars as it drifts overhead.

BOOM! Another clap of thunder is left in the wake of a huge obsidian pyramid exploding in the sky.

Rings of emerald light ripple out from the peak of Melgorehn's Reach.

The celadon-hued portal in the sky seems to flicker for a brief moment.

BOOM! BOOM! Two more black pyramids explode into a display of colored lights and debris.

A metallic voice echoes in your mind, "Maktali geabu jeseth mor tran!"

The sky around Melgorehn's Reach turns yellow and green, seeping out like citrine and celadon blood, slowly threatening to swallow the night.

A boom of thunder blasts through the grey skies.

Within your mind, your own voice echoes, "One world...one end."

The air is infused with a potent, coppery odor.

A raging tempest of fiery light sparks to life above Melgorehn's Reach and with a whoosh of air the scarlet energy cascades down the mountainside and ripples across the environs!

Spark by spark, light by light, fires erupt across the landscape!
>(fires all over the place)

The celadon-hued portal flares open wide, growing tremendously as the air around it shimmers!

A thousand beams of deep blue light spill out from the peak of Melgorehn's Reach, leaving dark cerulean streaks across the night sky. The celadon-hued portal shrinks slightly.

Flashes of emerald green light dance across the sky around Melgorehn's Reach and the celadon-hued portal shrinks further.

You feel pressure building near the bridge of your nose. Old memories from your youth flash before your eyes. Some peaceful, some sad, others you barely remembered until now, while others were so tragic you'd never forget. You get a powerful sense of vertigo.
>(everyone got mind searched at once)

BOOM! Another black pyramid explodes into a shower of fiery light in the sky

The celadon-hued portal begins to shrink further, yet still black pyramids try to breach through.

The celadon-hued portal shrinks even further, yet one pyramid still drifts out from the other side.

The celadon-hued portal shrinks further in the sky as rings of emerald light ripple out from Melgorehn's Reach.

There is a huge explosion near Lake Eonake and a blast of reddish-orange light erupts into the sky!

The celadon-hued portal begins to flicker in and out of existance as it shrinks further in the sky.

A huge explosion erupts near the dinghy and a burst of bluish-green light soars into the sky!

Bluish-green and reddish-orange elementals and fire rage outward from the two locations where the pylons exploded.

The celadon-hued portal continues to ebb.

The celadon-hued portal in the sky continues to draw inward, the yellow sky shrinking on the other side as the vortex begins to shape into what appears to be a tunnel of energy.

For a brief moment, a scattering of stars in the sky glow with a deep sea blue light, their bright pattern resembling the constellation of an eye.

As the celadon-hued portal above Melgorehn's Valley finally shrinks to nothing and blinks out of existance, the storms and lights surrounding the mountain peaks come to an eerie calm. As the last yellow and emerald light beams across the heavens with the collapse of the portal, there is a shimmer in the air along the grasslands, and a battered stone outpost materializes.

Bleak Sickness and the Others (5123)

In the North by Northwest storyline around 5123, Rodnay was sickened by something, which was apparently related to the Bleak and the mana fires suppressing it from the Witchful Thinking story. Mana storm disturbances and other anomalous behavior has occurred at Melgorehn's Reach. This has included materials, especially anti-magical metals such as krodera, being pulled out over Lake Eonak and then shooting straight up into the air. Eventually this conglomeration of metal formed into some kind of golem. There have also been doppelgangers of people attempting to breach through the veil at the Reach.

Near the summit a portal also opened to the Bleaklands, around the ruins of Doggoroth Keep. This was especially strange in that Doggoroth Keep was missing when adventurers went to that place in the Bleaklands to end Brumas during the climax of Witchful Thinking. Melgorehn's Reach has exhibited numerous effects in the sky, some as repeating ambient messages.

Ambients and Special Messages:

Luminous wisps of energy float along Melgorehn's Reach, pulsating with a gentle glow that illuminates the mountain's surroundings with an otherworldly radiance.

Wispy, ghostly tendrils of mist curl and twist in the sky above Melgorehn's reach, giving the impression of wandering spirits lost in the heavens.

A glowing sphere of burning energy streaks away from Melgorehn's Reach, leaving a trail of shimmering dust in its wake as it disappears into the distance.

The night sky above Melgorehn's Reach pulsates with an ethereal glow, casting an eerie light upon the mountain's peaks.

There is a huge clap of thunder that echoes from the depths of Melgorehn's Reach.

Thousands of silver motes of energy drift from the peaks of Melgorehn's Reach, lazily drifting on the wind as they float through the sky.

Brilliant bolts of cerulean and silver lightning crackle across the skies above Melgorehn's Reach.  The glowing tendrils illuminate the valley below, washing the area in an eerie glow of vivid, ethereal hues.

The air around Melgorehn's Reach crackles with electric energy, and bolts of lightning dance across the sky, illuminating the mountain in brief, dramatic flashes.

The stars above Melgorehn's Reach seem to rearrange themselves, forming archaic symbols that glow and fade before returning to their normal pattern.

The stars above Melgorehn's Reach seem to multiply, as if reflecting a mirror image of the mountain before they return to normal.

Elemental Confluence

The Elemental Confluence is an enormous nexus of the prime elemental planes that traveled through space, devastating Bre'Naere by grazing it and almost colliding with Elanthia in 5115 Modern Era. As the Confluence approached there were "elemental disturbances", that were characteristic effects of flow storms, except that they were slowly developing over weeks given the magnitude but distance of the source. There were early reports of mana fluctuations and random rifting, and a stated risk of elemental magic becoming unstable. Mostly, there were elemental invasions, breaches into our plane of existence. When Alusius betrayed us by anchoring the Confluence to Elanthia, the planar intersection ripped open unhealing tears in the fabric of reality across the world. These points of elemental instability were quasi-permanent portals to the nexus.

Flow storms from space were prevented by the Eyes of Utha in the Shadow World setting. While the Eye of the Drake was its obvious analog in the Elanthia setting, it is not clear it also had this function with extraterrestrial mana storms. The Eye of the Drake, in its meaning as the gemstone sealing the Rift, was destroyed in the Vvrael incident. It is consequently undefined if the Confluence had been previously kept deflected from Elanthia by this artifact.

There was severely atypical weather for given regions, other than the more obviously magical effects. Raining in Icemule Trace in the winter, for example, but snowing on Teras Isle. There were invasions of what turned out to be native elementals of the Confluence, but also other elementally attuned monsters such as ice spiders. Companion creatures were observed anticipating weather effects shortly before they happened.

Common Weather Effects (1x/hour)

Beads of water form along the ground and slowly spread out like a blanket of tiny bubbles. One by one, the watery globules dissolve without a trace.

Puddles of water form briefly along the ground, but are quickly sucked back into the earth.

A rapid and drastic change in air pressure forces your ears to pop.

Sliver-sized cavities open like mouths in the ground beneath you, the rigid earth undulating with a slow, reverberating hum. Thread-like wisps of steam escape each breach and curl upward. The tiny openings quickly fold over and vanish.

A wave of shimmering heat ripples through the area, temporarily causing the air to grow hot and stagnant, to the point of near suffocation. A moment later the environment returns to normal.

A small funnel appears in midair, churning and twisting as it briefly expands before blinking out of existence.

The faintest of tremors resonates through the ground.

Low rumbles echo in the distance as green-yellow arcs converge overhead, crashing together in an electrifying display. Luminous sparks plunge to the ground and crackle just before sizzling out.

*CRACK*! A bolt of incandescent blue lightning abruptly leaps down from the sky, slamming into the ground nearby.

Uncommon Effects (concurrent with less unusual weather effects)

From the west, a high-pitched whistle rings out, echoing in intensity as the sky lights up with a bright crimson hue, indicative of burning embers in a raging inferno. A large meteor shoots across the sky and explodes with a clamorous clash!

The sky is filled with a blanket of low clouds, pale and unmoving. Sounds seem muffled and the air feels thick and takes on a quiet stillness.

A small thread of silver-white energy crackles into existence, twisting briefly like an angry serpent before fizzling away.

A vibrant red-orange fireball streaks across the heavens, landing somewhere in the distant landscape with a tremendous burst of flying sparks and embers.

A blast of frigid air surges past, chilling you to the bone.

A funnel of wind coils around you, gradually strangling the air from your lungs. You start to gasp for air, but the wind dies down, and you are able to breathe once again.

High above Wehnimer's Landing a burst of fiery-orange light erupts in the sky, radiating outward and shining with intensity. The searing glow lingers in the air for a few moments before fading away.

Large dark clouds suddenly swirl together over the Bay, only to be scattered apart by a torrent of strong winds a moment later.

Birds erupt from the trees of the Lower Dragonsclaw, taking flight into the sky. The air around them suddenly bends and the birds blink out of existance.

Streaks of red, yellow and azure lightning streaks throug the sky!

Dark red and orange hues bleed across the sky.

Dark red and azure lights bleed across the sky above the Lower Dragonsclaw.

Snowflakes continue to fall heavily from the sky, a huge pile of snow forming along the southern edge of the Lower Dragonsclaw forest. (note: snowing in a lightning storm)

More piles of snow begin to form along the streets of Wehnimer's Landing, expanding before collapsing as swarms of ice spiders break free.

Tornado

A blinding flash of lightning is quickly followed by a low rumble of thunder.

Small funnels begin to coil down from the storm cloud over head, like twisting shadowy columns as powerful winds rush through the area.

A heavy drizzle trickles down from the grey skies.

Roaring wind rushes past you, forcing the pelting rain to sting your skin.

From the storm cloud above, Evialla is tossed out and goes free falling to the ground!

Sheets of heavy rain drown you in an unrelenting curtain of water.

The sky is full of rain-sodden clouds.

Trees are uprooted along Upper Trollfang, some tossed about wildly, while others are torn to shreds before scattering in the wind like a shower of wooden shrapnel.

Quickly the black cloud overhead scatters, spreading out like a tattered shawl as the rain weakens.

Before Alusius and Aadyra Firebird Appearance

The sky begins to fill with huge clouds, dark and grey on the bottom, pale and white atop, their puffy crowns ascending toward the heavens.

A small vortex appears in the waters of Darkstone Bay, just inside the sea gate of Wehnimer's Landing.

*BOOM*! Thunder ripples across the heavens like the angry roar of a dragon, as arcs of brilliant green and yellow lightning tear through the sky!

>[people] falls to the ground!
>The ground beneath you violently shakes and rumbles!
>Roundtime: 6 sec.

The small vortex of spinning water dissipates near the North Docks, and moments later another appears in the waters below the Coastal Cliffs.

Thin jagged bolts of yellow, green, and cerulean lightning streak down from the sky along the waters of Darkstone Bay beyond the Cliffs, and small fishing vessels begin to turn, hastily tryng to return to shore.

Far out into the Bay, air and water collide and suddenly huge funnels rise up from the sea, lifting half a dozen fishing vessels with it, and propeling them into the air! The fishermen and crew flail wildly in the air, tossed aside and then engulfed by the spinning vortex within the waters.

Solhaven Incident

The sky suddenly comes alive with a brilliant display of silver lightning, each bolt dancing across the sky in all directions.

From the east, a high-pitched whistle rings out, echoing in intensity as the sky lights up with a bright crimson hue, indicative of burning embers in a raging inferno. A large meteor shoots across the sky and explodes over the Bay with a clamorous clash!

Violent winds whip in from the Bay, and a large funnel begins to form out over the waves, churning and twisting as it briefly expands before blinking out of existence.

The ground shudders violently as small jagged cracks spread out like shattered glass, finally closing back up as the tremors subside.

A web of glowing lightning burns in the sky like a dome of white netting.

The earth oddly shifts and fractures from the center outward, quickly filling the gaps just as quickly as they formed.

A flock of small birds fly overhead, soaring through the sky before they suddenly blinks out of existence, swallowed up by a bend of air surrounding them.

Hundreds of small globules of fire falls from the sky, churning with a bright glow, until they just burns up before touching ground.

*CRACK*! Bolts of incandescent blue lightning abruptly leaps down from the sky, slamming into the ground all around Solhaven.

A point of light forms in the sky, rippling and crackling, bright as the sun but much smaller. As it draws nearer, it resolves into a sweeping current of energy, red and gold in turns, chaotic in its dancing but inexorable in its motion.

The ground underfoot rumbles like a thing alive.

A flare of crackling light leaps off of the nexus of energy in the skies overhead. Thunder without sound ripples through the air, leaving silence in its wake. And then, raindrop-like percussion, as hundreds of birds begin to fall from the sky, stone dead.

The nexus of energy in the skies has grown so great, so bright that it outshines the sun, casting shifting shadows across the ground like those cast by a guttering candle.

Slowly, the ribbon of energy bisecting the sky begins to diminish, as if it is veering away.

Alusius sharply says, "No. You cannot escape from me so easily, not after I have hunted you for all of these years."

Alusius flings his free hand toward the skies, and a bolt of energy strikes toward the crackling energies above!

The crackling energies above begin drawing nearer once more at an accelerated pace!

Without warning, a solitary jolt of blue-green lightning descends from the parted clouds, making a direct connection with Aadyra. Her instantly limp cadaver is snatched into the air and fiercely thrown far off into the distance.

The very air begins to thin, growing stretched, tattered.

Rapidly developing in the heart of the sky, a whirlpool of dense blue-black clouds blots out any traces of daylight that reigned across the lands moments before.

The darkening mass churns and writhes in the heavens, finally expanding into attenuated fingers of smoke that branch outward from the formation. As the clouds dissipate, the remaining light is distorted into an eerie glow that cloaks everything in a deep violet-blue haze.

Heavy, pulsating convulsions erupt from somewhere beneath the ground, the rippling aftershocks working jagged cracks in the surface of the earth.

The sky appears to split open like the brittle shell of an egg. A breathtaking scene of silver-white lightning bolts through massive torrents of rain, wind, and airborne hailstones.

A bolt of lightning streaks down from the sky and strikes XXXXX!
... 30 points of damage!
Arcing bolt of electricity galvanizes left leg to knee joint. Won't be using it for awhile.
XXXXX screams and falls to the ground grasping his mangled left leg!
He is stunned!
A tremendous crack of thunder follows instantly!

Glowing rents and tears shiver across the sky, spewing forth convulsing ripples of elemental energy!

The elemental calamity settles abruptly, as all of the energy is sucked out of the unfolding scene of chaos. The obtrusive sound of shifting subterranean rock accelerates underfoot, before ceasing completely with a single, final reverberating thud.

A huge XXXXX elemental bursts forth into existence!

The Red Forest

There is a rare lunar alignment of Liabo and Lornon that causes a curtain of light to form in the sky, which the Elven ancestors of the Elven Village used to banish the Ilvari and the Red Forest from this reality. The forest would briefly come back into conjunction with this time and space during the celestial alignment. However, the complications resulting from the Elemental Confluence caused the sky to burst from the flows of essence between worlds, making the Red Forest return to this reality permanently. It was split into coexistent dual forms on both ends of the continent, similar to the isles of transfer phenomenon and the migration of Shadow Valley. There are a number of subtle commonalities between the several areas using this theme including dreams and unnatural fog.

Rising higher into the sky, a shadowy orb floats up over the horizon, the cold, lifeless Lornon eclipsing stars as it passes.

The pale white glow of Lornon shines with an intensity in the sky, bathing the world below in an eerie, ashen light.

You feel a strange hum of energy in the air.

Liabo and Lornon rise higher into the night, orbs of ivory and shadow, climbing as spherical bookends in the sky. 
 
Coils of ethereal silvery light ripple across the sky like waves of incandescent glass.  The moons Liabo and Lornon settle in the sky, their positions facing off against each other with the backdrop of the heavens behind them.

The sky bleeds with ribbons of silver and shadow, the light and dark of the moons interweaving like passionate lovers, consuming the stars in their ethereal dance.

Motes of sanguine light seep across the sky, twisting among the banners of light swirling across the night.

A curtain of light blankets the sky, a mix of ivory, shadowy and blood, sending glowing wrinkles across the heavens.
 
The faint giggle of a small child echoes nearby.

The curtain of light expands across the sky, twisting beams of silvery, white and crimson.  Below the heavens, nestled in the Upper Trollfang, the air shimmers and for a brief moment, beyond a veil of churning fog, a thick forest is seen, with huge oaken sentinels rising up to claw at the sky, their great branches stained the color of blood.

The eerie howl of a wolf carries on the wind.

The lights in the sky flash, almost like constant bolts of lightning.  The Red Forest reappears.  Then vanishes.  Again, it bleeds into view.  Again, it is gone.  The howl of a wolf echoes nearby.

With flashes of sanguine and silver night, the Upper Trollfang is bathed in a bright, eerie glow.  The woods soon come alive, with the wailing of spirits, the howling of wolves, and the laughter of children.  

Three wolves howl in unison at the moons, their voices combined in an eerie sound.

Suddenly, trees along the Upper Trollfang begin to lurch forward...uprooting, rising from the ground and marching forward.

Trees stir to live, rising and marching on the gates of town.

A faint giggling, like the tinkle of bells, rings out in the distance.

Motes of silver and gold light zip through the Upper Trollfang, flashing among the treetops.

Bands of silver and ivory light ripple across the night sky.

Suddenly a great roar of energy wracks the heavens.  Ribbons of sanguine light ripple outward from the surface of Liabo and Lornon, snaking across the sky like bloody tendrils.

The night burns with a wave of fire, as globules of fire ripple across the sky.  Soon, the halos of fire snuff out, crystalizing in the sky as rings of icy blue energy.  The sky roars with a thunderclap of immense energy.

Quickly and suddenly, the silver curtain of light in the sky shatters like glass, thousands and thousands of ashen teardrops falling from the heavens.  The thick trees of a red forest shimmer beyond a cloud of ethereal fog near the Upper Trollfang, near the Winding Trees.

A dense fall of thick fog churns within the Upper Trollfang, along the Winding Trees.