Summer

"Summer is the lucky solace for those captured within when Dandoleon broke; forever changed by the creation of seasons, yet still a monument to what the plane was before."

-Epiphany, Scribe of Dandoleon
While Summer is closer to the conventional state of Dandoleon before shifting seasons began, much of its plant and animal life has evolved dormant phases to survive through Winter, leading to many deciduous species developing alongside evergreens. In some extreme cases, semi-sentient plants have evolved and migrate similarly to animal species, often propelled by the strong winds produced by the Summer-Winter borders. Society and natural phenomena of Summer are well recorded due to the plethora of societies and scholarly orders that have developed, including the foreign Disciples of Thanatorum.   While Fei Invaru's presence perpetuates Summer, the civilizations influenced offer no reverence for the foreign god. Local cultures tend to emphasize natural phenomena and the ways their societies interact with them. For example, the culling influence of Winter often leads to the death of Hymendia queens, leading to their eventual worship when the summer hibernation ends. Given that winter can last for centuries and most peoples of Dandoleon are dormant throughout, the ruler of a previous queen can already be ancient by the time a successor arises, only adding to the storied appeal of royalty.

Wildlife

Summer wildlife is dominated by amphibians, reptiles, fish, arthropods, and avians; a smaller proportion of mammalian creatures is also present. Compared to the human-dominated plane of Laminarum, Summer has markedly more megafauna, carnivorous plants, and sapient species. Of the mammalian creatures present, almost all are arboreal and migratory, typically located closer to Summer's center.   With a diverse spread of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, all manner of unique life has evolved in Summer; some deep-aquatic species even persist through Winter without hibernating or entering dormancy. Interplanar travel to Summer is rare but visits from other planes have impacted local wildlife in the past, as seen in the introduction of lanternflies that decimated Hymendia fungal crops for 450 years until their eventual extinction at Winter's arrival (And the most impacted culture, the Parandions, disappeared over Winter as they hadn't consumed sufficient food).   Due to its evolutionary origin in rainforest climates (and occasional return each summer), the biodiversity of Summer is swarming. Bright colors, mimicry, powerful venoms, defensive poisons, and camouflage only scratch the surface of common features in the plane.

Fei Invaru, God of Summer and Bloom


Chaimut, god of time, fathered two daughters: Fei Invaru and Huereina. Of the two daughters, Fei Invaru is the oldest and first to disappoint Chaimut. Having seen a premonition of a grandson born to the domain of fate, Chaimut wished to manipulate the circumstances of his birth to assert control over fate. To achieve this, Chaimut demanded Fei Invaru get closer to a contemporary by the name of Mitos (god of the sea, storms, and voyages). In doing so, they would have a son, Rel Eteisus. Rel was quickly seized by Chaimut, only allowing limited access to his mother.

As Rel's seclusion brought on melancholy, Fei wished to inspire hope within him by showing him the beauty of Laminarum. During the secret expedition, Rel took the opportunity to flee his captivity before eventually being fostered and manipulated by Milin Orphi, devil of depravity. The corruption of Rel Eteisus eventually led to a war between the human gods in which Mitos was forced to slay his estranged son; furious with Fei for implicating him in the conflict, Chaimut would father Huereina, bringing a winnowing winter to punish Fei Invaru before eventually banishing them both to Dandoleon.

Society

Many Intelligent species exist in Summer, each with unique civilizations and traditions. Hymendia include a series of insectoid peoples descended from eusocial ancestors. Comparable to bees, wasps, and ants, they exhibit a wide range of social structures, subsistence methods, and living conditions.

Living Conditions

Some cultures live in large agricultural societies, such as Formicindion (of the group Formica). The Formicindion people hibernate each Winter, but during their waking centuries they build swathes of fungal and cane farms and erect monuments to their queens; this culture notably takes slaves of other species, which is uncommon for the Hymendia. Alternatively are their Dorylindion cousins, who never take permanent shelter, often electing to build temporary structures and camps as their caravans move through the jungle. Some cultures of Vespica build structures of clay and insulating paper, or stone bricks for their most important projects. All in all, experiencing a native's lifestyle could range from alien to familiar.

Social Structures

Like their ancestors, most Hymendia still have matriarchal, monarchic social structures due to their reliance on a queen to poss generations on. While some have evolved more solitary lives or parental structures similar to predatory mammals, the majority lend themselves to subservience to their queen. Due to their Haplodiploidy, all Hymendia lend closer to altruism (within their communities), leading to rapid progress and industrious changes over time. Independently living species of Vespica tend to live in small family units, all dispersed within a certain range. During certain holidays, these independent groups meet for fertility and matrimony festivals that kick off subsequent generations. Rare species of Vespica have lost the ability to perpetuate generations on their own due to millennia of dark Biomancy. These species are often solitary and structureless, living parasitically and manipulatively from the fringes of other Hymendia societies.

Subsistence Methods

Some cultures, such as the Dorylindion are carnivorous hunters with nomadic lifestyles, moving in massive caravans against Dandoleon's rotation. Some maintain and eat lesser insectoid species, or use slaves to cultivate crops. groups such as the Camponondion grow sugar cane in alluvial or marsh territory and subsist entirely on sugar. Alternatively, the Formicindion develop sap and fungal farms in their jungle villages or cities. While pescetarian communities are rare, some extant silk-weaving cultures live in riverside villages to subsist entirely on fishing.

Natural Phenomena

Vernal Wind

The Vernal Wind blows where Winter lands enter Summer, with the plane's rotational movement and temperature differences causing major wind systems to overlap in opposite directions; the resulting storms are on a magnitude entirely unfamiliar to the humans of Laminarum. The hurricanes rival continents and the tornadoes could stretch across a kingdom. Strong winds and water are made worse by the common combination with hail, which creates deadly projectiles dangerous enough to injure a Disciple of Thanatorum. The Vernal Wind is considered a slate cleaning by most Hymendia and other insectoid societies: the wind sufficiently destroys any dangers that might approach from Winter, preparing it for safe assimilation into the summer.

Summer Manifesture

The Summer Manifesture is a dwelling and prison for Fei Invaru, god of Summer and Bloom. The Manifesture radiates a Summer aura, resulting in Winter's dichotomous partner. Its presence marks the start of a new Eon, in which seasons arrived in a catastrophic shift for the plane's climate. Little is known about Fei's dwelling, beyond its impact on Dandoleon.
Type
Metaphysical, Divine

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