Summer
"The sun shall come close to embrace Årethjul, and the heat of their love shall cause them to shed their robes of leaves and vines, as the gold of the universe blesses and bleaches the land. As it returns to its place among the sky, Årethjul shall find that place where the sun sets its warmth and lie down, feeling the presence of their greatest love.
It is in this time that we shall sing while we work the fields, pray throughout the longest of days, and rest with the wind at our backs and water at our feet, thankful to Årethjul and their love."
Summer is the apex season of Edda, and a time of hard work, completion, and leisure. The sun stays out longer, the plants have had time to grow, and seasonal heat and dryness takes away most of the chill and wet that keeps most people indoors the rest of the year. Historically, many cultures of Edda have seen this season as a peak time for harvesting the fields, hunting, exploration, or various other forms of outdoor work, and so even in the modern day it is seen as the season to be most active. That being said, it is also time many take time to enjoy not being assailed by (most) of the elements, and devote more time to leisure and rest following the work that has had to be done. For this reason, there are a variety of community festivals and celebrations for a whole slew of reasons that are hosted during this season.
This season is the third quarter of the year for the Eddan calendar, and the next three months are titled after it in common translations. They are:
- 7. Heating Summer - When the temperatures begin to rise and the weather changes patterns, without wind or rain to temper it
- 8. Drying Summer - When daylight and heat reach their highest peaks of the year, evaporating water and snow and drying untended fields
- 9. Setting Summer - When the apex has passed and the slow march towards night and coolness begins to set in
Manifestation
Natural Manifestations
Summer is a season of warmth and hard labor across Edda. Agriculture, travel, mining, and production industries reach some of their most active times, and even those in school have to deal with difficult examinations. This is all paired with peak temperatures as the sun beats down on all, even in the mostly temperate parts of the land.
But, all that hard labor leans into even more feverish enjoyment, as family vacations, festivals of enjoyment, and events such as city or county fairs are common and heavily enjoyed. With the most daylight to play with, and the hard work giving something to wind down from, it's no surprise that the people of Edda take the time to party.
Agriculture and hunting begins to wind down after the apex of the season, dependent on what they are farming/hunting for, leading to many food based festivals and appreciation of the harvest as well.
While many of the stormier nations get a reprieve during the summer as a drier season, all over Edda thunder and lightning storms gain more prevalence, especially where the strange air fronts clash.
Magical Manifestations
As the heat of Summer simmers, the mana within the leylines begins to burn hot as well. This is mostly literal, as during the Summer months Fire based mana becomes the strongest alongside mana that embodies the electricity of Lightning and sonorous force of Thunder. Light mana is also stronger around this time, as well as mana and magical effects that revolve around healing, purification, the sun, and dryness.
Summer carries an air of restfulness around it, so magical creatures and phenomena influenced by the change of mana are calmer and more subdued during this season, meaning that one has to worry about natural threats and influences far more.
The fae of this season change about the same way, becoming a bit more lazy in their mischief. But, it's still the time of the Seelie, so there's plenty of fun and pranks to be had.
Localization
Due to the different, often strange, temperature currents of Edda, each nation experiences the coming of Summer in different ways
- Atalanta: Summer in Atalanta is still very cloudy and gloomy, with the western and northern portions of the nation still receiving plenty of rain and chill. But in the central forests and eastern grasslands, the sun breaks through more than in other locations, giving the various farms and vineyards plenty of light and warmth. This is also the season the bountiful vineyards, alehouses, and meaderies finish the best of their brews, with massive and sometimes messy competitions being held with world-wide renown.
- Magnum Opus: Summer in Magnum Opus is ideal for those who cannot handle the heat. The more north you go, the cooler the wind is, even though the days themselves are often sunny and calm. But even down on the southern coast, the days rarely get above 70 degrees even in the middle of Summer, and the turquoise waters are a popular beach-faring destination. Even the snow-covered far north gets a reprieve from their blizzards and endless clouds.
The many harvests during this time of year also mean that many farms and their workers are out in full force, as well as the merchants who sell those crops and the people who put on the veritable million harvesting celebrations. Essentially, Magnum Opus becomes quite the tourist trap this time of year. - Laputa: While Laputa still remains largely snow covered, during this season some of the snow melts on the eastern and southern portions of the nation, reveling some unique terran delicacies and allowing the harvesting of Laputan Sweetgrass and Eterna Flowers, key specialties of the region. Largely, they share a similar fate with the far north of Magnum Opus, still cold and snowy, but not suffering extreme blizzards or cloudy days.
- Afallon: Summer is the deadliest season in Afallon. The arid sands and warm air currents redouble their effect with the increased hours of sun and warmer temperatures, scorching the outlying sands and making life even around the oases challenging for all but the most privileged citizens. Throughout the years, people have made their ways to cope, but it's always a trial, even with government infrastructure, magical advancement, and practical technologies doing their best. This season also increases the chance for dangerous creatures to attack weary travelers in the sands, as desperation drives them.
- The 'Oki Islands: While not as arid and disastrous as Afallon, the 'Oki Islands also remain very warm and humid during the summer months, but with the cool benefit of the ocean, the breeze, and the distinct lack of chaotic storms. The area is also known for fantastic views as their waters remain clear, and the more warmth-attuned plant life is even fuller and more active than they are during the spring.
Sailing, fishing, travel, and planting are at their peaks in this season, making it the most active for the Islands, and it's also the time where the citizens travel between each others islands the most in order to trade and celebrate surviving the storms. - Boncly: West Boncly can get rather heated during the peak of summer, but being so close to the ocean as well as shaded by the forests coming down from the mountains keeps the area and the citizens comfortably cool as they work their farms, fish the seas, and practice their horsemanship and crafts. The badlands of the nation to the east, however, become even more ruthless and desolate, as they don't have even the oases of Afallon to slake their thirst. Aid comes from the west of their nation, and in trades made with the other nations around Edda, but it's a peak time for chaos, environmental hazards, lawlessness, and panic among citizens. In short, they like to stay home and in their own towns where it's nice and safe to wait out the suns wrath.
- Agartha: The mountainous nation has much shade to block its path from the sun, meaning it remains roughly temperate and cool throughout the summer, much like Magnum Opus. This is aided by the increased snowmelt from the mountains which keeps the land cool and hydrated even in the driest of summer seasons, with the World-Mountain never once running out of snow and ice. They remain a key trade partner with Boncly for this reason, as treated agarthan spring water is cherished and necessary in many Boncly settlements, and a key prize for bandits to take.
This increased waterflow also means that Agriculture is another summer boom for Agartha as they don't have to worry about losing vegetation to heat or dryness. This pales in comparison to the income of the tourist industry this season, as hundreds of thousands of gold is made from people visiting the capital city, the various scenic views, and the various non-mountain cities of Agartha. - The Kaguyan Federation: Much like the aforementioned Agartha, the Kaguyan Federation sees a heavy uptick in tourists this time of year, as people adore visiting the nation for it's beautiful forests, picturesque mountains, and myriad of unique points.
Weather-wise, they remain cloudy and temperate enough, especially in the south-western parts of the nation, with the hottest temperatures averaging around 80-85 degrees.
The Kaguyan summer festivals definitely play heavily into the concept of working hard and playing harder, as historically the harvests and magical cleansing of the area become community activities, with just as much effort being put into bombastic celebrations and commemorations afterwards. - Hippolyta: The nation of the trees doesn't feel much heat during the season, as the thick tree canopies and cool air currents keep them nice and pristine throughout this section of the year, but they certainly feel the call of summer rest as much as any other nation. Many intense periods of agriculture take place during the spring, leaving these months ideal for relaxation and reflection.
For many Hippolytans, this season consists mostly of religious fasts and rests, artistic festivals and competitions, and preparation and healing of farm fields to reduce the chance of damage to the land. For many others, it's a season of increased work in various less-typical institutions to cover the proverbial slack on top of different magical occurrences increasing with the fae also slacking off this time of year.
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