The Summer of Burning Snow

Following the eruption of Klauth's Fury, a massive cloud of ash and noxious smoke hovered in the skies of Galactus for several cycles. It spent a particularly long time above the Jade Sea region, given its proximity to the eruption. This summer is now known as the Summer of Burning Snow.

In late spring of BV 432, the folk of Judera and Qopith noticed a looming, dark cloud on the horizon. It drew slowly nearer over the next few days, and when it came close enough to see clearly, they realized that it was a massive cloud of ash. A few days later, as the cloud reached land, the first flakes of ash began to fall.

The ash was still warm from the boiling heat which was trapped within the cloud. Temperatures rose as the cloud rolled overhead, despite it being thick enough to block the sun entirely. The folk of the Jade Sea spent a few cycles in pitch dark. But the ash was not simply warm. When mixed with water, it produced an acidic liquid. Contact with the ash caused folk with more sensitive skin, or skin not covered in fur, feathers, or scales, to turn red and develop a stinging rash. Touching the liquid caused similar but more severe results. The acidic liquid caused severe intestinal stress and could lead to death if untreated.

The ash hovered above the continents for the entire summer. Most folk huddled indoors, sheltering from the stinging effects of the ash. It piled on the ground in great drifts, resembling dirty brown-gray snow. Unfortunately, this event also had a detrimental effect on plants and wildlife in the region. Crops failed from a lack of sunlight, combined with drought and damage from the ash covering them. A great famine followed, and many kingdoms and countries in the Jade Sea region declared emergencies and sought assistance from other continents. While the other continents had also experienced this cloud of ash, it was not nearly to the same degree and as such the crops there fared better. Many folk in the Jade Sea region died that winter from a shortage of food stores and water.