The Roaring

The Roaring, also called the Coronal Storm, is a natural phenomenon found only on the world of Iyandria. The origin of its occurrence is unknown, with nearly no references to the Roaring prior to the Cataclysm, but its effects on the world itself are clear. The climate and geography of many regions of the world are shaped by coronal storms, from the flood savannas of the Izir Sharifate to the ash-swept wetlands of the Tangzi kingdoms. To the people of Iyandros, the Roaring is an integral part of the world and its ecosystems, not unlike the daytime cycles or the change of the seasons, but that does not mean that the people of the world do not realize the event has possible supernatural elements. Many religions across Iyandria attribute the Roaring and its effects to deities and spirits, but in truth none know the true cause of this worldly phenomena.

Manifestation

The Roaring, in its most basic form, is a type of cyclically occurring solar flare. Defined by the Asharan calendar, the Roaring occurs every two weeks/fourteen days, lasting between 16 and 24 hours on average. The light from the Roaring, during clear weather, is blindingly bright. Due to the light, paired with the other dangers of the Roaring, forces most people to remain indoors or to wear protective equipment when venturing outside. Other standard weather events can change the Roaring drastically, however, ranging from strangely shifting auroras in the sky, to high altitude electrical storms which can rage for days at a time. Many names are attributed to the coronal storms of Iyandria, based largely on religious or cultural beliefs. Asharans refer to the Roaring as the Shacar, meaning "Dawn", while the Kracians call the event the Architelos, literally "Beginning to End". The colloquial term Roaring comes from the elven term Rhuo'r Haul, meaning "Roar of the Sun", after the rumbling sounds which can emanate from the sky during the storm itself. The process of a coronal storm has three distinct stages: the Whispers, the Zenith, and the Riving.
The Whispers is the colloquial term in Voreyos for the beginning stage of the Roaring. Called so because of the superstitious beliefs which have arisen over the generations, the Whispers begins with the rising of the sun on the day of a Roaring. Just before the sun begins to crest the horizon, the wind begins to act erratically, rapidly quickening and slowing down, although never rising to a significant level past a strong breeze. This strange, constant shift in the wind becomes almost melodious as the sun crests the horizon, and some believe that they begin to form words or voices carried upon the wind. Elven cultures believe the Whispers are the voices of their ancestors, sending guidance to help them, while the Ellashi believe the Whispers to be the voices of demons sent to lure the faithful off out into the wilds and away from the safety of their homes. Although referred to as a stage, the Whispers don't ever truly subside during the Roaring, instead becoming more constant and growing in intensity around halfway through the Roaring itself before beginning to dim and eventually disappearing as the on falls behind the horizon. This zenith of the Whispers has helped scholars predict the length of a Roaring, using tuning instruments to measure the increasing intensity of the sound to estimate the length of the coronal storm itself. Some specialized mathematicians, commonly known as Sunkeepers, are able to use the patterns between lengths of individual coronal storms to estimate the length and intensity of future storms.
The Zenith refers to the largest portion of a coronal storm, defined as the period of time between dawn and dusk on day when a Roaring occurs. This period is defined by the rhythmic flares given off by the sun throughout the day. Throughout the duration of the day, sun gives off blinding light, as well as magnetic pulses which cause strange weather phenomena to occur in certain regions of the world. These strange weather patterns range from electrical storms to erratic aurora patterns the nights proceeding and following a Roaring. Magical practitioners also hire Keepers to estimate the length of coronal storms, as the light given off from the Roaring has magical properties. This energy is able to be infused into kruometallic substances to be used in magical experiments and renew kruomancers' supply of energy. The Zenith can be dangerous despite its seemingly enrapturing nature. Too much exposure outside during the Zenith can cause severe damage to an individual, similar to sun burns, and a select few can contract a long-term illness known as the Red-Kiss. Called the Red-Kiss due to the small red marks which appear and disappear across the skin of the individual, the disease is usually found in children or young adults, with most experiencing chronic fevers, headaches, and many report as feeling as if their skin is constantly burning slightly around the marks, although exposure to outside air and sunlight seems to ease some of the effects.
When the Roaring is ready to end it comes to a stage known as the Riving, or as scholars refer to as, the fulmination. The fulmination begins as the the rhythmic solar flares and pulses of light begin to emanate constantly, meaning the sun no longer looks as if it is growing brighter and dimmer, instead lessening to a middle ground between the brightness of the Zenith and the standard light given off by the sun. The sun slowly begins to dim from there, although still quite brighter than it is normally. As the sun dims, it also begins to slightly shift in color, seeming to emanate slightly different shades of light as the sun begins to descend beyond the western horizon. Just before the sun disappears from view, however, a great flash of light explodes from it, casting the whole sky in a cascade of colors which lasts until the sun finally finishes its descent. As the darkness of night encroaches, oftentimes strange auroric light-shows play in the sky. These auroras are typically colored red and purple as opposed to the normal green and blue of the polar regions of Iyandros.

Localization

While the Roaring spans the entirety of the world of Iyandros, that is not to say that its effects are standard across the whole breadth of the world itself. There are five primary zones that span the world running from north to south, with each individual zone dealing with different effects that result from the Roaring itself. When describing the various zones and their differing effects, one also categorizes them based upon their latitudinal range. These 'coronal regions' are the Polaric, Transitional, and Medial zones.
Starting with the most northerly zone is the North Polaric Region, defined as being above Iyandria's northern arctic circle. Here the Roaring is an event which shapes the migratory cycles of the tribes which live here. With the tundra and ice flats nearly constantly covered in snow in some regions of the zone, the sheer brightness of the solar flare can disrupt common life. The immense brightness of the sun during the Roaring causes the land to become blindingly bright, just as a bright winter day can harm your eyes from reflection of the sun's light on the snow, the light from the Roaring reflects off of the snow and ice itself, making the risk of the Red-Kiss and coronal burns far more likely in the arctic zone. Due to the hazards of going outside during the Roaring, most tundra tribes stay within their communal tents and lodges during coronal storms, only venturing out when absolutely necessary, and even then they wear protective gear to shield their skin and eyes from the insanely bright light which covers the landscape.
Just south of the arctic circle is the North Transitional Region, defined as the land between the arctic circle and the tropic latitudes north of the equator. The North Transitional Region is one with some more variation when compared to other regions during the Roaring. Due to the magnetic pulses given off from the sun during a coronal storm, the northern hemisphere of Iyandros experiences some strange weather patterns caused by the Roaring itself. The primary variations of the coronal storms are defined by the Asharan Chantry as the Ashal and Mephal phases. The Ashal phase, named after their deity Ashar, is also called the Light Phase, as it occurs when no significant weather phenomenon interferes with the Roaring. These days are as one might expect from the coronal storms, blindingly bright with the occasional electric light-show overhead if one were to peer out their house to look at the sky. These days are regarded as holy days among the Asharans and the Ellashi, who hold their religious services during the Roaring due to the religious significance. The Mephal phase, named after a demonic figure in Asharan belief, is called the Dark Phase, when the magnetic pulses cause large numbers of rain clouds to gather in the northern hemisphere of Iyandria. When this thick sheet of clouds appears as the Roaring begins, the light of the sun is seemingly reflected off the top layer of clouds, meaning no light reaches the land below, and so instead the land being cascaded in blinding light, it is instead replaced with equally blinding darkness. Mephal phases are regarded as days of reflection and contemplation, as the Asharans believe this is when Ashar rests the sun so it may watch over us again when it is recuperated, while the Ellashi believe it to be the influence of their demonic spirits. Regardless of the cause of the Ashal and Mephal phases of the Roaring, the people who dwell here are deeply impacted by its effects. Dealing with the dangers of the Ashal phases are the same as the rest of Iyandros, forced indoors and to protect one's skin and eyes. The Mephal phases, unlike the light phases, can be more violent, as the magnetic pulses from the son can cause large gusts of wind and infrequent rain storms which pelt areas of the land sporadically.
Along Iyandria's equator is a zone referred to as the Medial Region, set between the two tropic latitudes. In the Medial Region, the Roaring is seemingly far less violent, but still equally awe inspiring. With far less erratic weather patterns to interfere with the Roaring due to the milder climate, the coronal storms around the equator are far less varied as the ones closer to the poles. Some scholars and engineers have recently began developing ways to circumvent the limitations on trading and production during the Roaring. Valedonian merchants have developed goggles which are able to block out much of the light from the sun, and paired with full body protection, allow sailors to sail greater distances at a time. Asharan monks have recently began producing heliometers, a gauge made of kruometals which can measure one's exposure based upon the duration one has been outside during the Roaring. These heliometers have become indispensable in the prevention of severe coronal burns and preventing contraction of the Red-Kiss. Despite their usefulness, these recent advancements in technology are very difficult to produce in mass quantities, and are generally reserved for the social elite or the merchant class.
Just south of the Medial Region is the South Transitional Region, running from the southern tropic to the edge of the glacial circle in the far south. Like the North Transitional Region, this zone is defined by erratic weather patterns during the Roaring. With the southern hemisphere of Iyandros mainly covered in savanna, desert, and jungle, the effects of the Roaring are still very different from the weather patterns of the northern hemisphere. The vast deserts of Erimos are defined by the cyclical sand storms which wash over the landscape as the Roaring passes over the land. The cause of these massive sandstorms is the Whispers, which in the south are far more violent, the gusts of wind enough to lift large rocks, animals, and even portions of buildings from the ground. Because of the immense danger living out in the open, most settlements in desert regions are built in between large rock formations or have specialized walls built around them to withstand against the wind. How the desert tribes survive in their nomadic lifestyle without standing structures is not entirely understood by outsiders, but many merchants have seen the Maryannu tribesmen wearing specialized garments and kruometallic goggles which both they and their camels and quaggas wear to protect their eyes from the immense light. After Valedonian merchant made contact with these tribes and began trading with the Blue City of Agea, these ideas began to spread along with the resources to make them. The central savannas of the southern continent of Erimos are drastically different from the rest of the continent, as the magnetism caused by the Roaring, alongside the various mountain ranges surrounding the savanna, cause large amounts of rain clouds to form, causing regular flash floods and storms which that shape the landscape. Due to the constant rain and flooding, the savanna of Erimos does not have wet or dry seasons like the savanna in the Simurid Sultanate, instead known for its lush nature. Golden fields of grass and ever-shifting rivers shape the landscape. The Iziri tribes of the savanna have adapted well to their homeland, building their towns and cities at higher elevations than the surrounding landscape to prevent flooding. The jungles of the south do not experience such drastic weather events, instead being veiled in humid fog as the Roaring passes which promotes the strange and varied ecosystem of the landscape. Even in a world full of varied locales, the south is deemed outlandish by most outsiders, as few can tolerate the harsh environments in which the people of Erimos live.
The far south of Iyandria is clouded in mystery, with no people living past the glacial circle and with no explorers of recent memory who have ventured to the southern ice sheets. What we do know about the southern ice sheets and how the Roaring effects it is based upon tales from the far southerners of the Kumanzi Desert and the nation of Rukar. A group of Rukaran sailor were shipwrecked on an island part of the way between the glacial circle and the southern coast of Erimos during the Roaring, forced to find shelter and wait out the coronal storm. The ship's scribe, equipped with goggles and protective gear, ventured out to the ship to find supplies and gazed south, entranced by the alien phenomenon in front of his eyes. The Rukaran scribe reported that it looked as if the air itself was sucked southwards from the north, trees half bent over as the wind whipped towards the glacial circle. Supposedly, the very air itself seemed to freeze, one moment the man was warm in his protective gear and the next he was gasping for air as his nose and mouth seemed to freeze shut. Settlers in the Kumanzi desert also reported seeing large black clouds forming on the horizon to the south, and it seemed this black cloud grows as the winter continues on before subsiding and shrinking as spring approaches. Some modern rulers and explorers have planned expeditions to the far south, but so far none have come to fruition, or perhaps simply none have returned to tell of their findings.

Type

Natural