The Flare

The Flare is a rare and dangerous event in the Kagoma System, where the star Kagoma releases an enormous burst of concentrated arcane energy. Tthe Flare is infused with pure magical essence, affecting space, planets, and all life in the surrounding system. These unpredictable events occur once every few centuries and are considered both a cosmic disaster and a mystical phenomenon with far-reaching consequences.

The Flare originates from the star Kagoma, which, due to its unique nature as a star rich in arcane energy, serves as a conduit for raw magic. Ley lines, which weave through the system and are believed to originate from Kagoma itself, surge with incredible force during the event. The Flare’s energy is indiscriminate, affecting both natural and artificial creations, often amplifying magic to unstable levels.

Duration: The event typically lasts anywhere from a few hours to several days.

Intensity: The severity of a Flare varies, with minor ones causing localized disruptions, while major ones impact the entire system.

Warning Signs: Scholars in the Eternal Empire have developed instruments to detect subtle fluctuations in Kagoma’s magical output, giving limited warning of an impending Flare. However, their predictions are often unreliable.

Effects of the Flare

On Planets and Moons

Ley lines on Avalon surge wildly, leading to natural disasters like arcane storms, earthquakes, and eruptions of raw magical energy. Enchanted artifacts and magitech devices may malfunction or become dangerously unstable. During a Flare, the imperial capital is cloaked in protective wards to shield key structures from destruction. The mining colonies on Orpheus suffer the brunt of the Flare’s effects due to the moon's proximity to Kagoma. Aetherium Crystals, which are rich in magical energy, become hyper-reactive, causing explosions or dangerous outbursts of arcane power. This leads to widespread loss of life and infrastructure damage in mining zones.

On Spelljamming Ships

The Flare wreaks havoc on spelljamming ships, which rely heavily on magic for propulsion, navigation, and defense. The sudden surge of arcane energy can overload spelljamming helms, disable defenses, or even tear smaller vessels apart.

Void Distortions: The Void around Kagoma becomes chaotic, with rifts opening into other dimensions or planes of existence. Ships caught in these distortions may vanish entirely or reappear weeks or even years later, fundamentally changed.

Crew Impacts: Prolonged exposure to a Flare can cause strange transformations in crews. Spellcasters are particularly vulnerable, as their connection to the Weave amplifies the Flare’s effects on their bodies and minds.

Mariner Superstitions: Sailors often refuse to travel near the star during a Flare, believing it to be a punishment from the gods or an omen of great disaster.

On Technology and Magitech

The Flare has a profound effect on Magitech

Device Malfunctions: Magitech devices are highly susceptible to the energy fluctuations caused by the Flare. Protective wards fail, communication devices go silent, and constructs like Warforged experience erratic behavior.

Artificial Intelligence Disruptions: Sentient AI systems, including those in Warforged or other magitech constructs, are often driven into states of disarray, exhibiting unpredictable or even hostile behavior.

Historical Flares

Over the millennia, the Flare has appeared in several notable moments of the Kagoma System’s history, each leaving an indelible mark on the Empire.

The Great Flare (7,500 years ago): The largest recorded Flare coincided with the height of the Eternal Empire’s First Crusade. Entire fleets were destroyed, and Avalon itself was devastated, forcing the Empire to withdraw from Oberon several times. The devastation also caused the ley lines to shift, altering the magical geography of the system.

The Silent Flare (3,000 years ago): This Flare occurred during the early colonization of Orpheus. Though weaker in magnitude, it caused catastrophic Aetherium Crystal explosions that wiped out several colonies. Survivors reported strange phenomena, such as voices in their minds and hallucinations of shadowy figures.

The Phantom Flare (1,200 years ago): A relatively minor Flare caused a surge of Void distortions, leading to the disappearance of multiple spelljamming vessels. The ships returned decades later, with crews claiming they had been lost in alternate dimensions.