The Eight Levels of Rain

Alven sees its fair share of rainfall during the year. Being under the meteorological influence of the oceans, precipitations are abundant throughout the year.

It is normal then that 'rain' has come to mean so much to the Alvenites, especially those living in the northern regions of the country: Farden, Farside, and Cauldfell.

It is said that Alvenites have eight ways of describing rainfall depending on the severity of the wetness coming down from the skies.

Level One - a Greydawn

As in the expressions:
'It is a well greydawn today.' or 'Greydawn always brings the wet.'
A greydawn is the type of day that starts with soft grey skies and never lets up. It might not rain yet but will do so before the end of the day.

Level Two - a Mizzle

You can just feel it is raining, but no more, just a sensation on your skin.
As in the expressions:
'It's mizzling enough to drown a tiny fay.' or 'No need for a hood, just mizzling, my Dear.'

Level Three - a Wetting

Maybe one of the most annoying kinds: light rain that still manages to wet you through and through.
As in the expressions:
'I got a nasty cold from that wetting last Cornight.'

Level Four - a Pissing

Self-explanatory: a constant flow of rain, still not too hard.
As in the expressions:
'Callie's pissing a treat today.' or 'I 'm no going into that pissing without a hood and wool.'

Level Five - a Pailload

As if the sky was a heavenly well, and buckets of water fell from it.
As in the expressions:
'a pailload straight to my well'.
Meaning: rainfall falling as pailloads is often thought propitious in Alven. It fills the wells, waters the fields and crops, and means underground reservoirs never tarry.

Of course, too much of a good thing can be a curse, and there is a saying for that too:
'too many paiilloads drown the bees' or 'That pailload will drown the bees!'

Level Six - a Gusting

Simply put: strong winds and heavy rain, but the downpour falls short of a storm. That kind of rain usually does not last very long.
As in the expression:
'Callie would lose her hat in that gusting.'

Level Seven - a Lashing

The kind of rain that bounces off the stones and other hard surfaces, usually accompanied by a storm. This type of rain is never welcome as it can damage crops and cause dangerous flash flooding in certain areas.
As in the expression:
'Another lashing from Callie and we can forget the wine yield this year.'

Level Eight - a Rattling

In other words, extreme downpour from the skies. Often used as a hyperbole for a storm, as in the expressions:
'I am no going out in that rattling' or (mild insult) 'You can rattle all you like, but you just pissing water.'