#it’s a good day for it too. 13 celsius; not raining; not too sunny. breezy. it’s like 90% humidity but you can’t have everything

[fingertipsmp3]

Going for a run when I don’t want to makes me feel like the most productive person alive idk

[projectsuminda]

World Building June 2017 - Day 30: Weather

It’s finally here - the end of the month!  I could not do so last year, but this year I can finish this prompt once and for all!  Here we go...

Solevaille

When you think of the Alps, the first thing you might think of is snow, right?  Well, first of all, there is not as much snow up on those mountains in general as most people think, and second, thanks to being in a riverside valley, the weather in Solevaille is quite moderate.  The mountains surrounding the town help to shield it from high winds, such that only light breezes blow by most of the time.  Many storm clouds lose their pep by the time they reach this valley, so precipitation is not that heavy either.  In fact, one of the reasons why the town was called Solevaille was because of its high rate of clear weather throughout the year.

The most precipitation hits the town in summer and winter.  In summer, many winds blow high over the mountains, causing rain clouds to blow in unpredictably.  This rain is rarely heavy, but has caused many annoyances and complaints of ruined hair or clothes.  Dolls, especially, do not seem to like rain very much, and will rush inside whenever it comes.  Other than that, summers in Solevaille are quite mild compared to lower elevations.  Winter, on the other hand, can get blisteringly cold, even when sunny.  On the plus side, though, snowfall is light and winds are low, and on many sunny days the air sparkles with diamond dust.  Spring and fall are the windiest times of the year, though these winds have inspired painters up in the hills who would sketch the petals and leaves that dance around in it.

Okay, so what about the Deathly Glade?  Well, the weather in the Deathly Glade is constant.  It is always cloudy, always dim, and always still and dry.  The temperature is a constant 13 degrees Celsius, and the air is heavy and even slightly abrasive, to both the body and the soul.

Orenya

I talked extensively about the Sky in that prompt, but here is where I talk about phenomena closer to the ground.  The magisphere was mentioned many times as an atmospheric layer with particles that enhance aural energies, but remember that Orenya's atmosphere in general is very thick.  Most of this atmosphere consists of gases like ozone that form a protective and insulating shield to stabilize life below.  But the most important to the weather are its inner layers, collectively called the "barosphere".  It is called such because it occupies the same space as the magisphere, interacting with it and producing fluctuations that can be felt as differences in pressure.

Most notable here are the presence of clouds within the barosphere.  Clouds can be fluffy like those on Earth, but will hardly ever remain so.  Magisphere distortions enhance the electrical charges running through these clouds, so as a result, the clouds are almost always an off shade of grey, and will often have flashes of sparks within them.  Such clouds are abundant in warm and wet areas, where in some cases the sparks will appear while sea water evaporates.  It also happens frequently in Zurem, where the clouds will react with both the aurora and moonlight.

One general rule of thumb here is that air likes to move from cold places to warm places as air rises in the latter.  In western Zurem, dry winds from the Void mingle with warm mists from Zurem, creating little mist tempests that wander across the landscape.  However, unlike tornadoes, these do not cause much damage besides maybe an herb plant being rustled about.  In western Rumia, refreshingly cool breezes blow through the Three Sisters from Zurem, while its warm air rises high toward Furmia and drops any moisture as snow.

Storms are a big deal on Orenya.  Thunderstorms are the most peculiar, since the electrical charges leading to one interact with the magisphere.  Clouds filled with these charges will descend toward the ground and then flash a small bolt.  Unlike thunderbolts on Earth, Orenyan ones do not do much damage... at least physically.  Rather, it damages the third eye, rendering one unable to use magic for anywhere from a green-arc (about a week on Earth) to an amber month (about 2 Earth months).  However, crystals, metal objects, and glass will acts as lightning rods for these, so often times what look like pikes with metal, glass, or crystal tips will be installed around dwellings in the event of a storm.  At times, people even harness these bolts as a form of consecration or even for powering up a staff.

Weather-working and forecasting is a less common magical practice on Orenya, but still important.  Forecasting is more common as it is seen as akin to divination.  It is much more accurate than on Earth, as not only are fluctuations in pressure more prominent due to the barosphere, it is possible to tap into its interaction with the magisphere to get an idea of what is to come.  Some such forecasters report to or are members of the Danramin, who will report particularly dire weather forecasts to the Miamin.  One branch of the Miamin consists of experienced weatherworkers who will first contact the god of Telwenthe (one of Orenya's moons, characterized by silvery clouds and attributed to the element of Air) for an additional forecast, and then they will report back to the Danramin, who will coordinate with the Miamin and the locals to ward off the threat.  Natural disasters like tidal waves, hurricanes, and unusually nasty earthquakes have been averted this way.

One other thing that occasionally appears on a forecast is the weather being due to an unnatural cause.  More often than not, this is caused by someone manipulating the weather without authorization, sometimes with malintent.  They may be caused by evil sorcerers experienced in weatherworking, or even distressed spirits who "haunt" an area by altering its weather.  These incidents may involve weather events being cursed - for example, rain that brings sickness, breezes that choke one of air, or even mists that drain one's energy.  There was even one incident in Drenlin where a sorcerer enchanted the place to increase the temperature and make the sunlight seem stronger, such that it would melt the skin even off of sumiri if they stayed in the sun too long.  When a problem like this arises, it may be taken care of by the Miamin if the problem is a malignant spirit, or if a person is involved, it will be the job of the Oradamin to stop them.

I will finish with the general climate of the major towns and a few other areas of Orenya:

Drenlin: The place is removed from the ocean and is at higher elevation, so few clouds pass through here.  Instead, cool breezes sweep in from the mountains, heading south towards warmer areas.

Hakushiari: Lots and lots of fog, and very high humidity.  Clouds here are low and especially prone to magisphere disturbances.  During eclipses especially, ghost-like apparitions often appear in the fog.

Three Sisters: Cool and breezy, but also humid.  As a result, the place gets a lot of rain, and can be quite stormy overall as it borders right on the Angry Sea.  The place is also famous for ocean waves that take unusual shapes in the wake of the aural disturbances caused by thunderstorms.

Setsunadri: The Rumia side has the hottest average temperatures on the planet, since no cool breezes blow in from Zurem (due to the proximity to Taburoi).  The Zurem branch, meanwhile, has similar weather to the Three Sisters, except it's eternally dark here.

Angry Sea: This place is home to spectacular storms, with clouds whipping about the sky and massive cyclones stirring up the waters below.  It is practically always stormy here, as the water is very warm and evaporates readily.  In fact, it is estimated that up to 75% of all clouds on Orenya originate in the Angry Sea.

Sonaria Desert: This place is an uninhabitable wasteland due to the scorching temperatures and harsh sandstorms.  The sand here is also very abrasive, so as a result, anyone unfortunate enough to die in here will have they body eroded away by these sandstorms.

Azuhala: It does not rain as often here as it does in the Three Sisters, but the rain is very warm, which happens in the presence of very cold winds that blow in.  Also has an excellent view of the storms of the Angry Sea.

Sharun: Very dry and warm, with little wind.  Occasionally, though, tendrils of cool fog will blow in from Zurem.  When there is wind, that's not a good sign, as it will often be accompanied by a sandstorm blowing in from the Sonaria Desert.

Heavenly/Aurora Mountains: In Rumia there are breezes that blow down the slopes toward Drenlin.  In Zurem there are clouds that are distorted by the aurora, which may produce snowy winds or avalanches that head toward Nendari.

Theani: Receives a trickle of warm mist from Rumia, on top of thin cloud cover warped by the aurora and the four moonlights.

Taburoi: The volcano is mostly dormant, but lava movement beneath its surface will set off small earthquakes in the surrounding areas from time to time.  (Strong enough ones can be felt in the Rumia half of Setsunadri.)  Clouds of ash will fuse with clouds moving in from Rumia to produce a moist coal-like substance that can be used as fuel.

Leshinen: Prone to earthquakes whenever Taburoi experiences the slightest bit of activity.  Here, caverns are specially enchanted to prevent from caving in.

The Void: This cold, dark desert is prone to small dust storms on occasion, but otherwise is chillingly still.  Hardly any clouds pass through here, making the place even more ideal for stargazing.

Nendari: Very still air, and also very cold as it borders on Furmia.  Instead of rain, this place receives snow, which occasionally trickles in from the Aurora Mountains.  The mountains themselves are prone to avalanches, but Nendari is just far enough away to not be affected.