Sun Flares and Mysteries
As the Sun grew inexorably larger in size, the peoples of the Basin of Life deal their best to ascertain the dangers that awaited them. In Serenwilde, Arian, Nuzi, and Delei assisted the naiad Isotta as she suffered from heat; meanwhile in Gaudiguch and Magnagora, Malarious and Tadhg were told prophesies from the Drachou and Necromentate, respectively. Using the shamanic arts, Dylara of Glomdoring questioned Damian Nightshade on the potential effects that Sun’s closeness might mean from the Basin’s climate; the shadow faeling impressed upon her that it was not the short-term heat that was of concern – but the possibility of what a global rise might bring.
The world became hotter and hotter, and in late Vestian, the dangers that Damian speculated came into fruition. Solar flares – the likes never encountered in the Prime Material Plane – hungrily ravaged the Basin of Life as the coronuli, embaruli, and nimbuli of Sun swarmed the cities and communes Buildings and trees were set aflame; even further regions were turned to ash under the burning gaze of Sun: Hifarae, Verasavir, Snow, Torborolla, Balach, Skarch, the Grey Moors. Thankfully, the peoples of the Basin acted quickly, bringing low the solar intruders and basking in the cool balm that Night afforded them when Her dark presence overcame the skies.
At different times, Thul, Bandeon, and Maligorn entreated the wisdom of the Queen of the Fae, Maeve, who explained that she, along with Night and Moon, was in a contest of wills to keep Father Sun’s full presence at bay. With sweat upon her brow, she mournfully remarked that if Laeroc were still here, surely he would remember the names of an ancient order of druids who were tasked to keep firm Sun’s prison.
Rumours shared upon the aetherways questioned the original arrival of Mraxin, Keeper of the Dawn from long ago, but none knew how to reach him or the distant jungle of Jojobo.
In the early evening of one of those warm days did the sky flash with light, erupting near the Southern Mountains. Mraxin, now the Perihelion, traveled through the mountains searching for signs of Sun’s wrath. Scanlan would fine him first, and soon, most of the Basin would greet the traveller. However, Mraxin was not alone. Turiki, the Guardian of the Aphelion, ventured to New Celest and rallied the people to her cause; and, after landing near Hallifax, Sidwesh, the Welcoming Dawn stood upon the lowest path of Avechna’s Peak – passed first by Gabriella and then Iytha, who greeted him with eager questions.
The Dawnburst Druids, as they would later inform the Basin of Life, work to keep Sun’s prison maintained, and seeing that His wrath fell upon them, ventured there. With the Basin’s help, the planted an elder sunpride tree at the root of what is known as the Coronal Axis – a charted pattern of Sun’s orbit that aligned itself with the leylines of the First World (conveniently located along the path of the Peak). The task required slaying the fae of sun to birth sunpride fruit and fertilizer, and after two long days of work, the feat was accomplished. Sun’s flares rained upon the Basin, but it was revealed that the elder sunpride tree could absorb such fury.
With their task done, Mraxin and the Dawnburst Druids explained that Sun’s activity was surely caused by someone tapering with the prison of the Great Spirit, and they believed it was likely the Goldenclaw Wiccans – followers of the Lion who were also their ancestral enemies within the jungle. Though they returned to the distant Jojobo, the Dawnbursts explained that if the Basin of Life needed their assistance once more, they would come.
Though the Sun’s flares had been stopped for now, the concern of the Basin of Life falls upon this single elder sunpride tree. Surely, one would not be enough to prevent the fury of the Great Spirit, when the jungle of Jojobo has many? And also, what of these Goldenclaws, who apparently seek to free Sun? A long-held mystery of the First World has now begun to reveal itself, and it would seem only the Fates know what may come.
