Celestial Cycles

## The Planetary Cycle

Water magic and spirits are stronger during the night than at day. At midday, they are at their weakest, and at midnight, they are at their strongest. The opposite is true of fire magic.

## The Lunar Cycle

Magic is greatly effected by the lunar cycle. Compared to magic cast during the day, magic cast during the night is subject to the moon's phase. The lunar cycle is divided into eight phases:

* New moon (there is no water magic, and spirits are at their weakest)
* Waxing crescent (water magic and spirits are weakened)
* First quarter (water magic and spirits are unaffected)
* Waxing gibbous (water magic and spirits are strengthened)
* Full moon (water magic and spirits are much stronger, werewolves transform)
* Waning gibbous (water magic and spirits are strengthened)
* Last quarter (water magic and spirits are unaffected)
* Waning crescent (water magic and spirits are weakened)

## The Solar Cycle

The border with other realms is affected by the solar cycle.

* During the spring, earth magic is at its strongest and air magic is at its weakest. During the vernal equinox, these effects are amplified.
* During the summer, fire magic is at its strongest and water magic is at its weakest. During the summer solstice, these effects are amplified. The border with the Spirit Realm strengthens during the summer. During the summer solstice, the border with the Spirit Realm is at its strongest, preventing spirits from crossing over. Wards are also at their strongest.
* During the fall, air magic is at its strongest and earth magic is at its weakest. During the fall equinox, these effects are amplified.
* During the winter, water magic is at its strongest and fire magic is at its weakest. These effects are amplified during the winter solstice.The border with the Spirit Realm weakens during the winter. During the winter solstice, the border is at its weakest, causing spirits and ghosts to wander into the lands of the living. Wards are also at their weakest.

## Celestial Events

* During lunar eclipses, there is no fire magic.
* During solar eclipses, also known as blood moons, fire magic is much stronger. Vampires become more aggressive.
* During celestial convergence, the planes all line up with one another, causing them to overlap and making travel between them possible.
* While it is merely hypothetical, it is believed that comets and asteroids are prophetic omens of ill or fortune to follow.

## The Calamities

The Calamities are a series of prophesied celestial events that spell widespread devastation.

* The Awakening: great storms and waves of mist cover the world.
* The Hour of Wolves: the Wild Hunt enters the world.
* The First Calamity: the Soul of the Harvest, also known as the Soul of Famine, enters Varden, bringing widespread blight and famine.
* The Second Calamity: the Soul of the Plague enters Varden, bringing disease and malady.
* The Third Calamity: the Soul of War enters Varden, bringing chaos and strife.
* The Fourth Calamity: the Soul of Death and the Soul of Winter enter Varden. The border between Varden and the Spirit Realm is broken, causing spirits and ghosts to cross over. The full moon persists without waning. Mist and snow blanket the world.
* The Eclipse: the Exile returns to the world, causing a lasting solar eclipse that bathes the world in the golden light of twilight and preventing the souls of the dead from leaving the realm of the living.

## Trivia

* The planetary cycle, lunar cycle, solar cycle, and celestial events can overlap with another, causing their effects to occur in tandem. For example, during a full moon at midnight on the winter solstice, water magic is at its most powerful.