================
| Introduction |
================

The world is controlled by cycles.

Everything in nature, everything created by the Divine, and everything
created by Mortals revolves around a cycle.

The moon starts off black in the sky, gradually getting brighter and
larger until it hits the peak of luminosity when it is the crown jewel
of the night sky. At this exact point it becomes smaller and dimmer
every day until it returns to blackness. A cycle has been completed.

A mortal being begins in darkness until it is born. It starts off as
weak as it will ever be. As the years pass, this pitiful creature grows. It
becomes larger, stronger, and wiser each day... until one day it does not. At
the very instant it reaches the height of life, it begins the descent. It slowly
becomes slower and weaker; its mind begins to grow clouded. And then it dies,
returning to darkness. A cycle has been completed.

At the beginning of modern history, Magnagora controlled the entire
Basin. Every village from Rockholm to Southgard, from Angkrag to
Dairuchi swore allegiance to the Engine of Transformation. Then, slowly,
everything faded away. Villages pledged their support to other powers until
nothing remained of the once complete Magnagoran Empire. But once again,
Magnagora gains power and has begun reclaiming what was once theirs. A cycle is
in progress.

There are countless examples of how cycles control the world, but it is
important to realise that not one of them is independent of another, that
nothing stands alone. The most simple of cycles can cause ripples and waves that
affect the very fabric of the Basin. And thus, the theory postulated here is as
such: The changing of the Seasons, perhaps the most common and broad of cycles,
has a direct effect on the power and strength of Elemental Magic.

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| Winter |
================

Wind Climaxed
Flame Diminished
Stone Receding
Wave Ascending

Winter has long been considered the Season of Water. While witnessing
the abundance of snow and ice the Winter months bring, it is easy to see why
such a mistake could be made. Yet it is the frozen Wind that
controls this Season. At no other time does the Wind have so many
effects. Biting, Howling, Gusting. The snow brings joy to children and
the ice brings crystalline beauty to the forests, yet the Wind brings
only death. Countless creatures, sentient and wild, have met their
demise because of the frozen knives of the Winter Wind.

The Earth rests now, biding its time. The Winter Winds can do little to affect
it, yet it cannot affect the Wind in its time of dominance. While it can block
and hold back the brunt of the Wind, the cold envelops it, turning it as cold as
ice.

The Flame struggles to get a hold on the lands saturated with frost, and it
provides the strongest protection from the Wind. Yet it can only hold sway in
small areas, protected by the Earth from the fury of its opposite.

==============
| Spring |
==============

Wave Climaxed
Earth Diminished
Wind Receding
Flame Ascending

Spring is the dominion of Water. During these months, the rain pours
down in unprecedented amounts, the Sea swells, rivers flood, waves are
higher than at any other point of the year. Furthermore, the rain
provides for new life, releasing the world from the chill grip of the
Winter Winds. Even the Skarch Desert, a land normally devoid of any
Water, will fill long-dry riverbeds during the Season of Water.

The Wind has begun to recede. No longer does it howl with the daggers of
Winter, now it serves the Water. It pushes the waves, it carries the rain, it
rustles the new plants. The longer Spring stretches, the weaker Wind becomes.

The Earth is at the mercy of Water. All it can do is absorb the
incredible amount of Water poured upon it and wait for the rains to
cede. Yet the Spring is important for the Earth, for without the Water
it provides, seeds of the forest and farm would not take root, would not grow
to feed those who live upon the world.

The Fire slowly raises its head. Starting off timid in the beginning, it gains
power and confidence as the months roll inexorably forward. Free from the Winds
of Winter, it must now contend with the Water of Spring, yet its influence
becomes stronger and more noticeable towards the end.

================
| Summer |
================

Flame Climaxed
Wind Diminished
Stone Ascending
Water Receding

Summer is the undisputed kingdom of the Flames. Broiling heat controls
the Realm, the sun shines bright with the promise of Fire. The entire
Basin basks in the Fire of Summer from the southern desert to the
northern mountains.

Wind is at its lowest point. Barely able to conjure more than a slight
breeze, it can only serve to alleviate some of the extreme heat of the
Season.

Water too serves the Fire. While it still releases itself in the form of a
Summer rainstorm, these occurrences are brief and far between. The Water serves
to soothe the heat from mortal beings during these months and it does its job
with relish.

The Earth basks in the Summer heat. The Water dumped upon it during the Spring
is completely dried up. The barren rivers of the Skarch once again shrivel into
dust. Plants that took root in the Spring now
flourish in the Summer, preparing for the next stage of their growth.

================
| Autumn |
================

Stone Climaxed
Wave Diminished
Wind Ascending
Fire Receding

The Autumn is the time of the Earth. It is the time of the harvest, when all
crops planted for that year are gathered from the Earth and taken to storage. It
is a time when measures are taken to improve quality of the soil for in
preparation for the next year's planting, when the mood of the Earth means the
difference between starvation and comfort.

The Water is at its weakest. Almost no rain falls in this Season, and
the combination of the intense Summer Flame with the lack of
reinforcements causes the sea to be at its lowest point. While the Water gives
birth to the plants, the Earth oversees their demise.

The Flame slowly recedes. Starting off strong in the beginning, it
gradually weakens until it is but a shadow of its former glory.

The Wind sees its opportunity. Gradually gaining confidence as the
Summer becomes a memory, it fights with the Flame as the Season goes on,
eventually winning the struggle and bringing another Winter to the
Basin.

====================
| Implications |
====================

The implications of this particular cycle can be difficult to notice.
Like the effect the moon has on the tides, the result of this process is
subtle, not overt. It should be noted at this juncture that there is little to
no increase in the offensive capabilities of a Mage when it is their respective
Elements' Season of dominance. In order to clearly explain why that is, we must
provide a mental cue.

Think of Elemental magic as a series of wells. Each Element (Fire,
Water, Earth, and Air) filled to exactly the same height. The height
represents the strength of that Element. Raw offensive power, such as
that which is released with a Magi Staff, just skims the top off of the well.
Because of this, all Elements have the same amount of destructive power. It is
important to remember that a Mage's power comes directly from their respective
Elemental Plane, and the Planes themselves do not have Seasons. However,
environmental conditions on the Prime Plane can bolster the effects of the
Elements. For example, it is much easier to cause a flood in the middle of a
Spring rainstorm than in the midst of an Autumn drought.

Where this cycle comes in is the depth of the Magic. Returning to the
wells, imagine an Element in its Season of Dominance to be a well that
has been dug deep beneath the Water while an Element that is in its
Season of recession just barely stops beneath the fluid. They are the
same height still, but one has more to pull upon. The prime example of
profound Magic being cast in conjunction with the Seasons was Project
Cosmic Hope. This experiment, using the Stone of Truth in Magnagora, was
performed in the middle of the Autumn Season. The most important Earthen
experiment of the modern day, the event that changed the course of the Basin,
was performed in the centre of Earth's supremacy over the Elements. Magic like
that, Magic that requires deep thought and an intricate hand, will benefit from
the changing of the Seasons.