The Six Seasons of Hiraeth: How They Shape Life & Magik

The land breathes in cycles. Some gentle. Some not at all.

Unlike the world we know, Hiraeth is not divided into four seasons—but six. Each one carries its own rhythm, its own dangers, and its own relationship with the Veil and Anima. These seasons are more than shifts in weather—they are transformations of the land’s very soul. Here's how each one reshapes Hiraeth’s people, power, and peril.

Bloomtide – The Season of Renewal & Reckoning

As the cold releases its grip, Bloomtide rises—a time of thaw, rebirth, and wild awakening. The land surges with Anima as rivers swell, forests burst into life, and ancient ruins emerge from snow and silence. It is a beautiful, volatile season.

But not all life that stirs is gentle. Storms strike without warning, and creatures emerging from hibernation are often hungry—or hostile. Magik flows more freely, yet unpredictably. Shadow Weavers and Veil-sensitive elves report more frequent spiritual disturbances as the Veil thins, allowing wandering spirits to graze the mortal realm.

Culturally, Bloomtide is sacred. Tribes return to hunting paths, farmers sow new crops, and people gather for festivals honoring life, fertility, and the cyclical power of Anima. Yet it is also a time when old regrets resurface. Bloomtide does not forgive—it forces growth through confrontation.

Sunscorch – The Season of Power & Trial

When the days stretch long and the sun refuses to rest, Sunscorch begins. This is a season of fire, ambition, and conflict. Crops thrive under the heat, and so do tempers. It’s when disputes flare into warfare and warriors rise to forge their names.

Magik users, especially pyromancers and stormcallers, experience a raw surge of power during Sunscorch. But this season is not without risk—droughts, wildfires, and volatile spiritual interference in desert regions make it as dangerous as it is empowering. Kaiju and Shifters often thrive here, pushing their physical endurance and instincts to the brink, while elves and Veil-dwellers find the heat stifling, even hostile.

It is also the height of festivals and trade. Cities blaze with celebration, and alliances are forged or shattered beneath the sun’s merciless eye. Sunscorch is a crucible—what survives it emerges stronger. What doesn’t… burns away.

Midvael – The Season of Shadows & Reflection

As golden leaves begin to fall, Midvael arrives with quiet footsteps and unsettling whispers. Often mistaken for a peaceful transition into winter, this season is anything but restful.

The Veil becomes dangerously unstable. Spirits roam closer, lost souls wander into towns, and ancient horrors stir in forgotten places. The Bogborn cult, hidden within Istulyin’s Mistwood Mire, grows bold during Midvael—using the Veil’s weakness to feed their dark deity, the Mother. Shadow Weavers feel their power surge, but so does the risk of possession, madness, and spiritual collapse.

Midvael is a time of harvest and remembrance. Communities celebrate the dead, fortify their homes, and prepare for what’s to come. But unease lingers in the air. The past begins to bleed into the present—and not all ghosts knock before they enter.

Frostmark – The Season of Endurance & Isolation

Winter does not ask. It takes. And in Hiraeth, Frostmark is the harshest test of all.

Ice and snow swallow the land. Settlements vanish under storms. Trade slows to a crawl. Even magik grows lethargic. Elemental users like pyromancers and hydromancers find their spells sluggish or ineffective—though cryomancers and stormcallers reign supreme in the cold.

Frostmark is a season of survival. Communities huddle together for warmth and unity. The land itself goes quiet, but beneath the ice, old things wait. Ancient horrors forgotten by time stir in frozen ruins. In this silence, desperation brews, and not all who enter the frost come back whole.

Still, Frostmark teaches. It unites the isolated, honors the fallen, and prepares the world for its next breath: Bloomtide.

Ashlavyn – The Season of Smoke & Spirits

Not every season follows a natural rhythm. Some arrive as cataclysm. Ashlavyn is one such reckoning—a time born from volcanic eruptions, Veil instability, and shadows thick enough to choke sunlight.

Ash falls from the sky. Light dims. Across regions like Scrila, Aleda, and Istulyin, the land becomes an eerie half-world where spirits slip freely into reality. Veil rifts tear open. Creatures from beyond cross into Hiraeth. Shadow Weavers must perform intense rituals just to hold their connection to the Veil steady—or risk being consumed by it.

Ashlavyn is powerful and dangerous. Some see it as a spiritual awakening. Others see it as a curse. But everyone agrees: it changes those who survive it.

Tempestreach – The Season of Storms & Rebirth

In the tropics and coastal regions, Tempestreach strikes with thunderous fury. It is a time of rain, flood, and roaring waves. But where Ashlavyn suffocates, Tempestreach drowns.

Stormcallers and hydromancers thrive during this season, wielding torrential energy like blades. But so too do the sea’s horrors awaken—creatures like the legendary Tempest Serpents rise from the deep, and entire coastal towns may vanish in a single night.

Yet, for all its wrath, Tempestreach is also revered. It nourishes the land. It restores rivers. And it reminds the people of Hiraeth that even destruction can be sacred.

Conclusion: A World in Constant Motion

In Hiraeth, seasons are not background—they are catalysts. They shape civilizations, evolve magik, awaken monsters, and force transformation. Whether you are a farmer, a Reaper, a Shadow Weaver, or a runaway Kaiju, the seasons don’t just pass through Hiraeth.

They pass through you.