Eldritch Eclipses

They are usually predicted with an occasional storm-like event happening in the stratosphere, usually noticed first by astronomers. Depending on the intensity and type of storm, they can figure out when the next one will happen and which of the four Moons will appear. They have studied this phenomenon for many decades and have found patterns. They are called eclipses because no light exists other than that which is emitted by them during this event. The moonlight isn't caused by reflecting sunlight, but rather, it seems that the entire solar system is transported to a different plane of existence. A plane where the heat and light of the Sun is gifted unto us by the Moon, tempting us to partake in whatever horrors it tells us to do.

The Night of Blight

The sky is darkened by ominous clouds, a few flashes of lightning revealing their actual olive color. The air has a sense of finality and calmness, yet the stench of death and sulfur prevails. A single green Moon, puckered with blisters all over, appears behind some of the clearing clouds. It has a giant orange eye in the center, looking down upon the disgrace that is humanity. Plague and sickness fills the streets, and strange fungi and plants corrupted by parasites, ailments, and even more fungi appear. Any who try wandering the streets must be careful, wearing a cover over their face to not breathe in the toxic miasma, and to keep a look out for any diseased monstrosities wandering around.

The Night of Strife

The clouds darken once again, this time with a thick crimson blanket of lightning, flames in the sky, and a general red mist. The Moon is adorned with chains on its red body, covered with rivers of blood. A faint chanting of war hymns can be heard if you listen closely enough, but doing so will just as likely let you hear the petty arguments in the streets from those who were unlucky enough to be caught in the Moon's light. Soon, these arguments escalate into brawls, which then turn into the spilling of blood using all manner of weaponry. Once the streets are running with blood and filled with corpses, mighty warriors will descend from the heavens to dispose of the corpses and remind everyone to keep fighting, no matter what method they use.

The Night of Chaos

The sky turns a deep purple, overcast by the shadowy clouds. The Moon is a purple, rocky mass undulating with bulbous, slimy protrusions. Tentacles occasionally appear to come out of the Moon and strike at Darkguard. Physical laws might not work as established, magic might go wild or not work at all, people will randomly change personalities if exposed to the moonlight, eldritch horrors might wander around, etc. This truly is the most devastating of the Eclipses for society, but not as horrible as the next.

The Night of Suffering

Over a darkened orange sky orbits a satellite seemingly made of swirling gas, with the faces of sinners occasionally popping up amidst the gas. An evil grin is said to have been seen on the Moon itself, hypnotizing all that gaze at it. Those exposed to its light are reminded with flashbacks, both real and imagined, that nothing really matters and that they can do whatever they want, as they'll all die anyway. This turns them to debauchery, drink, and grief over imagined losses in the span of a single day. Then, once they have committed to whatever nihilistic cause they've been in a stupor for, strange angelic creatures come down from the heavens. These are most likely direct angels of the Old Gods, or at least their projection. They tempt these people to follow the Old Gods, since they were what gave these people the meaning of life (a.k.a. an existential crisis). Once they have amassed an army of such followers as these, they will join the fray of misery and despair, turning it into bloodshed and hatred as they cut down all that stands before them, including their followers' family and friends. This is by far the most demoralizing of the Eclipses and one of the biggest reasons talking about it is taboo, as people might be reminded of what happened on one such Eclipse.

Once someone is caught in the Eclipse, there is little chance of escaping it. However, it is not impossible, as the event itself is highly localized. Like a real solar eclipse, it goes across a line in a very specific area. In Ashtree, that area crosses into the northern provinces, but the southern provinces are left mostly unharmed. Only that sections seems to be transported to whatever dimension or solar system these beings known as the Moons reside in, though entering or exiting it is still possible during the Eclipse. Most people in the South have either never heard of such an event, or at the very least, may have heard sparse rumours about it. Either way, there are many who believe it's all a bunch of fairy tales. Strangely enough, rather than being in a different position each time like a regular eclipse, they always seem to target the exact same area. The first time it happened was in the year 981, so it's been 450 years since the first instances of the Night of Strife were recorded, first thought to be an irregular blood moon. They have been gradually getting more and more frequent, to the point where there's one every couple of months. It is thought to be because the Old Gods are returning. Why don't people just stay inside for the entire twelve hours this event usually lasts? Well, the country isn't exactly autonomous, so farmers still have to work in the fields, artisans must still practice their craft, soldiers must still keep watch (especially now), and traders still have to continue en route to their destination. They try to cram most of their day's work before the Eclipse or after it so that they don't have to do it during the Eclipse.