Flooding of the Mehr

Pivotal Transformation

Legends say the Mehr River used to flood on a whim, from still to raging in an afternoon. With little chance to prepare, the people of Su-mehr Qiamp suffered through lost homes, crops, and lives. Their every earthly attempt at managing the river's temper failed, so they prayed to Melahr, their patron deity, for aid. In response, Melahr tied the river's flooding to the cycles of the glittering moon.   This is how the flood season came to be: A predictable time of the year in which the waters of the Mehr rise and skies pour forth with rains. The floods remain dangerous, but now that they're able to plan and prepare, the Qiampians can make the floods far less deadly, and even beneficial.  

Predictions

The glittering moon only comes into view for three months of the year. Its sight signals the change in season, and brings the rising water levels with it. The end of its third lunar cycle will summon the rains. Augurs track this carefully to predict the timing of the rains, while also checking for other signs to indicate the severity of the floods.   Augurs compare observations to provide the most accurate predictions they can, which in turn inform how people prepare for the season. However, the gods seldom leave guarantees. Even augurs remind people that their predictions could always be wrong.  

Preparations

Preparations for the floods are numerous - from instructing children what to do in an emergency, to stocking up on food and water, to sealing doors and shoring up flood barriers.   Farmers and farmhands manage systems of dams and levees to direct flood waters to certain fields or containing pools. The waters are used for irrigating, fertilizing, controlling pests, harvesting, or even growing produce that requires extended submersion in water. If they over-prepare, their fields won't get enough water. If they under-prepare, their fields will remain water-logged through the growing season.   The most important preparation, however, is deciding what to do when things go wrong. Venturing into the waters to fix or adjust something during the floods is the primary cause of death during the season. At some point, everyone has an opportunity to decide if the fix is important enough to risk their life over.