The Storm

The "Storm" is a wide-scale supernatural phenomenon of unknown origin. Speculated to mark the ends of eras, the phenomenon is of great interest to St. Pavlov Foundation and Manus Vindictae, with both sides studying and trying to understand its nature.

Characteristics
The Storm itself is composed of four events that take place within 24 hours:


 * The manifestation of reversed rain denotes the upcoming arrival of the Storm. This rain goes in reverse and goes through any solid entity.
 * Large-scale incidents involving humans, also called Storm Syndrome, occur during the next 24 hours. The incidents vary depending on the time period, and it was observed that the related incidents are connected to the "trigger" of the Storm.
 * At the end of the 24 hours, the Storm arrives. Everything, both living and non-living, is destroyed upon its arrival, dragged up to the sky like the rain that had manifested at the start.
 * After the arrival of the Storm, the "reversing" takes place, where the present is brought to an earlier time period.

Arcanists are by nature unaffected by the phenomenon caused by the Storm, and they can perceive the changes that take effect during the manifestation of a Storm. However, only those with special bodily characteristics like Vertin, those who wear specific equipment like the masks worn by Manus Vindictae disciples, or those inside structures designed to resist the Storm like Vertin's suitcase or the premises of St. Pavlov Foundation can survive the arrival of a Storm and the reversing that follows.

Study and Speculations
Manus Vindictae has at least understood the connection between widespread fear and the manifestation of the Storm and is currently using this knowledge to bring forth their mission to return the world to "the past with the right order". They proved this by being the trigger of the Storm of 1929.

Meanwhile, St. Pavlov Foundation, more specifically Institutum Lorentz, identifies the origin of the storm to a concept known as the "Original Butterfly", whose flutter of wings from ancient times caused the Storms of the present time. The Institutum coined the term "Chaotic Energy" in relation to this theory, speculating that the Original Butterfly created the first instance of Chaotic Energy that evolved and was corrupted over time. They are currently in the search of this concept or entity while looking into times, events or places that could trigger a Storm.

1999
Although any other specifics are not known, Forget Me Not stated that the Storm of 1999 caused the blood vessels of humans to turn into cables and wires.

1966
During the Storm of 1966, humans and buildings melt into splashes of color reminiscent of comic books. Triggering event is unknown.

1922
An "artificial" Storm triggered by Manus Vindictae, this involved the deliberate cause of the American Stock Market to collapse, triggering the Great Crash of 1929 six months earlier than expected. On the day of the Storm, at least 100,000 people perceived gold, money and other objects of value to be food, and it caused hospitals to be flooded with cases of gastrointestinal illnesses.