When Calamities Descend, Beginning with the Duanwu Cataclysm

On the other side of the mundane world, the eternal recurrence of calamities manifests through traditional festivals—now twisted into "calamity days" that shatter peace and forge an extraordinary age of chaos. In the Duanwu Cataclysm, the Rice-Dumpling Blight devours fertile fields, mountains, and forests; grotesque molts from the river depths warp all living things beyond recognition; calamus and mugwort turn demonic, wreaking havoc day and night; ghost-dragons take the form of boats in frantic races. The Qixi Cataclysm brings an endless night, where a dim moon eclipses all life, forcing humanity to survive by passing down embers from generation to generation. The Chongyang Cataclysm withers the sacred trees and doubles the malignant suns; the Laba Cataclysm unleashes an unceasing hunt, with gods and buddhas offered as sacrifices. Twenty-four lesser calamity auras accompany the major traditional festivals, to say nothing of foreign lands where the Resurrection Calamity, Halloween Calamity, Christmas Calamity, and many more reveal ominous portents. "Perhaps for people like us, 'happy holidays' is really a reminder that calamity days come swiftly," muses a certain mute girl already trapped deep within the calamity. In short, this is a Chinese-style tale that deconstructs festivals into "calamity days," infusing folkloric elements with the dark, atmospheric tones of soulslikes and action RPGs.