The Carrington Incident- A World Wide Storm

On September 1^st 1859, amateur astronomers Richard Hodgeson and Richard Carrington independently observed a solar flare, a flare big enough to be seen on their simple sun gazing equipment. That solar flare preceded a coronal mass ejection sending plasma and magnetic waves hurtling away from the sun, striking the earth. These waves became a massive worldwide geomagnetic storm lasting two days called the Carrington Incident.

Solar winds filled the magnetosphere, causing bright, vivid auroras all over of the world. The storm’s strength pushed the northern and southern lights close to the equator.  Aurora’s were reported in Cuba, Jamaica, Senegal, Liberia, and Hawaii. In California the lights were so bright, miners assumed it was dawn and started working at 1 o’clock at night. People gathered all over the world to watch the night sky’s display.

The disruption of earth’s electromagnetic field disrupted the world’s telegraphic systems. Operators complained of horrible shocks and burns, destroyed batteries, and telegraph lines jammed by auroral activity, A few telegraphs working better than ever while disconnected to their power sources.

The Carrington Incident may be the first event reported and experienced world wide. The bizarre phenomenon of that week would be perfect for a Victoriana adventure. Such huge changes to the world could have any number of causes and effects. Here are a few ways the Carrington Incident could be adapted for play:

Adventuring During the Carrington Incident

The Carrington Incident is so interesting and strange it doesn’t have to be the focus of the adventure to stand out. Its bizarre phenomenon can work well as a background, especially if the party outfitted themselves with gadgets and marvels. Whenever a character uses a marvel, the device could work more efficiently (added dice), malfunction chaotically (added black dice) or explode. The more technology, the greater the effect of the storm.

The Incident may not have only upset the earth’s electromagnetic field, but it could have wreaked havoc on the aetheric field as well. Magic might temporarily work in strange new ways. The foci of petty conjurers worshiping archons of storms, sky, or sun could be extra powerful or may suddenly activate on their own. Sigils of heat, speed, and energy might give greater bonuses or last longer than ever before. Thaumatergists may not be able to do their spells without glowing or catching on fire.

The Carrington Climax

The world wide effect of the Carrington Incident makes for a perfect climax to an adventure. What I think would be the most fun is a decade long campaign with one adventure per year spanning the 1850’s, ending with the Carrington Incident. The player characters successfully stopped the destruction of earth with only a few telegraph operators hurt and the magical energy disperses majestically across the sky.

You just have to figure out a plot evil enough to use solar radiation, the northern lights, and the entire earth.

Here are a few campaign ideas that could lead to the Carrington Incident:

A global conspiracy works to bring back magic’s lost potency by realigning lost ley lines.

Archons from multiple pantheons are being pulled together into one solar deity. Kinich Ahau, Tiwaz,

Apollo, Shamash, and others combine against their will to make a galacticly powerful sun god, and one very powerful cult.

The Royal Astronomical Society recently expelled a member recently returned from Egypt. Members murmur in back rooms of his impossible knowledge of solar activity and the strange slow moving servant in his employ.