Torrential Downpour

The pioneers who first staked claims in the PNW understood that the rainy season would test all territorial boundaries. They created the Torrential Downpour as a seasonal warning - when this tag appears, it signals that the storms have arrived and all holdings are subject to washout. It serves as both warning and proving ground, a reminder that no claim is truly secure when the waters rise.

The tag is carved from storm-damaged cedar, its surface rippled as if eroded by rushing water. It bears etched lightning patterns that seem to shift in low light, creating an unsettling effect. The tag is heavier than others and always cold and damp to the touch. Most distinctive is its unusually resonant hollow sound, like rain striking a tin roof - a constant reminder of the storm that never fully leaves the Settlement.

The Torrential Downpour represents the chaotic mid-season period when scoring becomes unpredictable and established holders are most vulnerable to displacement. It signals that the seasonal pressure has arrived - a time when only those with truly deep roots can maintain their claims against the rising waters of competition.