Alcott uses a Stormal calendar. At the beginning of every year a powerful storm rolls across the land. This seems to do damage to cities and civilized lands but tends to just brush across the open wildlands. These storms are so severe that people use bunkers to ride out the worst of them for days as it rolls across the land. The first month of each year is called the Stormseason and lasts for about two weeks. There are four years in the cycle of Alcott around the sun.
The storms are used as a manner of punishment. Leaving those to be punished out in the storm. Most die but those that survive are Stormblessed and released from other punishment. Besides prisoners very few people go out into the storms, willingly. There are messengers in large cities that travel between the bunker and those that are just crazy. All of these are referred to as Stormblessed.
As a side effect of the yearly storm, it recharges gems that light up. These gems are used all over North Morley. Most free people within the kingdom have a selection of gems. The size and cut of the gem determine how long the glow from the storm will last. Most have hours of light within them, and more rare ones have days or even weeks of use in them. The light does not dissipate if they are stored in a dark cloth bag. They are used to light up most of the cities at night. They cast light in a manner that has a slight color based on the charged gem.