TRANSYLVANIA GAZETTE

The waning crescent moon, though absent from the firmament, casts a pale spectral wash through the heavy storm clouds that occlude the stars, their ragged edges swallowing what little light remains. Overcast skies, bearing 86% cloud cover, press down upon Scarlet Ridge, while a dense valley river fog creeps upward, muffling the observatory in a nocturnal shroud. The thermometer registers 37°F (3°C, 2.3°R), with dew point at 32°F (0.2°C), and the hair-hygrometer confirms the saturated air that clings to every surface.

The mercury barometer has fallen to 29.73 inHg and continues its descent—a s…