The Tide of Ashes is a supernatural disaster that has caused worldwide devastation since the beginning of the Nightfall Era. Although the Tide seems to be a global phenomenon, affecting places as far away as the continent of Eastia, it appears to have its epicenter in the WhiteSands desert. In WhiteSands, the Tide takes the form of massive never-ending sandstorms, but it may incarnate as different natural disasters in other parts of the world, such as the floods and firestorms that devastated Eastia in N.F. 106 and N.F. 112.
The Tide of Ashes is responsive to events in the Deep Mania, such as the appearance of new Black Rings, which are observed to correlate with intense disasters occurring around the world. Likewise, the Tide can be controlled by powerful Mania entities such as the Dreamflower and the Ash Crystals that it bestowed to various individuals.The Tide of Ashes is inextricably linked with the Apostles of Ash, as its intense Mania energies represent the most common conditions under which Apostles are able to manifest in the physical world.
For protection from the Tide of Ashes in WhiteSands, sand cruisers follow official trade routes equipped with anti-Catastrophe devices. In areas not covered by the official routes, other travelers get by with small Hypercube devices. These enormous sandstorms never cease completely, but travel unpredictably through different areas of the desert. WhiteSands explorers have various signs to tell when the Tide of Ashes is approaching, such as mass-agitation of the desert's sandworms. The enormous storm periodically encroaches as far as the borders of DisCity, posing a major threat to the city and preventing its further expansion. Parts of the world without such easy access to Hypercubes must find other means to resist, and the frequent catastrophes prevent lasting large-scale reconstruction of society.