Great Tempest

The Gusting Great Beast

The Great Tempest is a legendary creature assumed to be from the Age of Creations. It is one of the Four Great Beasts referenced throughout Azimuth's history. The Great Tempest is a force of nature and is often calamitous, destructive, and incredibly dangerous. Its nature, origin, and motivations are unknown.
The Great Tempest is considered a demigod or lesser idol, and there are some cultures that worship the Great Tempest as a deity, such as the Aarakocra of the Roc Cliffs.

Description

Appearance

The Great Tempest is described as a physical, roiling storm. It is a being seemingly made from solid clouds, wind, rain, and lightning in the shape of a winged-serpent of colossal size and scale. It is constantly surrounded by a massive storm system many miles in diameter.

Abilities

The Great Tempest is fiercly territorial and has been known to use the fury of its stormfront to ravage those that would tread too close to it. It has never been observed at ground level, and it is believed to possess an ability for eternal flight. How this is achieved is unknown.
There is no known reason for these attacks, and there does not seem to be any observable pattern of action or goal from the Tempest. Survivors of these attacks have relayed that some areas are torn apart by tornadoes and drowned in torrents of rain, while other areas are left only drenched by passing rain. Depending on the range of the Great Tempest, its surrounding storm can be torrential rain or limitless snow. In addition, the storm is always accompanied by lancing and arching trails of blue lightning.
Its size gives the Great Tempest massive strength and physical ability. Despite appearing to be a phyical creature, it does not seem to require rest or food. It is able to both manifest and control water air energies, and it has been seen creating giant storm systems, tornadoes, and gale force winds with little effort. It is unknown if this elemental energy is what fuels the Great Tempest or if some other force powers it.
While it doesn't appear to have a limited roving region, it has been seen most commonly in the northern reaches of Azimuth, such as the lands of Iluvitar, northern Gimora, and Parthenia.
Like all the Four Great Beasts, it is unclear if the Great Tempest is a natural, phyiscal entity and can be found somewhere in the world at any time, or if it is a manifestation of some other force and exists in Azimuth only rarely.

Legacy

• The shanty, The Four Great Beasts, seems to describe the potential origin of the Great Leviathan and the other Great Beasts.

• The Unsigned Paintings of the Great Beasts are a set of four rare, masterwork paintings that depict each of the Great Beasts. The artist of these paintings is unknown.

• The Wild Lands tradition of the Rime Rite is said to have started after a storied hero battled against the might of the Great Tempest.

History

The First Age: The Age of Creations

The origin of the Great Tempest is unknown. However, the oldest stories of the Great Beasts claim they were created by old and forgotten gods from the Age of Creations and made to do battle with the Primordial Elementals.

So the gods made protectors, four powerful beasts
And unleashed them to Azimuth, on elements (to) feast

They made them with thunder, and fire, and swell
The oceans rose up, and the mountains fell

- The Four Great Beasts Shanty

Scripture found in The Decayed Tomes from before the Third Age states, "Great Beasts forged to quell the elements shall now be the guardians of the Severance." These writings claim the Great Beasts became the holders of the Severance Keys.

The Third Age: The Age of Zenethia

In the early Third Age, Styrke's wanderings in the far reaches to the frozen northern coasts brought him to combat with the Great Tempest. Styrke was killed in the frigid north.

The Fifth Age: The Age of Beginnings

The firbolgs of Dorfaren refer to an area of the Dorr Wood as the Soot Crown. Their oral histories tell of a great storm in the early Fifth Age that killed these trees with lightning and gales, presumed to be from the Great Tempest.
At some point between 5A 010 and 5A 060, and unknown artist painted "The Great Tempest, the Butcher of Squalls". This depiction of the Great Tempest is part of the Unsigned Paintings of the Great Beasts.

Divine Classification

Demigod / Lesser Idol

Current Status

Unknown

Member of
Four Great Beasts