Xonnir

The Stormbringer

"The second child born from the union of shadows and vengeance was a being whose first breath brought a gust of wind to tear across the world. His anger was the rising rumble of thunder and his joy was the flash of lightning. Each step the child took made the ground shake. And Xonnir the Stormbringer strode across the land like a hurricane."

Legend

Xonnir is the son of Tixan and Iartus, and the younger brother of Yena. Born during the Era of Creation, he brought at first simply destruction. The storms that he created were too powerful and uncontrollable for anything to withstand them. His very birth unleashed the first storm Galactus had seen, which tore across the entire planet, flattening swathes of forest and shaking the ground until the mountains uprooted and volcanoes erupted. It took the combined efforts of Althea, Termin, and Ceria to calm the chaos. Iartus and Tixan, of course, were pleased with the destruction their son had caused and believed mistakenly that he would assist them in overthrowing the other deities. However, Xonnir's chaotic nature was something they could not control. Rather than pick a side, Xonnir took delight in throwing both into chaos. The power of storms could not be harnessed by good nor evil. Xonnir might disappear for years, and just when the world let down its guard, return with such vengeance as to cause yet another disaster.

At some point during Xonnir's travels across Galactus, he grew lonely. Xonnir gazed at the cold ocean below and wished for a companion, someone who could follow him among the waves and wind. In despair, he dived deep into the depths of the ocean in search of such a companion. There, he found a civilization, untouched by the war the deities were waging amongst themselves. Xonnir lived among the seafolk for years, in a time known to the rest of the world as the Great Calm. He eventually fell in love with a mortal by the name of Dhazas, and the two lived happily for some time. Soon, however, his underwater haven was discovered by his mother Tixan, who in her rage at finding her son living with a mortal, laid waste to the peaceful seafolk. Dhazas was mortally wounded in the conflict, and as he lay dying, Xonnir tried to save him. He channeled lightning through the Triton's failing heart as Dhazas lay in his arms, but Xonnir's efforts were not enough, and Dhazas drew his last breath. In grief, Xonnir expelled such violent force that Tixan's physical form was vaporized into nothing. In the epicenter of this eruption, however, something quite different began to occur. As Dhaza's body was consumed by the heat and steam, a different body began to take shape next to Xonnir's heart. When the storm faded, a small form fell into Xonnir's open hands. It was a small girl, who possessed an uncanny resemblance to Xonnir's lost lover. Indeed, as she grew before his eyes, it became apparent that this new being was a child born of the love between Xonnir and Dhazas. She looked at her father with lightning in her eyes and the ocean bent to her will. This was Pyara, the newly-born deity of the sea. Together, Xonnir and Pyara travel across the oceans, greeting its inhabitants with familiarity and affection.

Xonnir in Modern History

Xonnir is honored predominantly by sailors and farmers, folk who depend on the weather for their livelihoods. Although he does not have a feast day, many sailors will host a celebration in Xonnir and Pyara's names, making offerings and saying prayers to ensure a safe trip. Likewise, farmers will include prayers to Xonnir at the start of their planting season during the Feast of Vytos. When strong storms hit, it is said that Xonnir is raging in the sky.

In recent centuries, storms have become increasingly frequent and are becoming more and more powerful. Some scholars believe that this is linked to the increased number of shipwrecks and accounts of harrowing encounters on the high seas. Sailors who survive these incidents tell tales of gargantuan monsters rising from the ocean to attack ships, massive waves appearing out of nowhere, and the occasional glimpse on the horizon of a distant figure surrounded by whitewater.

Divine Domains

Storms, Earthquakes

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Storm cloud with lightning bolt