Congruence Stormchasers

The Stormchasers are a legend like no other. A community banded together under the leadership of a mysterious figure who fell from the sky and is constantly seeking to return home.

Appearance

I encountered them once in my youth, on the plains of Caliharah. A rattling, musical wagon train with high flying banners. You could hear and see them coming from miles away! It was ridiculous, but the people on those wagons seemed so happy. It was only about twenty people, but they were all singing in time with the bells and chimes that clanged with every sway of the wagons.

Their clothing was bright too, and seemed to be made of the same embroidered fabric as the flags they fly from long poles on the wagons. The wagon train pulled into an empty field at the edge of town and the Stormchasers tumbled down, hurrying about tasks with efficiency. Children ran about helping adults. Dogs and goats and people churned in an organized chaos.

Kalani

I approached a young boy about my age (I was 14 at the time) who was taking the ox to the lake for water. He told me that the bright clothing, flags, and noise of the Stormchasers is all so their beloved Kalani can find them while flying high above. At the time I thought Kalani was a monster of some variety.

Kalani is a person, or the idea of a person (it was never quite clear) who fell out of the sky and spent their life soaring through the air on currents of congruence storms, searching for their home. Now the Stormchasers trace that ancient path, following the congruence storms and providing a home for Kalani if they ever need rest on their journey.

Life and Specializations

The boy told me he grew up with the Stormchasers and loved their traveling and singing. It’s a tight knit group, and they’ve been traveling the continent for so long that they have generational friends in almost every town. The Stormchasers seem like an idealistic group to me, and a burden on those supposed friends. They seemed to only travel with a herd of goats. Where do they get food from? How do they farm? They must rely on the charities of others. What society can thrive when people like the Stormchasers are leeching off the kindness of small villages? They would never survive in a civilized Estate.

They are a wild people. They approach congruence loosely, without scientific rigor. They flail about, relying only upon their instincts. It’s amazing any of them are still alive.

And this Kalani fellow, I don’t believe they were ever real. It is a fantastical tale that someone took too seriously, and now the Stormchasers are the result.

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Note for Writers:

Many Stormchasers do believe Kalani is still alive, but few would admit it. To them, Kalani is both their leader and a symbol. Is Kalani a real person? Are they around? That is up to you, my dear reader.

Also, Archivist Simm was extremely jaded at the time of writing, borderline indoctrinated by the Curath Estate she works for that insists that the “vagabond” lifestyle of the Stormchasers is a plague and a detrimental to society as a whole.

Livelihood

The Stormchasers raise and sell goats, as well as use the milk and meat they provide. They are experienced foragers and hunters, as well as talented craftspeople. Stormchasers frequently trade their embroidered fabric for other food and tools they can’t produce on their own. Stormchaser adepts provide an array of magical services, including healing, mending, and building.

It is true that they have friendships with families dating back across generations, and these friendships often include elaborate trade agreements. The Stormchasers are quite comfortable and well practiced with their wayfaring lifestyle.

Stormchaser Congruence Users

The Stormchasers are accomplished congruence users. When they catch a storm, they attempt any number of experiments. The power of congruence storms makes the impossible possible.

Contrary to Archivit Simm’s account, Stormchaser adepts are exceedingly knowledgeable in the casting of congruence. They have to be, in order to potentially harness the chaos of the storms. Longtime Stormchaser adepts see congruence differently than classically-schooled users, as they have seen congruence in awesome, unimaginable forms.

Founding

The Stormchasers were unofficially founded in 2025AI/0AF with the fall of the Empire of Iron. As the peoples of Aropria were forced from the security of their homes and farms during the initial upheaval, the vagabond lifestyle became a common way of life. The ancestors of today’s Stormchasers never settled down.