Castellian Harlscurl, The First Stormrider
'Born to war, died to set us free.'
Castellian Harlscurl was the first of the Stormriders and primarch of The 'Vorago'. His actions and defiance triggered The Stormheart Rebellion and set his people free from the oppressive rule of the Yeshi. A freedom that has persisted to this day, and culminated in the founding of the Stormheld Bastion.
Eventually Aretha took matters into her own hands conceiving a baby and then using her magics to induce its gestation and birth, triggering the moment on the prophesied day. On that day she hid from the Yeshi in a distant cave as a storms of The Shattered Shelf raged about, growing with intensity as did her labour. As Castellian was birthed a thunderous crack shook the earth and sky, a sign of destiny.
Across the isles he made friends and learned the history of his people from the hidden soothsayers and broken clans, and everywhere he saw a people in decline, their spirits broken and the heart of their culture slowing. The combination of his mother's stories and the reality of what he saw began to grow within his mind, and he saw the path he was given, but knew not how to take it, or if he was worthy. As a child he was filled with doubts and worries over what must be done, impotent in his ability to truly make a difference.
With the coming of his seventeenth birthday things became too hard to keep from the Yeshi and a magistrate heard of the boy, from what source none can say. The Magistrate of Kotsmurk ordered where he was living stormed but found only his mother. They dragged her to the square and publicly accused her of witchery. Within the crowded square they hung her from a post as a warning to all others and waited as a magical storm approached, leaving her to the elements. Castellian moved forward as the crowd sought shelter around them until only he stood before his mother. The storm struck the island and Castellian felt its magic burn within him, fuelling his anger and rage. He pulled the energy from the storm and his eyes flashed with the untold power of the Maelstrom. His was thunder as he announced the end of the Yeshi occupation, unleashing his power without restraint until his rage had been satisfied and all the officials of Yeshi lay dead.
Since then, many witches of the Vorago have used the same magics to birth new Stormriders. None yet have held the strength of Castellian, but their ranks are growing and it is now considered a necessity by the Vorago for each ship to possess a Stormrider, for without their aid passing the increasingly violent storms and protecting the towns and villages of the Shattered Shelf is all but impossible. In recent memory, 'Stormriders' have grown into a guild, not only amongst the Stormheld Bastion, but across the Unitum Pact. Now it is an order, and only those that walk the spiritual path hold the magical powers, while others embody the heart and actions of Stormriders.
But it wasn't long before they began to amass these larger ships to break the back of this rebellion. Castellian heard word of their approach, a whisper on the wind and the scent of blood in the water. He collected what ships he had and set sail north, determined to intercept the fleet before they reached Kotsmurk, for the Vorago knew well the ebb and flow of the ocean, but in battle over land, or penned into a harbour they would hold little chance of victory.
It was outside Thiron the fleets collided. Castellian had moved his ships under the cover of darkness and as the Yeshi fleet left the sheltered harbour in the early morn, they sailed from the storm-waters to the west, beneath the cover of Castellians magical mist, and took the Yeshi by surprised. The captains panicked as this swarm of smaller vessels appeared out of nowhere, their formation breaking apart as they pursued small squadrons of the Vorago, confident their superior firepower would bring them victory. The Vorago darted and dodged, pulling the boats into unfavourable engagements and hidden reefs, splitting and shattering them.
It wasn't long before no Yeshi ships remained, short of one or two that limped back into Thiron harbour, only for the swarm of ships to descend on the town come nightfall and liberate it. This battle brought incredible momentum to the rebellion and elevated Castellian to the position of Primarch.
Primarch was an ancient position from the old clans of The Vorago, one that commanded all clans equally. A person who sat above clan politics and infighting. A spiritual and military leader only appointed during times of great conflict and struggle, and Castellian became the first Vorago primarch in almost a thousand years.
The destruction of the Yeshi fleet left them with little strength in the area, as their other resources were committed to other engagements and issues at home and the wave of Castellian's aggression swept across the islands of the Shattered Shelf, sweeping away all Yeshi outposts and occupation. In the space of ten years they removed what two hundred years of occupation had built and set free all beneath its shroud of oppression.
Castellian's life became one of battle and feasting, with little time in one place. He was always on the move but never alone, every action and aspect of his life powered by the storm. Every movement trailed by those that adored and worshipped him as something of a demi-god.
The expectations of his people and the Stormriders pushed him to make riskier and riskier decisions, for he had known few defeats in his role as Primarch. His need to please his people drove him on, though some who were there, said Castellian saw his end coming. His usual vibrance and excitement was quelled as they sailed from the Shattered Shelf out into the open ocean of The Troubled Sea. With the shape of Yeshi filling the horizon, it was then the Vorago truly saw the size of their enemy. For mountains and forests stretched back farther than any had seen before upon the isles of the Shattered Shelf, and before them waited a huge fleet.
Open combat in a calmer sea was what the Yeshi knew. A place where the enemies were not hidden or using magic to manipulate the environment against them. A place where their own sorcerers could fight back. The Dragon Fleet of Yeshi outmanoeuvred and obliterated the forces of Castellian, who were under-equipped and under-prepared for this new style of open naval combat and almost eighty percent of their ships were sunk. Even Castellian's magic could do little against the vast fleet so far from the Maelstrom. His final order sent the remaining ships fleeing back to familiar waters, while Castellian led the Dragon Fleet away in his legendary ship, The Stormcloud. The fleet followed, for he was their true prize and the Yeshi believed his death would break the rebellion once and for all. Castellian led them west, straight for the heart of the Maelstrom and a gargantuan storm. With the strength of the storm at his back he wielded the primordial magics creating rifts in the ocean floor to summon whirlpools and arcing lightning as wide as a ship across the ocean waves. He shattered the Dragon Fleet, but the magic burned him, dissolving his flesh and body until both him, his ship and what remained of his loyal crew disintegrated to nothing.
As the first stormrider he is remembered by 'The Stormrider Guild' for his actions and new type of magic that he passed on to them, as well as remembered in death as part of the storms he once wielded. Now all refer to the great storms of The Shattered Shelf as 'The Rage of Castellian, though legend tells when the Yeshi have been destroyed and all traces of their subjugation eradicated from the minds of mortals, the storms will fade and pass, and Castellian can rest once and for all.
Prophesied Birth
Castellian's mother, Aretha Harlscurl was a sea-witch of the Vorago and knew of the prophecy passed down amongst their kind. She waited like many of the others for that moment to become truth. Though as the Shattered Moon traversed the skies of Venya again and again, they were met only with disappointment, for the Yeshi knew of this prophecy and culled any known to them, born beneath this fateful sign.Eventually Aretha took matters into her own hands conceiving a baby and then using her magics to induce its gestation and birth, triggering the moment on the prophesied day. On that day she hid from the Yeshi in a distant cave as a storms of The Shattered Shelf raged about, growing with intensity as did her labour. As Castellian was birthed a thunderous crack shook the earth and sky, a sign of destiny.
Childhood
Castellian grew hearing of the prophecy from his mother and the other sea-witches, and with his own eyes witnessed the subjugation of his people. His mother kept him moving, always on different isles and ships, seeing the length and breadth of the Shattered Shelf. His sailing abilities and strength of heart soon became known to many he sailed with. He was a natural upon the ships, moving around as if he was born to it, and leading the other Vorago to greater heights. It wasn't long before he led crews of his own, beneath Yeshi supervision.Across the isles he made friends and learned the history of his people from the hidden soothsayers and broken clans, and everywhere he saw a people in decline, their spirits broken and the heart of their culture slowing. The combination of his mother's stories and the reality of what he saw began to grow within his mind, and he saw the path he was given, but knew not how to take it, or if he was worthy. As a child he was filled with doubts and worries over what must be done, impotent in his ability to truly make a difference.
The First Stormrider
The magic he had absorbed during his time in the womb began to show, subtly at first, but it soon was clear for those that knew what to look for, he was not normal. Tides would carry him where he wished, and his footing never faltered in a storm. Mist shadowed his approach and movements, and his actions moved at a speed barely perceptible to the naked eye. When he swam he never needed to take a breath and storms seemed to bow before him, breaking around his path without the strike of a single bolt.With the coming of his seventeenth birthday things became too hard to keep from the Yeshi and a magistrate heard of the boy, from what source none can say. The Magistrate of Kotsmurk ordered where he was living stormed but found only his mother. They dragged her to the square and publicly accused her of witchery. Within the crowded square they hung her from a post as a warning to all others and waited as a magical storm approached, leaving her to the elements. Castellian moved forward as the crowd sought shelter around them until only he stood before his mother. The storm struck the island and Castellian felt its magic burn within him, fuelling his anger and rage. He pulled the energy from the storm and his eyes flashed with the untold power of the Maelstrom. His was thunder as he announced the end of the Yeshi occupation, unleashing his power without restraint until his rage had been satisfied and all the officials of Yeshi lay dead.
Since then, many witches of the Vorago have used the same magics to birth new Stormriders. None yet have held the strength of Castellian, but their ranks are growing and it is now considered a necessity by the Vorago for each ship to possess a Stormrider, for without their aid passing the increasingly violent storms and protecting the towns and villages of the Shattered Shelf is all but impossible. In recent memory, 'Stormriders' have grown into a guild, not only amongst the Stormheld Bastion, but across the Unitum Pact. Now it is an order, and only those that walk the spiritual path hold the magical powers, while others embody the heart and actions of Stormriders.
Primarch of the Vorago
With the Yeshi presence removed from the southern Shattered Shelf, the ships of the Vorago began to come together in the somewhat sheltered harbour of Kotsmurk. The small collections began to grow over the following weeks, though there were few large ships among them, for the Yeshi held most of them further from the great storms, where they could rule the open ocean.But it wasn't long before they began to amass these larger ships to break the back of this rebellion. Castellian heard word of their approach, a whisper on the wind and the scent of blood in the water. He collected what ships he had and set sail north, determined to intercept the fleet before they reached Kotsmurk, for the Vorago knew well the ebb and flow of the ocean, but in battle over land, or penned into a harbour they would hold little chance of victory.
It was outside Thiron the fleets collided. Castellian had moved his ships under the cover of darkness and as the Yeshi fleet left the sheltered harbour in the early morn, they sailed from the storm-waters to the west, beneath the cover of Castellians magical mist, and took the Yeshi by surprised. The captains panicked as this swarm of smaller vessels appeared out of nowhere, their formation breaking apart as they pursued small squadrons of the Vorago, confident their superior firepower would bring them victory. The Vorago darted and dodged, pulling the boats into unfavourable engagements and hidden reefs, splitting and shattering them.
It wasn't long before no Yeshi ships remained, short of one or two that limped back into Thiron harbour, only for the swarm of ships to descend on the town come nightfall and liberate it. This battle brought incredible momentum to the rebellion and elevated Castellian to the position of Primarch.
Primarch was an ancient position from the old clans of The Vorago, one that commanded all clans equally. A person who sat above clan politics and infighting. A spiritual and military leader only appointed during times of great conflict and struggle, and Castellian became the first Vorago primarch in almost a thousand years.
A Life of Battle
The first major victory of the Yeshi fleet at Thiron and the capture of the town led Castellian to greater risks and victories. It seemed to those of The 'Vorago' that none could stand against them with this hero at the forefront, and their unchained rage behind.The destruction of the Yeshi fleet left them with little strength in the area, as their other resources were committed to other engagements and issues at home and the wave of Castellian's aggression swept across the islands of the Shattered Shelf, sweeping away all Yeshi outposts and occupation. In the space of ten years they removed what two hundred years of occupation had built and set free all beneath its shroud of oppression.
Castellian's life became one of battle and feasting, with little time in one place. He was always on the move but never alone, every action and aspect of his life powered by the storm. Every movement trailed by those that adored and worshipped him as something of a demi-god.
Death of a Hero
The battle of The Troubled Sea brought an end to the explosive Stormheart Rebellion and led to the death of Castellian.The expectations of his people and the Stormriders pushed him to make riskier and riskier decisions, for he had known few defeats in his role as Primarch. His need to please his people drove him on, though some who were there, said Castellian saw his end coming. His usual vibrance and excitement was quelled as they sailed from the Shattered Shelf out into the open ocean of The Troubled Sea. With the shape of Yeshi filling the horizon, it was then the Vorago truly saw the size of their enemy. For mountains and forests stretched back farther than any had seen before upon the isles of the Shattered Shelf, and before them waited a huge fleet.
Open combat in a calmer sea was what the Yeshi knew. A place where the enemies were not hidden or using magic to manipulate the environment against them. A place where their own sorcerers could fight back. The Dragon Fleet of Yeshi outmanoeuvred and obliterated the forces of Castellian, who were under-equipped and under-prepared for this new style of open naval combat and almost eighty percent of their ships were sunk. Even Castellian's magic could do little against the vast fleet so far from the Maelstrom. His final order sent the remaining ships fleeing back to familiar waters, while Castellian led the Dragon Fleet away in his legendary ship, The Stormcloud. The fleet followed, for he was their true prize and the Yeshi believed his death would break the rebellion once and for all. Castellian led them west, straight for the heart of the Maelstrom and a gargantuan storm. With the strength of the storm at his back he wielded the primordial magics creating rifts in the ocean floor to summon whirlpools and arcing lightning as wide as a ship across the ocean waves. He shattered the Dragon Fleet, but the magic burned him, dissolving his flesh and body until both him, his ship and what remained of his loyal crew disintegrated to nothing.
Revered to This Day
Castellian is revered as a martyr who gave his life so The 'Vorago' could once again know freedom and through his actions the small nation of Stormheld Bastion was founded. A statue of him built from the rock of the island stands in Kotsmurk to mark the site where he first stood in defiance against the Yeshi. Upon its outstretched arm lies a lure that attracts lightning during the great storms, granting the appearance of it manipulating the elements as he once did.As the first stormrider he is remembered by 'The Stormrider Guild' for his actions and new type of magic that he passed on to them, as well as remembered in death as part of the storms he once wielded. Now all refer to the great storms of The Shattered Shelf as 'The Rage of Castellian, though legend tells when the Yeshi have been destroyed and all traces of their subjugation eradicated from the minds of mortals, the storms will fade and pass, and Castellian can rest once and for all.
Born
2294 A.C.Died
2323 A.C.Prophecy
A prophecy passed down through the sea-witches of the Vorago told of one that would save them during their times of oppression. One that called for all to fight when the signs are seen, or they would all fall and perish.'In times of tyranny, a champion come,
From storm and sea, he'll stride from,
Born neath the Broken Moon,
To sound of thunder and typhoon.
To fight and free the people,
and set their paths equal.
And should they ne'er walk along,
Their lives will fade, their songs undone,
Till they ne'er again belong.'
Children
Oooh, a rebel! I wrote about a rebel myself for this, so this feels like it'll be a fun time. I like how the magic just sounds kind of...natural...at first? As if it just ebbs and flows around him without effort, showing off seemingly without him clearly knowing such. It shows how powerful he is. And then you have the storm post his mother's killin and just...excellent. Deserved and such a show of power. "Castellian heard word of their approach, a whisper on the wind and the scent of blood in the water." I love this line? Is it hyperbole? Is it literal? It really doesn't matter, because it's a good line and just frames the oncoming of their foe just so nicely. And what an ending! Going out breaking the enemy but dying himself in feat of violent magic. Not surprising that he is still venerated.
Hey, thanks for reading and the comment, certainly made me smile. Rebels are the best to write about and made sense with the prompt. Being a rebel definitely gives you a chance to be remembered. That use of magic is literal. His powers were so great it was as if the elements bent time around him to bring portents of the future, that were usually translated as scents and sounds. At least that was my idea for him and translates to how I want to write 'the Stormriders' when I get around to it properly.
You are most welcome! And, yeah, being a rebel definitely gives you a chance to be remembered. Oh wow. So he really is a powerhouse. And that's an interesting way to do future portents, rather than giving a vision or something, it's more like little hints that you still have to interpret the meaning of. It's a very neat idea and good luck whenever you get around to writing it!