The Tempest of Six Winds Sea

The Source of Storms

At the center of the Six Winds Sea is located a raging hurricane, commonly called The Tempest, with clouds as black as the night sky and waves that could topple any ship. This hurricane has raged since the early Serene Age, and still shows no signs of ending. Forth from this storm come smaller storms, rain clouds, and violent windstorms that cause the entirety of the Six Winds to be a tumultuous sea, and the lands of the Claw Coast to have abundant rainfall. Some places receive more of the brunt of these storms than others, with Astrinth, Nid'eh Na, and The Mist-Aves receiving many storms, but Arlofos and Areino receiving nearly none (or at least very few with rain, as dry windstorms are common there). Rumors abound that there are islands still within the storms, where ruins, treasure, or even people have been trapped for ages.

Relation to Stromat

Naturally, such a colossal storm as the Tempest is associated with Stromat, the god of storms and natural disasters. Debate among both their faithful and scholars at large exists as to what role (if any) Stromat has played in the creation of such an anomaly. Some say that Stromat surely created the Tempest, as only with the will of Stromat could such an event occur. Others theorize that Stromat desires the natural process of weather patterns, and that an ever-rampaging hurricane would disrupt the ways in which they typically operate. Finally, the most popular theory is that the Tempest actually is Stromat themself, or at least a physical avatar thereof. This theory posits that either Stromat was able to pierce through Mother Aea's Godfog and leave The Divine Sphere to enter the Material plane, or that they amassed enough powerful clerics as to create an avatar for their will to be directed on the mortal world.

Pilgrims

While the Tempest naturally deters and actively prevents entry or passage by most, it does also attract a wide number of pilgrims. By far, the largest group who make the journey to observe or venture into the great storm are the devout of Stromat. These faithful come in reverence of the greatest storm the world has ever known, seeing it as, at best, the very god they worship, and at worst, a raw representation of the power that god can offer. Other than the pilgrims of Stromat, the Tempest also attracts druids who venerate storms, water, wind, or lightning. More rarely, it attracts arcane scholars who seek to learn from the catastrophic squalls and violent weathersystems spawned by the storm. Finally, it attracts more exotic entities, interested in either the storm itself or perhaps the places and items kept sequestered away for hundreds of years by the waves of the stormy waters.

Type

Metaphysical, Supernatural