The Storm of Ages

Rainfall brings the cleansing of the sky to the earth, or so it is said. But the rain that descends upon Gwir brings no healing to that cursed island - only ruin. The Storm of Ages was a blight upon earth and ocean, far beyond the power of nature to call forth. Not only did it cause incredible destruction, it was also heavily infused with the Ending, forcing any and all inhabitants to abandon their homes and research. Whether or not this cataclysm was artificial, it forebodes dark times ahead.

Ruin Upon Ruin

Prelude to Disaster

The island of Gwir is tainted, perhaps permanently so. Approximately 700 years ago, it served as the bastion of the Endsworn, its civilisation erased by the ravages of war. Even after the destruction of their dark citadel, the Endsworn's legacy remains - no mortal race has ever tried to retake the surface, for fear of the shadows that may still walk its ruins. Whatever small steps towards reclaiming it have always been underground: the ikayal of Liyru set up a small research town in a cavern facing the city, while the humans conducted... less savoury operations in other areas.
Despite the dread atmosphere, however, progress had been made. A research expedition was sent out to explore and analyse as much of southern Gwir as possible. The pioneer town underground flourished, as it became clear that the island was haunted by memories instead of danger.
If they had only known.

Climactic Calamity

On the day that the research expedition was meant to return, the skies were blotted out by a mass of thunderclouds. Such weather was infrequent, though not unheard of, so few took notice. But when only two of the three researchers returned, warning of strange activity in a ruined tower, the pioneer town took early precautions and began to evacuate via its nexus system.
The stormbreak was heralded by tremors, obstructing many escape routes in the humans' base of operations. In the quickly-emptying ikayal town, the murals they had spent so long constructing were partly destroyed, and the cavern was blocked off from the ocean by falling debris. A little while later, the nexus tunnel itself collapsed, entirely cutting the island off from the southern continent. These earthquakes are, like the ensuing storm, of uncertain cause, and whether the two phenomena are connected is likewise unclear.
When the clouds finally broke, it became immediately clear that there was something wrong with the Storm. Ocean mage observers, sent forth by Liyru's Council, reported the suffocating aura and telltale stench of the Ending, and were forced to turn back lest they run out of wyr to call upon, and sink beneath the waves. Any ships that had set sail at the time were undoubtedly wrecked, for the weather had been worsened - either by the innate curse over Gwir, or some driving, malevolent will. Further research on the Storm has thus far been impossible: its extreme recency means that the island is still afflicted with lethal levels of the Ending.

False Denouement

Perhaps the Storm is nothing more than that - a disaster, though terrible, no different from the other phenomena which haunt Wyral. But the Council of Liyru is on edge. The last time Gwir was stirred like this, it marked the beginning of the Endwar. The resurgence of the Ending is a fact they are desperate to keep secret, lest it cause mass panic in the city. But the Storm has awakened too many things to be kept silent for long.

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane