The Forever Storm
The Forever Storm is a storm that has raged around Temperil for the last million years. This storm is animalistic in nature, chasing down the animals that dare set foot in its territory. The inhabitants of Temperil have erected giant metal rods to guide the storm away from civilisation - these rods are also charging the storm as it grows stronger and stronger.
Origin & History
This particular storm formed a million years ago due to a wave of solar energy hitting the planet, causing warm, moist, air to rise and condense, forming a tremendously large cumulonimbus cloud. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary when this storm formed. After a week, temperilians were confused. After a month, they were concerned. When a year passed and this storm had only grown, temperilians had no idea what to do.
After a few years, people learned how to live with this storm. Thankfully, any remote communication used magic, which wasn't affected by the Forever Storm. The storm had unfortunately halted any technological progresses temperilians were making. Instead, their efforts focused on constructing giant metal rods, stuck into the ground far away from civilisations to hopefully draw away the storm.
These rods were able to draw away the storm, but unfortunately had an even worse consequence.
Grower
The more the storm struck these giant copper rods, the stronger the storm grew. The Forever Storm was seemingly enhanced with a rare type of magic, fulgurmancy, which causes conductive metals to not only attract lightning, but makes it grow stronger. Temperilians didn't realise this to begin with, but when the storm tripled in size to cover half of the planet in just two years after these rods were installed, it became quite apparent.
Thankfully, the storm seems to have slowed down its growth, only expanding by about a thousand square kilometres a year. The Forever Storm is so large however, that many mistake planet Temperil for a gas giant at first sight.
Predator
When something gets too close to this storm, small strands break free and begin "chasing" them. This pursuit can last hours, until the strand strays too far from the bulk of the storm and dissipates. Removing these copper rods is no longer an option, as no temperilian can possibly get close enough to extract almost two thousand, fifty-metre poles embedded into the rocky soil.
Many describe the actions of the Forever Storm as animalistic in nature. Remote observers describe the strands accuracy with its lightning strikes, capable of striking moving animals up to fifty times in a row. This number of precise strikes suggest the storm is possibly sentient. Many researchers have attempted to study this storm, to no avail.
Survival Tips
All of these tips have been prepared and provided by survival expert Nichal Ketaran, who has studied the Forever Storm for the past sixteen years.
Avoid the Rods
The storm gathers and grows strongest around the copper rods. Avoid these as much as possible. For whatever reason you have to even approach the storm, for goodness sake, avoid the rods.
Wear Bismuth
For whatever reason, the storm doesn't seem to like bismuth. The logical reason is that this colourful metal is a poor conductor of electricity, but the storm seems to actively avoid bismuth. Buy some at your local shops.
Avoid Eye Contact
As tempting as it might be, and as safe as you think you are, don't make direct eye contact with the storm, and definitely don't stare. It will send its strands after you. I speak from experience.
Be Able to Run
The storm is fast, and can catch up to a decent number of temperilians. If you get caught out by the storm, just run. It's your best option, and if you can outrun it for long enough, any strands will dissipate.
A-VOID! THE RODS! I love, love, love this. Well done!
aaaaa, thank you so much! <3