The Tale of the Storm Brothers

The Tale

  Before the dawn of the age of mortals, the world was dotted with the ruins of the great Empire of Giants and the destruction from their war with Dragonkind. The gods peered down at the orb beneath them. The world of Omeath having just survived the great conflicts of colossal creatures, the gods of the Giants felled like their children's empire, as other gods seek to recreate and start the world anew. Two of these gods, brothers born from a great cosmic hatch, were known as Shulos and Nimbur. Nimbur was the stronger of the two, he held great dominion over storms. He held dominion over waves, winds, and clouds wherever he roamed. Despite his great power and strength, he found difficulty controlling his power. Not only could he not control his great power, his ability was also thwarted by his inability to see. Born without eyes, he was blind to the world and could never see the storms he conjured. He only felt their powerful gusts and smelt the rain in the distance. The more he tried to contain, the more they grew in his body. Aches and pains shot through him from storms wishing to be unleashed. His frustrations with his power grew into rage from the young god. But his emotions were kept in check by the doting of his kind brother. His brother Shulos was a weaker god, but held a great intellect. Shulos cared greatly for his family, doing anything for his brother. He saw how the inability to control his storms troubled him. He began to hatch a plan with his brother. Shulos whispered to Nimbur "Brother, let me help you. Let me take the ache from your bones. Let me help you release your storms. Put them somewhere they can cause little harm." He began to hatch a plan and schedule for when the storms can be released upon the empty world below.   Nimbur conjured great storms, having faith in his brother. He felt relieved that he no longer had to hold these great catastrophes inside him. He could feel their gusts, their pouring rains, their powerful waves. Shulos would assist in aiming and placing the storms across the world. Deciding when and where the storms should go. He worried about what it could be like upon the surface of the planet, but worried for his brother more. As his storms became more powerful, and his aches grew in severity. Shulos pleaded with other gods to allow his brother's storms to touch their planes, but he was turned away. The gods saw his destruction and wished for it not to touch their sacred realms.   Upon the surface of Omeath, another god goes to work. Almara, Lifebringer and ruler of the sun begins to sow the seeds of life upon a ruined world. She is one of the many gods to do so, trying to populate the surface of this world with their own creations. She began to forge creatures and plants. One of her creations held sapience. In the southern realms of the world, several tribes of humans sprouted from her gentle nurturing. She lifted them from the arid landscape, sating their thirst from the nearby rivers. They praised her and offered sacrifice. However, as time went on and she looked away to other realms to populate. Her sacrifices dwindled and her prayers softened. She wondered what could be happening to her devoted worshippers. She looked down upon the world and recieved a message from a desperate priest. "Mother of light, Lifebringer. Hear our prayers. Our people are desperate for your aid. We have been set upon by countless storms. Cyclones tear up the ground. Floods drown our homes. Lightning strikes our fields and they catch fire, only to be drowned in further rain. We have nothing to offer, all has been lost in the great storms. We hope our paltry offerings please the Lifebringer." She looked to the realm of her people and saw the destruction. Storms sprawled across the surface of the lands who sent her prayer. Not only there, but across the surface. Everywhere she had tried to sow the seeds of life, it had been torn apart by terrible storms. Other gods grew angry as their creations were torn asunder and washed away by the weather. She swore to put an end to this, once and for all.   She hunted throughout the realms. She searched for the source of the great storms. She travelled to other planes, seeking assistance from neighboring deities, they told her of a powerful storm god and his brother. The brother sought to unleash great storms in their own realm, but they turned him away. She continued to search and search, until one day she witnesses a storm form from a collection of great clouds. She sees a god who is eyeless and strong. He summons great winds that twist into a powerful cyclone. Another god stands at his side, urging the blind one to go further. She witnessed this storm conjured by powerful beings but was too late to stop them. As the storm is born, it tears into the ground and a pang of relief spreads across the blind god's face. A look of support across the other. They run into the void but are chased by Almara.   She chased the brothers into the void and her voice echoed among twinkling stars. "What have you done!" she shouts at the fleeing gods. Shulos turns back and looks upon the form of Almara. Conjured from flame and light, locks of flowing hair licking up like flames. She stares at the gods with amber orbs of fury. Nimbur quickly turned, enraged by the interruption and tone. Shulos turned with a calm demeanor towards the angry godess. He wished to explain but was grabbed by Almara's strong grasp. She summons a chariot of gold and carries them both away to her realm in the sun. Both carried and dropped into a courtyard of golden grass and soft soil. A bright sky of gold and pink. Before them sat a throne of solid yellow light. They had never met this godess. One made of light who held such kindness in her eyes, betrayed by the fury of a mother whose children had been hurt. Shulos was questioned by the godess, "Who do you think you are? You have torn up the ground with winds powerful enough to flay trees. You have drowned villages under torrents of rain. You have struck fields with lightning an caused fires that torched entire forests! You have hurt my people, you have killed many! What do you have to say?"   Nimbur brimmed with rage, being dragged away like an animal and accused of such heinous crimes. He wished to tear this voice apart with his bear hands. His rage was also spurred on by the coming aches of a newly brewed storm, trying to break forth from his chest. Shulos looked to the godess and tried to explain. "Your greatness and illuminance. This is my brother. He was born with great power that comes as both a gift and a curse. I seek your aid as I have sought the aid of numerous others. He holds a great domain over storms. He can conjure torrents of rain, gusts of wind, and even quakes from the earth. However, he simply cannot control them. I have done what I can to alleviate my brother's pain, but it is not enough. We have no where else to turn. We thought the world below to be empty, the realms of the giants destroyed. We were mistaken, but we have nothing else we can do."   Almara looked down at the calm god and his fuming brother. Unable to contain himself, Nimbur replied in a frothing rage "Damn you! All the others too! My brother is the only one to come to my aid. The other gods turn me and my kin away like vermin. It feels as if another storm seeks to tear through my chest. Some have felt as if they will tear of my head, or bend my limbs. Who has come to my aid? None other than my brother!" His voice quaked with great power. It felt like a forceful gust that blew through the courtyard. It shook the leaves of nearby trees, pale leaves fluttered to the ground.   Shulos quickly tried to silence his brother, urging silence before the clearly powerful godess. However, her own rage was about to burst. They had to audacity to destroy the lands of her followers, and even kill or ruin her own creations. Then they scream at her in her own realm! She picked up a spear of light and moved towards the blind god. Shulos quickly stood before the godess, he was in awe of her beauty, but shaken by her strength. The storm grew in his brother, small gusts could be felt around and a quake shuddered through the ground. He stood before the godess and pleaded, "Oh great and wondrous creator, Lifebringer and mother from the realm of light. I ask that you spare him. he is all I have and I all he has. We have offended, destroyed, and abused. I apologize for my part. With my own eyes I unleashed the storms upon your lands. Please, take me in place of my brother's life. I will act as your humble servant, only if you spare and help my family." He grew emboldened by the threat to his brother's life. She stood there amazed by the young and regretful god. She nodded her head and agreed. She calmly stated "I will accept these terms. You will remain here as my ward, and your brother's life be spared. However, I cannot see him be released only to cause further harm to the realms I guard. I will bestow a gift in return." She approached the fuming god and placed her hand upon his head. He began to calm until new sense shocked Nimbur. She removed her hand and two golden, glowing orbs peered back at the brother he had never seen. Seeing for the first time, he was partially blinding by the utter brightness of this realm. "I will allow him to bring storms to my realm, as the world below still has need of rain and wind, even in extremes. However, I will help him find a way to harness his own power. If he can control it, then he can become immensely useful and powerful."   Nimbur stood there stunned. Shaking in rage, confusion, and worry. Did he hear correctly? His brother would stay here? Where would he go? As he began to question, he was interrupted by Almara. She looked at Shulos and proclaimed "As you shall remain here, I must know your name." He bowed his head and replied "Shulos. My name is Shulos." She looked at him quizzically and said "You shall be given a new name. One befitting your new station and responsibilities. Fosredas, Steward of Light." Nimbur was allowed to remain in the realm and would learn to control his powers, even growing in power. Fosredas fell into his station as the attendant of Almara. As he lived in her realm, they quickly grew to like each other. The budding friendship between the two gods grew into love, and Nimbur grew a budding resentment towards the godess who stole his only family. As his ability to control his own power grew, Fosredas appraoced Nimbur and embraced him. Nimbur looked at his brother and proclaimed proudly "I have grown in power. For the first time in my existance I feel in control. Thank you brother for all your help and guidance. Now, we must leave this place. We can find a realm of our own!" Fosredas shook his head, "I cannot leave brother. our deal is not complete. Forgive me. It is not only imprisonment. We have grown to love each other." Nimbur looked back with a fierce glare, but quieted his own feeling of rage and betrayal. Deep down he felt happy for his brother, but mourned the possibility of their future together. He hugged his brother and said, "One day you will be free of this realm. If you ever seek me, come find me."   As the Storm Brothers split, Nimbur departed and sought his own way in the cosmos, while Fosredas grew as a close companion to the Lifebringer, Almara. Nimbur, althought resentful, would learn to understand and a friendship would grow between the gods once more. Fosredas during his stay with Almara would grow to become near her equal. He grew in power on her realm. Storms would rage on Omeath and beyond, but the time of great cataclysmic storms would cease, allowing for life to continue.