Cults of Stormspire

My Skies of Mor-ladron (SoM) game is on a break until January, so I am hoping to spend that time fleshing out the next arc. When we return, the players will head to Stormspire and enter the Worldstorm in search of an island that holds an imprisoned ifrit they must free.

I'm hoping to be cranking out a bunch of posts in the next couple of months as I prep for the game to resume. I want to create some pirate and howling wind raider stat blocks and work on faction rules and play while also digging deeper into Stormspire (I first outlined it here).

I have been wanting the the world to feel more mystical and mysterious, so today I'm talking about some of the beliefs of those who call Stormspire home. The gods may be gone, but that does not mean people aren't still looking elsewhere for answers to the unknown.

Cult of the Eye

One of the major cults in Stormspire is the Cult of the Eye. Adherents of this cult believe that the the spirits of those who die in the Worldstorm are swept up by the wind and form the cloud wall that protects Stormspire and provides an abundance of much-needed water for the town.

The spirits circle as the eye of the storm and protect the town and those in it. Cultists also believe that spirits can peel themselves off of the cloud wall in the form of large cloud-like eagles, called galeweavers, and guide and protect those in the storm.

There are a few, called stormseers, who claim they can communicate with these spirits. From time to time, stormseers are approached by locals or travelers and merchants to find lost ships or locate unexplored islands.

Symbols: Various form of galeweavers and stylized eyes.

Cult of the Howling Wind

The other major cult in the area is the Cult of the Howling Wind. These cult members believe that the Worldstorm is caused by a demon lord called Gogmothen the Devourer, who wishes to consume everything.

Howling Wind cult members do not worship this demon lord, but admire and desire the power of the Worldstorm for themselves. They seek to gain the power and strength to take what they want, when they want it.

There are no stormseer equivalents in the Howling Wind cult, or not any that outsiders would want to interact with. A majority of those in the cult make their living as treasure hunters and or raiders.

Symbols: Sky Sharks, cyclones, and lightning bolts.

Other Cults

The Worldstorm is a chaotic place that only the foolhardy and mad would enter—let alone try to live there. Therefore, it is the perfect place to call home if you worship things that most of society would be wary of.

Dotted on islands throughout the storm, you'll find cults of your typical demon-worshiping, world-ending, blood- sacrificing variety. Luckily for everyone involved, these cults are rare, small, and ineffectual. Hopefully they will stay where they are, slowly going mad without causing anyone else harm.

Views on The Cults

Most of the sailors, pirates, treasure hunters, and merchants who live in or visit Stormspire are not members of either of these cults. But making a living in or near the Worldstorm is bound to make one cautious—and sometimes a little power-hungry.

Some ask for a stormseer's blessing before they set sail into the storm; others have tattoos or charms of galeweavers or an eye. They may make fun of those who believe the spirits are watching over them but when out in the storm, it doesn't hurt to have a charm or tattoo, just in case.

Obvious members of the Howling Wind are watched carefully by the locals, but as long as they cause no problems in town, they're left to their own devices.

Many folks use charms and runes of the cyclone and bolts of lightning to try and ward off the wrath of the storm or to "blend in" with it. None but true members use the image of the Sky Shark of the Howling Wind cult.

Sayings like "As the Eye protects," "Weaver's guidance," "By the winds," and "Gogmothen's teeth" have started entering the common vernacular of Stormspire's populace.

Do any of these cults have it right? Is there a demon lord at the bottom of the Worldstorm? Are galeweavers spirits of the dead or just run-of-the-mill elementals? Some believe one theory or another; others think it's all nonsense.

Players might find answers to some questions in the game, while others may always remain unknown. The world is bigger for the mysteries in it.