The Black Tempest

“The Eternal Storm”

“It’s been there since the Shattering. Unchanging. Unmovable. And inside? Only one person knows. She won’t say.”
—Engineer Torven Ironhull

Quick Reference

The Black Tempest - The Eternal Storm

Overview

The Black Tempest is the Aetherium’s greatest natural mystery: a permanent mega-storm 200km in diameter that has existed unchanged since the Shattering (possibly longer). It dominates the Howling Expanse, visible from hundreds of kilometers away as a swirling mass of black clouds shot through with constant lightning.

Unlike normal Aether-Storms (which form, move, and dissipate), the Black Tempest: - Never moves (anchored to specific coordinates) - Never changes (same size, same intensity for 287+ years) - Never dissipates (permanent fixture) - Kills anyone who enters (except one)

Storm-Sailors navigate around it, using its predictable winds for propulsion. Scholars study it from distance, proposing theories. And everyone wonders: What’s inside the eye?

Only one person knows: Storm-Captain Kiera Windcaller. She entered at age 26 (275 S.) and emerged three days later, alive but changed. She refuses to discuss what she saw.

Physical Characteristics

The Storm Wall

Appearance: Swirling black and dark purple clouds - Constant rotation (counter-clockwise from above) - Lightning every 3-5 seconds - Thunder audible 100km away - Debris field (destroyed ships, torn islands, unknown objects)

Dimensions: - Diameter: 200km - Height: Extends “infinitely” up and down (no visible top or bottom) - Wall thickness: ~50km from outer edge to eye

Conditions Inside Wall: - Wind speed: 300+ km/h (instant destruction for normal ships) - Lightning: Constant, unpredictable - Visibility: Near zero (black clouds, no light) - Aether density: Extreme (suffocating to non-Storm-Sailors) - Temperature: Fluctuates wildly (-40°C to +60°C) - Gravity anomalies: Objects fall “sideways” or “up”

The Calm Eye

Location: Center of tempest (100km from wall)

Appearance (from outside): - Perfect circle of darkness - No clouds, no lightning - Completely still - Ominous silence

What’s Inside (unknown except to Kiera): - She won’t say - Descriptions: “Impossible,” “Wrong,” “Beautiful and terrible” - Effects: Changed her permanently - Her only warning: “Don’t look at what looks back”

History

Pre-Shattering Era (Unknown)

Theories: 1. Always Existed: Primordial storm, pre-dates humanity 2. Created by Shattering: Result of world breaking 3. Luminar Experiment: Apogee Working side effect 4. Something Else: Not a storm at all

Evidence: None conclusive

Post-Shattering (0-287 S.)

0 S.: First recorded observation (survivors fleeing Shattering) - Already present, already massive - Assumed to be Shattering effect

Early Aetherium (0-50 S.): - Multiple expeditions attempted - All lost (no survivors) - Declared “Forbidden Zone”

Middle Period (50-200 S.): - Storm-Sailors learn to navigate around it - Use it as navigational landmark - Develop myths and legends - No entry attempts (too dangerous)

Recent History (200-287 S.): - Scholarly interest renewed - Archivists study from distance - Theories proliferate - Still no survivors… until Kiera

Kiera’s Entry (275 S.)

Event: Storm-Captain Kiera Windcaller enters Black Tempest - Age 26, peak of abilities - Solo flight (refused crew) - No explanation why (personal quest? Dare? Calling?)

Duration: 3 days inside

Return: - Ship damaged but intact - Kiera alive, physically unharmed - Mentally changed (haunted, quiet) - Refuses all questions

Aftermath: - Legendary status among Storm-Sailors - Scholars desperate for information - She shares nothing - Warning: “Some knowledge isn’t worth having”

Theories and Mysteries

What IS the Black Tempest?

Theory 1: Natural Phenomenon - Permanent Aether-Storm - Result of Shattering physics - Eye is just calm center (like hurricanes) - Problem: Why unchanging for 287+ years?

Theory 2: Pre-Shattering Artifact - Luminar Council creation - Apogee Working containment field - Storm is shell protecting/imprisoning something - Problem: Why would they create this?

Theory 3: Dimensional Tear - Shattering ripped reality - Storm is wound in space - Eye leads to “elsewhere” (another dimension? The Bottom? Pre-Shattering world?) - Problem: How did Kiera survive crossing?

Theory 4: Living Entity - Storm is alive/conscious - Eye is “face” or “mind” - Kiera met it, was changed by contact - Problem: What kind of entity? Why here?

Theory 5: It’s Not a Storm - Appears as storm to human perception - Actually something else entirely - Eye is truth, storm is illusion - Problem: What is it really?

What Did Kiera See?

Her Descriptions (rare, cryptic): - “The storm has eyes. Don’t meet them.” - “Inside is outside. Up is down. Time is… wrong.” - “Something lives there. Or lived. Or will live. Tense doesn’t work.” - “Beautiful and terrible. I wish I could forget.” - “It showed me… everything? Nothing? I don’t have words.”

Interpretations: 1. Pre-Shattering City: Intact civilization preserved in eye 2. Cosmic Horror: Entity beyond comprehension 3. Temporal Anomaly: Past/future/alternate timeline 4. The Bottom: Deepest point of void, truth of reality 5. Herself: Confronted some personal truth

Evidence: None. Only Kiera knows.

Why Won’t She Talk?

Possible Reasons: 1. Protection: Knowledge is dangerous (memetic hazard?) 2. Trauma: Too horrible to describe 3. Oath: Promised something/someone to stay silent 4. Incomprehensible: Literally can’t explain (no human words) 5. Forbidden: Clergy/Constellation command (religious secret) 6. Corruption: Saw Rot origin, truth would destroy hope

Navigating the Expanse

Storm-Sailor Relationship

Respect: Treat tempest as sacred/forbidden - Never enter (Kiera’s feat unrepeatable) - Use for navigation (permanent landmark) - Study winds (predictable patterns around edge) - Harvest debris field (dangerous but profitable)

Myths and Legends: - “The Storm King’s Throne” (entity rules from eye) - “The Shattering’s Heart” (where world broke first) - “The Forgotten Gate” (entrance to lost world) - “The Watcher’s Eye” (constellation observes through it)

Rituals: - Salute when passing (respect) - Never speak ill of it (superstition) - Offerings thrown to winds (appeasement)

The Debris Field

Location: 50km around tempest edge

Contents: - Destroyed airships (centuries of failed entries) - Torn island fragments (caught in winds) - Pre-Shattering artifacts (unknown origin) - Strange objects (don’t match known technology)

Scavenging: - Extremely dangerous (storm winds, debris collisions) - Highly profitable (rare materials, artifacts) - Storm-Sailors only (others die trying) - Engineer Torven Ironhull pays premium for artifacts

Current Status (287 S.)

Unchanged

• Storm identical to 287 years ago
• No growth, no shrinkage
• No movement
• No explanation

Increased Interest

The Archivists: - Studying from Stormwatch Outpost - Documenting patterns - Seeking Kiera’s testimony (she refuses) - Theories proliferating

The Returners: - Believe eye contains Nexus Spire or similar - Want to mount expedition - Need Kiera’s guidance (she refuses) - Offering fortune for information

Guild-Master Elara Song: - Secretly funding research - Wants to know what Kiera saw - Connection to Nexus Spire search? - Kiera won’t meet with her

Kiera’s Stance

Refusal: Won’t discuss, won’t guide, won’t return - “I survived once. That’s enough.” - “Let it keep its secrets.” - “You don’t want to know. Trust me.”

Exception: High trust relationship (50+ reputation) unlocks: - Cryptic hints - Warnings about what to avoid - Admission: “It changed me. It would change you worse.” - Still won’t reveal full truth

Quest Hooks

1. “The Storm’s Secret”: Convince Kiera to share knowledge (relationship-gated)
2. “The Second Entry”: Mount expedition into tempest (deadly, requires Kiera’s help)
3. “The Debris Scavenger”: Harvest artifacts from debris field (dangerous, profitable)
4. “The Archivist’s Study”: Help scholars document storm patterns
5. “The Returner’s Obsession”: Investigate why Returners think Nexus Spire is inside
6. “What She Won’t Say”: Piece together truth from Kiera’s cryptic hints
7. “The Storm Event”: Tempest behaves strangely (first change in 287 years—catastrophic?)
8. “Into the Eye”: Endgame quest—enter the tempest yourself

Connections to Other Mysteries

The Nexus Spire

• Last seen “falling into darkness” during Shattering
• Could eye be where it fell?
• Returners believe yes
• Kiera’s silence neither confirms nor denies

The Voice Beneath

• Some Rot-Touched claim Voice “comes from the storm”
• Kiera’s description: “Something lives there”
• Connection? Or coincidence?

The Shattering

• Storm existed at moment of Shattering (possibly before)
• Could it be cause? Effect? Unrelated?
• Luminar Council connection?

The Constellations

• Constellation of the Abyss visible only in Deeps
• Is Black Tempest related to Abyss?
• Kiera’s warning: “Don’t meet its eyes” (constellation language?)

Design Notes

Cosmic Horror Element

The Black Tempest represents unknowable truth: - Not all mysteries have answers - Some knowledge is dangerous - Cosmic scale beyond human comprehension - Kiera’s silence is mercy, not cruelty

Player Agency

Options: 1. Respect Mystery: Leave it alone (wisdom) 2. Pursue Knowledge: Investigate despite warnings (curiosity/hubris) 3. Trust Kiera: Accept her silence (relationship) 4. Defy Kiera: Enter anyway (courage/foolishness)

Consequences: Vary by choice and player build

Endgame Content

If Player Enters (late-game, high-skill): - Unique experience based on character build/corruption - Revelations about Shattering, Nexus Spire, or Voice Beneath - Permanent character change (like Kiera) - No “correct” interpretation (ambiguous truth)

Related Topics

• Storm-Captain Kiera Windcaller - Only survivor
• Howling Expanse - Location
• Engineer Torven Ironhull - Artifact buyer
• The Archivists - Researchers
• The Returners - Obsessed seekers
• The Nexus Spire - Possible connection
• The Shattering - Origin mystery
• Stormwatch Outpost - Observation post

Location Status: Permanent, Unexplored (except by one)
Danger Level: Extreme (lethal to all but Storm-Sailors)
Mystery Level: Maximum

“I’ve seen inside. I won’t tell you what’s there. But I’ll tell you this: if you go, you’ll understand why I’m silent. And you’ll wish you’d stayed ignorant.”
—Storm-Captain Kiera Windcaller