Storm-Climb of the Thunder Peaks

The Storm-Climb of the Thunder Peaks is a sacred pilgrimage and trial practiced by the Stormborn—a rite of communion with the Everstorm, their living tempest deity. While the Trial of the Charred Flats is a test of survival amid chaos, the Storm-Climb is a journey of ascension, literally and spiritually, through lightning-split peaks and storm-choked skies. It is considered one of the most honored and dangerous rites, often undertaken by warriors, shamans, or seekers of divine insight.

Purpose:

• Spiritual Communion: Climbing the peaks is a way to commune directly with the storm, offering prayers and sacrifices at sacred points.
• Personal Transformation: Many who climb seek visions, guidance, or proof of their place in the world.
• Warrior’s Rite: In times of war or turmoil, Stormborn champions may climb to receive a blessing or portent from the storm.
• Shamanic Pilgrimage: Stormcallers often undertake the Climb in pursuit of deeper storm knowledge, often returning with new rites or revelations.

Execution

1. Preparation:
2. Climbers must fast for three days, subsisting only on Thunderbloom petals and skywater (rain caught during storms).
3. They carry Stormglass tokens for protection and communion, and often leave Sky-Iron offerings at shrines along the way.
4. The Ascent:
5. The route to Skyfang Spire is perilous, with shattered ledges, blinding rain, and lightning that arcs unpredictably.
6. At certain altitudes, the air becomes thin, and storm hallucinations begin—visions sent by the Everstorm, or madness.
7. Sky Serpents may coil around peaks above, silent watchers of the worthy.
8. The Summit Vigil:
9. At the summit, climbers must kneel and remain until struck by wind, lightning, or vision—a sign they have been acknowledged.
10. Those who survive the summit return with white-streaked hair, glowing veins, or storm-touched eyes.
11. Some never return, believed to have merged with the Everstorm or ascended to become one of its spirits.

Participants

Those who complete the climb are revered and often gain subtle or overt transformations:

• Stormscars: Glowing white or blue scars that hum in the presence of weather.
• Stormsight: A prophetic ability to read the movement of storms or sense divine will.
• Voice of Thunder: Some return with a booming voice that carries strange weight in storms or rituals.

Observance

• The Storm-Climb is not required of all Stormborn, but those who complete it are seen as touched by divinity.
• Entire lineages trace their honor to an ancestor who completed the Climb.
• A leader who has not completed the Storm-Climb may lose face or legitimacy in the eyes of their people.
• Stormcallers, the spiritual leaders of the Stormborn, must complete the Climb to be considered worthy.

Primary Related Location

The Thunder Peaks

Related Ethnicities

• Stormborn Tribes