Voice of the Storm
The Voice of the Storm is the spiritual and mystical heart of the Drowned Circle, a cult devoted to the veneration and embodiment of storm, sea, and sacrifice. They are more than a high priest—they are a living conduit through which the storm speaks.
The Voice is believed to be chosen by the storm itself—not elected or appointed. They carry the heavy burden of interpreting divine will, invoking ancient rituals, and guiding the faithful through both ceremony and storm-born madness.
Duties
- Leading Rituals: The Voice presides over all major rites and ceremonies, including the Flooding of Souls, and the Rebirth Through Rain. Their chant opens the veil between the mortal world and the churning depths of the storm’s essence.
- Interpreting Omens: Only the Voice is trained and trusted to decipher signs in the thunder, read meaning in the shape of crashing waves, or understand the patterns of lightning that strike during sacred rituals.
- Spiritual Guidance: To followers, the Voice provides not just doctrine but emotional and spiritual counsel. Many believe that the Voice can hear the sea’s secrets in their dreams or feel the pulse of the storm through their bones.
- Maintaining Purity: The Voice must remain in a state of ritual purity, often fasting, bathing in salt water, or performing self-scourging rituals before major rites. Their life is one of sacred isolation, often speaking only during rites or prophecies.
- Choosing Successors: Before their passing or transcendence, the current Voice is expected to receive a vision of their successor—a storm-born child, a silent prophet, or someone pulled from the sea during a ritual. The choice is never questioned.
Cultural Significance
The Voice is often shrouded in veils of kelp, bone-twined cords, or storm-marked robes. Their voice is said to echo like thunder underwater, and they often speak in tongues or riddles that are only later understood to be prophetic truth. Some believe that during the deepest rituals, the Voice ceases to be entirely mortal, becoming something half-wave, half-wind, channeling the primordial storm-being the cult worships.
Their presence can silence crowds, call down lightning, or calm storm-tossed seas. Whether this is divine magic, ancient sorcery, or the storm’s own will is a matter of faith—or fear.
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