The Forces of Nature

Summary

The Forces of Nature are a set of four immense creatures that represent the four basic elements: earth, fire, wind, and water. They supposedly rest in the open seas of the Belkoran Ocean until they are awoken by a heroic Champion. The Forces include The Grand Island, a large turtle made of earth with a stone shell that is large enough to be an island; The Flying Volcano, a great bird made of fire that is said to cause an eruption every time it takes off to fly; The Slithering Storm, a winged serpent that is claimed to create lightning and thunder whenever it flaps its wings; and The Eternal Wave, a leviathan made of water that is believed to cause tsunamis from the ripples it makes as it swims. Supposedly, it is from these four creatures that all elemental golems and magic comes from.

Spread

The myth of the Forces of Nature is mostly centered on the various islands within the Belkoran Ocean. Very rarely do those on the mainland talk about the Forces of Nature, and those that do usually spend a period of time at sea.

Variations & Mutation

There is a specific variation on this myth in the southwest portion of the ocean, near Junk Island and Lizard Island, known as the Forces and the Ocean King. Supposedly, there was a king of an aquatic kingdom that after awakening a great evil was cursed by the gods, and his capital sealed by the power of the Forces of Nature. According to this legend, if the four Forces were to be awakened, they would reveal the capital of the Ocean King and any treasure within.

In Art

There are some temples meant to praise these beings throughout the islands of the Belkoran Ocean that depict them in their simplest animal forms: a turtle, a bird, and two snakes. There are also some common forms of depicting the creatures separately. The Grand Island is usually depicted as a turtle with a building on its back, The Flying Volcano is depicted as a bird within fire, The Slithering Storm is depicted as a cloud with a lightning bolt coming out of it and wings, and The Eternal Wave is depicted as a profile of a wave with a snake head.