The Tempest
The Tempest
Known in Life as: Ursala, the Sea Witch of the Drowned Deeps
Patron Of:
- Storms and Tempestuous Seas
- Dark Beauty, Vanity, and Bargains
- Despair, Seduction, and Drowned Secrets
Symbol:
A weeping face with hair like crashing waves, crowned with a broken tiara and struck through by a lightning bolt. Sailors often scratch this sigil into driftwood or coin, then toss it overboard before long voyages. To carry it openly is to challenge her—most simply hope to be ignored.
Common Appearance to Mortals:
The Tempest appears as a voluptuous and terrifyingly beautiful woman, her face always partially veiled by wind-whipped hair or seafoam. Her voice shifts between a siren’s song and a thunderclap. In calmer moments, she may appear youthful and radiant, with storm-silver eyes and a velvet voice that lures men to lean closer. When angered, her form warps—skin mottled like stormclouds, hair writhing with salt-slicked eels, mouth stretching into a fanged maw that can scream ships apart. She walks the sea barefoot, trailing whirlpools in her wake.
History and Myth:
I. Blood of Witches and Waves
Born of Baba Yaga, the Misery Mother, and sired by an unknown (possibly elemental) entity, Ursala inherited cruelty, cunning, and a terrible hunger. Unlike her half-sister Tasha, Ursala remained tied to the sea—fascinated by its rage, beauty, and power to isolate or destroy. She dwelled in tide-drowned ruins and coral palaces built atop sunken cities, amassing grim magic and beauty stolen from others.
Her vanity was as infamous as her wrath. Maidens who crossed her in beauty contests were found aged overnight; sailors who dared name another woman fairer than she would drown in their sleep, lips filled with brine and love songs.
II. The Bargains Beneath
Ursala gained power not through conquest, but bargains—wicked, clever, or seductive. She offered youth, fame, safe passage, or vengeance... but always at a twisted cost. A voice for freedom. A beauty for blood. A name for a child. Many begged her for mercy during storms—few were granted it.
Some believe she created the first sea hags—maidens who failed her trials and were cursed to become monstrous shells of their former selves, bound forever to her will.
III. The Wrath of the Drowned Queen
Ursala eventually became more storm than woman. She could conjure tempests with a song, split naval fleets with a scream, and drown coastal cities in hours. Her final act of mortal terror was the Drowning of Caravel, a floating kingdom that refused to honor her with tribute. She unleashed an unnatural hurricane that spun for thirteen days and nights, swallowing the city whole.
Her death came during a duel with a demigod of light who sought to end her reign of fear—but even as her body was slain, the sea itself mourned her. Her essence was carried into the deep by tidal currents, reborn as an immortal embodiment of rage and storm.
It was Tiamat, moved by her fury, vanity, and power, who elevated her to godhood. Not out of kinship—but out of respect for the raw chaos she wielded.
Modern Worship and Influence:
The Tempest is not a goddess sailors love. She is a force they fear, a name they utter with trembling lips. Her altars are made from wreckage; her offerings are cast into churning waves. She is the one prayed to when no one else answers, when storms close in, or when revenge burns too deep to resist.
She is honored by:
- Storm sorcerers and drowned warlocks
- Hags and sea witches
- Broken-hearted lovers and scorned beauties
- Captains who make the dark bargains
Those who follow her do not seek peace—they seek survival, beauty, and wrath.
Relic of The Tempest: The Mirror of Drowned Desires
"She does not give you what you ask for. She shows you who you could be—and lets you drown chasing it."
Wondrous Item (Mirror or Hand Mirror), Legendary → Artifact
Requires attunement by a Sorcerer, Warlock, Bard, or any character who has given up something precious (voice, love, memory, beauty, or name) in pursuit of power or vengeance.
Initial Form: The Mirror of Drowned Desires (Levels 10–13)
An ornate silver hand mirror, its frame twisted from driftwood and rusted coral. The glass never reflects the user directly—instead, it shows their most alluring self, touched with subtle hints of power, fame, or beauty they don’t yet possess. Whispering when held near water, the mirror grows heavier in storms and tingles when true desires are near.
Core Effects:
Siren’s Reflection:
You have advantage on Charisma (Deception and Performance) checks. Additionally, you may cast Disguise Self at will, but only to appear as an idealized version of yourself.
Gift of the Sea Witch (1/short rest):
You may cast one of the following spells without expending a spell slot: Hold Person, Mirror Image, or Tasha’s Hideous Laughter. When you do, the target hears a whisper of their own voice laughing back at them.
Tempest’s Glare:
Once per long rest, as an action, you can unleash a reflection of storm-born fury. Each creature of your choice within 15 feet that can see the mirror must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 16) or be blinded and deafened for 1 minute. Affected targets can repeat the save at the end of each of their turns.
Awakened Form: The Shattered Sea-Queen’s Mirror (Levels 17–20)
The mirror's frame now gleams with living silver barnacles and teeth. Cracks spiderweb across the glass, but each still reflects beauty too perfect to be true. Stormlight dances in the reflections, and seafoam drips from the edges even on dry land.
Enhanced Effects:
Unmasking Desire (1/day):
You may force a creature within 30 feet to see itself in the mirror. It must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 19) or be charmed for 1 minute. While charmed, the target believes you are the one thing it most desires. On a failure by 5 or more, they become obsessed and attempt to protect or please you to the best of their ability.
Storm-Claimed Beauty:
You are immune to being frightened or charmed. Any creature that attempts to charm you must succeed on a Charisma save (DC 18) or fall under the effects of their own spell, charmed by you instead.
Drown the Sky (1/long rest):
You summon the wrath of the Sea Witch. For 1 minute:
- You can cast Control Weather or Chain Lightning as an action without material components.
- You gain a 40 ft swim speed, can breathe underwater, and gain resistance to lightning and cold damage.
- You radiate storm-wrapped beauty. Hostile creatures within 5 feet must make charisma saving throws against you, or suffer disadvantage on attack rolls against you.
Awakening Trigger:
The mirror awakens when:
- The bearer willingly sacrifices a meaningful trait—beauty, love, memory, or identity—in exchange for greater power or vengeance.
- Or the bearer kills someone they once loved in pursuit of revenge or transformation.
- Or The Tempest appears in their dreams and offers a bargain, and the bearer accepts without hesitation.
Upon awakening, the mirror shows not just beauty—but what the world would look like if the bearer had gotten everything they ever wanted. It dares them to pursue it.
