Magicstorm Fronts

It appeared on the edge of the sky like a swirling ball of reddish-purple energy. We thought it was just a dust cloud, and we went back to our work, preparing to batten down and weather the possible dust storm that was coming towards us.
But this was no normal storm. If we were as wise as we are now, we would have left town the second that the cloud appeared...

— A statement in the Scalegrey Institute relating to a Magicstorm in former Seral Fakhnata

Every once in a while, perhaps once or twice a year, some region of Dreandril suffers a terrible disaster from above. The sky darkens, and great clouds of reddish-purple dust careen through the air at a breakneck pace. Loose objects on the ground are flung into the sky and disintegrate. Tall buildings are knocked over, and unprotected houses lose their roofs and/or their inhabitants. These are Magicstorm Fronts, the bane of Dreandril.

Origin and Formation

No one is certain where Magicstorm Fronts come from. Many believe that the ancient Zarkul Empire might have experimented with the weather of Dreandril, leading to unintended consequences such as these storms. Others maintain that the phenomenon is more recent, likely from the last few centuries.
In either case, the actual formation event of these storms is tropical storms over the large oceans of Dreandril which then collect magical energy from the air. Many storms like this are created over the course of a typical summer or fall, but only those that actually gain enough momentum to make their way to the coastline are called Magicstorm Fronts.

Destruction and Ruin

As the storms pick up energy, the energy begins to rend and shred anything that enters it. The magical energy, latent or otherwise, in the destroyed material then energizes the storm further. Nothing that has ever entered the crimson-purple clouds of Magicstorm Fronts have ever survived the encounter.
The tradewinds bring the storms to land, where they begin to wreak havoc on the forests, mountains, and of course cities in their wake. Most coastal cities have some kind of defences against the storms, but they are hardly immune to their damaging effects. The storms rip up towers and roofs, ravage streets and scoop up farm animals, wooden structures, and even sturdy trees. People out on the street when the storm hits have been known to be thrown into the air, either being ripped apart by the storm itself or dashed against the sides of buildings.

Type

Supernatural Disaster

Origin

Weather

Occurence

Rare

Defences Against the Fronts

In order to protect the cities of Dreandril from the devastating effects of Magicstorm Fronts, magical engineers have crafted a "lightning rod" of sorts, called Vim Rods, to deflect the storms from their path and sap their strength. Crafted from Prysix, these devices are often installed on the ramparts of towns or left as lantern-like posts in smaller villages. In the case of weak storms, they might even cause the front to dispel harmlessly, while stronger storms might split and change course as the Prysix shifts the storm's direction.

A Vim Rod in use against an encroaching Magicstorm Front