Ronom
In mortal life, Ronom was a First Age Valamonian-born warpriest, tactician, monster hunter and Kalevan Chieftain who would eventually ascend to become the Material demigod of thunder and one half of a united deity known as The Stormlords, the other being Lightninglord Ranarim. Though some followers identify particularly with one Stormlord's philosophy or fighting style, they are almost always worshipped in tandem.
As a Kalevan chieftain the Thunderlord was known as Ronom Hairy Breeches due to the distinctive bison-pelt trousers he wore as a youngster, made for him by his grandmother.
Ronom's alignment is Chaotic Good.Description
See also: Ronom Image Gallery (external)Ronom is generally portrayed as he was in life: an average-sized but muscularly-built Kalevan male with dirty-blonde hair and a large moustache, sometimes with a full beard. He is almost always portrayed with his Relic warhammer and kite shield, Jormgandsbane and Streamsplitter.
Common features in his heraldry include clouds, storms, tidal waves, a warhammer crossed over a kite shield, and various borrowed icons from the Kalevan and Juultide churches. Ronom is especially associated with bison, not least because his storms sound identical to the thundering of their herds across the Norvaalan steppes. Bison are also respected among Kalevans for their wise and selective use of their immense strength. Additionally, it was the bison-pelt trousers that gave him his surname Hairy Breeches.Worship
For more on the Stormlord church, Domains, Favoured Weapons, et cetera, see the main article on The Stormlords.
Ronom, Ranarim and their oldest ally Laila By-the-Sea are often worshipped as a sort of collective deity of adventuring and friendship, often called The Chorus of Seasky. The Chorus was even worshipped in Nireau, where reverence to anyone but their ruling Lichlords was frowned upon. There, they were called the Trioskuri. This worship tended to be centered around Ranarim in particular, who was a Nireauan native.History
Gathering an accurate history on both Ranarim & Ronom is difficult as early descriptions, while common, are steeped in propaganda as a result of the Valamo-Nireauan Wars.
As a mortal Kalevan chieftain the Thunderlord was known as Ronom Hairy Breeches due to the distinctive bison-pelt trousers he wore as a youngster, made for him by his grandmother. As with most Kalevan chieftains, Ronom was probably a dual warpriest of their Allmother Kaleva and the Paragon of Jarls, Juulnir. Multiple Kalevan tribes—most prominently the Bloods and Wolverines—claim direct ancestry with the Thunderlord; there is no strong historical or archaeological evidence for any particular claim.
In the lead-up to the wars with the New Rozsan Empire, Ronom was an influential force in easing diplomatic relations between the wilder, more dominantly human-blooded Kalevans, or Norvaalans, with the more urbane, Meranthic Selvaalans. It is said that Ronom's encouragement was instrumental in convincing Nikka Crowmother of Duskmantle to participate in the Ruskansmøt, eventually resulting in Nikka becoming the first Kalevan to become Ruskandireij of Valamon. Under her firm grip, the Norvaalans and Selvaalans united against the invading Nireauans and even maintained peace for a decade or so after the wars, but the two groups would fall back to enmity after the throne passed from the aging warrior queen to another Selvaalan, Arlinn the Severe.Ranarim & The Valamo-Nireauan Wars
Eventually, the New Rozsan Empire's expansion would take them to the doorstep of the rugged, warlike, more human-blooded nation of Valamon. The Valamonians—also skilled naval warriors—were thrilled for the opportunity to war with the elitist, necromantic Nireauans. This included the warlord Ronom, one of the major Norvaalans (of the Twelve Tribes of Kaleva) to support unifying with their distant "city cousins", the Selvaalans, against the invading empire.
Both being famous monster hunters, Ronom was painted as a symbolic rival to Ranarim from very early on, however both were intelligent, broad-minded and weary veterans of warfare, and if anything two heroes' encounters on the battlefield only further convinced them of the wars' insane futility. This was the beginning of one of the greatest partnerships in Waking history. For further reading on the two, see the main article on The Stormlords.
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