Tempest

The Tempests are the rulers of Tenebrae on Pagan, residing in the palace in the city centre.

Description
When threatened with death in ancient times, Hydros had to grant the power of Tempestry to the Tempests. There are many powers they can wield. Tempests can walk over water, breathe under water, summon or dissipate storms, and call lightning bolts or explosions. Since all of it comes directly from Hydros, no words of power, reagents or other utensils are needed to do the magic. Such power pretty much predestined them for rulership.

Sadly, it is a inherited trait, and can't be learned, only granted by Hydros. The laws of inheritance set by Hydros rule, that the firstborn always gets the bigger power than all that follow.

History
In ancient times, Hydros earned the enmity of the necromancer Kalen after killing his beloved and pulling her body down into her seas. Conspiring with Lithos for revenge, Kalen managed to trap Hydros at Carthax Lake and force her to not only return the body of his beloved but to also grant him and his line the power of Tempestry. From then on, the Tempests became the rulers of Tenebrae.

By the time of Ultima VIII, Mordea was the ruling Tempest, ruling as absolute dictator due to her fear that it could become known that her half-brother Devon actually was the first-born with greater power. After the Avatar revealed the truth, Mordea found her death and Devon took the throne. In a attempt to gain the power of Tempestry, the Avatar later made a deal and freed Hydros. But the hero was tricked, and the power of Tempestry was lost for all time to Pagan and the Tempests.

Lore




Trivia

 * Originally, the Avatar would've gained the powers of Tempestry after freeing Hydros, but Tempestry was part of the cuts the original plot was subjected to. The powers of tempestry would have opened new areas to explore in Pagan. See Plot Cuts in Ultima VIII.