Unstoppable like the wrath of the Daemon itself, the Hellstorm is said to be the result of the evil within the hearts of mortals manifesting itself in physical form. In reality, it's the aftereffect of a land suffering from the taint. It's said that what the storm brings forth is a glimpse into what the realm of "Hell" truly is. The depths of the Labyrinth, of what could be unleashed should the Daemon ever be freed; of Ragnorok.

— High Wizard of Camelot, Merlin

History

The Hellstorm is a natural phenomenon that has existed since the dawn of time and is tied to the tainted creatures of the world as well as their source, the Daemon. Records of the phenomenon go back all the way to the ancient texts deciphered by archeologists from even the ancient civilizations of the Firstborn empires. In these texts and pieces of art, there are clear signs of the Firstborn erecting powerful barriers and magic to ward off the Hellstorm which brings fire and despair to their lands.

There are many notable incidents of this throughout history, however, the storms seem to focus primarily only on Zaria in modern times. This is theorized to be due to the high focus of Humans, who tend to have the most fluctuating emotions and are the most easily swayed by the darkness inspiring the tainting of their lands, and themselves.

Manifestation

In order for the Hellstorm itself to form, there are a set amount of requirements. Specifically, the fact that the land itself must be suffering from the effects of the taint, and due to this, the process of the storm begins to take root. As the taint begins to infect the ground, as well as flora and fauna, the land itself begins to twist and change into what is known as "Blighted Land". This spreads from the epicenter by way of a powerful tainted being lingering on the land. Its existence, blood, and energy pollute the land. Alternatively, it can form from continuous infections from the weaker corrupted creatures spreading across it.

As the land is tainted, the flora begin to release dark mana into the air. This negative energy begins to taint the natural energy found in the area, and not only increases the chances of more creatures in the land suffering from the taint but also begins to spread into the very air in the form of tainted spores that the plants would naturally produce in the form of pollen. As time passes, the blighted lands and air begin to purposely change the air and climate, temperatures begin to rise and drop at incredible speeds back and forth without warning.

The more magic in the area from the Leylines, the more potent the storms become. Regardless a constant storm will hover over the terrain that shifts the temperature erratically. One moment cold enough to cause frostbite in minutes, so hot that one suffers sunburn over a few minutes the next. From this wildly shifting temperature comes tremendous changes in air pressure, as well as moisture and chemical reactions in the atmosphere above the blighted land.

This erratic temperature change, combined with the intense and wildly varying storms that come afterward, is what is known as the "Hellstorm".

Effects

Land suffering from the Hellstorm is hostile by nature, with grass holding razor edges that feast on blood, parched earth, and any water found only in the plants that are hardened and resilient. Even the species of animals are tainted, and therefore significantly stronger than they normally would be. The land is black, red, and brown no matter what colors it may have been originally.

Topping this off is the fact that, due to the weather, varying temperatures, and dark spores in the air, the land is surrounded by a dark grey mist. Combined temperature shifts, rain, sleet, freezing rain like blades of ice, all taking place while bolts of lightning fly through the air and great winds bombard the land.

The Hellstorm creates a deadly land that is unmistakable by the pitch black and red clouds with tinges of green swirling over the area and spreading out more "normal" storms around it.