Background[]
After gaining access to Manannan's spellbook, The Sorcery of Old, Gwydion was able to prepare this spell. Gwydion hung onto the resulting Storm Brew until he discovered the Three-headed Dragon about to kill his twin sister Rosella in the Land of the Clouds. Under the Becoming Invisible spell, Gwydion activated the storm spell, causing a massive thunderstorm. Several lightning strikes from the storm struck the dragon, killing it, before the storm quickly dissipated.
Note:[]
It is not known who was the first to devise this particular bit of magical pyrotechnic, but it was obviously someone with a distinct flair for the dramatic. It is significant that the god Thor, the god of thunder, is implored in the concocting of the potion. The inhabitants of the hamlet of Bruce in southeastern Llewdor have an oral tradition that Thor once visited there and cast a spell much like the one described above. At the time, Bruce was being threatened by some sort of monster (the legend is not specific as to just what kind) and when Thor was unable to defeat it in hand-to-claw combat, the god of thunder invoked certain words of power, turned day to night, roared for rain and wind, and cast a lightning bolt that fried his adversary. The people of Bruce were grateful and gave praise to Thor and begged for another place of worship and that a simple flag marking the site of the battle would be praise enough. Thus was born what became known throughout the lands as the banner of Bruce or, to some the Bruce banner. The banner flew for scores of years until another hulking monster (the only thing known about this particular one is that it was green) pillaged the village. So sudden was the rampage and destruction that there was no time to call for divine intervention Bruce was destroyed and the banner to Thor ripped beyond repair. Still, the villagers blamed Thor for not coming and when the town was rebuilt, it was without the banner.
Behind the Scenes[]
The Brewing a Storm spell is the first of three storm-related spells appearing in the games and the first of two cast by Alexander. The other two spells are Rainmaker used by King Graham in KQ5 and the Make Rain Spell used by Alexander in the Land of the Green Isles in KQ6.