Historical Chronicle: Altan of the Gale
From the Wind-Bound Codices of the Gale Citadel, compiled by The Eternal Archivist of the Chasm
Altan of the Gale: The Stormborn Path
"The wind did not find him. He became it."
— Proverb of the Wind-Bearers, Year of the White Thunder
Altan Orontai, founder of the Gale Nation, is known across the steppe and beyond as the Stormborn, the Wind-Walker, and the Breaker of Empires. His tale is not one of birthright but of ruin, rebirth, and relentless resolve. His fall into the sacred abyss became the ignition of an era.
Born into the Orontai clan, a lineage known for its shamanic traditions and deep bond to the wind, Altan's world was razed when the Zhong Empire struck without warning. His tribe annihilated, he vanished into the forbidden Kharan Chasm—a place of legend, fear, and ancient elemental power.
What returned five years later was no longer a mere man.
The Stormborn Calendar
The Gale Nation marks time using the Tengerin Dörvön Jil, the Sky's Four Years, based on elemental and celestial cycles:
Khökh Jil – Blue Year (Wind)
Ulaan Jil – Red Year (Fire)
Nogoon Jil – Green Year (Earth)
Tsagaan Jil – White Year (Spirit)
Altan's reemergence in the Year of the Blue Wind marks Year 0 of the Stormborn Calendar (S.C.). His timeline unfolds as follows:
I. The Ash-Born Youth (Year 0 S.C. | Age 15 | Khökh Jil)
• Orontai clan destroyed by the Zhong Empire.
• Altan is cast into the Kharan Chasm, believed dead.
• Begins secret elemental cultivation in the hidden chambers of the earth.
II. Rise from the Chasm (5 S.C. | Age 20 | Ulaan Jil)
• Emerges bearing storm sigils and voidsteel.
• Rumors spread of the Wind-Walker, a phantom with the storm at his back.
• Begins assembling warriors and lost clans under a new banner.
• The Gale Army is born.
III. First Zhong-Gale War (6 to 9 S.C. | Ages 21 to 24 | Nogoon to Tsagaan Jil)
• Altan launches a lightning war against the Zhong Empire.
• Uses mobile tactics, weather manipulation, and deep terrain knowledge.
• Battle of Thunder Hollow secures his legend.
• After three years, a truce is signed.
IV. The Truce Period and the Citadel (9 to 11 S.C. | Ages 24 to 26 | Tsagaan to Ulaan Jil)
• Altan establishes the Gale Citadel, carved into the roots of the Kharan Chasm.
• A sanctuary, war academy, and spiritual stronghold.
• Codifies elemental harmony into the teachings of the Folded Path.
• Attracts sages, exiles, and elemental cultivators.
V. Founding of the First Stormguard Legion (10 to 11 S.C. | Ages 25 to 26 | Khökh to Ulaan Jil)
• First Stormguard Legion formed. Warrior monks trained in elemental resonance.
• Altan pens the Codex Tempestus, outlining a warrior's path of balance, honor, and breath.
• The Stormguards become the elite protectors of the Gale Citadel and its philosophy.
VI. Second Zhong-Gale War (12 to 15 S.C. | Ages 27 to 30 | Nogoon to Tsagaan Jil)
• Zhong breaks the truce. Altan responds with full force.
• New tactics and fully trained storm legions overwhelm Zhong forces.
• At the Battle of Five Hills, Altan breaks the royal line.
• The Zhong royals are exiled westward, planting seeds of what will become the Dazhum Empire.
VII. Founding of the Gale Nation and Tenger Ul (16 S.C. | Age 31 | Khökh Jil)
• Altan unites the twelve tribes of the steppes and mountains.
• Declares the Gale Nation.
• Founds Tenger Ul, Skyheart, the nation's first capital. Built in wind-harmonic spirals, stone arcs, and elemental towers.
• The Council of Tengerin Elders is formed, comprised of clan leaders, shamans, and Stormguard commanders.
VIII. Reforging the Army and New Stormguard Legions (17 S.C. | Age 32 | Ulaan Jil)
• Initiates nationwide recruitment and reshapes the Gale Army into a formalized force.
• Creates four new Stormguard Legions: Zephyr (Wind), Ember (Fire), Stoneheart (Earth), and Mistveil (Water).
• Elevates the Gale Army into a unified, doctrine-led force rooted in elemental tradition.
IX. The Discipleship and Inner Teachings (18 to 20 S.C. | Ages 33 to 36 | Nogoon to Tsagaan Jil)
• Altan selects seven disciples, each reflecting a principle of storm and soul.
• Leads them through the secret Library hidden beneath the Citadel, where time bends and lost knowledge breathes.
• Trains them in the Thousand Path, Eightfold Principles, and invisible arts.
• Prepares them to inherit the storm, guarding the future of the Gale Nation.
Legacy of the Stormwalker
"Let the wind carry mercy, the storm bring justice, and the silence between be your only crown."
To this day, the Codex Tempestus and Folded Path remain foundational texts. The Gale Citadel still hums with elemental training. The Stormguard legions, though evolved, carry Altan's emblem etched into their armor.
Some say Altan vanished into the wind. Others say he lives still, one with the gale, watching from beyond the horizon.
His name is not spoken lightly.
He is not just founder.
He is the gale made flesh.