𐡔𐡑𐡃𐡂𐡑𐡒𐡒𐡄𐡍 𐡃𐡒𐡒𐡞𐡝𐡐𐡋𐡚𐡊𐡄𐡏 𐡌𐡍𐡙𐡍𐡌𐡄𐡕𐡙𐡒𐡐𐡄𐡍 𐡋𐡆𐡅𐡕𐡀𐡄𐡇𐡒𐡆𐡓𐡓𐡗𐡝 𐡕𐡁𐡞𐡃𐡇𐡃 𐡒𐡁𐡐𐡙 𐡉𐡐𐡏𐡟𐡕𐡓𐡕𐡄𐡚𐡅𐡕𐡘𐡃 𐡛𐡗𐡌𐡎𐡚𐡆𐡂𐡇𐡝 𐡔𐡟𐡓𐡅𐡁𐡇𐡊𐡃𐡌 𐡊𐡁𐡞𐡉𐡊 𐡏𐡍𐡈𐡔𐡜𐡏

The Reef is a blanket term for a nearby link on the Great Chain of Worlds, its native species, and the militaristic warrior-priesthood. Something is deeply wrong with their home world, and they are waging a secret war to flee to occupiable neighbors.

“Fishmen” / Kinscharin

You are born a tool. You are shaped by the tides of fate. Our anger shall be your anger. Your strength shall be our strength. (Parable of Purpose 1–4)

Strange xenian creatures, unknown to all but the most devoted of explorers, the fishmen are The Reef’s main warriors. They resemble humanoid-eel-fish hybrids: a mostly-human torso and arms connect downward into a thick eel tail. Their heads are vaguely human, but with the maw more closely resembling the thicket of teeth held by an anglerfish. Across the crest of their skull and down their spine runs a thin articulated set of soft spines.

Their skin is a mottled blueish grey, and they are entirely hairless. If one were to settle onto the ground, their height would average around 6ft. Overall, their size is similar to a larger-than-average human.

While they are colloquially known as “fishmen”, their actual sex is unknown. It is unclear if they are even a real species, or some construct-creature.

The fishmen do not appear to relate to local gravity normally. They shift through midair as if swimming, with their tails shifting unseen currents. Orientation matters little to them, and one danger when facing them in combat is their ability to engage from strange directions.

Blades

Many fishmen carry preternaturally sharp blades of an unusual asymmetrical curving design. They are mostly fashioned into long knives, but have also been found as spearpoints as well. The weapons do not seem to need sharpening, and pass through most organic matter extremely easily.

Blood Magic

Creatures of The Reef make use of a unique flavor of magic, most similar to indigenous blood magics found around the world. Principally, the magics heavily depend on capturing energy from destruction: of material or life force. Their effects are wide ranging, but generally more indirect than the Arcane.

Flowers

Instead of artifice, reef blood magic is found “stored” in the form of dried flowers that release/activate their effects when crushed. Some require the blood of the user to be mixed into the crushed leafs.

Blood rose: blinding blood pouring from eyes / mouth / etc of surrounding sentient creatures. User is unaffected.

Curled lotus: gain blink and magic life sight for brief duration.

Coral bloom: gain healing by way of coral growth and magic abyssal creatures. What Mason was operating off of at the later stages of the game. Changes are permanent.

Lily pads: magic bubble of water-space engulfs user in a 20-30ft diameter. User can move freely. Other creatures begin to drown and act like they are underwater.

Reef Botany

A number of invasive plant species from the Reef have settled on earth over millennia. Some are detailed below:

Higher Tsundue Plateau Flamegrass

Easily mistaken for its more common cousin, Dorjee Goldengrass, this specific variety only grows at higher altitude. The Flamegrass once grew wild all across the Tsundue Plateau, but the only known modern source is cultivated by an extremely isolationist monk sect. Named after the tall grasses color during dawn and dusk, the Flamegrass has local religious significance. Thought to be the hair of a slumbering god, the Flamegrass is referenced in a number of translated texts from the area.

Smoked Bekkr Berry (extinct)

The Bekkr Berry once grew wild along an archipelago of small islands in the north sea. It is moderately poisonous when consumed (even in small quantities), causing extreme visual hallucinations lasting multiple days. As mainland agricultural practices spread to the islands, the berry proved to be a weak competitor to the alien flora, and the last known bush was harvested in <34 years ago>.

It is still possible, though pricey, to find small quantities of the processed berry that have been horded in private drug collections. There are rumors that the great library in has a fully preserved specimen.

North Sea Bladderwrack

A newly discovered seaweed used as a source of iodine, helpful for treating a number of ailments.

Harper’s Folly

An aggressive marine bind-weed, Harper’s Folly grows in large quantities all along the western coasts of Europe and Africa. Its origin is extra-planar, having come through Reef portals. Even in the reef, Folly is a weed, growing and reproducing quickly in any damp environment. Its main properties, besides growth, is its uptake of surrounding environmental effects. Large quantities of Folly that have been growing around other Reef plants can often be used in their stead. However these reactions are harder to control, given the inconsistent dosage and contaminants.