Moon Talks

With Vikasha at their back, Makar and their allies on The Aranu headed North, eyes set to distant Samvara. But Makal has wonders and dangers yet to be explored..

Start of a Journey

For the week following their time in Vikasha Makar, focused on their companions, particularly Kamatu and Zofara. Kamatu mostly seemed interested in figuring out a future for his daughter, but Zofara was still deeply shaken about his experience with The Rot back in Vikasha. Zofara described the tension building in his relationship with his patron (which remained nameless, but seemed focused on the survival part of "the strong survive") and how he became a warlock originally - he described his background as a Zeruan conscript, his falling out with the garrison, his falling into the sea and the state of disassociation that opened his mind to the Leviathans. He showed uncomfortable reverence for Makar as well as a commitment to fight to the death for the cause.
After this, The Aranu arrived at the city of Illinik. Illinik is a city in the center-South of the Kingdom of Umeda-Kokora, notable to Makar for two reasons: firstly, it is the home of the Moonsign Citadel; secondly, the nearby waters contained the first major reef on Makar's journey, Moonbay. The Aranu would only be in Illinik for one night, and Makar had to choose between the two. They chose the Moonsign Order, and took the form of a cat to hop aboard a carriage and infiltrate the Citadel.
Makar kept with the pilgrims and supplicants that were visiting the Citadel's Hall of Heroes to petition the order for help or for a sacred experience. Several supplicants caught Makar's attention: one reporting the Vikasha plague, one reporting an attack by the Scourge on their village, and one reporting a group of dangerously modified Empty near the Esedetan border. Makar guided that last supplicant towards the paladins of Agamine the Lost, encouraged the Scourge-supplicant to go on a vengeance quest against cats, and intervened fully with the Vikasha plague request.

Gods and Paladins

Makar quickly escalated the matter of the Vikashan plague with the paladins of Orchid, and was able to convince them to call a council with representatives of each God. The Council was tense, as many paladins who took the Oath of Devotion (the Oath of Lily of Red ) had left for Samvara a month ago and had introduced Lunar rivalries into the harmony of the Order. This tension flared up and attracted the attention of the upper leadership, and Makar did their best to convince them all to prioritize the Vikashan plague. Makar was not quiet about their Architect status or the nature of the Rot as apocalypse during this, and also did their best to explain germ theory. The paladins were quite receptive to the idea of divine endorsement and fighting the end of the world, but made it clear that their oaths, processes, and internal leadership came first.
Afterwards, Makar approached the paladins of Emesh for an audience with their God, who was currently the active god of the Divine Contact. Emesh and Makar got along well, with their shared aloofness and blunt discussions of interpersonal politics. They talked about Lunar gossip and world politics mostly, and Emesh revealed that one of the apocalypses had attempted to convince him to defect to their side. He also revealed that Lily of Red and Orchid of Blue had been using their 'exclusive' access to the two revealed mortal Architects to try and claim leadership over the pantheon. Emesh was willing to trade information about the world in exchange for knowledge of Potha's location, and offered knowledge of the Empire of Runeva, what it could potentially offer the party, and what the implications of claiming that power might include.
In order to keep a closer connection to Emesh, Makar agreed to turn one of the dejected initiates who had come to apply to the Moonsign Order towards a paladin oath to Emesh. They chose one such initiate that had come up with Makar to the Citadel, a blustering and idealistic young warrior by the name of Kebri. After talking for some time about what God Kebri might actually gravitate to, he saw that Emesh did offer a valuable possible relationship and ultimately decided to make the oath after talking with Emesh in his own Divine Contact (which Makar sponsored with most of their remaining gold).

Reef Dreams

The next stop Makar decided to make was the next reef of significance, Greenwater. Greenwater is a reef positioned in the emerald waters just North of the minor trading hub of Krinrasha - capital of the Kingdom of Iskiwora and headquarters to the Greater Makal Company. Greenwater itself was a mess - new squiddle refugees were flooding in and being detained in barren stone caves at the edge of the reef at the slightest possibility of plague, and the martial law had taken over the reef.
Makar talked with some of the incoming refugees, then tried to talk their way up the chain of command to find out what was going on. Apparently, Greenwater was run by an octoperson monarch by the name of Ulren, who was fighting with the reef to the South (the one Makar had passed by at Illinik) for regional dominance. Ulren was accepting assistance from the Greater Makal Company and was willing to expand their reach into the aquatic world; the Southern reef of Moonbay wished to reject the temptations of the surface world for a more religious Elemeer regime. The old monarch of the two reefs had died of plague, as had their heir, and both reefs were also dealing with neighbors that were undergoing civil strife themselves.
Makar could not resolve the issue in one night, alone, with no resources, despite his best attempts. Instead, they learned about what had been going on in Makal's undersea societies since the arrival of the Rot: that the Rot's main body was contained in a massive greater Leviathan creature locally dubbed 'the Eater of Worlds', which smashed reefs and was cloaked in a massive cloud of diseased water, murk, and hostile pieces of enchanted flesh. The armies of the largest Octoperson empire in Makal, the Kingdom of Orpora , had swarmed out to fight this creature and had failed. Before they could regroup, a number of the survivors of the attack became plague warlocks, and joined the squiddle warlocks that the Rot already had with it. The new warlocks led a military revolt against the Kingdom, killed the Queen, and convinced the heir to join them in cowering before the inevitability of the Rot. The warlocks of Orpora tried to dislodge these cultists, but died in the process. The Kingdom of Orpora collapsed as each province outside of the capital rebelled against the apocalypse cult, but the civil strife meant that meaningful coordination against the Rot had ended.
With that knowledge in hand, Makar went back to the ship and sailed North once more. The capital of the Kingdom of Orpora is Farwater, and is close to Aprizada - the port furthest North in Makal, right before the passage into Izekra. Aprizada/Farwater will be the final point in Ekraht, the gate to leaving the familiar behind completely. It may also be another fight against the Rot's minions. Will Makar be able to free the reef of Farwater from the clutches of the doomsday cult? Or will their lack of aquatic allies and information be their undoing? Find out next time on Makarquest!

Components

Goals

QUEST GOALS

• Leave for Samvara 
• Investigate the broader fallout from the arrival of the Rot
• Collect allies for the coming struggle
• Meet up with Potha

Relations

Allies

Zofara Nightwalker: Zofara is a mercenary Warlock hired by the crew at the urging of Princess Maina Eramzir . Zofara prioritizes their style (dark and mysterious) and was initially cold and aloof. After Makar revealed themselves, Zofara has become outright deferent. Their goal is the same as Makar's: to investigate the disturbances in Makal and protect the seas from the Adversary.
Kamatu Templesborn: A pious human Kamada n dragon sorcerer with a history in criminal groups and a collected and cool attitude. Joined the crew of the Aranu with his four-year-old daughter, Mitheta.
Kebri: A travelling young warrior from Eastern Zerua, a compassionate young idealist in search of purpose and glory. Was convinced to become a paladin of Emesh.

Neutrals/Bystanders

Captain Yamoa: The selkie captain of the Aranu; merchant, pirate, and profiteer of dubious morals.

Adversaries

The Rot: An apocalyptic nightmare entity theoretically capable of ending the world itself, that has recently arrived in Vikasha. Sows disease and has begun infecting the dockworkers of Vikasha with something. Seems to be planning something big.

Plot type

QUEST

Parent Plot

Leaving Vikasha

Subplots

• Reef Madness

Related Characters

• Emesh

Related Organizations

• Kingdom of Umeda-Kokora
• The Moonsign Order