Reef Madness

Stormy skies and seas of danger awaited Makar and Co. as they pushed ever Northward towards the Kingdom of Orpora. Orpora, the squiddles to the South had said, was a land broken by civil war whose capital had been seized by a dangerous apocalypse cult. What thrills and dangers await in the land of tyrants and plague?

Longshore Planning

First, Makar visited the small reefs that dot the coastline of West Makar, South of Longshore Reef. Makar discovered that horrific beasts drenched in plague had been launched into Southern Orpora by the apocalypse cult, and that the sea-born plague could be magically dissipated but only in small amounts at a time.  Plans were made to try and coordinate efforts between the surface world and the reefs, to use the shipping of the surface to haul out dangerous monster corpses or mass graves to prevent them from leaking plague into the seawater. 
Makar decided to visit Longshore reef, to coordinate their infiltration of Farwater with Longshore's war against them. In exchange for a trade deal hook with the Orporan leadership, Captain Yamoa accepted this detour, and Makar used Kebri (the Emesh paladin) to make contact with the only local Emesh paladin underwater: a shark named Fastfin, who was scouting Orpora with their apprentice and son. With these sharks, Makar entered Longshore and bluffed their way into the central command, where they chatted with the local claimant to Orpora - Queen Mora. Mora was unhinged and aggressive, but ultimately liked Makar's style and agreed to work with them. Contact was sent to Mora's spy in Farwater, Una Highhouse, and the plan was made to make a more aggressive push towards Farwater with the assumption that Makar could do some damage. 

Entering Farwater

Next, the crew sailed to Aprizada, where they made contact with the Orporan embassy and surface representatives. The adult companions went off to scout the city, while the childhood friends went to tail Captain Yamoa, who was acting sketchy. Zelten Zurazir, Governor-Ambassador for Orpora, accepted Makar as an agent of Queen Mora but also reported their presence to Farwater. Zelten also revealed that an exiled member of the royal family was currently somewhere in Aprizada, the lost prince Obren Orporsblood. And thanks to the scouting companions, Makar was able to find Obren before Zelten was, and talked with the prince in a bar in the interior of Aprizada. Obren was wracked by guilt and determined to undermine Orpora's control of the city, so he planned on attacking the embassy and ideally sabotaging the orporan chemical plant. He also had some juicy tips for how to best infiltrate Farwater Reef, and told Makar that the ruler of Farwater was the most reasonable of the royal siblings despite working for the Rot cult.
And so Makar and Fastfin descended into the depths, around the filter of plague water above the reef to the Merchant's Gate. The Reef was dying, plague-ridden and twisted. A great vortex of corrupted water pulsed overhead, rising upwards from the reef. Makar and Fastfin entered the city as merchants, and got a tour of the city by an officer allied with the Longshore spy - the place was wretched from end to end, to say the least, and growing ever worse. Makar finally arrived at the manor of Una Highome, Octoperson aristocrat and political influencer. Una offered Makar and Fastfin legitimacy as merchants and access to much of the reef. 

Reef Drama

Makar had a few possible targets: the strange ziggurat of flesh that the vortex rose from, the lead warlock (Rokolo), the squiddle Rot cult, the warlock novices that manipulated the currents, or the monstrous being that had taken over the industrial district. Makar first investigated the being in the industrial district, which was a shapeshifter that always appeared as some kind of rotting and diseased corpse and which had an aura that allowed the infected's flesh to be warped into tools. An officer who had been singled out for avoiding work was locked in the district as its guard (but was more of a plaything for the creature's whims), and Makar decided to let that be to pursue the central warlock cult instead. 
Rather that go after Rokolo immediately and be overwhelmed, Makar decided to try and win over the King of Orpora, Kalo Orporsblood. Through Una, they were able to get an audience with Kalo, who had basically given up and accepted that the apocalypse was impossible to fight. After much convincing, Kalo agreed to let Makar get a crack at killing Rokolo - and, if Makar succeeded, Kalo might even help them fight the others. To distract the rest of the cult, Kalo had the novices and cultists rally their greatest weapons and abilities against the advancing army from Longshore, firing up the final battle between the two reefs. Makar and Fastfin were able to ambush Rokolo, but even with surprise the warlock exhausted their spell slots and abilities and nearly killed both of them at various points. With Rokolo down, the pair was able to rally Kalo and his bodyguards to ambush the novice warlocks, who they easily cut down. Then the group attacked the ziggurat, which opened into a massive plague monstrosity and completely ovewhelmed the group. Kalo's guards were killed, Fastfin was almost killed again, and Kalo fled to get more guards to throw at it. Makar and Fastfin fled as well, and soon it was just chaos - cultists and loyalists fighting, monsters running loose in the reefways, currents manipulated wildly breaking the city apart. The chaos caused Farwater's army to largely surrender, and Longshore's forces advanced on the crumbling reef. Kalo, Una, Makar, and Fastfin barely escaped with their lives, but were able to make it to the surface. Farwater had fallen; the cult was dissolved into the commonfolk. 

Conclusions

Back in Aprizada, Makar united Obren, Kalo, and Una as the messy octopus royal squad and sent them off to Vikasha to go fight the plague. Mora de-facto won the crown of Orpora back for herself, possibly ending the civil war if she could diplomatically subjugate the last reef (Warmtide). And no NPC died! The teen squad had to be rescued from stumbling into a crime deal between Yamoa and an unknown selkie, and Ezia said that the unknown figure seemed to know who they were (which was unnerving), but no harm no foul. And Yamoa even came to Makar with a business deal: steal some religious artifacts along their travels for big money and magic items for an eccentric Samvaran buyer. What wacky hijinks will the horizon bring?

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 stylish mercenary Warlock hired by the crew at the urging of Princess Maina Eramzir. 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.
Ezia of Aizari: Ezia was a neighbor and childhood friend of Makar. She is shy, bookish, and curious, always drawn to learning more about foreign lands and new things but held back by her social anxiety. Much of that anxiety melts away when she is around her friends, who she will follow to the ends of the Earth. Ezia comes from a brewing family with connections to The Circles. Knows the truth about Makar. Dailio: Dailio is a selkie outpost child, raised in Echereko. Dailio is extroverted, polite, and open-minded, a bold and cheery business boy who hopes to one day be a merchant like his parents. Dailio is sharp of eye and has basic dueling training, but is a relentless rules-follower when not balanced out by Ezia or Makar. Knows the truth about Makar.
Yago of Imzira: A big friendly security hire from Ibith who has left his home on a massive quest to to inform The Khilaia that sharks are sentient. Has made many enemies despite his humble and quiet demeanor. Uyazi Hakona: A bard. No, not the magic kind. More of a courtier that can also do music and is good at writing stories. Signed up for security onboard the Aranu when they heard Princess Maina Eramzir was sending someone to Samvara, as they want ground floor on whatever is going on.

Neutrals/Bystanders

Captain Yamoa: The selkie captain of the Aranu; merchant, pirate, and profiteer of dubious morals.
Fastfin Cunning-Wolf: An old white-tipped shark and paladin of Emesh, who seeks a glorious future for shark-kind. On bad terms with their original shark-clan, the cat-inspired cunning-wolves.
Lionpup Cunning-Wolf: Fastfin's adopted son and a bull shark with a fondness for art and puppetry, Lionpup is a big softie who yearns for the hands for more art.
Sleekpelt Cunning-Wolf: Fastfin's apprentice and warrior-shark, possible future paladin. 
Mora Orporsblood: A bloodthirsty tyrant with an unhinged ambition and a love of cannibalism, Mora is the ruler of Longshore Reef and claimant to the Kingdom of Orpora. 
Kalo Orporsblood: Current ruler of Farwater Reef. An amoral pessimist who enabled the doomsday cult to seize the reef. Has a messy history with Una Highhome. 
Orben Orporsblood: Lost son of the royal family of Orpora, an exile who long ago embezzled large amounts of money to flee the kingdom in comfort. Dislikes Orpora's social structures and wishes to dismantle the kingdom. Once had a thing with Una Highhome, but betrayed her for money. 
Una Highhome: An aristocrat in Farwater Reef who was smuggling out intelligence for both Longshore and Warmtide and who hosted Makar in Farwater. Dislikes the apocalypse cult. Was suspected of espionage by the cult, but was shielded from immediate purging by her close relationship to Kalo Orporsblood. 
Zelten Zurazir: The Governor-Ambassador of Orpora to Aprizada, an impossibly stubborn and legalistic yes-man who has been broken by the Orporan civil war.

Adversaries

Rokolo the Pontiff of the Rot: Lead warlock of the Rot cult of Farwater, who planted the seeds for the infant plague engine there.

Backdrops

Threats

Notes on the Rot so Far:

• Spread by water primarily, though possibly close enough contact as well
• Can infect any species
• Initial symptoms are similar to a light flu, as well as an incredibly overwhelming thirst
• Worsening symptoms include sudden tiredness, cold sweats, and periods of lost time
• During this heightened infection, the victim has a chance of recovery IF they rest continually, have access to nutritious food and water, are treated with medicines such as Kilusha , and have warm shelter. Those with better immune systems are more likely to recover
• Those who do not recover have their personalities and sentience repressed. They will obey the last directions given, but will otherwise do nothing. These infected will still produce more plague and can be possessed by the Rot
• Those who recover are permanently psychically connected to the Rot - capable of detecting it in others and being detected by it, and dreaming of its words. Those who agree to serve it can become rot warlocks, but this isn't all of them.
• The rot in Vikasha seemed to attract and control vermin, and cats seemed to be attacked on sight by them
• The rot can create the seeds for "Plague Engines": massive monsters that grow as plague is spread. Plague Engines can mutate new strains of the plague that are wildly different in effect and transmission. 
• The rot can create aquatic hell-beasts, but possibly only in the sea
• The rot has a giant Leviathan that protects its physical body

Plot type

QUEST

Parent Plot

Moon Talks

Subplots

• The Crowns of Tyrants

Related Organizations

• Kingdom of Orpora

Related Locations

• Aprizada
• Farwater Reef
• Longshore Reef