The Corrupted Sea

The coastal waters of the Wildermarch are dying. The reef has turned white and fossilized, sea guardians have been corrupted, and necromantic crystals transform the dead into sea spawn.

Key Figures:

• Coralia - Ocean dryad and guardian of the Coral Coast. She was dragged beneath the waves by a massive octopus during the reef rescue. Her fate is unknown.
• The Leviathan - Once a guardian and friend to Coralia, now corrupted and hostile. Coralia lost her arm fighting it (later restored by Aldric).
• The Psionic Abomination - A vast creature with four glowing red eyes and innumerable tentacles that surfaced after the Coral Forest battle, watching with fury before fleeing into the deep.

What is Known:

• At least two leviathan-class entities exist beneath the coast
• The corruption coincides with N.O.D.E.'s arrival, though its origins predate them
• Necromantic crystals grow stronger as creatures die nearby, transforming the dead into sea spawn
• Cultist bodies near the crystals retained some abilities after transformation
• The mind control effect from the psionic creature matches the obelisk found on the bluff

Progress:

• The Coral Forest crystal was destroyed, partially cleansing that section of coast
• The psionic abomination fled into the deep, radiating fury
• Coralia gave her trident to Ozemon and her cloak to Jorath before being taken
• The party earned the title "Reef Friend" and carries coral fragments as tokens

The Aboleth Connection: The interrogation of Silas confirmed that the psionic abomination in the Coral Forest was one of multiple Aboleths — "one of my brothers." The party has also slain at least one Aboleth, described as "an unforgivable act." Lizardfolk sailors aboard the Tidefang reported deep-beasts that crawl inside minds and whisper without words, causing crew to hurl themselves overboard and return hollowed out — classic Aboleth behavior.

The Tidefang's Fate: N.O.D.E. found the Tidefang in a tidal sea cave on the southern coast, exactly where the message-in-a-bottle had pointed. S'shar's logbook recorded the story: a storm drove the ship into the cave, a shape long as the ship in the deep water that never surfaced, then a slow series of disappearances — crew vanishing from watch one at a time with no struggle, no tracks, the perimeter alarm never tripping. Whatever took them did not come from outside. S'shar wrote that the whispers in his head went quieter deeper in the cave; the party later found that ribbons of dense, lead-rich galena threaded through the deepest chamber were dulling the aboleth's psychic call. The crew retreated to that chamber to wait out a high tide they never sailed on. The last five were killed and crushed by a chuul left behind to guard the place. The bodies were carried home aboard the Tidefang.

Unresolved:

• Coralia's fate remains unknown
• The underwater tower depicted in cult drawings has not been explored
• The shape long as the ship that drove the Tidefang into the cave was never seen again — likely a leviathan or aboleth servant patrolling the southern coast

Map

The Coral Forest Southern Sea Cave The Reef