October 18, 2025

Hook

Legend of the Black Reef IV (High Seas, Jaern)

Plot Synopsis

The party makes their move on the center of the Black Reef: a skull several stories high. They come across an Onivero-built dam, which needs to be taken down in order to let the Storm's Empress through. Some of the party notices a massive abyssling patrolling nearby, and make a plan to bait it to destroy the dam. It does so, but proves itself quickly to be far too strong. This is the legendary Neptune's Fang, and seems to be a fused conglomeration of tens or even hundreds of humanoid bodies. It has incredible physical and magical power.

Uriel reverses time to escape the situation, and they regroup. This time, they destroy the dam on their own without attracting the attention of Neptune's Fang. Stealthily, the party goes in to investigate the center of the skull. Serena scouts via her detached soul, finding that the entire skull is a massive abyssling nest. Additionally, below the floor of the atrium lies a human body clutching a tiny crystal: the Heart of the Sea. This body looks somewhat like Dolores; the party concludes that this is her son.

When they return to the Storm's Empress, they find a small squadron of Onivero soldiers. Kelp talks to them, and they are worried by the party's presence. They tell them that they are here to retrieve the Heart of the Sea, as it is an Onivero artifact which contains essential information relating to the Onivero's history and conflict with the abysslings. However, the party's presence here confirms that their mission is compromised; they have some kind of abyssling-allied mole in their ranks who teleported the Storm's Empress close to the Reef instead of away. They ask the party, hesitantly, to retrieve the Heart, as they cannot trust their own. The party accepts, for now, and considers their next steps.

Noteworthy Postgame Events