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Every now and then, as sailor tales go, there comes a dangerous tide, rising from the depths, its inhabitants eager to invade the shores. Such a kingdom of sea creatures has emerged nearby and the locals are rightfully fleeing the coast.
Now this Coral Kingdom is a living structure – a domed network of white coral pitted with holes along the roof. These small openings above the first chamber let enough air in for air-breathers to visit – as well as bathe the floor with rays of brilliant sunlight.
Among the tide pools of the first chamber, however, are several salt-encrusted merfolk sages (mummified to the point of being statues). While the still sages neither move nor speak, they communicate via telepathy and dreams. And what they say is a dire warning to those that seek the Queen.
You see, the Coral Kingdom is ruled by a spiteful sea queen – a leviathan crab known for her size and offspring (a brood she maintains until they grow too unruly, although some tell of her spawning sea monsters or granting horrible curses). She conducts most of her responsibilities in the chamber beyond the first (behind a secret passage), with a series of piping sounds that carries throughout her kingdom. With a single call, thousands of crabs emerge from the bone-white coral walls to do her bidding.