Inspiration: Secret Santicore 2011 (the plant article); Daztur’s students
Here in the Keening Sea floats the great rotting corpse of the Fish of Angzen. It has been dead for at least a century, when it nearly washed ashore at the City of Shuttered Windows (29.14) and its great stench kept most of the City indoors for a whole week until it was towed out to sea.
The smell of the great fish is as foul as ever and its putrefaction has gone far enough that enough of its flesh has decomposed into soil to allow a small stand of trees to sprout from its back. On these trees grow a parasitical vine known as the Hair of Angzen, that if brewed into a tea allows the imbiber to see the true nature of things: invisibility falls away, illusions are made clear and some say that the faces of gods are made plain. But perhaps it is better for us to keep our illusions for drinking this brew often results in convulsions, panic attacks and even catatonia.
Generally the fish of The Keening Sea stay far away but various parasites feast on its decaying flesh and a small band of degenerate octoids cling to its underside.
But the great wonder of the fish is its great emerald eye, a great gem the size of a cart wheel. Strangely enough, no one has ever removed it, even though a jewel that side would surely fetch a princely price.
Connection:
- -The Princess of Seers relies heavily the Hair of Angzen to be able to communicate with the ghosts of the White Road (23.11).
Hooks:
- -Who or what was (is?) Angzen?
- -How did this enormous fish get here? How did it die?
- -Why is it so dangerous to see the true nature of things?
- -What can you tell me about the octoids who live here?
- -Why has the emerald eye never been removed and sold? The people of these lands are hardly known for their lack of greed.
