Tidal Chamber of Accord — a meeting hall beneath the Tide woven Pavilion, its walls breathing with pulsing coral and silent glyph-light.
The council stones were full — a rare sign that the elders of both the Pavilion and the Serpent root Kin had agreed to share one tide of judgment.
Above them, the reef-trees dimmed, their once-bright roots curling inward like clenched fingers. No beasts called. The sea was holding its breath.
🌀 Elder Mo'Quen (Pavilion Tide-Seer)
His gaze lingered on the mist-wrapped horizon visible through the upper vents of the hall. His voice was calm, but thin with fear.
"The tide does not lie. The currents have reversed where no moon pulls. A Hollow-Touched too old for record approaches… one not born of bloodlust, but crafted grief."
He turned to the Serpent root delegates.
"And your spirits weep blood sap. That has not happened since the Sundered Coil split. Is this… truly the Hand?"
🐍 Oracle-Aide Yasha (Serpent root Kin)
Yasha bowed deeply, her coils whispering against the coral tiles.
"The Oracle speaks no metaphor. The one called Szuul the Devouring Hand walks. An echo of death that touches both beast and soul."
"If he reaches the Grove… we will lose more than soil and spirit. We will lose memory itself."
🔥 Pavilion Disciple Envoy — Lan'Fei
She stepped forward, armor still streaked from her arrival, Tide boar Irka waiting near the hall's edge.
"He is drawn to Feng Xian. And I say this not from loyalty alone — but from bond."
She raised her arm, where serpent-scale marks now shimmered faintly with ember-hue.
"He has begun to change the creatures he nears. The fire of the Crown… stirs more than relics."
Silence followed. Even Mo'Quen blinked slowly at the marks.
🧜♂️ Reef-Warden Senjir (Pavilion Defender Faction)
He slammed his trident-staff into the floor.
"Then we cast him out until the Hand passes. Let the fire drown or burn alone. We are Pavilion — not a pyre for some foreign Crown."
🐍 Luo Fen
She rose without speaking at first, then unwrapped the sash from her waist — revealing a fang-shaped glyph scorched into her ribs.
"The Grove itself marked me. And it led me to him."
"Feng Xian is not a curse — he is a convergence. And if we sever him now, we may sever the coil meant to bind this storm."
⚖️ Mo'Quen's Judgment
He closed his eyes. The coral beneath his feet pulsed with ancient song.
"Then we stand on a razor's tide. One path: we exile the fire, protect the reef — and perhaps allow the Hand to feed elsewhere."
"Another: we entwine — fire and water, coil and spark — and face what comes not as scattered tides, but as a tempest reborn."
The room waited.
"We vote. Pavilion. Kin. Disciple."
Decision Paths (For Story Progression):
Unite Under Risk: They choose to protect Feng Xian, keeping him within the Grove under deep warding. All resources prepare for Szuul's approach. Unity, but risk of full confrontation.
Split Strategy: Feng Xian is sent inland toward a hidden coil-veil site to draw Szuul away. A task force goes with him (Lan'Fei, Luo Fen, maybe one rival?). The Pavilion holds the Isles in defensive stance.