Tidecall

For several days approaching the last new moon of summer, the circle of druids known as Tidecallers come to the Western Shore and perform their rituals. According to them, their observances renew the relationship between the land and the sea, as they thank the sea for its bounty and forbearance by offering up the riches of the land.

On the night of the new moon itself, when only the stars light the night sky, the druids lay out a feast in a stone trough pierced by many holes. Their offerings consist only of food found on the land: fruit, nuts, bread, vegetables, haunches of meat, and open bottles of richly scented mead. Celebrants are also encouraged to add their own offerings, with stern warnings that nothing that has been taken from the sea must be presented.

As the tide comes in, the sea is lit with fabulous colors as bioluminescent creatures swim in the shallow water. By the time the water covers the trough, the intense light around the offerings makes it impossible to see them. As the tide withdraws and the water drains out of the trough, the offerings are revealed to have been transformed into edible coral and the druids invite the celebrants to join them in the feast. On rare occasion, if the offerings are particularly well-received, a piece of faintly golden Tidecall coral forms.

Just as rarely, but far less welcome to most, if an offering included something taken from the sea, a very different substance may form. Though it looks very similar, tidecull coral has the faintest veins of purple and is a deadly poison. The druids consider their substance an abomination and attempt to destroy any of it they find—and, if they were aware of the material’s origin, the sacrilegious person carrying it.

Game Mechanics

Tidecall Coral. When asked to describe Tidecall coral, those who have eaten it describe it as among the very best food they have ever tasted, with a faint hint of the sea. They also report it restoring both their physical well-being and soothing their soul. Consuming a portion of Tidecall coral takes 1 minute and reduces fatigue or strife by one level (determined randomly if a creature is suffering from both). A creature can only benefit from one portion of Tidecall coral a month, as attempting to consume more before then only leaves the eater nauseous. A typical formation of Tidecall coral can be split into 4 portions, costing 750 gold pieces each.