Abyssal Cove
────────✧────────
The Abyssal Cove, the Underwater Kingdom, a place where all those under the sea thrive.
────────✧────────
The Power Within Beasts
Monster Cores are multi-functional and very useful in growth and progression.
Abyssal Cove is an underwater kingdom nestled deep beneath the ocean’s surface, situated beside a massive trench that leads far into the unknown depths. The entire kingdom exists within a colossal, magic-infused bubble that shields its inhabitants from the immense pressure of the sea and allows even surface-dwellers to breathe and move freely within. The bubble’s interior is lit by soft bioluminescent light, cast from the surrounding coral formations and the flora that has adapted to thrive in the deep sea.
The kingdom’s architecture is woven seamlessly into the reef itself, creating an organic blend of civilization and marine life. Glowing kelp forests, crystal towers, and sea-glass structures fill the landscape, while vibrant schools of fish and oceanic fauna drift between open corridors and tunnels of water.
Rather than being ruled by a singular monarch, Abyssal Cove is governed by the Elder Council, a group of the wisest and eldest members of the merfolk and other oceanic races who inhabit the kingdom. These elders are responsible for the laws, customs, and day-to-day decisions of the realm, offering guidance and maintaining balance.
Yet, true authority rests with the Apex Kraken, a primordial and slumbering guardian that resides deep beneath the city in the trench itself. Worshipped as both protector and god, the Apex Kraken is rarely seen, but its presence is felt throughout the kingdom. Every five years, a grand tribute is paid by the citizens to honor the Kraken and ensure its continued guardianship over their lives. This ceremony marks one of the most important events in the kingdom’s cycle, binding faith, fear, and protection into a single ancient pact.
Abyssal Cove maintains a mostly self-reliant economy, utilizing the wealth of the ocean for its daily sustenance and development. Aquaculture is widespread, with the cultivation of fish, sea plants, and other edible marine life providing steady food sources. Skilled divers retrieve valuable minerals and resources from deep ocean trenches, while harvesters collect rare, glowing flora used for medicine, alchemy, and magical crafting.
Though isolated, the kingdom occasionally sees surface dwellers and seafarers who seek trade or safe harbor within its borders. While external trade is rare, internal commerce flourishes. The people of the Cove rely heavily on barter and mutual exchange, fostering an economy based on community trust and shared survival. Through this internal balance and the protective will of the Apex Kraken, Abyssal Cove remains a mysterious yet thriving kingdom within the depths.
The Power Within Beasts
Monster Cores are multi-functional and very useful in growth and progression.
Abyssal Cove’s culture is deeply rooted in reverence for the ocean and the Apex Kraken. The society thrives on a communal mindset, with a strong emphasis on cooperation and harmony with nature. The people see one another as family, bound by the ocean’s currents and the protective presence of their slumbering guardian. The kingdom’s long-standing isolation has allowed for the cultivation of a deeply unique identity, filled with ancient traditions, melodic songs passed through generations, and stories celebrating the sea’s grace and the Kraken’s enduring benevolence.
Seasonal festivals and sacred rituals are woven around the rhythm of ocean tides, with the most revered ceremonies tied to the tributes made in honor of the Apex Kraken. Outsiders are rarely permitted to witness these sacred events, preserving the sanctity of their customs.
Though Abyssal Cove is a peaceful realm, its defence force, known as the Tideguard, stands ever-vigilant. Comprised of skilled warriors from many oceanic races, the Tideguard are experts in underwater combat, their training steeped in tradition and adapted to the fluidity of the deep. While the kingdom’s natural isolation wards off most threats, the sheer presence of the Apex Kraken ensures few dare to challenge its sovereignty. The Tideguard operates from fortified training grounds hidden within the kingdom’s reef structures, prepared at all times to defend their people should the barrier ever be breached.
Religion is inseparable from life within the Cove. The Apex Kraken is worshipped as both guardian and god, the divine embodiment of the ocean’s will. Temples carved from coral and polished stone rise within the reef, their chambers lit by bioluminescent flora and devoted to quiet prayer. Offerings of song, artifact, and magic are left in sacred places, with the greatest ritual of all being the Tribute of Tides, held once every five years. During this time, treasures are gathered from across the kingdom and presented in a ceremony to honor the Kraken and reaffirm the covenant of protection it provides.
Legends speak of a time the Angels descended upon the kingdom, seeking retribution for the Cove’s perceived abandonment of Kami, but the Apex Kraken rose to the surface and drove them back, ensuring the people's survival.
Within the Cove are several vital locations, each interwoven with the kingdom’s daily life and spiritual depth. The Grand Reef serves as the kingdom’s central hub, filled with vibrant coral structures and bustling marketplaces. Kraken’s Grotto lies in the deepest part of the city, a sacred and forbidden cavern where the Apex Kraken resides, visited only by the most trusted elders during sacred rites.
Pearl Plaza glistens with cultivated treasures from the sea floor and remains one of the kingdom’s primary centers of trade. The Temple of the Deep is the largest place of worship, where major religious ceremonies and festivals take place beneath echoing halls and glowing coral pillars. Further out lie the Aqua Gardens, lush underwater expanses filled with rare flora that serve as both a source of food and natural beauty. The Tideguard Training Grounds, carefully fortified and partially hidden in the reef walls, are home to rigorous training regimens and the kingdom’s elite protectors.
Abyssal Cove remains an isolated paradise beneath the waves, its culture and way of life preserved by secrecy and reverence. The people’s bond with the Apex Kraken shapes not only their beliefs but the foundation of their society itself. Protected by a vast magical bubble that allows for breathable air and shields them from the pressure of the sea, the kingdom stands as a glowing testament to survival, unity, and faith. Hidden from the surface world and watched over by an ancient god of the deep, it continues to thrive in silence, untouched by time.