The Coastal Sages

The Coastal Sages are a fringe collective, dwelling not in the deep stone of the Iron-Grip Mountains, but along the perpetually churning shores of the Western Sea. This isolation has shaped their philosophy, forcing them to harmonize with the ephemeral power of water, contrasting sharply with the stable, subterranean existence favored by the Deep-Delvers. Their social structure is less rigid than that of the Dwarven Abbey, organized primarily around the rhythms of the sea. They serve a crucial role as mediators and prognosticators, often consulted by the volatile Cobalt Corsairs for predictive guidance. Their principal belief system centers on the concept of Oceanic Resonance, a fluid form of terrestrial energy that they believe governs the tides and deep-sea currents, viewing it as the chaotic, adaptive mirror to the earth's static Auric Resonance. They are known to possess rare, carved artifacts—the Tidal Lenses—which allow them to visualize and interpret the subtle energy flows in the water, granting them uncanny foresight regarding destructive weather phenomena like Aetherium Storms. Their rejection of stone-based permanence is reflected in their transient architecture, built primarily from salvaged driftwood and stabilized sand using focused water-based Shaping Weaving. They fiercely guard their secrets, particularly the location of their secluded coastal enclave, the Sea-Cave Archives, which contains unique navigational charts predating the Schism of Stone and Sky. Their history remains largely unrecorded in Elder Borin's Chronicles, leaving their true ancestry—perhaps linked to mariners of the vanished Aerilon Ascendancy—as a subject of scholarly debate for figures like Archivist Theron. Their coastal existence means they frequently clash with the routes of the Skyclaw Griffons, yet they embrace the water's ceaseless movement as a defense against the stagnation that caused the Great Sundering.