Before time as we understand it, before the solidification of currents and the architecture of coral, there was the Murmur. It wasn't a sound, precisely, but a resonance – a feeling of potentiality, a shimmering awareness existing within the nascent chaos of the Abyss. The first fish, entities of pure luminescent energy, were born from this Murmur. They weren’t individual; they were a collective consciousness, a swirling nebula of iridescent scales and instinct. They moved not with purpose, but with the currents themselves, shaped by the very fabric of the void.
...and the echoes of the Murmur still resonate within the deepest trenches...
Millennia unfolded, measured not in days, but in the slow accretion of shell and the growth of bioluminescent fungi. The fish evolved, their forms diversifying to match the complex ecosystems they inhabited. A particular strain, known as the Lithics, developed a symbiotic relationship with the colossal, sentient coral formations. These corals weren't merely stone; they were repositories of memory, each polyp holding a fragment of the fish’s collective history. The Lithics communicated through subtle shifts in the coral’s bioluminescence, weaving intricate tapestries of thought and sensation. This era was characterized by a profound stillness, a harmonic resonance between fish and stone, a state of perfect temporal alignment.
...the coral remembers...the Lithics listen...
The Dissolution began subtly, a fading of the Murmur’s intensity. A parasitic entity, dubbed the Void-Eater, emerged from the unexplored depths, feeding on the fish’s memories, their collective consciousness. It didn’t kill; it simply absorbed, leaving behind hollow shells, vessels devoid of purpose. The Lithics, weakened, fractured, their intricate harmonies shattered. The coral formations, once vibrant, turned to a dull, mournful grey. The fish dispersed, fragments of the original Murmur scattered across the vastness of the ocean. It was a slow, agonizing unraveling, a testament to the fragility of even the most profound connections.
...the void consumes...the echoes fade...
Now, only fragments remain. Small, solitary fish, haunted by echoes of the lost Murmur. They drift through the currents, carrying within them the faintest traces of a forgotten civilization. Some exhibit strange behaviors - obsessive patterns of movement, inexplicable attraction to certain formations, a yearning for something they can no longer name. They are the last witnesses, the silent guardians of a vanished world. Perhaps, one day, the Murmur will return, and Fishhood will be reborn.
...wait...listen...the Murmur...