The bleached Brinarr, also known as Reefers (a term coined by Zoox), seem to be a drone variant of the Brinarr people native to Founder's Wake. Not much is currently known about them; although they bear a physical resemblance to their more colorful cousins, they do not appear to originate from the shepherding pools and it is unknown whether or not they also contain the souls of the Einarr.
Although initially antagonistic, the Reefers are currently loyal to and employed by Zoox; as of Episode 44 of The Adventure Zone: Ethersea, they work as lookouts and guards defending Founder's Wake.
Reefers are NPCs played by Griffin McElroy.
Description[]
Reefers are a drone-like species who are driven "solely by [an ancient and, to them, divine] instinct to open a passage" to another world. They have the power and tools necessary to create it, but lack the knowledge of how do to so; as such, their primary motivation throughout the campaign has been to gain that knowledge. They do not have a leader or queen.[1]
Physically, Reefers closely resemble Brinarr in that their bodies are also made of coral. However, unlike typical Brinarr, who only lose color upon death, even living Reefers are bleached white. That said, they are able to leech color from Brinarr like Zoox when the two are connected telepathically; the color disappears again when they disconnect.[1] It does not seem to be intentional or malicious, but may represent some kind of energy transfer.
Also unlike typical Brinarr, they do not have human-like features; no eye and mouth holes,[2] and some have atypical head shapes, including one whose head is a wide, thin plate.[1] They bleed a clear liquid.[3]
Their bodies seem to be malleable, and many Reefers working in concert can meld together to form structures like ships; when Benefactor Orlean made contact and seized control, he was able to magically coerce them into forming staircases, towers, domes,[4] and even a large coral dragon.
Reefers do not typically communicate through speech, although one did while bidding during the Abyssal Auction; their primary method of communication otherwise seems to be telepathy and also a sculptural language comprised of raised spikes of coral, which signify words or phrases.
History[]
The Abyssal Auction[]
Several bleached Brinarr attend the Abyssal Auction as the Red Cubes. They bid on the journal of Heretic Knob, and when they do not win it, attack with a blinding flash of light that incapacitates most of the other attendees. At least one dies in the ensuing fight against Devo, Zoox, and the Golden Wolves. When Amber searches its body, she discovers that it is made of bleached coral. Zoox takes its skull.
Later, one of their coral battleships attacks the auction using large, coral spikes, leading the remaining attendees to flee the station. The ship follows the Coriolis as it attempts to leave, and continues its assault. Meanwhile, Zoox establishes psychic contact with the bleached Brinarr skull, which leeches color from his hands when he picks it up. When the skull completely regains its color, the coral ship retreats.
Undersea Interlude III[]
In Episode 20, Zoox shows the bleached Brinarr skull to Tessellation, who is immediately alarmed until Zoox explains its origin. Tessellation says that they've never seen anything like it before.[5]
The Menagerie[]
The Reefers do not make an appearance in The Menagerie, but are mentioned by the blink sharks, who believe a in prophecy that claims the Reefers will bring Amber to their homeworld and "hang her from the sky like a star," where she will then "boil the seas" and cause "much death to blink shark lives."[6]
Benefactor's Folly[]
Prior to the beginning of the arc, Benefactor Orlean approached the Reefers' battleships and promised to give them the information they needed to build a passage to another world. After they accepted his help, Orlean betrayed their trust and magically coerced a large number of their people to his side; he built a number of structures, including a large dome, using their bodies, and sealed himself inside.
Amber, Devo, Zoox, and Ballaster Kodeira track him to this dome, where they are hailed by one of the Reefers, who asks Zoox for help in freeing them from Orlean. Zoox agrees to do so.[1]
Trivia[]
- In real life, coral may bleach due to stress caused by changes in light, temperature, or nutrients; when they expel the algae (zooxanthellae) from their bodies, the coral turns white.