It can be hard at times for outsiders to get a real read on the seafolk and their views of the abyssal beings down below. Folks question if they revere them or fear them, but are these two feelings truly exclusive? Aren't there other faiths in these lands that function on both love and fear? Perhaps even those words are too strong, because the relationship between the seafolk and the beings of the deep sea is a bit complicated. There are parts of these entities and faith that they understand, but plenty of other points that remain a mystery. They have a healthy respect towards any they encounter, and are quick to aid any that get caught up in nets and lines. Yet, when you watch them interact with these beings, you can certainly see a bit of worry and fear beneath it all. Not just helping this creature out of the net, but also desperately trying to get it off their ship as fast as possible. They have effigies and protective trinkets, yet it can be difficult discerning if they are meant to call upon the aid of the abyss or keep it away. If one were to ask the seafolk, they would likely say they have a "healthy respect" towards these beings, and perhaps that is the best way to put it.
Seafolk have long learned that these creatures of the deep have a strong tie to the ocean and the life within it, which is a huge part of their own lives as well. If you rely on fish and safe ocean travel, then why wouldn't you have faith in the entities that seemingly command these elements? Appeasing them and respecting their systems means good things for seafolk, and they have already seen what happens when they are treated poorly. The issue arises in that communication between seafolk and abyssal beings is not really clear. Their language isn't fully known, their carvings deciphered purely through interpreting pictures and context. Even meeting one out on the sea does not grant a clear connection, for their tongue is alien and their ways aren't one-to-one with humanity's. The deep is a far different world than the surface, which can spell trouble when miscommunication occurs. That, and there is totally the possibility of malicious abyssal beings. Humans have good and bad folk, so who is to say these creatures are any different? Thus, this barrier between the two creates this feeling of unease and worry, because you don't know what they want or what they are going to do. However, there is one entity whose purpose is very clear...
While the Mother of Snow is mostly respected by the seafolk, who do worry a little about her song, the Father of Bloom is a divine being of the deep who is absolutely feared. A mad god of life who has been lulled to sleep by his lover, lest his insanity bury the world in toxic growths. There is no mystery to what he is and what he brings, the land and sea bear scars of his awakenings. Any sign or symbol of the Father of Bloom brings terror, the seafolk quick to retreat at the slightest trace. For he is roused from his sleep when sea life begins to fade, when the death toll grows too much for his love to bear. The Mother's song wavers as she struggles against the unbalance, and the Father begins to stir. If these ways are not corrected, he may awake and see a world where life is failing. His madness will drive him to "correct" this by creating more life to fill the void, yet his creations are toxic, suffocating things that only destroy what remains. Thus the seafolk, and any people, are terrified of the Father of Bloom, for his arrival is a disaster of incredible proportions. So when the signs arise that something is wrong, the seafolk have learned to listen in fear. And nothing disturbs these people more than when the Harbinger is spotted in the waters.
The Harbinger is an abyssal being with clear ties to the sleeping Father, yet no one is fully sure of its exact origins. Some think this crimson entity is a worshiper of the Father of Bloom, taking on the role of preacher and prophet. Others believe the Harbinger is actually a piece of the Father himself, one that rouses first before the god does. Regardless, this strange cloaked being is a rare and terrible sight in the oceans. It is unknown where it dwells most of the time, but the few encounters with it on the seas makes one thing certain. It didn't take long for people to make the connection that this entity only appeared before the Father of Bloom awoke and went on his rampage. And thus its title would be born, for it seems they are a herald of sort of the Father's coming. Or perhaps a warning, as some believe that its appearance is not the point of no return. Others, however, are certain it is a clear sign of the Father's awakening, with no chance to stop it. Such theories have not been properly tested, as the Harbinger hasn't been sighted before every rampage (the ocean is big though, so it could have been missed) and such appearances that were noted heralded his arrival. Is it possible to pull things back from the brink? Possibly, but it will take effort to do so, and the Harbinger's appearance may cause a self-fulfilling prophecy. Because when it is spotted, the seafolk are quick to arm themselves and ready their fleets for the coming Father, focusing more on defense and less about the ocean. Maybe if they took that time to try and fix their errors, his awakening may not need to happen.
But of course, there is no telling which is true and which is false. And the Harbinger offers very little in the way of answers. They just drift through the water silently, their very presence a warning to all who gaze upon it.
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