The Scaled Prince

This is a tale from the Liyda/Silver Strand area, dating back to the untamed times of rampant piracy, when the small settlements and islands of the area were even more isolated from the rest of the kingdom than they are now. Many unique traditions and stories have been lost over time, but one that has survived is the legend of the Scaled Prince.

A string of storms had made fishing and travel even more perilous than usual, to the point where the citizens in a large village feared for their livelihoods. Even short trips out to sea threatened to turn deadly, with a few fishing boats being wrecked when their owners became desperate to make even a small haul. The storms were unseasonable for the time of year, and some feared that some ocean spirit could have been angered and was enacting its revenge, but no one had any ideas about how what might help if that was the case.

One day, during a break in the worst of the storms, a dazzling figure walked ashore from the ocean, much to the surprise of the village. Unlike the grizzled, hardworking citizens of the village, this man was slender, beautiful, and covered in jewelry that was so dazzling, that it put to shame even the most decorated of the gold-loving people to the west. This man seemed to be one of the elves from the sea, with long green hair, bright green eyes, and absolutely dripping with silver, pearls, and faceted glass beads. He was dazzling as he sparkled under the moonlight.

The villagers were awestruck until he called to them and requested audience with the governor and their family, saying that he brings news from the realms beneath the sea.

When the governor, his wife, and their children met the man, they learned that he was a prince of the sea kingdom offshore, and that the sea itself was angry at the people of the land, and that this anger was the source of all the terrible storms. He said that the storms would only get worse until not even the buildings on land would be safe from them.

He believed that a gesture of peace between the kingdoms of the land and the kingdoms of the sea would be the only way to calm the ocean down again. So, looking over those assembled there, he pointed at the oldest son of the governor and said that if he would return with him to the sea to become his husband, the marriage would surely be enough of a demonstration of peace between the sea and the land that the ocean would relent and the storms would cease. He would return on the next clear night to see whether the governor and his son agreed to the betrothal.

storms continue, and the prince was handsome, so maybe

maybe more deliberation, but the storms keep getting worse and whittle them down

the youngest son doubts the prince and sees through his lies (why? how?)

when the prince returns for the final answer, the boy points out or causes the prince to be stripped/lose/somehow the jewelry off

the jewelry had been catching or reflecting the moonlight, crafting an illusion that hid the prince's true nature. or, needs to be wearing the jewelry as part of the illusion because he is so sparkly.

without his sparkling jewelry, he is revealed to be a creature covered in glittering scales

some stories say he's someone who was cursed and the only way to break it is to get someone to willingly marry him, some say he's a creature who was using his power over the storms to trick someone to be his husband because he's just a selfish evil creature.

either way, his true nature is revealed, he is attacked and wounded (how and by who?) forcing him to retreat into the waves.

the storms cease and he's never seen again.

aftermath? distrust of overly sparkly jewelry, which makes visitors from lockhinge interesting.