Difference between revisions of "Topazial sea"

Revision as of 06:45, 15 November 2009

Danger: Hazardous
Sub zones: Reef of Ryzelm , Threnos island, Great Topazial Rift, Vacation island, Merfolk city, Iceclad sea
Inhabitants: volasaurus, alguanes, flying whales, mermaids, leviathan mermaids, royal mermaids, estuarine mermaids, ichthys, seagull harpies, bejeweled serpents, gulper eels, arthronodes, airgles, humans, Chlaenas, Cecaelias, angler seaweedles

The Topazial sea is a vast expanse of water that lies east of the "main" continent, the "main continent" being the one that has the Giant tree on it. It's truly immense and most of its eastern and northern reaches have never been mapped. Very few sailors have crossed this sea because of its dangers, but those who have and survived, speak of another continent beyond it, even richer and more exotic than the "main" one. The vastness of the Topazial sea is punctuated with many small isolated islands, and most of the activity that occurs in the sea occurs around them. Each of these islands is a world unto itself with its own rules and its own particularities.

The sea is also legendary for its seabed, littered with gems, and its healthy and extremely refreshing air. The Topazial sea is very dangerous however, with many aquatic predators of all sorts roaming it, who don't hesitate to attack even large ships. It's also, like one would expect, the home of giant mermaids, and some of them can become truly gigantic. The biggest of them all, the legendary Leviathan, is living proof that there is always a bigger fish.

However, the peril of the sea can't even compare with what can be found underneath it. There are monstrosities surpassing what is found in even the wildest imaginations lurking in the Depths of Topazial sea.

Reef of Ryzelm

Danger: High
Inhabitants: living whirlpools, Chlaenas, Cecaelias

The Reef of Ryzelm, also known as "The Poison Sea", lies in the southern part of Topazial sea. The ocean floor here is made of a strange stone that releases toxic gas when mixed with salt water, filling the air above the reef with noxious gases that are highly lethal to humans. Moreover, the waters here are extremely treacherous, being a succession of whirlpools, vicious reefs, and moving flotsam. Making this place even worse is the voracious fauna of the reef, which is strange and very aggressive. One would wonder why anyone would bother to travel to this hellish place, if it wasn't to access the Chlaenas'underwater city of Ryzelm’oire situated underneath it.

Great Topazial Rift

Danger: Hazardous to High
Inhabitants: living whirlpools, mermaids, Cecaelias, dimensional trappers, kraken caelia, various creatures from other worlds

Located approximately in the center of Topazial Sea, the Rift is a dimensionally hyperactive sub-zone comparable to Miragia forest in its overall dimensional activity, though it covers a larger area. Its actual appearance is normal enough, looking like another stretch of sea until it's too late to turn back. The Rift is known as the absolute bane of seafaring navigation to Felaryan natives, for many devices, even some magical ones, will often cease functioning once inside the zone. Furthermore, the weather is prone to changing dramatically, from calm seas to black storms, tidal waves, and aggressive whirlpools in an alarmingly short period of time.

The Rift only seems to connect to the seas and oceans of other worlds, meaning that the most common things to appear inside of it are sea vessels, aircraft, various sea creatures, and sometimes entire islands (though islands typically phase back out of Felarya rather quickly). Despite the sheer potential danger of the zone, there are wild claims that, similar to the Great Dimensional Gate of Ur-Sagol, it is possible to navigate to an entirely different world altogether if one wills it strongly enough, or otherwise enters a random portal. This keeps a small amount of traffic coming into the Rift from Felarya itself, though the effort is widely considered mad and suicidal.

There are many, both speculators and survivors, that believe the dimensional activity and fickle weather are two separate phenomenons, and that a resident kraken caelia is to blame for the weather, merely taking advantage of the zone's dimensional qualities in order to play with what appears, and fill her immense stomach.

The Rift is not an entirely static location. Its boundaries change in shape, though the exact center is stationary. The Rift's flexible and ever changing borders can lead to situations where a navigational chart will tell you that you're at a safe distance from it, but then it unexpectedly expands in one direction, possibly placing you inside the Rift. Often when this happens the opposite side of the Rift will have no activity. Obviously, if you want to stay out of it for sure, give it a very wide berth.

Iceclad sea

Danger: Hazardous
Inhabitants: Under construction

Covered by drifting ice flows, little is known about this area.

Threnos island

Danger: Normal
Inhabitants: mermaids, estuarine mermaids, jade mermaids, alguanes ( river dryads ), nekos, humans, miaxi, serpent flies, fairies, seagull harpies, giant green catfishes, alga peparis, mirror fishes, seaweed snakes, ichthys, Water elementals, water sprites

A large island located in the middle of the Topazial Sea. It is very lush and covered with forests and rivers, all connecting to the great Emerald river that runs across the land. Also known as the "green island", it's a very damp place where the land vegetation often blends with the green algae that grows on every surface. Even the waters of Threnos are tinted emerald green, full of harmless microscopic algae. They also give the waters a slight but distinct taste, as well as healing properties.

The well-named Emerald river itself is a sight to behold. It's not very wide but its rapidly flowing waters stretch in many different branches in all directions, creating intricate and complex circuits. Humans fish in it for the delicious alga pepari, but the area is very dangerous and many end up in the stomachs of giant mermaids instead. The shores of Threnos are a wide expanse covered in a lovely golden sand with patches of a particular species of giant seaweed that can grow very large.

Because Threnos island isn't as large as the mainland, it's predators are generally smaller as well. For instance, most mermaids don't reach more then 50 feet long, and dryads usually only reach heights of 70 feet. They have evolved though, so that their maws and throats are somewhat stretchy, still allowing them to gulp humans and small creatures down with ease. Threnos fairies also cannot grow past human size, but can still use shrinking magic.

Izatem city

On the northern shore of Threnos is a busy port where merchants and sailors sell many exotic goods, from rare aquatic life they have captured, to the many treasures the island provides, such as its healing waters and algae. The people of Izatem are cautious when it comes to technology, and don't use much of it, relying more on magic instead. Izatem is a strange sight to some, with many different species, from nekos, to ichthys, miaxi, or even some fairies mixed together. The city is very accepting and welcoming of all species in general. You can still get eaten but it's very rare.

The Miaxi hive

A very old miaxi hive is located on the southeastern part of the island. The humans and the bee girls have had a treaty of friendship for a very long time, probably helped by the fact that the miaxi queen doesn't have much of a taste for humans, but absolutely LOVES the taste of giant catfishes. Thus, every week the people of the island catch the queen one or two of these large fish, and in return get miaxi honey and, of course, aren't preyed upon. This friendship between miaxi and humans is stronger than anywhere else in Felarya, and it's not rare at all to see a miaxa in humans town of Threnos. Harming a miaxa without a very good reason is a very serious crime there. The offender is likely to be taken without delay to the hive and be fed to the queen.

Several times in the past have the bee girls have helped defend humans towns against predators in a feeding frenzy, and the humans have also done the same for the miaxi hive.

• Credits goes to Melancholy-Melody13 for the idea and design of the Threnos island, and to Fish for the Great rift.