Ancient Crater

This crater... or rather this sea... does not welcome us.

— Captain Amaya Pneuma

Overview

No one knows how this crater came to be, only that it is here and it is very big. Big as in, you probably could not tell you have entered a crater just by looking around. Many knew the shoreline, lined with tall craggy cliffs, had a certain bent to it but few realized how unnaturally perfect the bent was. Only the careful plotting by various explorers revealed the unsettling circular nature of this landmark. The area has a strong remnant arcane aura, leading to speculation that it was the site of some great battle between mages that occurred long ago. Other theories suggest that the crater is the mark of some great catastrophe that could have played a significant role of The Great Collapse , and may have even been the single linchpin that almost lead to the world's end. It is largely accepted by scholars that the nature of this catastrophe is a great explosion of arcane origin. Fringe theories suggest that the catastrophe is the site of a fabled battle between a band of powerful heroes and the incomprehensibly powerful Tiamat.

A Growing Quiet

The area immediately surrounding the crater contains some life, but much of it avoids the center of the crater entirely with one exception. The locals of the area claim that the lands have been slowly dying over the course of many years, and no one has a good explanation for it. The area is now a desert, the soil able to produce less crops year after year. The locals now believe that they must soon travel west to more bountiful lands or else risk dying in the hot, dry western wastes. Local dishes depend on the edible seaweeds and other such plants that remain common among the stones that make up the shores of the land. Many have noted that such plants continue to deteriorate in health over the years. A few brave adventurers seek some ancient cure for the growing quiet of the lands, but nothing has been found in the ruins of the area.

Attempted Exploration

Many curious explorers have ventured to the center of the crater to see what lies there. Most return with nothing to show. Others were not so fortunate. When Captain Amaya Pneuma ventured into the crater on board the C.M.V. Marigold Apace. Specifically, she and her crew journeyed to the center of the Quiet Sea. There the  crew of the Marigold saw what most adventurers saw, or rather did not see. The center of the crater is shrouded in a perpetual fog, which is so thick that one person standing at the stern of a ship cannot see the bow. Amaya and her crew had to take extra precautions when journeying into the fog, which included charging Amator, a cleric, to dispel what parts of the fog he could. The trip took a dangerous turn when the Marigold was attacked by some kind of sea creature. Amaya managed to lead her ship and crew to safety but had lost some crew and the ship had sustained damage. Amaya lost an eye while battling the beast. She and her crew did not return to the site of the incident due to the unpredictable realities of adventure.

Geography

The crater itself is often considered a sea as the crater is filled with water. At the onset of winter the center of the crater will freeze over sooner than more northern areas. A thick sheet of ice soon forms over the central crater and lasts until late spring. The center of the crater's lake hosts a year-round fog that makes ship navigation dangerous. The bay itself is not as rough and uneven as other bodies of water. The sea-bed flattens as one approaches the center, and the deepest part isn't even there. The deepest locations of this bay is the canyon ring that outlines the body of water along with the Planus shoreline. It is believed that this canyon contains entrances to underwater caves where various sea-beasts are lurking.

Fauna & Flora

The locals claim that these lands were vibrant once. I must admit, it is hard to believe seeing it today.

— Captain Amaya Quickwind 

Flora

Underwater flora can be seen growing near the edges of the water, but nothing grows on the central underwater plateau. Out of the water, the surrounding land is a desert. Sheer cliffs wall in the crater. Some cacti and lean bushes can be seen all around, but you will find no forest close to the crater. The absence of vegetation is commonly seen as confirmation that this landmark has an unnatural origin.

Fauna

Many birds and animals appear to avoid the crater when they can, although some can be spotted still drinking the water when no other source is available. Fish can be found around the edges of the crater, but their population decreases to nothing as one approaches the center. Birds sometimes visit the area to fish or feed off of the local's scraps. Less are seen doing this as the years go by.
However, a giant monster lives in the crater.

All artwork is by Starfarertheta unless otherwise stated.

Alternative Name(s)

"The Shrouded Sea", "The Poisoned Bowl," "The Great Water Pie".

Type

Bay

Location under

Planus Continent

Common Flora

• Maple
• Oak
• Rasperry
• Sagebrush
• Juniper
• Seaweed
• Sea vines
• Kelp

Common Fauna

• Moose
• Deer
• Cayote
• Bobcat
• Wolverine
• Pronghorn
• Gray Jay
• Sparrow
• Wren
• Catfish
• Walleye
• Northern Trout

Typical Magic Fields

(ranked according to occurrence)

• Petrifying
• Aqua
• Withering

Consult Magic Fields for more information.

Note(s) from the Archivists:

I am still disappointed that we never saw the creature that attacked the Marigold. - Archivist Theta
I, for one, am glad that was the case. Sea creatures of the sort Amaya described are not to be trifled with. - Archivist Taenya
I'm going to have to agree with Taenya on this one. - Archivist Bob