The Dividing Sea

Caledonia

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Geography

The Dividing Sea is the name given to the body of water that separates Hibernia from the rest of Albion. In the middle of the sea can be found the sacred isle of Mann, the power centre of the The Druid Order. This island is perfectly positioned in the centre of the dividing sea so that the druids are in the middle of all the nations that fall under their influence. The dividing sea meets the The Boundless Sea at its northern and southern ends, the north end forms a narrow passage between Hibernia and Caledonia only forty miles across, on a clear day the southern uplands in Novantae territory are sighted from Hibernia. As this is the shortest crossing between these nations the northern gap is where most vessels choose to sail. In the south the dividing sea meets the boundless sea across a wide channel that is two days sail in favourable winds.
The dividing sea is for the most part shallow near the shorelines but at its centre is a bottomless abyss, it is here that people believe the monsters of the deep reside, for it stands to reason that such great beasts must lurk in the deepest parts of the oceans where light does not penetrate the darkness.

Ecosystem

the Dividing sea is teeming with life, vast shoals of fish flow through the channel especially during the summer when shoals of mackerel and herring can be seen as far as the eye can see, causing the surface of the water to boil with the immense quantities of fish swimming below the surface, these huge shoals attract seabirds that fill the skies diving into the waters from high above. These shoals also attract dolphins and other predators that can be seen leaping from the water in pure joy at the abundance of their quarry.
whales too are found in the Dividing Sea, great monsters of the deep that journey through the oceans in large groups filling the air with mist from their exhalations. Although in lesser numbers than those found in the The Boundless Sea. upon occasion they are washed up on the shores in great numbers, here they are cut up and put to use to make oil for lamps.

Ecosystem Cycles

Great tides are observed here, with the sea level dropping by several meters twice a day, so that the muddy flats of the Selgovae lands are at once exposed as dry land and one could walk out into what was the ocean, only for the sea to return again and reclaim the lands as if it were its own. The moon effects the tides, with the deepest deluge witnessed during the full moon of spring so that at times even dry land becomes inundated by the ocean and rivers burst their banks with the water that has flowed up from the sea.

Localized Phenomena

Within the dividing sea, at its deepest part is the bottomless abyss. At times a peculiar phenomenon is witnessed here, where the strong tides of the boundless sea meet with the waters flowing though the channel they begin to churn and swirl forming a whirlpool that sucks all that enter it to the depths of the abyss. The druids say that this is the result of the wrath of the gods, unhappy that at the meager offerings sailors have made to them before setting out on the journey. Any vessel that enters this whirlpool is drawn into the centre and spun around before capsizing and being drawn down into the depths of the abyss. For this reason many sailors pay a handsome tribute to the gods at the sacred groves of the druids in Hibernia and in the lands of the Novantae Before setting of on their voyage across this sea.

Climate

The Climate here is temperate but milder than the opposite coast of the east of Albion. Warm winds blow up from the south and the powerful tides of the The Boundless Sea bring with it warm waters and an abundance of fish that swim with these waters during the summer months. These winds are a blessing from the gods and the druids of Hibernia honour them in their incantations, singing and casting their hands towards the south as if to draw the winds to the islands to wash away the death of winter and renew the growing season once again. For these winds carry with them prosperity and abundance for the soil of the land and subsequently all of its inhabitants.

History

The druids recount the history of this sea, gleaned from seers and those gifted with the Second sight who can retell events from the memories of animals and beasts that walked the earth before mankind set foot here. They say that the dividing sea was once land, and that Hibernia and Caledonia were once joined by a bridge of stone built by giants. The ends of these bridges can still be seen in the north of Hibernia and in the islands of the inner seas of Caledonia. The gods grew tired of the beasts of the mountains of Caledonia that would eat the fruit of their trees and trample the meadows where the bright flowers grew. In their anger they wrought a chasm in the earth from which bitter water sprung up into the air and filled in the Dividing sea, flooding the shores of the inner islands of Caledonia and forever setting these lands apart. The chasm became the bottomless abyss in the centre of the sea and the whirlpool that forms there a constant reminder that the wrath of the gods is ever present.

Type

Sea

Owning Organization

The Druid Order