The Ghost Sea is rarely fared by anyone aside from the Ykalu, a tribal people who have made a living on the cycles of life on those treacherous waters.
The sea itself is situated on three sides land--the
Ievlen Empire to the east and
The Crown City to the west with the Spine's Isthmus between them and north of the sea. The Ghost Sea has two separate coastlines: The Stone Coast is named such due to its rocky disposition caused by volcanic activity on the east side of the sea; The Black Desert is the other coast, whose sands are ever tarnished black and red due to the iron and ash the volcano sends across The Ghost Sea starting in the summer and ending around mid fall. This seasonal interaction thus dictates the life cycle of the sea and those that reside around it.
The Seasons of the Ghost Sea
In the spring, the waters are coldest but most alive, with the Skywhales and Red Krill rising up from those waters to bask in the new year's sun's warmth.
In the summer, the Red Krill and Skywhales return to the Ghost Sea as it heats due to the eastward volcano, Mount Muspel, beginning to activate; here, lava flows into the water, heating it on one side and activating smaller volcanos--akin to oceanic vents-- that push minerals and sulfurs into the ocean; this concoction makes the east side of the ocean inhospitable, causing aquatic animal migrations, but also causing the sea to fog over. As this occurs, the Rocs from the
The Emerald Spires come down from their perches to lay their eggs away from their usual predators on the beaches of that same inhospitable sea.
In the fall, Mt. Muspel's heat and reaches its peak, and the sea becomes its warmest; as more ash is released, plants all around become covered in it, but this is cause for celebration; with the soils enriched by the volcanic ash, plants bloom and flourish; in fact, The Lagrich, a massive bipedal seed-eating bird, will migrate back down to the coast to feast upon trees, namely coconuts and palm seeds, as they are produced in abundance.
Finally in winter, the volcano has, once more, quieted, and as the ash settled throughout the season, animals will once more migrate back to the east for the richly mineralled waters and engorge themselves for the coming spring when they will repopulate. The Ykalu, of course, follow the animals throughout these movements, only ever shifting out of place to battle over territory, as is the Ykalu way--only so many can survive on the sea.
Notable Locations
The Waterbells, a set of three ascending bells lodged deep into the water, are the most cited and beloved locations, as they were a peace offering from the Ykalu who charted the seas. The Bells themselves sit on the water just so to alert those living on the coast of coming tsunamis or irregularly high tides, usually caused by pods of Skywhales descending back into the sea at the end of Spring.
Within the territory of
The Emerald Spires exists shelves that slowly descend into the sea--The Sea Spires. These rocks often serve as homes for particular Rocs, and make a good meal for the Ykalu tribes controlling this sea. But these aside, These spires are often laden with the treasures of the sea with the minerals from the volcano coating them as the ocean waves lap up against their sides. While usually yellow and white in coloration, some creatures dwell in those areas, making it decorated like royalty with life.
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