The Mid Sea

Those who see the Mid as a thing to be used find themselves swiftly put in their place. The Mid is many things - a companion, an ally, and adversary - but a tool is not one of them. Many a captain has lost their way when they forget it, but all who remain, if they remain long enough, come to understand it.

-Iris Brackenheart, Navigator on The Lament

Geography

The Mid Sea encompasses the 'inner' area of Del Atar's landmasses and holds within it the Maelstrom. It is beset regularly by strange winds, and unpredictable storms, and is well-regarded as a dangerous place to travel through. Scattered throughout it are islands, some never touched by any living creature, others bearing the remains of fallen civilizations. The rains spewed by the Maelstrom routinely scour them all. Few permanent structures exist near its center, but most of the islands further from the edge of the storm are, with great effort, able to be maintained. That's not to say that they are entirely safe. There have always been stories of entire cities being swallowed by the waves, none of which are ever seen again.

Fauna & Flora

The islands of the Mid Sea hold a wealth of different animals and plants, many of which are highly sought after for various properties that they have. The waters beneath those islands also teem with life, from the minute to the titanic. Great squid, giant whales, and many more placid leviathans wander the deeper waters, and even more vicious things roam in the still areas beneath the churning Maelstrom. Life is a constant struggle for silence and stillness, and as such the tranquil coves and bays of smaller islands are rarely unoccupied. The safest option when it comes to survival is more often than not simply running away, as combat will invariably draw larger and larger predators to the area, following the sounds and smells of death.

Natural Resources

Fish are, of course, the single most harvested resource from the Mid Sea. It supplies food for hundreds of cities, both on and off of the coast, and it does so with ease; few professions are as secure as that of the Mid Fisherman. A much rarer, and more coveted resource does exist within it, however. Deep in the darkness of the Mid's waters are a strange species of nameless plant, which grow over hundreds of years. At the end of their life cycle, this plant releases a set of seeds - nicknamed 'pearls' by those who search for them - which normally fasten themselves to the seabed and begin the cycle anew. Occasionally, however, they fail to attach fully, and are pulled loose by their own buoyancy, which carries them swiftly upwards. These pearls are used by craftsmen across the world, both for their ability to grant objects and otherworldly shine and for their own, bizarre abilities of regrowth.

It is, for all intents and purposes, the only body of water that matters to those who want to trade, pillage, or simply travel. As such, the matters of patrolling and protecting it are often of high priority to cities or nations that rely heavily on a continuous flow of goods. The Maelstrom, however, throws a wrench into most attempts to battle pirates, as few navies are willing to risk many ships pursuing the raiders into the endless storm. Thus, an unstable equilibrium exists, in which most trade moves through well established, protected routes, and forcing pirates to occasionally band into large groups in order to punch through the defending ships and plunder with impunity for a short while, before escaping back into the storms.

Alternative Name(s)

The Mid

Type

Sea