"...and when the Lurker deems the time be right,
then the Sea shall give up her dead,
and the tides of cursed drowned will rise
to bring us home where we belong..." — Stanza of "The Lurker Beneath," an old Barisean sailor poem
Location
The Sea of Tears lies to the south of the Kcalsbury Continent. It is a sea second in danger only to the
Sea of Mists, for all sorts of sea serpents and behemoths are rumored to lurk within it in service of
Ammon-Kul. These creatures are said to thrive on a feast of ships, and few have travelled into the Sea of Tears and made it back to tell the tale. The
Far Isles represent the farthest inhabitable point within the sea, and even reaching them is often a difficult prospect.
Territorial Claims
Barisea rules the Sea of Tears militarily uncontested, but friction arises frequently between it and the
Protectorate-Commonwealth over fishing rights and property lines.
Fyra avoids such crises through voluntary association with
The Vesseleers, but recently tensions have been rising as the Commonwealth seeks Fyra's aid in a resistance campaign against Barisea's dominion.
Trade
Trade is almost non-existent within the Sea of Tears. The only exception is shipments of food to the
Far Isles, which are not self-sufficient and yet remain a critical component of Barisea's power projection within the region.
Exploration
Despite the fears associated with the Sea of Tears, many hopeful explorers have tried to venture into
The West Marches through its waters. Some of these trips have been successful, though the majority of them end in failure. Stlil, such expeditions have managed to map the coastline of the West Marches and noted ruins within the woods which have fueled rumors about the fallen kingdom of
Baudilay. All of them were driven out by
Thalgor before they were able to venture too far into the land.
