AQUALLOR - Ossa

Arborea’s second layer is an endless if shallow freshwater ocean. The weather is just as volatile here as on Arborea, perhaps even more so as the full fury of emerging storms is fueled by the contrasting warm and cool waters that clash invisibly across the seas. Hurricanes, typhoons, water spouts, rainstorms, and more appear without warning to churn Aquallor’s oceans into white-foamed terror.

Aquallor’s bottom is a sandy expanse continually shifting with the powerful currents. The depth varies wildly, with some regions as shallow as 20 feet deep and others plunging to a mile or more. Great forests of coral reef, usually only found in saltwater oceans, dominate many shallower areas where the water is the color of pale blue crystal.

Few islands stand permanently up from Aquallor’s bottom as the raging tides and waves batter everything down eventually, though spontaneous islands are not uncommon. Tempest Head is the largest island by far, and it holds a permanent settlement of lusty sailors upon its rocky expanse.

Below the waters, great sea monsters swim with fish of all kind. Massive schools of quippers compete against giant hunting gar for easy prey while merrow, merfolk, and locathah make their way through the terrain. Aquatic elves hold the largest domain in Aquallor centered around the impressive Crystal Temple of Deep Sashelas, the god of aquatic elves.

By ancient decree of Deep Sashelas, non-water breathers that come to Aquallor are automatically imbued with the ability to breathe water. This does not protect travelers from the myriad of dangerous creatures that lurk in the freshwater ocean nor from the violent weather that destroys ships with ease.

The River Oceanus, which winds its way through the upper outer planes, ends in a fantastic waterfall on Aquallor called the Life Eternal Falls. Many planar scholars believe this forms the center of the layer, though its infinite size makes this point fairly irrelevant.