Serpent's Channel

The Serpent's Channel is not just a physical divide between the east and west of Verithia, but a perilous and foreboding expanse steeped in both natural danger and ancient legends. The waters are a twisted realm of icy salt and violent currents, filled with creatures of monstrous proportions and strange, alien life forms. Crossing the Channel is more than just a geographic challenge; it is a fight for survival. The Channel itself has shaped the cultures on both sides of the divide, acting as a barrier, a separator, and even a source of myth and fear.

The Jormunwyrm

At the heart of the Channel’s terror is the Jormunwyrm , a gargantuan, legless serpent-like creature that is the true apex predator of the region. Stretching over hundreds of feet in length, it lurks in the depths, its scales glimmering faintly in the cold saltwater. The Jormunwyrm’s massive head, wider than a ship’s hull, can swallow whole boats and structures in one gulp. When it rises from the deep to breach the surface, it causes storm surges on both coasts. These waves are powerful enough to knock people near the coast off their feet, and sink any ship or vessel in the path of the beast's wrath.

The Jormunwyrm’s attack tactics are as deadly as they are unpredictable. The beast uses its long, undulating body to propel itself with astonishing speed, creating massive water vortexes that shoot off in random directions. These vortexes create whirlpools capable of dragging down entire ships or other creatures. When it launches part of its body above the water, aiming to strike at anything flying over the Channel, the splashback from its impact causes a new set of unpredictable dangers, sending devastating tidal waves, often causing more destruction than the initial strike.

Salty, Cold Waters: Hostile and Deadly

The water of the Serpent's Channel is extremely cold, with temperatures reaching below freezing for much of the year. The high salinity of the water makes it inhospitable for most marine life, but certain species have adapted in shocking ways. The saltwater itself seems to disorient and even damage creatures that are not built for it, corroding weaker organisms. This vicious environment has caused most creatures, from fish to larger mammals, to evolve into predators or scavengers, feeding off each other in the dark depths.

Among the few that thrive here are a strange, semi-mythical race of mermaid/naga-like beings—known to the inhabitants of Verithia as the Nymithar. Over centuries of evolution, these creatures have adapted to the freezing waters by developing scales that insulate them against the cold, webbed limbs for efficient swimming, and a natural resistance to the high salt content. The Nymithar are a highly intelligent and secretive race, living in the deepest reaches of the Channel, where they can escape the predators lurking above. They are primarily solitary but can form small, tight-knit communities. Their ability to hide from larger predators like the Jormunwyrm has made them valuable allies to those who wish to navigate the Channel—but trust is a rare commodity and finding them is even rarer.

The Nymithar are also feared for their ability to manipulate the currents and whirlpools of the Channel, using ancient techniques passed down through their people to summon or guide the powerful ocean forces. This can make traveling across the Channel safer for those in their favor but devastating for anyone they deem an enemy.

Other Beasts of the Channel

In addition to the Jormunwyrm and the Nymithar, a host of other creatures roam the Serpent's Channel. These beings vary greatly in size and temperament but are generally dangerous:

• Syclaeron: These massive, squid-like creatures possess huge, tentacles that can snatch ships and drag them into the water. They use bioluminescence to lure prey closer, and their venomous stingers can paralyze a person within minutes.
• Flashfins: These are large, shark predators with white, semi-transparent skin, allowing them to blend with the icy waters. They are known for their speed and aggression, capable of tearing apart anything in their path. Their teeth are widely sought after as they are touted as being able to cut nearly any material.
• Cragscuttle: Smaller, but equally as deadly, these crab-like creatures are covered in thick, barnacle-like armor and lie still in the water, camouflaged floating in the open water until something approaches too closely. Once they detect movement, they strike with incredible speed, using razor-sharp pincers to tear into prey and try to incapacitate them before they can get away.
• Akkoros: Unlike the traditional kraken, these monstrous cephalopods are adapted to the freezing temperatures, using their ice-cold ink to blind and immobilize attackers. They are said to have the ability to freeze water instantly around their targets, trapping them in place.

Traveling the Serpent’s Channel

Because of the Jormunwyrm’s threat, and the dangerous wildlife that roams the Channel’s icy depths, traversing the Serpent's Channel is almost unheard of. The Serpent's Blessing, a shimmering magical bridge that once connected the east and west, has long since been lost to the dark depths of the Channel, claimed by the swirling vortexes.

Crossing the Channel is now only attempted under the most extreme of circumstances. The few vessels that attempt the journey are heavily armored and often escorted by a Nymithar guide or skilled seafarers who have survived multiple trips across, neither of which are easy to come by. The journey is long and treacherous, with travelers usually encountering dangerous creatures or massive whirlpools that send their boats into the depths. Many prefer to take the land route around the Channel, though this is a journey that takes weeks, if not months, and is far more taxing on the wallet.

Geography

1. The Abyssal Trenches

• These deep, dark fissures in the sea floor make up the majority of the Channel’s bottom. The trenches descend to terrifying depths, far beyond normal maritime travel, and serve as the primary habitat for some of the most dangerous creatures. The depth and pressure here are immense, creating a constant undercurrent that threatens to pull anything beneath the surface into the darkness.
• Features: Unfathomable darkness, towering rock formations, jagged underwater cliffs, and sudden drops that make navigation treacherous. These trenches are a maze, offering natural hideouts for the Jormunwyrm and other creatures that live in the deepest, most inaccessible parts of the Channel.

2. The Razor Cliffs

• On either side of the Serpent’s Channel are steep, jagged cliffs that rise high above the water. These cliffs are named the Razor Cliffs because of their sharp, rocky edges that seem to tear at the very sky. The cliffs are often covered in spiny vegetation, and narrow paths wind around the edges, providing no safe passage for any kind of large vessel.
• Features: Jagged rocks and cliffs that shoot up from the sea, sharp outcroppings where ships risk being dashed against the rocks if they venture too close. The cliffs are home to massive birdlike predators that swoop down on anything foolish enough to sail too close.

3. The Bloodmire

• A section of the Channel where the water becomes stained with a strange, reddish tint, known as the Bloodmire. The discoloration is caused by the dense collection of plankton, algae, and a mix of minerals from the ocean floor and the glow of the crimson coralspike, giving the water a murky and ominous hue. The Bloodmire is also home to an unsettling phenomenon: the waters pulse with an eerie, low frequency hum that seems to affect sentient creatures, giving headaches and nausea even nightmares. The deep red color and the eerie vibrations make it a psychologically unsettling stretch of the Channel.
• Features: Shifting tides that reveal sunken ruins and shipwrecks, strange bubbling patches where creatures lurk, and a heavy sense of dread that hangs in the air. The red-hued waters are often disorienting to sailors.

4. The Chasm Islands

• Scattered throughout the Serpent’s Channel are a series of large islands known as the Chasm Islands, formed by seismic activity and volcanic eruptions that have broken through the surface of the sea. These islands are marked by large rift valleys and massive cracks in their rocky surfaces, resembling jagged teeth in the water. Though some of these islands are rich with resources, few dare to set foot on them because of the hostile creatures that make their homes there.
• Features: Steep, rugged terrain with narrow, unstable passages, home to ferocious beasts like the Chasm Crawlers, who use the islands as hunting grounds. The islands are often surrounded by dangerous water currents, making it nearly impossible to safely approach by ship.

5. The Starlight Shoals

• A particularly bizarre and beautiful feature within the Serpent's Channel, Starlight Shoals are shallow, phosphorescent reefs scattered across the northern section of the Channel. The shoals are alive with a glowing, bioluminescent underwater ecosystem, where the water sparkles with eerie light as it shifts and moves.
• Features: Beautiful, yet dangerous reefs made up of glowing sea flora and fauna, creating shimmering pools of light beneath the water. While beautiful at first glance, the shoals are riddled with sharp coral and treacherous rocks, making navigation difficult.

6. The Tempest Reach

• A portion of the Channel known for its unpredictable and violent storms, the Tempest Reach is a section of the water where the weather turns in an instant, and fierce winds and lightning storms seem to form out of nowhere. These storms are often attributed to the powerful and unstable forces of magic that swirl through the area, as well as the enormous creatures that live within the Channel.
• Features: Dark storm clouds that appear suddenly, with wind speeds reaching dangerous velocities. Furious lightning strikes and constant rain create a nearly impenetrable mist, making it nearly impossible to see beyond a few yards. Many ships have vanished in these storms, never to be heard from again.

7. The Veiled Abyss

• The deepest, most mysterious section of the Serpent's Channel is known as the Veiled Abyss, a place of uncharted waters where the very nature of reality seems to warp. This area is often enshrouded in a heavy fog or mist, and the waters are nearly black, as though absorbing all light. It is said that many of the Channel’s most terrifying creatures, including the Jormunwyrm, come from the Veiled Abyss.
• Features: Fog banks that appear to move and shift as if alive, strange anomalies in the water’s surface, and whispers of things lurking beneath the depths. Ships that venture into the Veiled Abyss rarely return, and those who do are often left haunted by visions of strange shapes and sounds coming from below.

Fauna & Flora

A variety of sea creatures call the Serpent's channel their home. From more arctic fishes to the monstrous Jormunwyrm, the channel is surprisingly teeming with life.

1. Viperweed

2. Frozen Moss

3. Crimson Coralspike

4. Shiverleaf

5. Mistbloom

History

The Serpent's Channel is an undeniable part of Verithian culture and mythology. The Channel serves as a boundary, dividing the east and west, but it also represents the conflict and separation of the land. The Channel is seen as a symbol of the impossible, where nothing can cross without being consumed by the abyss, where travelers must either risk everything or learn to live with the natural borders.

The Jormunwyrm has inspired countless legends and myths among the people, often depicting the great serpent as a force of nature to be both feared and respected. The Nymithar, on the other hand, are a source of both fascination and wariness. While many regard them as dangerous and cunning, others see them as a necessary part of survival in the hostile waters.

Location under

Verithia

Inhabiting Species

• Jormunwyrm