Grinding Tides

General introduction

The Grinding Tides are a special phenomenon known only from the shores of the continent of Emniyama. While ebb and flow are known along many shores of all the continents of Erana, nowhere are they as strong as around Emniyama. Although the tides are caused by Samthôs two moons, the Grinding Tides of Emniyama are probably enhanced by some unknown workings of the gods as an aftermath of the Great Scorching.

The Grinding Tides occur every twenty-one weeks, when the two moons align in a constellation called 'Ul Yagyôl' ('the one moon' in Tamôl). When this constellation is reached, the smaller moon passes by the bigger moon, forming a line between Samthô and the two moons. This constellation seems only to ever occur over Emniyama and was probably unseen before the Great Scorching, as no older sources ever mention it.

Distribution

The Grinding Tides are limited to Emniyama and even there they don't occur everywhere. The deep fjords and small inlets of the northern and eastern shores are most affected by tides rising and dropping rather fast and having a tidal range of up to ten metres. This results in the coasts being ravaged by water flow and saturated with salt on a regular basis. Plant live can hardly survied there with the exception of some moss, lichen and a special form of small pines. Much of the shoreline has been rendered steep, rocky and barren by the sea.

The Déssi Éssi to the East is the only area with only a minor tidal range that is equal all year round. The western areas around Halg Ártigū and Dérri Birk is also an area with relatively strong tides, though not as extreme as along the northern shores. Thus the landscape around that area is less rough, even having some pebble beaches unlike the all rocky North.

As a result of the more vigorous tides along Emniyamas shores, the sea there is very difficult to navigate. Local people hardly engage in shipbuilding and travels on water and visitors from other continents are rare, especially considering the land is seen as sullied and cursed after the Asargam Empires fall. This is underlined by the dangerous waters and weather or geological phenomena around the continent.

Type

Metaphysical, Elemental