The Oceans of Aeris
The oceans of Aeris are particularly violent and turbulent. The sea life below the surface is also a constant threat. Between the two, navigation of Aeris has been almost entirely confined to its lands and coasts. Despite this, there have been some successful attempts to cross the oceans by the more powerful nations of Aeris’ history.
Ships seeking the deeper waters of Aeris face three great risks: the violent seas, the aggressive natural flora and fauna, and the voids.
Geography
The waters of the ocean are in constant motion. The voidpools, moons, and winds of the world are constantly stirring the oceans up into towering mountains and valleys, filled with storms and lightning. Much of this destructive force is confined to the deeper waters, but even areas nearer to shore must be navigated with care. Ships in deep waters must be able to withstand incredible battering forces for extended periods, though calm area are occasionally encountered, allowing for repairs to be enacted, provided the local sea-life is cooperative.
During the height of the Age of Conflict, many scientist argued that natural phenomena alone could not explain the nature of this turbulence, nor its failure to extend its effect to the shorelines. The theories put forward, involving everything from complex currents running through the core of the planet to massive, island-sized creatures thrashing beneath the waves, were met with indifference by the populace. With no way to verify such ideas, little profit was seen in such fanciful speculation.
Fauna & Flora
The plant life within the water, at least that existing near to the surface, survives by anchoring itself to any surface it can and leeching raw materials and nutrients from the host, rooting itself deep beneath the skin. Pods develop on the surface and inflate with gas, pulling the host to the surface where the pods can burst and scatter their seeds into the strong winds on the surface. This lifting action means that affected creatures are brought to the surface, simultaneously exposed to the air and inhibited in their movement.
As a result of this, there is a thriving predatory ecosystem spread across the surface of the open ocean. It is thought there must be many creatures who have evolved defenses that allow them to resist being affected by the plant life, but many instead compensate by specializing in defensive adaptations designed to wound or incapacitate would-be predators. Some even cultivate these floating pods on spines and darts, then shooting these at prey to slow it down.
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