The Uferbrech Gyre

At the centre of the Uferbrech archipelago lies one of the most treacherous and mysterious bodies of water in Shadowfire. The shallow seas are littered with the drowned ruins of one of the greatest of the pre-Destruction capitals, Lafaelle.
The bravest of tomb raiders only ever manage to access the edges of the ruined city, where at low tides, the shallow seas reveal the tops of ancient towers and the obscured canyons and crevasses formed by semi-collapsed buildings and shattered streets 20 metres or so below the surface.
The closer explorers get to the centre, fell mists rise from the waters. These grow thicker the further one travels, until all is obscured and the light from the sun refracted until all directions seem to glow an identical cool grey.
The only sense of direction can be gleaned from the currents of the waters. No matter the original direction of travel - from the north or south, sunside or shadowside, all currents pull toward the centre of the mist shrouded expanse. The most intrepid of explorers who managed to return speak of these currents getting stronger and stronger the further they ventured, until they were cascading like rapids through the treacherous ruins.
Tales have been told, but never verified by trusted reports, of a vast gyre of water spiralling and sucking down into the depths at the centre of the ruined city. The entire ocean surging into a darkness of tumbled ruin, black waters and churning thunder clouds.

History

The source of the Gyre

No-one alive knows the truth behind the Gyre's origins, but many surmise that it is closely linked to the Destruction. Some believe it is merely a by-product of the collapse of the Hollow Earth that occurred during the Destruction, with the waters of the world slowly being drained into whatever remains below. Other doubt this, or wonder how the oceans have not been emptied already in the millenia since the Destruction occurred.
Still others point to the stories from the time of the Destruction, and the battles between the Cabal and Ghul Drazul and its champion, Okudi, Tooth of the Devourer.  They believe that the heart of the Gyre hides the ruins of Old LaFaelle where those battles took place, and which may hold the secrets to the origins of the Destruction and the stopping of time across Shadowfire.

The Vigil of the Motu

The Motu believe that the ruins are the remnants of the ancient devils who brought about Wala-Kofu's wrath and the end of Ashtiri. They are sworn to protect the world from uncovering the ancient evils trapped within the Gyre.
One of the first threats to any who try to enter the ruins of old Lafaelle are the many guardians that patrol for interlopers. The Talons of Aetora and many of their allies from the Tangled Fathoms hold violent vigil above and below the waves.

Seekers of truth, plunder and power

Since the invasion of the Protectorates and the weakening of the Motu's vigil, many people from across Shadowfire have come to Uferbrech to explore the ruins of Lafaelle. Some, like members of The Academy or the Order of Salvitas, seek answers to the Destruction and a way to restore what was lost. Others, like the mechanists of the Stoneforged Assembly or cults and fiends from as far afield as The Gleaming City, seek the powerful magics they believe hidden beneath the waves. And tomb raiders, thieves and fortune hunters seek riches for their own selfish ends. These disparate peoples compete, and make shaky alliances from the boats, rafts and tents of Camp Thrifty.

Shadowfire

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Wecome traveller, to the world of Shadowfire. This is a land of extremes, where an ancient cataclysm caused time itself to stop. Now, the sun never sets, bathing one side in fire, while the other freezes in eternal night. In between there is a band of twilight where many struggle to survive and thrive. This map shows the places of the world, and the stories that have been told within it. Use the layers in the rop-right of the map to show and hide the different article locations within the world.

Type

Sea

Location under

Uferbrech