Aranthur's Run

Aranthur's Run is a pass between various skerries and islands to the northeast of the island of Creicia. Lending its name to the annual sailing contest of Aranthur's Run, the pass is a dense cluster of small islands and skerries, shallow in many places. There are many possible paths through the cluster into the more open ocean in the northeast, and the island cluster Aranthur's Run encompasses spreads a few kilometers in each direction, making the run at least something of a shortcut for smaller vessels. Suicidal for a large ship, the Run is nevertheless actively used by the Creicia, and has been used to hide fleets in the past.
In the middle of Aranthur's Run is a strange island formation, a ring of islets and skerries around a nearly circular open expanse of water, in the middle of which is the Tower of the Blue. 2.7 kilometers from Creicia island, this natural formation of barren rock rises some 20 meters above the waterline in a spire. Also named Cel's Finger, the tower is a strange and wondrous sight, dwarfing the nearby islets in height despite being relatively small itself.

Ecosystem

The shallow waters of the run have allowed a unique marine ecosystem to flourish, with saltwater reeds marking the shallowest areas, and a rich variety of frogs and other amphibians. Snails thrive in the run, and are frequently harvested by the Creicia from the shallows. Most of the small islets are barren rock, with the most significant sign of life being amphibians crawling their way ashore to bask in the sun, but some of the larger ones do have some tree cover. Birds of prey nest in these trees to feed on the various small animals that swim the waters of Aranthur's Run, and though it is part of the ocean, the croak of frogs and the calls of the birds create an aural atmosphere similar to a lakeland.

Type

Strait