Avannarleq Sea (a.va.nːaɢ.lɘq siː)

"When you travel across the northern waters, be careful. The sea does not welcome ships there, and hazards abound."

— advice to sailors

The Avannarleq Sea is the body water that stretches across the northern portion of the Great Ring. It is widely considered the most dangerous part of the ring to sail, and is known for its icy waters, strong currents, and frequent storms. Its northernmost regions are dominated by a vast sheet of sea ice, known to most as the Frozen Waste.

Bloody Waters

Where the currents of the Northern Region and the warm waters of the Northeastern Region meet, there is a great upwelling of waters that creates the vast and rich fishing grounds known as Sivernak. Sadly, this bounty has led to generations of conflict between the Tuniit and Eyjamaður peoples. Beneath the surface are the bones of ships and sailors, and bloody ghosts rise from the deeps on moonless nights.

Monsters and Plagues

The Avannarleq Sea is home to many creatures, from the tiniest crabs to vast whales. Some of those creatures are incredibly dangerous, and have achieved the status of monsters to those who encounter them. One suce is the Uqaluqtuq, a massive serpentine predator that can grow to be nearly fifty feet long. Others include great tentacled walruses, shadowy beasts that lurk in icebergs, and the occasional malevolent god.

Even more terrifying than the Uqaluqtuq is the Vættrskár. This is a strange fungal plague that attacks all that lives in the sea and renders it inedible and toxic. While an Uqaluqtuq might destroy a ship or a village, the appearance of Vættrskár can cause famine and madness on a large scale, and is seen as a judgement of the gods upon mortal kind.

Beyond The Frozen Wastes

Those who attempt to cross the Avannarleq to the north find that the sea becomes choked with ice. First individual icebergs, and then vast walls of ice block all navigation. According to legend, for those brave enough to scale the icy cliffs and traverse the frozen wasteland beyond, there is a place of warmth and respite where neither age nor death can enter. If anyone has ever found this oasis in the cold, they have not returned from it.

Type

Sea

Location under

The Five Seas

Included Locations

• Sivernak

Characters in Location

• Tunniqaijuq

The Realm of Tunniqaijuq

Among the Tuniit Selkies, the Avannarleq Sea is known as the home of the dark god Tunniqaijuq. This deity lurks in caves upon the seafloor, and punishes those who hold too many secrets in their hearts. Tunniqaijuq is one of the most feared entities of the North, and you can read more about him here:

The Extent of the Sea

All water beyond the Great Ring above the 75th degree North is considered a part of the Avannarleq Sea. The edge of the frozen wastes at the center of the Avannarleq varies, but is usualy somewhere near the 80th degree North. In particularly cold years, the sea ice can extend as far south as the 55th degree North, blocking all ships passing north of the Great Ring.