Inside Sea

The Inside Sea lies at the center of the Cluster Islands archipelago.  The islands touching it are known as the Middle Isles and are the wealthiest in the cluster due to their direct access to trade crossing the sea.

Geography

As its name implies, the Inside Sea is a marginal sea.  It is roughly triangular, with its boundaries determined by the islands surrounding its main circulating currents: Galtern to the south, Scaetra along the northwest, Mraydor at the northern tip, and the Three Companions to the east. The strongest current is driven primarily by water entering the sea through the gap between Galtern and Scaetra, known as the Cluster's Mouth.  It runs south to north along the coast of Scaetra, splitting unevenly at the gap between Scaetra and Mraydor.  The greater part of the current exits to the ocean from there, while the smaller branch circulates south past Ilfernasaeg.  A current entering the Inside Sea from between Galtern and Prevar joins it, traveling past Galtern and completing the circuit at the Mouth.  Minor gyres occasionally form within the sea, usually as adjacent pairs turning in opposite directions.

History

Although humans first landed on Mraydor in 9650 Oce (-199 Vol), they did not enter the Inside Sea itself until three years later, when a survey fleet sailed around the island's southern coast. The mission to chart the Inside Sea and Cluster Islands lasted eight years, resulting in the first chart of the sea and its coastlines, currents, and wind seasons.
With the Cluster Islands now the center of the ocean's human population, the Inside Sea is the dominant trade thoroughfare. Tiderider families controlled the delivery of goods and passengers among the cluster until 2000 Vol, when the construction of the first shipping conduit between Mraydor and Galtern divided the Inside Sea in half. Despite its interference with traditional sailing ships, the Unity saw the conduits as a success and greatly expanded them. Today, the Inside Sea is divided by a network of conduits, with every facing coastline having at least one access point.

Type

Sea

Location under

Cluster Islands

Owning Organization

Allied Isles