The Sea of Clouds

Drawn to the magic that flows through the World Tree, the Sea of Clouds is what holds the Lands Above up, and divides them from the Sunken Lands. The Sea condenses around the roots of the World Tree allowing them float. Farther away from the islands, and thus the roots of the World Tree, the Sea gradually disperses back into regular. This makes navigating the Sea of Clouds a challenge, as a ship that drifts too far away from the roots of the World Tree will very quickly sink beneath the clouds and end up in the Sunken Lands. The clouds themselves have a specific current where they flow from the gathering points around the roots out towards the less dense areas in between the roots. There the clouds sink to the bottom. This further increases the danger of navigating the Sea, as the current can sometimes grow quite forceful and quickly pull travelers into the dangerous areas. At the bottom of the Sea of Clouds there is a large funnel around the bottom of the World Tree. Here the clouds travel upward around the World Tree until they begin to disperse back along the roots back up to the surface. This funnel is one of the only ways to return to the surface from the Sunken Lands, but it is very difficult to successfully pilot a boat through it. This funnel also prevents people from reaching the base of the World Tree, as the strong current immediately lifts anyone who gets too close up and away from the tree. Storms also play an important role in navigating the Sea of Clouds as the entire surface of the Sea becomes a higher density as the water is slowly filtered through. During these times ships can pass through as long as long as they make it back to the safe areas quickly.
There is also a variety of creatures that make the Sea of Clouds their home. Most are very similar to aquatic species as the density of the Clouds is similar to water in the areas surrounding the roots. Most larger creatures stay near the roots where the clouds are the most dense, and require special eyesight to see through the clouds. This changes when a storm occurs, as the increase in cloud density allows for larger creatures to travel closer to the surface, where they can become a potential threat to passing ships.

Type

Ocean