Valoran
"The sea does not forgive, nor does it forget. It swallows whole those who stray too close, leaving only their names whispered in the mist."
—Old Sailor’s Proverb
Summary
Seated in the Arashi Depths, off the western coast of Granheim, the Valoran Ring is a place of fear and mystery, known by few, spoken of by many, and approached by none who wish to see another dawn. The archipelago is eternally shrouded in mist, obscuring its true nature and making navigation all but impossible. Sailors who venture too near claim the air grows heavier, the waters unnaturally still, and a low, droning hum begins to rise from the unseen land beyond.
None who have attempted to reach the heart of Valoran have returned. The central isle—known only as the Black Hollow—remains forever veiled in impenetrable darkness, even beneath the noonday sun. Some say it is a void in the world itself, a place where even the gods dare not tread.
Legends speak of the Valyn'Kresh, a civilization that is neither seen nor known, yet whose presence is undeniably felt. It is said their voices drift across the waves in a spectral chorus, an eerie beckoning known as The Whispering Kresh. The song is not loud, nor is it forceful—it is gentle, almost inviting, as though guiding lost souls to shore. But those who heed the call are never seen again.
Most chilling of all, the beasts of the sea avoid the interior of the ring, yet are drawn to its perimeter, circling it as if awaiting something unseen. Some believe this is a warning, a natural instinct of creatures more attuned to the unseen horrors of the deep. Others claim it is a guarding force, keeping whatever lies within the Black Hollow from ever escaping.
History & Legends
The Lost Civilization of the Valyn'Kresh
No ruins, artifacts, or bodies have ever been recovered from Valoran, yet the presence of the Valyn'Kresh is felt across the sea, an unshakable certainty that something exists beyond the mist.
Some believe the Valyn'Kresh are not dead, nor alive, but something in between, trapped in an endless cycle of existence beyond mortal comprehension.
Others whisper that they are the last remnants of something older than history itself, a people who have never known the outside world, nor wished to.
A common tale among Kozukan scholars speaks of an ancient empire that vanished overnight, not in fire, nor in war, but simply… disappeared. Some claim they did not die, but merely walked into the mist, never to be seen again.
The Black Maw & Valoran
It is said that the Black Maw itself is bound to Valoran, its spectral form never straying far from the islands. Some believe it was once a mortal ship that reached the Black Hollow, cursed to forever roam the seas to prevent others from making the same mistake.
Others say the Black Maw is the Valyn'Kresh’s way of reaching out, a vessel not of death, but of invitation, ferrying souls from the outside world into the darkness.
One of the oldest stories claims that to see the Black Maw is to already be marked, and that it is not hunting, but guiding—bringing its chosen back to Valoran.
Cultural Reception
Sailor Superstitions
Never answer a voice from the sea. If you do, it will know your name.
Do not light lanterns near Valoran—the mist does not need help finding you.
If the beasts begin to circle, turn back immediately. The Hollow is waking.
If you hear the Whispering Kresh, stuff your ears with wax. If you understand them, it is already too late.
In Literature & Art
In Literature
"The Last Voyage of The Azure Queen" – A Kozukan myth about a fleet that set sail for Valoran, believing it held the secret to immortality, only for their ships to return empty, save for a single book filled with names that no one had ever heard before.
"The Song of the Hollow" – A Granheimian poem about a sailor who listens too long to the Whispering Kresh and forgets where he is, who he is, and why he ever wanted to leave.
In Art
"The Watchers at the Horizon" – A painting depicting a pod of whales and serpents, all turned toward a blackened sea, their eyes wide with something like fear.
"The Hands in the Mist" – A Kozukan carving showing tall, faceless figures standing at the edge of the fog, their hands outstretched toward a ship that will never reach them.
Final Thought: The Last Mystery of the Arashi Depths
Is Valoran a city of the lost, a kingdom outside of time, or merely the greatest deception the sea has ever crafted?
The Black Maw lingers. The mist waits. The voices call.
And the Hollow watches.
Geography
The Mists of Valoran
The perpetual fog surrounding the Valoran Ring is unnatural, rolling in and out without wind or tide to command it. Sailors call it The Veil, for it moves as though alive, parting just enough to allow glimpses of jagged rocks and towering shadows before swallowing them whole once more.
The mist does not merely obscure vision—it disorients, confounds, and erases. Compasses spin aimlessly, maps become useless, and sailors report forgetting their own names the longer they remain within it.
The Black Hollow
The center of the Valoran Ring is a place of absolute darkness, untouched by light. Even the moon and stars refuse to shine upon it.
The darkness is not merely shadow, but an absence, a void where no flame burns, no sound carries, and no man returns. Some sailors claim that upon approaching, they could feel something watching, not with eyes, but with a presence that seeped into their bones, drowning them in silence.
The Whispering Kresh
The voices that emanate from Valoran are soft and layered, not a single sound but many, rising and falling like a tide. The longer one listens, the clearer they become, as if the speakers are just beyond the veil, waiting to be seen.
The Whispering Kresh is known to call out to ships, guiding them toward Valoran. Some believe it is a lure, a trick to pull sailors into the abyss. Others believe it is a warning, a desperate plea for help from those who can never leave.
Some say the voices change the closer one gets. At a distance, they are a gentle hum, a sorrowful chant. But in the final moments, when the island is nearly in sight, they become screams.
The Circling Beasts
Whales, sea serpents, and creatures of the deep have been observed gathering near Valoran’s borders, but never entering the interior. They drift in slow, rhythmic patterns, watching the waters, as if waiting for something to emerge.
Some sailors claim that during certain unnatural storms, these beasts begin to thrash and wail, as if in response to something unseen. Their songs twist and distort, almost mirroring the hum of the Whispering Kresh.
