Shining Sea

The Shining Sea is a body of water separating the continents of Casmaron and the Crown of the World. Much of the Shining Sea is covered by the Tashen Yakuta ice shelf and connects via a strait to the Ivory Sea in the east. The Shining Sea is named for the majestic auroras whose dancing lights reflect off the sea's waves and ice.

The Shining Sea is highly turbulent, wracked by erratic currents. Sailing the Shining Sea is dangerous no matter the time of year due to frequent storms in the warmer months and choking ice in the winter. Despite the danger, its waters are still plied by dwarven sailors from Zavaten Gura. Its waters are hunted for fish, seals, and whales, and serve as a fur trading route. The whaling and sealing industry of the Shining Sea produces a significant portion of the oil used in northern Casmaron.

Ecology

Numerous kinds of economically important animals live in the Shining Sea, including schools of coldwater fish, colonies of seals, and cetaceans such as blue whales, as do polar bears.

A strange form of bioluminescent teal, violet and rose-colored plankton flourishes in the Shining Sea, their colonies' shifting colors seeming almost to communicate with the auroras in a strange light-based language.

The sentient aquatic races that are known to inhabit the Shining Sea include iku-tursos, sea hags, tritons, and a submarine variety of will-o'-wisp known colloquially as the "will-o'-deep" or "deeplight".

Locations

• Banuk Bay
• Cholpod Gulf
• Tashen Yakuta

References

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