The Cataclysm Sea

The very deep did rot: Oh Christ!
That ever this should be!
Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs
Upon the slimy sea.

• Formerly the Galan Sea, expanded by the Cataclysm
• A fairly peaceful sea, often prone to Doldrums and hosting seaweed and pumice mats
• Huge swaths of the south of the sea freeze in winter, inhibiting sea traffic to the south of Neracalco
• When the sea freezes, the only western route through to the Antalasic Ocean is through the maze of Brigunia, near Vulcania
• Dark and greenish water, often shallow and very clear
• Closer to Neracalco in summer when the sea is thawed the water becomes lighter and more opaque, becoming milky white near the shore, due to tiny suspended ash particles
• Often foggy or misty overnight and in the early morning
• The current moves slowly in an anti-clockwise spiral
• Sections of the coastline consist of seafloor raised during the cataclysm, with strange thick muds and weird rock formations
• Sailors dislike crossing the open Cataclysm Sea and instead stay near the coastlines where possible
• There are many undersea rivers below the Cataclysm sea. These generally flow towards Neracalco, and carry enormous amounts of salty water, but flow slowly.
• There are many, many legends and tales of sightings of strange creatures here, more than in any other ocean or sea.

The Antalasic Ocean

• The largest and deepest ocean, also the most violent
• Dark, deep, cold water - deep blue
• Frequent large storms, high waves, icebergs, and strong winds
• The current moves counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere and clockwise in the northern

The Salt Sea

• The northern sea, very calm and generally shallow, crystal clear bright blue water
• The frigid water is often packed with icebergs from the North Pole

Antsaltia

• The South Pole landmass
• Poorly explored, appears to be an endless frozen desert
• Incredibly cold, windy, and exposed
• A landscape of glaciers, mountains, ice flats, and flowing salt rivers

Neracalco

• Mysterious large volcanic island formed at the centre of the Cataclysm impact
• Very few have landed or returned to talk about the island
• Sailors and pilots avoid the area
• Often surrounded by violent volcanic storms, or dense greenish fog
• Appears mountainous inland

Galanland

• A peninsula extending off Antsaltia
• Pleasantly temperate in the north, growing colder and more desolate towards the South
• Half of Galanland was destroyed in the Cataclysm, especially the west of the landmass
• In the north, fertile valleys are nestled between steep mountains, with fjords, glaciers, and swift meltwater rivers
• Rain and warmer winds blow in from the North
• Harsh weather occasionally rolls in from the South, bringing long blizzards, or dry cold snaps
• In general it is very wet and snowy
• There is also much volcanic activity, such as smoking fumaroles and geysers
• The Black Mountains is a large mountain range that extends South into Antsaltia
• Galanland is under the influence of Harvest

Middis

• A grassy, warm, and temperate continent that becomes very hot and dry away from the coast
• The western coast is rimmed by the Nuovi Vertici mountain range
• Much of the land is sparsely forested with tall trees and scrubby bush
• The sand and rocks are a mix of reddish sandstone and pale greenish basalt
• Middis is under the influence of Harvest
• Harvest is located in the Centre-South of Middis

The Hellendines

• An island chain in the Antalasic ocean
• Used to be an entire continent, now only eroded mountains and hills poke above the water
• Tall cliffs battered by waves, and steep rocky pillars make it dangerous to navigate for unfamiliar sailors
• It doesn't snow, but is very cold and foggy due to the cold currents of the Antalasic ocean
• The Hellendines are under the influence of Beacon
• Beacon is located on The Hellendines

Lania Plains

• A vast, semi-arid steppe
• Mostly limestone
• Dotted with hills, pockets of forests, and caves
• Green and relatively forested in the east, becoming more desert-like in the west
• The plains are home to vast numbers of nomad clans, who resist encroachment by settlers, prospectors, and explorers
• The Lania Plains are under the tenuous control of Modopolis in the East and New Lange in the West
• Modopolis is located in the South-East of The Lania Plains
• New Lange is located in the West of the Lania Plains

Saltiliaa

• Northern frozen wastes

The Great Empty Desert

• A massive desert formed and expanded by the Cataclysm
• Full of ancient ruins, and the ruins of pre-cataclysm nations
• Rocky, hot, and often mountainous
• The Spiny Mountains are a major chain of highly eroded mountains going North/South along the East coastal interior
• There are patches of savannah as well, and the occasional oasis
• The Great Empty Desert is under the influence of Utopia
• Utopia is located in the centre of the Great Empty Desert

Claxia

• Temperate and cold. Rocky and deeply green, with dense and dark pine forests
• Home to the largest forests still on Alver
• North Claxia is new land formed post-cataclysm from mountains that rose from the Salt Sea
• Many lakes, many old towns nestled between eroded valleys
• Claxia is under the influence of Saxa
• Saxa is located in the North-West of Claxia

Cote Restoria

• A hot and harsh mediterranean coastal region
• On the coastline the rocky desert meets the churning, cold Antalasic Ocean
• There is little fresh water or vegetation
• What plants there are are stunted and gnarled
• Greenfield is located on the Cote Restoria

The Gem Desert

• A large desert formed by the Cataclysm
• The terrain consists of black sand and pumice mixed with chunks of glassy quartz, and occasionally precious gems
• There are large boulders scattered about, cracked ground, and deep-fissure caves
• Very volcanically active. There are pools of acidic green liquids girt by yellow sulphurous rocks, bubbling orange mud pools, and red rock geysers
• The Gem Desert is under the influence of Utopia in the North and Vulcania in the South

Brigunia

• Harsh wet and windy coastline battered by the ocean waves
• There is a dividing mountain range that captures the rain coming from the West and stops it reaching the East coast
• It is cold and damp in the South
• The soil is black, and the grass and trees are in shades of orange and yellow
• There are many volcanic caves and features, especially towards the Gem Desert
• Brigunia is under the influence of Vulcania
• Vulcania is located in the centre-East of Brigunia