World of Kralis

The Great Seas

The World of Kralis, while very expansive with various kingdoms, lands, countries, and other continents, is also home to six oceans and seas.

Sea of Ithangar

The Sea of Ithangar is a vast waterway on the western half of Ta Los between Azar and the lands of Kralis. It ends in the southern half of Ta Los where it meets with the dark, colder waters of the Blood Sea and the Cuthia Islands. It is a deep sea that is dominated by a number of small islands and thousands smaller islands that dot the coasts of every nation and Azar.

It is a place filled with abundant life both within the sea itself and on the sea floor bottom. There are a number of merrow and gawarro settlements near many of these islands making them dangerous for anything other than that of piracy, the greatest of these are the Isles of Morghal. Fortunately, the sea is also inhabited by a number of merfolk, sea-dwelling Chovah and sea Ta'Jahu. They inhabit the underwater cities of Iano and Duria.

The Blood Sea

The dark, cold waters of the Blood Sea are violent and rough. It straddles the lower half of Ta Los meeting with the Sea of Tarn to the east and the Sea of Ithangar to the north. It stretches west until it meets with the Galamir Ocean on the west side of Azar. The sea gets its name from the red tinge that the waters have, which legend holds is the blood of Gishra, part of her sacrifice when she fought against Azahak at the beginning of the world.

It is dominated by the Islands of Cuthia and is bordered on the south by Gashinar. The Empire of Resha is the dominate force on the Blood Sea. There are well established shipping routes that run up the coast through the Sea of Ithangar to the Duchy of Mashrapur. Because of this it is also very attractive to the various pirate guilds that inhabit the waters.

Sea of Tarn

The Sea of Tarn is a brilliantly blue and shallow sea that is home to a great many sea Ta'Jahu or Ta'Jahu of Val Nal ‘T Baliar. It is dominated mostly the various islands between Gashinar and the Eastern Realms. It shares shores with the Vaheem: The Western Reach on the Ta'Jahu island of Lathia. The sea is tranquil and mild as compared to the Blood Sea. This is mostly due to the sea Ta'Jahu as they have manipulated underwater heat vents to create a warmer sea. In ancient times it was once connected via a large underground tunnel to the Sea of Magnara.

Because of the high density of Ta'Jahu there is a low population of pirates within the region, but they still exist. They have had to adapt various techniques to out run the faster Ta'Jahu boats and scrying magics.

Vaheem: The Western Reach

The largest of the six seas that and surround Ta Los, the Vaheem: The Western Reach is a vast waterway that originates in the far north and extends south and eastward around the lands of Hurlan. It borders the Northern and Eastern Realms of Ta Los to the west, the Island of Lathia to the south and the lands of Hurlan to the east. Eastward it is believed to wrap around the southern spur of the lands of Hurlan where it meets the Sea of Jagan which lies thousands of miles to the east.

It is a deep sea with several trenches that are said to lead to vast caves within Tav Aeduhn (DeepLands). Its waters have seen very little exploration between Hurlan and Ta Los. What little there is known is that it is a haven for small island chains that are used by any number of beings, creatures and pirates that hunt the coasts of both lands.
There are a few established trade routes between Hurlan and the Kingdom of Nashatras.

The sea reaches deep into Ta Los via the Bay of Sorrows. It is a deep bay filled with numerous islands that have become havens for the lawless and piracy.

Vaheem

The golden green waters of the Vaheem extend from the eastern shores of Hurlan and curve through the Straits of Havdulth to the west where it becomes called Vaheem: The Western Reach.

It is bounded by Ka Los further to the west and by Iztalik to the north and Gashinar to the south. It is well known for its shallowness (only a mile deep at its deepest part) compared other seas and the Galamir Ocean. Its golden green hue is a result of the bioluminescence of the algae and plankton that thrives in the warm waters. This color changes to a blue color as the plankton and algae cannot survive in the cold waters as the Vaheem passes close to Gashinar or Iztalik. The Vaheem becomes the Sea of Jagan where the chain of islands called the Outer Lands or the Isles of Midlioc stretches from Iztalik to Gashinar. Here the waters become deeper and colder preventing the sun loving algae and plankton from surviving.

Sea of Magnara

The Sea of Magnara is an inland sea that divides the Southern Realms from the Eastern Realms. It is bordered by many kingdoms: Empire of Resha, Kaz-Nakiur, Ahamkara, Pash Tar, Azthak, Zak-Cha and the Great Desert Nazrafu.

It is the smaller of the two inner seas, the other being the Dhunadin Sea, but it is the only inner salt-sea. There are several larger islands that are minor kingdoms. There are many more smaller inner sea islands that are homes to pirates and slavers that use these as base of operations as they smuggle slaves across the sea.

The Sea of Magnara is also referred to as the Black Sea because of its incredible depth of over 7,500 feet and from the perspective of those that sail it during the winter when storms stir up the waters making it look black. It is one of two inner seas that help divide the Southern Realms from the Eastern Realms and the rest of the Realms. It has served as a busy waterway on the crossroads between the various nations and species that border it. It is supplied by four major rivers and watersheds from the surrounding regions. It is as large as many nations covering some 1,350,000 square miles and pierced by seven major islands and hundreds of smaller islands that are less than 25 miles in diameter shape. The currents of the Sea are relatively warm which tends to led to mild temperatures and temperate locales in most of the lands bordering the sea.

It is home to dozens of humanoid and monstrous humanoid species both that live above the surface and beneath it. No single species has declared the Sea as their own nation, though several have attempted it. It is home to pirates and free sails that look to prey of merchant ships that make their way through the dark waters. Its sea floor is littered with ancient shipwrecks. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of small villages that line the shores of the sea and are either attached to one the nations that border the sea or are self-governed regions.

The Sea of Magnara has long been the source of hundreds of trades and activities, some are as mundane as fishing and commerce. Topics which can put anyone to sleep who swings swords and delves into the depths of ruins and dungeons for a living. As with any large body of water, fishing is often the primary source of food and commerce from the moment that mortals took to using boats. Every settlement has its fleet(s) of fishing boats with most having at least three per every 20 residents. Very rarely do these boats see the deep sea never leaving eyesight of the shore, because of the legends, rumors or myths of sea creatures that live on the islands or beneath the surface that will devour whole ships or drag them to dark depths.

Most ships that travel the waters of the Sea of Magnara are built in the various settlements along its shores. Most ships are no larger than barge or keelboat, though most are lharks. As cargo ships they hug the coastlines and often travel in three to six to provide some sense of security. Merchant ships and sailing ships are more often seen plowing into the depths of the sea in the most direst paths from one side to the other side, all while avoiding pirates and free sails. Many of these have ports within the islands and move trade from one to another and onto the distant shores of mainland.

Pirates and Free Sails are a constant threat to ships, especially those that move across the deep sea. They come in a variety of types and the severity of their criminal activities also greatly vary. Pirates are those that attack ships, kill crews and take the money, cargo and any other necessities, occasionally they will kill all on board and take the whole ship. Free Sails are thought of as “noble” pirates that look only to take the cargo of captured ships rarely inflicting harm on its crew, many of these are thrillists and not cold blooded killers avoiding justice. Then there are the smugglers that are neither pirates or free sails. They seek to ship both legal and illegal trade goods to avoid taxes or the various laws and law enforcers that sail the waters.

The Islands

The Sea of Magnara has seven major islands. Five of which make up the Eyjuk Lasa archipelago and two that stand alone in the two capes: Bay of Bendhal and the Gulf of Magnara. The Bay of Bendhal is home to the Turm Island, Chesson Island sits in the northern sea in the Gulf of Magnara. The islands of the archipelago are named: Eyjuk Lasa, Karnal, Uktan, Panja, and Si’ratu.

Eyjuk Lasa Islands

The Eyjuk Lasa islands form a small nation-like alliance that works together for mutual protection as well as economic advantage with the meginlanur (main land merchants). The archipelago also contains approximately 60 other smaller islands that range in size from 10 miles to 30 miles in length and diameter. The four main islands range in size from 305 miles in length to 120 miles in length with widths ranging from 125 to 250 miles. As a group of volcanic islands, the land masses are generally characterized by steep hills or mountains toward their center, sloping sharply down to jungle and beaches before meeting the sea. All the islands are heavily forested with cedar, pine, bamboo and cypress.

Most buildings in through out the islands are constructed from clay, wood or bamboo; stone was avoided because of the ever-present threat of earthquakes. Nearly all structures are erected atop wooden beams or posts, that are elevated off the ground, to avoid damage from flooding. Walls were usually very thin made mostly from bamboo or thick sheets of paper. Wooden walls tend to have intricately carved nooks used for displaying artistic ornamentation. Most floor are barren but many are covered with intricately woven mats of reeds or straw. More expensive or important structures have tiled roofs with ridges that reach to the corners of the building. Narrow elevated walkways often extended from buildings to connect to gardens or other structures.

Most people live in single-story structures divided into multiple rooms that often contain raised floors and are typically placed around a central chimney with a raised platform around it that is used for heating, eating meals and family socialization.

The castles of the nobles or more wealthy are often as tall as six stories and are composed of separate structures. The central structure is usually surrounded by four smaller buildings, all of which were connected by corridors, topped with turrets.. A series of high, stone, gated walls, moats, and compounds of further buildings surrounded the central part of the castle in layers, assuring that conquering the castle is a near impossible feat. These are often located in more remote locations or near the shore line on high craggy overlooks to either have private docks for sea vessels or high tower for airships. There are no cities on these islands but there are several large towns with populations ranging from 3,000 to 15,000. These towns are built in similar fashion to the castles with walled layers that are divided into a number of districts that are pierced by guarded gates. Streets are typically narrow and crowded and packed with merchants selling their wares.

Turm Island

Situated in the Bay of Bendhal, Turm Island is roughly 180 miles long, and 109 miles wide. It is geographical very similar to all the other islands. However, its beaches are covered in polished round stones of varying colors and sizes. While it is a volcanic island, it has been weathered down into rolling pastoral hills and highlands that are filled with numerous trees, pastures of thick grass and rocky outcroppings from which the few towns are built. Turm Island is mostly inhabited by Acires from Cha-Nilak, Aelwyn and a number of centaurs and gantu. It is also rumored to be the home of the criminal organization called the Ceneoris.

Chesson Island

Chesson Island sits in the Gulf of Magnara in the northern section of the sea. It is the largest island in the Sea of Magnara being nearly 350 miles long and approximately 235 miles wide. Unlike the other islands of the sea, Chesson was once a part of the mainland to the north and was cut off through a millennia of weathering creating the Strait of Magnara. This has created a unique island with white cliffs facing north towards the strait with the land gently flowing south into the sea. There are no mountains or hills on this island, it is a combination of rocky outcroppings and pastures across the island. The island drops from approximately 2,500 feet from the edge of the white cliffs to the waters below in the Strait and takes the next 235 miles at its widest to fall into the sea at its most southern point.

It is dotted with several villages along its upper section and many farms, its only true large settlement is the town of Thurtan. It is a large city of nearly 10,000 individuals, and it is known for its connection with pirates and the illegal and blackmarket trade throughout the region. Though on its face it is appears to be the average port town with numerous ships, merchants and its fair share of taverns and inns.

An island known as The Demons Thumb is known to float around the Sea. It was an ancient kithar that has lost a great deal of its power over the centuries and has sunken into the Sea of Magnara where its buoyancy has kept it afloat ever since.

Dhunadin Sea

Before 9,000 B.F.A. the area of where the Dhunadin (Duun-ah-di:n) Sea exists was once a powerful mage-nation known as Kish. It was destroyed, as history records, by the folly of spellcasters and priests in the Citadel of Tor Nas. The shattered area, left blackened by the explosion, and with very little land mass left, began to fill up slowly over a several hundred years until it became the modern day Dhunadin Sea.

It is home to a number of dragons, and inhabited by Ha'Vatu that live on the Islands of Caznak where their creations can be tested without threat to the rest of the world.

The waters are clear, but the blackened bottom and sand of the ground around cause the sea to appear as a black vortex. Many creatures, including a number of dragons, make the shores of the sparse islands their homes. It is also home to a number of pirate guilds that ravage the various shores of the Northern, Western and the northern portion of the Southern Realms.

A number of gawarro, merrow and mereel clans plague this inner sea, but they are also held in check by the presence of merfolk and the House Shantyn Imahu of the Ta'Jahu.

Sea of Jagan

As a traveler makes their way past the edge Hurlan’s far east side the Sea of Jagan extends out in front of them filling in the vast space between Hurlan and the lands of Ka Los. It is a deep sea that eventually opens up to the Galamir Ocean in the far east.

The southern half of the Sea of Jagan is dominated by a vicious and permanent maelstrom, known as the "Black Spot" or Svarthar , that has been active for nearly 5,000 years it appeared 5,027 B.F.A., during the Age of Chaos after a gigantic silver object came from the Void and tore a hole in the ocean.

It is a massive torrent whirlpool that has also created a vast dark storm high above the ocean. No ship, neither sailing or flying, has successfully made it into the interior of the Black Spot. Most are ripped apart just a few hundred miles in while their crews are sucked beneath the frothing waves and crashing lightning.

Galamir Ocean

The Galamir Ocean is the largest ocean of Kralis. It extends from Azar westward dividing Ta Los from the lands of Ka Los before meeting up with the Sea of Jagan, between Hurlan and Ka Los. From the north it extends from Iztalik and Myngaard to Gashinar in the south.

It is a dark ocean that few have ever attempted to sail as the ocean is known for its vast depths, harsh waves and “otherworldly” creatures of which mortals should be afraid. Even the deep dwelling species of the Seas tend to avoid the depths of this legendary ocean.