Sea of Gustavus

The Sea of Gustavus was a sea located in the North-East of central Eldham.
== Toponymy ==
The sea of Gustavus is named after a man called Gustavus, most likely Gustavus Villhorn, though it is not entirely sure. Gustavus Villhorn is one of the first colonisers from Skjoldrbrodir who participated in establishing the country's eldhamite holdings, on the western shores of the sea of Gustavus.
In Porphyropolis, politicians thought about renaming the Sea of Gustavus, as its name was considered ill-fitting and of obscure origin. However, the porphyropolitans never took the time to organise a meeting to discuss this with people from the other settlements on the sea of Gustavus' shores, and didn't start widely using a new name alone not to spread confusion. The main proposal for another name for the sea was "Purple Sea", in reference to Porphyropolitan purple, a dye typical of Porphyropolis, also used a lot in Mosir-Sumari. The color purple is already referenced in the names of Porphyropolis and Morado.
== Geography ==
The Sea of Gustavus is the largest sea within the Eldhamite region of Phoros. It is located south of the Drakeslands, west of the region of Errine, north of Irulan and former Mosir-Sumari, and west of Nyr Vilhorn, in the region of Limuria and Gardenia.
On the northwest of the Sea of Gustavus, a strait between Rosewood and the Smegsland leads to the Gulf of Grass, which is sometimes considered a subregion within the Sea of Gustavus. To the eastern end of the sea, there are two other straits. One to the north, between Palomara and Vionir, leading to the Frostbitten Sea and another one south, to the Sea of Jura.
Some man-made canals also connect the Sea of Gustavus with another seas. On the southern limit of the Drakesland, a the Velenitians built a canal in the lands of the Taerni. This canal connects to the Triparte sea. Later on, another canal was opened, this time, between the historical border between Gardenia and Sumari. This other canal leads to the Kolbeck Sea, in central Eldham.
=== Islands ===
There are three main archipelago and some coastal islands in the sea of Gustavus, all the documented ones are the following:
* The archipelago of Las Islas Doradas
** The island of Porphyropolis, on which was founded the city of Porphyropolis. Biggest and most important island in the sea of Gustavus.
** Three smaller unnamed islands.
* Morado, a volcanic archipelago north-west of Las Islas Doradas
** La pequeña morada
** El monte morado
* A small archipelago of three islands on the East between Valreach and Irulan. Originally settled by "The Knights".
* Raansköld, south of Vionir, East of the Desert of Saafir, in the Drakesland.
* Motu, a coastal island south of Saafir. There lies the city of Motu.
== Ecology ==
=== Climate ===
Around the sea of Gustavus, the climate is mostly mediterranean or temperate, even though some areas, mostly around Irulan and the Smegsland, are colder. Since the discovery of mount Morado, Amarillian scientists began to think underwater volcanoes might at least partially explain why the climate varies so much between various areas of the Sea of Gustavus, Porphyropolis having a mediterranean climate despite being rather close to very cold Irulan.
=== Flora ===
A lot of different species of algae are present in the sea of Gustavus. However, like most of Eldham's seas, its flora is characterized by the abundance of invasive kelp. In contrary to the Drakaen sea, no large-scale efforts were made to eradicate kelp from the sea of Gustavus. As such, it still thrives, and the settlements bordering the sea face a noticeable rising sea level problem.
=== Fauna ===
The sea of Gustavus holds many animal species: various different fishes, dolphins, crabs and other crustaceans, mollusks... Among all those species, the murex is particularly typical of the sea of Gustavus. In Porphyropolis, murices are used to obtain precious purple dye, that is then used on site or exported anywhere around Eldham.
Category:Traveler's Era
Category:Drakaes
Category:Amarillo
Category:Geography