Sea of the End

The Sea of the End is one of the main oceans in the world, bordering part of the south of the continent of Giantstep. Due to the shape of the step, the Sea of the End is a closed ocean, surrounded by all sides by land, with its only major subdivision being the Sea of the Void. Its geographical position in the south has made it a key strategic area, as it is the shortest route to reach the two sides of the world. Indeed, for such a relatively small body of water occupied by no major power, it holds a great deal of population and vessels within its shores, as well as a great deal of piratic activity.
From west to east, the caravans need to cross the Zulutaur Peninsula, moving around the many towns and cities within the territory, and then arriving to the shores of the Sea of the End. From that point, they can move across the territory of the badgassi, paying a considerable safety fee, or take their chances within the sea, hoping that the pirates from Ortuga do not find them. Once they reach the eastern shores, the cargo needs to be moved across either the Dirihadarir Desert or the Mona Ki Ngi Xica Savannah, all the way to the Sea of Fog. Taking the sea route makes the journey weeks shorter, as the fast and small ships of the Sea of the End can reach one side of the ocean to the other in a couple of days, especially if the weather is favorable. However, the presence of the very well organized ortugan pirates has put a dent on the operations for many years, and even though they tend to be more civilized than others of their kind (particularly so as they profit mostly from asking for rescues for both crew, ship and cargo), the dangers of the Sea of the End are palpable. The presence of the badgassi does not improve matters, as the informal alliance between the pirates and the badgassi is well known, with plenty of profits for both.
The closed nature of the Sea of the End also blocks it from contact with the rest of the oceans, making it a surprisingly safe place against sea monsters, though that does not mean there are some species that can threaten shipping or fishing vessels. In particular, this makes for great stories of captains developing rivalries and obsessions with sea monsters, as the small size of the region allows more frequent encounters. The waters of the Sea of the End also have to deal with the Maelstrom, always surrounding the archipelago of Ortuga and Hornkip, and capable of great destruction if caught by it in the open. There are many rumors of deep underground channels between the Sea of the End and the closed seas of the east, like the Morllowin Inner Sea and the Fool’s Trap Inner Sea. However, investigations of them are sparse, as they lead directly to the Eldritch Jungle, a place no sane man would want to get close to.
Category:Geographic location
Category:Ocean