Dusk Sea

The Western Ocean south of the equator is dominated by a region known as the Dusk Sea, also called The "Crucible" due to recent volcanic activity and a reputation for unrelenting violence and conflict. The Dusk Sea is a shallow, temperate region of water marked by both heavy reefs as well as sharp, jagged, firtule volcanic rock. The tides of the Dusk Sea follow a strict diurnal pattern with a very wide tidal wash leaving behind some of the largest intertidal zones ever seen.

Map

The Dusk Seas are dominated by three large bays and two chains of islands:

• The Bay of Trials lies at the mouth of the Western Kingdoms, a system within the large Noir Bay. The Bay acquired its curious name due to the difficulty sailors had escaping it, as the winds so close to the equator tend to fail leaving ships stranded.
• The Noir Bay lies south of Le Bois Noir and west of the Bay of Trials. Its western edge is picketted by the Greater Rande island chain. Orc raiding parties are routinely seen rowing across its glassy suface, savagely raiding anything that come too close.
• The Mer Bay lies at the mouth of the infamous Neck, the access point for all ports within the Mer de la Luna. It's western and southern edges are dotted with the Lesser Rande island chains, with the Greater Rande to the north. Often called "The Bonyard", this region is dotted with the carcasses of destroyed or wrecked ships.
• The Greater Rande islands are a chain of larger islands noted for numerous orscar natives. The center of the Greater Rande host an island of routine volcanic activity, enough activity to make many of the nearby islands uninhabitable.
• The Lesser Rande islands are a chain of islands to the south through which merchant vessels routinely sail to access Mer de la Luna. Consisting of over a thousand tiny, nearly uncharted islands, this chain is known for its trecherous reefs and sudden, violent storms.

Cities

While the Dusk Sea hosts some of the most mineral-rich islands to be found, no formal settlements of any notable size have survived in the area. Countless small villages and colonies, many of which are privately funded from benefactors in Megapolis, World's Mouth, Roque d'Ancourt, and King's Court, thrive...but most succumb to orc raiders (orscars), pirates, or the routine, savage storms that often strike the region.

The only settlement of any size is Nether's Gate, a community of pirates recently arrived at the Isle of Rande in the last two yahren. Housing the notorious Pirates of the Mer and ruled by the enigmatic Brotherhood of the Mer, Nether's Gate is situated strategically in the center of the Dusk Sea, at the eastern end of the Greater Rande island chain.

History & Geography

First charted by Sir Allen Rande countless generations ago, the Dusk Seas have seen violent changes since their first exploration. Both island chains found in the Dusk Sea originate initially from heavy volcanic activity, initially rumored to come from a single volcano at the heart of the island system. However, several volcanos have been identified in the center of the Greater Randes, demonstrating that the activity required to produce the islands might have been spread out over great distances.

Scattered amid the volcanic rock of the two island chains are countless reefs resulting from warm, rich waters and steady diurnal activity. Many of these reefs remain submerged throughout tidal activity, making the region dangerous to traverse without experienced navigation. Fortunately, the Lesser Rande islands are perhaps the most extensively-charted islands in the world despite their extensive size and complexity...and these charts continue to expand every yahren.

Due to the firtile soil of the island chains and the warm, pleasant climate, a rich variety of unique vegetation can be found on each and every one of the islands in the Dusk Seas. In addition, curious birds, marine life, and a limitless variety of other creatures can be found there that can never be seen anywhere else.

Culture & Society

Despite the rich natural environment, the inviting, luxurious beaches, and the warm, temperate climate, the Dusk Sea is the home to two of the most violent and dangerous culture known to Tazlure: The Orscar islanders and the Pirates of the Mer.

The Orscars have lived in the Dusk Sea since first exploration hundreds of yahren ago. Tribes of orcs took to the seas and colonized numerous outlying islands, generally around the upper islands of the Greater Rande chain. Their greatest concentration lie around the Tal'Tiressi, St. Gummes, and Molar islands, and from here orscar raiders strike at shipping stuck in the equatorial calms to the west of Le Bois Noir with staggering success making northern routes around the Western Continent nearly impossible. Early raids on Nether's Gate met with disaster for the orcs, but sparked a meeting of cultures that continues even today. Due to this, orscar is also a term frequently used to describe orcish pirates in the Dusk Sea as well as their tribal ancestors.

The Pirates of the Mer have recently relocated back to the Dusk Sea on the Isle of Rande, having occupied the mouth of the Neck in yahran past and more recently the region of Pirate's Duchy within the Mer de la Luna itself. The pirates have formed a loose community which serves as a base for continued operations against the largest of international shipping moving through the Lesser Rande islands. Savagely efficient and brutal, the pirates have added new technological achievements to their arsenal including cannon as well as brute force from the immigrating orscars.