Hullraker Bay

Information sourced from 'The Rutter of the Copper Sea', theological sources of the Holy See concerning the Great Hag Throff, and various oral tales spoken by locals and archived in Bardic Colleges

Written by David_Ulph

A deep whirlpool wherein if ships enter, they can only hope for a quick death.

The emerald hills of Nèmach watch over the foaming tide,
Swirling and churning forever around the ships that ride,
Towards the fatal vortex, vigilant for its prey,
The silent grave of sailors, resting endlessly under the bay.

— 'The Rutter of the Copper Sea', commissioned by the Imperial Nautical Bardic Society of the Grand Midlandian Navy (translated from "Pig Imperial" to "Imperial Standard")

Introduction

The Copper Sea is not one favourable to sailing most of the year round. In fact, without the Sea Giants passing down their secrets of boatbuilding before the Almighty Gods revealed the Giants' treachery, I doubt we would be able to consider taming that beast. Though tame it we have, look to the Fairweather Series for example which has only fallen victim to the northern sea due to mortal mistakes in every one that has ran aground or been claimed by Aecor's Domain.
Sea ice from the Northern Limit drifts eastwards, with seasonal sea haar and storms obscuring the countless rocks and shipwrecks dotted all throughout the sea make travel nigh impossible during the winter season. However, in the spring and summer the Copper Sea is clear and as blue as sapphires when nothing batters the coastland.
The Gulf of Corryvreckan is off the coast of Rivercrown and Ben Wyvern, south of the Isle of Nivuk. Woe betide any and all who follow Brecani and attempt to sail near the whirlpool's maw. The more rocky straits north of Nivuk are much preferred over the southern Kyle of Nivuk that veers too close to Corryvreckan. It is without exaggeration the most dangerous piece of water on the Mortal Realm, which no vessel can hope to sail past unscathed if lucky enough to stay afloat.

— 'The Rutter of the Copper Sea'

The Copper Sea in the north of the Mortal Realm is known for its two faces which reflect the seasons of the year. In Spring and Summer, the Sea resembles the fair and beautiful maiden Galana, though in Autumn and Winter it instead resembles the harsh and unforgiving Great Hag Throff. Hullraker Bay and its infamous whirlpool, however, is the wart on the face of the maiden - a constant remaining piece of the Great Hag all year round, and as the Holy See preach it is Galana's scar from when she was imprisoned within the whirlpool.

The Bay

Hullraker Bay, a place of importance in all three of folklore, history and religion. All due to the swirling whirlpool of Corryvreckan present since the advent of Time itself. Though in truth this bay would almost certainly be idyllic as a harbour, its natural curvature and hills of Nèmach blocking the brunt of the seasonal storms from the east. But the horrors of the truth always create stories of legend, that cause mortals to rightly fear this maelstrom of death.

— Introductory paragraph to 'Legends of Hullraker Bay'

Hullraker Bay, also known as the Gulf of Corryvreckan, is infamous throughout the Mortal Realm as one of the most geographically unstable body of water due to its nature being warped by primordial magics. The whirlpool that sits in the middle of the bay is the largest seen on the Realm, being dwarfed only by maelstroms on the Elementia Realm of Aqua according to Realmwalkers.

Not only does the gargantuan whirlpool cause danger to nearby life on the water, it is so powerful it causes the very land around it to move. Jagged juts of rock and debris from wrecked ships orbit the whirlpool, seemingly with minds of their own. Ships that have sailed through the Kyle of Nivuk but stayed a sure enough distance from the bay have noticed what resemble shark fins appearing out of the water and swim at speed towards the ship. These are found to be angular rocks stuck in the Corryvreckan's grasp which result in giving the Bay its modern name.

Ecosystem

As a result of the Corryvreckan's destructive nature, little life can truly be found in Hullraker Bay. Fast-moving swimmers such as Porpoises can swim past the edges of the Bay closer than any vessel, who only dare to go close to feed on the most resilient plants and corals that manage to survive on the seabed of the Bay.

The land bordering the Gulf is known to be just as unsafe as the water, as for an unknown reason Kelpies are drawn to the Corryvreckan. While they can be found in almost any body of still water in the Nèmach region of the Grand Duchy of Rivercrown, the predatory creatures appear to congregate in the waters of Hullraker Bay in great numbers. According to 'Wrigley's Bestiary: Kelpies', one theory persists that the whirlpool has some innate significance with the kelpie and may potentially be the birthplace of the race. That kelpies return in great number to as close to the Corryvreckan as they can to mate and give birth to the next generation, much like how Salmon return to their birthplace for the same reason.

Prompts Advent Calendar #30

Type

Sea

Parent Location

Copper Sea, off the coast of Rivercrown

Alternative Name(s)

Gulf of Corryvreckan, Cauldron of the Speckled Sea, Throff's Maelstrom

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Legends

Brecani's Folly

Various pieces of folklore have originated surrounding the whirlpool, due to its mysterious nature. One such myth is the tale of Brecani and his downfall from hubris without thinking. The tale has been used to teach that rebellious nature due to youth is reckless and foolhardy, an issue which afflicts the culture of all Rivercrowners.

A man who claimed to be a King from a land not of Redfall fled through the Copper Sea to escape the clutches of his father who sought to control his life and future. Brecani came across the Ten Kingdoms of Rivercrown and learned of a young princess who was due to be in an arranged marriage with someone she didn't love.

In order to impress the princess, Brecani full of self-confidence and stubborn determination attempted to moor his boat on the coast on the opposite end of the Corryvreckan. Though he managed to make it across, before Brecani could successfully moor his ship the whirlpool was too strong and sucked him in and he was drowned.

The Maiden & the Whirlpool

Various legends exist stating that in the time before the coming of the Celestial Gods, the whirlpool was created by the Great Hag Throff as a place to wash her braid and clothes. She would wash her white gown in the water and throw it over the surrounding hills to dry, and this became the first coating of snow to fall on the Mortal Realm.

When Lady Galana arose from the Well of Youth and threatened to end the time of winter and Throff's dominion of the Realm with her very existence, the Great Hag attempted to stop the coming of spring and trapped the Mother in the whirlpool as an eternal prison.

There, Galana was forced to scrub and clean Throff's gown as She was promised that once it was all clean she would be able to leave the whirlpool. However, Galana could not leave the whirlpool and Throff's gown of snow coated the entire Realm. And so Galana would attempt to carry out this impossible task for freedom until Courga descended from the Star Bridge and would free Galana from the grasp of winter by introducing summer to the Mortal Realm.