The Roaring Plains

WIP - Summer Camp 2023

The Roaring Plains is a large area of open ocean to the north of Sarsand and to the east of Viretia, characterised by a string of perpetually active underwater volcanoes and toxic geothermal vents. It is a relatively shallow area of ocean; at its deepest, it is about two hundred and fifty metres from the surface to the ocean floor. Most merfolk avoid the area, and the only ones who dare to live there are ones that have been exiled from their community. They roam alone or in gangs, doing whatever it takes to survive in the hostile environment.
The plains consist mostly of bare rock and coarse black sand, as well as the slowly growing volcanic mounds formed by the slow leak of magma from beneath Etrea's crust. Despite this, the plains are not devoid of life. There are fields of red algae that bloom around geothermal vents, soaking up nutrients from the hot mixture of chemicals that spew from them. These fields of algae are the foundation for a whole ecosystem that does not exist anywhere else on Etrea, each member highly specialised for the environment of the Roaring Plains.
There are no permanent settlements on the Roaring Plains, with the inhabitants living a mostly nomadic lifestyle in order to find food and protect themselves. Occasionally, impromptu encampments pop up around the plains, allowing a safe place to trade and rest. Exiles are always wary of each other, however, as some are known to become violent with little provocation.
It is considered dangerous to sail over the Roaring Plains, as there are stories of exiles attacking ships. Wrecks littering the sea floor seem to confirm these stories.
Most travellers, both those on ships and the merfolk who swim through the ocean, choose to take the long way around the plains instead of taking the risk of crossing them directly.