Nor'Westor Sea
"The chill o' air, the cool mist. Icebergs an' t'e dull blue grey of the water, creatin' an image o' glass behemoths silently adventurin' the 'igh seas. T'e whisperin' breeze, tantalizin', teasin' wit' every breath, tauntin' ye about how it could become far worse, if she desired too. The stark beauty of it, the stories, t'at of mariner legend. T'e sight o' a pod o' orca in the early morning dawn, their clickin' and splashin' as they cut by your ship, curious, before continuin' on t'e hunt. Be it t'e rocky coasts of Suranth, t'e hilly and stony shores of Raechin, t'e rolling slopes and cool sand of Rohara's shores, or t'e thick forests of Depenwood, one will always see a stark beauty. But ye also will nae help but feel a tantalizing rush sailin' t'ese waters, me friend. It nae matter 'ow calm the journey, fer the stories and the name tell you what could be, an' every breeze will excite you, but also tickle every fiber of your being wit' an....apprehension. Because ye may love the sea, love t'e ocean life, ya may love it dearly. You may even believe she loves ye.
But 'ere in the Nor'Westor Sea? Ya can't help but feel an almost intoxicating tenseness, for ye never truly know if a breeze be just a breeze, if a cloud be just a cloud, or if a drizzle be just a drizzle. Or if any of t'ose things be your only warnin' afore she decides to flex her independence. Fer t'e sea answers ta no one, an' t'is wild watered lass, well she nay know 'ow ta flex 'er independence...peacefully. It always be a storm, an' if yer unlucky, or may'aps 'ave angered 'er, it'll be a Nor'Westor. Nor'Westors be a dangerous and potentially deadly prospect. Winds so strong ye'd think the Gods themselves was blowin' em! Waves sae damned tall yer ship will feel like a toy in a boy's bath water! She 'as a temper she does, a true salt and ice fury to 'er.
She be dangerous, but t'at very danger is starkly beautiful my friend. T'e waves, the sea creatures, t'e coastal landscapes in the morning dawn, t'ere be naught like it. Some of the best artists in the land try to capture it on canvas, aye, and a few of them do come oh so close, both 'er calm beauty, and 'er gorgeous fury. Full credit where it is due. But nothin', and I mean nae a damn thin' compare ta experiencing it firsthand. I been sailing fer nae a decade now, working the Northern trade routes. In that time, by luck or love o' t'e sea fer me, I nae know not, I've lived through one Nor'westor. It be a memory I fear, but also one I treasure dearly, an' nae would change fer all t'e coin in all t'e world. It be visceral, spiritual, an experience them priestly sorts likely would call 'religious' or a 'spiritual awakenin''. T'ere may be some truth ta t'at. But I'll tell ya t'is. One was enough, I got 'er message loud an' clear, an' I ain't ever looked at the Northern coasts or the sea t'e same again. I drink in every moment o' every second an' appreciate it fer what it is, take nae o' it fer granted. 'Cause ya nae know when it may all just end."
Captain William Radovic in a tavern along the docks of Geata-Iarainn, talking to new recruits, a week before his vessel was capsized by a sudden and vicious Nor'Westor off Suranth's eastern coast, about fifty kilometers south of An Pointe Thoir. There were no survivors.
Geography
Oceans, being tricky as they are, are generally defined more by climate than any easy to find border, and climate can move with seasons. But generally the Nor'Westor Sea is agreed upon by naval scholars and sailors to cover the ocean north of Valerick and encompass the entire coasts of Suranth and Raechin, along with the northern coasts of Rohara, changing somewhere along the more northern regions of Rohara's eastern coastline. To the west, a similar rule exists, it is seen to transition in the region of the Suranthi-Depen borderlands, though again depending on the season may change when a vessel feels they've actually left. The climate of the Nor'westor sea is defined by its cold waters, the bite to its breezes and air, along of course with its wildlife. Orca rule the seas this far north, and though sharks are seen seasonally along Raechin or Rohara's coasts and waters during the summer and autumn months, they are not a permanent fixture. They come for the good hunting during this season, as the likes of seals and dolphins have given birth en masse, and the youngsters must risk the waters to feed often, to grow quickly so they can keep warm through their first coming winter. Easy pickings of course, and such hunting strategies have been copied and learned from by the peoples whom call those lands home. Along Suranth's coasts however, sharks are rarely seen, and if they are, they are likely hunted by orca, flee, or die of the cold.
The coastlines along this ocean are rough, oft the waters are choppy, especially near the many regions of cliffs, with currents that will, if a crew is not careful, drag you in and dash you along the stones. It is as if the ocean itself does not wish vessels and crews unfamiliar with the land and waters of the north anywhere near her coastlines. Yet even with this and the dangers of Nor'Westor storms, the coastal waters, and even further out to sea, are quite actively sailed, be that by fishing and whaling vessels, or trade ships plying the NPA routes and ports. It is a rare thing, however, to see any vessel flying the colors of any other nation-state besides Suranth, Rohara, Raechin or Depenwood in any season but the short northern summer. If such a thing happens, it is the talk of the port towns for weeks to come, word and rumor spreading by land and sea.
The coastlines along this ocean are rough, oft the waters are choppy, especially near the many regions of cliffs, with currents that will, if a crew is not careful, drag you in and dash you along the stones. It is as if the ocean itself does not wish vessels and crews unfamiliar with the land and waters of the north anywhere near her coastlines. Yet even with this and the dangers of Nor'Westor storms, the coastal waters, and even further out to sea, are quite actively sailed, be that by fishing and whaling vessels, or trade ships plying the NPA routes and ports. It is a rare thing, however, to see any vessel flying the colors of any other nation-state besides Suranth, Rohara, Raechin or Depenwood in any season but the short northern summer. If such a thing happens, it is the talk of the port towns for weeks to come, word and rumor spreading by land and sea.
Ecosystem
The Nor'Westor sea, like most of the oceans, lakes and rivers, are not well explored by the Valarian peoples, so their ecosystems are not fully understood. It is a fully aquatic environment, but it is known that plants do grow in these waters. In fact, many of the kelps and seaweeds that grow in her shallow waters along the coasts are a valuable resource for villages and towns along those same stretches.
However most scholars of botany or biology agree we very likely only know of, or have classified, perhaps five percent of the species that live within the waters of our world, and of these, most are from lakes and rivers. This is not to say we know nothing. This is merely their hypothesis about how foreign an environment a fully aquatic one must be to our current sensiblities. They estimate we have perhaps, if you account for one off accounts of strange 'monsters' or 'leviathans' or the like that have never been documented or classified, and assume each unique description could be a species, perhaps then we have seen or interacted with around seven or eight percent of all flora and fauna living in such aquatic biomes.
What is known, interestingly enough, are some of the top apex predators. A variety of sharks have been classified in southern oceans, as have dolphins and of course whales. Among these the orca reigning supreme. Marine mammals in general, it does seem, hold a place of dominance in the sea like their cousins on land, which is an interesting point to note for many of a scholarly bent. That in such a foreign and strange environment, that many of the top predators are arguably more closely related to things like polar bears than they are to any fish. They share more common traits and characteristics, including a big one, needing to breath air. Whales can drown a point that baffles many in such fields of study to this day. How does such a creature reign supreme when the environment itself literally is lethal to its existence? It boggles understanding and reason.
However most scholars of botany or biology agree we very likely only know of, or have classified, perhaps five percent of the species that live within the waters of our world, and of these, most are from lakes and rivers. This is not to say we know nothing. This is merely their hypothesis about how foreign an environment a fully aquatic one must be to our current sensiblities. They estimate we have perhaps, if you account for one off accounts of strange 'monsters' or 'leviathans' or the like that have never been documented or classified, and assume each unique description could be a species, perhaps then we have seen or interacted with around seven or eight percent of all flora and fauna living in such aquatic biomes.
What is known, interestingly enough, are some of the top apex predators. A variety of sharks have been classified in southern oceans, as have dolphins and of course whales. Among these the orca reigning supreme. Marine mammals in general, it does seem, hold a place of dominance in the sea like their cousins on land, which is an interesting point to note for many of a scholarly bent. That in such a foreign and strange environment, that many of the top predators are arguably more closely related to things like polar bears than they are to any fish. They share more common traits and characteristics, including a big one, needing to breath air. Whales can drown a point that baffles many in such fields of study to this day. How does such a creature reign supreme when the environment itself literally is lethal to its existence? It boggles understanding and reason.
Ecosystem Cycles
"Despite our limited knowledge of the ecosystem in general, we do know that there are some seasonal behaviors. Great white sharks prefer warmer southern waters, but these terrors of the deep do come north along the coasts of the Nor'Westor sea, and risk being hunted by orca pods, whom yes do eat such creatures and animals far bigger, because of the seal season. Along the northern coasts of Raechin and Rohara, hundreds of thousands of grey and harbor seals gather, mating, birthing and raising their pups in the early and mid spring. These seal pups are a favorite target of orca and shark alike, and young great whites are oft reported hunting here in glut as well. We know they are young due to their reported sizes. Adults are seen as well but not as commonly so close to shore, they pick off the seal parents out in deeper waters when the seals inevitably must go hunting fish for their young. It is believed that the sharks gather, spawn their young in these waters, and hunt to glut for the nine weeks this season lasts, before heading for warmer waters again. Are they smart enough to know, and pass it on? Is it some biological instinct, or drive, a chemical reaction in their brains?
We have not a clue. But we do know and have observed this well enough to be sure such patterns do exist even in the oceans. Which is an amazing discovery in and of itself, indicating some very complex and intertwined ecosystems that could be stretched over thousands of kilometers. All that begs for exploration, observation, deduction and research! But of course that is why you are here, isn't it my students. You wish to answer that plea. Well then, you will first need to learn what is already known, and that shall be what this year is about."
Lector Henri Nautalis, 71 years young, the man whom, during his time as a marine biologist in the field, successfully proved the difference between dolphins and whales, and furthermore proved that orca, despite their moniker the 'killer whale' were not whales, but of the dolphin-porpoise family. Giving his opening day lecture at the Suranthi Sciences and Numerics Instituite, one of Geata-Iarainn's most prestigious universities.
Localized Phenomena
Nor'Westor Storms: These storms are simply true forces of nature, born of the wild northern climes and the clashing of air currents over these waters. The winds can hammer up to 200 km/hour in extreme cases, though 120-140 km/hour is more common. Either way, those wind speeds will snap masts like twigs if the sails are still unfurled. In truth such winds may still crack and snap masts regardless. Waves as tall as ten meters have been reported, and the scariest thing is that the wind can change direction, as can the waves, in but a moment, meaning tacking your vessel to avoid having a wave hitting you at a capsizing angle can become a near impossible challenge. These storms are accompanied by driving rain and snow that makes seeing more than perhaps a meter or two in front of yourself beyond just shadows and shapes about as unlikely as you growing wings. These storms are powerful blasts of nature, but they are known to be sudden in their initial violence, and swiftly calm over time, the worst of it over in the first fifteen to thirty minutes. It is rare, exceedingly rare for such a storm to last more than a few hours, and within that time frame, it will have calmed considerably, the winds perhaps a third or half as strong, the waves more manageable in size and the direction it is all coming from far more stable. However a vessel must first survive that short window of raw natural power and violence, and that in and of itself is a difficult task, to put it mildly.
Morgue Flats:The name should suggest what they are, but these are strange areas of water, never very big, and thankfully exceedingly rare, where everything...stops. No wind. No current. The water like glass, but not ice. These dead zones are marked on navigation charts as Morgue Flats and are always carefully labeled to include their known size in every cardinal direction. These waters are as dead as they sound, with no living creature surviving beneath the waves. No plants. Nothing. In most of them a some ships still stand, in stasis, though they are naught but rotted stinking hulks now. However this does not mean they are safe to plunder. You can row in these waters, and some brave fools have made such attempts. But though no living thing calls these stretchs of water home, that does not mean you should assume they are uninhabited.....
Morgue Flats:The name should suggest what they are, but these are strange areas of water, never very big, and thankfully exceedingly rare, where everything...stops. No wind. No current. The water like glass, but not ice. These dead zones are marked on navigation charts as Morgue Flats and are always carefully labeled to include their known size in every cardinal direction. These waters are as dead as they sound, with no living creature surviving beneath the waves. No plants. Nothing. In most of them a some ships still stand, in stasis, though they are naught but rotted stinking hulks now. However this does not mean they are safe to plunder. You can row in these waters, and some brave fools have made such attempts. But though no living thing calls these stretchs of water home, that does not mean you should assume they are uninhabited.....
Fauna & Flora
We know very little of the actual interactions or ecology of the sea. Mostly cause of our lack of knowledge as to what lives in the waters. Those we do know seem to sit very much within what can only be described as a woefully under populated, or woefully under discovered, food web.
Natural Resources
Whale oil from the bigger species like Sperm Whales, the monstrous Blue and Humpback whales, along with the meat and bone of such creatures, all are harvested by the whaling fleets, and the demand is notable to say the least. The same is true of seals and their ilk of course, for they are a useful creature down to the bones, all is used, waste is limited as best it can be. Besides this, salt deposits have formed in many of the coastal cliff faces and mineral deposits of such salts and the like are highly valued, though mining them can present some unique challenges that are quite different to your standard ore or mineral mines, or stone quarries that are inland. Fish of all kinds, but mackerel and tuna being the two common by number and therefore the most profitable by sheer volume for fishing vessels.
Tourism
The landscapes and raw beauty of the wildlife and the raw beauty and power of the sea itself draws many an artistic soul whom wish to be so inspired. Besides that, it is a major trade route, the coastal waters anyway, so all matter of folk see and sail these waters.
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