Central Sea
The Central Sea is a large body of water that separates the continents of Ione and Aerisca. Several important Telian civilizations have developed around the shores of the Central Sea, as its exploitation provides the various cultures located in its proximity access to a bountiful amount of seafood as well as routes for maritime trade and expansion.
The cultures centered around the Central Sea have had a long history of cultural contact, due shared access to the sea. The Eknoi and Rexans represent the two most significant Ionese cultures to develop in the Central Sea region; whereas, the Nar and the Khemites are examples of major Aeriscan civilizations that grew around the sea.
Geography
The Central Sea occupies a surface aera of approximately 900,000 square miles, with an average depth of 5,000 feet. Ione makes up the northern, northwestern, and eastern coasts of the sea, with Aerisca making up the southern and southwestern coasts. Altogether, the coastlines surrounding the sea measure almost 28,000 miles in length. The Strait of Rheus serves as the entrance that connects the Central Sea to the Okianos.
Fauna & Flora
The dry climate in concert with the salty ocean breeze ensures that only sclerophyllous flora thrive in the forests, scrublands, and grasslands of the Central Sea region. The seaweed that grows on the surface and under of the sea is an important part of the cuisine of many of the cultures of the region.
Within the Central Sea, there are a multitude of species of fish and other sea-life.
History
Recorded history of human habitation around the Central Sea region begins with the Fourth Age of Tel. Prior to that, there was a large westward migration of kazma clans from the mountains of Aeolia Minor to the more resource rich Kharadim Mountains of Aerisca Borealis. Additionally, there is evidence of an aquatic civilization that flourished on the sea basin during the prior age. as well.
After clashes with the Eknon Confederation and the City-State of Qadshat, the Rexan Empire held maritime hegemony over the Central Sea for centuries before its fall.
