Gauzo Channel

The Gauzo Channel is the stretch of water between the islands of Gauzo and Maleth, and contains the island of Ephaestia. It is known by some as the 'Hungry Channel', since it has a strong and unnatural current that runs through from east to west that has been known to pull in boats that come to close to the western opening. Once in the channel, there are a number of hazards for ships - monsters lurk in the water and along the shores of the islands, and there are unmapped rocks that can shatter a ship's hull if struck. However, for those who do manage to pass all the way through it has an odd effect. Instead of emerging on the far side of Gauzo and Maleth, ships that pass through the channel from east to west find themselves on the far side of the Great Ring, between the Seom Islands and the Daemado Islands. This is by far the quickest way to cover the distance between east and west, and there are always a few merchants and daredevils who are willing to risk it all for glory or profit.

Geography

The channel measures a little less than four and half miles in length, and ranges between two and four miles wide over that distance. The largest object in the channel is the island of Ephaestia, but there are a number of other rocks and islets that a ship must navigate around as well. The current in the channel is the fastest known in the Great Ring, and has been measured at nearly five knots at the entrance.

Ecosystem

The ecosystem of the channel is dominated by several large monsters that live there. Reports of their exact appearance are unreliable, as nobody who has gotten a close look has ever returned to give a good report. One of the monsters is said to linger beneath the surface and draw down huge gulps of water, pulling in anything on the surface with it, including ships. Another is reportedly some kind of gigantic nautilus that lives within the sea caves, and the will snag anything that comes too close with its tentacles.

Type

Strait

Location under

Rasrathnii Islands

Geographic Details

Location: Southeastern Region
Latitude: 29.86 degrees North
Longitude: 32.85 degrees East
Length: 4.3 miles
Maximum Width: 4.2 miles
Maximum Depth: 85 ft
Area: 10.6 sq mi