Waves of Chaos

It's already too late to run when you see one. Just get in your knees and pray, for that's all you have left to do.

— Father Rodrigo Viemont

The Waves of Chaos are rare phenomena, but their impact on the surrounding area is always extremely severe. Giant waves, some reaching dozens of meters in height, sweep everything in their way. Often, especially big Waves can even flood and submerge an entire island, which would only resurface when the Wave has passed. Of course, not all of them are so major — there were plenty of waves that were only a few metres high yet are considered to be a part of this phenomenon.
But water is not the only thing that the Waves bring. Just as the Gracious Wind sweeps everything clean of its magic, at least to some degree, a Wave of Chaos bring magic back to the areas it goes through. It brings many monsters as well. All that results in great chaos among the people when they see an unusually large wave coming towards them. This effect, as well as the fact that Chaos is the mythological deity believed to have given the world its magic, have given the phenomenon its name.

Localization

The Waves of Chaos are known to occur both in the New World and the Old World. They form mainly in the open ocean, away from the shores and on a considerable depth. Perhaps due to that fact, most of the especially large Waves were observed in the New World, which consists of countless islands while the Old World enjoys the safety of the continent.

Origins

The popular theory says that the Waves of Chaos are caused by some giant creature sleeping at the bottom of the ocean. Many argue that, most likely, it is the Chaos himself that lies underwater. And when that being slightly moving his body or inhales, the Waves are born. In fact, some people sometimes call the phenomenon the "Breath of Chaos" instead, as in the literal breath of Chaos. Others argue that there are two different types of Waves, the ones caused by movement and going in one direction with great force, and the others caused by the being's breath that are weak and go in all directions.

Type

Metaphysical, Supernatural

Controversy

One of the main points of controversy among scholars is the localisation of the known Waves of Chaos. After all, there are records of them occurring in all of the known lands, including the coastal regions of the Old World. That certainly cannot be explained by just the being's breath alone, and even if the Waves were caused by its movements — just what size would that thing have to be?! Thus, it is highly unlikely that the Waves of Chaos are caused by a singular being, and there are likely more of them — unless the being in question is indeed Chaos himself.

The days of religion dictating our knowledge are no more! Today, ladies and gentlemen, is the age of science!

The other issue is a more modern one. With much research done in the field of geology, professor Marco Bolduwick has put forward a theory that the Waves of Chaos are more of a natural event than supernatural one, caused by the underwater earthquakes — essentially, tsunami. His theory also explains where the magic comes from. First, earthquakes cause the water to start moving. Then, magic beings that are normally hiding within the depths of the ocean are brought up to the surface along with water. As a result, the magic that exists in those being is released in the world around them.