Stillborn Sea

The Stillborn sea is a warm, intracontinental body of water in Manewala. Situated in the middle regions of the continent, it lies north of Hulaya, norteast from Hadašham. Being frost-free and quite mild year-round, it serves as a major channel of trade between north and south, alongside facilating communications between the east and the west in the near-tropical regions of the continent. Some sailors argue that it has an exit to the world ocean somewhere in the northwest, but this rumor remains unconfirmed.

According to local tradition, the godess of the Earth was pregnant for the first time from the god of the sky, and happier than ever before. She adorned her home with stars, both small and large. However she slipped on the Moon, fell and hurted herself. In excruciating pain, the birth has started, but her child was dead, despite the best efforts. This realised the godess laid on her back, put the small, lifeless body on her breasts and started crying. The tears turned into water and filled up everything around her, while she slowly died of sorrow, and turned into dust. The little one suffered a similar fate, but being a boy, he became water on the belly of her mother.

Much of the southern reaches is controlled by Hulaya, along minor chiefdoms sharing the same culture. Hadašham has kept a traditionally non-interventionalist policy towards the region, leaving its ally to deal with ongoing challenges as it sees fit. Širaban has fought several series of wars to gain acces to the lucrative trade of the sea, ultimately without success. The western seaboard is under Šalmaramite rule, while the densely forested east and north are largely undiscovered by Hadašham. It is rumored that the lands keep great riches, but this is also unconfirmed.

Wildlife is abundant in the sea with fishes, marine birds, shellfishes, crabs, marine mammals. Whales are rarely seen, islands are confined to the coastal areas, large archipelagos are unknown. Typical vessel of the region is the sailed galley. Because of elusive winds, a sailing ship can remain stuck at open sea. To avoid such a case, sets or oarsmen are kept in reserve should the need arise.