A large bay on the northern edge of the Wanderlands, bounded by the Donclik Peninsula to the east and the mainland coast to the west. The waters are cursed—anything living that spends too long in contact with them becomes drawn to drown.
Geography
Donclik Sound opens to the South Sea in the north, with the mountainous islands of Serisa's Palace marking the boundary. The sound is relatively shallow compared to the open ocean, with depths rarely exceeding a hundred feet except in a few trenches near the islands. Grendel Inlet branches south from the sound's eastern edge, cutting between the peninsula and the mainland.
The western shore is dominated by the Eshire Moors—rolling, boggy terrain that offers no good harbors. The eastern shore belongs to the Donclik Peninsula, equally inhospitable. The only notable feature is the entrance to the Troughs on the peninsula's western edge, where tidal gorges cut into the rock.
The Cursed Waters
The waters of Donclik Sound carry Donclik's Curse. Three centuries ago, a dying kraken-matriarch poured her essence into the sound as a final act of vengeance against the humans who had betrayed her. That essence never dissipated.
Drinking the water accelerates the curse's effects. Eating fish from the sound does the same. Even breathing the salt spray for extended periods will mark you. Sailors who must cross the sound do so quickly, with sealed water supplies, eating only preserved food brought from elsewhere.
The fish themselves are affected—they're drawn to the deeper waters near Serisa's Palace, congregating in vast schools around the flooded ruins. Fishermen who've seen them describe the fish as "waiting for something."
What It Looks Like
Gray water under gray sky. The sound is rarely calm—wind funnels between the peninsula and the mainland, kicking up choppy waves even on clear days. The water itself looks normal, if a bit darker than the open ocean. There's no obvious sign of the curse, no supernatural glow or unnatural color. It just looks like water.
That's what makes it dangerous. People forget.
The islands to the north are visible on clear days: dark shapes on the horizon, crowned with the broken towers of Serisa's Palace. Seabirds wheel above them constantly. Nothing else lives there anymore.
For Adventurers
Donclik Sound offers:
- A barrier that must be crossed quickly or not at all
- The entrance to the Troughs and Serisa's Palace
- Cursed waters that can accelerate or trigger Donclik's Curse
- Salvage opportunities for those willing to risk diving in cursed water