A cursed expanse of water in the southern Western Isles, infested with sharks so numerous, so aggressive, and so large that they make normal navigation nearly impossible. Ships avoid these waters entirely—unless they're desperate, foolish, or bound for Teku.
Geography
The Sea of Sharks occupies the southern central Western Isles:
- North: The Shattered Sea and Istokos
- East: Distant Mueras and the Rimihuica coast
- South: The Islands of Gold
- West: The Ember Isles
The sea is roughly 200 miles across at its widest point, dotted with uninhabited islands that no one has successfully colonized.
The Sharks
The sharks of this sea are wrong. Too numerous. Too aggressive. Too large.
Behavior: Normal sharks avoid ships. These sharks attack them. They circle vessels, ram hulls, and have been documented chewing through wooden planking to reach the crews inside.
Size: Sharks near the edges are merely dangerous—eight to twelve feet long. As you approach the center of the sea, they grow larger. The biggest specimens reported exceed forty feet, though survivors' accounts may be exaggerated.
Numbers: The sharks are everywhere. Drop a fishing line and you'll catch one. Fall overboard and you'll be dead before rescue arrives.
Why?
No one knows why the Sea of Sharks is this way. Theories include:
Magical Contamination: Some ancient magical event poisoned the waters, driving the sharks to unnatural aggression
Breeding Isolation: The shark population has been isolated for millennia, evolving without normal predation or competition
Something in the Deep: The sharks are responding to something beneath the surface—feeding it, serving it, or fleeing from it toward the surface
The Islands of Gold: The Seafloor Giants to the south may somehow affect shark behavior in these waters
The truth remains unknown. Scholars who might study the phenomenon tend to get eaten.
Navigation
Most sailors have one rule for the Sea of Sharks: don't enter it.
Alternative Routes: Ships traveling between the Shattered Sea and southern destinations take longer routes around the Sea of Sharks. This adds days to voyages but avoids certain death.
The Desperate: Some captains risk the crossing anyway—smugglers, those fleeing pursuit, or ships already too damaged to reach safer ports. Many become shark food.
The Teku Route: Ships bound for Teku or the Islands of Gold must cross. They travel in convoys, post lookouts, and prepare for attacks. Casualties are expected.
The Islands
Scattered through the Sea of Sharks are numerous small islands—volcanic rocks, sandy spits, and the occasional substantial landmass. All are uninhabited.
Previous colonization attempts have failed. Ships carrying supplies and settlers were attacked; survivors who reached the islands couldn't be resupplied. The islands remain empty except for seabirds and the occasional castaway who doesn't last long.
Notable Features:
- Bonefish Reef: A shallow area where shark-stripped skeletons of whales and ships accumulate
- The Circle: A ring of islands around unnaturally calm water—sailors avoid it, believing something waits there
- Wreck Beach: An island where currents deposit debris from destroyed ships. Occasionally salvageable.
What Brings People Here
Almost nothing justifies entering the Sea of Sharks. Those who do have reasons:
- Teku: The city-state at the sea's heart is the only civilization here
- Islands of Gold: Treasure hunters heading south must cross the sharks
- Smuggling: Pursuit stops at the sea's edge; some criminals risk the sharks rather than face capture
- Research: Extremely brave (or foolish) scholars studying shark behavior, the sea's magical properties, or whatever lies beneath
- Desperation: Ships with no other options