Chaska Sea

Ah, the Chaska, the Bronze Sea. The net we weave through our crossings brings all goods things from every shore.

—Excerpt from the writings of Ersas merchant Inanessa of Thira

The Chaska Sea (pronounced CHOSS-kah), also known as the Bronze Sea, is a major body of water around which a number of prosperous nations have grown. Trade routes cross the Chaska, carrying people and goods across the water.

Inhabitants

Northern coast

Many nations of Hellea share the Chaskan coast, including Eretrebus, the Halakran League, Alyma, and the Ersas city-states. In Thadria, Viridia controls most of the coastline. These landmasses are home to the majority of those that live near the Chaskan shores.

Eastern coast

Roughly half of the eastern coast of the Chaska lies within Dalbanu. The rest is controlled by either Tamkaranu or one of the many independent city-states in the region.

Southern coast

The southern coast of the Chaska is far less populated than the northern or eastern coasts, with the notable exception of Khapesh. The Akrotirian Isles have long been populated but remain of generally little interest to much of the world.

Numerous small towns and cities account for most of the rest of the population of the southern Chaska. This political situation has not only provided an ideal environment for Tirionite colonization to expand into, but has also allowed certain individuals or organizations to claim land for themselves. Notably, Esarhaddon has claimed personal ownership over a region he calls Arda-Mulissu, and the mercenary company of Nabopolassar's Host currently occupies a number of formerly abandoned forts around the Bay of Ammit.

Western coast

The Western Coast of the Chaska Sea is a land of independent and highly varied towns and cities. New nations rise and fall regularly here.

The modern Tamkaranu colonies of Ellu, Ashnan, and Kashadum are all on the western coastline of the Chaska as well, as is the former colony of Korymbos.

Within the sea

A number of underwater cities lie under the waves of the Chaska Sea, mostly inhabited by merfolk, azarketis, sahuagin, and tritons. These communities are often highly wary of outsiders, especially surface dwellers, sometimes to the point of outright xenophobia. Nonetheless, some underwater cities remain open and accessible to visitors, though they are usually primarily designed and built for aquatic peoples. Some of the largest of these cities include Voltumari, Belicadis, Osilora, Tritorei, Catarei, and Poseirius.

Geography

The Chaska Sea and its surrounding lands vary widely in geography and climate. The sea remains generally stable, with few major storms forming in its waters or blowing in from the western ocean. The southern coast of the sea is warmer and drier than the northern coast, especially in areas where the Sangora Desolation stretches closer to the water's edge.

In the west, the Chaska Sea flows into the Sea of Khoros and from these into the Invelaust Ocean. Between Hellea and Thadria, the Sea of Ersas connects the Chaska with the Phiora Sea to the north. An artificial canal at Avaris connects the Chaska to the Kilche Sea to the south.

Though not as common in the Chaska as in Kilche or some other major bodies of water, some coral reefs have grown within the sea. Primarily limited to around the waters around the Akrotirian Isles, many underwater settlements have formed around these reefs.

Trade

The trade routes of the Chaska are of high importance to many peoples living around the sea. Mercantile traffic between Khapesh, Tamkaranu, and Dalbanu has been highly active for millennia, as the numerous sunken wrecks in the eastern Chaska can attest. Trade conducted by way of the sea has made some nations around the Chaska quite wealthy, notably including Tamkaranu and Eretrebus. Since the resurgence of Tamkaranu colonization, traffic from the eastern Chaskan metropole to the southern coast has increased greatly.