[center][h2][b]Extended Lore[/b][/h2][/center][hr]
[center]MAP[/center]
[h3]The Sea of Omens[/h3][hr]
[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/8SUUhMdm.jpg[/img][/center]
[b]Geography[/b]
The Sea of Omens lies north and west of the Island of Veranth and stretches well beyond the Cyprot League and as far south as Saeth Mar. It is a cold sea, with terrible storms, and lurking horrors beneath the waves. Brave fishermen, on massive ships built in Veranth occasionally dare to sail in search of some beast-a whale or octopus (whose oil and ink is in demand, respectively), yet always in sight of the Veranthian or Cyprot coast. 

[b]Where Giants Drink[/b]
The liturgists of [b]Old Karolath[/b] describe the Sea thus:
 [color=silver][i]"I beheld a sea that stretched for days-no months-possibly all of my lifetime and the lives of my children-ever endless in to the cold north. The lands of Cyprot and Veranth faded from view, and all that lay on the horizon was a yawning charnel house of frosted waves, and the wary weight of the unknown. For forty days our captain guided the trio of vessels as best he could, using at his disposal the tools of his trade, occasionally consulting with the Holy Procession destined to Ask the Omens. We had with us a list of queries his Holiness wished us to ask once we arrived sufficiently deep enough in the waters where giants drink..."
 -Voyages, excerpt 1251 XXX XXX"[/i][/color]

In a rather unusual ritual, the Holy Procession, [i]one or two ships provided by nobles or merchants hoping to gain favor with the church[/i], will voyage almost directly into the Sea of Omens, which stretches beyond the knowledge of men, and for three days perform the rituals described in the old books in order to glean some knowledge or insight on troubles in the kingdoms. These rituals are performed on deck, by specially trained priests, the crew banished to quarters for the event. In the modern era, this has become to represent the archaic church-(think exorcism in Catholicism, at least how it is portrayed in movies, and also not that shunned). Rather "Asking the Omens" is a tool for the church to either get rid of undesirables or at the least remove them from court politics for a voyage that can last three seasons. It is believed that great beasts lay sleeping beneath the waves-these are the children of God, banished to the mortal realm for imperfection. Holy writ suggests these creatures may have divine knowledge to impart if the proper sacrifices are offered.

[b]Hurricanes[/b]
The frigid and terrible waters north and west of the island of Veranth are occasionally penetrated by the mild trade winds of the [b]Innish Sea[/b]. The combination of warm, semi-tropical winds in combination with the icy air of the north causes massive cyclone-like storms to form. For centuries hurricanes have been recorded in the histories of all of the Kingdoms that border the Innish Sea. Rarely do these hurricanes pass between the Republic of Veranth and the Cyprot League to the north. Those hurricanes find landfall in the form of many hundreds of minor islands, and loses strength. More often, to devastating economic and material effect, do these storms barrel into the main trading lanes south of Veranth, and just north of Saeth Mar. In this event, a whole trading season may be lost, as the great storms are slow, brutish things that swallow ships and men and all the goods they carry whole. Despite the shifting sands and heavy tides of the Saeth Mar coast, the shores are littered with wrecks of unfortunate ships. 

[center][indent][color=lightblue][i]Storms will disrupt trade during the Autumn Months. During this turn, income will decrease and property will be destroyed. Some Hurricanes are more devastating than others and may cause damage in more than one part of the world.[/i][/color][/indent][/center]

[h3]Cyprot Islands[/h3][hr]

Ancient Cypriot
In archaic times, the Cypriot archipelago was a single landmass. The Cypriots were masters of engineering, coliseums, bridges, aqueducts, temples, drydocks, harbors and many more architectural feats, the ruins

The main islands are home to a confederation of nation-states, sea-farers and traders by nature, with a long and lengthy history of exploration and mercantilism. Ruins of the precursor civilization are scattered across the islands, some only emerging from the shallows between the inner islands and the mainland, a crumbling colliseum, towering ramparts covered in barnacles and sea grass, the sea has washed over those dim pages of history and some historians suggest that the flooding may have caused the downfall of that power. 

Darker things reside on the many thousand isles as well. Sorcerery has played a part in 

[h3]Old Karolath[/h3][hr]

The gleaming cities of Karolath are darkened by the Inquisitors and Adjudicators of the Holy Church.
 
[h3]Saeth Merar[/h3][hr]
The semi-tropical coastline disguises the harsh and unrelenting shifting sands beyond. Saeth Merar means literally means [i]"land-sea"[/i]. 

[h3]Veranth[/h3][hr]

[h3]The Innish Sea[/h3][hr]

[center][hr][h2][b]Factions[/b][/h2][hr][/center]

[h3]The Republic of Veranth[/h3][hr]

[h3]The Holy League[/h3][hr]

[h3]The Twenty-Four Towers[/h3][hr]
Shipbuilding, Blacksmiths, Masons, Textiles, Distillers, Clothiers, etc. 

[h3]Pirates[/h3][hr]

[h3]Barbarians[/h3][hr]

[h3]The Sorcerers[/h3][hr]