Body of Water, in Places
Soual Ocean
Also known as The Southern Ocean · The Southern Sea
The Soual Ocean is the body of open water lying to the south and southeast of Canaan, forming the continent's southern and southeastern maritime boundary. It is one of the two major oceans that border Canaan — the other being the Joale Ocean to the northwest — and is notably colder in character than the northern ocean, being influenced by currents from further south whose origin is uncharted. The Soual Ocean contains the Islands of Spelora, an archipelago in the far south that constitutes the southernmost known territory on any available Canaanese map.
The ocean is associated with longer-range and more hazardous navigation than the enclosed waters of Arakcadia Bay or the coastal margins of the Joale Ocean, and its more southerly latitude contributes to the cooler and more exposed climate of the territories it borders, particularly the Islands of Spelora, the Destitute Lands coastline, and the southern reaches of the Veurim Empire.
Geography
Position and extent
The Soual Ocean extends southward and southeastward from Canaan's southern coast. Its northern boundary is defined by the coastline of the Veurim Empire and the southeastern reaches of the Destitute Lands. The eastern and western boundaries of the ocean, and its full extent southward, are not charted. The Islands of Spelora mark the southernmost known point in the ocean at the limit of available cartography.
The ocean separates the mainland of Canaan from any further landmass to the south, if such a landmass exists. No confirmed land beyond the Islands of Spelora has been documented by Canaanese sources.
Islands of Spelora
The Islands of Spelora are an archipelago in the far southern Soual Ocean, consisting of four major islands of varying character — from barren and desolate in the north to cold pine-forested in the south — along with several smaller islets. They are the only significant island group in the Soual Ocean documented by Canaanese cartography, and their distance from the mainland contributes to their unaffiliated political status. The western island, home to the settlement of Salvajes, is the most accessible and hospitable; the eastern island hosts the settlement of Lisallai, a pirate base that extends criminal maritime activity northward into the sea routes around the Destitute Lands.
The southern island of the archipelago experiences the coldest conditions of the four, its pine forest character reflecting its greater exposure to ocean currents from further south.
Climate and weather
Cold currents
The Soual Ocean is characterised by cold ocean currents running from the south, which keep the water temperature significantly lower than the Joale Ocean. These cold currents influence the climate of all territories on the ocean's northern shore: the southern Veurim Empire, the southeastern Destitute Lands, and especially the Islands of Spelora, which sit directly in their path. The cold currents contribute to more maritime, variable weather conditions in the southern territories compared to the enclosed and continental climate patterns of the Mediata Savannah inland.
Storm activity
The Qxi Librąven global storm originates over open ocean. The storm's first landfall on Canaanese territory is at Droshdech in the west, not the southern coast, so the Soual Ocean's direct relationship with the Qxi Librąven is indirect at most in terms of landfall impact.
Navigation and trade
The Soual Ocean is navigated primarily by maritime traders operating between Canaan's southern ports, the Islands of Spelora, and any routes that pass along the southeastern coast near the Destitute Lands. Navigation in the ocean requires knowledge of its long-swell conditions and cold currents, which are meaningfully different from the calmer conditions of Arakcadia Bay.
Pirate activity from the Islands of Spelora' eastern island base extends northward into the southern Soual Ocean, threatening trade routes and coastal communities in the Destitute Lands region. This criminal maritime presence is one of the most practically significant features of the ocean from the perspective of merchants and authorities in southern Canaan.
The Veurim Empire's southern coast provides the most organised ports facing the Soual Ocean on the mainland side, though their accessibility to outside traffic is shaped by the Empire's political character.