Elysium Sea

The Elysium Sea stretches between Tamoanchan and Lemuria, scattered with small islands and shared by three races and four ethnic groups: the dark-skinned human Manuans, a strong power here; tall, green-skinned Tritons of the shallows; and two kinds of dwarves, one dark and of middling height, the other tall and fair. A few other peoples live here in small numbers.

Three hundred years ago the only real divide was between sea folk and island folk, each island standing alone with little contact. Then Manua's warrior tribes grew strong, and and many islands formed loose leagues to resist them. Today the fierce "nations" of these waters are Manua, Ogata, Tora, Elysium and Munark, alongside roving sea-nomad tribes.

Favorable winds and currents give the region a near-ideal climate. The sea and most islands overflow with tropical plants, and birds, insects, amphibians and reptiles abound, though mammals are few and a handful of great dinosaurs linger on some larger islands. Tools, utensils and weapons are mostly shell, bamboo and stone; gold, silver and copper, the only metals worked, serve just for jewelry and decoration, and the few metal items traded in from Jambu and Tamoanchan end up with chiefs and heroes. With leather scarce, lasting goods use reptile or shark hide, sometimes human skin. Bows mark a veteran, since bowstrings are traditionally made from the tendons of slain enemies, and common arms are shark-tooth clubs, conch shells worn as cesti and barbed spears. Nearly every tribe lives from the sea; only Salawati's people rely more on the land.