The Roil (Roy-oil)

Summary

The so-called 'Roil' is a kind of sea that surrounds the entirety of Zahmal, within the confines of the large circular barrier mountains but before the continent itself. Waters from Vastia flood in through the broken barrier mountains, colliding with the strange metallic composition of Zahmal's shorelines. The natural abundance of energy within Zahmal, particularly this border region, causes a lot of reactions with the water.   The end result is an endless churn of boiling hot liquids and freezing cold ones, intermixing with noxious chemical gases and chaotic mana. These conditions make it some of the harshest waters on all Veltrona to navigate, and the unpredictability of its temper is especially insidious. In many respects, the Roil forms the major line of defense to Zahmal proper. Without a good deal of preparation, most who would make the journey by sea are often stymied by the Roil. Those who dare brave it often lose their lives, crushed to smithereens as their capsized vessels sink into the jagged sea floor beneath.   Aerial travel is by far the safest, but that too has a range of dangers. Low-altitudes have to contend with the Roil's gaseous offshoots and high-temperature steam clouds. The frequent divine tempests from around Vastia create generally destructive barriers that even dragonkind finds difficult to surmount. Thus, much like the waters below, finding the right timing and preparedness to pierce through to Zahmal is a challenge.   In many respects the Roil shares a lot of behavior with Chompy Waters, but unlike the latter, lacks any similar volcanic activity. It's not very clear why the Roil works the way it does, but it's clear some combination of powerful elements is at work. Very few types of aquatic specimens willfully live in such conditions, and the ones that do are most deservedly quite exotic. Some aren't even seen anywhere else on Veltrona, bearing the same alien distinctiveness as other fauna on Zahmal proper.