The Sleepless Sea

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BTIsaac
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The Sleepless Sea

Post by BTIsaac »

So I've just noticed this while looking at the new and old maps in wake of the recent discussions surrounding the Dunefolk, and trying to match them with the plot of Soldier of Wesnoth, one of Revansurik's campaigns, in which the Dunefolk play an important role. This is what I noticed: The story is incompatible with the new map, but works with the old, where it's possible to travel southeast of the Black Forest (Heart Wood on the old map), and reach the Sandy Wastes that way, with the Mountains of Peril north of the path, which is impossible on the new map because the Sleepless Sea is in the way.

This gave me an interesting idea. Is it possible to write around this, so there's no story conflict? So, what if a large portion of the Sleepless Sea periodically receeds for several decades and the seafloor is exposed, along with the ruins there. SInce people don't usually cross the Black River, and the coastline west of Kerlath is not exactly a good place for a port (the angry elves wouldn't like it), there's no real reason for ships to said down south, so people simply don't notice or care.

Thoughts?
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Lord-Knightmare
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Re: The Sleepless Sea

Post by Lord-Knightmare »

His campaign is an UMC...So, non-canon. A lot of UMC take place in various versions of the Great Continent...and it's rather difficult to keep up with all the versions. The first design of the Great Continent was designed based on the collaboration of various UMC authors and their descriptions of their campaign's geographical settings. The new one that is being designed is sorta "canon"...so, won't be adjustable to any of them (maybe a few of them, because all my campaigns don't even fit into the new landmass).
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BTIsaac
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Re: The Sleepless Sea

Post by BTIsaac »

Well obviously. Doesn't mean people can't speculate.
Can-ned_Food
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Re: The Sleepless Sea

Post by Can-ned_Food »

Why is it called “sleepless”? Maybe because it dries periodically?

Doing this yearly could be easy enough: its sources of water are seasonal, and when they are dry, it evaporates.
Doing this less frequently would be more interesting, but also more difficult to make it consistent with geologic and meteorologic events.

It would probably be very salty, but you can figure that if you like. Maybe ask on Worldbuilding SE.

Not much writing involved with my suggestion, though.
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BTIsaac
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Re: The Sleepless Sea

Post by BTIsaac »

Can-ned_Food wrote: August 28th, 2018, 5:32 pm Doing this yearly could be easy enough: its sources of water are seasonal, and when they are dry, it evaporates.
Doing this less frequently would be more interesting, but also more difficult to make it consistent with geologic and meteorologic events.
I don't think an explanation is all that necessary. Longer periods would make more sense, considering how in the UMC Soldier of Wesnoth, the ruins of Oreyand and the first encounter with the Dunefolk is supposed to be right there, and it's an idea I'd like to build on. Knowing the Dunefolk, they would be interested in figuring out what causes the phenomenon and it would explain what they were doing in the area, when it's supposed to be a seafloor. Part of the premise of the story i had in mind involves Ras'Tabahn and his disciples crossing there and establishing their own empire near the Dunefolk's lands, thus explaining why they are hostile towards anyone who comes through the area from the north-west.
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Eagle_11
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Re: The Sleepless Sea

Post by Eagle_11 »

I would have simply thought of as the sea never calms, its shores being always tidey and its waters turbulent. That may have explain why the Dunefolk never bothered to develop their sea tech and focused on building land armies instead.
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Re: The Sleepless Sea

Post by Can-ned_Food »

Maybe that restlessness is somehow tied in with whatever causes it to drain.

Whatever they discover, it is fascinating.
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BTIsaac
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Re: The Sleepless Sea

Post by BTIsaac »

Eagle_11 wrote: August 28th, 2018, 8:08 pm I would have simply thought of as the sea never calms, its shores being always tidey and its waters turbulent. That may have explain why the Dunefolk never bothered to develop their sea tech and focused on building land armies instead.
Yeah, but that doesn't really work with the story i had in mind.
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zookeeper
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Re: The Sleepless Sea

Post by zookeeper »

BTIsaac wrote: March 27th, 2018, 9:11 am This gave me an interesting idea. Is it possible to write around this, so there's no story conflict? So, what if a large portion of the Sleepless Sea periodically receeds for several decades and the seafloor is exposed, along with the ruins there.
I don't see why not, besides possible objections someone might have on grounds of science and realism. For all we know, the area might be unusually geothermally active too, if that helps.
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chol
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Re: The Sleepless Sea

Post by chol »

#1 The Sleepless Sea is part of the coast line, it's a gulf.
If it falls dry <for decades> because of what? Because of climate change (cold period)? But that would involve 10s to 100s of thousands of years. And the ocean connecting Wesnoth's shores with the Green Isle would also reveal land bridges on former ocean floor, not? Not to mention ice masses crawling down from the north..

#2 The maps in TSG which features a geography south of the Black River are only somewhat inconsistent: they are set inside the Black Forest and the South Wood. The map 06_The_long_march features an elvish settlement south of the Black River, it maybe an attempt of colonization from the South Wood by elvish settlers in 607/608 YW.

#2.1 In regard to the Sleepless Sea: It is not visible in the maps of TSG because it is located farther down south, so no need for an alternative nor conflict to solve: :
BTIsaac wrote: March 27th, 2018, 9:11 am (..) write around this, so there's no story conflict? So, what if a large portion of the Sleepless Sea periodically receeds for several decades and the seafloor is exposed, along with the ruins there.
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BTIsaac
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Re: The Sleepless Sea

Post by BTIsaac »

chol wrote: October 15th, 2018, 1:03 pm#2.1 In regard to the Sleepless Sea: It is not visible in the maps of TSG because it is located farther down south, so no need for an alternative nor conflict to solve
I'd like to think so, but unless this map draft gets changed, that's no longer the case.
Read12
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Re: The Sleepless Sea

Post by Read12 »

Agreed...Actually it doesn't work
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