The Great Ocean is the storm tossed sea which stretches from the western coasts of the Known Lands
out probably many thousands of miles perhaps to Paradise or to the Edge of the World as some believe. No races regularly sail the
Great Ocean in the North apart from the
Elves and the
Reavers.
The Elves sail the Great Ocean because somewhere out in the West are the Western Isles, sometimes
called Elvenhome, which are exclusively Elvish lands. Only the Elves know how to get to those Isles
although other races do stumble on them from time to time mostly because their boats have been driven
away from the coasts by sudden storms. The Elves will allow the boats of other races into their harbours
but will not allow their crews to set foot on their lands.
The Reavers use the Great Ocean to travel between the Grey Sea and the
Blue Sea. It is also rumoured, however, that they set out to explore the Ocean
looking for other lands. It is said that indeed they have found other ice-bound lands in the north where sometimes
they hunt the great white bears but these lands are even less habitable than their current toeholds on the coasts of the
Grey Sea. The Great Ocean is perilous to sail upon and many a Cambrian mariner who has set
out to explore it has never returned.
In the South all the nations that border the Great Ocean sail upon it for trade as the inland routes across desert
and through jungle are difficult. Ships tend to keep close to the coast, however, and none but the
Southern Elves dare sail across the open sea. The main hazard for shipping beside the many reefs are the Ulbarean pirates that prey upon merchant ships.
The pirates also slip up the coast to enter the
Blue Sea and cause havoc there.