Western Waterways

The Western Waterways are the waterways to the west of Mist Harbor. The area has no official maps, nor do any maps exist on Narost or XNarost. The rooms have no Lich numbers, and the only known map is the one below in External Links.

The area contains a lighthouse, a secluded cove, two looters' lairs, an altar to Charl, a rookery, and a number of coral reefs. It's ringed by sharp black rocks and cliffs known as Charl's Teeth.

It is possible to sail the Western Waterways by renting a paddle boat for 500 silvers from a lanky and freckled fisherman in Western Harbor, Pier One (Lich #17591). His name is Grimerson, and his father owns the Mist Harbor fishing shop.

Each paddle boat accepts only one rider. To sail from one room to another, you must PEDAL in the desired direction three times.

Landmarks

Charl's Altar

The altar is one west and five north of the room you enter when you sit down of the boat (Lich #17646, which is one square west of the one labeled "Dock").

[Western Waterway, Charl's Teeth]

One of the Teeth of Charl juts out just above the waterline, providing a shelf for an altar that rests upon it. All around the altar are hundreds of tiny carved ships and floral memorials, tributes to loved ones lost at sea. Obvious paths: northeast, east, south

look at shelf

Glistening obsidian with veins of charcoal provides a smooth and slick shelf for the makeshift altar that rests upon it. Many of the carved ships and floral memorials are decayed from weather and time, and their clinging presence is poignant.

look at altar

A huge trident crafted of blued steel is affixed to the top of the altar. Despite the constant assault of salt water and weather, the magnificent trident remains unrusted.

Secluded Cove

The Secluded Cove is one east of the altar.

[Western Waterway, Secluded Cove]

A brilliant white pavilion can be seen to the south, nestled against the equally white cliffs of the shore. The waves have washed in and out for eons, creating a pocket-sized sandy white beach at the bottom of the cliffs. Obvious paths: north, northeast, east, southeast, southwest, west

Lighthouse

The Lighthouse is one north, two northeast, and one east of the Secluded Cove.

[Western Waterway, Broken Harbor]

Due to the shallow depths of the water near the tall lighthouse, schools of tiny fish can be seen darting around against the white, sandy bottom. Clumps of kelp and sea urchins sway in the current as they cling to the dark rocks, seemingly waving to the fishes as they flit about. Obvious paths: north, northeast, southwest, west

look at lighthouse

Rising above the ragged cliff, its peak nearly enshrouded in the gentle island mists, the lighthouse is painted a bright white that stands out against the encroaching sea with startling contrast. Beyond its bulk can be seen the remains of an old pier and a small sand-dusted pathway that leads towards the distant town of Mist Harbor.

look at fish

The fish appears to be quite tiny, likely only a baby in terms of size. The scales of the fish resemble sheets of glass whose surfaces are swirled with a faint, subtle sheen of metallic blues, golds, crimsons and pale greens -- their hue barely visible to the eye. Two thin whiskers branch off from the sides of its mouth, their long, tapering length surpassing the fish's own tail. A large sail-like dorsal fin stretches along its back in a razor-like fashion.

Turtle Whirlpool

The turtle whirlpool is one northeast of the lighthouse.

[Western Waterway, Broken Harbor]

Swirling in a whirlpool next to the rocks, a large tree trunk has become a temporary haven to several turtles. The turtles seem placid enough despite the rapid spin, munching happily on seaweed caught in the trunk's crevices and limbs. Obvious paths: east, southeast, southwest, west

look at whirlpool

Tiny bits of algae-plumed foam floats upon the ripples and curves of the tiny whirlpool, its center displaying a tangle of seaweed encrusted with bits of coral and barnacles. Minute fish skeletons that are still whole despite the drastic pull of water rise briefly to the water's surface only to be sucked back under the rolling surface by the force of the current within the churning anomaly.

look at trunk

Bloated from the water and riddled with a crust of salt, the log has been completely stripped of its bark and bleached an off-white hue from its constant exposure to the elements. Tendrils of dark green, black, and yellowish seaweed cling to its ragged edges as it swirls within a tiny whirlpool that has enough force to keep it both in place and out of reach, but not enough force to draw anything larger than the limb to it.

look at turtle

You see nothing unusual.

Small Reef

The Small Reef is one southwest of the Lighthouse.

[Western Waterway, Broken Harbor]

Cliffs rise to towering heights in the east, creating a formidable barrier to the ocean's expanse. Fan corals and branching corals have established a small reef close to the shoreline, and foamy water washes over the living structure as it laps against the island. Obvious paths: north, northeast, southwest, west

look reef

Spindly branches stretch outward from the main body of the coral, their pale white ends fusing together to resemble the skeletal structure of a leaf. Tendrils of fragile polyps are extended into the dark blue water in search of the tiny particles they prefer as food, while their bases are imbedded deeply into distant seabed.

Seagull Rookery

The Rookery is one north, one northeast of the Secluded Cove and one west of the Small Reef.

[Western Waterway, Charl's Teeth]

In the nooks and crevices of a particularly high and craggy set of rocks rising proudly from the ocean's depths, seagulls have made a rookery. Their cawing is so loud as they circle the area or land to nest that even the sound of the waves crashing against the teeth-like sentinels is drowned out. Unfortunately, the scent of the sea is also subsumed in the ammoniac smell of guano. Obvious paths: northeast, east, south, southwest

look at rookery

Sea grass, straw, and dried palm fronds, each bleached the same beige hue, provide a comfortable blanket for the seagulls that are nestled into their cushioned confines. With heads tucked beneath their bills, the gulls within sleep and are oblivious to the piercing cries of their brethren, which circle overhead seeking food from the water depths.

look at guano

That's just gross.

Dark Caverns

The Dark Caverns are one west, five south and two southeast of the room one west of the Dock.

[Western Waterway, Dark Caverns]

Tumbling over each other in their eagerness to expend their energy on the shore, waves pound at a small beach they have created at the foot of the cliffs over millennia. A couple of dark openings near the base of the cliff at the beach's end contrast sharply with the white surrounding them. Obvious paths: southwest, west, northwest

Powerful Whirlpool

The Powerful Whirlpool is one west of the northernmost Hidden Cave.

[Western Waterway]

Foamy outbursts of white cap rough water that varies in hue from deep teal to midnight blue as a powerful whirlpool is forced upwards from the depths. The vortex speeds up and slows down at random, but never loses entirely its dizzying energy. Spinning and swirling in a clockwise direction determined by its own internal makeup, the strong eddy batters against any object with which it comes in close contact. Obvious paths: north, east, south, southwest, west, northwest

look at whirlpool

Spinning with strong internal energy, the waters of the whirlpool react to pressures from the deep, where some hidden pocket of oxygen or other gases provides the fuel for its ceaseless spiraling suction.

Northern Hidden Caves

The Northern Hidden Caves are one southwest and one southeast of the Dark Caverns.

[Western Waterway, Hidden Caves]

Jagged rocks about waist-high to a giantman part in a narrow cleft that shields entry into the interior of a rugged cave. Tide-swept jetties of white water wash into the rocky opening, the fast-moving remnants of a whirlpool to the west. The surrounding sea is rough and dark, almost midnight blue in coloration, with a pronounced easterly current that slaps against the cave-side rocks with steady regularity and uncompromising rhythm. Obvious paths: east, southwest, west, northwest

look at rocks

Appearing almost as if sliced by some razor-sharp axe, the rocks display naturally cleaved edges that present an uncompromising barrier. The silicate composition of these sedimentary rocks covers a range of hues from pale grey to deep black.

look at jetties

Foamy from the constant churn of the nearby whirlpool and the action of both current and tide, the jetties spin and slosh and splash unceasingly against the stones and into the small opening crevice leading into the cave.

Looter's Lair (I)

It's one east of the Northern Hidden Caves (the one with the jetties).

[Looter's Lair, Approach]

Jagged rocks form the opening to the west, which leads through rushing, white-capped waters towards the open waterway, while to the east the cavern widens into a circular cove with a ceiling of glittering limestone. A wide rough wooden dock, ringed by boats, offers a safe anchor for visiting vessels. You also see a bunch of small fishing boats arranged in neat rows alongside a dock. Obvious exits: none

Neither the dock nor the boats are unusual in appearance.

go dock

[Looter's Lair, Landing]

Rough and irregular, the walls of the cavern are slightly slick and speckled with strange glittering stones. Torches, which are set within wide iron rings, are set at even intervals down the length to provide ample illumination for those entering and exiting the docks. Warm heat trickles into the narrow space from somewhere to the northeast. Obvious exits: northeast

[Looter's Lair, Cache]

Warm and dry, the round cave has a narrow corridor leading to the southwest, where the gentle sound of lapping waves can be heard. Bright and cheery, a large bonfire in the center of the chamber keeps the dampness of the salty sea air at bay. Several crates, trunks, and casks are lined against one wall, their lids tightly sealed to ensure the safety and preservation of their contents. Obvious exits: southwest

look at bonfire

The bonfire is burning furiously. Flames leap and flare, sparks snap and fly, and thick smoke curls away into the air.

Jagged Shoreline

The Jagged Shoreline is one southwest of the Northern Hidden Caves.

[Western Waterway]

Water the brilliant blue of sapphires strikes the rock-laced island shore to the east even as it spirals foam-tinged toward a spinning whirlpool to the north. The jagged shoreline holds all the safety of broken glass as the battering current crashes against it noisily, the sound itself serving as a cautionary warning to all but the most foolhardy. Obvious paths: north, northeast, south, southwest, northwest

look at shoreline

All hard angles and sharp cuts, as if oblivious to the wearing pressure of the sea, silicate rocks edge the shoreline in an irregular pattern.

Obsidian Cliffs

The Obsidian Cliffs are one southwest of the Jagged Shoreline.

[Western Waterway, Charl's Teeth]

The monstrous black obsidian cliffs to the west all but obscure the sky. Seabirds circle the enormous heights, occasionally settling along the ragged edges of the stones. Blue-green water splashes and sloshes below, never at rest, never at peace, its sound as insistent as the mournful cries of the aerial creatures that sail and glide overhead. Obvious paths: north, northeast, southeast, south, northwest

look at cliffs

Charl's Teeth are bared menacingly against the landscape of sea and sky. Taller than the height of ten giantmen standing on each others' shoulders, the black obsidian rock of the cliffs glistens with water that flows almost as saliva does around the fangs of an enraged animal. This is no smile of which the Arkati of the Seas grants mortals a startling glimpse. Rather it is a snarl, dangerous and inflexible, and promising only viciousness if an attack should come.

Coral Reef

The Coral Reef is one south of the Obsidian Cliffs.

[Western Waterway, Charl's Teeth]

Saltwater-laden breezes stir the surface of the sea, battling with the easterly current for control of the foamy crest forming in front of the volcanic peaks of Charl's Teeth. Beneath the pristine surface of the waves, a coral reef pokes up like an orange-pink jungle from the ocean floor. Clearly visible beneath the remarkably transparent water, the vibrant forest-like cluster of living organisms teams with a generous population of many types of sea creatures. Obvious paths: north, northeast, east, south, southwest

look at reef

Ascending in a mounded tangle from the ocean floor, the bank reef is dense but uneven in height. Some areas rise almost above breakwater, while others cling tenaciously but a few spare inches from the sea bottom.

Dying Reef

The Dying Reef is one east of the Coral Reef.

[Western Waterway]

An underlying coral reef pokes up majestically through the clear green-blue water, its sheer size and scope providing unquestioned evidence of the danger of the sea here. The coral is spiny and sharp, displaying its enormous height at various points as the slap of waves sporadically reveals some of its highest peaks from watery hiding. Obvious paths: north, east, southeast, southwest, west, northwest

look coral reef

Transcending the waves at various points, the orange-pink of the coral fades to the white of death at some of the uppermost tips of the cluster.

Short Reef

The Short Reef is one east of the Dying Reef.

[Western Waterway]

The shoreward side of the coral reef tends toward shorter stature, but equal density. The result is a variable fence of rough hardness that closes in upon the beach, making any attempt to maneuver a vessel toward the shore a life-threatening undertaking. Obvious paths: south, west, northwest

look at reef

Thick and tangled, the coral clusters to no more than a halfling-length from the shore. Its diminished height does nothing to lessen the peril it poses sea-going vessels seeking the coastline.

Southern Hidden Caves and Coral Reef

The Southern Hidden Caves are one southwest, one south of the Northern Hidden Caves and one south of the Short Reef.

[Western Waterway, Hidden Caves]

Though it levels sharply downward toward the shoreline, the opposite side of the coral reef rises unchallenged to an unexpected height and density. Towering thick and solid above the roughened teal waters, the reef condenses on the ocean-ward western side into a veritable cave of spiny organisms. A small parting of that impenetrable bulk, just large enough to accommodate the frame of a small boat, holds the promise of calmer depths within the cocoon of the reef's embrace. Obvious paths: north, southeast, northwest

look at reef

Perhaps clinging to the outward form of a rocky grotto, the reef mountains into a hulking presence. Hidden within the thick recesses of the forest of living organisms, a parted opening provides visible evidence of an enclosed interior.

Looter's Lair (II)

It's two southeast of the Southern Hidden Caves and Coral Reef.

[Looter's Lair, Docks]

Built against the northern wall of the cavern is a sturdy dock crafted of thick, heavy timbers, which are covered with slick algae and tangled knots of seaweed. Several boats are tied to the edge of the dock, while a long rough wooden ladder rises upon to its main platform. Narrowing perceptively, the thin channel of water that leads further into the cave is blocked with large boulders, making passage via boat impossible. Obvious exits: none

look at boats

You see nothing unusual.

look at dock

Standing upon long stilts of rough wood, the dock rises out of the water and leans against the distant edge of the rough cave wall. A long ladder attached to its side stretches from the smooth planks above to the water below.

("Look at ladder" is almost exactly the same.)

climb ladder

[Looter's Lair, Depths]

Conical stalactites dimly glow with a faint greenish hue and have a sheen of water covering their rough surfaces. Almost musical, the sound of the water dripping from the large rock formations echoes through the space. Large and small puddles pock-mark the floor of the cave, whose southeastern edge drops off suddenly into a thin channel of water far below. You also see a long rough wooden ladder. Obvious exits: northeast

look at stalactites

Dropping from the ceiling, the massive limestone piece glitters with mineral sediments. Water cascades over its surface and falls to the puddle directly beneath it, the sound soft and reminiscent of chimes.

go northeast

[Looter's Lair, Cache]

Torches fitted into iron brackets illuminate the cavern in a semi-circular pattern that reflects off of the dripping walls and moist ground. Placed upon a raised platform is a series of oilcloth-wrapped rough wooden crates and several copper-banded rough wooden casks. Distantly, the sound of dripping water creates an almost musical backdrop that is occasionally drowned out by the distant sound of crashing waves.

Obvious exits: southwest

The crates and casks are not unusual in appearance, nor can they be opened.

External Links

'http://forum.gsplayers.com/showpost.php?p=997192&postcount=1