Shimmering Coasts
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The Shimmering Coasts territory is bordered by the Central Fire to the west, the Wild Northeast to the north, the Great Lowlands to the east, and the Splinter Sea to the south. It derives its etymology from the bioluminescent algae indigenous to its coastal area.
The Fenmoor Basin is an extensive dendritic drainage basin that comprises the whole of the Shimmering Coasts. It is a relatively flat expanse of lowland descending from higher elevations in the northwest to sea level at the coast. Numerous sub-tributaries merge into tributaries of the system’s main river, the Wraitholme River, which flows from snowmelt in the Central Agniavas, through the Fenmoor Basin, and into the Splinter Sea. The Fenmoor Basin’s drainage system is governed by the area’s topography and the consistency of its strata, with each waterway following the overriding gradient of the terrain.
To the north and west, the Shimmering Coasts is separated from the Central Fire territory by the Agniavas. To the northeast, it is separated from the Great Lowlands territory by the Daigenloft Mountains.
Although it supports a wide range of biomes, the Fenmoor Basin is predominately wetlands, and the Bog of Wails, Praetoria’s largest swamp, is a tropical marshland located on a floodplain near the basin’s center. The bog stands upon a water-bearing stratum of permeable limestone and is fed by runoff from the Wraitholme River, which bisects the bog’s western edge. In certain areas, slower runoff has also created an accumulation of almost six meters of peat.
The Bog of Wails is a web of saw grass marshes, sloughs, and wet prairies. In places, islands of hardwood trees rise on limestone plateaus about a meter above the sloughs and prairies, while at even higher elevations, pinelands have little to no periods of ground saturation.
The bog experiences frequent flooding during the wet season, while during the dry season, its porous stratum maintains a storage of water.
A form of bioluminescent algae unique to the Shimmering Coasts are found along much of its coastline. Exceptionally resilient, these algae thrive both in the shallow reefs along the coast and upon the rocks, sand, and mangroves near the shore. During the hours of darkness, their ethereal, greenish-blue glow creates the illusion that the seacoast is shimmering, earning the territory its moniker.
In addition to the aforementioned Wraitholme River, other major rivers include the Rowan River, which forms a river delta with the Wraitholme River; the Welkin River, which branches from the Wraitholme River and flows both into and out of Lake Welkin; and the Evermore River, which flows south from the Daigenloft Mountains. As mentioned, there are also numerous tributaries and sub-tributaries throughout the area that flow into the Wraitholme River.
Major lakes include Lake Demire in the northwest, Lake Ive and Lake Bale to the south of the Bog of Wails, and Lake Welkin farther to the south. A large, recursive island stands at the center of Lake Bale.
The Pandemonias are an archipelago situated in the Splinter Sea off the southeastern coasts of Praetoria’s Great Lowlands and Shimmering Coasts territories, encapsulating the Gulf of Alexakis. They consist of around one thousand islands, which are divided into the Northern Pandemonias, off coast of the the Great Lowlands, and the Southern Pandemonias, off the coast of the Shimmering Coasts.
The archipelago is a direct result of uplifted folds and faults created by the collision of lithospheric plates, creating a nearly continuous series of subduction zones. Subsequently, the Pandemonias experience frequent terrestrial and undersea seismic and volcanic activity and are prone to daily earthquakes and upwards of twenty typhoons per year.
The climate is tropical maritime and usually hot and humid, with elevation being the primary consideration in temperature change. Rainfall is generally extremely high in the coastal and mountainous regions and significantly lower in some of the more sheltered valleys.
The Pandemonias have a variety of natural resources, including an abundance of mineral deposits resulting from their complex geological structure and high levels of seismic activity. They are also home to a significant level of biodiversity and harbor a large proportion of Praetoria’s species, with many being endemic to the area.
Likewise, a wider variety of forest types grow in the Pandemonias than any other area of Praetoria. They include mangrove forests, beach forests, pine forests, jungles, rainforests, cloud forests, and montane forests.
The Belurocian Empire has laid claim to much of the southern portion of the Shimmering Coasts and continues to expand north into the Fenmoor Basin and west into the Central Fire’s Southern Highlands. Its capital, New Beluroc, is located at the delta of the Wraitholme River and Rowan River.
Ahna-Chei, located on a recursive island at the center of Lake Bale, is home to a large population of Dark Eternals. Several smaller settlements are scattered throughout the Bog of Wails' pinelands as well.
Of the native Praetorian settlements, Skegmire is the largest. A settlement of terrapin tortisians, it is located on the northern Wraitholme River, while various indigenous tribes and smaller settlements of other species call the territory home, as well.
