By Rajaad
Written 5FA
When one thinks of ‘treasure’ and ‘sea’, one invariably begins to dream of pirate’s chests full of gold and jewels. But the oceans give us much more – treasures crafted not by human hands, but by the creatures of the oceans themselves.
Here is a taste . . .
Pearls – The most well-known of these treasures are the pearls. Pearls are a favorite among the gems, though they are unique in that they are not mined in the earth, but found tucked within the bodies of various shellfish.
Most are white and small, but their colours range throughout the spectrum. A pearl’s value is based upon its size, its shape, and its colour.
Green pearls are considered a rarity, and are much prized, especially when the green has a silvery cast to it. Blues are valuable, but not so much as the greens, except when they are so deep that they actually look black. And the famed golden pearl, with its rich shining hues, is the most rare and valuable of all. Most of these are found in scattered beds along the dangerous southern shores of Aryn Isle, where great waves crash up against the rocky shoreline.
An average-sized white pearl might sell for thirty silver, while a blue would get you fifty, a green—one hundred sixty, a black—eight hundred, and a golden pearl—sixteen thousand silver.
Iria Globes – Iria globes are about the size of a fist, and have a firm, gelatinous feel. Inside, pockets of liquid phosphoresce with a bright, silvery-gold light. Their light lasts for moons, and the quality of the light is very flattering to human flesh, making Iria globes a favorite among nobility. A few of them together are enough to light a small room, and are quite valuable – I’ve seen them sold in markets for as much as four hundred silver a globe.
If sawed with a sharp knife, the outer gelatin can be breached-- within are numerous cavities separated by thin sheathing. In each cavity is the glowing liquid – slightly acidic in quality, it is also rather bitter tasting and slightly toxic. A tolerance can be built up to both the taste and the toxicity, however, and it is not unknown for eccentric wealthy folk to have ‘night feasts’ where their meat and vegetables are coated with a thin layer of the liquid. This not only makes their food glow, but softens it as well, due to the tenderizing nature of the acid.
Interestingly, the globes are actually corpses. The living creature is a sort of stationary squid-like being that clings to coral reefs. When it dies, its tentacles fall off and its carapace becomes clear and gelatinous. If killed, this transformation does not take place-- it seems that the creatures must die of ‘old age’ in order to turn into Iria globes.
An artifact of tropical waters, these strange objects can be found all along the coast of Moraithe, with the best harvesting areas in the jagged reefs along the north-eastern coast. Another bountiful spot for harvesting Iria is in the tropical waters far north of Jedda Felsuin – here there are reports of the reefs glowing so brightly with their light that it appears almost like daylight – even in the middle of a moonless night. Of course, these waters are far from civilization and said to be quite hazardous.
Many folks make a living diving for Iria globes – they are quite easy to spot during the night. The work can be dangerous, however, for certain nocturnal sharks haunt the tropical waters, and many Iria divers can tell you stories of being bitten.
Corals – Corals come in a dizzying array of bright, vibrant colours, and are either sold entire, as fans or trees, or are broken apart to make into beads.
Whole, unbroken fans and trees are highly sought after by collectors, and fine specimens in the rarer hues – bright red, jacinth orange, and sharp green – can sell for thousands of silver. Most corals are pink, purple, black or grey, or paler shades of reds and greens.
Much more common are coral beads, often made into necklaces, bracelets, or other adornments. Even the rarest of corals – the aforementioned bright reds, oranges, and greens, are only moderately expensive in bead form – a full necklace of orange coral might sell for sixty or eighty silver.
Because corals can be easily dyed, they are difficult to sell – you have to establish yourself as a legitimate trader before most coral buyers will bargain with you. And purchasing coral is a risky venture – make sure that you’re buying from a trusted source, and avoid the ‘street sellers’ so prevalent along the docks in many port cities.
Merfolk Artifacts – For a brief time in Masallan history merfolk artifacts were greatly prized. Then it was discovered that most of the artifacts being marketed were fakes. Since no one has found a good way to distinguish fakes from the genuine thing, there is little or no market for them any more. Still, you’ll find unscrupulous traders selling such articles to the gullible in every port.
The genuine merfolk artifact, then, will have meaning only to the finder. Most of the merfolk are rather primitive in their creations, and commonly found artifacts include bone knives, shell or coral jewelry, carved shell combs, and pouches crafted out of sea-leather or fish bladders. The merfolk utilize other decorations as well, such as jellyfish worn in the hair or over the body, but these creatures are living, and when washed up on shore are indistinguishable from any other jellyfish.
Our knowledge of merfolk is limited to the shallow-dwelling variety, who, legend tells us, are the more primitive of their kind. In the deeps are said to dwell merfolk who have powerful magics and great crafting abilities – they build underwater cities and create beautiful art. These rumours likely stem from the occasional finding of some exquisitely beautiful artifact washed upon the shore – often so delicate it’s difficult to imagine such a thing could be crafted by human hands.
Although it is certainly possible that such creatures exist, and that such artifacts truly do come from deep-dwelling merfolk, it is more likely that such objects are simply cargo being carried up by the waves from the underwater hulks of sunken ships.
Rennis Eggs – The Rennis is one of the most beautiful of sea creatures – long and slender, with a wide, colourful fan-like tail. Up to twenty arms long, these harmless beauties move through the water with an ethereal grace. They are probably some form of jellyfish, for when they are brought out of the water, they droop and collapse into naught but a long string of gelatin. When thrown back into the waves, they will once more fan out and begin to move through the water.
The Rennis lays eggs once a year, and will only do so far out at sea. The eggs are laid in a long string – sometimes a tenth of a league or more in length. This string is composed of a finger-width strand of jelly, quite strong, inside of which is housed the eggs. These are the size of a marble, and spaced out at the rate of one every arm or so. A deep purple in colour, they must be carefully extracted from their sheath, and are then a great delicacy. Eaten raw, they are brightly sweet, with a peppery taste that grows as the eggs ripen.
They are collected simply by taking in the long strand and keeping it moist in seawater until one reaches port. The eggs sell for about three silver coins each, but their price goes up depending on how peppery they are. It pays, thus, to wait, but note that the eggs must be given sunlight if they are to ripen. They are most valuable just before hatching, when they are quite sharp on the tongue and can sell for ten silver an egg or more. But one must be wary of time, for even if they are withdrawn from sunlight at the peak of ripeness, they will tend to hatch a day or two later, and are then best released back into the sea, for there is no market for baby Rennis.
Aersha Weed – Typically called ‘longweed’, Aersha grows in long strands, often up to eighty arms long. It is a rooted seaweed, and prefers water shallow enough that it can form beds on the surface. It is a cold water plant, and the largest beds are found in the coastal waters of the Morleraan ocean. The weeds are greatly valued as a spice in Moraithe, where the fresh, salty flavour is used in fruit dishes. It is also highly valued by herbalists, for Aersha is probably the best blood coagulant known, and is added to herbal mixtures to staunch heavily bleeding wounds.
The weed is sold by stone weight, and can garner up to thirty silver per stone.
Platinum Urchin Spines – The platinum urchin is found in the waters near Jedda and Japura, and is much feared for its poison. Beach walkers who step on the baby urchins will be in anguish for days as the slow-acting poison sends sharp spears of pain up their leg. Recovery is certain, but the prolonged pain can leave permanent mental scars. The adult urchins are the size of a fist, with finger-length spines that appear as if made of polished platinum, except for their deep red tips. When dead, these spines become a commodity. They are used in most lands in the crafting of fine jewelry. The most valuable spines are those unmarred by the delicate black spotting found on many of the urchins, and can sell for thirty silver per spine. With urchins sporting up to two hundred spines, collecting platinum urchins can be a lucrative endeavor.
Sand Suns – These small gold disks were once thought to be strange coins from some distant culture. They are near perfectly round, very light, and if broken they display a strangely pitted interior. Sometimes they have holes through them – rarely in the center, but more commonly along the outer rim. It is now supposed that they are the shell of some strange creature, especially after pearl divers north of Jedda reported seeing ‘golden disks trailing long tendrils of clear jelly.’
Sand Suns are usually the size of a gold coin, but some have been found as large as a man’s spread-out hand. They are uncommon enough, but because of their delicate nature, even those that are found are usually broken. Flawless Sand Suns can sell for sixty silver or more each, and are used in fine jewelry or inlaid, as is a Jeddan tradition, in fine furniture.
The best Suns are found on the north shore of Jedda Felsuin, along both the Myméan coast and especially on the far northern tip of Irutoka. They can also rarely be found along all the coasts of Moraithe.
Amber – Amber, considered a gemstone, is actually a resin. But oddly enough, it is found most often on beaches, creating the oft-quoted legend that amber is actually pieces of the sun which have fallen into the waters and quickly cooled.
Ambers range from almost yellow, through shades of orange, and into deep reds. The most valuable is translucent ‘ruby amber’, with the deep colour of ruby. Amber is also valued on the nature of its inclusions – ‘fans’ are clearish sections of air which enhance amber’s beauty, while dark inclusions, usually composed of foreign bodies such as bark or insects, can degrade a piece’s value. Amber is found along the western coast of Masalla, all along the beaches of Shavay, and small pieces, on occasion, are found on the coastlines of all other provinces. Most pieces are quite tiny, but chunks have been found that are as large as melons.
An unpolished, thumb-nail sized piece of good quality amber can sell for thirty silver.
Sea Honey – This strange substance is often found floating in tidal pools or washed upon the shore, where it can easily be rinsed of sand in the waves. Its substance resembles a firm jellyfish, very slick to the touch, and always of a clear, golden colour. Like actual honey, its virtue lies in its edibility, and a stone-weight of sea honey can sell for two hundred silver. If dried, sea honey wrinkles into a mass which can be stored nearly indefinitely, and it reconstitutes almost perfectly if left in seawater for a day.
The honey is cut into small golden cubes or long strips and eaten by the wealthy – although delicately sweet and very sensuous to eat, the sea honey contains a mild sedative that swiftly renders the feasters drowsy. Sea honey can be found on the beaches of any province, but is rather rare, and hunters comb leagues of strand in search of a single handful of the odd substance.
Skulls – Skulls of all kinds wash up on the shores of every province, and if found in good condition – which is quite rare – are highly valued by collectors. The sea yields up many skulls of unknown origin, and those that are either very large or very unusual are the most valuable – some selling for thousands of silver. One of the most famous examples of this is the strange skull displayed in the Museum of Aranor, found washed up north of the Aranorian docks two years after Queen Lillian came to power. It is as long as a man, with a thin snout filled with clear, needle-sharp teeth, each as long as a finger.
Skulls and bones can often be found, but it takes diligent searching to find one undamaged by the waves.
Sea Unicorn Horn – The whale known as the sea unicorn is seldom seen by sailors, and is thought by most cultures to be very magical in nature. It is also very elusive, and most sailors see only a glimpse before the creature disappears into the depths.
A few people have been lucky enough to find the horns of these animals washed upon the shore, and the artifacts have sold for tens of thousands of silver. One is known to belong to a collector in Masalla, and two to collectors in Moraithe. Though many magical qualities are claimed for the horns, almost no magical study has been done, and for now they remain collector’s pieces.
Shells – Shells deserve their own treatise, since each province has its own special varieties, and some are fabulously valuable. Almost any shell in pristine condition, if of sufficient colour and shape, can be sold to any of the small shoppes which line the world’s harbours. These shoppes make the shells into jewelry, ornaments, hangings, or other art. If searching for shells, it is best to talk to the owner of one of these shoppes, for they can lend you knowledge of which shells are most rare and valuable.
Many other wonders wash upon the shores of every land, but these are among the most notable. One thing is certain – if you take the time to walk upon the shores, you’ll discover no end to the magnificent treasures there– from shells to stones to gorgeous sunsets. Good luck!