TEMPERAMENTAL OCEANS
From a world on a frog's back
The sea is my nemesis
I’ve always loved swimming. Growing up in semi-desert areas with a too-busy father and a mother who loathed any beach, my friends and I would swim in rivers and lakes instead. Going to the beach was an absolute treat. However, whenever I locked eyes with the vast waters, I was overcome with a need to defeat it.
Unlike the familiar brown rivers and black lakes, the blue water had the audacity to throw me around and get salt up my nose. The utter disrespect, I tell you. So I did what any hyperactive ninja fanatic child would do – I squared up.
Logically, I knew the interaction was only in my mind, but I believed it and still do, though I will never admit it. With time, I discovered more and more cultures where the ocean was a vital part of their beliefs, credited with being the essence of what all living things are made of. There were also countless references to the ocean having its own personality, something I believed wholeheartedly, knowing that it was out to get me. Unsurprisingly, my theory of the sea being vindictive would lead to it becoming one of the main characters in the fantasy world of Fistbump the Sky.
If you look closely, you’ll notice that the map of the fantasy world is our own one in reverse, with the territories where our ocean is and the sea where our continents are. Being used to drought and people falling ill from the heat, large water masses make me incredibly anxious. The same thing applies to snow. The fact that white things falling from the sky does not alarm you makes me question your survival instinct. Thus, not knowing what to do with all that wetness, I reversed the map. Still feeling trepidatious, I split it into five parts, each with its own personality.
The Southern Ocean
This is the largest source of saltless, drinkable water. As you’ll notice by the immense desert areas and lack of blue, Fistbump the Sky has a water shortage. Those lucky enough to live around the ocean guard its green water with the same ferocity with which rabid animals guard their meals. Confident in its self-worth, the Southern Ocean only gives water to those who can entertain it. Fail to do so and you might as well try pulling gum from your hair. To stop a water war from occurring, certain measures have been put in place to ensure the water is shared amongst all the creatures, except with those in Phrenezia. They are cursed, after all.
The Western Ocean
This sugary ocean is in a constant state of identity crisis. For some idiotic reason, it identifies as a desert and has resorted to changing its appearance into as many things as possible until it has regained its “original” form of a desert. These appearances reflect the ocean’s mood, ranging from pudding when feeling content to a pool of blood and skulls when mad.
Its water tastes like tobacco and serves as a natural skill enhancer. However, drink too much, and these enhanced skills will drive you mad. An example would be a writer who can only stop writing once their hands are stuck in a pencil-holding position. Despite the ocean’s juvenile attitude, no one has had the heart to tell it that it can never be a desert.
The Northern Ocean
The Northern Ocean is the most lethargic of the seas. It’s speculated that being trapped between the vicious Eastern Ocean and the vain Western has caused the ocean to withdraw. In my humble opinion, it's the most beautiful ocean, with fallen stars floating on its white surface like lily pads. Touching its waters does nothing. However, drinking the water erases your emotions before it puts you in a state of eternal sleep. The star essence that has mingled with the water for many, many years causes the dreamer to sleep happily, not caring that they’ll never wake up.
The Central Ocean
You might have guessed it from the presence of the Birthing Grounds, but this is the most fertile ocean. Thousands of hormones have caused the water to turn blue with a taste of marmite. Drinking the water will, of course, make you pregnant, but you better wear gloves when you do. If any external body part touches the water, then that part will become pregnant before you do. So, unless you want to walk around with a pregnant hand or head, you better wear those gloves. It’s believed that that’s what happened to Hip Hip, god of the Birthing Grounds. They say she was naïve enough to swim in the ocean and that that’s how her body became what it is now.
The Eastern Ocean
By far the most vicious of the oceans, the Eastern Ocean will kill anyone who touches or drinks from it, with the absolute strongest of creatures falling into a coma if they’re lucky. It guards the treasures of the National Frog Bank beneath it and stops creatures from overfishing the monetary seashells used in Fistbump the Sky. The only creatures who swim in the Eastern Ocean are the skeletons of sea creatures who have not yet realised they have died.
To control these oceans, the world itself created Siya out of necessity.
Before Fistbump the Sky created Siya, the ocean waters used to mix, causing environmental chaos and many to die without a source of clean water. Thanks to her, the sea borders are clear and uncrossed. She protects the creatures from the oceans and, in return, makes sure that none of them misuse the oceans for their properties. You can learn more about her in the Map Maker characters tab.
And that was how I made the five oceans and their supervisor.
