Speaking of Big Fish -- The Plane of Elemental Water

The Plane of Elemental Water is one of the four elemental planes undergirding the physical reality of Arden Est, along with the planes of fire, earth, and air. The great ocean, Terminus, contains many portals here, as do some of the larger lakes such as Lake Leriel in Lyonia. All of the known gates open into the upper layers, though there are rumors of a gate that leads to the great city of the Marids.

The uppermost layers of the plane are well-lit and pleasant. These are mainly inhabited by merpeople, nereids, and other water spirits. It is perfectly hospitable here as long as you can breathe water, and bubbles containing the retreats of various archmages are not unknown. Poseidon still has influence here, though it is not directly a part of his domain, and Vassa can sometimes be found sailing on the surface, or leading forays against Sahaugin undersea.

As you go deeper, however, it eventually begins to grow darker, casting the surrouding area into a sort of twilight. As the pressure begins to become uncomfortable, the Marid hold sway, ruling from the City of Glass, Dumat Al-Jandal. They do not suffer many outsiders to travel through their waters, but they are said to be a proud people and susceptible to flattery.

Beneath the realm of the Marid, the light ceases to illuminate, and the pressure becomes crushing. Strange creatures inhabit these depths. Schools of undead dolphins swimming upside down patrol these waters, and demon hunting parties searching for shipwreck elementals are a common sight. Shipwreck elementals are formed from the souls of drowned sailors, and appear to be a common water elemental but for the pieces of wrecked ship swimming in their body, swirling around drops of blood.

Of Vassa and Crom

The Second Demon War was long, and fought largely in Solaria and the Eastern Plains. But it was also fought in the North, and there the deeds of Søren and Vassa were sufficient to enshrine them among the Valharim, bringing the number of that august group to eight (nine, if you tally with them the dark one). Many stories are told of their deeds, but Crom's proposal to Vassa is less well known.

Crom, it is known, is the dark God of the orcs, seeking only to crush his enemies and hear the lamentations of their women. Yet he fought, for a time, with the free folk against the demons, for he had as little desire to see the orcs dominated by Hadeth as Fayon did for the free folk. But some of the orcs fought with the demons.

And it came to pass that the war against the demons went against the free folk, and evil spirits threatened to overrun the northern kingdoms. Vassa fought valiantly, and saved many from death at the hands of Hadeth's army, but it was not enough, as the main part of the Army of Law was in the south. Then Crom came to her, and asked for her hand in marriage. This, Vassa refused, seeing that Crom did not desire her, but merely to enslave the dwarves to provide arms to his orcish hordes.

Vassa took out her whip then, and Søren came to her aid. The battle was long, for Crom is puissant of arms, but Vassa and Søren were able to drive him north into the wastes. A remnant of that battle remains, as Vassa's whip tore a large canyon into the lands east of Darkshelf, which they call Vassa's Lash. And while the northlands fell under the occupation of the devil army, yet Vassa and Søren saved many, ferrying them to Avalon, and when Sean Halospear sacrificed himself to close the gate to the abyss, the occupation ended, nor was Crom able to return.