I mean, I get that there’s the canal and junk, which means there’s an influx of salinity for most of the time. But, other than weathering the rock of the Neath, where is the brine coming from (besides the Salt Lions, which I assume are rock salt)? There’s no real outflow point for water (that I know of), and unless I’m mistaken the water cycle doesn’t exist in the Neath (which is another can of worms entirely), so there’s no real reason for dissolved minerals to flow from the land to the zee. I get I’m probably entirely wrong or ignorant about all of this and "don’t take it so seriously," but it’s going to bother me until I find an answer for it or just get told to ignore it.
Well, there is a god called Salt…
There’s also Lacre. That’s somewhat salty, isn’t it?
I think Lacre is ammonia based. Also there’s not nearly enough to salt the Unterzee.
Thankfully.
If water comes down through the ground above, mightn’t it pick up all sorts of interesting minerals? Not to mention whatever might be coming up from below. Honestly, I think the salt content’s the least of your worries if you’re thinking about ingesting any.
I mean, I suppose that’s true. And I guess there is an outflow to Hell, though I’m not clear on whether that’s at a lower Unterzee level or if it’s a level canal… But that would imply there’s at least false rain that’s not glim raining from the Ceiling, which I can’t remember being mentioned, though it may just be assumed.
That’s another question: is the Unterzee potable (not wise to drink)? You never buy freshwater in Sunless Sea, which, while under supplies, seems like it would be mentioned beyond feeding your officers. It’s always starvation being the problem, when dehydration is far worse. I guess there are wells so ground water is a thing, but is that just a matter of convenience? Nothing good seems to come of them as I understand it.
When I first played Sunless Sea, I wondered why it would be so much colder in the north when we’re this deep underground. Thinking about it now, I remembered that there’s supposed to be something in the North. I don’t know what it is, but it must be unbelievably cold.
There is fog. Isn’t that on the way to being precipitation, as it were?
The Neathy "North" is actually a gate to outer space. Which is pretty cold.
edited by Rupho Schartenhauer on 5/19/2016
The Salt Lions are definitely not made of salt, excepting puns; it says somewhere that they’re basalt. I assume the name is the other way around, they’re called Salt Lions because they’re in the middle of an ocean instead of a desert where sphinxes belong.
Thanks to this thread, I now have this stuck in my head on repeat all day:
We get a few confirmations of Neathy rain. Light rain is just condensation; heavy rain is assumed to be flow from above.
I think some water should be constantly escaping the Neath’s ecosystem, at least from the hole above Aestival, so some should be entering it as well. Little streams trickling down through cracks in the ceiling/walls sounds like it could both keep the water level more or less constant and be capable of bringing salt into the Unterzee.
On the other hand, I can’t find mention of water running out anywhere - a particular tale in Sunless Sea of supplies running out mentions hunger but nothing of thirst, and mentions the usage of a pot. It kind of seems that water is never a problem, and there’s no mention of systems to extract water from the nigh-omnipresent fog, so maybe the Unterzee is indeed drinkable? Calling it a sea/zee might have nothing to do with salinity and just be the kneejerk reaction of anyone seeing a body of water that massive.
Now I’m imagining pedantics from the university going around correcting zailors by saying "ACTUALLY, it should be the Unterlake" and getting pushed in the river.
edited by John Moose on 5/19/2016
In the Last Dog Society, there’s an item named ‘Briny Insights’, and it pertains to learning about the Last Dog Society (and by extension, zailor practices).
As it’s the item name, I feel like it’s not just flavour text and the unterzee might really be briny.
So, brackish, but not completely briny?
Yeah, because of the lacre.
It could be both? Especially given its size.
It might follow a gradient? Or have Haloclines? With some areas of fresh water suspended above the salt water below? (Or vice versa.) That would allow for the Sea of Lilies maybe? And for finding potable water on long voyages?
Some water must come from above to form speleothems like New Newgate and the Dripstone-Snared Temple.
I think to have the room to account for everything, the Zee would need to have variable conditions in different places.
edited by Charlotte_de_Witte on 5/19/2016
I think Charlotte has it. It has to vary.
Since it’s big enough that time and space themselves get more than a bit bent up far out . . . I have no problem believing in localized conditions.
[quote=Charlotte_de_Witte]It could be both? Especially given its size.
It might follow a gradient? Or have Haloclines? With some areas of fresh water suspended above the salt water below? (Or vice versa.) That would allow for the Sea of Lilies maybe? And for finding potable water on long voyages?
Some water must come from above to form speleothems like New Newgate and the Dripstone-Snared Temple.
I think to have the room to account for everything, the Zee would need to have variable conditions in different places.
edited by Charlotte_de_Witte on 5/19/2016[/quote]
I believe that’s the end of the thread. Other than questions of outflow, but there are likely answers to that.
edited by Zephyrmoth on 5/19/2016