The Shallows

GOVERNMENT
Actual law and rulemaking in the Shallows comes from the Isle of Mirosia above. The Sea Guard handles enforcement of rules as well as defending the Shallows from sahuagin attackers and other creatures who might pose a threat in the marshes. Officals at the food markets are perhaps the closest to a local government.

DEFENSES
The Sea Guard maintains a number of towers throughout the marshes wherever one might find reasonably solid ground to build them on. They are equipped with ballistae for the purpose of driving off sahaugin, green and black dragons, or other creatures that might seek to make an unwelcome home in the Shallows. The Sea Guard also maintains it's own ships for defense and rescue purposes. The Sea Guard is well equipped for water fighting, consisting largely of sea elves, merfolk and tritons who excel at fighting in the water. In addition to the ships, many use sharks or dolphins for mounts. Tridents, nets, and harpoons are common weapons. At least a few spellcasters, especially sea and storm sorcerers and tempest clerics, can be found in their ranks.

INDUSTRY
The Shallows are dedicated almost exclusively to the production of food. Many work as farmers and fishermen, harvesting fish, rice, and other staples that are grown here in abundance. A few members of the more industrious races can be found as shipbuilders, merchants and other roles as well.

INFRASTRUCTURE
The Shallows are a mix of fishing wharfs, canals, and rice patties. Mangrove forests and bogs are scattered throughout. Houses are scattered far and wide, next to whatever land a farmer might have laid claim too. Fishermen and other sailors tend to live towards the port and shipyards, easily the rowdiest part of Mirosia. Traders and others not involved in farming live closer to the Great Vine, providing easy access to Mirosia above.

ARCHITECTURE
Much of the housing here is built on stilts to account for variable water levels and potential sinkage into the muck. Many buildings are rather ramshackle.

GEOGRAPHY
The Shallows are the shallow seas, marshlands and sandbars that surround the Great Vine's roots. Much of the land is covered in water, bogs, mangrove swamps and sandbars. Depending on the monthly tide cycles of Mirosia, water level may very. Quite a few local creatures down here can still be classifed as hazardous, so killing the right fauna might net you some coin.

NATURAL RESOURCES
Mangrove forests are mostly untouched by forestry - the population of the Shallows recognizes their importance in preventing erosion and lessening the effects of storm waves. Rice patties and other farming are common.

Fisheries here provide plenty of food. The seas around Mirosia are rich with resources in this regard, and the combined efforts of the Merfolk, Tritons, Sea Elves and other aquatic races provide Mirosia with plenty of fresh seafood year round. Some waterfowl are also hunted to broaden the variety of meat, but these are rarer and the meat is more expensive as a result.

Agriculture here produces a variety of crops. Rice is a staple of the diet here, and is also used to make sake. Many other plants are also harvested, however.
 * Water lotus has a variety of edible parts, including the seeds, rhizomes (part of the root) and the flowers, which can be used to make tea.
 * Water chestnuts
 * Cranberries
 * Watercress
 * Cattails have a variety of uses. Their seeds can be used to feed livestock, they have a variety of uses in cooking, can be crafted into candles, paper, life vests and small rafts that are useful in moving around the Shallows, and as fiber for clothing and stuffing items.