Horneater Oceans
| Horneater Oceans | |
|---|---|
 by Yen Shu Liao
| |
| Region | The Horneater Peaks |
| World | Roshar |
| Universe | Cosmere |
“Is water of life. It is connection to gods. If Unkalaki swim in it, sometimes they see place of gods. ”
— Rock on the Horneater oceans[1]
The Horneater Oceans are a series of thermal hot springs in the Horneater Peaks on Roshar. They are sometimes called the Emerald Pools for their distinct color.[1] They house Cultivation's Perpendicularity.[2]
Most high mountains in the Horneater Peaks have a crater filled with water at their top. This water is hot, providing pockets of livable space around each Ocean. The temperature drops drastically at a short distance from the lakes, however, making survival in the Peaks without them all but impossible.[1]
Myths and Traditions
According to one story, the Oceans were created when the Unkalaki people sought to find a place to live where they wouldn't be hunted down. The tana'kai, the leader of the Unkalaki, asked the gods of the sea and of the forests to hide them, but they could not help as they, too, were being attacked by men. When the tana'kai asked the same of the gods of the mountains, they told him that helping his people was impossible for them, as their slopes were uninhabitable, but if the Unkalaki could find a way to make them livable, the gods would agree. And so, the Unkalaki begged the gods of the sea for water to drink, the gods of the forest for the fruit to eat, and the gods of the mountains for the heat of their heart, thus creating the Oceans.[1]
In the modern day, swimming in the Oceans is death to any non-Unkalaki. This is partly becacuse any foreigners are executed for making an attempt, but there are also other, more mysterious reasons. On the other hand, the Unkalaki are free to swim in the Oceans. Doing so may sometimes allow them to see the "place of gods" and commune with its inhabitants.[1] This most likely refers to the Oceans' nature as a Perpendicularity.
According to the Unkalaki, gods sometimes visit them through the Oceans. Amongs those is Lunu'anaki, the god of travel, who cannot hurt humans and has white hair and an angular face, making it possible that this is Hoid.[1] He is, however, far from the only visitor: all worldhoppers are treated like gods by the people of the Peaks.[3]
Perpendicularity
Though on top, the Oceans are water, beneath that later there is a different, though still liquid substance that is emerald in color.[1] This marks the Oceans as the Perpendicularity of the Shard Cultivation, allowing worldhoppers to travel between Roshar and Shadesmar.[2]
It's the only stable Perpendicularity on Roshar; for worldhoppers travelling there, the Horneater Oceans are the place where they emerge into the Physical Realm.[2] However, during the True Desolation, the area in Shadesmar surrounding it has been overtaken by the Fused, and many spren ships travelling there are never seen again.[4] At the moment, most spren refuse to sail in that direction, and even in the Physical Realm, the presence of the Fused can be felt by the people living around the Oceans.[5][6]