Blinding Sea

The Blinding Sea, also called the Border Sea or the Bright Waters, is an ocean which provides a semi-natural boundary to the East and North of the demiplane of Lamasery.

Upward Flowing Water
As with any region of Lamasery approaching the edge of the demiplane, the general geography trends into an upward-sweeping rise. This leads many to question how the sea remains 'up' in relation to the coast, whereupon the answer - without exception - is 'that is precisely how Arvana wanted it'.

The Backwash
In mentioning the Blinding Sea, one must consider that it touches extensively upon the Border Ethereal. It is this border-sea property that results in what many scholars, both mundane and eldritch, have dubbed 'the Backwash'. Whether from intentional travel or the ravages of an Ether Cyclone, many things enter the demiplane and into the Blinding Sea. While a comprehensive list is beyond the scope of this document, an abridged list follows: Any sailor who sets forth into the open waters of the Blinding Sea does so at their own peril, knowing that the Backwash works both ways. Legends surround the crews of many unsuspecting vessels who, caught up in a storm or other environmental perturbation, were never seen again. It is possible that these foolhardy sailors were merely capsized or otherwise lost at sea, but the one instance in which a crew returned from such a disappearance shared a tale most harrowing of their time lost in the Border Ethereal and a maddening time in another world entirely.
 * Planar travelers - the 'most common' 'unintentional immigrants' to Lamasery are people whose planar sojourns brought them to Lamasery. A steady, yet unexplained, tide of such accidental immigrants formed the bulk of those coming to Lamasery during the Time of Immigration;
 * Magical detritus - ranging from enchanted water craft to djinni bottles, things lost during planar travel on the Border Ethereal have a tendency to be found afloat in the Blinding Sea;
 * Mundane detritus - ranging from waterproof chests filled with exotic coins to an oddly constructed wooden raft (complete with strange writing carved into its beams), the Blinding Sea provides a final point of destination for things lost in many forms of travel.

Steps of Arvana
Among its other supernatural qualities, there exists a stretch of coastal waters called the Steps of Arvana. Not a consistent, or even predictable phenomenon, the Steps manifest as wide sandbars which allow an adventurous soul to walk without touching the water to a distance of between one and three miles from shore. Given the transitory and unpredictable nature of the Steps of Arvana's appearances, those who walk to the furthest reach of the Steps and return are considered to be gifted with exceptional fortune, if not the outright blessing of Arvana Herself.

At least one sailing vessel has been saved from certain death by the appearance of the Steps, leading to further postulation that these sandbars bear at least some spark of preservation magic.