Crossing the Equator

Numerous attempts have been made throughout history, almost always without success. The jungles around the equator are wilder and more dangerous and the seas more treacherous than anywhere else in the known world. It’s not the nature itself that represents the biggest obstacle though; it’s the Aether.

Nowhere else is the Aether as chaotic and as volatile as around the equator. Virtually anyone, regardless of training or ability, is able to channel large amounts of aether at the mere thought of it in this region. It’s even possible to subconsciously channel aether while sleeping if close enough to the equator.

This makes any form of travel in the region extremely complicated and dangerous.

Travelers in the region must constantly focus on not letting their thoughts slip away as doing so could have dire consequences for both themselves and their expedition. Add to this the wilderness of the jungles or the dangers of the sea and most attempts to cross or even reach the equator are doomed to fail before they even set out.

There are records of explorers who have managed to survive the dangers of the jungle and the aether long enough to make it through to the southern hemisphere and back again. They aren’t many and not all of them are deemed reliable, but there are records nonetheless. The travelers who made it back usually reported that the world south of the equator is much like what it’s expected to be. A few stories of fantastic encounters with strange and wondrous beings exist, but they are mostly associated with records and explorers counted among the less reliable ones. There are reliable records of expeditions reporting similar things though so the stories may have a grain of truth to them.

There are countless rumors of hidden pathways through the jungles and equally countless numbers of adventurers who have set out to find them never to return. The savannahs bordering the jungle are sparsely populated, with only a few nomadic tribes making them their home. Among these tribes many guides are found that are said to have some experience travelling the jungles. Their journeys never take them deep into it though and their guide service is usually limited to showing explorers to locations in the borderlands suitable for base-camps or entry points.

All in all, despite numerous attempts there’s still no safe reliable way of travelling to the southern hemisphere. What exists there is unknown and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future.