Mayda
LIBRA06 - No. 2
Geography
The second lowest plane of the Otherside, Mayda, is regarded as an infinite ocean both in breadth and depth. While the vast majority of Mayda is submerged, there are a handful of small islands and ruins that dot the unending ocean. Curiously enough, while the Emerald Shore of Esterskald is all but pitch darkness, the surface of Mayda is actually well-lit by an ever-setting sun in the west. Like Esterskald’s mysterious connection to the Flipside, it is well regarded that various pockets of Mayda’s uncharted waters are connected to various spots in the Flipside’s oceans, creating organic portals between the two worlds.
Surely an “infinite” ocean would be regarded as the largest plane of the Otherside though Mayda’s waters are simply recycled in an accelerated water cycle. As such, it’s hard to pin down the exact size of Mayda; it is believed to be roughly equal to the cavernous depths of the Infernus. Though in terms of landmass, all islands and ruins of Mayda combined are roughly the size of Luxembourg. The only notable island is Asmayda, the central island of Mayda and the land-throne of Leviathan. Other areas of note are the Tempest, the Coral Garden, the Locker, the Creaking, the Black Needle, and, of course, the Black Tide.
The Tempest is part of the vicious water cycle that keeps Mayda churning in a seemingly infinite manner. It is a brutal unending storm that rotates around all parts of Mayda’s surface, showering down torrential rain. It is regarded as a location instead a force of nature, as many of Mayda’s inhabitants call the Tempest their home, following it from place to place. Next is the Coral Garden, Mayda's most peaceful and idyllic region. The Coral Garden is a vast and beautiful coral reef close to the surface of Mayda. It is where Leviathan places Demons and Cryptids he wishes to keep safe from the dangers of Mayda. Deep below the surface lies the Locker, certainly a play on Davy Jone’s Locker. It is where Mayda’s more fearsome Demons tend to thrive. The Creaking is far out into the sea, home to Demons and Cryptids who can survive both on land and under the water; it is also Mayda’s largest known dwelling. Somewhere deep within the water lies the Black Needle, Leviathan’s submerged-throne, and home to his specially trained Demon Corps, the Horrors. And somewhere there lies the entrance to the Black Tide, though only Leviathan knows exactly where it is.
History
Before the mighty Skald was cracked in half, Mayda was its only source of water, existing as a massive lake in the southern region of the Skald. Though when the Skald was split, the water of Mayda leaked out and formed its own seemingly infinite ocean. In an effort to appease his brother’s envy and as a sign of goodwill, Beelzebub gifted the Mayda to Leviathan, the Demon Prince of Envy, as his own plane to rule over. This act created Levithan’s Key to the Gates of Hell, Sorrow.
Sometime later, during the plague of the Pale, God approached Levithan and asked him to keep a piece of Heaven safe within the infinite ocean of Mayda. Leviathan agreed on the condition that God would provide Mayda with an unsetting sun to match that of the light of Morningstar, which hardly reached Mayda. In return, Leviathan would keep watch over this hidden pocket of Heaven, known as the Black Tide, ensuring it could never be found or opened. It is thought that this very event is what caused Leviathan to join Lucifer and Beelzebub as generally benevolent Princes, as he now had something his siblings could never imitate.
Still, Leviathan is always, at his core, envious. During the Soul Accord, seeing his younger sister Asmodeus gain control over almost all mortal souls, he demanded the souls of all who die at sea, reasoning he would still get a good share of souls. If denied this request, Leviathan threatened to unleash his Horrors upon the Flipside’s oceans, ensuring no humans could ever traverse them. This was enough to convince the other Princes to let Leviathan have his way. As such, if you die at sea, you are certain to be bound to Mayda in death.
Inhabitants & Rulers
The ruler of the Mayda is and always has been its simulacrum, Leviathan, the Demon Prince of Envy. Due to his very important task of keeping both his Demons and the Black Tide safe, Leviathan rarely leaves Mayda. And, as Leviathan has usually been on good terms with Beelzebub, he rarely has to worry about invading forces from other planes as Asmodeus cannot reach the Mayda from the Amaymon. However, due to the unique properties of Mayda, Leviathan is constantly trying to keep his Cryptids and Demons from swimming into unknown depths.
There are many Cryptids and Demons of Mayda, especially seeing as all sea-life Flipside tends to end up back in Mayda. Though due to the expansive nature of Mayda's Ocean and most humans' lack of gills, very little of it has been seen or explored by the Cafe and Diner. Still, there are some known Maydian customers such as Mr. Harvey, Mr. Huapi, Mrs. Canvey, Mrs. Heelfront, and, of course, the lovely little Mr. Loveland. As you can imagine, Cryptids and Demons from Mayda are aquatic in nature and form ranging from monstrous creatures of the depths to friendly merfolk and talking frogs.