"The great stalagmites that cut through the Zee, pointing at the ceiling like bony fingers, cast long shadows. Matching stalactites above, too, hide the light of the false-stars away. This part of the Zee is dark and perilous, and the only landmark you can see is the vast stalagmite upon which sits Gaider's Mourn – a pirate haven defiantly perched on the centre of the Zee like a vast spider in its web."[1]
The Snares are a region of the Unterzee. During the time of Sunless Sea, the Snares were known for their dense fungal and plant life, and were the home of Pigmote Isle.[2] By the time of Fallen London, the maps were updated, perhaps due to the Treachery of Maps,[3] and the Snares now refer to the centermost region of the Unterzee. The currents of the zee spin around the Snares in an anticlockwise motion, and some daring zailors may venture directly through in an attempt to find a faster route.[4]
Zailing through the Snares can be unwise, however, as the Snares are extremely dangerous.[5] Even hardened zailors are weary of this place, and for good reason:[6][7] its dangers include the Corsair's Forest, a maze of stalagmites both above and below water,[8][9] treacherous zee-currents,[10] and the Labyrinth of Eels, whose shallower waters may run a ship aground.[11] Furthermore, the region has few notable landmarks, barring the pirate haven at the very center of the zee known as Gaider's Mourn.[12][13] Unsurprisingly, the Snares' most frequent explorers are the Mourn's corsairs,[14] who possess intimate knowledge of its routes and dangers and can easily sink unprepared ships.[15]
↑On charting a course, Fallen London"The other regions, clockwise from London, [...] The Snares, the most dangerous waters in the Zee, are the "hub" of this wheel, in the centre. [...] If you need to travel to a further part of the Zee, your route will circle around the dangerous Snares – anticlockwise motion, along the Zee's currents, is faster. [...] Advanced captains will eventually be able to cut through the Snares to speed up long voyages at the cost of facing greater danger."
↑Load the cannons!, Fallen London"[...] the corsair slips into a swift current, their port side grinding against a hundred teeth of hungry rock."
↑Follow that ship!, Fallen London"You are forced to slow halfway through the Labyrinth of Eels, lest you run aground in its shallows."
↑Onwards, Fallen London"This part of the Zee is dark and perilous, and the only landmark you can see is the vast stalagmite upon which sits Gaider's Mourn [...]"
↑Load the cannons!, Fallen London"Your opponent knows the slipways and shortcuts of the Snares intimately, [...] It is only hard-won instinct that prevents you from falling for their gambit and beaching yourself on a jagged reef in pursuit."
