Naqiq had watched with great consternation as the Giants were forced to leave their homes, heading to the southwest.

He saw Ayla whip up stormy waters, to prevent the Giants from escaping.

Naqiq had raised land from the sea, as a temporary measure, to help the Giants escape to Lesat. It was not ideal, but it was temporary.

He knew that Ayla had intentions far deeper than simply destroying some giants, and Naqiq was willing to come to an accord with her. Or so he thought.

At her behest, Naqiq watched in horror as Gzhorakhinaygaki destroyed what Naqiq had created. He did not seek to modulate what had been done, nor did he help the Yawning Coldrain reclaim the Giants' Steps, as Naqiq had intended. Instead, it was as if they had never existed at all.

This angered Naqiq. Deeply.

Naqiq was an amicable being. He was a mediator of the rivers - no easy task. He sought to maintain balance in the world, and ensure that everyone and everything received their fair share.

Now, Naqiq would retaliate.

Naqiq did not wish to destroy what belonged to Gzhorakhinaygaki, as Naqiq saw himself better than that. He did, however, intend to prove a point.

Reaching deep within him, harnessing the anger and resentment he bore for the great beast of the depths, Naqiq found within the earth his great lair - the Undersea.

Reaching for all of his supernatural ability, Naqiq sought to displace the sea, to bring it out of its unnatural state of hiding, and let the sun shine upon the water, to allow it to be turned into rain, and fall upon the earth once more. Naqiq was not the steward of the sea, but he was a steward of rivers, and he saw that as justification enough to act.

Naqiq did not wish to simply place the Undersea where it once was, on the surface. The Undersea sat beneath the great plateau that was home to the cause of his distress - the Giants. They would not be disrupted for this escapade. Instead, Naqiq found, just to the south of the great plateau, a vast stretch of desert. This was where he would place the sea, to be boiled by the sun.

The desert was inhabited by curious creatures - the Sunbutiki. Naqiq was not familiar with them, and he was leery of their reptilian form, but he respected them as living beings like any other. They would remain where they are now, but they would become a part of the new environment.

The great undersea was ripped forth from the depths of the earth, along with all the creatures that dwelled within it. There, they were placed in the blinding sun of the desert, for all to see.

The briny waters of the Undersea mixed with the desert sand, and created a vast field of mud along its shores. In the mud grew all manner of reeds and brush, perfect for the creatures Naqiq was most accustomed to. From the sea, a great wash would claim the waters, where it would meet the ocean, and from the mountains of the west, a river would feed it, slowly purging the formerly-under sea of its salt.

Islands were placed in the sea, upon which the Sunbutiki could dwell in peace.

As a final act, Naqiq sought to simultaneously conduct his duty as River Herder, and help the Giants. From the lake of the plateau, he carved a river, joining the lake to the cliffside, where it would fall free and meet the new sea. Naqiq hoped this would help the Giants, but, more importantly, it brought balance to the waters of the region.

With that, Naqiq was pleased. He felt justice had been dealt, and his point proven. He awaited their reaction.

The undersea has been removed to the surface of the continent.

Shape Land Fantastical (12pts)

Shape Land (2pts)