The Harthak Sea is too large to be considered a bay, though it is surrounded on three sides by land. Those shores are completely controlled by the Sharakim of the cultures of Harthak. A small but significant number of merchant vessels sail the sea. One of the major routes is called the heptagon, where the ships hit the largest coastal city of each of the seven Harthak nations. The crews of these ships are often multi-national. Self selection has effected the religious make-up of the crews. Over time, a dichotomy has formed with ships being either extremely fundamentalist or relatively lax, with regard to religious observance.