The Cathay Triangle

The Cathay Triangle, also known as the Devil's Armpit, is an urban legend centred around a loosely defined region in the Ocean of Cathay where a number of aircraft and ships are said to have disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The idea of the area as uniquely prone to disappearances arose in the mid-20th century, but most reputable sources dismiss the idea that there is any mystery. The triangle is said to have its points roughly at Metzetta, Alstin and Stenza.

History

Origins

The earliest suggestion of a truly unusual disappearance occurred in 1949, when an article published in Metzettan newspaper Sinmun-seda reported on a plane that went missing between Daxia and Alstin with no explanation. Two years later the story was picked up again by a magazine article in Stenza, along with several other similar stories, using a badly-translated copy of the original Metzettan article as evidence. The flight in question was piloted by experienced Daxian aviator Bai Ru, who allegedly claimed, "Our plane is flying to the moon," with no sources for this ever being given in either article. The story proliferated quickly around Alshar and then Crona, where it for a short while held the unenviable nickname of "The Devil's Armpit."

Notable incidents

Aside from the now-famous Bai Ru disappearance, older disappearances such as that of the SEM Tokkipul, a Metzettan ship bound for Alstin which disappeared with no trace in 1833; no crew were ever recovered, perhaps because the ship was manned entirely by inexperienced recruits on a training mission, or perhaps because of a more sinister purpose. Later disappearances were often attributed to the work of the "Cathay Triangle" which further fuelled the myth.

Explanations

Paranormal

One paranormal explanation often given for the triangle's existence is that the sunken city of Ætlantia lies beneath, and mythical leftover technology from that ancient civilisation has resulted in an inescapable vortex forming overhead. Some hypothesize that a parallel universe exists in the region, causing a time/space warp that sucks the objects around it into a parallel universe. Others attribute the events to UFOs.

Normal

Some have suggested that compass needles simply spin uselessly in the region, however this is not true and even if it were it would not necessarily result in sinking ships or crashing planes. Still others have blamed a combination of rough seas, weather and human error for the incidents which have occurred over the years.

Criticisms

Sceptical researchers have concluded that, taking the rough weather and currents of the extremely large region covered by the triangle, accidents are no more frequent than should be expected, and that sensationalist journalism has been responsible for the area's reputation. Researchers also note that storms in the area are often not mentioned in stories of disappearances. Accordingly, insurance companies cannot charge extra for journeys passing through this region.