Chapter 1 introduces the world of Tress of the Emerald Sea. The novel is set on the Rock, or what is officially named Diggen’s Point, where locals mine salt for the kingdom. Nothing can grow on the rock, and the mines leave a constant presence of black smoke. The Rock is not a pleasant place to live, but the salt is a necessary resource, so the king ruled that no locals are ever to be taken from Diggen’s Point.

Another essential element of world building in this chapter is the introduction of spores. The ocean is not made up of water, it is made up of spores. When wet, spores “sprout explosively” (5), which, depending on the type of spore, could be deadly to humans. Only salt or silver render the spores “inert,” leading to the local saying: “[S]alt and silver halt the killer” (5).

The chapter also introduces the main character, Tress. Her real name is Glorf, but her wild, beautiful hair led to her nickname, “Tress.” Despite how inhospitable her home is, Tress thinks, “There’s a beauty to this, actually. I like it here. And I believe I shall be fine to remain here all my life” (6).