The stage was utterly massive. In the initial crash of water, many groups were scattered about and washed to various points in the stage.
Even the expedition party suffered by the waves. Despite the best efforts of Tilia and her War Sight, the water pushed right past her mountain.
The water was an effect of the Lord of the Sea's Domain. The only way to combat a Domain is through another Domain or a Territory. Something nobody was able to pull off in time.
Right now Salamandor was the only reason why they hadn't succumbed the water. It was clearly taking a lot of effort to not only maintain a Domain of this size, but to also combat directly with the Lord of the Sea's inner world.
