Ioun's Bay

A narrow breach in the coast leads to a widening of the water, a large oval of inland water. Rising from the centre of the bay, a large and fractured island sprouts thick with plant life, entirely converted into agricultural lands. Upon its shores the village of Eyeholm can be found, with a strip of water eating into the Pilgrim's Path near The Troll Tolls.

Geography

Surrounded by flatlands, Ioun's Bay is a gentle slope that creates a depression in the ground. Its oceanic opening is formed from the collapse of the coastal lands, creating a shallow passage out of the bay. The lands at its centre are low, with ragged bands of water separating the sections of land. Each of these island portions is heavily overgrown with plant life, both natural and agricultural. The shallows of the bay are clear, with a rippling effect like a silk curtain near to the bay exit as the saltwater and freshwater meet.

Fauna & Flora

The island in the centre is rife with numerous agricultural plants, many of them various grains and foodstuff. Although traps are used, they don't stop the presence of many animals making their nest on the island and nearby for easy access to the plants. The plants and caught animals provide a source of food for Eyeholm, with preserved materials also used for trading.

Natural Resources

The freshwater of the bay provides a source of potable water for those who come nearby, in addition to allowing the support of the grains on the islands. The water spring comes from below, with a strange and unusual taste from the rocks it runs through to reach the surface. While some may find it mildly off-putting, the water is still gathered for trading and drinking due to its clean state.
The island is able to support many grain plants, with the water carrying dissolved material that prevents the land from becoming fallow from use. The island itself is soft from water saturation, with pathways made from various strips and sections of material such as wood and stone allowing for safe travel. Stepping too far away is rarely done, with the softened material capable of turning into a drowning morass when the surface is disturbed.

History

Long considered a location of high importance, Ioun's Bay has a spiritual and physical reputation. For many of the faith, it is a location for holy pilgrimage, seen as a mark of her actions upon the world. When Tear Lake developed, it was seen as her final act in the world: a lone tear from the Eye of Ioun in sorrow for the world now lost. The land in the centre was rapidly accessed and prepared for agricultural use, providing a location of sustainable food for much of the northern reach.
With smooth, calm waters regardless of the weather and watched over by two fortifications, the Bay Keep and Point Watch, Ioun's Bay was a secure and aggressively developed region. Enhanced by the presence of its oceanic connection, it allowed for trade routes to stop off at Eyeholm for supplies and to shelter in the Bay when necessary.
After the Cataclysm, it was a hotly contested location as it provided a highly developed location for food and clean water in an area that had little other sources present. Defended as much as possible from aggressors over the years, it has been a focal point in the survival of the surrounding settlements over the centuries.

Tourism

At times, some of those still faithful to Ioun will make a pilgrimage to the bay to pay their respects. Despite the silence that always remains, they consider such a journey to be of spiritual power and purification. Traders will regularly make the journey as well to exchange goods for harvested crops and grains.

Alternative Name(s)

Eye of Ioun

Type

Bay

Location under

Aesmaril