The Terror of Shattered Bay
There is an old legend that is whispered amongst the barbarous lands of Vangolia, of how the Shattered Bay came to be. It comes from the old mythic era of the Age of Arcanum, of how the bridges between Vangolia and Gwynngilliad were once bound together and waged a bloody conflic between two ancient enemies - the Wood Elves & Orcs. The Orcs tell of the great horror that was disturbed by the battles of the gods, and after the incessant buzzing of gods fighting gods had awoken the behemoth from it's slumber, thought to have been buried long ago. The Elves scoff and tell of a great tsunami summoned to savour them from the wrath of savagery from the Orcs within Vangolia.
These are mostly tales shared by those that traverse close to the many broken and stormy isles that pock-mark the divide between the savage frontier of Vangolia, and the wild ranges of Gwynngilliad. Those who traverse this region bare witness to the cataclysm that was wrought by the Terror of Shattered Bay, a creature that was said to have sundered mountains, roared the seas to submit and break the continents apart.
Amongst the Orcs and the Wood Elves, there exists a persistent rumour about how a great creature the size of a mountain once roamed and terrorised the lands - the aftershock of its once great appearance is told even today through the oral histories of the Orcs of Aven'giira and through the whistling songs of the Gwynngilliad Elves. It is said to come only when the humanoid races herald and war between one another for dominance, the cries of blood and the clash of iron and arrow said to summon the beast from its slumber deep beneath the earth. The disturbing of its sleep from its unknown den is said to make the land tremble and wuake with great might, breaking and remaking the land to new visages, summoning hills and changing the courses of rivers, and flooding or raising dozens of new islands across the Shattered Bay. A place in which once made the land-bridge that united the lands of Vangolia to Gwynngilliad, a border contested by the two ancient rivals of history. Whenever a battle is called between these two races, it is common that raging storms and high tides follow in an uncontrollable or untameable sea that wracks and writhes with anger and great rainfall, and upon the land great geysers of steam burst open from the cracks that rip apart the earth, stone and soil of the land. The greatest raging storm that occurred happened long since before the Orcs and Elves made themselves the dominant races of their respective regions, and had summoned the bedrock of the sea to the surface, as the creature peaked from the earth below and roared a mighty cry that shattered and spread destruction across the land bridge. Its cry had felled the great Giants that ruled the land before, shattering their bones from the mighty winds summoned forth from the beasts cry, and ruining mountains and valleys, submitting them and tearing apart to be flooded by the Ventura Sea. The Orcs and Elves, despite their hatred between one another, always think twice before rallying for war, and give their regards to the ancient behemoth that tore their lands asunder in ages past. They do not wish to unleash such terrible forces of nature as their ancestors have done before. Both races share one name between them to call the beast, as both fear it's might - the "Tarrach'Nei", (The Terror Known).
The region of the Shattered Bay holds seasonal flooding and draining to reveal and drown several small islands across it's bay, due to the earthquakes that pervade the region over time, some islands are created and some are destroyed due to the natural cycle. Often times this occurs in the summer period, where the warmth allows the armies of the Elves and Orcs to marshal at their best and their most numerous. Dozens of groups that have made anchorage at one of these isles have been known to go missing and remain unheard of, and the isle disappears after the great quakes - thus leading to the naval warfare and landing parties to wait until the tides and winds turn their way, before making their move across the landscape. Even when either side makes a great victory, before summers end, the quakes return and cause a change in the geography over the region, making landfall unreliable and martial strategy unpredictable due to the regions transformations over time. Perhaps the story of the Terror serves as a warning to those traversing the Shattered Bay, and for both sides to pause before making a move against their ancient enemy, before taking the risk across the waters.
The tale has spread from the migrating clans of orcs that sail and cross the seas into other continents for raiding and colonising new areas for the Viragonate - but for the Elves, it is a local legend that is lauded to both bring ease to those fearing the return of Orcish raids and to quell the ambitions of aspiring conquerors to reclaim the lost lands of the North. Furthermore, those that venture as brigands or pirates that seek asylum from the law or aspire to adventure the savage lands of Vangolia know the dangers of the waters between the two continents, and avoid ever going to these regions - never kowing whether their vessels will sink to the depths, or rise atop a great hill upon a new island within the region.
SUMMARY
Amongst the Orcs and the Wood Elves, there exists a persistent rumour about how a great creature the size of a mountain once roamed and terrorised the lands - the aftershock of its once great appearance is told even today through the oral histories of the Orcs of Aven'giira and through the whistling songs of the Gwynngilliad Elves. It is said to come only when the humanoid races herald and war between one another for dominance, the cries of blood and the clash of iron and arrow said to summon the beast from its slumber deep beneath the earth. The disturbing of its sleep from its unknown den is said to make the land tremble and wuake with great might, breaking and remaking the land to new visages, summoning hills and changing the courses of rivers, and flooding or raising dozens of new islands across the Shattered Bay. A place in which once made the land-bridge that united the lands of Vangolia to Gwynngilliad, a border contested by the two ancient rivals of history. Whenever a battle is called between these two races, it is common that raging storms and high tides follow in an uncontrollable or untameable sea that wracks and writhes with anger and great rainfall, and upon the land great geysers of steam burst open from the cracks that rip apart the earth, stone and soil of the land. The greatest raging storm that occurred happened long since before the Orcs and Elves made themselves the dominant races of their respective regions, and had summoned the bedrock of the sea to the surface, as the creature peaked from the earth below and roared a mighty cry that shattered and spread destruction across the land bridge. Its cry had felled the great Giants that ruled the land before, shattering their bones from the mighty winds summoned forth from the beasts cry, and ruining mountains and valleys, submitting them and tearing apart to be flooded by the Ventura Sea. The Orcs and Elves, despite their hatred between one another, always think twice before rallying for war, and give their regards to the ancient behemoth that tore their lands asunder in ages past. They do not wish to unleash such terrible forces of nature as their ancestors have done before. Both races share one name between them to call the beast, as both fear it's might - the "Tarrach'Nei", (The Terror Known).
HISTORICAL BASIS
The region of the Shattered Bay holds seasonal flooding and draining to reveal and drown several small islands across it's bay, due to the earthquakes that pervade the region over time, some islands are created and some are destroyed due to the natural cycle. Often times this occurs in the summer period, where the warmth allows the armies of the Elves and Orcs to marshal at their best and their most numerous. Dozens of groups that have made anchorage at one of these isles have been known to go missing and remain unheard of, and the isle disappears after the great quakes - thus leading to the naval warfare and landing parties to wait until the tides and winds turn their way, before making their move across the landscape. Even when either side makes a great victory, before summers end, the quakes return and cause a change in the geography over the region, making landfall unreliable and martial strategy unpredictable due to the regions transformations over time. Perhaps the story of the Terror serves as a warning to those traversing the Shattered Bay, and for both sides to pause before making a move against their ancient enemy, before taking the risk across the waters.
SPREAD
The tale has spread from the migrating clans of orcs that sail and cross the seas into other continents for raiding and colonising new areas for the Viragonate - but for the Elves, it is a local legend that is lauded to both bring ease to those fearing the return of Orcish raids and to quell the ambitions of aspiring conquerors to reclaim the lost lands of the North. Furthermore, those that venture as brigands or pirates that seek asylum from the law or aspire to adventure the savage lands of Vangolia know the dangers of the waters between the two continents, and avoid ever going to these regions - never kowing whether their vessels will sink to the depths, or rise atop a great hill upon a new island within the region.
