Neol Strait

The Neol Strait is the watery division between Laerdt'nah and Meslemesa, a choppy and windy passage that typically takes 3 to 4 days to cross in either direction. Few who live in Laerdt'nah have ever tried to cross the strait, and even fewer returned. Those who did reported seeing far-off magical storms ravaging both the waters and the coasts of Meslemesa. Typically, foolish (or brave) merchants seeking to establish their own trade outside of The Way Between were the only ones who tried the journey, and most returned home in irons on board a Mesle ship. 
The shallows of the strait, on the Laerdt'nah side, were lined with black and dark blue sand. The waters were also known to be quite cold in the summer months, causing hypothermia to those unaware of its dangers, but the water could be quite warm in the winter. Those who fished in the Strait often did not venture far from shore and set up traps for crabs, lobsters, and turtles. They also fished for squid, pan-pan, doc, and other fish.

According to Mesle Sailors

Mesle sailors were notoriously tight-lipped about their home land, but according to those who travelled on the Mesle merchant ships, the strait was perilous a ship that lacked a strong magic wielder as the storms that ravaged the Meslemesa coast often travelled out to sea and would sink unprotected ships. They claimed that all the Endref merchants they captured had been driven mad by the storms, pulled out of the strait and locked in irons for their own protection (though the Endref merchants and sailors could never recall much more than when they first left port). The Mesle sailors also said said that there were a few rocky shallows and sandbars in the near middle of the strait, which caused a few inexperienced Mesle sailors to wreck every eoch.

Significant Ports

On Laerdt'nah, the most significant ports on the Neol Strait are The Way Between and the Port of Lauthor. The Way Between is the main trading port between Endref and Mesle, and the port itself has a massive array of wet and dry docks, though very few large ships have ever been constructed in Endref. The Port of Lauthor is the capital of Endref and its docks had some trading capacity, but were largely designed for fishing, personal craft, and diplomatic vessels. Some Mesle sailors also spoke of a port in Leaait, but none in Endref could confirm its existence.
On Meslemesa, the main port was often simply referred to as Main, though it was understood that the port city had a name in the base language of the people from that area. The little bit of information that Melse sailors let slip about Main told of three arching towers along the short line, as well as twenty docks racing out into the straight like seaweed.

Type

Strait