Stormhaven Banks
Pronunciation: STORM-haven
Map Index: C-6, D-5, D-6
Location: Off the east coast of Aorlan
Description: The Stormhaven Banks consists of a 425-mile long linear chain of 10 barrier islands off the east coast of Aorlan. These islands, except for Saltspire Island, are made of sand and are only as high as their dunes. Vegetation mostly consists of grasses and low scrubby plants, but a few of the islands have short trees. While the ocean side of the islands are always sandy, the sound side of the islands often contains marshes.
Most of the inlets between the islands are treacherous with constantly-shifting shoals. The wreckage of many ships litters their shallow waters, and local pirates keep an eye out for ships caught by a shoal.
A brief description of all 10 islands follows, proceeding from north to south:
1: Driftwood Isle: Named for the prodigious amounts of driftwood that accumulates along its northern shore, this island was once separated from Widow’s Rest by a shallow inlet. The inlet filled in during the great winter storm of 1246, creating one large island. Several small fishing villages exist on the sound side of this island. The Kingdom of Arnheim keeps watchmen on the island due to its strategic location on shipping routes to the Kingdom and the Arn River.
2: Widow’s Rest: Now the southern half of Driftwood Isle, it is named for the many shipwrecks that have claimed sailors’ lives. Widow’s Rest is haunted by eerie wailing winds at night. Locals believe the cries are those of the dead calling out to loved ones who will never know their fate. Or perhaps they just scare outsiders with the tales! No permanent residents live on this section of the island. There is a herd of wild horses that lives on this part of the Isle, and sometimes crosses over to the Driftwood side. But they are wary of humans and skittish if approached.
3: Thundercrash Isle: Known for its heavy, violent surf, this island has claimed dozens of ships. Ship timbers litter its desolate windswept shore. Tales say that a hidden pirate treasure lies buried beneath its dunes, hidden and trapped by the infamous Valmyrrian pirate Divid Nar. Nar was the greatest - or at least, the most legendary - of all pirates who sailed the Sea of Beledor. These tales say that he once lived on this isle, that the treasure was his great cache of gold, magic and other loot - and that his ship's untimely end prevented him from ever returning to the fabulous treasure. Only thin grasses hold the island's sand in place, however, so that the island’s dunes shift constantly with the winds - leaving no long-lasting landmarks for treasure seekers. Still, they occasionally visit the island in search. Thundercrash Isle is otherwise as uninhabited as it is inhospitable.
4: Ghostlight Cay: Mysterious blue lights flicker frequently along the shoreline at night, leading many sailors to believe the island contains some dark sorcerous secret. The marshy interior, infested with clouds of mosquitos and biting flies, keeps this island uninhabited.
5: Brinefang Isle: Home to a notorious clan of Sand Goblins, this island is littered with their crude driftwood huts. They fish, steal from shipwrecks, and sometimes attack passing vessels in swift outrigger canoes. They have been known to create ruses to tempt passing ships to come too close to shore, and will quickly attack any who run aground in the shallows.
6: Saltspire Isle: The largest of the isles that make up the Stormhaven Banks, Saltspire is distinct with its great spire of white rock rising from the center of the Isle to 85 feet above the sea. It is stone, not salt, but the name has stuck. Old ruins, known as the Eagle’s Nest, sit atop the spire. They are very difficult to reach and are rumored to be treacherous or haunted or both. The northern and southern parts of the island are very low and commonly over washed by waves during violent storms. The island is uninhabited.
7: Wraithmarsh Isle: This large island is eerily devoid of life. No birds roost here, and according to fishermen, even the fish avoid the area. Sailors who land on its shores report a heavy sense of dread and barely-heard whispers on the wind. Local tales say that anyone who dares to spend a night on the island is never seen again.
8: Stormcaller Isle: This island has an evil reputation for luring ships to their doom. Sailors and fishermen say that the island is home to harpies whose song lures sailors to wreck on its shore. Several recent shipwrecks seem to back this up.
9: Black Squall Isle: This island is frequently hit by sudden, violent storms, making it difficult to live on. Despite this, a group of human hermits and exiles call it home, living off the sea and scavenging what little the island offers.
10: Dead Man’s Isle: Named for the many bodies that have washed up from ships that hit the rocks of the dragon’s claws offshore - or, perhaps, for pirate mystique - this island is a pirate haven for settlements of humans and black orcs. They maintain an uneasy truce, with the orcs controlling the northern half of the island and the human pirates controlling the southern half. Both areas have hidden coves where they hide their ships out of sight of the navies of Denos, Pelarr, and Venn, as well as some small and hidden defensive artillery.
11: Ghost Light Isle: This isle received its name due to the strange lights seen at night on the island’s eastern shore. Living off the sea, Sand Goblins claim this island as their home. Chaotically arranged driftwood huts, roofed with grass and hidden among small trees, serve as their residences. They often light lanterns on foggy nights in an effort to fool ships into crashing on its shore. When they succeed they claim the shipwreck and its survivors. Any they capture are, at next opportunity, sold to black orc slavers from Kraal.
A brief description of some dangerous navigational hazards found near the area of the Stormhaven Banks:
A: Dagger Shoal: This shoal to the east of Widow’s Rest consists of very hard sharp pointed rocks which reveal themselves only at low tide. The rocks have ripped open many a ship’s hull.
B: Seabird Rock: This large rock stands in the sea east of Saltspire Isle, jutting suddenly out of the water and rising up over 55 feet in height. Thousands of birds nest on the rock. This rock has claimed many ships who strayed too close and were thrown up against it by large waves, usually at night or in a storm.
C: Dragon’s Spine Shoals: These shoals, east of the point of Wraithmarsh Isle, consist of a linear rocky ridge of white rock that lies just below sea level. Surrounding this ridge are deposits of white sand that create the appearance of a dragon’s spine from above. Local legends say the sand is from the broken bones of drowned sailors.
D: The Dragon’s Claws: Hundreds of sharp white rocks lurk in the sea off the shore of Dead Man’s Isle. These rocks, which do indeed resemble huge dragon’s claws, are a danger to any ship that strays too close to shore. They can rend a ship’s hull in moments and are responsible for the many shipwrecks that litter the shore of Dead Man’s Isle.
Residents: Arn Human on Driftwood and Black Squall Isles, Sand Goblins on Brinefang and Ghostlight Isles, a motley collection of human pirates and Black Orcs on Dead Man’s Isle.
Primary Population: Arn Human, Sand Goblin, and Black Orc
Secondary Population: None
Minor Population: None
Government and Politics: The islands are self-ruled except for Driftwood Isle which is under the nominal control of Arnheim. While mostly independent, the two small towns on Driftwood are dependent on Arnheim’s navy to keep them safe from pirates. The sand goblins on Brinefang and Ghostlight Isles are fiercely independent and ruled by their own tribal chieftains. On Dead Man’s Isle there are few permanent year-round residents with most of the population consisting of pirate vessels that dock for short periods of rest. The residents have declared their town Free Port, as in independent and free of the laws and rules established of the nearby kingdoms on the mainland. Free Port's taverns are notoriously dangerous and depraved. Pirate ship captains visiting Free Port - if their ship and crew are large enough - will often dominate the locals during their visit.
Economy: The economy of the islands vary a great deal. Residents of the isle of Driftwood Isle depend upon fishing for their livelihood. What fish they don’t take home to preserve in salt, they take to Arnheim to sell. The sand goblin tribes on Brinefang and Ghostlight Isles operate self-sufficiently and interact little with outsiders. They eke out a living as best they can from the sea while gleefully partaking in the plunder of any ships that wreck near their home. The human and black orc residents of Dead Man’s Isle rely on piracy to maintain themselves and their settlements. They swiftly strike vulnerable vessels, steal whatever valuables they choose and then flee swiftly to evade the navies of nearby kingdoms. Most of these pirates have ties to the port of Khu where they can openly sell their pirated goods.
Military: The islands have no established military for defense. Other than Arnheim’s occasional support of the residents of Driftwood, the residents of the island are on their own.
History: The area where the Stormhaven Banks sit were once part of the mainland. During the tragic events of the Great Cataclysm, the land in easternmost Aorlan sank, creating this long stretch of sandy barrier islands along the east coast.
Today: The islands that make up the Stormhaven Banks serve as a great breakwater for the Ennishire Sound, creating a zone of relative safety when great squalls blow in from the east. Besides providing a safe habitat for young fish and for a myriad of birds they also allow for safer passage into the ports of Venn, Pelarr, and Denos.
Map Index: C-6, D-5, D-6
Location: Off the east coast of Aorlan
Description: The Stormhaven Banks consists of a 425-mile long linear chain of 10 barrier islands off the east coast of Aorlan. These islands, except for Saltspire Island, are made of sand and are only as high as their dunes. Vegetation mostly consists of grasses and low scrubby plants, but a few of the islands have short trees. While the ocean side of the islands are always sandy, the sound side of the islands often contains marshes.
Most of the inlets between the islands are treacherous with constantly-shifting shoals. The wreckage of many ships litters their shallow waters, and local pirates keep an eye out for ships caught by a shoal.
A brief description of all 10 islands follows, proceeding from north to south:
1: Driftwood Isle: Named for the prodigious amounts of driftwood that accumulates along its northern shore, this island was once separated from Widow’s Rest by a shallow inlet. The inlet filled in during the great winter storm of 1246, creating one large island. Several small fishing villages exist on the sound side of this island. The Kingdom of Arnheim keeps watchmen on the island due to its strategic location on shipping routes to the Kingdom and the Arn River.
2: Widow’s Rest: Now the southern half of Driftwood Isle, it is named for the many shipwrecks that have claimed sailors’ lives. Widow’s Rest is haunted by eerie wailing winds at night. Locals believe the cries are those of the dead calling out to loved ones who will never know their fate. Or perhaps they just scare outsiders with the tales! No permanent residents live on this section of the island. There is a herd of wild horses that lives on this part of the Isle, and sometimes crosses over to the Driftwood side. But they are wary of humans and skittish if approached.
4: Ghostlight Cay: Mysterious blue lights flicker frequently along the shoreline at night, leading many sailors to believe the island contains some dark sorcerous secret. The marshy interior, infested with clouds of mosquitos and biting flies, keeps this island uninhabited.
5: Brinefang Isle: Home to a notorious clan of Sand Goblins, this island is littered with their crude driftwood huts. They fish, steal from shipwrecks, and sometimes attack passing vessels in swift outrigger canoes. They have been known to create ruses to tempt passing ships to come too close to shore, and will quickly attack any who run aground in the shallows.
6: Saltspire Isle: The largest of the isles that make up the Stormhaven Banks, Saltspire is distinct with its great spire of white rock rising from the center of the Isle to 85 feet above the sea. It is stone, not salt, but the name has stuck. Old ruins, known as the Eagle’s Nest, sit atop the spire. They are very difficult to reach and are rumored to be treacherous or haunted or both. The northern and southern parts of the island are very low and commonly over washed by waves during violent storms. The island is uninhabited.
7: Wraithmarsh Isle: This large island is eerily devoid of life. No birds roost here, and according to fishermen, even the fish avoid the area. Sailors who land on its shores report a heavy sense of dread and barely-heard whispers on the wind. Local tales say that anyone who dares to spend a night on the island is never seen again.
8: Stormcaller Isle: This island has an evil reputation for luring ships to their doom. Sailors and fishermen say that the island is home to harpies whose song lures sailors to wreck on its shore. Several recent shipwrecks seem to back this up.
9: Black Squall Isle: This island is frequently hit by sudden, violent storms, making it difficult to live on. Despite this, a group of human hermits and exiles call it home, living off the sea and scavenging what little the island offers.
10: Dead Man’s Isle: Named for the many bodies that have washed up from ships that hit the rocks of the dragon’s claws offshore - or, perhaps, for pirate mystique - this island is a pirate haven for settlements of humans and black orcs. They maintain an uneasy truce, with the orcs controlling the northern half of the island and the human pirates controlling the southern half. Both areas have hidden coves where they hide their ships out of sight of the navies of Denos, Pelarr, and Venn, as well as some small and hidden defensive artillery.
11: Ghost Light Isle: This isle received its name due to the strange lights seen at night on the island’s eastern shore. Living off the sea, Sand Goblins claim this island as their home. Chaotically arranged driftwood huts, roofed with grass and hidden among small trees, serve as their residences. They often light lanterns on foggy nights in an effort to fool ships into crashing on its shore. When they succeed they claim the shipwreck and its survivors. Any they capture are, at next opportunity, sold to black orc slavers from Kraal.
A brief description of some dangerous navigational hazards found near the area of the Stormhaven Banks:
A: Dagger Shoal: This shoal to the east of Widow’s Rest consists of very hard sharp pointed rocks which reveal themselves only at low tide. The rocks have ripped open many a ship’s hull.
B: Seabird Rock: This large rock stands in the sea east of Saltspire Isle, jutting suddenly out of the water and rising up over 55 feet in height. Thousands of birds nest on the rock. This rock has claimed many ships who strayed too close and were thrown up against it by large waves, usually at night or in a storm.
C: Dragon’s Spine Shoals: These shoals, east of the point of Wraithmarsh Isle, consist of a linear rocky ridge of white rock that lies just below sea level. Surrounding this ridge are deposits of white sand that create the appearance of a dragon’s spine from above. Local legends say the sand is from the broken bones of drowned sailors.
D: The Dragon’s Claws: Hundreds of sharp white rocks lurk in the sea off the shore of Dead Man’s Isle. These rocks, which do indeed resemble huge dragon’s claws, are a danger to any ship that strays too close to shore. They can rend a ship’s hull in moments and are responsible for the many shipwrecks that litter the shore of Dead Man’s Isle.
Residents: Arn Human on Driftwood and Black Squall Isles, Sand Goblins on Brinefang and Ghostlight Isles, a motley collection of human pirates and Black Orcs on Dead Man’s Isle.
Primary Population: Arn Human, Sand Goblin, and Black Orc
Secondary Population: None
Minor Population: None
Government and Politics: The islands are self-ruled except for Driftwood Isle which is under the nominal control of Arnheim. While mostly independent, the two small towns on Driftwood are dependent on Arnheim’s navy to keep them safe from pirates. The sand goblins on Brinefang and Ghostlight Isles are fiercely independent and ruled by their own tribal chieftains. On Dead Man’s Isle there are few permanent year-round residents with most of the population consisting of pirate vessels that dock for short periods of rest. The residents have declared their town Free Port, as in independent and free of the laws and rules established of the nearby kingdoms on the mainland. Free Port's taverns are notoriously dangerous and depraved. Pirate ship captains visiting Free Port - if their ship and crew are large enough - will often dominate the locals during their visit.
Economy: The economy of the islands vary a great deal. Residents of the isle of Driftwood Isle depend upon fishing for their livelihood. What fish they don’t take home to preserve in salt, they take to Arnheim to sell. The sand goblin tribes on Brinefang and Ghostlight Isles operate self-sufficiently and interact little with outsiders. They eke out a living as best they can from the sea while gleefully partaking in the plunder of any ships that wreck near their home. The human and black orc residents of Dead Man’s Isle rely on piracy to maintain themselves and their settlements. They swiftly strike vulnerable vessels, steal whatever valuables they choose and then flee swiftly to evade the navies of nearby kingdoms. Most of these pirates have ties to the port of Khu where they can openly sell their pirated goods.
Military: The islands have no established military for defense. Other than Arnheim’s occasional support of the residents of Driftwood, the residents of the island are on their own.
History: The area where the Stormhaven Banks sit were once part of the mainland. During the tragic events of the Great Cataclysm, the land in easternmost Aorlan sank, creating this long stretch of sandy barrier islands along the east coast.
Today: The islands that make up the Stormhaven Banks serve as a great breakwater for the Ennishire Sound, creating a zone of relative safety when great squalls blow in from the east. Besides providing a safe habitat for young fish and for a myriad of birds they also allow for safer passage into the ports of Venn, Pelarr, and Denos.