Boiling Maelstrom

Between the central strong current of the Strait of Gehenna and the largest eddying harbor on its north shore, tucked between the skirts of two Hellsgate Peaks volcanoes, churns the ever-present Boiling Maelstrom. Here the swift Gehenna central current smashes into the rocky cliffs that outline the sheltered Giant’s Harbor, forcing the powerful flow back upon itself, and thus into an eternal and deadly spiral at the mouth of the harbor.
Any craft entering the Maelstrom would invariably be sucked beneath the waves and smashed against the rocky sea floor, but — so long as no volcanic activity is disrupting its current — the Maelstrom is at the very least predictable. The fire giants who live on the nearby shore of Giant’s Harbor regularly navigate their craft around the Maelstrom’s edges.
To untrained outsiders, however, the Boiling Maelstrom is truly deadly. Though it is rarely literally boiling, it is always hot enough to be concealed by a thick cloud of steam. Unless one already has memorized the safe paths around the outer edge, there is no way to see through the steam well enough to navigate around the whirlpool. Fire giants from Giant’s Harbor apprentice to veteran Maelstrom pilots for five years before they attempt the feat themselves.

Type

Geographic Feature