Tamorean Vast, Graveyard of Ships

In the middle of the deep oceans lies the Tamorean Vast, a great, empty stretch of water that seems just like any other. But over the years hundreds of ships have disappeared without a trace in these waters. It is said that any ship that enters these waters runs a great risk; many enter a strange fog, never to be seen again. Divinations do not tell what has happened, and those who scry into the area find only calm seawaters.

For the last century or so, sailors have whispered of the Tamorean Vast as a place where ships disappear. “A ship that enters those waters is as good as gone; ’tis only a great miracle that one or two make it through at all,” they say. The Tamorean Vast has garnered quite a reputation as a place of terrible mystery and dread. Most captains venture into it only when they absolutely must.

This makes travel from Keldaerin to the eastern coast fairly difficult. Most captains choose to take the longer route around the southern tip of Illdarin, though it is nearly twice the distance of the northern coastline. However, there are no currents that take ships along the northern coastal waters; rather they push them out further to sea and into the Dread Mists of the Vast. Rumor suggests that these mists are the reason why some ships disappear. If sailors’ tales are to be believed, ships that disappear in the mists are pulled into another, darker world of terror from which nothing escapes.

The Vast is the sole reason why no adventurers have made it to any lands west of Illdarin or at the very least made it back to tell of their tales. Many have tried though none have yet to succeed. Because of this dilemma, trade that comes into the western cities is limited to either timely shipping travels or cross-country travelers. Many guarantee that a successful trade route developed from the eastern coast to any lands west of Illdarin would surely garner near infinite fortune and adoration.