The Gulf of Storms

The northeastern coast of Vorago is ravaged by powerful near-constant storms since the Destabilization.

Geography

The coast of the Gulf os Storms is mostly short, hardy temperate forests, extending from the high rocky cliffs of the coast to a dozen miles inland or so. Few beaches remain after decades of unrelenting erosion, but there are some sheltered coves and many sea caves.
Underwater, the Gulf stays quite shallow (only a few hundred feet) for a mile or two out, where hardy cold-water deep reefs thrive atop the many boulders and shipwrecks. The wrath of the wind does not reach down below, but the tides and currents are anomalously strong.

Ecosystem

The temperate forests grow short (selected for stability against the wind) and extremely verdant due to the near-constant rain. Low sunlight leads to slow growth, but nearly every surface is covered in sucking epiphytes. The land stays grey except on those rare sunny days, in which everything turns vibrant emerald. Due to the moist and dark, fungi are abundant. Low-lying areas are prone to flash-flooding, and rivers miles inland frequently swell out of their banks. The coast enjoys extremely high yields of fish and crustaceans, but few seabirds due to the weather.

Ecosystem Cycles

Sunlight levels don't shift across Vorago's seasons, and the storms do not vary in intensity across seasons. The only thing which varies is the temperature, which ranges from near freezing to humidly lukewarm.
However, there is one ten-day period out of every year in which the storms cease completely and reliably. It does not come at the same time every year (though it's usually in the fall), but happens nearly every year at some point. This is called Thor's Respite, or simply the Resting.

Localized Phenomena

The storms which brew in the Gulf are natural in nearly all but their frequency. Not all storms are hurricanes, though there are always a few. They rarely travel more than a hundred miles inland, decreasing in intensity as they go. Lightning is plentiful. Some argue that it is more like a single, fluctuating storm bouncing around the Gulf. Thor's Respite, named after an old god of the tempest with little remaining power, is a yearly ten-day-long guaranteed ceasing of all weather activity in the Gulf. No one is quite sure what prompts it.

Climate

The storms make the region extremely dangerous to traverse by sea or air. Practically no trade travels through here.

Fauna & Flora

The fauna include the usual temperate forest suspects like wolves, badgers, and deer, in addition to monsters like owlbear and shambling mounds. Myconids are a slow-growing presence in the region.

Natural Resources

The region is rich in fish, if only it could be accessed. Conventional farming is extremely difficult near the coast, but is well-rewarded by frequent gentle rain further inland.

History

Until the Destabilization, the Gulf of Storms was the Gulf of Thor, and was an unremarkable northern fishing area. After the appearance of the storms, the region slowly slipped down the list of priorities (and thus out of the control) of the Elven Coalition, and has begun to develop its own unique local cultures.\ Notably, unique local Myconids are a growing populaiton, and some crazy fisherpeople still inhabit the coasts, while human and halfling settlements farm further inland.

Tourism

During the Respite, many foreign fishermen race to the Gulf to catch massive hauls of even more massive fish. It becomes a game of chicken to see who will stay the longest before the return of the storms.

Alternative Name(s)

Thor's Shame

Type

Bay