Faehmhara

Far to the east of the continent Earychyd there exists a continent of sorts, an island amidst the seas. Faehmhara is not a continent in the sense of a plate of land on the planet’s skin, but instead a floating island of seaweed and other jetsam. This is not simply a place where the ocean currents gather this material, but instead a body of junk and waste so thick that most peoples can walk on it as though it were land.

Faehmhara was thought to be a legend of the elves, a horror story to discourage any from venturing too far to the east, but the humans and trolls have discovered it too. It is a dangerous place as the ocean currents will gather things here, but there are no air currents capable of moving a ship away. Those that have ventured there and returned typically did so through use of magic, or extremely lucky storms providing them the wind power they needed. Typically, the island is simply a trap.

And this is why so many wish to travel to the island. How many ships over the centuries have been caught in this windless trap and what were they carrying? As time goes on, the island continues to gather more material and grows. This means that there are ships that might be mired miles in from the “coast”. While there are stories of sailors looting these doomed ships and returning rich, these seem overblown. No known treasure ships have been lost to the island, so whatever cargos are there are unlikely to be sufficient to make it worth the risks. Still, the legends of heavily laden ships caught by the island while fleeing pirates continue to be told.

This is a land unlike any other. It too has its dangers. While most of the land is sturdy enough to support people, it still oozes around footsteps. A creature like a horse would be unlikely to travel safely here. (Too much weight on small hooves.)  There are areas where the ground is not strong and without warning could give way, dropping the person into the ocean, and possibly recovering the hole after they slip through.

Additionally, there are creatures that live on the island. Rumors of creepy, amphibious frog-like men are chief amongst the inhabitants. There are also rumors that a dragon-sized turtle (possibly dragon turtles themselves) nest here as the seaweed allows their young to hide until their shells grow tough and they gain in size and strength. Who knows what other horrors may dwell here, both living and the spirits of the long dead sailors who lost their lives here?