A sheltered bay at the western end of Meadow Sound, where the Misery River deposits its waters into the sea. The bay serves as the primary maritime access point for the southern jungles of Ve, though the river's influence makes it an uneasy place.
Geography
Belanorn Bay cuts into the coast where the Belanora hills meet the jungle lowlands. The eastern and southern shores are steep—the Belanora hills descend sharply to the waterline, creating dramatic cliffs in places. The western and northern shores are gentler, where river sediment has built up over millennia.
The bay is relatively deep, capable of accommodating large vessels. Several natural harbors indent the coastline, though none have developed into significant ports. The Misery River enters at the bay's northwestern corner, spreading into a marshy delta before the waters mix.
The Diluted Grief
The Misery River's psychological effects weaken significantly in Belanorn Bay. The salt water of Meadow Sound seems to dilute whatever the river carries. Sailors in the bay report only mild melancholy—nothing compared to the crushing despair of the river itself.
This has made the bay's mouth the only safe anchorage for ships approaching Locquine territory. Traders who wish to deal with the pixies typically anchor in the bay and travel upriver by small boat, limiting their exposure to the concentrated effects.
Even so, the bay's waters aren't entirely normal. Fish caught here taste faintly bitter, and long-term residents of the coastal settlements report vivid dreams of events they never witnessed—fragments of other people's memories, ancient and sorrowful.
Settlements
A handful of small fishing villages cling to the bay's shores, populated by hardy souls willing to trade psychological comfort for the bay's abundant catches. These communities tend toward the stoic and laconic—people here don't smile much, but they don't complain either. Depression runs high, but so does a peculiar resilience.
The largest settlement, Tearfall, occupies a sheltered harbor on the eastern shore. Perhaps two hundred people live there, supporting themselves through fishing, limited trade with upriver communities, and serving as guides for the occasional expedition into Locquine territory. Tearfall's residents have developed rituals to manage the bay's influence: communal singing each evening, mandatory rest days, and a tradition of sharing meals that seems to ward off the worst of the isolation.
Trade
Belanorn Bay sees little commercial traffic. The Misery River makes the interior inaccessible to conventional trade, and the bay itself offers nothing that can't be found more easily elsewhere. What trade does occur usually involves:
- Pixie artifacts from Locquine, sold through intermediaries who've survived dealing with the insane fae
- Rare jungle specimens gathered from the river delta's unique ecology
- Misery water itself, bottled and sold to alchemists and researchers studying its properties
The artifacts command the highest prices. Weavings from Locquine that show fragments of possible futures are worth fortunes to the right buyers. Most traders consider the risks—both physical and psychological—too great, which keeps supply low and prices astronomical.
Navigation
Entering Belanorn Bay from Meadow Sound requires careful navigation. Sandbars shift seasonally as the Misery River deposits and redistributes sediment. The Belanora cliffs on the eastern approach can create treacherous currents. Local pilots from Tearfall offer their services, though finding them requires knowing where to look.
The bay's waters are calmer than Meadow Sound, protected from the worst weather by the surrounding hills. This makes it a popular refuge during storms—ships will anchor in Belanorn Bay rather than risk the sound's choppier waters, accepting the melancholic dreams as a fair trade for safety.