Storm Tide

As the magical tumult in the east and west of Alva slowly abate, something is stirring in its centre. Strong winds gather between the Jewel and Circen Sea, and the waves churn restlessly. At first it seems like a simple storm is brewing, but then sailors begin to notice strange fluctuations in the ocean currents. The older ones soon recognise the signs: whirlspouts are forming.

In Amedra, Belport, Linhythe and Song-Lu, citizens rush to secure boats and property. Although whirlspouts can only travel on water, the debris rained down from them can be destructive to anywhere bordering the seaside. On the sea itself, nothing will be safe – entire galleons have been thrown high into the air by larger whirlspouts in the past. Every seafaring vessel is pulled ashore, sent away or anchored as firmly as possible to the docks, including those of the Imperial Navy and Royal Armada.

Without military patrols on the water, a daring and dangerous opportunity arises for the underground. Whispers come of a massive smuggling operation planned for just before the whirlspouts form around the 2nd Rains. Harnessing the stormy winds, fleets of illegal ships will depart from hidden locations in both the Empire and Kingdom, transporting anything from goods to people to the opposite side. It is a dire gamble whether they will avoid the whirlspouts, but a risk deemed worth taking.

Whether citizen or criminal, smuggler or spectator, people prepare for the phenomenon – and try not to think of how this is yet another in a worryingly long chain of recent disasters.