On the Northeastern coastline of Andalus lies the Branching Coast and its isles. The coast stretches for about 70 miles and consists of 2 wings (a smaller North ones, and a larger one shaped like a hook slightly further South) and a total of 12 islands. The area that is most well known along the coastline is the large, hook shaped wing along the coastline, and the 6 islands surrounding it: 3 inside the cove, and 3 that splintered out, but once completed the hook of the coastline that led back to the continent.
Because of the frequent natural disasters that plague this coastline, there is also an abundance of shipwrecks that must be sailed around and avoided if travelling through. Many bandits and pirates also intentionally voyage out to these areas to loot the shipwrecks, making the presence of danger both natural and manmade. The islands in the lower half of the coastline are massive karst rocks that are rumored to have roots in Chronomancy.
The waters along these coastlines are very rough and difficult to sail. Historically, residents of the karst islands and coastal towns tend to stay within The Branching Coast because sailing outside of its waters is very dangerous to even the most skilled sailors.
The coastline, which contains mountain ranges throughout its branches, has become a cove where wind becomes trapped and often causes storms; especially hurricanes and tsunamis. The currents in the area are particularly violent where the ocean flows into the cove, and act as a natural barrier for many ships and sea life to remain outside the immediate coastlines. Some mystics who live further inland claim to also be able to predict tornadoes based on the wind patterns along the Branching Coast.
The coastlines of Andalus have a temperate climate. The Northern half of the Branching Coast is more temperate, and the Southern half is more tropical. The change in seasons and temperatures throughout the year also contributes to the natural disasters along the coast lines.
This region used to be part of the main continent prior to the continental break during the Era of Reckoning, but during this period of disaster was ripped from the continent's landscape. As it broke apart from the continent, a huge chunk of the land sunk into the ocean, and the remainder splintered off into areas of land that are now self-sustaining islands.
Tourism by the mainland is common for the coastline, but far less frequent for the karst islands, which require not only boat travel but climbing in order to visit. Not all of the islands welcome visitors and require tourists to scale the dangerous cliffsides leading up the karsts the same way that the locals do. A few of the islands have built ladders and staircases going up the karsts, and welcome tourism. It is much less common to have tourists traveling by sea because getting there is far more dangerous from the ocean than from an Andalusian port.
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