The Fireshard Islands

Located to the southeast from Erisdaire, there is a volcanic chain of islands known as the Fireshard Islands. Repeated active eruptions and lava flows make them very hazardous to dwell in, while there are numerous reasons to attempt anyway. Divination and expeditions have discovered a wealth of valuable metal ore and gemstones on the islands, prompting the creation of mining organizations to try exploiting these resources. Almost all of them end in catastrophe, with few truly prepared for the hostile environment near active volcanoes. Even so, the benefits have long been a draw for those who feel they can handle the risks.

Currently there is one major outpost on the least active of the islands: the Sebile Mining Company. They maintain a small presence, and rotate workers at regular intervals. Due to the time it takes to travel to and from the islands, these shift changes cannot be altered; this sometimes means miners meet misfortune with no escape.

Geography

There are many islands in the group, the exact number of which is hard to ascertain due to thick steam and ash clouds in the area. The main island is difficult to reach without aid due to obscured vision and numerous sharp volcanic rocks just under the surface of the water. Once arriving, the oppressive heat is greater than what living beings normally can tolerate. Even breathing is impossible without masks to filter the ash out of the air. Most of the mine sites themselves are surface-based, peeling away layers of solidified lava and compressed ash to find ore and gemstones. Eruptions often render these sites buried again, forcing crews to start a new site all over from the surface.

Fauna & Flora

Due to the incredible amount of volcanic activity on the islands, the presence of plants is unlikely. The few which survive here cannot sustain life, as they barely are capable of keeping themselves alive. A few places amidst the islands are just inactive enough for soil to have been formed, and a thick and tall grey grass has grown over those places. Inedible to most animals, this "ash grass" is harvested as shelter or packing material by the company.

While there are no animals able to survive on the plant life here, there are a number of creatures which actually sustain themselves off certain minerals in the rock. Mining disturbs these creatures to the point of aggressive response, adding one more layer of danger to being a miner stationed here. Chief among these are xorn and obsidian worms, both of which having the capacity to eliminate whole teams of miners before anyone is aware there was a problem.

Natural Resources

With the intense cycle of volcanic activity comes the depositing of various metals and gemstones close to the surface, allowing the prepared mining groups to harvest it for profit. Similarly, volcanic rock is harvested and used for large-scale construction projects as suitable foundation stone. But the most useful resource harvested has proven to be the ash layers. The dark grey ashes have been used as a cleansing agent (both personal hygiene and to scour surfaces) as well as by stonemasons (as part of the mortar used to bind stones together). Imperial masons have also perfected a particular mixture which solidifies into a stone-like surface, and have used it to produce interesting architecture over the last few centuries.

Alternative Name(s)

Dragon's Teeth

Type

Island