Obsidian Spires from Obsidian Harbour
It felt like the island shooks for days, it may actually have. She wasn’t sure. What she was sure of was that things had changed in the years since the Ua’eha Mountain erupted. The island had been rocked by earthquakes and covered in thick smoking ash. Even so many years later that ash was still mixed in with the sand of their beaches. But the strangest thing was those odd black spires, made of black glass, that burst from the ground beneath their feet.
They now littered the coasts of their beautiful island. And once word reached the mainland people started flocking to their little village, pleading them to buy it from them. We needed the supplies, and we needed to repair so much after all that destruction. That’s how it happened, that's how our way of life changed forever. We were no longer a small farming community of two or so dozen. Now we had hundreds of people rushing to the islands in order to live and mine that black glass. The foreign merchants call it obsidian. And they love the stuff. If it can keep us fed and safe I suppose it’s worth the effort.
But she wasn’t so sure of the new name for the island. It felt, too aggressive, too on the nose. But the merchants love that too. Their Obsidian Spires from Obsidian Harbour.
Origins
These spires are unique to Obsidian Harbour, and can only be found in this form here. Many years ago a massive earthquake shook the then tranquil coasts of Noho Malie Kahakai, or The Quiet Beach, and all the surrounding islands of the Vilanto Sea. These earthquakes were a side effect of the large volcano on nearby Ua’eha Mountain erupting.
Obsidian Harbour was hit the hardest, being the closest island to Ua’eha, the island was quickly covered in hot ash and soot, burning and destroying many of the native flora and fauna. The few dozen locals living there, knowing the volcano could erupt at any time retreated to safe shelters built years ago. These islanders would survive the destructions left behind, but the future Obsidian Harbour would be changed forever. The earthquakes had caused the ground to shift and split. Revealing hundreds of dark glass spires dotting their new coastline.
These towers reached high into the sky, claiming their new territory as if an invading nation had placed their flag there. Loudly proclaiming, this is our island now.
The islanders emerged from their shelters days later and dared not approach these new behemoths. They avoided them as best they could as they rebuilt, thinking they represented danger and ill omen. Until a wayward merchant stumbled upon their island. Shrieking excitedly in his luck the merchant offered a huge bounty of supplies in trade for only a small barrel full of obsidian. With shocked glee, the islanders happily traded this odd glass with the merchant and took the much-needed supplies. Seems there was some benefit to this strange glass after all.
Within the next few years, as the islanders rebuilt, word spread across the southern coast of the mainland. There was endless obsidian on an island in the Vilanto Sea. Merchants, mages, and adventures began flocking to the village. Demand for what the islanders learned was obsidian grew and grew. And soon became the islands main source of trade.
Since then the island population has grown in size, now nearing a thousand residents. Most of whom mine obsidian for sale and trade with passing merchants and the like. They even renamed the island Obsidian Harbour, a clever marketing ploy many villagers thought.
Physical Characteristics
Obsidian is formed when lava, under the right conditions, rapidly cools and hardens into a glass-like material. It is shiny, hard, and deep black in colour. So black is its nature that some locals say that you can peer into the depths of your own soul. If you only catch the right glance, at the right angle, at the right time of day.
The spires of obsidian found on Obsidian Harbour were formed during the eruption of Ua’eha Mountian less than a hundred years ago. As ash fell upon the island, large spires of obsidian burst through the ground, reaching towards the clouds in the sky.
The average spire sits, its origin hiding far beneath the earth, reaches an average of eight feet tall. Well above the common islander height. The largest spire sits in the villages central square, a behemoth even amongst the tallest spires on the southern coast of the island. Sitting at nearly twenty feet tall, it is a stark reminder of the destruction that rendered the island nearly lost during the eruption that created these glass towers.
Use and Rarity
Obsidian is a prized commodity on the main-land, being nearly impossible to find under such casual circumstances as it is on Obsidian Harbour. It is sought after by jewellers, architects, mages, and many more. Commanding a high price from the merchants that sell it to those that can afford it.
It is an especially prized item for those of magical inclinations, with mages, wizards, and sorcerors paying large sums for even the smallest chunks. Obsidian is a fantastic conduit for magical energy. Being used as a potent component for spells and magical items. Some magic wielders even carve them into powerful magical focuses. Only a few other materials in the world are so magically conducive.
Obsidian is difficult to find on the main-land and is a very rare commodity. Even amongst the islands in the Vilanto Sea, Obsidian Harbour is the only island where obsidian can be found with such ease.
Collection and Trade
Obsidian, despite being extremely sharp, is actually quite brittle and is prone to breaking if handled improperly. As such, workers use specialized tools when collecting the material. Made from previously mined obsidian they slowly shave and carve away pieces of the large spires. Being cautious to not break or damage the spires structural integrity as it may collapse under the sudden pressure if mishandled.
The largest deposits of these obsidian spires lie on the southern coast of the island, farthest away from the town. Several paths lead to various work sites, where hundreds of islanders work daily. Shaving and cracking off pieces of the material for future trade. It is time-consuming work and only a small yield is gained per day but each small morsel is considered valuable in the eyes of merchants.
As the name implies, obsidian is Obsidian Harbours main export. They mine the material daily and stockpile it in large warehouses, guarded night and day by islanders. When merchants arrive, they are escorted to said warehouses, choose the stockpile they wish to trade for and commence discussions with the owners. It has given the population of the island a much greater bargaining tool when trading for much-needed supplies. In which the growing island is in desperate need of. They rarely take coin, and much rather usable tools and supplies.
And while the islanders believe they are getting a fair price, usually in trade, the obsidian fetches a far higher price once it arrives on the main-land. The islanders are aware of this and care little, they are happy to receive the amounts of supplies they do. Feeling it is a much better option then the useless coins the merchants attempt to give them on occasion.
Somehow, Obsidian Harbour has managed to stay a dirty little secret amongst the mages and merchants of the southern coast, as they don’t want the knowledge of the island to ruin their protected source of the lucrative material.
Danger
Working the obsidian is a more dangerous endeavour than initially observed. When the islanders first became aware of the value of the material they began collecting it with wild abandon. They soon noticed, however, that excess and aggressive mining of the obsidian was causing new earthquakes on the island. Frightened by the potential danger they slowed collection down, putting a daily cap on mining.
Eventually, they discovered that if the spires are tampered with too aggressively the base of the spires, deep below the surface, begin to shift and crack. Causing the potential for severe earthquakes, and some think the island may eventually break apart completely due to over mining. As such, mining is heavily monitored, eventually the island may need to stop entirely as continued extraction of the obsidian may spell disaster.
However, this may pose impossible, as the locals have become dependant on the trade of obsidian for their supplies and goods. The island is much too small to feed the growing population of the area. If the island is to survive economically they will have to find alternative means of support within a few generations time.
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