Fire Isle

Gotta sail careful around ol Fire Isle. First off there is the volcano. You can count on it spewing smoke, but sometimes it gets its hackles up and starts throwing flames and liquid rock. Plenty of stories about ships going down, or getting smashed on the island with no hope of rescue. There's also some reefs in the area. Don't worry, we sail these waters all the time, know exactly where they are. But times are the fog and smoke get real bad. Then we gotta hope the wind is moving us slow, so we can use soundings to navigate. Tricky at times, but we've done it before... no need to turn that white.

- Merchant Sailor First Mate

Geography

The island is a jagged mess of volcanic rock and obsidian rising from The Sea of Dread. Rising high on it is Mount Sems an active volcano that is always letting lose a tendril of smoke. Because Sems is so active there is no animal or vegetable life on the isle. 
Fire Isle is surrounded by rocky reefs and remnants of previous eruptions. Because of this navigation requires patience and experience. On top of the dangerous waterways there is the fact that smoke and fog often combine in this area. Most sailors avoid sailing too close to the island if they can help it, but there are plenty who have reason to move through these waters to add speed to their voyage and risk the dangers of the isle.

History

There is very little history about the isle. The elves fleeing the horrors of the Second Age found the whole place unwelcoming. They noted its existence but continued moving south to find Yenisle. Later on when the first of Ashtyr's children arrived they attempted to explore the island. But the reefs and eruptions made it very dangerous and all we have are some brief records from one human explorer who found the place rocky, hot and the air almost unbreathable. 
There are plenty of stories of ships getting trapped on the reefs, or being struck by flaming rocks hurled from the erupting volcano. However finding someone who actually experienced such a thing is nearly impossible... probably because there were no survivors.

Tourism

No captain in their right mind would take anyone to the isle, and most visitors need to see the active volcano and hear a few stories to want to steer clear.

Alternative Name(s)

Ol Sems Throne

Type

Island

Location under

The Guild Islands