Silversword Blooms

I nearly lost my life that day. But thanks to the hasty direction of my Bond, I managed to fly us out of the way of the hot ash and still kept hold of the blooming vines. I'd say the effort turned out to be worth it, because the profit we made was...well, it was pretty sweet.

-a merchant who's collected the blooms before

Somewhere off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula is an island that no ground dweller had ever found. No one is quite sure why this is the case, but on the island is a volcanic mountain so tall that it is nearly permanently ringed by clouds. The volcano is always active and frequently spews forth lava, ash, and rocks. But, along the sides and even in the mouth of the volcano grow the silversword blooms, an extremely valuable plant. Because of its rarity and usefulness, some even consider it more valuable than the coveted amthryllison dust.

It's well known that dragons don't have opposable thumbs. Despite this, they've become quite adept at interacting with the world around them, especially with the use of special powders that mimic enzymes and allow them to move around smaller objects, most often books. When the need arises, they can even use some methods to write, though they most often will hire scribes or ask their Bond for help if the need arises.

There is another way, though. Scrivener quills, though shockingly rare, use only verbal commands to write. There's less than a hundred in existence, but they're so useful that many dragons will pay quite a lot for more.

The only way to create scrivener quills requires large feathers from powerful birds, such as the great silver-beaked owl or brazen eagle, as well as a specific magical powder - powder whose key ingredient derives from the petals of a blooming silversword.

The only place silverswords are found is in the open mouth and along the scalding slopes of Mount Anfisa. It's terribly dangerous to collect them - the mount is located deep in the Outer Realm and is constantly active. Any expedition that tried to collect the blooms requires careful planning and patience. But when the time is right, they must act.
Only a few merchants and trade groups have been successful in collecting the blooms. They grow on vines, so the only effort needed to collect them is strength, not time. This means that anyone with experience in harvesting the blooms has a great chance of succeeding in collecting them, with a little luck. A successful expedition to Mount Anfisa can result in great riches, as people are willing to pay great sums for the scrivener quills that the silverswords create.
As of now, no additional uses for the blooms have been discovered. However, scientists have saved scraps of the vines and are eager to see if it had any other purposes - after all, the most dangerous journeys reap the most plentiful rewards, don't they?

Type

Biomaterial

One of the rare preserved scrivener quills from back before the skyshattering

Truly beautiful stuff. You know, if you discount all the fire and scorching ash and threat of death. But you know, whatever it takes for adrenaline - and profit.

-trade master