The Shattered Spire

Geography

The Island of the Shattered Spire is located within the Bay of Merx. Oral traditions speak of a great mountain that once pierced the heavens, with a great and terrible black tower built atop it. During the Cleansing, this place was said to have been the site of a great battle between the Lost Order and an Eldur. When the Eldur was slain, it loosed an explosion of energy so decimating that it shattered the mountain, leaving a crater spanning nearly 200 miles. Over the following milleniums this crater has been overgrown by a great rainforest.

Ecosystem

The rainforest of the Shattered Spire is filled with endemic lifeforms. These creatures rely on a variety of different things within their ecosystem. These include a plethora of different nutrients found in the soil, the strange magical phenomenons that occur, and the security offered by the college. The surrounding ocean causes great storms that offer the crater great amounts of rain. This gives the flora of the region all the water it needs to grow hundreds of feet tall. These trees serve as shelter from the storms for the multitude of lifeforms that call the jungle home. The lowest of these creatures, the insects, are composed primarily of burrowers. In their pupal phase these creatures burrow through stone, eating at the remaining solid bones of the Eldur buried in the crater. These pupas serve as prey for the smaller fauna. Like the pupal insects, the flora of the region also absorbs the nutrients of the Eldur bones from the fragments produced by the pupa, alongside the corpses of the fauna. This cycle causes all beings of the crater to grow far beyond their normal sizes once mature and produces rapid mutations that can cause the creation of new species within a few generations.

Localized Phenomena

The lingering arcane and Eldur energy still affect the region causing the laws of physics to become fluid: Some areas have stronger or weaker gravity, others cause particles to move faster or slower causing rapidly shifting temperatures, others distort the flow of time, and other areas change the effects of magic. A mage casting within some areas of the crater can have their spell fizzle, become supercharged, or have the effect changed entirely. These effects change occur like weather, sometimes being consistent for decades, and other times changing within hours. All of these effects are fueled by the stone powder excreted by the pupa. The stones surrounding the Eldur bones are charged with arcane energy, which is released into the environment when crushed into a powder.

Climate

Due to the tropical climate of the ocean to the south of the island, the Shattered Spire is constantly subjected to hurricanes and thunderstorms. These storms often grow worse when they pass over the crater, influenced by the magical phenomenons of the crater. This can cause the storms to grow more powerful, becoming blizzards, boiling rains, or other rare occurances like ball lightning.

Natural Resources

The most valuable resource to be harvested from the crater is the bones of the Eldur. Despite this, the college is relluctant to harvest this, as they view it as a threat to the order of the crater. Second to the bones are the stones surrounding it. These stones are filled with arcane energy and can be used to power magical inventions. A limited amount of this stone is sold when the College is in need of further funding, or in return from favors from the ruling nations of the world. Their primary exports come from harvesting the products of the bones: the flora and fauna of the region. The wood from the trees of the jungle grows as strong as steel but still maintains the same weight as oak. Blood from a variety of fauna can be used to enhance magical enchantments and spells. Meat from the predators of the region are packed with nutrients and has distinct rich flavors, although excessive consumption can have unexpected effects.

Tourism

The Shattered Spire is protected by the college. They view the crater as a perfect opportunity to research evolution, the laws of nature, the effects of the unnatural, and to experiment with new types of magic. Due to the incredible number of changing factors and the value of this region, the college is unwilling to allow visitors within the crater without a permit from the Shattered Mage.

Type

Crater / Crater Lake / Caldera

Owner/Ruler

Alarick, The All-Seeing

Ruling/Owning Rank

The Shattered Mage

Owning Organization

The College of Shattered Spire