Obsidian

Obsidian Caldera

  The Obsidian Caldera is perhaps second only to The Great Rift as a magnificent and unique geological feature. Located near the western side of the Crooked Teeth range, approximately centered north and south, it is protected from the outside world by both its location and the Pascon, a wall entirely unnatural in origin.
  The caldera is roughly four kilometers in diameter, although it is not perfectly so.The outer edge of the caldera is known by the inhabitants of Obsidian as The Rimwall. The slope of the Rimwall is at or near 90 degrees at every point. From the floor of the caldera to the lowest point of the Rimwall, the Eastern Pass, the height is 2154 meters. From the floor to the highest point is 3893 meters and the peak is the tallest in the Crooked Teeth range. It is named Huining Peak, after a famous Praetor of the city. Huining Peak is located on the southern side of the Rimwall. There are two passes, creatively named the Eastern and Western Passes, each one requires a strenuous climb up switch backing trails with sheer drops on one side. One misstep can lead to death.
  Entry into the caldera can be accomplished at one of five points, one can hike over one of the passes, but the Pascon prevents entry. One can also use the Artery system under the floor of the caldera, but this has been unused for nearly two millennium and due to damage from Straken activity, is unsafe. Finally, one can enter using The Slice. The Slice is, in fact, the only method used to enter the caldera and it is only used by the natives of the land. No outsider is allowed to enter the caldera, this is one of the reasons for the Pascon as on several occasions parties have attempted to climb over and down into the caldera.
  The floor of the caldera slopes downward to the center and is completely covered by the Green Wood, a forest of mixed soft and hardwoods. There are many streams and all flow to the circular crevice known as The Deep, where they are either collected in reservoirs and pumped into the city or cascade over the edge creating incredible waterfalls. The flora and fauna of the Green Wood is not so diverse as that of a typical forest in barbarian lands, all large predators were hunted out long ago and now only herbivores and predatory birds still live their. There are several small predatory mammals but none are threats to humans.
  The most notable feature of the Green Wood are the Raobob trees. These trees are the second largest living creatures on Gloe, only Behemoths are larger.  Raobobs can grow to be 90 to 120 meters tall and 12 to 25 meters in diameter. They produce the precious sap called Amber, which is the primary export of Obsidian. The root system of the Raobob is extensive and the roots themselves act as walls, shelters and pathways for the creatures of the wood.
  The Deep is a ring crevice that is reported to be bottomless but in fact is not. It is extremely deep and nearly reaches the mantle region of the planet. The bottom is molten rock and water falling is turned to steam which creates and almost constant fog which obscures the bottom. It is wide, about 200 to 400 meters across and the sides are rough and easily climbable, however, where would one climb to? A unique feature of The Deep are the eight Pedestals, great flat-topped pillars of stone upon which are communities of the poorest of the peoples of the city. In truth, the pillars are connected to the walls of the Deep but so far down the mists block the connections from view.
  The inner side of the Deep is a ridge ring named The Corman, the Corman is rugged and features many ridges which run from the top to the bottom edge. The Corman is composed of mafic and ultramafic stone such as granite, basalt, schist, olivine & obsidian, giving it a dark and ominous look. There are 13 large ledges on the Corman upon which both Wei towns and Patron estates are located. Each ledge is roughly equivalent in size, but the shape varies. Patron ledges are the four highest, the largest of the ledges is named the Orincth and is a place for festivals, political meetings, executions, the infrequent market and general public activities.
  The Corman is in fact the crater wall of the very heart of the Obsidian Caldera. Inside the Corman are The Waters, a material unlike anything else in Gloe. Legend says that all things be they living or not, came from the Waters and that some day they will all go back to them at the end of all things. The Waters themselves appear bluish-silver and are not as viscous as water. The surface of the lake remains placid unless disturbed but rings tend to fade quickly rather than build. Any material that touches the Waters dissolves utterly, leading to the use of the lake as a means of execution and also infanticide. One mystery is how the stone that contains the Waters does not itself dissolve.
  Finally, roughly in the center of the Waters in The Pale, the island upon which the Oracle of Obsidian lives. The island itself is unremarkable, consisting of three hills, two connected and one isolated out on a finger of land. The Oracle's dome rests in the saddle between the connected hills. The hills are covered in lush vegetation, except the isolated hill which is barren, craggy stone. The island has beautiful white sand beaches and no means of reaching it as any craft placed upon the Waters dissolves rather quickly.

Celeste' Fenaille, OSihr to Margeri' Fenaille
  A.S. 1845, Geographical Overview of the Obsidian Caldera