Strung out along the coast of the new world, Port Obsidian is a blight on a once pristine land. Smoke spews forth from the forges on the edge of town; waste bobs in the water between the ships at anchor. The sounds of merriment, of sadness, of drunken brawls; these carry over the bay all hours of the day and night.
Port Obsidian is a frontier town formally ruled by an alliance of merchants, their compatriots, and the private army they kept in check with gold and promises.
After the hobgoblin invasion in the winter months of 125 YE, the town is now ran by an elected council that has a volunteer army of watchmen that keep the law.
Rough, dirty, but full of potential, the port town is the only cilvilised settlement on the Land of Black Glass and is home to a growing collection of adventurers, looters, mercenaries and merchants, all looking to get rich on the treasures coming in from the ruins beyond; although there are some who are there just to explore, to unravel the mysteries of the forgotten ruins, and to make a name for themselves
Areas of Interest
[A] Halfling Shanty Town
Nestled in a corner of the cliff-shielded port lies a huddled collection of huts, lean-tos, shacks and poor houses. Most of the immigrant halfling population lives here, getting by best they can, a shadow of their former selves. Most work at the docks for low pay, or as labourers at the nearby farms along the cliff tops. They get by, but the mortality rate is high.
The shanty town is currently being rebuilt by the dwarves and the townsfolk of the port, in thanks for the halflings help in the liberation of the town from the hobgoblin invaders.
[B] Wizard's Hill
A steep sided hill looks over the port from the west, more rocky than the opposite hill where the merchant Houses stand. Atop this hill rests the former wizard's guild, with its ivory tower and exclusive club. The buildings here are owned by the remnants of the guild, who are few in number after their masters were slain or fled during the hobgoblin invasion. It is said that a member of the infamous Doom Company is now the head of the guild, a kobold sorcerer named Nix.
[C] The Forge
On a rocky expanse of ground, smoky and hot, lies the home of the dwarves that have come to Obsidian. Here there are forges going all day and night, the thund and chink of blacksmiths at work echoing across the waters. The dwarves are perhaps no more than 200 strong, keep mostly to themselves, and are more interested in finding things to mine than anything else.
After collaborating with the hobgoblins, the dwarves are working hard to rebuild their reputation by helping in the rebuilding of Obsidian. Many of the townsfolk distrust the dwarves, but welcome their aid nonetheless.
[D] The Docks
During the day the docks are busy, with ships and boats coming in to load or unload cargo. At night it is quieter, until the taverns throw the sailors out and they return to their ships that lie anchored in the bay.
Most of the wharves are used to tether ship's boats, the ships themselves hanging out in the bay. A half dozen merchant vessels ride the waves there, merchants newly arrived. Ships tend to come in every three to five days, although in the winter months a ship is rare.
[E] Merchant District
This gentle sloping hill was a virtual paradise, with carefully trimmed trees and bushes, planted flowers sitting in well-tended beds, mowed lawns, and tidy looking buildings; but all that was destroyed and ruined when the hobgoblin invaders made it their base of operations.
The main merchant Houses were razed to the ground, only the stone jail remaining intact. Most of the merchant leaders were killed, others fled. The area is currently being redeveloped, new houses built, and a new building is being erected where the old Wayfinders' Guild was, to house the newly elected council.
[F] Elven Compound
Little over a year ago a ship sailed into Obsidian full of elves. They came from the more important families of the elves residing in the forests of the Empire, struck a deal with the Alliance, and set-up home on the raised land by the waterfall pouring into Obsidian. There they sculptured the trees, built their homes around them and established a shrine to their preferred deity.
Shortly before the hobgoblins invaded, the elves all left and headed into the Bitter Leaf forest; so far none have returned. After the invasion, the compound was taken over by the gnoll tribe under leadership of Red Fang, a gnoll brought in to trade and make an alliance with the town. It is said that the harpy princess from Doom Company was responsible for the unlikely alliance.
