Obsidian Spire

in: Races, Caledonii

## The Basics

* **Other Names:** Lava born, Onyx Skinned, Tall Dark Dwarves
* **Appearance:** All of the citizens of Centarii have darker skin, ranging from soft brown and tans to deep onyx in color. Muulari dress in tribal wear, the colors matching the tribe they are from. Oyari wear leathers and furs more suited to running around in a jungle. Obsidian spire tends to wear more dark colored armor, often made of obsidian.
* **Lifespan:** 75 Years
* **Height:** 170 cm (5'7") - 190 cm (6'3")
* **Regions Found:** The three cultures that make up the Centarii Kingdom are found on the bottom of the Eastern continent.
* **Culture:** The more industrial of the three kingdoms, using the lava flows for furnaces as they are a more male dominated military oriented kingdom.
* **Common Character Roles:** Blacksmiths, soldiers, alchemists, merchants, seer’s, craftsmen
* **Common Allies:** Caledonii, Dwarves, Elementals, Muulari
* **Common Enemies:** Nords, Caladonii, Nocturnum, Khemet, Salvador, Aviehn
* **Architecture:** More brick and stone structures often dark in color due to the dark mountains they get their materials. Fire and lava are used to decorate and heat their villages and homes.
* **Religion:** The three follow the religions of the Beast King and Naruli, though Muulari is the more religious of the three.
* **Views on Magic:** Fire, Nature, & Beast spheres given power in society, Wind tolerated, all other spheres immoral & illegal.

## Appearances

The people of the Obsidian Spire have dark skin and hair ranging from black coarse hair to fine raven hair. The men who mine obsidian and who become warriors are muscular and tall, while the women are tall and lithe. The women of the Obsidian Spire keep their hair long and maintained, while men tend to keep their hair neat and short.When not fighting volcanic beasts or defending their home, the people of the Obsidian Spire dress in fine silks and linen, adorned with obsidian jewelry. Many traders come to the Kingdom to trade their silks, linens, and exotic fabrics and jewelry for the Kingdom’s precious obsidian, leading to an exotic fashion sense which can incorporate many styles and colors.
Clothing in Obsidian Spire is an eclectic mix of savage and civilized. Aristocratic warriors are heavy infantry, resplendent in thick armor of steel and obsidian. Common soldiers wear light or medium armor - an eclectic mix of Salvador, Khemet, and savage styles which varies from place to place. Apart from the imposing brutality of the King's heavy infantry, Centari armies often look like a chaotic whirlwind of bright obsidian colors and dark basalt grays and blacks, fighting in a jumble of styles.

## History & Culture

Kanjamii is a harsh land to live in. The first King of Obsidian Spire, King Aksum, led his people to prosperity amidst a land of bleak basalt and geothermal pools. Even today, legends say that the

King was so powerful that even the mountains bowed to his command – and even though he had the strength of a king, he always trusted and worked through the strength of others. He formed a great council of warriors and scholars, which he called the Molten Court. He brought on individuals who possessed the strength and knowledge he did not possess, including the twin two-eyed shamans Suranai and Furanai.

They proved to be invaluable to the king and created alliances among the mountain folk, including the Dwarves. Suanai, a beautiful and intelligent woman, helped forge the alliance, supplying the Dwarves with many slaves and obsidian weapons. In return, the Dwarves would aid the people of Obsidian Spire against their enemies, especially the many monsters who roam the land and those in the Iced Wastelands.

For her help with the alliance, Aksum married Suranai to strengthen their body and produce heirs with both strength and cunning. Since the twin shamans were so integral to the plots and rise of the kingdom, a decree was made. Until the end of days, the Obsidian King would have two eyed shamans as an advisor.

Though, as with everything, life does not always improve forever. Furanai began to become irritated that he was listened to less than his sister. Worse yet, he felt she had created the biggest alliance in the kingdom, and was consumed with jealousy. Desperate to make his mark on the kingdom and believing in the strength in the Basalt Vanguard, he created a false prophecy. First, he persuaded his sister, drawing her in with tales of the spirits to convince her that he had seen things that she herself could not see - the armies of the Spire marching victorious, their empire stretching to the Great Tree from which all life was born. Together, they persuaded the King to go to war against the southern peoples - though Suranai always remained suspicious of her brother’s visions.

Thus, the kingdom of Obsidian Spire launched its assault to take the great tree they believed to be the birthplace of life. The battle was long and bloody, with Obsidian Spire showing their skill and might against Muulari and Oyari. However, the war was built on lies and deceit, and the people found no profit in it. The “Tree War”, as it came to be called, bankrupted the kingdom, sent a generation to an early grave, and strained the alliance with the Dwarves.

When Furanai’s deceit became known to King Aksum, his fury burned hotter than the lava of Kanjamii. The volcano became Furanai’s grave as he tossed the prophet into the lava in a fit of rage. The King never again fully trusted magic users, Suranai convinced him to agree to meet with the leaders of the Muulari and Oyari by telling him to trust all of the weapons he wields, including his mind. Thus the Obsidian Spire joined the Centarii Kingdoms, agreeing to own a third of the city that rose in protection of the Great Tree. The kingdom's crest is a tree surrounded by a volcano, signaling they are their own distinct culture within the Centarii Kingdom. The Obsidian Spire is known as the Shield of the Kingdom.

### Culture

The harsh nature of life in the volcanic mountains has not allowed many in the Obsidian Spires, even nobles, to have much leisure time to devote to purely intellectual pursuits like writing history. Nonetheless, there are some episodes in the past which still pervade the kingdom's cultural consciousness in forms like art, dance, song, legend, poetry, and so forth.

Throughout Obsidian Spire, there is an immense sense of pride in having once been great. Some believe they are still destined to rule the Great Tree, but many understand it is a foolish undertaking to attempt. The kingdom’s cities are colossal, monumental works of stone. Great stone roads wind through the mountains and jungles. Owing to their alliance with the Dwarves, they do not dig too deep into the depths of the mountains, though many of their towns and villages are set in the sides of great peaks. The Basalt Vanguard helps to guard the Kingdom from the rock noses and dark creatures that fill the desolate mountains, as well as creatures who slip in from the ice wastes to the north.

In the past, Salvador, Khemet, and Nocturnum expeditions explored and settled along the inhospitable coastline. The Obsidian Spire was at first content to allow foreign adventurers and to trade with the outside world. This lasted for several centuries, until the concessions were utterly destroyed under the rule of Emperor Brutar IV around three hundred years ago. Emperor Brutar is said to have had so many Nocturnum priests and missionaries strangled to death that he was called the "bane of Solarium". Bad feelings from this episode still remain on both sides -- the common Centari view on Salvador, Khemet, and Nocturum is as sly, ruthless exploiters and cheats. They have an acceptance of the Carnival-of-Trades who moved their main hub to the nearby canyons. While some, including the Basalt Vanguard, watch the Carnival caravans with extra suspicion, the common view is that the Carnival has never lied about what it is and those who are drawn to its tents know what they’re getting into.

The Obsidian Spire has, time and again, sided with the Dwarves in the great struggles of dwarvenkind, forever keeping to the alliance created by Queen Suranai. The close proximity of the Dwarves' territory to Obsidian Spire has created a borderland where rebellious young people can try to make something of themselves in the other culture. The few rebels or Dwarves who wind up successful in the opposite culture often achieve wealth and fame, while the many who don't wind up dead, exploited, or enslaved. The Centari see this as a natural and acceptable order of things, and there's often a grudging respect toward dwarven culture.. However, nords and enemies of the dwarves often see the Obsidian Spire denizens as being little better than Dwarves themselves.

The present Obsidian King has a burning hatred of nords, and the only reason he does not make immediate war with them is due to alliances made by the Muulari and Oyari kingdoms. Obsidian Spire mercenaries and adventurers will join in wars and battles on behalf of the Dwarves, and some take pleasure in the opportunity to fight against Muulari and Oyari warriors on the opposing side. However, as a part of the Centarii kingdom, the military will defend Muulari and Oyari from attacks, no matter who the aggressor is. The Kingdom of Centarii comes before alliances with others, and the Obsidian Spire makes no exception to this.

### Government

Obsidian Spire is an absolute, hereditary monarchy. The head of government is the Obsidian King. The King holds office by divine right with the Molten Court that he uses for council. The Molten Court is filled with various members of all respective experts in their fields, as well as a Two Eyed Shaman and the Six Spire Dukes. The dukes are often, but not always, the King's children. Below the dukes are a dizzying array of counts, barons, and local authorities - each city often has its own governmental tradition and idiosyncrasies.

The King's will is carried out by the Shengo, an assembly of powerful warriors appointed by the King. In recent centuries, fire and nature sorcerers have been appointed, though they must still prove their skill in armed combat to earn the king’s attention. The Shengo has 258 members, and every year the King chooses 12 members to serve on his Molten Court. The present King, Menelik XXIV, has created a political crisis within the Shengo by appointing only nature sorcerers to the Molten Court every year since his reign began. Some people, especially fire sorcerers, believe he is turning his back on the life giving lava of Kanjamii to which they owe everything.

### Social Behaviors

Women in Obsidian Spire are considered social equals to men. While some chauvinism still exists in society, it's widely said that "a sword in a woman's hand kills just as surely as a man's." Many women also learn to craft and tend to the hearth as well as how to defend themselves from predators both human and natural.

Many people of Obsidian Spire consider it a good luck charm to buy a drink for a dwarven stranger. The good luck does not apply to buying a drink for a group of dwarves, however -- that’s seen as being a bad omen.

The people of Obsidian Spire view their Centarii cousins with dignity, though growing differences over time have led to stereotypes. Most see Oyari as a kingdom of savage women who use ambushes and dishonorable tactics to get the upper hand in battle and compensate for their lack of strength and powerful weaponry. They see the Muulari are seen as being similarly savage and backward, but credit them with the courage and honor to fight in the open plains of the savannah.

People from Obsidian Spire are often haughty when dealing with outsiders, viewing themselves as being stronger, more courageous, and of more noble bearing than other people. They believe in their fighting prowess and the simple level of technology that has served their society well for thousands of years, but will not hesitate to use all weapons at their disposal to survive and conquer. They believe the strong exist to rule the world, and those who are weak exist to suffer. Slavery is found throughout the Obsidian Spire, though it is more often seen as a burden than a sign of strength or wealth. Many slavemasters from the savage kingdom treat their slaves like beloved pets or pack animals, and a slavemaster who allows his slaves to starve or go without the bare necessities of life is often shunned as an impossibly mean and cruel soul.

### Settlements

#### Tokonda

The capital city of Obsidian Spire, located at the base of Kanjamii, the great volcano. Tokonda is an imposing city crafted from volcanic stone, obsidian, and reinforced iron and steel. Wood is used sparingly, and city parks have formed around fumaroles and geothermal pools created by the volcano. Tokonda is also the name of the palace complex of the King of Flames, where he resides with his family and close courtiers.

#### Hawulti

A sprawling city built into the side of a desolate mountain, Hawulti is a city where fire magic reigns supreme. The streets are lit with enormous braziers all day and all night, fire dancers perform on the steps of city temples, and red-robed sorcerers obsess over ever-deeper mysteries. The city is vibrant and energetic, bursting with vitality and a deep love of life. The people of Hawulti are suspicious of the King’s push for Nature magic, and many in the city have begun to fear that civil war may be inevitable.

#### Adigrat

Located on the eastern coast of Obsidian Spire, Adigrat is the first-and-only place most foreigners to Obsidian Spire encounter. Adigrat is a bustling port that serves as a hub of trading and intrigue. The city is ruled under the direct authority of the King and patrolled by Basalt Vanguard warriors and local militia to the point where most monsters have been driven back to create the illusion of a peaceful and stable realm.

However, the Vanguard’s rule is brutal and authoritarian. There are no prisons or jails in Adigrat -- all punishments are either monetary, corporal, or capital. The common punishment for piracy is to have the convicted pirate's head stepped on by an elephant's foot, while thieves have their right hands removed. Nonetheless, the mix of money, exotic goods, and exotic people attracts crime and corruption like nowhere else in the kingdom.

### Religion

Like many in Muulari and Oyari, the people of Obsidian Spire follow the religions of the Beast King and the nature goddess Naruli. Most do not practice more than a passing acceptance to the formal rites of religion, however, putting their faith more in shamans and those who can perform physical manifestations of fire and nature magic.

Most of the spirits that the shamans deal with are harmless or friendly elementals. However, many Obsidian Spires stories and plays set in the lands closest to the realm of the Dwarves feature cults who conspire in dark, demonic dealings hidden away in small cities in the mountains.

### Perception of Magic

After Furanai’s betrayal, the Obsidian Spire turned away from magic and toward the weapons that they craft. Even those of the Shengo must prove that they can wield a blade as well as they wield their magic before being allowed a seat.

Those who can wield Fire or Natural magic are given power in society - they are seen as guardians and protectors of ordinary people.

Those who can wield Holy or Wind magic are distrusted but tolerated by society. These magics are seen as curiosities - strange things which are used by otherworldly spirits and foreigners. They’re outlandish and untrustworthy, but don’t inherently disrupt the natural order.

Those who can wield Cryomancy, Blood Magic, Mental Magic, or the Dark Arts are to be immediately burned to death on discovery.