The Magma Vents

The Magma Vents were revealed to the modern world in 76 AM, when Alekmanhala freed himself from Lianthe's prison in the heart of the volcano found in Yhumara Lake. It is home to cherufes, vyurdrag, the araeca, and the scorched. As adventurers combed through the Vents, it quickly became clear that the Vents held more history and lore than could have been first imagined.

Notable Denizens

Araeca

• Altayr, the Watcher - This araeca is of average height for his race, standing just over four feet in height. His slender form is draped only in his fiery feathers that glow with a bright orange hue. Well-built arms and legs are tipped in talons, their claws sharpened to a fine point. Pure-white eyes peer out from above a slim, orangish-red beak that glistens from his fiery features. A set of flamed plumage spans out from his back, creating a wingspan of nearly five feet in length.

• Nelairi, the araeca - This araecan lady bears a smaller frame than most of her race, standing slightly under four feet tall. She is wreathed in a fiery plumage, as small, orange-hued flames wisp about her curvaceous form. Small black eyes the color of blackened coal glare out from behind the burning fire just atop her sharpened beak. Two elegant wings are neatly tucked alongside her slender arms. Small flames twist and dance wildly down her legs and around her pointed talons. She owns and operates The Firebird's Quill.

• Vorkalth, the burning steward - This rather tall araeca is nearly six and a half feet tall, giving him a wingspan of roughly twelve feet. His bright-orange beak has been nicked and chipped from several small fights, while his massive talons are tipped with silver. His eyes burn a sparkling emerald, while his internal flame keeps an ever-burning fire dancing across his feathers.

• Collindia, the Extinguisher - Proud and mischievous, this small aracea woman stands no taller than four feet in height. Wisps of beguiling orange flames envelop her small body. Her features are sharp and angular, with a long, straight beak, and the corners of her lips seem perpetually pulled up into an impish smile.

• Rollindi, the Fiery Bomb - An inferno of brilliant orange flames engulfs this small aracea, running from the top of his avian head to spread out widely over his wings and lower body. Motes of fire and wisps of cinders fall from his magnificent wings while a miasma of heat lingers around the avian man's body. Possessed of sharp, angular features, his beak is straight and pointed, and his eyes are luminous white.

• Araecian Historian Orac - This rather large araeca has bright orangish-red wings that span out from his back, the wingspan stretching to nearly six feet in length. His white eyes peer out from above a blackened beak, and his hands and feet have sharp talons at the end of them.

• Jhaeros, the Guardian - Loose flames sporadically lick the air around this guardian of the araeca, wreathing his well-built frame in a magnificent crown of fiery feathers. A sharp beak pierces outward, curving into a shining point. Two large white eyes peers out from behind flaming lids, taking in the surrounding view. Massive wings, that spread to a wingspan of six feet, are tucked neatly besides each of his muscular arms. Flames twist and dance wildly down and around his long legs, ending abruptly at his vicious talons.

Scorched

• Altrop the Burner - This rather tall scorched woman stands nearly six feet in height, with features that could strike fear into her enemy's eyes. Her body is covered in a luminescent blue light, as her fire burns hot and close to her form. Pure-white eyes peer out from thick black eye-lashes, while a thin smile breaks upon her red lips. Red, orange, and yellow strands of hair cascade to her mid-back, each strand shimmering as if they were alight. Her body is draped in a fine black garment, the cloth treated to withstand her ever-burning flame.

• Anastazy the Son - This rather tall and well-built scorched is clad in a set of filthy smithing garments. His leather apron is covered in ash and soot, while his once-white tunic is now brown from the grime of a forging weapon. His black slacks are decorated with several pockets, allowing him to hold several different hammers, tools, and knick-knacks that assist him in creating his items. His face is smeared in soot, making it difficult to pick out any real distinct features, however, at the base of his neck rests a tattoo that burns with an internal flame, its marking revealing his stature within the Core's hierarchy.

• Arikkos the Stalwart - Burly and strong, this stalwart scorched seems the embodiment of his honorific. His hair cut short, his chiseled features are composed of red and brown fiery flesh, its surface pockmarked from his work.

• Droszus the Combustible Brawler - A gladiator of the Core, this proud scorched stands head and shoulders above his brethren. Most of his body is obscured by well cared for, ornate armour that has been blackened from the heat and soot of his homeland. The metal of his armour shifts eerily in colouration from the molten veining coursing over his dark hide.

• Drusilla the Mother - This rather large scorched stands nearly seven feet in height, making her massive body rather imposing to those of the smaller races. The molten flesh that keeps her body together is in a constant state of turmoil, as it cracks and sparks to life with each breath. Blackened crystehl armour clads most of her body, leaving the flame resistant clothing fairly hard to make out. Her breastplate is carefully etched with intricate designs from the magma pits, most of their meanings unknown to the world. Golden hair streaked with crimson and sapphire is pulled into a tight pony tail, her tresses cascading down to her lower back. Beads and strips of metal are twisted into her locks, a sign of high rank amongst her people. Clasped within her grip is a morning star, its long shaft crafted from pure metal, which burns from the touch of her flesh. The ball that tips the weapon is nearly two feet in diameter, its spikes protruding a good four to five inches from the fiery metal.

• the Scorched Historian Idris - Standing nearly six feet in height, this scorched woman is dressed in a fine black robe. Her garments have been crafted from a strange and durable fabric, allowing them to withstand the fire that consumes them. Magma weaves through her burnt and charred flesh, creating her very life-force. Short, bright-golden hair fans out in several directions atop her head, the tips dyed with crimson and sapphire, granting the visage of dancing flames. Vibrant blue eyes peer out from her fiery features, as plump red lips curl into a near constant smile.

• Morthil the Father - Standing just shy of seven feet, this scorched man is large and muscular. His entire body is chiseled and toned, though his charred skin is cracked and covered in a thick oil. Under each of the cracks along his flesh, magma can be seen coursing through his body. A large breastplate, covered in a sheen of blackened soot from being marred by flames, hangs from a clasp over his right shoulder and at each of his sides. Atop his left shoulder sits an intricate display of gems in various colours of yellow, orange and red, which is snuggly secured around his upper arm. Under his breastplate he dons clothing that has been crafted from a peculiar fabric to withstand the heat of his body and the flames that engulf them. His long, thick black hair is covered in the same oil that coats his body and has been pulled up and tied loosely behind his head.

• Skotha the Daughter - This hale daughter of the Core stands proudly, her head lifted in pride. Her eyes are a culmination of fiery conflagration, and her hair matches their blazing intensity. Clad in a suit of blackened armour, its outline is traced in gold to further enhance the scenes illustrated upon the breastplate and graves, while the vambraces are consumed wholly in images of fire. Her oil-sheened skin is a dire shade of black, and bursts of vivacious fire spray molten colour over her dark flesh.

• Zukaros the Fiery Heir - Possessing refined, almost effeminate features, this young scorched stands to an impressive height. His hair has been carefully coiffed, not a single strand out of place, and his skin is a robust mottling of brown and gold - catching the light in an attractive manner, the aureate inclusions of his oily flesh shimmers beautifully. A curious assortment of stone-worked jewelry adorns his hands, wrists, and neck, the blue crystalline structures veined in red. A diadem rests imperially upon his brow, its colouration stark when paired with his eyes of amber-red. Blackened armour more ornate than practical clads his form, its surface etched with esoteric scenes from history, each one illustrated beautifully and inset with gold.

Landmarks

• The Ever-Burning Furnace - A shop owned and operated by Altrop, the scorched. She sells:
  • a doll resembling Drusilla
  • a fiery rose of multi-coloured hues
  • a heated floor pillow
  • a glass pendant of flames

• The Molten Masonry - A shop owned and operated by Ratha the cherufe. She sells:
  • bittersweet bragot, served in a red or blue shard-shaped mug
  • a tablet of molten rock
  • an obsidian doll resembling Agni the Fist
  • a dancing firestatue, resembling either a woman or a man

• The Firebird's Quill - A shop owned and operated by Nelairi, the acaeca. She sells:
  • a headdress of fiery hues
  • a doll resembling Altayr
  • an obsidian nest filled with burning embers
  • an araeca's feather quill
  • a charred rat

• The World's Forge - A crystalline forge found at the heart of the Vents, drawing from the Core's power to create weapons and armour of untold strength. It is rumored that there are similar forges placed throughout other planes of existence and that they can be activated to link up with each other to enhance their power, but their existence has never been proven. Avasyu granted Morthil the power to use the forge initially, but he passed along the duty to his son, Anastazy, who is now the primary operator of the forge and is responsible for keeping the weapons and tools of the people of the Vents sharpened and ready to protect the Core.

Flora and Fauna

• a fiery rat - This monstrosity of a rat would tower over its lessers, comparable to the size of a hunting hound. While difficult to see through the flames that pulsate over its body, with careful observation one might see the mangy coat of grayish-black that covers its form if looking hard enough. Tufts of fur are missing in patches, and a long bald tail slithers behind it on the ground. The pest's entire body is wrapped in a fiery armor of fire, blueish hues fading away to lighter oranges as the flames dance and lick around the vermin haphazardly. Regardless, it skulks about as if unhindered, and crackling sparks occasionally shoot from its long whiskers with random twitches of its snout. A fiery rat appears to be extraordinarily strong.

• a multi-hued fiery daisy - Extended upon a long stem, this daisy's petals each hold its own fiery shade. From a light blue, to a bright crimson, each one blends together much like the flames.
• a fiery lotus - Massive charred leaves span from the base of this flower, granting it a safe place to rest above the magma pool. Its petals rise from the centre of the foliage in four rows, each one touched by flames. The stamen of the flower burns a hot blue, sending tendrils of smoke to rise from its base.
• a vibrant crimson tulip - This rather tall tulip sits alone within its pot, its leafy stem wrapped in flames. The tight petals that wrap about the stamen conceal a burning ember, giving the tulip a rather vibrant crimson-hue that glows from its secrets.
• a lily of flames - This is no mere flower, as its rather large petals are touched by fire. The flames lick from stamen to the tip of the petals, shifting from blue, to red, to orange. Thorns line the stem, each one collecting the ash of the ever-growing petals.
• the breath of a snapdragon - Three stems make up this bunch of snapdragons, and from each stem springs forth several flowers. Each flower is a vibrant crimson-hue, while blue flames lick the stems and leaves.