The Jags

"The Jags" is the name used by the folk of Rockport for the jagged and barren obsidian areas of mountain surrounding the southern portion of the Sundered Sea. The areas are covered with jagged, knife-like obsidian formations, some of which stretch over 200 feet into the air. Plants and wildlife are almost non-existant among the endless maze of disorienting corridors, humid caves, and unforgiving razors at the ground level. However rare, the occasional tuft, shrub or spindly tree does find purchase as do certain birds and less occasionally other critters. The razor-sharp terrain can slice through equipment and flesh easily, which makes traversing it extremely difficult and dangerous.

Attempting to navigate the Jags is a trying endeavor and frought with innumerable dangers. The very landscape itself is almost pure glass. Very sharp shards of Obsidian are everywhere and even a short trek is likely to ruin a pair of normal boots (as well as the feet inside). The glass surfaces provide little traction and slipping in the Jags is almost certain to cause injury from lacerations and embedded glass splinters up to impalement and the shearing of whole limbs. These dangers are further punctuated by pockets of gas within the obsidian that can sometimes leak noxious fumes or collapse when walked upon.

More traditional dangers are also of concern in the Jags. Perhaps the most prominent of such concerns are getting stuck and getting lost. Tight spots and dead ends abound through the twisting spaces between razor sharp pylons that make up the landscape. The constant turns, climbs and doubling back coupled with the intense similarity of the area and lack of plant life or landmarks make disorientation very easy to come by. Even those who evade the physical dangers presented may fail to make their way back out of the forbidding terrain.

The confusion of the mountainside is dwarfed by that of the extensive cavern and tunnel complexes beneath the Jags. Lava tubes, large gas pockets within the obsidian and numerous other underground expanses litter the underside of the mountains in these areas and present further dangers to those who find themselves amongst them. The dark, silent places are often humid, damp and barren. While no plant life is to be found here, the occasional spider, insect or other crawling thing can sometimes be found. The likelihood of encountering toxic gasses is much higher underground, where they are less able to disperse. These dangers matter little though to those who are shredded, impaled or otherwise traumatized by their fall into such a cavern.

In spite of the tremendous danger presented, there are those who brave the perils of the Jags to reap the potential riches also hidden there. The most plentiful materials to be found here are obsidian and basalt, both of which are harvested, used and exported by Rockport. Ash from the Jags is also useful as soil enricher as well as an abrasive for various cosmetic, cleaning and construction applications. The greatest prize however are gems. Hidden among the knife-like shards of glass and stone are gems of many sorts and the search for such treasures has led more than one fortune hunter to their doom. The promise of riches though is enough to keep seekers trying for that one lucky haul.