More barren than the wastes of Qoth is the Ceratoa Region, a land ravaged by a seemingly eternal volcano bent on destroying everything caught between the mountains and the Bay of Daggers to the east. Only creatures which have adapted to such inhospitable ways of life can flourish here, for there is little of societal interest left that has not been burned away. The Cinder Mountains that form the western border of the region are covered in little more than char and ash, and the mighty Ceratoa volcano burns day and night, flowing lava in perpetual rivers throughout the flatlands at the base of the mountains.
Ceratoa (the ruins)
At the base of the Bay of Daggers (named thus for the series of jagged isles at the northeastern end of the bay) lies the near-mythical ruins of the city called Ceratoa. Legends speak of a mighty race which once held a glorious capital city here, with sprawling gardens out to the bay and works of stone art that brought modern dwarves to tears. Did the volcano spell their doom, or was it something more sinister than that? The mysteries likely remain buried beneath a thousand years of smoking ash and lava. Worse, more than one daring captain seeking refuge in the Bay has reported huge figures bearing crowns of fire roaming the ruins that still rise today up into the Cinder Mountains.
Extulit Munimentum Just off the charred ruins of the Cerotoan coast, a sizable chunk of the black mountainside hovers high above the churning oceans, casting a patch of shadow beneath it. How that piece of the mountain manages to remain aloft in mid-air is a mystery, but the entire area bristles with an almost tangible energy. Gaping holes can be seen at various point in the floating structure, entrances cast in shadow... but where they lead, only the bravest of adventurers would ever know. Simply getting to this location is a challenge, and then making the climb up the single, massive chain which hangs down from the jagged ruins at the bottom of the landmass and down into the sea is a labor not for the faint of heart.
It is known by the mages of the Collegium in Sihirisium only as 'Extulit Munimentum', but few mages or adventurers who have ventured there have ever returned. Legend has it that the place is the otherworldly remains of a powerful blood mage's sanctuary, the forbidden magical forces having permeated the very rock until it defies the laws of the known world...
Ceratoa (the volcano)
Burning perpetually for all of recorded history, Ceratoa spews lava night and day, though it has been many years since the activity has reached explosive levels. Some claim the volcano is maintained by a mighty race of fire giants, tending the magma flows underground to ensure the volcano never dies. How anyone could possibly know this with any certainty and survive is unclear, but the legends persist.
The Cinder Mountains
The Cinder Mountains are home to few surface-dwelling creatures, but buried beneath them are a number of minor races that manage to scrape by - kobolds and goblins have warrens buried deep into the mountains, and they share rumors of darker, more powerful races to be found far below them. This leads many scholars to believe that the mountains may hold an entrance to the fabled underworld beneath Eluaria, home to dark elves and dwarves who look upon all surface dwellers with hatred and disgust.
The Missing Mines
Who knows the original name of these mines or who actually began them, centuries past? It matters little, as the mines exist without that knowledge, and they provide the chance for daring miners and looters to try their hands in an as unforgiving environment as can be found in Eluaria. Hot magma, poisonous gas, incendiary heat, and unstable ground all combine to make the mines so dangerous that it would seem stupid to try-- but those who have returned from such ventures bring with them fantastic rewards - gemstones the size of a dwarven fist! The Missing Mines are also the only known source for mana crystals, vessels capable of holding magical power, revered and sought after by enchanters, conjurors, and abjurers the world over.