The Palagonite Pillars

Rough-Hewn Towers Of Life-Giving Clay For One And All

written by Tan Shao Han

Commons— A cluster of towers composed mostly of piles of yellow-red palagonite, along with stacks of other materials, near a tented settlement of camels and convoys. The nutrient-rich palagonite clay is great at repairing soil fatigued by over-farming or flensed by aridity and wind; the people of the desert venture to the nearby volcanic lakes to gather and transport these precious minerals to this location. These minerals are available to everyone for use, and a tradition of reciprocity has emerged where those who take the clay often add some of their own building materials to the stockpile. With every passing year, the Pillars ebb and grow, changing in size and composition, but always surrounded by farmers and pilgrims who appreciate their land-rejuvenating bounty.

The People

The Pillars have few long-term residents; most people make their way here to take, give, or return palagonite in one way or another, and leave shortly thereafter. You might find people from all across Ald-Amura here; on any given day, you might hear agricultural researchers from the Dales debating farming approaches with their Sortis-Mal counterparts, or witness a friendly race between Rail-Riders and Steam Ray Nomads. As a result, a cosmopolitan atmosphere exists in the Pillars, and the air spills thickly with the laughter and richness of countless languages.Those few who reside here on a more permanent basis are usually members of the Replenishers, a band of veteran palagonite-gatherers, who ensure the Pillars are neither over-taxed nor over-supplied, and use their Gifts to meld the palagonite shards into stable structures; new visitors often assume this group had earned their names through replenishing the palagonite stockpiles, but those with more knowledge of this group understand that is only half of the meaning behind their name. The Replenishers also ensure the lakes are not leached entirely of palagonite and,in that sense, also ‘replenish’ the environment’s natural wealth and splendor. For their efforts, the Replenishers are given much respect, and are the closest thing you will find to authority figures and leaders in this settlement.

Local Monster

Aajeja the Fire-Dancing Sky, a great owl of fire and starlight, sometimes roosts in the volcanic mountains nearby, gathering their strength for their celestial journeys. When Aajeja rests, they absorb heat from the land, and the resulting drop in temperature often causes the clouds to burst into sheets of rain; this rainfall pools over time into the craters, forming the volcanic lakes where palagonite can be found. The Replenishers practice an ancestral tradition of approaching the reserved Monster with balms and salves made from the desert’s plants to soothe and ease Aajeja’s flight-exhausted frame; due to the Monster’s shy nature, the Pillar’s visitors who attempt to emulate this practice meet with varying degrees of success at their endeavors. On their part, Aajeja seems to like the company of the people of the Pillars, often flying past the town with joy in their eyes and wingbeats.

Notable Sublocations

The Palagonite Pillars—These Pillars form this settlement’s heart and locus; despite their name, the Pillars are composed of more than just palagonite, but these yellow and red minerals definitely form the majority of the Pillars’ composition. There are piles of other materials and resources brought here by visitors, such as lengths of obdurate Tinaris-Mal chain and parcels of woven sunlight from Yorkis-Mal.
Clay Exchange—The Clay Exchange is where visitors submit their requests for palagonite, and are asked to offer something in return. Visitors from all over Ald-Amura also exchange goods and services here, forging bonds and friendships they otherwise might never have enjoyed. The Replenishers watch over the Exchange and make sure nobody gives or takes beyond a fair amount, as well as maintain records of the various deals which take place at the Pillars, both for posterity’s sake and for their own accounting.
Terra-Forging Workshop—The product of the meeting of some of Ald-Amura’s most brilliant (and playful) minds, the Terra-Forging Workshop is where a curious project is taking shape; researchers work with palagonite shards to create small seeds of earth, which accrete with other minerals to form lightweight, yet strong, chunks of stone. At present, this is still largely an oddity, but the Workshop’s engineers are optimistic that further research will allow them to create entire layers of healthy topsoil or provide auto-refining piles of ‘smart’ building materials. Currently, with the Replenishers’ help, the Workshop has succeeded in creating the magical palagonite constructs known as “Sandhorns”—enormous beasts of clay and sand.
Sandhorn Waystation—Visitors often require large vehicles to help them transport their shipments to and from the Pillars. To solve these logistical issues, the Sandhorn Waystation was recently set up, where the Terra-Forging Workshop used their members’ various Gifts to imbue palagonite with magical energy and animate it into “Sandhorns,” rhino-like constructed creatures of great strength and patience. Instead of loading palagonite and other materials onto beasts of burden, the Sandhorn Waystation sidesteps this logistical problem entirely by making the beasts of burden out of palagonite; these constructs transport themselves to where they are needed in Ald-Amura, before dissembling into their component palagonite shards for community use. This is still an early-stage implementation, but so far, the results seem very promising.

What Happens When You Arrive

At the gates, two Sandhorns, each bound for a different destination, are dragging their feet and refusing to be parted, despite their Workshop animators’ best efforts. Some onlookers look amused, while others look thoughtful. A nearby Workshop engineer and Replenisher share terse, worried words.
Alas, the False Gold has appeared in the Pillars, gleaming dreadfully upon the community. Either this dolorous metal has sprouted from the Pillars, or someone made an offering of False Gold. The Replenishers are investigating their records, but have found no accounts of such an exchange; however, they do notice some irregularities in some of the recent transactions…
A campfire is roaring, around which visitors to the Pillars share a variety of hot food, refreshing beverages, and tall tales. Despite the good cheer, everyone in attendance seems to be keeping their expressions as neutral as possible. As the stories become more outlandish and improbable, a Sazarian visitor tries—and fails—to keep a straight face and laughs… at which everyone laughs as well, setting off a cascade of guffaws and high-fiving.
Children run and make swooshing sounds as they fly kites with colorful streamers, made in the likeness of Aajeja, the Fire-Dancing Sky. One of the children notices your approach and offers you the use of their kite, in exchange for you carrying them piggyback and running so they can help their kite of Aajeja to soar higher into the sky.
There’s been a dreadful accident; part of the Pillars have collapsed despite the Replenishers’ Gifts. Replenishers run through the town, trying to minimize the damage. Despite their best efforts, the falling debris causes some serious injuries, and a feeling of dread ripples through the community.
A terrible screech in the night, a red gleam in the sky, and after that—an eclipse, blotting out the night sky. Traditional light sources flounder and fail; even the powers of light-giving Gifts seem muted by this eclipse. The only things that glow in this strange darkness are things of False Gold, which shine more menacingly and brighter than ever before.