Obsidian Outpost

The Ko-Wahi side of the Cable Car. Since The Outsiders moved in, it has been extensively renovated both above and below ground.

The Obsidian Outpost is the Cable Car station on the Ko-Wahi side of the Tren Krom Break, in the North March. It is currently under the control of The Outsiders, who operate and maintain the equipment in exchange for supplies from Ko-Koro.

In addition, Obsidian also serves The Outsiders' main base of operations. Extensive underground sections house the operatives, and an arena has been added above ground to stage training battles and the like.

Description

Approaching from the direction of Ko-Koro, the path to the outpost and cable car is clearly marked, with tattered red flags and lightstones lamps lining the edge of the cliffside. A simple arena is situated a few minutes from the fort, marked by a low stone wall and populated with training dummies and archery targets.

The entrance to the outpost is fortified with a sturdy wall of wooden posts and palisades that spans from the slope of the mountainside to the edge of the cliff, with a gate – left open at all hours – allowing access through into the courtyard. Small sentry post structures sit on either side of the gate, though these buildings aren’t currently in use except as spare storage space.

To the left of the gate is the fort proper, hewn of wood and stone and so shrouded with snow that it’s difficult to tell in some places where the structure ends and the mountain begins. A short tunnel-like entrance leads in to a set of reinforced double-doors, and beyond these is a dull, unadorned foyer, with corridors branching off to the left and right, and a staircase leading down to the subterranean sections.

The left wing consists of the bar and mess hall, as well as a small kitchen area. A wide spiral staircase in the hall winds its way up into the sentry tower, which is situated directly above the left wing. The tower itself is rather wide, and octagonal in shape, with enough elevation to offer a clear view down the mountain route leading up to the outpost.

The right wing of the building, which consists of two levels, is largely home to living quarters, with a storage shed adjoining the lower level, and a balcony on the upper. A smithing area, once operated by founding member Forger, is situated beside this section. A door leads out the back of the right wing to grant access to a stone staircase hand-hewn out of the weathered rock, leading up to small ledge overlooking the fort. Carved into the mountainside here are the codenames of current and former members of The Outsiders, and there are several shallow graves and memorials for members of the group who are dead or departed.

The outpost is also home to a number of underground chambers. Beneath the right wing of the outpost lies the dungeon, which houses occasional prisoners. Beneath the left wing, situated beneath the mess hall is “The Chamber”, which is occupied by a huge, polished stone table that takes up the length of the room. Trophies and artefacts from past missions line the walls, with lightstones interspersed between them. The insignia and creed of The Outsiders is inscribed on the far wall.

Beyond the outpost is the cable car station itself, which the mercenaries help operate, repair, and maintain as part of their new arrangement with Ko-Koro. Beside it stands the caretaker’s cottage, where the engineer responsible for looking after the cable car resides.

Trivia

• The base has the name "Obsidian Outpost" because it was originally located in Ta-Wahi, at the cable car station near the volcanic Tren Krom Break. It has since been retconned and relocated to the Ko-Wahi side of the cable car.