Arnrock

The Arnrock, also known as Arnrock Island and Old Smokey, was an active volcano and the largest island in the Lake of Steam. It erupted violently in the.

Description
Prior to the eruption, the island was comprised of a wide caldera about a mile (1.6 kilometers) deep. The soil in the caldera was the most fertile in the Land of the Lions, and it was home to woods and hot springs. Geothermal vents dotted the area, an ever present reminder that the volcano was still alive. During this time, the island was home to a population of strongheart halflings who collectively called themselves the Arn.

Following the eruption, the mountain grew both taller and wider, and the whole caldera was filled with bubbling lava.

Geography
The Arnrock was one of countless volcanoes laying within the Lake of Steam, but the only one that broke the surface to form an island. It lay near the lake's center, and was the landmark used by sailors to mark the transition from the relatively safe and stable western half to the more dangerous eastern half.

Defenses
The island had no notable defenses in the mid-to-late 14 century DR, although it did have a cog moored on the eastern shore that was large enough to evacuate the whole population.

History
The island's caldera was formed when the volcano violently exploded sometime circa the 4 century DR.

Thanks to an ancient treaty imposed by Calimshan, the cities along the coast of the Lake of Steam were prohibited from claiming the volcano or from using the island as a naval base.

On Flamerule 1 of the, Iakhovas detonated a powerful magical device within the volcano in order to open a gate into the Ship of the Gods volcano in the Sea of Fallen Stars, resulting in the eruption of both volcanoes. While the eruption of the Ship of the Gods resulted in the destruction of Vahaxtyl and the deaths of more than 20,000 sahuagin, the eruption at Arnrock was so minor that the locals did not even notice, and continued to suggest that their volcano was long overdue to erupt.

The massive eruption in 1386 DR completely destroyed the halfling settlement on the island. As late as the, the caldera remained filled with magma, completely erasing any signs of the former inhabitants.

Notable Locations
The Arn population in the mid-to-late 14 century DR was scattered around the island, and the closest thing resembling a town was a ramshackle collection of buildings known as Sleeping Hollow. This was where the island's only inn, known as the Brazen Buck, could be found.

Inhabitants
Prior to the eruption in the late 14 century DR, the caldera was home to the halflings who called themselves the Arn. They farmed on the volcano's slopes, fished in the surrounding waters, and used the geothermal heat to create copper crafts.

The slopes of the caldera were a favored site for temporary lairs among mercury dragons, while firenewts were known to make their homes inside of the active volcano.