The Skies

This world is one made up of skies and soars, dotted with tall, needle-like mountain spires that pierce up through the cloudfloor. Settlements and cities have grown on the ledges and plateaus of these spires. Civilizations have fallen and risen anew.

Different elevations tend to feature different aspects of the skies. HighSky is where the peaks of most major spires find their summits. Cold winds and bright light fill the empty air above. The largest flying wildlife is found at this elevation, among and above the largest cloud banks. MidSky is where most settlements and travel take place. Most major wind lines—near constant currents of wind that sailors use as one-way highways throughout the skies—are found at this elevation. LowSky holds innumerable changing fast lines that weave and dart between undiscovered spires.

At the bottom of all lies the cloudfloor, a thick, utterly opaque layer of white cloud that acts as the ground of the skies. Nothing that disappears beneath the milky foam of the cloudfloor has ever returned, despite the attempts of expeditions and countless personal journeys. Nothing and no one has ever returned.

## The Ten Skies

   The ten skies are the regions of the world carved out by the major wind lines, where ground can only be found on needle-like mountainous spires that pierce up through the cloudfloor.

At the centre of all skies is the sky of Dalaam. The Border or Inner Rim skies are Ushua, Hozavi, and Hila. On the Outer Rim are the skies of Sal, Andi Mone, Crean, Damasta, Waren, and Ferra.

## Core, or Central Sky

### **1. Dalaam**

Capital: Centrespire

Industries: Commerce and military

The centre of the known skies, where all wealth, power, intrigue, and scandal congregates under the might of the King and his Blues. Spires in this sky are dotted with ports and docks sticking out at odd angles, as merchants and travellers alike are always looking for a place to land, trade, and stock up as they cross through the centre of all skies.

## Border or Inner Rim Skies

### **2. Ushua**

Capital: Harrowsreach, Hammerfell, and Lochport

Industries: Magic, agriculture, sky fishing, and artisan goods

While this sky’s capital, Harrowsreach, is famed for its study of magic, the remainder of the settlements boast strong farming and sky fishing, with vast nets stretched between spires like cobwebs.

The region of Thani to the south has a lively trade with its neighbouring skies. Its largest landmass has several of the largest bodies of water in the all skies. Thani’s largest city, Hammerfell, is filled with tinkers, craftsmen, builders, and their curios and curiosities.

The region to the north of Ushua is Ries, notable for its mountains lush with verdant soil and spire-high waterfalls. Sailors travelling through its soars often complain about the cool and pervasive rain banks that often drift up from LowSky. Ries’ largest city is Lochport, a wretched hive tucked under fine appearances.

### **3. Hozavi**

Capital: Fokuya, Meriel, Nov I’bah

Industry: Fashion, textiles, gold, copper, and black stone mining

Hozavi is a sky covered in mist, clouds, and water. To the west, the soars of Hoya Koku offer dense, opaque clouds and strong, swift winds. Most ships unfamiliar with the region often sail in HighSky, for fear of crashing while flying through the endless puffy clouds. To the north, low, flat spires shrouded in mist poke up from the Zadetsu soars. Small lakes sit in pools where valleys have formed in the craggy spires there. From Hozavi’s east come the brilliant colours and styles of the San Vito soars, where the newest trends and the best clothing emerge from the sewers, tailors, and seamstresses raised in the clusters of spires sprouting vivid vegetation yielding plentiful dyes.

### **4. Hila**

Capital: Captica

Industry: Silver mining and smithing

Many ores, most abundantly silver, come from the mines of Hila. Settlements often pop up, thrive for several years where mines are created, and then abandoned once a region is exhausted or fully surveyed. Rich metal-filled spires and sturdy limbs make for a strong culture of metalworking. Sailors and merchants passing through the Hila sky often hear rumours of strange beasts and monster in more variety than elsewhere, which has made the sky home to more superstitions and common rituals than any other place.

## Outer Rim Skies

### **5. Sal**

Capital: Ursus Major and Minor

Industry: Lumber, beer, and float stone mining

Homesky of the Ursa race, Sal’s wide landmasses are a dangerous wilderness that yield strong lumber, rich beer, and rare float stones.

### **6. Andi Mone**

Capital: Eperine

Industry: Shipwrighting

The best ships and the best shipwrights herald from Andi Mone, a region of high culture governed by Lady Laura of Leiling and her bodyguard, Lucia the Crystal Scythe.

### **7. Crean**

Capital: Ernoth Cristin

Industry: Sky Fishing, hunting and weapons crafting

No one knows why the largest, most vicious monsters make their homes in the southern soars of Crean, but hunters are made and broken here, as are most new forms of weaponry.

To the north, Crean boast of spires flush with agriculture and lake fishing. Most of its settlements are in HighSky, and ships are recommended to fly above LowSky, where endless fishing lines dangle from hidden fishing trawlers and rigs.

### **8. Damasta**

Capital: Northspire

Industry: Vertical agriculture

The Breadbasket of the North, Damasta’s spires are resplendent with vertical agriculture. Plantations, farms and plots are easily found, and where settlements haven’t sprung up, lush foliage provides ample bounty to wildlife and locals alike. Its residents are private, clever, and keen traders, mostly keeping to themselves unless trade with a neighbouring sky is absolutely necessary.

### **9. Waren**

Capital: Rockstorm

Industry: Animal rearing and crafting

Ruled by three families (the Joshuas, the Jagden, and the Jinshun), the sky of Waren holds trinkets and curiosities, as well as strong pockets of wild magic and the aberrations it causes.

### **10. Ferra**

Capital: Amfell

Industry: Slave trade

The largest concentration of Avorals can be found in the south of Ferra, while slavers, pirate gangs, and raiders jockey for power in the east.

## Major Lines

Marking the territories between the skies are large, consistent wind currents that always flow through midsky, and to a lesser degree, through lowsky and highsky. These major lines mark out the territories of the skies. The boundary’s of the skies are the four outer rim lines:

* The Fading Line
* The Setting Line
* The Turning Line
* The Rising Line

Beyond these four lines is endless expanses of nothing save the cloudfloor beneath and the High Wilds above Beyond the Outer Rim is endless nothing.

Inside the wheel of rotating wind areother major lines, spoke lines moving inward, clockwise inner rim lines and counter clockwise core lines. Or at least, these would be order, but not quite. The interior lines are:

* Dark Cloud
* Flat
* Spear
* Pink Stream
* Black Ivy
* Sleet
* Cerulean
* Outer East
* Hook Rim
* Bridge
* High Mist

These are the major navigational currents that define the division of skies.