Aery

An image from the Aery's streets.

A city floating in the Shattered Isles, the city of **Aery** is the gateway to the floating islands of the New World. Sometimes referred to as the "Portal to the Frontier," it is the first place that many settlers and pioneers visit on their way to the Frontier of the Shattered Isles.

## Geography

The island that the Aery floats on is almost entirely converted into cityscape. A single river flows through the island, falling off of the edge of the island and providing the locals fresh water.

## Government

Aery functions on a direct democracy. The head of the city, known as the Governor, is elected by majority vote by the people of the city-state. The Governor has control over many facets of the island, however does pick numerous advisors to help them run the city - for example, the head artificer of the Aery Artificer's Guild is chosen by the governor. The governor is selected once every five years by the Aery's voting system, in which anyone may run.

## Trade

The Aery is the most prominent economic power in the Shattered Isles. Many items from the Frontier make their way to the Aery, to be traded on mercantile vessels to the Old World for profit. Typically, the city-state will import metals and alchemical reagants, turning them into airship parts, alchemical items and clockwork mechanisms for sale in the Old World. Most of the city-state's internal economy is made up of the various small businesses within the city, ranging from taverns to private drydocks.

## Defenses

Much of the Aery's defenses consist of the city-state's guards, known as the Hawkers. These guards typically patrol the city streets, as well as use small airships to check incoming vessels for controband cargo. The Hawkers are known to be somewhat corrupt, and sometimes actively will accept bribes and offers from criminals to let them off scot-free. Due to this, the Aery has relatively high crime rates. Many gangs roam the streets, typically above the law; however, there are some organizations and individuals in the city who take the role of vigilantes to combat this crime that is ignored by the Hawkers.

In the event of a siege, the city-state is armed with numerous bastions with artillery cannons placed within, designed to be protected from airship fire but be heavy enough to shatter through an airship's hull. This system of defensive bastions on the edges of the city, affectionately referred to as The Hull by city natives, is considered the city's defense from the outside world.

## History

The Aery was founded in 812 3E, as a joint settlement between the local leonin population and enterprising humans and elves of the Old World. It quickly grew as an economic center of the region, as pioneers from the Old World came to settle there, and leonins of the New World saw new economic horizons on the city. Originally founded by the Eukitian New World Company, the Aery quickly became a new, independent city-state that governed and controlled itself.

By the year 860 3E, the city-state had become the most prominent economic figure in the Shattered Isles. Goods from the Frontier were often ferried to the Aery's docks, where trade ships would come pick them up to take them to the Old World. In return, many of these mercantile vessels brough metals and alchemical reagents, which the local Aery Artificer's Guild would turn into airship parts, alchemical items, clockwork mechanisms and firearms, which would proceed to be shipped back to the Old World for profit.

## City Layout

Most inhabitants of the Aery have their own houses or apartments. The city is relatively crowded with buildings, most streets besides the main roads being more akin to small, thin alleyways. The city is divided into multiple districts, most designated for specific tasks. Most of these districts are named after parts of airships.

### The Hull

The Hull is the area around the edges of the city-state. Mostly consisting of defensive bastions for the Aery, the Hull is a vast military complex surrounding the city. Most of these bastions are armed heavily with powerful, land-based anti-airship cannons, designed specifically by the local artificer's guild.

### The Figurehead

The Figurehead is the district of the Aery that contains the major government buildings. The city library, capitol building, and governor's home are located in this part of the city. It is the most watched-over by the Hawkers, in order to protect the ruling class of the city. Many rich Aery natives live in this area, as well, inhabiting expensive mansions on the isle.

### The Quarterdeck

The most populous part of the Aery, the Quarterdeck is where most citizens of the Aery live and make their businesses. Crammed with various houses, watchtowers, clock towers and apartments, the Quarterdeck is perhaps the most difficult place to manuever in the city, sometimes requiring a guide for non-natives to manuever among the almost labyrinthian layout of this part of the city. Due to this, the Quarterdeck also has a lot of strangely hidden sections, and is where most gang-related activity takes place.

### The Mizzen

The Mizzen is the docks of the Aery. Consisting of various large airship docks on the north side of the city, the Mizzen is where trade ships are loaded and where visitors and pioneers reach the city. Many small markets line this part of the city, selling anything from shirts to potions to vaguely illegal items.

### The Keel

The main economic sector of the Aery, this is where factories and major businesses are located. A winding, complex maze of piping, conveyor belts and buildings, the Keel is nearly as difficult to manuever as the Quarterdeck. While it is slightly more policed than the Quarterdeck, gang activity also spikes here in comparison to other parts of the city, and due to the Keel's three-dimensional nature as a system of various pipes and grappling surfaces, attacks and muggings by gangs from above aren't unheard of.