The Commons

The majority of the island of Mistfall, so called because it's where the 'commoners' of Mistfall live. Covering what was once the relatively flat part of the island it's a city built unto itself. As it is a defining trait of the island to those who actually enter it, it of course shares the most dominant traits of Mistfall. Some parts might appear as nice clean townships, surrounded by shady alleys, the odd building bristling with arcane defenses warring with a neighbor coated in lead clockwork, and just an unpaved street over a family of four is opening a bakery on the first floor. The people and goods available are just as varied as well. It has everything you could dream of, including your nightmares given the horrors that lurk in the ample shadows.

### Geography

The land of the Commons is divided into a few broad categories. General areas such as the docks of course, but also many smaller districts maintained by some powerful force or contested turfs usually run by gangs or groups. Below are some notable areas, but as a general rule the whole island is a relatively flat urban environment. The elevation of the island only varies naturally by about 10ft in the most extreme examples, though some people have formed the island into more exotic shapes including some regions of artificial natural terrain and the tunnels which can hold just about anything given the oddities of them.

#### Docks

Also known as the Cliffs or the Cranes, or any variants there of. The Docks are what they sound like, the outermost ring of the island where crane docks have been built to drop into the seas below during the calm periods. These machine are behemoths of engineering, the results of the many dwarves and gnomes who spend their lives here training their crafts. Equipped with anywhere from four to forty massive grips acting as hooks they're manned by both a ground team and a retrieval team that go down, negotiate with any not previously agreed upon ships, and if things go well dredge them up to be unloaded into nearby storage warehouses, or directly to traders. While the land here is actually some of the least crowded due to the space needed it is some of the most hazardous for a few reasons.

For one the sheer cliff, hundreds of feet of sheer drop with the maelstrom for most of the way. Falling off is a real hazard and a popular way to dispose of things, leading to a profitable side business being trash collectors who dump garbage off into the storm. The storm is worthy of its own mention so more on that later. The other main concern is the workers. Not all docks are manned throughout the year as they're the owned ones by powerful entities on the island who can afford to keep it protected. While the others are under constant contest from gangs and other forces for the profit they make. Regardless the people are incredibly territorial and given they are some of the harshest folk of the commons it's not wise to enter without a reason.

#### Fogwatch District

A sizeable area of Mistfall under the guard of the Fogwatch. One of few forces of actual law on the island that guards its borders viciously and maintains a simple but effective form of law and order within. It is distinguished both by a literal border, the relatively few mages of the Fogwatch are experts at constructing defensible walls in a short time. This provides the district with a wall that keeps those inside safe, gives defenders the advantage, and makes it easy to know when you're approaching it due to their signature glowing blue flags. Visible through the mist to up to twice the normal distance and a result of their alchemists devising a way to make an easy to spot banner among each other, they serve as the first sign to newcomers. On the inside it's much like the rest of the island, a bit cleaner as the scraps nobody would want to steal get cleaned up and guards are charged with maintaining good looks.

#### The Maelstrom

The big one. The ever raging storm around the island which by locals is considered part of the Commons. To call it overkill is an incredible understatement and underestimating it has been the death of countless brave fools from the mainland thinking to harass or shortchange dock workers.

Normally the maelstrom has four main concerns. Tornado force winds first and foremost, kept off the island by unknown means the winds themselves can shred apart most seafaring structures as if they were paper and given time chew through even the toughest metals. The lightning, almost certainly a magical effect given it has a proclivity to strike at living things that get caught in the winds or tries to reach out and strike things coming close to the island. To the point where some people joke the passive lightning of the storm is caused by fish swimming by. The sea, which is churned by the winds and reaches natural disaster levels of power to anywhere else in the world, crashing wreckage and water against the cliff face which the island bears with ease. And the magical aspect, something very poorly understood. What is known is that it disrupts teleportations, ranging from not working to severely hampered effects to fine to killing the user in horrid ways. But also that the storm whips back up after a calm period in a matter of seconds, the thing which kills most foolhardy heroes thinking it was wise to fight the dock workers. It also strips away magics which protects from the elements that would normally allow something to pass the maelstrom, protections from wind are notoriously bad in this after one historic incident referred to as the 'Day of Red Bursts'.

A notable thing though is the maelstrom seems to detect people who've been on the island before. It doesn't clear for them or anything but it is possible to fish from the cliffs, lines don't break and somehow fish do bite. Some extraordinarily brave or stupid people even carve out little places on the cliffs that you can climb down to while the storm is active which are actually safe to be in provided you don't slip on the wet rocks. However if someone trying to climb the island takes refuge in one before reaching the top when the storm whips up again they get hit by the full force, turning anyone inside into a fine red paste in a matter of seconds.

### Ecology

Surprisingly the island does have an ecology, or at least the Commons do. It's very primitive to say the least and consists mostly of humanoids but the island does grow a number of hardy plants like grasses and vines, trees have been brought to the island, and rats have taken to almost every natural niche possible. While there are some animal populations in the Commons in the form of stray dogs, cats, and other small mammals like raccoons originally brought over as pets, the rats outnumber them by a massive amount. As such the rats spread seeds, act as predators and prey, and are one of the island's regrettably few sources of meat. It is worth noting that short of pets or livestock there are no wild birds on Mistfall. Between the mist and tornado winds you could accidentally fly into, well birds don't do well.

The humanoids of the island have also made some strange means of surviving. Because being an entirely urban island means food production is very difficult. Of course there is fishing and imported preserved foods but for most of the year your only choices are fish and what you can find. Which for most is rats, stray dogs, or other unsavory things. This is combated mostly by producers in the Labyrinth who brought in knowledge from Malten as to how to grow vegetation quickly giving the island access to bread. Meat animals however are a challenge, the best most can manage is chickens. This has lead to a lot of newcomers falling prey to traders offering 'Red Meat' or just plain 'Meat' in stores without ever knowing the source. Some people say it's best you don't ask, others have constant fears of cannibalism leading to red meat being a very unpopular food on the island.