Venusian Civilization

Lineages of humankind once settled the Venusian Skies with great ambition. Venus, so they told, would one day become transformed in Earth's image and become the cradle's true sister-world. Yet the machinations of history and great games among the nations of humanity hold the civilization of Venus firm in their grasp. Greater than all ambition to change a world is a un-ending struggle for prestige and influence, resources, and privilege to trade. Thus, the people of Venusia are torn and turned inward, altering themselves to take control once more of their fate.

## Skyward continents

Vaunted feats of human civilization are the suspended continents stretching the cloudscapes of Venusia. Fourteen distinct masses of land are floating in the skies, each a monument to the paradox succession of alteration and change the ambition of Venusia underwent.

At first glance, the continents resemble most closely those of the old world Earth. Forests and fields, rivers and channels, pathways and cities dot the land. At the same time, they all bear within them the most radical differences between them and the world. Adapted to the boiling, acidic environments of Venusian Skies, the flora and fauna and indeed the civilization inhabiting the skyward continents are most enduring and cunning in their survival.

### Structure and construction

All skyward continents encompass a great number of plates, each of which floats on the high skies on their own. Built from their suspended frames forth inward, these plates alone measure between dozens and two hundred kilometers, most astonishing works of technological architecture. Connected among each other in intricate patterns, they form the continents and may be reformed as need and circumstance arise.

### Cities and spires

The great cities of many continents are built into the ground, part of the superstructure of each continent. They protect their inhabitants from radiation and acid, as well as the months-long dark of Venusian light. Buried beneath the artificial soil, these cities are at the same time harboring many means of production of industry.

Visibly ascend from each city the high spires. Those are the glamorous pinnacles of Venusian civilization, dockyards to air-borne fleets and trade, centers of industry and innovation.

### Enclaves and territories

Around each city and spire, there exists a network of trade and commerce, institutions of sciences and culture, cities and towns working the land and the precious resources of Venusia down below. These are the territories marking the land, maintaining the continent and the world thereon. Many are part of the great city-states, though some remain enclaves alone along the world.

## Archipelagos

Where the grand plates of continents are not affixed to each other and smaller installations are connected to operations on the Venusian ground, archipelagos are born. These collections of sometimes permanent, sometimes traveling inhabited isles harbor sometimes mere outposts, in other cases island empires ruling the high skies. often times not as concerned with a worldly appearance, large portions of such isles are overbuilt or left to the machines.

The archipelagos are best known for the capital cities of the high skies, golden isles of palaces and centerpieces in Venusian global trade. Often times it is also archipelagos which maintain regular off-world relations.

## Sky nomads

Those who embrace fully the nature of Venus do not bother to remain with the continents and archipelagos but are instead carried alone by the wind. The nomads of vagrant Venusian skies inhabit great ships of ancient manufacture, often times living on them like in the bellies of great mythical beasts. Some direct their course through the skies, others leave it to the forces of nature alone. Often times they are reclusive traders and bring wares from hidden places deep down on the Venusian surface and places far away. Some more dangerous lineages of their kind are marauding warriors or sellswords to the wealthy kingdoms of the High Skies.

Due to their reclusive nature, much of what is thought and known about their people is the stuff of legend rather than actual fact. To most, they are the true Venusians, almost as estranged as a truly alien presence would be.

## Off-world ascend

Between the feverish skies of Venusia and the Open Void beyond, there is no permanent physical link. Neither towers nor bridges reach from the vagrant civilizations of Venus to those in orbit of the sister-world.

What connections exist are fickle and few, reserved nigh completely for the transport of precious goods and wares. One does not easily enter or leave the heated planet and many of its civilizations harbor their isolation.

Indeed many expeditions led by the Symposium and other forces from beyond to the lower skies are met with utmost hostility and fierce resistance. So the civilizations of Venus wait in hot twilight for the days to ascend from their world that they did not change in the image of cradle Earth, but that in fact changed them in the image of the feverish skies.