Skylands Continent

Written by Pookas Kreations

This is the floating kingdom of the Sky Gnomes. It travels the tradewinds, high in the sky.

The Skylands as seen from below appear to be drifting clouds with moving mountains peering out from time to time. These islands travel the trade winds, some even have found ways to propel themselves to enable them to dock to other islands or large mountains below in order to trade.

Geography

The Skylands originated in the Treelands, but now they float with the air currents of Aquatica.

In a battle near the end of the Chaos Wars, a wild magic storm caused a gravitic effect that lifted a large area (including mountains, forests, lakes, and rivers) into the sky. This effect lightened the stone enough to float and send it into the sky. Water that ran into the affected area also followed the new natural laws. This became the Skylands. The first mountain to be so lifted became the capital, Skylandia. Other islands eventually rose as well, when they were affected by similar means. Some were even lifted artificially.

From the Skyland's perspective, the lower islands are at the ground level and have gravity similar to the surface of Aquatica. The higher up you travel the lower the gravity and the faster the islands travel. The lower islands can be as low as 2 miles, while those higher up can be in the upper atmosphere. Each island is a different size and moves at varying speeds. Depending on their speed, the land below will be in the shade while the island travels above, this would appear as if the sun was eclipsed.

Fauna & Flora

Almost anything that lived on the terrain below is still in residence, although some plants and animals have evolved over the centuries to the new gravitic conditions. Some creatures have gained wings, gliding membranes, or airbags to give them a better ability to travel and catch themselves while falling.

Whatever was on the terrain that was lifted into the sky is still there, unless it couldn't survive the cooler climate and the lighter gravity. Many plants and animals evolved to take advantage of the gravity changes. Some fish evolved lungs, because much of the water became airy water (see the spell). Many other animals gained the ability to fly or float.

Common animals: griffin, bulgrif, sky whales or sharks, transparent floating jellyfish, flying fish, bore vines, piranha birds, ghost sharks (clear), sky pirates, etc.

Natural Resources

Like above, any type of resources that would be in a similar terrain below would be found above. Of course, over the centuries many resources have been depleted on the more populated islands.

Highly populated islands are always on the lookout for those with less or no population so their resources can be exploited. Less scrupulous islands even raid weaker islands for these same resources.

There are many unique natural resources here in the Skylands. Among them are lift wood, sky stones, oriculum, light stone, etc.

History

These islands originally were from the northern part of Sylvania, above the Treelands, before the Chaos Wars uprooted them and threw them into the sky. Mountains, hills, cliffs, flatlands, valleys, and anything else in the area were included in the upheaval. Even rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds were affected. The event was so violent that often these landmarks were torn asunder from each other. Some mountains stayed intact while others didn't, a few of those that shattered stayed close together orbiting the largest piece of what was left. Most of the island drifted apart on the winds from their original location when they were grounded. The varying islands have different gravitic effects from the wild magic storm that threw them into the sky.
It took centuries to learn the new rules of gravity and build a ship that they could control enough to reach the surface far below. Moving between islands is easier than going below the buffer underneath the islands.

Tourism

Only the rich can afford the ticket to fly on the skyships that can reach the surface of Aquatica. The easiest way to reach the Skylands is to learn a trade that is needed above and indenture yourself to a master to work off your ticket.

Those below only see mysterious clouds and rarely mountainous islands in the sky far above.

Alternative Name(s)

Aeriana, Flying Islands, Floating Islands, Skyhome

Type

Island, Floating

Vehicles Present

• Airship, Large
• Airship, Small
• Gravity Board
• SDF Constellation
• Streamership
• The Azure Freebird

Location under

Aquatica

Included Locations

• Abandoned Vault
• Aerodome
• Ballantyne Wyspa
• Dieter's Treasure Vault
• Skylandia and Skystones
• Skylandia Capital
• The Prancing Pooka

Included Organizations

• Dragon Team
• Sabian Fellowship of the Stars
• Sky Dancers Inc
• Starborn

Related Ethnicities

• Air Elemental
• Cloudpunks 'Gnomes'
• Sky Dancers*

Characters in Location

• Aurelia Lambkin
• Nicola Tesla

Related Tradition (Primary)

• Celebration of the Chosen
• Sky Dancer Birth Ritual
• Skylands Birthday Tradition
• Skyship Racing

Inhabiting Species

• Arafa Duzek
• Giant Flying Tree
• Sky Wanderer
• Walking Yam

Related Materials

• Aether
• Light Stone
• Lightwood