Salt
Salt is the largest water island in the Skies, and is home to the largest, most authoritarian nation of Valeer. The island is ruled by the Soddun Imperium and its emperor Di Yzi The Wise.
The majority of the island is covered in salt water, with three small land masses set adrift on the islands surface. The island itself is divided into three provinces, Bai, Dou, and Yzi, with Yzi being the province home to Salt's capital of Ba Sin.
All property on the surface is claimed by the Soddun Imperium, who use it for farming of surface goods, processing aquatic goods that could not be treated in water, and providing homes for the aristocracy of Salt society. Homes built on the relatively small amount of land are considered status symbols, with the greatest structure being the emperor's palace, Gong Castle.
The government of the island is divided into various courts which serve under the provincial lords, who each swear loyalty to the emperor. The courts are made up of aristocrats, clerics of the Men of the Waves, generals from the lords armies, and eunuchs from the various Factotum Monasteries .
The common people have little to no representation in the works of government, which causes the occasional rebellion or farmers' strike. The aristocracy is made up of water Kissed, while the lower classes of the island is made up of Hjaric.
The people of Salt worship the The Water Titan, whom they believe to have given the divine mandate to rule to the aristocracy. The secretive Men of the Waves, an order of worship The Water Titan, instruct both the peasantry and aristocracy on The Tale of Father Ocean, and spread His message past the bounds of any one island. The clerics also aid in most aquatic construction on Salt, and as such, occupy a place of reverence in the island's culture. Traditionally, the Men are supposed to abstain from politics, and yet often end up influencing decisions anyway. All trade on and off the island is conducted through the province of Dou, through the sub-island city of Kant. Kant is the only place on the island with a dedicated sky port, and the only place where foreigners are allowed to sell their goods and services. The island is suspended by a pair of water Source Crystals at the islands heart, which continually produce salt water and are encased in a dense carapace of living brain coral. One crystal sits in Dou territory, and the other rests directly under the island city of Ba Sin.
The majority of the island is covered in salt water, with three small land masses set adrift on the islands surface. The island itself is divided into three provinces, Bai, Dou, and Yzi, with Yzi being the province home to Salt's capital of Ba Sin.
All property on the surface is claimed by the Soddun Imperium, who use it for farming of surface goods, processing aquatic goods that could not be treated in water, and providing homes for the aristocracy of Salt society. Homes built on the relatively small amount of land are considered status symbols, with the greatest structure being the emperor's palace, Gong Castle.
The government of the island is divided into various courts which serve under the provincial lords, who each swear loyalty to the emperor. The courts are made up of aristocrats, clerics of the Men of the Waves, generals from the lords armies, and eunuchs from the various Factotum Monasteries .
The common people have little to no representation in the works of government, which causes the occasional rebellion or farmers' strike. The aristocracy is made up of water Kissed, while the lower classes of the island is made up of Hjaric.
The people of Salt worship the The Water Titan, whom they believe to have given the divine mandate to rule to the aristocracy. The secretive Men of the Waves, an order of worship The Water Titan, instruct both the peasantry and aristocracy on The Tale of Father Ocean, and spread His message past the bounds of any one island. The clerics also aid in most aquatic construction on Salt, and as such, occupy a place of reverence in the island's culture. Traditionally, the Men are supposed to abstain from politics, and yet often end up influencing decisions anyway. All trade on and off the island is conducted through the province of Dou, through the sub-island city of Kant. Kant is the only place on the island with a dedicated sky port, and the only place where foreigners are allowed to sell their goods and services. The island is suspended by a pair of water Source Crystals at the islands heart, which continually produce salt water and are encased in a dense carapace of living brain coral. One crystal sits in Dou territory, and the other rests directly under the island city of Ba Sin.
Geography
The majority of Salt is made up of water, with hundreds of smaller chunks of rock and coral-chunks which float independently. The residents of salt live on these chunks, building dense villages, lobster and seaweed farms, aquatic fortresses, and other structures.
There are three large rocks on the island who float in defiance of the laws of physics, each named after the three provinces of the island, Dou, Yzi, and Bai. Each of these islands is naturally covered in grasslands with little in the way of foliage, and surrounded by beautiful gravel beaches and rock bottom bays.
There are three large rocks on the island who float in defiance of the laws of physics, each named after the three provinces of the island, Dou, Yzi, and Bai. Each of these islands is naturally covered in grasslands with little in the way of foliage, and surrounded by beautiful gravel beaches and rock bottom bays.
Ecosystem
Salt has a beautiful and diverse aquatic ecosystem with which the Valeer of the island live in a symbiotic harmony with. The island is home to massive fish populations, eels, crustaceans, and even a small, protected, sea turtle population.
Massive growths of coral drift through the emerald waters, sometimes attached to large chunks of rock and sometimes floating independently. Forests of sea weed, kelp, and all manner of aquatic vegetation grow on any available surface, and are mindfully pruned and gardened by farmers who have been perfecting plant husbandry for centuries. Buildings are constructed in concert with nature, rather than opposed, as the utilitarian need to use every inch available for production has led to cities which double as urban farmland. The Men of the Waves use their druidic magic to shape living coral into livable spaces, as there is a lack of any other building material on the island. This allows Valeer to better cohabitate and shepherd the animal life around them. What waste is produced by the citizens of salt, be that food waste or excrement, isn't disposed of, but is rather ground and mashed into a fine pulp which is then mixed with fish eggs and finally imbued a touch of druidic magic. This process produces a fine fertilizer which helps to enhance plant growth, which both feeds the fish population and produce the fibers with which the Valeer use to make their fabric.
Massive growths of coral drift through the emerald waters, sometimes attached to large chunks of rock and sometimes floating independently. Forests of sea weed, kelp, and all manner of aquatic vegetation grow on any available surface, and are mindfully pruned and gardened by farmers who have been perfecting plant husbandry for centuries. Buildings are constructed in concert with nature, rather than opposed, as the utilitarian need to use every inch available for production has led to cities which double as urban farmland. The Men of the Waves use their druidic magic to shape living coral into livable spaces, as there is a lack of any other building material on the island. This allows Valeer to better cohabitate and shepherd the animal life around them. What waste is produced by the citizens of salt, be that food waste or excrement, isn't disposed of, but is rather ground and mashed into a fine pulp which is then mixed with fish eggs and finally imbued a touch of druidic magic. This process produces a fine fertilizer which helps to enhance plant growth, which both feeds the fish population and produce the fibers with which the Valeer use to make their fabric.
Fauna & Flora
The most interesting megafauna of Salt is the Giant Iron-Hide Lobster, a cow sized crustacean with a naturally durable hide. The Valeer of Salt farm these creatures, harvesting their chitin for armour and weaponry.
The population of these lobsters is kept tightly controlled, as each individual lobster requires massive amounts of meat, bones, and crabs. Most lobsters are owned by the wealthy lords, while being cared for indentured serfs.
The population of these lobsters is kept tightly controlled, as each individual lobster requires massive amounts of meat, bones, and crabs. Most lobsters are owned by the wealthy lords, while being cared for indentured serfs.
Natural Resources
Salt's main export, unsurprisingly, is salt. The mineral is harvested on the beaches of the three floating rocks which breach the islands surface, and Salt is by-far the largest supplier of salt to the Fractured Skies.
History
The history of Salt is a tumultuous one, riddled with corruption, bloodshed, and courtly politics. Initially, the people of the island were divided into several warring tribes who fought over the three landmasses on the island's surface. As time went on, these conflicts became more organized, and the people began forming more cohesive identities and societies. As the Valeer of the island evolved, becoming the aquatic beings capable of surviving underwater, these tensions expanded in scope as the tribes rushed to consolidate power and claim new territory underwater. Eventually, the land was divided into three rival provinces ruled by three rival courts, the Dou who ruled the south-west most side of the island, the Bai who ruled the south-east, and the Yzi who ruled in the north. Each court claimed that they were chosen by the The Water Titan, whom they call God Queen Haiyang or Mother Ocean, to rule the entirety of the island.
The three provinces sat in a 100 year long stalemate, a fragile peace secured by strategic marriages, frequent negotiations, and shared dangers which required cooperation to overcome. The island was often beset by raiders from the island of ___, and Sky Serpent pirates who occasionally attacked what few farms the people of Salt kept on the surface, as well as the odd elemental beast. Although, throughout this period, the provinces did engage in the odd scuffle, testing each others boundaries and looking for any hint of weakness.
The stalemate was eventually broken when in the year 256 AF the lord regent Xai of the province of Yzi, uncle to the at the time 4 year old emperor Gui Yzi, led a surprise invasion of the province of Dou. Regent Xai had realized that the court of Dou had grown rife with corruption, and had approached one of the Factotum Monasteries who supported the Dou and convinced them to flip sides and thin the defenses along their northern boarder by stoking paranoia of a eastern invasion by the Bai. Regent Xai led a surprise campaign which pierced the Dou's defenses and allowed them to capture both the Dou's capital city and the Dou king before the Dou's army could even react. It was as clean a victory as it could be, minimal collateral and bloodshed, and allowed Regent Xai forced a surrender, which allowed him to add the Dou's forces into his army. With the combined weight of two provinces, Regent Xai overwhelmed the Bai within a matter of weeks, securing the entire island, and forging a dynasty which has remained in place to this day.
The three provinces sat in a 100 year long stalemate, a fragile peace secured by strategic marriages, frequent negotiations, and shared dangers which required cooperation to overcome. The island was often beset by raiders from the island of ___, and Sky Serpent pirates who occasionally attacked what few farms the people of Salt kept on the surface, as well as the odd elemental beast. Although, throughout this period, the provinces did engage in the odd scuffle, testing each others boundaries and looking for any hint of weakness.
The stalemate was eventually broken when in the year 256 AF the lord regent Xai of the province of Yzi, uncle to the at the time 4 year old emperor Gui Yzi, led a surprise invasion of the province of Dou. Regent Xai had realized that the court of Dou had grown rife with corruption, and had approached one of the Factotum Monasteries who supported the Dou and convinced them to flip sides and thin the defenses along their northern boarder by stoking paranoia of a eastern invasion by the Bai. Regent Xai led a surprise campaign which pierced the Dou's defenses and allowed them to capture both the Dou's capital city and the Dou king before the Dou's army could even react. It was as clean a victory as it could be, minimal collateral and bloodshed, and allowed Regent Xai forced a surrender, which allowed him to add the Dou's forces into his army. With the combined weight of two provinces, Regent Xai overwhelmed the Bai within a matter of weeks, securing the entire island, and forging a dynasty which has remained in place to this day.
Alternative Name(s)
The Pearl of the Sky, The Kingdom of Bitter Waters, or The Lady's Grace
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