Skyhome
Skyhome is the most technologically advanced, most industrialized, most urbanized island in the Skies. The entirety of the island's surface has been converted into a massive city, which is the most populated settlement known of in the current year of the Fractured Age.
The streets of Skyhome are densely packed, as they were constructed to make the most use out of the limited space available on the island. The buildings are tall, each built several stories high to make use of vertical space, and are made of brick, cement, and timber imported from other islands. Cobblestone roads and gravel alleyways cut through the city like veins, and allow the islands citizens to make their way through the seemingly endless streets.
The limitations of space have completely destroyed the concept of zoning for most of the city, and while walking down Skyhome's narrow streets you will find residences stacked on top of shops, factories standing side by side with courthouses or municipal buildings, and shipyards covered in taverns and houses of pleasure. The only greenery found in most of the city is the creeping vines that snake along the side of older buildings, and the resilient weeds that push through the crakes in the cobblestone.
The air in Skyhome is polluted, more so in areas closer to factories and other places of industry. However, most of the year the city just smells like rain, mildew, and crisp cool air. During the summer months, when there is less rain, the sewer system can get a little backed up, and in that time, the stench of the city can be quite unbearable for a few days.
The city is constantly resounding with the sounds of life, industry, music, and, on most days, the crashing of rain. Constant demolitions and reconstruction further the noise pollution, as well as the honking of Land Rider horns and the clattering of ox drawn carriages. Yelling is a way of life here, as people raise their voices quite often to simply be heard over the ambient background noise.
The only exception to this are the walled off areas of the city in which the powerful and wealthy have their homes. In areas like this, the noise pollution is kept to a minimum, the air is kept relatively clean, individual mansions have a plethora of land to build upon, and much of the space is taken up by parks and other public spaces. Entry to these areas is either limited to those who live within their bounds, or to those willing to pay a frankly exorbitant fee to pass through the gates.
The people of Skyhome are a mixed bag. The majority of the population are Skyborn Sapie and Kissed, but over the years, thousands of individuals from other ethnicities have come to live on the island. The people of the island are loud, abrasive, progressive, proud, and industrious. Some individuals see themselves as superior to the inhabitances of other islands, whom they view as savages, but thankfully, this has and will remain a minority. One bigotry all Skyborn share, however, is the hatred of magic, its practitioners, and all those who practice the arcane arts. Known spellcasters aren't generally in any physical danger (although some extremists do occasionally pose a legitimate threat), but will likely be subject to paranoia, mild verbal abuse, housing discrimination, and the occasional refusal of service. This hatred stems directly from Skyhome's experiences in the first century when the island was ruled over by a tyrannical Druid-King and his cruel Vonmaki, who abused their power to dominate the early population of Skyhome.
Recently, due to the discovery that Magitech Circuits allow for mechanical prosthetics to bind and be manipulated by nerve endings, several of the labour class have begun embracing this technology to re-enter the work force after debilitating accidents, and improve their physical abilities. Some individuals of a less legitimate persuasion have also started sporting these "augments", as they are known, equipping them with weapons and devices that aid them in their criminal endeavors.
Skyhome's economy is based upon three key factors: Firstly, it's the Skies industrial superpower, and is responsible for processing and refining of raw materials into various goods. Secondly, it's a major center for inter-island trade, with may independent merchants and companies calling the island home. And thirdly, it's one of the Skies premier manufacturers of Sky Ships, the machines that allow the modern Skies to operate. These three facts have cemented Skyhome as a centerpiece of the economy and culture of the Skies.
Skyhome is also a member state of The Pact, which entitles it to the beneficial trade subsidies and the military support enshrined in the organization's charter.
Skyhome has three elemental Source Crystals. The crystals are smaller and less powerful they are routinely harvested for Slivers for currency and chunks for the use in machines powered by Elemental Engines. The crystals and their protection and exploitation are under the jurisdiction of the The Parliament's treasury secretary.
Geography
Skyhome is a sloped island, which rises to a small peak on its western side. Originally covered in marshes, grassy plateau, and rocky hills, the original ecosystems were completely demolished as the population exploded, and replaced with the massive city that the island is now famous for.
The city is divided into seven districts, each with their own general purpose for the function of the city. Due to the nature of Skyhome, however, the zoning of each district is completely irrelevant, and if someone has the Slivers and manpower to do it, anyone can build anything anywhere. Still, over the course of time, and the general sentient being need for some level of organization, the people of Skyhome have generally built similar things closer together.
The seven wards are as follows:
- The Northern Docks. The military controlled docks where Skyhome keeps its navy docked. Also contains the ship yards where most Skyhome Sky Ships are built.
- The Southern Docks. The civilian docks where all trade and people enter and exit Skyhome. Busy all day, every day.
- The Big Smog. The most polluted section of the city, and home to most of the city's factories. Raw resources and manufactured goods are always entering and existing this ward.
- Urgontur. Built out of the remains of an ancient city built by the Precursor Race, this is the city's heart, and where a good deal of the civic business gets done. Also has some of the oldest buildings in the city.
- The Crystal Towers. The heart of commerce in the city, where merchant lords make deals, secure resources, and finance new expeditionary forces to broaden the known Skies. Also home of the best restaurants, book stores, haberdasheries, and luxury good stores in the Skies.
- The Walled. The section of the city where the most wealthy, powerful, and influential members of Skyhome society live. Completely different from the rest of the city.
- The Sprawl. The most densely populated section of the city. The buildings are so packed together that walking through the ward imparts a sense of claustrophobia.
Ecosystem Cycles
For 3/4th of the year, the weather is more often than not gray, wet, cold, and dismal. Rain pounds down on the island during the month of Rebirth and towards the later half of Twilight, and in the month of Terminus the the island is frozen over and blanketed in a thick layer of snow. Only during the month of Youth does Skyhome experience warmer, gentler weather, but even then, a random storm can still strike the island any day. Many buildings have water-catchers built on top of them which funnel into the large water towers that dot the skyline, acting as the city's reservoir. A complex series of sewers have been constructed under the city's streets to carry excess water off the island, which also doubles as the island's preferred way of disposing of sewage.
Fauna & Flora
There is very little greenery in Skyhome, save for the areas inside the The Walled. Most of the green is wiry vines, the occasional weed or grass patch, and the occasional desperate flower clinging to life in a window garden. The areas in The Walled is completely different, and is covered in grass, flowers, trees, and patches of Sweetgrass.
The fauna of Skyhome is generally comprised of smaller pests, like pigeons and rats, larger strays like wild cats and dogs, and dangerous creatures such as Sky Serpents and the occasional slime that slithers out of the sewers.
History
Skyhome started as most islands did in the years immediately after the Fracturing, reduced to a dark age of tribalism, superstition, and violence. The population was quickly conquered by the Druid King and his Vonmaki, the first to harness the secrets of magic.
The King and his followers were ousted eventually, and the populace eventually reclaimed the ruins of Urgontur, which contained secrets of the Precursor Race which the people of Skyhome were able to use propel themselves forward technologically.
Skyhome was also the origin of the modern Sky Ship, the technology upon which much of the modern Skies are built. It was these wonderous devices that allowed Skyhome to unlock the wealth of the Skies, allowing the island to industrialize at such an astonishing rate, and caused the island's population to boom so dramatically.
The expanding population coupled with the limited space forced the island to search for new homes for it's populace, and for the last 100 years, excess population has left the island in droves to found various colonies across the Skies. Some of these colonies are considered an extension of Skyhome, and as such, have representatives who participate in The Parliament. Other islands have declared themselves independent of Skyhome, and are ether autonomous states, or have joined the United Federation of Independent Colonies.
Alternative Name(s)
The Big Stink, The Gray City, The Maze
Included Locations
Related Ethnicities
| Rarity | Type |
|---|---|
| Rarity 1 | Fire Sl |
| Rarity 2 | Air Sl, Water Sl |
| Rarity 3 | Earth Sl |
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