The Scales
Environment
The Scales are a tropical island chain off the south western coast of the Wondrous Continent. The islands emerged when the Great Water Dragon arose from the Chantoyansea and disappeared to Dragon's Rest. The chain is made up of six islands, Heart, Skull, Claw, Spine, Tail, and Tip.
At the center of the largest island, Heart Island, is the Crystal Lagoon where bioluminescent algae glows with a mystical green aura after dark. Enormous trees densely populate the land, draped with vines and crawling with epiphitic plants like orchids and ferns. The beach along the coast glitters with an abundance of sea glass. The weather is warm and the ocean breeze keeps the air from growing too humid.
Common dwellings include interconnected treehouses high above the ground that protect inhabitants from flooding during tropical storms. Some of the wealthier citizens have created a neighborhood of precariously towering ship-mansions that dock off the smallest island, Tip Isle, in the chain. The Glass Throne, seat of the Scales Monarch, is an incredible glass structure that seems to defy all expectations.
Each island in the chain is connected by an absurdly long bridge made of water that solidifies beneath the feet of a traveler who is wearing Guppy Shoes or has their feet tattooed. The shoreline is the bustling center of business, where ships come into harbor and mainland airships land with traders and tourists. This beach-based marketplace is lively and colorful, featuring a wide array of gifts from the sea.
Population
The people of the Scales Islands are largely Scalesian Variant Humans who style themselves in a similar fashion to the Māori people of our own world. They typically have warm brown skin, darker shades of hair, and are magically tattooed in visible places including arms, legs, chests, and faces. There are not many settlements of main landers on the islands, due to social stigma against the Scalesian seafaring practices. The most common reason to find non-Scalesian humans on the island are for trade and tourism purposes.Culture
The people of The Scales engage in the taboo act of Seafaring, which is seen by mainlanders as both unnecessary in a world with widespread flight technology and sacrilegious because the sea is an unbalanced elemental place. They not only fish, which mainlanders along the coast manage from shore, but also cultivate offshore pearlescent seaweed farms and deep sea crustacean breeding grounds. Residing in the Mystic Mountains before The Awakening made them into the legendary Leaping Warriors, the Scalesian people brought their skill with the forge to the enchanted sands of the islands. Their most valuable commodity is Scalesian Glass which is essential to construction as well as to the making and storage of magical items. Glassblowers and sailors are highly respected and profitable professions on the island. Other common occupations include weavers, traders, and artisans among many others. A rite of passage for all young adults in The Scales is the Dragon Signings, a ceremony in which 18-year-olds gather at the Crystal Lagoon and consume Algae Tea to reveal their Dragon Signs, akin to a birthmark. These signs are associated with certain attributes that indicate where a young person fits in society. If the youth identifies with their sign, they will have it ceremonially tattooed in place and the wearer will be imbued with a magical gift. Those who don’t can let their sign fade. This process is how the heir apparent to the Scales monarchy is chosen, indicated by a pair of fangs appearing on the next ruler’s jawline.Politics
The Scales Monarchy has a royal head of state who has historically assembled a court with councilors from each of the islands. In the last two decades, concern has grown that the current monarch, Dowager Queen X, was precariously old and an heir apparent had not been found. Out of desperation, Dragon Signing ceremonies began happening at younger and younger ages, decreasing from thrice a year with 18-year-olds down to 12-year-olds. Just before the start of our story, a girl of 12 was identified as the heir apparent, Queen X. She trained under the Queen X for a mere fortnight before she passed away. The royal guard, known as Leaping Warriors, are on high alert during this transition of power and season of diplomatic strain. The Inkless Alliance is a faction on the island that is opposed to the process of selecting the ruler through the Dragon Signings, which they believe to be random and non-determinative. They are a radical group that represents a larger political issue on the island. Beyond the explicit political concerns about the monarchy, there is political strife about the nature of Signing ceremonies themselves. Traditionalists feel that Dragon Signs are a blessing and young people should not be able to forgo their tattoos, that instead, their sign should be deterministic. For others, it is wrong to make all children undergo a Dragon Signing ceremony at all, saying that it puts undue influence and pressure on young people to choose their path in alignment with their signs and to reveal their sign to their peers.Trade & Tea
Major Exports Include:- Shining Seaweed Tea
- Scalesian Glass
- Seafood - fish, shellfish, ocean vegetaion, seasalt
- Woven baskets, nets, and furniture
- Pearl jewelry
- Decorative shells and seaglass
Key Places
Heart Island Skull Isle Claw Isle Spine Isle Tail Isle Tip Isle Ship city
Type
Geopolitical, Country
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