The Palatinate of Welkinmeet (WELL-kinn-meet)

Welkinmeet is a Palatinate city-state upon a floating island north of The Port City of Sommersea. It is flanked by several smaller orbit cities: Shardstone, Flintfall, Crystal Grove.
Welkinmeet is best known for its vast crystal resources. Magical crystals grow on and within the center of the landmass, and are mined to create magical jewelry, arcane foci, dust of power, and more!
Thanks to this bountiful export, the quality of life in the city-state is rather high. They are nearly at the forefront of technology (surpassed only by Seikaba ), with magical devices in most households and many other improvements available to everyone down to the miners.
The city is a melting pot of all races, with an emphasis on those with mystical inclinations. It is home to the Sorcerer's College, a magical training facility that people travel from across the world to attend - if they can afford it.
However, not everything is idyllic here. Although the poor here are better off than in nearby Sommersea, they are still vastly below the towering wealth of the ruling class. Those with less social standing are often disregarded or ignored, and there are certain minority communities which live in segregated ghettos which they are encouraged not to leave.
Shardstone: The primary mining settlement on Welkinmeet.
Flintfall: A mostly residential town for the workers in Shardstone and in Welkinmeet proper.
Crystal Grove: An agricultural settlement with several farms that produce both crops and animal products.

History ETC

Welkinmeet is a city built on magic. It took many years before people were ever able to scale to its height, and the first explorers were shocked to find an almost completely different ecosystem from that below. Strange animals such as giant jerboas or sheep with spectral horns, predators like the Smokescale (a fearsome beast capable of teleportation) appeared quite strange and frightening to the new adventurers.
However, the floating isle was not wild for long, as the adventurers discovered incredible crystals - glowing red, amber, blue, and emerald - made of condensed magic. They would become known as Welkinstones. These minerals quickly became a major commodity, and Welkinmeet began as a small mining settlement to extract as many of these from the rock as possible.
To avoid destroying the underlying rock and ruining the stability of the ground, it was soon discovered that crystal farms were possible, so long as some source crystals were left untouched to propagate. Welkinmeet developed a strong magical defense system to protect these mines and farms from external tampering, and the city itself from attack.
That was long ago. Nowadays, Welkinmeet is a major metropolis, spanning the bulk of the floating isle. Several orbit cities exist: mining cities, agricultural sprawls, residences for the workers in the mines, etc. But the city of Welkinmeet itself is one of the most technologically advanced in all of Wyrmwuld.
Streetcars, powered by crystal magic, are not uncommon among the wealthy. They are small and lightweight, rarely carrying more than 2 people, controlled by a specially trained driver (usually a hireling).
Most buildings in Welkinmeet are multiple floors, due to a precious lack of horizontal space. Rather than use stairs, most buildings utilize crystal-powered floating lifts. Fancier establishments will surround these with intricately crafted glass-and-wrought-iron towers built into the sides or edges of the building.
Most of the lighting in Welkinmeet is also magically powered, with streetlamps which light themselves when they detect ambient darkness.
The markets of Welkinmeet are incredibly unique, as even the most common shop will have items inlaid with magic crystals. By and large these are not wondrous items in the traditional sense, but they are magical and are frequently used as foci by magic-users. The primary use, however, is as a mark of status or wealth - for despite these crystals being a part of everyday life in Welkinmeet, they remain prohibitively expensive due to how long it takes a crystal to mature, and the sheer number of product that gets exported to the rest of the world.
Additionally, not all Welkinstones are grown to the standard to which they can be used in jewelry, staves, or other magical items. Many are flawed, and these are by and large ground into dust, which can be used as spell components, fuel, or even cooking ingredients.

Demographics

All races in varying degrees, heavy emphasis on magic-interested races. Certain species such as changelings, orc variants, kenku and so on are relegated to racial ghettos.

Industry & Trade

Mined Magical Crystals for mystic paraphernalia such as orbs, foci, magic powder, and so on.

Guilds and Factions

Sorcerer's College, Changeling Historical Society HQ

Type

Large city

Population

25,000+

Inhabitant Demonym

Welkineers

Owner/Ruler

Count Palatine Gruffydd Burns