Eir Astri
Situated nearly fifty miles from the port-shores of Isfa, the island of Trae Yns was a refuge from the expanding trade centered in Isfa. The original inhabitants of Trae Yns arrived on the island during fishing excursions. Over the years, Trae Yns grew to include a port and houses. As the shipping corridor grew, Trae Yns became a haven for privateers whose allegiances shifting with the billowing tide. The population continued to grow from tens to hundreds as the Seat of Isfa continued to spread around the Cunab Gulf.
After the events triggered by the "Raid of Bresteran", Trae Yns was renamed the Eir Astri. After the conflict resulted in the humiliating defeat of the navy of Isfa, Isfa decided to rebuild. With numerous ships having been captured by Theron, the treaty between Aurdia and Isfa required an exchange of technology. During the negotiations between the Monarch of Aurdia and the Champion-King of Isfa, it was decided that the Eir Astri would be dedicated to facilitating the development of mutual defense. The island would be rebuilt to accommodate extensive shipyards for manufacturing.
Prisoners captured during the conflict were confined to Eir Astri. As many of the original population saw little change in their daily routines, the influx of personnel required expanded housing. The existing infrastructure was salvaged. Most iconically, the Eir Astri sea wall was repaired. Prisoners associated with the conflict were forced into labor camps. The local flora were cleared making way for rows of houses. These houses were used to support the Eir Astri Seaforge.
The Seaforge was developed by Isfan advisor Ewan Berwyn. The "Raid of Bresteran" and the tragedy surrounding the failure of the Isfan navy proved that military technology was lacking. Outmaneuvred by the pirate barons, Isfa would need innovative technologies to ensure their security. The treaty between Aurdia and Isfa provided an opportunity to bring their engineers together.
As construction on Eir Astri continued, the "Discourse of Engineers" invested in the development of materials and weapons. As developments continued, an engineer Orlin Breknek expanded on the concept of war balloons. War balloons had fallen out of favor due to the attention that these balloons attracted attention from various creatures. After several of these war balloons had been destroyed (along with their crew) by territorial beasts, the practice of war balloons was abandoned. While the presence of sea creatures plague sailors, sea-borne vessels are more easily defended. Orlin Breknek, therefore, conceptualized how to make war balloon defensible. Thinking of bilge pumps, the process of moving fluid from one location to another, Orlin noticed that changing the force applied to the pump changed the rate of intake and ejection. Curious, Orlin detached the bilge pump and noticed that the pump itself would shift while reducing the ejection. Through this development, Orlin began development of the crude projection engines that were attached to war balloons.
Developments of these engines excited the generals of Isfa who believed that the technology would remove any advantage the maneuverability of sea-bound vessels would have. The primary challenge of these engines was the energy required to produce adequate propulsion. As the industrial based shifted, the Eir Astri Seaforge became the Eir Astri Skyforge. War balloons gradually transformed to become skyfaring vessels that slowly transformed from lofted ballooned to those resembling the sloops in the harbor.
As the Eir Astri Skyforge continues to develop, much large vehicles are under production. These galleons serve to aid Isfa in protecting the realm. The three great plumes of the skyforge cast a constant cascade of ashe over Eir Astri. The heavy plumes create a constant haze over the island that is contained within the sea walls. As the shifts of workers migrate through the haze, their boots wade through the ashen streets. The Eir Astri boasts technical achievement rivaled only by the machines of Mashangist. Few ever dream of leaving the island walls, while others cannot fathom that there is a sky beyond the haze.
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