Solvyre

The islands of Solvyre are known for their blackened skies, the result of countless forges, refineries, and workshops that produce the monarchy's weapons, airships, and machinery. Its capital, Ironspire, is a sprawling industrial metropolis built into the jagged cliffs of a massive floating island. The laboring class here toils day and night, fueling the monarchy’s power, while the wealthy merchant lords live in stark contrast, building opulent mansions above the soot-streaked streets. Solvyre is fiercely loyal to the monarchy, but it is also a breeding ground for innovation—and dissent. Inventors and engineers secretly develop technologies that could disrupt the monarchy's reliance on magic, while underground resistance groups whisper of rebellion, tired of the harsh conditions imposed by the monarchy's insatiable appetite for production.

Geography

The geography of Solvyre is defined by jagged, industrialized floating islands, their natural landscapes long since carved away to make room for foundries, refineries, and towering factories. The land is a patchwork of soot-streaked stone, crisscrossed with sprawling rail systems, pipelines, and venting towers that belch smoke and steam into the blackened sky.

• Ironspire, the Capital: Perched upon the largest and most heavily industrialized island, Ironspire is a labyrinthine metropolis built into the cliffs, its skyline dominated by towering spires of black iron, brass, and glass. Catwalks and suspended bridges connect the upper levels, where the merchant lords reside in fortified mansions with artificial gardens and shimmering arcane lighting. Below, the worker districts are a maze of narrow alleyways, smog-choked streets, and endless rows of factories, where molten rivers of slag flow like veins of fire through the city's underbelly.


• The Lower Wards and Foundries: Beneath the main floating islands, smaller platforms and suspended walkways dangle over the abyss, serving as makeshift housing for the lowest caste of laborers. Entire districts are built atop scaffolded platforms or bolted onto the undersides of islands, where factory runoff drips endlessly into the void. Airships and cargo lifts transport raw materials from distant mines, while sprawling refineries process metals and chemicals, staining the stonework with corrosion and rust.


• The Smog Reaches: Some islands have been completely overtaken by industry, their surfaces unrecognizable beneath layers of machinery, warehouses, and massive chimneys. The sky here is a swirling, churning mass of soot and steam, where visibility is reduced to mere feet, and the ground rumbles with the ceaseless pounding of machines.


• The Heights: Rising above the worst of the pollution, the uppermost islands of Solvyre house the palatial estates of the wealthy. Though still tainted by the ever-present haze, these floating strongholds feature imported stone facades, decorative brasswork, and artificial rivers and lakes powered by complex filtration systems. Here, the elite live in comfort, profiting from the labor below while insulated from the harsh reality of the city.

Climate

The climate of Solvyre is one of perpetual haze and heat, dominated by the relentless industry that fuels the monarchy’s war machine. The air is thick with soot and metallic tang, as the countless forges and refineries belch smoke into the sky, blotting out the sun and staining the clouds in shades of iron-gray and sickly orange. Acidic rain is common, corroding metal and stone alike, while the ever-present smog settles in dense layers over the streets of Ironspire, forcing many to don masks or breathing apparatuses.
Despite the oppressive atmosphere, Solvyre is not without its extremes. The heat from its factories and workshops creates sweltering conditions in the lower districts, where the laboring class toils amid roaring furnaces and searing steam vents. Meanwhile, the upper tiers of the floating islands, where the merchant lords reside, experience cooler winds sweeping through their lavish estates—though even here, the sky remains perpetually darkened, and the scent of oil and coal never fully dissipates.
Occasionally, powerful storms roll through, their lightning illuminating the blackened sky in eerie flashes. Some claim these tempests are drawn to the unnatural energy of the machinery below, while others whisper that they are the wrath of forgotten gods, angered by Solvyre’s relentless march toward progress at any cost.

Owner/Ruler

High Minister Veydrik Korran

Ruling/Owning Rank

High Minister