"Why Linebound?" you ask. Well, it is through the ability of the Cynosure Stone that navigation is made possible with a compass. However, this only works within a certain radius around it and has left a circle on the map - the limit of navigation. To travel toward or beyond this line is to be lineward bound - linebound.
A Place that is Different
There may be ground beneath your feet but beneath that there is open sky. Fall off and plummet. Keep falling and discover the
unending storm below. Even below that the
Void, a dark place of terror and death.
It is always bright above the
Floor - and always dark below - but the light exists without a definable source, it simply is. As dangerous as the
storm below may be, it is also what brings life. The clouds that break off from it bring the life-giving rains to the islands of the skies.
Art and emotion are the foundations of magic.
But Also the Same
These things may all seem strange to us but to the people of Linebound it is a part of life and life is not so different. People wake up, eat, work, have fun, fall in love, get hurt, sleep, and eventually die. They celebrate their victories and struggle through their problems - even if those problems may involve tricky
fae or hungry
ketzlat.
Some problems are more like those on Earth. Some struggle to make ends meet while others have more wealth than they can spend. The aspirations of politicians and emperors endanger peace and lives. Pirates make trade between
Breharan and the other islands difficult.
Understanding the Sky
The Light
From the highest unexplored reaches beams the light that fills the entire sky. This light ensures that - barring cloudcover - it is always bright above the
Floor.
The High
Above the skyislands is the
High, a place where nothing is found. This vast blue emptiness stretches as far up as can be seen.
The Sky
All of the islands - the ones that haven't sunk into the
Floor - are found here. On these islands all types of life can be found, civilizations thrive, and explorers dream of distant clouds. Here the
winds bring clouds, rain, and seasons to many islands.
The Floor
Between the
sky and the
void lies this endless storm that stretches below the islands forever in all directions. Islands that are consumed by the
Floor never rise above it again. This dangerous place is also the origin of all clouds, storms, and even the life-giving rains that find their way to the islands above.
The Void
Underneath everything else in the skies is a massive abyss devoid of the unending light found above. In this dark place thrive dangerous and disturbing creature unknown to the brilliant blue skies. This region is almost completely unexplored; who dares to learn what lies in the depths of the
Void?
Breharan
The center of the Linebound world, this massive continent is the closest to the
Cynosure Stone. There are many nations and cultures on
Breharan. There are also many conflicts big and small, innovative ideas and artists.
This island is truly massive and it is no small undertaking to travel across it. Rivers, forests, and even mountains make traversing undeveloped routes difficult.
The Outposts
Not long after
Darosi's first flight of the
Harani some of the nations of
Breharan sought to establish a presence on the nearest skyislands. The result is the outposts, a collection of small towns scattered across the map. One outpost -
XIII - has declared independance and now there are rumblings of freedom on others.
Stability or revolution? Which will you choose?
And Beyond
The tales of adventurers have inspired the imaginations of playwrights and painters but only the brave adventurers truly know what lies out there. The records of the travels of the
Harani have led to discoveries in medicine and metalurgy as well as the discovery of the
lizardfolk.
Despite the disappearance of the
Harani and her crew decades ago, people still board linebound ships.
Peoples of the Skies
There are many different groups of people who live among the floating islands of Linebound. On
Breharan,
humans and
avens have long lived together and have cultures defined by region, not by race.
Faekin live among the other species.
Lizardfolk still hold a culture unique from the rest, hailing from a different continent than the other species.
Human
Humans come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Of all the species in the skies they are the one most aware of the passage of time; it passes not only in seasons and cycles but in hours, minutes, and even seconds. In a world where the seasonal changing of the winds is the only indicator of time passing, this gives them the ability to plan events at very specific times. This ability is not the same among all people, though people in a local area tend to sync to the same clock so to speak.
Aven
Avens are feathered humanoids with arms that end in three-clawed hands and possess incredible vision, sharp claws, and tough beaks. More than any of these the trait that most defines avens is their heightened empathy. They see the struggles of others and feel very deeply for them. Despite this, for a long time on
Breharan, the
humans and
avens were distrustful of each other.
Lizardfolk
Taller than the tallest man and burlier than a musclebound boar these bearers of scaled skin are a dangerous enemy to have - or a powerful ally. While they can eat other foods for enjoyment, their diet consists only of meat which they eat infrequently, raw, and whole - bones and all. Strong tails are used as weapons and as part of social communication. Notably, they are not very good at throwing things. The way they are built hinders their ability to accelerate projectiles to great speed - something they make up for with tools and
great bows.
Faekin
These beings are the offspring of
fae and any other species. They maintain some of the visual appearance of their fae parent and this can be a boon or a hinderance. Some may have perfect glowing skin while others have just enough skin stretched over their bodies to cover them. The
fae are timeless creatures and faekin inherit this to a certain extent. This creates a tendancy to be late which
humans cannot stand.
Faekin of
fae and
human descent alter between being accutely aware of how slow time seems to pass and realize how much time has just flown by.
Why Do You Wish to Explore the Skies?
I'm A Reader
Feel free to explore the articles of Linebound freely. Let one place take you to the next and if you ever hit a dead end, simply reverse course.
I'm A Player
Well then skysailor, you should head over to the character creation page that does not yet exist.
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