The Broken Expanse

The Broken Expanse is a sky with a large density of islands. This sky is cited as one of the safest to sail through, as there are many places for a ship to dock to if trouble occurs. Often in this sky, sailors can parachute down onto an island below. This sky, which is at the center of Himinil, is mostly controlled by the Taugata.

Endless Flocks

With a high density of islands comes an even larger amount of birds. Most of them are mundane, though beautiful. Multicolored parrots, large flying flamingos, and tiny speedy darts with wings are just a few examples. However, the magical birds are what makes the Broken Expanse stand out. These birds can be unpredictable and very strange. Parrots might sing full orchestra's, a small nut-eating bird might have metal bones, or a silver bird could bring back the dead. The Bird Watchers spend their lives seeking out these mystical birds. Often for their own monetary gain, but some seek them to study them or add them to a collection.

Prominent Witches

Four Witches call the Broken Expanse their home. There is the Dragon Lord Lojas, who is slow and fat but can be dangerous. Lady Vine also makes the jungles around the Broken Expanse her home, as does the Princess of the Painted Leaf and Mastra, the Siren.
Dragon Lord Lojas: The Dragon Lord Lojas was obsessed with dragon's in his past life. He studied, trained, and often lived with them. A scholar, he fancied himself, but in reality was an obsessed madman who was often left homeless. There was a nest of dragons which Lojas was particularly fond of. He would spend many nights studying and simply living with the slow and docile creatures. However, this nest was right in the middle of an island that a powerful brewing company purchased. They thought to convert the land to a plantation. When the cutting of the trees began, Lojas became nervous. He fought back, damaging equipment and protesting loudly. Though the workers were generally kind people, the boss of was not. He sought to get rid of Lojas but wanted it to be an accident... or suicide. He knew Lojas was fond of the same fruits that the dragons ate, so he placed a warp pearl in the flesh of one, carefully concealing the incision. By bad luck, Lojas did indeed swallow this pearl. His transformation into a warlock was fast and devastating to the workers tasked with clearing the islands. Now, the Dragon Lord lazily drifts from island to island, spreading his precious pets wherever he goes. His fae is usually dragons or human-like dragons, and his form is similar. Though, when he takes the form of a dragon it is much larger than others.
Lady Vine: Lady Vines real name was lost long ago, so she is simply referred to as her nickname. Lady Vine was a young girl who tried to commit suicide via a warp pearl. Needless to say, she was unlucky. Her form is that of a young woman, though with plant-like flesh and leaves for hair and clothing. Her domain is over plant-life, and she uses it well. She can travel to anywhere with plant life in the blink of an eye, and uses the plants to do her bidding. She hates all non-plant life and has been known to kill small camps, only to have the corpses of her victims turn into food for dangerous vine-like monsters. Her fae are living plants, sometimes taking a humanoid form. Though she can control trees, she tends to focus more on green plantlife such as leaves, vines, ferns, and similar plants.
Princess of the Painted Leaf: The Princess of the Painted Leaf seems innocent at first. She is a young girl, who appears no older than 12, that is colored oddly. her hair, skin, and clothing change color constantly. She is a witch with command over color and prefers highly saturated pastel colors. Pinks, greens, blues, and yellows are her favorite, but she uses every color available. She acts innocent and pure, but she is as mad as any other witch. While she does not kill often, an encounter with her always results in an altered skin or hair color. This change is often permanent and is not deadly. But, those marked by her are considered Gnarled, which can ruin someone's life. Her fae is usually human children with bright coloration and a trickster like personality.
Mastra, The Siren: Mastra, known as the Siren, is a witch with control over the voice and seduction. She is almost never seen, rather heard. Whispers of her dreadful song can instill fear in Taugata explorers, as those who hear the song are said to be cursed. No song is as sweet and no love will be quite as intense as the love for that dreadful song. At the moment, the sweet melodies can represent paradise in the week. But those with a strong will can hear her true song. A high pitched scream of terror. Mastra has no goal other than to entice the weak-willed towards her. Often she feeds on them, devouring them with her bird-like beak. Her fae are similarly bird-like, or normal humans. But their voices are always smooth and beautiful. Their charisma is similarly supernatural.

Prominent Characters

These characters have a strong political pull in the Broken Expanse or are famous.
Kian Pistorius: Kian Pistorius is the kind of person that everyone who is anyone knows. He resides in Aailupapa and works as an organizer. His job is to know the various organizations and groups within Ailupapa and assist them with organizing official events. Festivals, balls, and parties are just a few of the events he oversees. Kian is terrible with faces, but he does remember names very well. Often, he will ask someone where he can find the very person he is talking too. Because of his ties with some of the major organizations in Ailupapa, he is a common source of information for newcomers. He will happily answer most questions, but he will refrain from any dangerous information. Though, Kian will ask a favor in return for the information. These favors are usually mundane, helping set up a party or delivering information for example. Sometimes, a favor may involve getting rid of thugs or dealing with problematic people. Kian is a very busy person, but he is considered to be kind and helpful.
Marick Jacobs: Marick Jacobs was, nearly twenty years ago, a volunteer for the Taugata military. He spent his youth traveling Ailupapa, gaining experience and respect. Eventually, he became a captain of his own ship, was given a small fleet, and then became the one in charge of Taugata's defense. Marick sails the skies constantly, using a collection of informants around the broken skies, to learn everything that is going on in the sky. He has a family on a small island but refuses to divulge where for he has many enemies. Marick personally stopped several pirate attacks, oversaw the building of dozens of fortresses, and negotiated peace between foreign ships. He is seen as a hero among the people.
Emma Cloete: The alchemy trade is very prominent in the Broken Skies due to its wide array of ingredients. Emma is the mastermind behind the alchemy trade. She is a tall, shrewd woman who would sooner poison her own children than to relinquish power over that portion of the black market. Every alchemist can trace their informants and dealers back to Emma Cloete one way or another. Inquisitors and Taugata peacekeepers want her behind bars, but she is a master alchemist as well as a businesswoman. This means she has many tricks up her sleeve, making her unpredictable and dangerous.

Locations of Note

Ailaupapa:

This city is also known as the city over the sea. This is because it floats, suspended between three islands. It is not the largest city in the world, but it is likely the most visited. Because it is located near the center of Himinil, ships traveling from one end of the world to the other often stop here. Like all cities, it has a criminal underground. The black markets of Ailaupapa run by the alchemist of Ailaupapa.

Jungles of Truae:

This large island is known for its variety of life, dense vegetation, and long history. This history includes dozens of towns, and even an attempted city, that has begun and ended for a mysterious reason. This has given the island a reputation of being haunted. In truth, this is home to a large population of druids.

The isles of rope:

The isles of rope is a series of a dozen islands which each have long strands of thick rope connecting them. Like a giant spiders web, it is impossible to sail through. This rope, which would have cost a fortune when it was set up, is sturdy enough to climb. An eccentric man set up these ropes as a defense against pirates, but he has since passed.

Fort First:

Fort First is the largest and most well-defended fortress of the taugata. It is a large 4 story tall palace of stone and defense. Surrounded by dozens of cannons and with a staff of over 100. Fort First defends an important trade route from the south. Though, secretly, it is a research facility. Fort First is a place where the Taugata government keeps and experiments on things of a supernatural nature. Beneath the facility is a 10-floor containment and research area that is top secret. Three witches are held in this facility, each of them dangerous. Because of this, the facility is rigged to explode and drop into the sea. The last measure.

Geography

The Broken Expanse is similar to a rain-forest in vegetation density and the amount of rainfall. Islands have large rivers running through, some containing fish, and most islands are covered in vegetation. Thick vines drape over the undersides of the islands, giving them a green look from a distance.

Fauna & Flora

While the magical birds are noteworthy, there are too many varieties to mention. However, there are a few animals native to the broken clouds worth note. The manticores, small flying cats, make their home in this sky. As do the dragons, which are slow flying lizards the size of a dog. The dragons are particularly noteworthy, because of their tie to Taugata stories and culture. A myriad of insects also call this sky their home, and on several islands is monkey's, gremlins, and even wild boar.

Included Locations

• Ailaupapa, The city over the sea