Skysea
Skysea is a vast plane of open skies, billowing clouds, raging storms, and towering heights. Within these heights, at various altitudes, float islands of earth and rock, and it is upon these islands that the peoples of Skysea came to be. As the peoples explored outward from their islands, they discovered two things about their world. First, far below the islands lay a foreboding layer of tumultuous stormclouds, unbroken to all horizons, and below that a violent, storm-tossed, and cold ocean inhabited by deadly, giant monters. Second, no matter how far any explorer has traveled in any direction besides down, no boundary has yet been discovered.
"Look out there! In the open skies there could be anything, or anyone! You may be content to ply the skyways between this island and that, but not I. No, I intend see what's out there!"
Features of Skysea
Day and Night
Beginning at Midnight, which in the absence of other light is near-total darkness, the skies begin slowly but steadily brightening. They reach peak brightness at Midday, whereupon they begin a slow but steady darkening again. This cycle endlessly repeats once every 24 hours, for as long as any inhabitant of Skysea can recall, but no one has ever determined the source of said light. Halfway between Midnight and Midday is Quarterday, traditionally seen as the beginning of the workday. Likewise, halfway between Midday and Midnight is Quarternight, which most see as the end of the workday.
Clouds
Ever-present at all altitudes of Skysea are its clouds. From wispy strands to huge, billowing thunderheads, the clouds of Skysea come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Each cloud is an accumulation of one of a number of substances, although most are simply water. All clouds present their own considerations and dangers to skyfarers, and the peoples of Skysea have a healthy respect for the weather. Some clouds glow weakly from the Radiance, illuminating their surroundings at night, but largely invisible during the day.
Islands
Scattered throughout Skysea are islands of solid ground, floating in the air. They range in size from somewhat less-than a square mile, to tens of thousands of square miles. No matter their place in Skysea nor their proximity to neighbors, each island has its own climate and terrain, and many teem with flora and fauna.
Islandfall
Rarely, the people of Skysea bear witness to new islands falling from the sky. It is assumed that this happens more often than is known, but Skysea is so vast that most are unobserved and unrecorded. These new lands eventually settle into position within the skies, although neither what stops their decsent nor how they came to be in the first place has been discovered. What is known is that these new islands often represent new lands, new resources, and sometimes new life to explore and exploit.
