Skysea
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The Laws of Skysea
Skysea is an infinite dimensional plane of air. There is standard gravity at all altitudes within it. At the bottom is a deep and turbulent ocean. This ocean is completely obscured by a cloud layer. There is no upper or outer edges to the plane. Skysea's wind is ever-present.
The Radiance is an energy that permeates all of Skysea. It is invisible and has no harmful affects to life. The Radiance can be used for many effects, including producing light through glowcrystals (name WIP), and of course the levitation effect that floats the islands. Sorcerers have learned how to manipulate the Radiance for other effects as well.
Floating within Skysea at many different altitudes are islands of land, some small and some large. These islands have flora and fauna, some of which are intelligent. These islands float due to crystals deep within the bedrock of the islands, which concentrate and resonate with the Radiance. While the islands float in the air, they are not static and can be blown about by the wind and storms, albeit slowly. The largest islands are relatively stable though, only drifting slightly in-place.
Cosmology
Skysea is the wreckage of worlds. An unfathomably ancient entity slowly travels the universe, consuming matter and energy to sustain itself. At some point it encountered and accidentally consumed the essence of an evil deity. This deity, Aaz, corrupted the entity from the inside, driving it to consume more than it needed to survive. The entity that would become Skysea eventually began consuming worlds, and it is the detritus of these worlds that became the floating islands of Skysea.
The residents of Skysea are unaware of this, and believe that the islands once occupied the surface of the ocean, but were somehow lifted to the skies in the distant past. Given that they know the ocean below is eternally tempestuous and full of monstrous creatures, the assumption is that one or more of the gods of Skysea lifted the islands to protect the people.
Principal Geography & Features
The islands of Skysea vary in size, but each contains its own biome and properties. While one may be temperate and lightly-forested, a close neighbor may be a frigid tundra or boreal forest. When two islands merge, as happens occasionally, most often the larger island's biome will take over the other's, however sometimes they balance between each other, achieving a middle ground for climate and flora.
The islands of Skysea are located at all altitudes, and can be blown around by the winds, although even the smallest chunk of rock moves very slowly no matter the gale forces around it. As there is no prevailing wind direction within Skysea, the islands can be moved in any direction. When one gets close enough to another, as mentioned above, the two can merge, becoming one larger landmass. This can be alarming for any inhabitants, and the people of Skysea keep careful watch for these events.
Storms form often and move throughout Skysea, bringing winds, rain, and lightning. Water collects where it can on the islands, although most water sources that would flow off the edge of an island end up being diverted by the inhabitants to avoid wastage. Sometimes, when two islands are close together, the fields that hold them aloft can combine, and this causes rivers and streams from one to flow through the air to the other, extending their flows in arcs across the gaps between.
The ocean below, covered entirely in thick and turbulent clouds, is deep and cold. The people of Skysea know nothing about its depths as it is dangerous to travel to, and full of giant, deadly, aggressive monsters.
Initial Active Setting
The Seven Kingdoms, a loose confederation occupying several large and many small islands in a relatively close grouping. While they each maintain their own autonomy, they all maintain beneficial trade agreements with each other. After trade, their main association is intrigue, with occasional small conflicts.
Copyright Geoff Washam, 2020
Cover Image by FelixMittermeier from Pixabay