Holvyr

Holvyr, known as "The Ascendant City," is a monumental symbol of ambition and industrial might in the Blasted Isles. Built vertically, its towers, airship docks, and catwalks rise ceaselessly, each structure designed to evoke flight, progress, and the relentless climb skyward. Holvyr’s culture revolves around dirigibles, which represent the pinnacle of human achievement and a near-religious devotion to machinery. This ethos of “ascendance” permeates every layer of society, from the elite airship pilots of Les Aériens, celebrated as daring heroes of the skies, to the grimy, soot-streaked laborers of the Rasping Guild who toil in iron foundries below.
Holvyr is marked by a rigid caste system that assigns each layer of society distinct roles, bound tightly within a doctrine of hierarchy and futurist ideals. The skyline is dominated by steel towers, bustling airfields, and monumental structures, while propaganda-filled murals and kinetic sculptures preach a message of forward momentum and technological superiority. The city’s obsession with speed and ascent has fostered a culture that borders on fanaticism, with every citizen expected to embody the spirit of the “Forward Surge”—a philosophy that celebrates progress through grit, sacrifice, and the rejection of stagnation. However, as the authoritarian fervor deepens, whispers of rebellion stir below, hinting at the possibility that Holvyr’s relentless push skyward might be heading toward a perilous fall​​​​.

Demographics

• Grounders: The largest class, Grounders are typically born into their roles and rarely ascend. They handle the back-breaking labor of maintaining Holvyr’s machinery, fueling its dirigibles, and keeping the foundries and production lines running. Though they’re essential, Grounders have little social mobility and face significant barriers to advancement, solidifying their place at the city’s “foundation.”
• Climbers: The aspirational middle class, Climbers embody Holvyr’s doctrine of progression through skill and ingenuity. They’re engineers, merchants, skilled artisans, and mechanics who keep Holvyr’s dirigible industry in motion. While a few exceptional Climbers may rise to the Uppercity, most find their ceiling within the Centercity’s competitive guilds, where they push relentlessly for greater recognition.
• Ascendants: The elite ruling class of Holvyr, Ascendants occupy positions of power within the military, dirigible guilds, and industrial hierarchy. They oversee policy, command dirigible fleets, and control the design and distribution of Holvyr’s advanced machinery. Their ideological commitment to ascendance reinforces the stratified caste system, which ensures their exclusivity at the top.

Guilds and Factions

• The Skywrought: A faction of Holvyrans who view mechanical augmentation as the ultimate expression of ascent, the Skywrought believe that through engineered transformation, they can rise beyond the limitations of flesh and prove themselves as paragons of Holvyr’s values. For them, each metal limb, iron prosthetic, or mechanized joint is a badge of honor, a testament to resilience and a deliberate step closer to transcendence.
• The Ascendant Circle: This small, elite group consists of influential Ascendants who control Holvyr’s major guilds, dirigible production, and military operations. Known for their ambition, they work both publicly and covertly to consolidate their power, viewing themselves as the guardians of Holvyr’s ideals of progress and ascendance. The Circle represents the most entrenched hierarchy, with power often inherited rather than earned.

Type

City

Population

277134

Inhabitant Demonym

Holvyran