Highloft
The city of Highloft is situated high in the mountains of central and south Punjuki. It is currently a part of the Alchemical Alliance.
Government
The city is ruled by the High Gardeners, an aristocratic oligarcy led by the Lord/Lady Cultivator. Under the Alchemical Alliance, the ruler also holds the title of Grand Alchemist.
Yun Chi Zhao - Highloft - The Houses of Cultivation by DMFW with Midjourney
History
The city was founded during the age of the First Popular Ascendency in 1977 APC, initially only as a small village close to the sites where the Triquetra Orchids had been found to grow. The orchids had been discovered only a few years earlier by the shy and secretive mage, Oloonya Sarald, who also identified their special properties as an aid in spellcasting. When she died at a relatively young age, local botanists and mages who had grown to cherish the virtues of the orchids searched the mountains and established an outpost high in the forests where they could harvest the flowers. This was the beginning of the city. It grew only slowly whilst the First Popular Ascendency dominated politics but as the climate of opinion changed, at first under the New Pale Empire and later under its successors, the desire for arcane aids of all kinds increased and the produce of Highloft became highly sought after so that the city expanded rapidly. The city's elders were always very careful to do nothing to affect the growth of the orchids and indeed they began to manage and grow them as an active crop, carefully cultivating the once wild asset.
During the early years of the era of the Four Aerial Courts, the now wealthy Highloft asumed the role of an aerial control hub for south and central Punjuki and became counted as the last but by no means the least of the four great courts. Airships and balloons linked it to the rest of the continent and the other three courts. The image at the head of the article, shows the city at the height of its powers.
At the end of the era of the Four Aerial Courts the population fell somewhat as better means of arcane focusing became more fashionable and briefly supplanted the Triquetra Orchid, but these did not, ultimately, stand the test of time.
Highloft is still, even to this day, an important member of the Alchemical Alliance, which it helped to create and Arcane Amplification Perfume produced from Triquetra Orchids continues to be an important product.
Geography
The mountains which are home to the Triquetra Orchid and to Highloft are very difficult to access by road, with few and narrow passes, steep slopes subject to frequent landslides, fast flowing streams with high cascade waterfalls and isolated islands of rock, surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs. Since the orchid favours these more remote locations there is little wonder that it remained undiscovered for so long. Settlements in Punjuki have always tended to hug the coast and even inland they would reach no further than the base of the mountains, with roads that skirted the foothills. Yet, the high rain forests are beautiful, verdant and rich in wildlife of all kinds and for those that make it their home, Highloft offers some spectacular scenery.
Climate
Highloft is far enough south of the equator to experience some limited seasonality but there is not much variation. Summer comes between the months of Tuzlle and Chiroth during the northern hemisphere winter and is characterised by frequent storms and heavy rainfalls punctuated by occasional interludes of glorious sunshine. Winter, which is centred around the months of Glim and Tivith, usually sees milder and cooler weather with mist, low cloud and high precipitation. Sometimes there is snow. It is said that Highloft has only a wet season (in winter) and a very wet season (in summer).
Founding Date
1977 APC
Type
City
Inhabitant Demonym
Lofters
Location under
Owning Organization
Related Traditions
Related Materials
Magicians' End - Triquetra Orchid 02 by DMFW with Midjourney
Oloonya Sarald by DMFW with Midjourney
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