Floating Isles of Fhirdiad (FUR-dee-ad)
"Without a doubt, one of the most breathtaking experiences in all Uthilith. Take to the skies and soar above the Great Sea to either floating archipelago within the Fhirdiad Alliance... and you will finally know peace."
Sylvain Broadlaw, in a campaign to ramp up tourism to the Isles circa 1622 CY.
Geography
The Floating Isles of Fhirdiad are separated into two parts: the northern Fhirdiad Minor just off of the Temporan east coast, and the southern Fhirdiad Major centered between the Forgotten Continent and Iacchus Argentum. They share a similar topographic layout, since they were once unified in Uthilith's history (and would be split during The Age of Anxiety at the whim of a corrupted Master of Magic). The archipelagos are both made up of several floating chunks of land, mostly linked together by an elaborate series of arcane bridges for ease of travel.
Most isles within the archipelago could be likened to the geographic features of southern Faron or Chaelwyth - idyllic grasslands that combine hilly and flat terrain. A few isles will be more forest in nature (created by druids), as to prevent the Fhirdiad Alliance of Sovereign Isles from relying on Temporan or Iacchan lumber for independent survival.
Ecosystem
The Isles have a relatively similar ecosystem, with some evolutionary variants as time has progressed thanks to the distinct weather patterns of the southern versus northern hemispheres in Uthilith. Since these landmasses are floating, they have no connection to the Tree of Life - thus, the ecosystems are increasingly self-reliant to retain vitality. In order to keep the isles floating, arcane casters must annually refuel the consolidated magical energy cells within the core of each island - a tradition upheld by indigenous peoples of Fhirdiad since Uthilith's conception. If an energy cell collapses, that particular area of the Floating Isles also will.
The primary production of organic matter on these isles comes from the sprawling grasslands and mosses throughout each region. This is where endemic animals (including a specialized breed of cow known as the Fraldarian Steer) come to graze, hunt, and reproduce alongside the indigenous peoples of Fhirdiad. The food chain is extensive, and at the top is the Prime Ancestor of all gold dragons, an ancient being named Fraldaria.
Ecosystem Cycles
Like the majority of Tempora, the isles of Fhirdiad Minor typically experience all four seasons very strongly. Springs are pleasant and warm (and the druids have figured out a way to make the isles' pollen hypoallergenic!), summers hot and humid, autumns brisk and breezy, winters cold and wet.
Fhirdiad Major, however, experiences a less diverse seasonal change. These isles are similar year round, with exceptionally mild winters and warm summers.
Localized Phenomena
The southern isles of Fhirdiad Major (now home to the highest concentration of Sun Elves in Uthilith) have been enshrouded in a faint, pleasant mist for as long as anyone can remember. Master of Magic Arcadia Trystweld Draconis Glaadstone concluded in her 1672 dissertation The Fundamentals of Uthilithian Draconic Lineage that this was due to the presence of an ancient gold dragon living on the southernmost isle, providing guidance to the residents of the isles. She and current leader of the isles Sylvain Broadlaw struck a deal in the leader's earliest years presiding over the Alliance - a cooperative arrangement where each party would protect another should war ever break out, and to offer the free exchange of wisdom and ideas for as long as he remained in power.
History
The Isles were a strange blip in Uthilith's Genesis - the cognition of the Creator evidently skipped a step or two amidst the casting of the spell. Rather than landmasses of the earth, they were of the sky - luckily, the earliest inhabitants his mind created were talented in the arcane, and were thus able to retain a tradition of keeping the isles up.
These islands would be a major point of contention amidst The Age of Anxiety's Soldhom Dynasty - Temporan nobility were at war over seizure of the archipelago. The conflict ceased when the first Chancellor of the Skies, Marianne von Fortier, was successfully able to rally the indigenous peoples of the isles and moved them all to the archipelago of Fhirdiad Major. She willingly offered up the northern region of the archipelago to the Temporans, and began a centuries-long scheme (long past her own death) to reclaim and reassimilate the lost territory once the nobility had its back turned.
Tourism
Both Fhirdiad Major and Minor have isles dedicated exclusively to the pleasure of tourists, who the Alliance sees as easy revenue for the populace. Going to these is a magical experience that the typical Temporan or Iacchan commoner will have to save for years to go to, as it's easily one of the most desired vacation spots in all of Uthilith.
Type
Island, Floating
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
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