Three Finger Ridge

One would be considered insane to venture to the edge of the Dragon’s Chasm on purpose. The chance of you coming face to face with your own demise is…considerable. But to choose, of your own free will, to plant roots at the edge of oblivion?
Yet, along the bank of the chasm rim, at the center shore of the Sea of Wings, a community thrives. Adapting to the wild nature of serpents and jungle, generations have been born to tame the impossible. A settlement aptly named Three Finger Ridge.

History

When the Children of the Wing were born, a religion focused on the Dragon’s Chasm itself, there were some who questioned the teachings. Harmonious living was a good thing, but bowing to serpents was another thing entirely. Some felt intelligence was the determining factor in the ranks of species, and there was a split.
While some attempted to perfect a balance between themselves and nature, others accepted the rigors and dangers of life and adopted a healthy respect, instead. The later became hunters, trappers, craftsmen, and even fishers of wings.

The Settlement

Three Finger Ridge, named after the most common injury in dealing with dragons, losing fingers, is a close-knit community of structures. Constructed in a double horseshoe complex of stone and cement, all members of the community live in, essentially, a single dwelling.
The outer ring contains the main living quarters of families, as well as a few non-dragon related professions, such as farming, food storage, and animal husbandry. Each dwelling contains a basement and cold storage, and is separated by inner walls. The only building not attached to the main structure is a heavy stone building with ‘pit-rooms’, functioning as an inn for travelers and merchants.
The inner ring contains the various businesses which revolve exclusively around the interactions of the chasm. This includes trappers, hunters, skinners, alchemists, trainers, fishermen, miners, sailors and scouts/guides. The very center of the horseshoe formation contains the tools needed to ‘fish’ for serpents, as well as build and repair airships.
The space between the inner and outer buildings is overlaid with a net webbing, laced with leaves and vines to shield citizens from overhead attack. To provide greater safety, every ten feet a small cage is hung from the overhead netting. A black finch, a hyperactive bird sensitive to the plentiful serpents, perches in each cage. When a predator is near, a black finch will cease making noise. This is a signal to nearby finches, creating an instantaneous drop in noise, and all birds push to the corner of their cage.

“Damn fools, the lot of ‘ em.”

— - One-Fingered Bill

“If you’re looking for the rarest breeds of dragon, skin, scales, or other serpent parts, and you have the coin, I suggest traveling to Three Finger Ridge. Ask for Hammon. Large, hairy as a Ravosta, but he’ll get you what you need. Just…remember the coin.”

— - Ryllin, Merchant