The Canopy Isles
A cluster of floating cities kept aloft by Aether Crystals. Composed of 12 major islands and countless smaller ones. The largest island, Chuten Island, houses the parliament hall and the great library.
Overview of the Floating Archipelago
The Canopy Isles are a vast floating archipelago — bedrock and soil that soared skyward when an ancient continent was torn apart, held fixed within the atmosphere by the buoyancy of underground Aether Crystals.
Each of the 12 major islands has its own climate and culture, linked by the Wind Bridges — aerial corridors powered by Aether Crystals. The largest island, Chuten Island, is the center of politics and scholarship, home to the parliament hall and the Library of All Things.
Stratification and Discrimination
Islands are classified as "upper," "middle," or "lower" tiers based on their altitude. Higher tiers have thinner air and stronger sunlight but purer Aether Crystals. Lower islands sit closer to The Root Realm and serve as trade gateways, yet their inhabitants are sometimes discriminated against as "those near the ground."
Scars Left by The Great Fall
Before The Great Fall, The Canopy Isles were merely the elevated portion of a single continent. When the First Equilibrium Collapse pushed Aether Crystal buoyancy past its critical threshold, the land was torn apart and the upper strata were thrust skyward. To this day, the cliff faces of the islands expose geological cross-sections — evidence of their former continental connection — which geologists call "the Scars of Separation."
The highest island, Tenkoku Island, sits above the clouds year-round; those born there struggle to comprehend the existence of The Root Realm. Meanwhile, the lowest island, Kasumi-Kyokai Island, sits just above The Mist Sea; informal contact with Shimobe is an everyday occurrence there, and Root Realm mycelium cuisine and Mycelium Silver circulate quietly despite the Canopy Council's bans.
Signs of Decline
Aether Crystal output has declined year after year. Some lower islands have recorded altitude drops of several meters over the past decade. The Canopy Council officially denies this, yet the phrase "increased buoyancy maintenance costs" appears repeatedly in Chuten Island's council minutes. A quiet fear spreads among the people of the isles: the Second Great Fall may come sooner than the Great Fall Research Institute's estimates suggest.
Related elements
- Nenoka, Holy City of the Root— A subterranean holy city in the deepest reaches of The Root Realm, where the mycelium network's core is concentrated.
- Rakuen, Sky Trade City— A commercial hub flourishing as the trade center of The Canopy Isles. Official trade with the Root Realm Federation also passes through here.
- The Floating Ruins (Fwarei Archives)— A collection of ruins — fragments of ancient Canopy cities destroyed by The Great Fall — drifting in the upper layers of The Mist Sea.
- The Mist Sea— A boundary layer of thick mist drifting perpetually at the midpoint between The Canopy Isles and The Root Realm.
- The Root Realm— A subterranean civilization spreading across sunless lands. Information and life force are shared through the vast mycelium network "Memory of the Earth."