Story Arcs Overview

“Six threads weave through the shattered world. Pull one, and all others tremble.”

Introduction

The SkyLands narrative is built around six major story arcs that interweave, conflict, and reinforce each other. These arcs are not linear quest chains—they are living tensions that evolve based on player choices, faction reputations, and world state. Characters act independently, pursuing their own goals whether the player engages or not.

Each arc can be approached from multiple angles, resolved in different ways, or ignored entirely. Your choices ripple across all arcs—helping one faction may sabotage another arc’s peaceful resolution.

The Six Major Arcs

Arc 1: The Hidden Corruption

Core Conflict: Elder Mira Thornwell, leader of Skyport Eos, is secretly Rot-corrupted. Discovery means political crisis; concealment means the Rot spreads from within.

Status: Active (Year 287 S.)
Location: Skyport Eos
Estimated Time: Months (her corruption is Stage 1, accelerating)

Key Question: When does protecting one person endanger everyone?

Read Full Arc →

Arc 2: The Guild’s Gambit

Core Conflict: The Sky-Guild is orchestrating an economic takeover of Skyport Eos, manipulating trade routes and debt to seize control from the Elder Council.

Status: Active (Year 287 S.)
Location: Skyport Eos, Ironhold
Estimated Time: Months to years

Key Question: Is efficient tyranny better than chaotic freedom?

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Arc 3: The Voice Beneath

Core Conflict: The Rot-Touched claim the “Voice Beneath” the Aetherium offers truth and transformation. Is it salvation, damnation, or elaborate delusion?

Status: Active and escalating (Year 287 S.)
Location: Murky Chasm, Glimmering Spire, The Hollow
Estimated Time: Ongoing existential threat

Key Question: What if the monsters are right?

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Arc 4: The Nexus Spire

Core Conflict: The Nexus Spire—where the Apogee Working shattered the world—vanished during the Shattering. Finding it might reverse the catastrophe… or trigger another.

Status: Rumors and expeditions (Year 287 S.)
Location: The Periphery, Beacon Islands
Estimated Time: Years (if ever found)

Key Question: Should the past be undone, even if it erases the present?

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Arc 5: The Storm’s Secret

Core Conflict: Storm-Captain Kiera Windcaller entered the Black Tempest’s Calm Eye and saw something that broke her. What’s at the storm’s heart?

Status: Mystery, isolated knowledge (Year 287 S.)
Location: Howling Expanse, Black Tempest
Estimated Time: Unknown (Tempest is permanent fixture)

Key Question: Is knowledge worth the cost of sanity?

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Arc 6: The Eos-Ironhold War

Core Conflict: Tensions between Skyport Eos (liberal, refugee-accepting) and Ironhold (militaristic, isolationist) are escalating toward open war.

Status: Cold war, heating up (Year 287 S.)
Location: Skyport Eos, Ironhold, border territories
Estimated Time: Months before military action

Key Question: Can you prevent war when both sides believe they’re righteous?

Read Full Arc →

Interconnections

Character Web

Arcs intersect through shared characters:

Design Principle: Resolving one arc affects others. Exposing Elder Mira strengthens Commandant Vask’s anti-Eos rhetoric, escalating Arc 6.

Faction Alignments

Timeline Convergence

Early Game (Player level 0-25 skills): - Arcs 1 & 2: Skyport Eos local conflicts - Arc 3: Encounter Rot-Touched teachings - Arcs 4, 5, 6: Rumors and background tension

Mid Game (Player level 26-50 skills): - Arcs 1 & 2: Crises manifest, choices required - Arc 3: Confrontations with corrupted NPCs - Arc 6: Diplomatic missions, border incidents - Arcs 4 & 5: Expeditions become available

Late Game (Player level 51+ skills): - All arcs: Major decision points - Faction locks: Previous choices close/open paths - Convergence: Multiple arcs resolve simultaneously - Endgame: Player’s faction alignment determines available endings

Resolution Paths

Multiple Endings Per Arc

Each arc supports 3-5 distinct resolutions:

Example—Arc 1 (Hidden Corruption): 1. Expose: Elder Mira arrested, political crisis, Rot contained 2. Protect: Keep secret, help her fight corruption, maintain stability 3. Exploit: Blackmail for favors, eventually exposed anyway 4. Mercy Kill: End her before transformation, frame as natural death 5. Transformation: She becomes Hollow, player decides to kill or ally

Design Principle: No “correct” resolution. Each has costs and benefits.

Arc Combinations

Late-game outcomes determined by arc resolution combinations:

The Savior (Arc 1: Expose, Arc 3: Fight Rot, Arc 6: Peace) - Aetherium stabilized, Rot slowed - Clergy revered reputation - “Constellation Hero” achievement

The Corrupted God (Arc 1: Transform, Arc 3: Join Voice, Arc 6: Ignore) - Player embraces Rot fully - Ascends to Hollow Sovereign - “Hollow Throne” achievement - New game mode unlocked

The Broker (Arc 1: Protect, Arc 2: Neutral, Arc 6: Mediate) - Uneasy peace across factions - No faction maxed, all friendly - “Third Path” achievement

The Profiteer (Arc 2: Aid Guild, Arc 3: Trade Shards, Arc 6: Profit from war) - Economic control achieved - Sky-Guild revered reputation - Moral costs high - “Merchant Prince” achievement

Extinction (All arcs failed or ignored) - Rot wins, Aetherium falls - “Last Strider” achievement - Meta-progression bonus for next character

Arc Progression Tracking

Triggers and Flags

Each arc progresses through: - Rumor Stage: Hear about situation - Investigation Stage: Learn details, meet key NPCs - Crisis Stage: Major event forces action - Resolution Stage: Player makes defining choice - Aftermath: World changes persist

World State Flags:

mira_corruption_known: boolean
guild_influence_eos: 0-100
voice_believers_count: integer
nexus_location_discovered: boolean
kiera_secret_shared: boolean
eos_ironhold_war_stage: string

Player Agency

Arc Engagement: Optional
- Ignore arcs entirely (they resolve without you) - Partial engagement (affect outcomes without full resolution) - Deep engagement (become central to arc resolution)

Consequences of Ignoring: - Arc 1 ignored → Elder Mira transforms, Eos falls to Rot - Arc 2 ignored → Sky-Guild takes control economically - Arc 3 ignored → Rot-Touched grow in power, more corruption events - Arc 4 ignored → Returners fail expedition, potential knowledge lost - Arc 5 ignored → Storm phenomenon worsens, trade routes disrupted - Arc 6 ignored → War erupts, casualties on both sides

Design Principle: Inaction is a choice with consequences.

Design Philosophy

Emergent Narrative

Arcs are systems, not scripts: - NPCs pursue goals independent of player - Faction relationships evolve dynamically - Time matters (delays have consequences) - News spreads between islands (3-7 days)

No Canon Resolution

There is no “intended” outcome for any arc: - Corruption path is valid - Peace and war both justified - Mysteries can remain unsolved - Player defines their story

Moral Complexity

Every arc asks difficult questions: - Protecting one person vs. community safety - Economic efficiency vs. democratic freedom - Fighting monsters who might be prophets - Preserving present vs. restoring past - Knowledge vs. sanity - Peace with injustice vs. righteous war

No arc has a “correct” answer.

Quest Integration

How Arcs Manifest as Quests

Each arc generates multiple quest chains:

Arc 1 → Quests: - “The Hidden Sickness” (discover corruption) - “A Priest’s Suspicion” (Valeria notices) - “The Blackmail” (Merchant Vex threatens) - “The Cure Attempt” (seek Alchemist Kael)

Arc 3 → Quests: - “The Hollow Saint” (Brother Caelum’s fall) - “The Sermon” (attend Rot-Touched service) - “The Voice Question” (investigate Voice legitimacy) - “The Transformation Witness” (see Stage 3 corruption)

See full quest list →

Related Topics

• Narrative Themes - Writing guidelines
• Quests Overview - Individual quest chains
• Character Web - NPC connections
• Faction Dynamics - Political landscape

Arc Summary Table

Document Status: Complete
Last Updated: Year 287 S.
Purpose: High-level map of major narrative threads

“Six stories. One dying world. Your choices write the ending.”