Skyport Eos

“The Hopeful Harbor”

“If civilization has a heartbeat, it beats here—irregular, struggling, but still alive.”
—Captain Jorah “Ironwind”

Quick Reference

Skyport Eos - The Hopeful Harbor

Overview

Skyport Eos is the closest thing the shattered Aetherium has to a capital. It’s the largest active trade hub, the most cosmopolitan settlement, and the center of what remains of interisland diplomacy. Airship docks jut from the island’s edges like wooden fingers reaching into the void. The Market Square never truly closes—merchants hawk wares from dawn to dusk, and smugglers operate by constellation-light.

Built on the ruins of Eos Prime, a pre-Shattering merchant city, Skyport Eos has always been about trade, connection, and survival through cooperation. Its symbol is the Lighthouse—a pre-Shattering tower that still glows (mechanism unknown), visible from 100km away.

But Eos is struggling. Refugee influx strains resources. The Rot creeps closer each year. Elder Mira Thornwell, the eldest of the Council, is secretly dying of corruption. The hope that gives Eos its nickname is fragile and growing thinner.

Geography and Structure

Island Layout

Three Concentric Districts:

1. The Core (Center, 800m diameter)
   • Elder’s Hall, Courthouse, Treasury
   • Wealthy residences
   • Gardens and parks (rare greenery)
   • Most defended area
2. The Ring (Middle, 1km width)
   • Market Square, shops, taverns
   • Middle-class housing
   • Guild offices, chapels
   • Most populated district
3. The Docks (Outer edge, 200m width)
   • Airship docks (50+ berths)
   • Warehouses
   • Workers’ housing
   • Rough taverns, gambling dens

Vertical Structure: - Relatively flat (gentle slopes toward center) - The Lighthouse (center, 40m tall) - Multi-story buildings (3-5 floors common) - Underground: Storage, cisterns, old city ruins

Pre-Shattering Ruins

Beneath modern Eos lie layers of Eos Prime: - Intact basements (now storage) - Collapsed streets (partially excavated) - Ancient marketplace (buried but preserved) - The Old Archive (flooded, dangerous to explore)

Scavenging: Common but regulated (Council issues permits)

Key Locations

Elder’s Hall

Description: Marble building at island center, near Lighthouse

Function: Government seat - Council chambers (public sessions) - Private meeting rooms - Administrative offices - Emergency shelter

Architecture: Pre-Shattering (maintained, renovated)
Notable: Stained glass windows depicting constellations

Current Atmosphere: Tense - Council divided on refugee policy - Arguments frequent - Elder Mira Thornwell’s health deteriorating (hidden from public)

The Lighthouse

Description: 40m pre-Shattering tower at island’s exact center

Function: - Navigation beacon (visible 100km) - Symbol of hope - Landmark

Mystery: - Still glows (no one knows how) - No fuel source detected - Light never dims - Attempts to study it fail (instruments malfunction nearby)

Theory: Powered by pre-Shattering Astral Geometry (still functional)

Access: Restricted (Council permission required)

Market Square

Description: 2-hectare open plaza, bustling from dawn to dusk

Features: - 100+ stalls (permanent and temporary) - Auction platform - Public notice board - Fountain (non-functional, decorative)

Goods Sold: - Food (grain, preserved meat, Aether-Fish) - Textiles, tools, weapons - Alchemical supplies - Pre-Shattering artifacts (legal and questionable) - Information (ask the right person)

Atmosphere: - Loud, colorful, chaotic - Haggling is art form - Pickpockets common - Guards patrol but corruption happens

Notable Merchants: - Merchant Vex: Runs “legitimate” stall (also black market contact) - Old Marna: Fortune-teller (surprisingly accurate) - Copperpot the Smith: Weapons, repairs, gossip

The Drifting Cloud Tavern

Description: Three-story building at Ring’s edge, overlooking docks

Owner: Barret “Barrel” Stonegut (ex-sailor, jovial, shrewd)

Atmosphere: - Rowdy but friendly - Cheap ale, good food - All news passes through here - Sky-Striders gather

Features: - Ground floor: Main bar, fireplace, tables - Second floor: Private dining, rooms for rent - Third floor: Barret’s quarters, secret room (meeting space for deals) - Basement: Storage, hidden tunnel to docks

Significance: Information hub - Want to hear rumors? Come here. - Want to spread news? Start here. - Want to hire crew? Post notice.

Quest Hook: Barret owes Merchant Vex a favor (never specified what)

Chapel of Light

Description: Modest stone building in Ring district

Leadership: Priest Valeria (middle-aged, compassionate, overworked)

Services: - Daily prayers (dawn and dusk) - Healing (free for poor, donation-based for others) - Counseling - Marriage ceremonies - Funeral rites

Congregation: ~300 regular attendees
Doctrine: Orthodox Constellation Clergy (worships The Radiant primarily)

Current Challenges: - Overcrowded (refugees seeking spiritual comfort) - Priest Valeria stretched thin - Supplies for healing running low - Some refugees worship The Serpent (secretly)—Valeria suspects but doesn’t act

Airship Docks

Description: Wooden platforms extending from island’s edge into zero-g Aether

Capacity: 50+ berths (frequently full)

Types of Ships: - Cargo haulers (largest) - Passenger liners (Guild-operated) - Private vessels (wealthy merchants, nobles) - Small skiffs (couriers, scouts)

Dockmaster: Harvin Quickhitch (gruff, efficient, takes bribes)

Services: - Mooring (5 Aether-Coins per night) - Repairs (varies) - Refueling (expensive—Ironwood charcoal) - Supplies

Atmosphere: Constant activity - Loading/unloading cargo - Ships arriving/departing hourly - Sailors drinking, fighting, gambling

Sky-Guild Regional Office

Description: Large stone building, well-maintained, guards at entrance

Function: - Guild business (licenses, contracts, arbitration) - Trade records - Meeting rooms for Guild members

Staff: 20 Guild officials, 10 guards

Public Access: Limited (members only for most areas)

Factor-in-Charge: Factor Marlena Swift (ambitious, efficient, loyal to Guild)

Significance: Economic power center - Guild controls most trade through here - Licenses required for merchant activity - Disputes settled (Guild-favoring outcomes)

The Warrens

Description: Slums in Docks district (informal settlement)

Population: ~1,500 (mostly refugees)

Conditions: - Overcrowded (4-6 people per small room) - Unsanitary (disease outbreaks) - Dangerous (crime, desperation) - Makeshift structures

Council Response: Insufficient - Some aid provided - Not enough - Tensions rising

Social Dynamics: - Refugees vs. natives resentment - Crime increasing - Potential violence brewing

Government and Politics

The Elder Council

Structure: 12 Elders, decisions by consensus

Current Elders (Notable): 1. Elder Mira Thornwell (Age 67): Eldest, most respected, secretly Rot-corrupted 2. Elder Joram Steele (Age 54): Hardliner, wants refugee restrictions 3. Elder Lysara Kind (Age 41): Compassionate, advocates for refugees 4. Elder Thom Rutger (Age 58): Guild-influenced, pro-business 5-12. Others (names, moderate influence)

Decision-Making: - Consensus required (slow) - Debate in public sessions - Private negotiations behind scenes - Deadlocks common

Current Divisions: - Refugee Crisis: Accept all vs. restrict entry - Guild Influence: Resist vs. cooperate - Rot Response: Quarantine vs. attempt purification - Ironhold Relations: Alliance vs. independence

Bureaucracy

Departments: - Harbor Authority (Dockmaster Harvin) - City Guard (Captain Deryn Fastblade) - Treasury (Treasurer Olwen Coinwise) - Public Works (maintenance, sanitation)

Efficiency: Moderate (corruption exists but not overwhelming)

Law Enforcement

City Guard: 150 full-time, 300 militia (part-time)

Captain: Deryn Fastblade (strict, fair, incorruptible)

Challenges: - Undermanned (Guard stretched thin) - Warrens difficult to police - Smuggling (Merchant Vex’s operation) - Refugee tensions

Crime Rate: Moderate and rising

Economy

Trade (70% of economy)

Primary Goods: - Food imports (from Windmere, Thornvale) - Manufactured goods exports (tools, textiles) - Services (transport, information, healing)

Trade Routes: - Eos-Ironhold Run: 3-7 days, heavy cargo - Farming Circuit: Connects agricultural islands - Frontier Loop: 15-day tour of Outer Reaches

Guild Dominance: 70% of merchants are Guild members

Services (20% of economy)

• Airship transport
• Lodging (taverns, inns)
• Healing (Clergy, alchemists)
• Information brokering
• Entertainment

Manufacturing (10% of economy)

• Textiles
• Basic tools
• Airship repairs
• Food processing (preservation, baking)

Population

Demographics

By Origin: - 50% native to Eos (born here) - 30% immigrants (from other Bright Reaches islands) - 20% refugees (from Rot-consumed islands)

By Social Class: - Elite (5%): Council members, Guild factors, wealthy merchants - Middle (25%): Guild merchants, skilled workers, pilots - Working (50%): Laborers, farmers, guards, sailors - Refugees (20%): Displaced, mostly destitute

Age Distribution: - Children (0-15): 20% - Adults (16-40): 55% - Middle-aged (41-60): 20% - Elderly (61+): 5%

Literacy: ~30% (higher than Aetherium average)

Notable Residents

Political Leaders

Elder Mira Thornwell - Senior Elder, beloved leader (secretly Rot-corrupted)

Elder Lysara Kind - Elder, humanitarian faction leader, refugee advocate

Elder Joram Steele - Elder, pro-Guild faction leader, pragmatic economist

Clergy

Priest Valeria - Chapel of Light leader, healer, suspects Serpent cult in refugees

Bishop Ardent Vael - Visits occasionally from Constellation’s Reach, high-ranking clergy

Merchants & Traders

Merchant Vex - Information broker, black market connections, knows everyone’s secrets

Factor Marlena Swift - Sky-Guild official, pushes Guild takeover agenda

Barret “Barrel” Stonegut - Tavern owner (The Drifting Cloud), information hub

Old Marna - Fortune-teller, marketplace regular, surprisingly accurate predictions

Copperpot the Smith - Blacksmith, weapons and repairs, knows where bodies are buried

Military & Law

Captain Deryn Fastblade - Guard Captain, incorruptible, overworked

Pilots & Sailors

Captain Jorah “Ironwind” - Legendary pilot, most reliable transport service, hero status

Harbor & Docks

Dockmaster Harvin Quickhitch - Harbor authority, corrupt but competent, takes bribes

Culture and Daily Life

Atmosphere

Cautious Optimism: “We’re surviving, let’s keep it that way”

Cosmopolitan: People from all regions pass through - Multiple languages (Common Tongue dominant) - Various cultures blend - Tolerance (mostly)

Mercantile: Everything negotiable - Haggling expected - Reputation is currency - Deals made everywhere

Festivals

Constellation of Light Day (annual): - Week-long festival - Market expands, food stalls, music - Prayers, processions - Pilgrims arrive from other islands

Founding Day (celebrates Eos’s post-Shattering establishment): - Smaller celebration - Council speeches - Free food in Market Square

Monthly Market Day (first day of month): - Expanded market - Rare goods, auctions - Entertainment (musicians, storytellers)

Entertainment

• The Drifting Cloud (drinking, gossip, dice games)
• Storytelling in Market Square
• Airship races (viewing parties)
• Theater troupe (performs monthly)

Education

• Informal (apprenticeships common)
• Small school run by Clergy (teaches reading, arithmetic, scripture)
• Guild runs training programs (for members)

Defenses

Physical

Walls: 5m stone walls encircle Core and Ring (not Docks)

Watchtowers: 8 towers, manned 24/7

Gates: 4 main gates (controlled access)

Military

City Guard: 150 professional soldiers Militia: 300 part-time (citizens who train)

Equipment: - Crossbows (primary ranged weapon) - Swords, spears (melee) - Leather armor (standard) - Limited chain mail (officers)

Readiness: Moderate - Guards trained - But stretched thin - Militia less reliable

Threats

External: - Rot-Beast attacks (rare but increasing) - Piracy (minimal—too well-defended) - Ironhold conflict (potential, not current)

Internal: - Social unrest (refugee tensions) - Crime (smuggling, theft) - Infiltration (Rot-Touched hiding corruption)

Current Situation (287 S.)

Challenges

1. Refugee Crisis: 500+ new arrivals in last year, overwhelming capacity
2. Elder Mira’s Secret: Eldest Council member corrupted, hiding it
3. Guild Pressure: Sky-Guild increasing economic control
4. Rot Advancement: Corrupted islands drifting closer
5. Internal Division: Council deadlocked on major decisions

Tensions

• Refugees vs. Natives: Resentment growing
• Council vs. Guild: Power struggle
• Clergy vs. Alchemists: Rot treatment methods
• Eos vs. Ironhold: Cold war intensifying

Hope

Despite challenges: - Trade continues - People adapt - Community bonds strong - The Lighthouse still glows

Secrets and Mysteries

Elder Mira’s Corruption

Secret: Mira Thornwell is Rot-corrupted (early stage) - Black coughs (hidden) - Knows she’s dying - Refuses to step down (afraid of panic) - Quest Hook: If discovered, political crisis

The Lighthouse Mystery

Nobody knows: - How it still glows - What powers it - What would happen if it went out

Theory: If Lighthouse dies, Eos falls (psychologically, spiritually)

Merchant Vex’s Network

Black market operation: - Smuggles Rot-Shards from Murk - Contacts in Ironhold, even Murky Chasm - Council suspects but can’t prove (or doesn’t want to) - Quest Hook: Vex knows everyone’s secrets (leverage)

The Old Archive

Flooded basement beneath Eos: - Contains pre-Shattering records - Some still legible - Dangerous to explore (flooding, collapse risk, rumored creatures) - Quest Hook: Lost knowledge within

The Serpent-Worshipers

Hidden cult among refugees: - Small (20-30 members) - Worship Constellation of the Serpent - Meet secretly - Priest Valeria suspects but no proof - Quest Hook: If exposed, witch-hunt could erupt

Quest Hooks

1. The Hidden Corruption: Discover Elder Mira is Rot-corrupted. Expose or protect?
2. Refugee Tensions: Prevent riot between natives and refugees
3. The Guild’s Gambit: Sky-Guild attempting economic takeover, help or hinder?
4. The Old Archive: Explore flooded ruins, recover lost knowledge
5. Merchant Vex’s Deal: Vex offers lucrative smuggling job (moral cost?)
6. The Serpent’s Shadow: Infiltrate or expose hidden Serpent cult
7. The Lighthouse Secret: Investigate how Lighthouse still functions
8. The Drifting Threat: Rot-corrupted island drifting toward Eos, organize evacuation or purification?

Related Topics

• The Bright Reaches - The region Eos anchors
• Elder Mira Thornwell - Eldest Council member
• Captain Jorah Ironwind - Legendary pilot
• The Sky-Guild - Dominant economic faction
• Ironhold - Rival settlement

In-World Document

“Letter to My Successor” by Elder Mira Thornwell (Sealed, to be opened upon her death)

To whomever reads this,

I am dead. Likely from Rot. I hid it well, didn’t I?

You’ll want to know why I didn’t step down. Why I stayed on the Council while corruption ate me from within.

The answer is simple: fear. Not of death—I’ve made peace with that. Fear of what my corruption would do to Eos.

If the eldest Elder is Rot-touched, what hope does anyone have? The panic would tear us apart faster than the Rot ever could.

So I served. I governed. I pretended. And I hope I bought us time.

You, my successor, must be stronger than I was. Tell the truth. Face the fear. Because lies, even well-intentioned, are their own corruption.

Eos is worth saving. Not because it’s perfect—it’s not. Not because we deserve it—we don’t.

But because as long as the Lighthouse glows, there’s hope.

And hope, even false hope, is better than the alternative.

Keep the light burning.

—Mira Thornwell, Elder of Eos

“The harbor welcomes all, but not all survive the welcome.”
—Dockside saying