Adanati
Main lore page: Link to main Lore page
Airships Conquer the Skies is set in the world of Adanati (corrupted Akkadian for "world").
Geography & Ecosystem
Suspendium
Main Page: Suspendium
Suspendium is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of an unknown element. It functions as a natural electromagnet, repelling and attracting other crystals when provided with an electric current. Suspendium exists everywhere on Adanati, from the atmosphere to large deposits in the soil and rocks.
[Under Research]
"Suspendium is a crystal that, when charged, repels other Suspendium crystals. A single crystal, as long as it’s flawless, does not repel itself. This is because the repulsive force is a function of the alignment of the crystal structure: two crystals that are perfectly aligned also experience no repulsive force."
"This is why a big crystal with an alternate current running through it can hold up an airship. It’s not an anti-gravity device. It’s repelled by Suspendium in the ground. This repulsive force weakens with distance, which is why airships have quite low service ceilings: at best, you can rise a few hundred metres above the ground."
Vegetation
[Under Research]
Wildlife
See: Bestiary Entries
[Under Research]
Meteorology
[Under Research]
Anthropology
History
"A Brief History of the Empire"
By Oliver Highfjord
Commissioned by Prince Arakeem of Retropolis
Before the Empire Fell
In the olden days of the empire, one could walk from town to town without being harassed by pesky cultists or mugged by brigands. It was an era of safety, peace, justice, and order. The Empire was the supreme institution of those days, and all had to answer to the mighty emperor. The imperial throne existed for at least a hundred years before its collapse. It is however likely that it was far older. There were many Emperors, among the most well know Konrad II, Konrad III, and even empresses like Esmeralda II. This list of notable men and women could go on, but for various reasons, including the fact that it was customary to erase terrible emperors from the public record after their death. The second to last emperor, Konrad II, is quite a controversial figure. Some say the Imperial City Electoral Amendment that was introduced during his reign, presaged the collapse of the grand empire, but this is likely untrue. Regrettably, the Empire was already destined for collapse long before.
The amendment, the details of which will be explained in another book I am writing, granted each imperial city its own elector. While this radical decentralisation might seem like a strange move by the dear Emperor, it will be clear as day if one understands the circumstances. The amendment was introduced following an uprising and attempted to ease the relationship with the lords of the defeated alliance. It did little to heal the scars, and many years later the Empire withered away as a centralised state. Ten years ago, the various dukes, lords, and barons pretended as if the Empire still existed, but now they are waking up and sharpening their knives.
There is great agreement that there should be a new empire, and very little on who should lead it. However, some candidates are more promising than others.
The Post-Imperial World
After the Empire fell, the known world collapsed into a plethora of duchies, petty kingdoms, free cities, and principalities. Most splinter states proclaim to be the rightful heir but none have so far presented a claim more solid than an aerial jelly. One's claim is heavily dependent on one's ability to project power one's power with a big-gunned navy. Of all the claimants, it is indeed His Highness the Prince of Retropolis, who has the most rightful claim to the Imperial throne, on account of his bravery and generosity. This great man has always helped those in need and sponsored educational materials, such as this historical account. These favourable qualities along with the Prince Arakeem's capable leadership is a sign, that he is in fact from the same bloodline as the Emperors of the old days. Evidence of his magnificent leadership is evident by taking a glance at the beautiful green and blue spires of wealthy Retropolis at sunset. The Prince is also a grand military strategist. It is said that he defeated seventy Gugger ships at the battle of Greytowers, with only a limited force of twenty ships. Thus His Highness the Prince, Arakeem of Retropolis is indeed the most promising claimant to the old Suspendium Throne.
Just as a villa needs a foundation, so does society. The foundation of our society is the peasantry. The serfs live good lives working the land and tending to livestock. Your proposal to grant these peasants additional freedoms is both preposterous and unnecessary! The peasants are not interested in political representation; they are happy under my capable leadership. As a fellow lord, you should know this. It is why it is up to the nobility to govern the peasantry protect them from outside threats as well as themselves. The peasants are superstitious nincompoops with no taste for the finer things in life.
I once saw some peasants of mine praying and burning herbs when an aerial jelly passed by the grounds. They thought the hideous creature was the ghost of a downed ship! Ridiculous! This is but one example of the many ancient legends and superstitions that prevail among the peasantry. Can you not see that granting such dunces political representation would have grave consequences to follow? Before long, we would be worshipping Gargoyle's and granting women the same rights as the peasants! Therefore I highly encourage you to retract your proposal from the Raad, in the hope that the future can be one of reason and factuality. Let the peasants do what they do best. As the saying goes "Give a peasant a golden spoon and he will use it to plant turnips.".
– Luke Habengut, the Duke of Tuke. (excerpt from a personal letter in response to Baron von Garnir's proposal to extend voting rights to the wealthiest 0.1% of peasants)
Religion
See: Blog Post: Moons
"The Trilunar Belief System"
By Arthur Limes
The popular religion of the known world is based on worship of the three moons, Ea, Tessagon and Mith. The trilunar religion evolved from a monolunar religion focused on the largest and most important moon, Ea. This religion is still around in backwater rural areas. They are generally tolerated by most governments, even if considered backward. Most governments find that there are more important heresies to root out. According to the Trilunar Church, each moon has certain roles but Ea is indeed the most important. Ea is the bringer of floods, fertility. Ea makes the sea shrink and flood, and goes through all her phases during a period of 28 days. It is upon Ea's phases which the Karolingian Standard Lunar Calendar is based.
The second most important moon is Tessagon, the festival moon. When Tessagon is full, a minor religious festivals are held, where folks get together in their communities, relax and get drunk. Some coastal communities also consider this time ideal for fishing. Tessagon is said to bring happiness, love and peace, though the amount of worship the moon receives, varies greatly from town to town.
Bilunarism
[Under Research]
Monolunarism
[Under Research]
Heretic Religions & Cults
[Under Research]