The Realm of Skies is the home of the undying and the unborn. It is a nascent place - every plant that is soon to grow is here, every clear mind of a child unformed, and resting heroes promised a return to their adventures after their spirit heals.

The Realm of Skies is a mass of islands floating in the sky meshed together by the roots of titanic trees of all descriptions.

Below, is an endless Sea - Myriad's 'Well of Souls" from whence new spirits appear. It repels the incarnate living, but the spirits of the place avoid it, lest they be dragged in and remade.

The place is perpetually stuck at dawn, or perhaps dusk. The source of this warm, ever-fading light is not the sun, but the Breathing Citadel, the seat of power for the World's ruler - Pallav, the New Leaf, Lord of Life. The citadel is a fortress constructed on the largest of the sky-islands, surrounded by forest and Gloaming, the World's major city and capital.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:11, Wed 26 Dec 2018.

Arriving from Remad

Stepping out from a pair of black velvet curtains that appeared from nowhere and disappeared as quickly, Caerden looked about and got his bearings. It was a jarring experience to be standing beneath open skies, and also to be on what appeared to be an island of many, all of them entangled in tree roots that coiled from island to island. Caerden imagined he was gawking and worked to compose himself. He was already thankful he'd decided to visit another world before the City-of-Cities, it wouldn't due to have looked like this upon his first arrival into 'civilized' godlands.

Getting his bearings, Caerden walked the perimeter of the island upon which he'd found himself. He looked about to see what other islands were nearby. It was dizzying peering over the edge of the island and at the seemingly endless sea below. It was a far cry from the Remadian Sea that that broken up by crumbling walls, stairway ports and a number of other hazards.

Still, Caerden was not here to sight see. Looking for one of the spirits that called the Realm of Skies home, he hailed them, "Greetings and well met, I've come to hold court with the Lord Pallav, where might I find the master of these skies?"

"Not sure, I'm guessing he's holed up in the big castle." She extended her hand. "I'm Amarantha, of the Myrmidon. You can call me Amy, it's fine."

She was tall, and wearing simple adventuring clothes - a warm frock coat over a boiled leather curiass, with matching greaves and boots. She had no weapons that you could see.

"Hmm. Shall we be traveling companions, for the moment?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:14, Fri 28 Dec 2018.

"It would be my pleasure," Caerden agreed with a bow and a practiced smile. Now the traveling itself would be an interesting excursion. How did one get about suspended islands? The obvious choice seemed to be the roots connecting one island to the next. With no other obvious recourse Caeden put aside the disheartening prospect of the ruin coming to his fine attire. Sacrifices had to be made when exploring bold new frontiers.

"So Amy, have you traveled this world far? I'm newly arrived myself. It is a very different place from my home."

The Myrimdon simply leapt from the small island you were on to the next, with easy grace.

"This is the Realm of Skies - Gravity is rather weak here. Even at terminal velocity, hitting the ground is about as bad as tripping on flat ground elsewhere."

She leapt to the next island once you followed her lead. "I've spent some time here. Spend too long and . . . you start to becoming more spirit than flesh. You'll notice it - you'll start to feel like your legs are falling asleep, first sign. It reverses if you leave. I think a mortal should only spend a day here at most."

"I come here to hunt Geists. The gems of sky-spirits fetch a good price in the Valley."

Blinking in surprise at the way Amy took flight with a few bounding steps Caerden bounced experimentally on his feet, then nodded and followed after her. After a few jumps he started to get a knack for it. Landing wasn't so difficult, especially not with his walking cane to serve as an extra leg. It was easier than the hand language Xixi preferred. "Geists? What manner of creatures are those? Why do they keep gems?"

Listening to Amy explain how the Geists themselves became gems, Caerden tucked away another curious fact. "How strange. Might I join you for a hunt? I would be curious to see this for myself. Perhaps I'll even be able to obtain a gem myself. A keepsake for my journey as it were."

"With the two of us, we could certainly up the take. However, we should get clearance from the Lord before we go hunting on his estate, hm? It's not too far from the castle now."

She grinned. "Race you there?"

"Oh, Geists are a sort of game one hunts here? Yes, I would certainly prefer not to poach, let us go to see the Lord of Skies," Caerden confirmed. He was learning so very many things. Making sure that Xixi was secure on his shoulder his her cat form, he followed after Amy leaping from island to island. Eventually it started to feel naturally leaping over great drops into the sea below.

"Meow?" she opined.

It wasn't much of a race, given that the Myrmidon had the edge on you and knew how to actually get where you were going, but you arrived at the city of Gloaming at a good pace.

It was a highly vertical city, clearly designed with free-flying spirits in mind first and moon-jumping mortals second. Like with the the rest of the realm, everything was tied together by the roots and branches of great trees. Here, you even saw a few cherry blossom trees that emanated divine power.

While passing through the market area, your natural instinct for intrigue told you that many people around you were hoping for a chance to speak with Pallav - and as you had correctly guessed, that was because the god was outside of his palace and in the market.

He wasn't as grand as you expected - he looked like a young man, very early twenties at the oldest, with pinkish-white skin and platinum blonde hair. He was wearing a long white surcoat with a hood, trimmed with gold thread.

He spotted you, and smiled. "You may approach me, Caerden-El of Remad. I have known of your presence since you first arrived. If you had sent a letter ahead, I would have prepared a suitable welcome for another Divine - as it is, you've caught me at market."

He picked up an old-looking apple from the bargain bin, paid for it, and then offered to you. In his hands, it became as fresh as the day it was picked again. You were still about twenty feet away, so you would have to approach him to take it.

Amy was quiet - obviously, she knew not to speak before being spoken to by a Realm's ruler.

Note: The suffix '-el' is an honorific for a divine being. He's both being polite and also old-fashioned.

It seemed that markets were markets on any world one visited, Caerden recognized the way in which goods were arrayed and coins traded hands. That familiar ebb and flow of commerce was reassuring. It was also a comfort when he finally met the Lord of Skies. Caerden wasn't sure what he had expected. Some part of him worried he might end up conversing with a cloud or learning to speak like blowing winds. Instead what greeted him was far more in the Lord Remad's natural element.

"Greeting and well met, Lord of Skies," Caerden said and offered a hand motion equivalent of a bow, "I wish I could have sent the letter, but I'm afraid any couriers at my disposal would have been quite at a loss to deliver any correspondence listed to the 'Realm of Skies.' Your warm welcome is much appreciated, especially considering my unexpected arrival, thank you."

"You know, but allow me to introduce my traveling companion, Amarantha of the Myrmidon, we met on the road here, she is quite talented as navigating the islands here." Closing the gap between them, Caerden moved to accept that apple that the fellow god had offered. "You have a beautiful world here, Lord Pallav, it is quite unlike where I hail from. I will have to have you as a guest in the future, though I must confess I do not have many skies in my own world, at least not without window frames."

"Amarantha here advised there are beasts to hunt in this land that become crystals. The notion has certainly captured my imagination, might I have your permission to try my own hand at hunting these creatures? Or perhaps you'd care to join us that we might become better acquainted while sharing some sport."

Pallav smiled when you took the apple. "I am acquainted with the Myrmidon. In fact -" Pallav paused as a tiny gray fox bounded up to this shoulder, wearing a satchel. "My Aegis. One moment."

He opened the satchel. There were two small packages, and a letter.

"Speak of the devil. This is a letter from Myriel, the goddess of Amarantha's people and the land of Phthia, addressed to us both."

He opened the letter, scanned it, then read. "Greetings esteemed lords - I have included a gift of peace and friendship. I would be delighted if you would attend a celebration of the first anniversary of my theogenesis at my estate. See you soon, hopefully, Myriel."

He passed you the letter and the box. The box contained an enchanted ring of rose-gold.

Pallav considered. "Time between realms being what it is, it wouldn't do to delay."

Pallav wore his identical ring, then sliced the air with his hand, opening a shimmering portal of myriad lights. "After you, Caerden-El. We can discuss matters of sport at the event."

[Private to Caerden Reveler: The ring grants you the minor power of self-levitation. This can be used to perform high and long jumps, or climb weightlessly along a surface, or greatly increase your buoyancy in water, or to simply rise into the air. It provides you no means of propulsion while airborne, and lasts for up to ten minutes total per day, usable in thirty-second increments.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:00, Fri 04 Jan 2019.

Holding up the band of precious metal, Caerden examined the glint of the gold. It was different than at home. "A fine gift. I can hardly turn down such a thoughtful invitation. It seems our hunt will have to wait, Lord Pallav," putting on the ring, Caerden called up the velvet drape gateway again, it came much easier this time, and went through to this strange land of Phthia.

Transitioning to Phthia