Stormspire: Lay of the Land

Stormspire is a smallish, tapering island that looks like a tower floating above the eye of the massive Worldstorm. The island's upper surface area is roughly half a square mile, and the whole thing is around three-quarters of a mile tall. Once a thriving trade port under the jurisdiction of Empyrean, it was taken by pirates about 80 years ago. Now, Stormspire is populated by pirates, smugglers, and delvers. Anything is for sale, and what few rules exist are there to prevent the town from devolving into total chaos.

Today, we're discussing the layout of this peculiar island.

All inhabited islands in the Skies of Mor-ladron (SoM) have at least one lonely dock, if not a full port, and Stormspire is no different. What makes it unique is its many layers of docks and how they are used.

Stormspire has five levels of docks encircling the whole island. At the top of the island, the first two levels of docks mostly belong to permanent residents—Stormspire citizens who live on their now heavily modified boats or run businesses from them. These layers of docks effectively double the size of the island, allowing the nearly 2,000 people who live and trade here to do so comfortably (well, comfortably if you're willing to live on a ship instead of solid ground).

When docking on the island, new arrivals are met with the hustle and bustle of dockworkers and sailors loading and unloading ships. After walking the length of the dock landward, they'll encounter a wide tunnel, large enough for carts and small wagons to pass through. These tunnels have offshoots leading to nearby inns, taverns, and storage units for those who wish to stay close to their ships or discuss extra-shady deals.

Eventually, these tunnels lead to what the townsfolk call the Spine. This vertical shaft in the island's center is ringed with magic platforms that travel up the interior walls, carrying people and cargo to the other dock levels or the town itself.

The town comprises two sections, inner and outer rings centering on the Spine.

The Inner Ring

Warehouse District

Around the open pit of the Spine is the warehouse district. Two rows of streets encircle the Spine, lined with warehouses filled to the brim with many different types of goods. Each warehouse is guarded by rough-looking men armed with both firearms and blades. They keep an eye on the laborers moving cargo in and out of the warehouses, ensuring nothing leaves the warehouses that should not.

Unlike the storage units below, the goods kept in the warehouse district are usually bulk or belong to one of the wealthier townsfolk who wants to avoid traveling down the spine.

Four roads originate around the Spine and expand into the rest of the town, splitting the town into four quadrants of roughly equal size.

Garden District

Traveling along any of these four main roads leads to the Garden District. This area surrounds the warehouse district and is separated from the Outer Ring by a wall. The Garden District is home to Stormspire's wealthy and influential inhabitants and lives up to its name with flowers, bushes, and trees blooming and swaying in the warm breeze among the large houses.

When Empyrean owned the island, this area housed the island's governor and other nobles, hence the wall separating this central area of the city from the rest. These days, the gates never close, and a constant stream of people travels through day and night.

The Outer Ring

After passing through the gates of the Garden Ring, travelers enter the Outer Ring, which covers the rest of the island out to the docks. Left behind are the nice, orderly buildings and city planning. Here, the four main roads still provide some sense of symmetry, but beyond that, people built their homes and stores wherever they could.

Smaller streets zig and zag throughout this area. Most of the roads are made of dirt and created by the feet of the hundreds of townsfolk walking them daily. Stores, houses, and places of craft intermix in a haphazard manner. Most businesses cater to the sailors, delvers, and pirates who stop to sell loot or spend their hard-earned coin. Travelers can find plenty of inns, taverns, and places of entertainment, as well as crafters and builders who provide the materials needed to repair ships or ensure sailors stay somewhat comfortable on longer journeys.

Beyond that usual fare, a few areas in the city stand out.

Nell's Arena

Named after the pirate who ruled Stormspire after taking it from Empyrean, the arena is the place for those who need to release some pent-up rage or want to bet on the competitors who release their rage upon each other. On most islands, pit fighting and its like are illegal. In Stormspire, it's a common pastime.

The arena is usually home to bare-knuckle boxing, but archery and firearm competitions appear from time to time. During the Festival of the Stormbringer (a yearly event in Captain Nell's honor), the pirate games allow crews to show off and compete with few casualties (it wouldn't be much of a festival without a death or two).

Nell's Arena is also used in the rare event of a public execution, reserved for those who flagrantly break one of Stormspire's few laws—and are foolish enough to get caught.

The Bazaar

The local bazaar is on the island's southern quadrant. This bazaar takes up nearly a fourth of the island and covers it in tents and portable stalls.

As the sun rises, hundreds of sellers and hawkers stream from their ships with carts, tents, and wagons, fighting to get the prime spots. Here, one can find the most unusual and enticing goods cheek by jowl with some downright tasty snacks.

Other Points of Interest

One of the adventuring parties in my Draw Steel games spent a little time in Stormspire, then went off in search of adventure, as intended. Here are two places they encountered during their brief exploration of the island.

The Lost Hippogriff

The Lost Hippogriff is a boarding house on the docks, run from a ship that looks like someone stuck a two-story building on top of it. Its proprietor is a cheery and inquisitive dwarf, Opal. She offers basic amenities and meals for a low price, and she'd love a good story if you have one to share.

The Salty Palm Tree

The Salty Palm Tree is a middling tavern with decent food, cheap drinks, and live music. Many interesting characters visit this joint, and it's a good place to have an existential crisis if you've suddenly become undead and don't know what that means (experiences may vary).

That's the basics for Stormspire and all I've built for now. Where would you want to go if you visited the island?

I'm still deciding what to cover next, but I have officially started running a second group in SoM. I'm sure some of the posts going forward will be an expanded and cleaned-up version of my game prep. I'm looking forward to seeing the shenanigans both groups get into.