All of the provinces on Glass Island exposed to the surface are known collectively as the 'Upper Provinces.' There are five in total, each with a few major cities; Sunset, Sunlit, Whitecliff, Ashdrift, and Big Fang province. Each province is ruled by a Shardbearer, though during recent years many have been killed, meaning that their positions are open for replacements...
Ashdrift Province
Named for the great heaps of ash and pumice that wash up on the shoreline from the volcanoes of Veil Island to the north, the Ashdrift Province is not your ideal vacation spot. The beaches are not sand, but rather craggy black reefrock that claw at your feet and bite at the hulls of ships that attempt to dock there. Any harbours that do exist are dragon-made, the black rock painstakingly removed or chiseled down to a more smooth, safe surface for incoming vessels
Temple - the Fallen City
The unlabeled marker on the shore of the Ashdrift Province is Temple; while still marked and described here, it's now considered a part of the Dusk Province. It was once a proud surface city where GlassWings resided in old SilverWing ruins. The city was sculpted from fine, smooth marble, and host to the largest temple to the Moon Sisters outside of Silver Island. During the civil war, however, the greed of the two warring families forced thousands of dragons to mine deeper and deeper into the earth - often against their will - and the ground below Temple was made hollow. All it took was the smallest of earthquakes for the entire city to collapse into the Deep Provinces. The SilverWing ruins and the temple were completely destroyed, and every last one of the miners were either killed in the collapse or suffocated in the rubble. A small village has emerged from the ruins, but it is a shadow of what it once was.
Broadtooth - Sentinel of the Bay
Broadtooth is the jewel of the Ashdrift Province, perched near the tip of the Fangs, and guards the mouth of Dragon's Eye Bay. It acts as a seat for trade and diplomacy between the other Islands, and its harbour has been carefully carved out of the black reef rock of the Province's shoreline. There is a thriving market here, with goods from across the Isles, and a large Embassy for foreign diplomats to conduct their business in.
Big Fang Province
Named for having the larger of the twin Fangs that guard the outside of Dragon's Eye Bay, Big Fang Province was once a minor part of the Island, sparsely populated and largely forgotten by the rest of the Island. This insignificance played to the Province's advantage, and they were the least affected by the unrest that has plagued the GlassWings the past few decades.
Dragon's Eye - A Rising Star
Big Fang Province is now home to the capital of the Island, Dragon's Eye, a city born from SilverWing ruins. It is protected from ocean currents by the massive, twin Fangs peninsulas that form the outside of Dragon's Eye Bay. The coast is all soft, white sand, with rocky cliffsides near the edges of the Fangs pockmarked with caves and grottoes. Barely touched by the civil war or the revolution, its beautiful SilverWing architecture is well-maintained, though not quite as grand as the fortress of the Hotrock Hollow in the Surge Isles or the ruins that were once in the city of Temple. These old buildings have been renovated to serve as parliament for the GlassWings, where Nibiru, the Council, and the Shardbearers gather to discuss the fate of the Island.
Black Rock - Teeth Bared for Battle
Another story of the Province's success is Black Rock, rising from relative obscurity to become the site of most of the Island's military and training facilities.
It is perhaps one of the newest cities in Glass Island as well, only established a few years before the civil war, which makes its prosperity even more surprising. It is perhaps its location that should be credited for this; the city is in two halves, one nestled among the cliffs of the Fangs on the interior of Dragon's Eye Bay, and the other on the outside, where it can spot potential invaders or send out ships full of troops and supplies.
The training facilities and the GlassWing army headquarters is positioned between these two parts of the city, where they are more sheltered from enemy spies or attempts to attack.
It is perhaps one of the newest cities in Glass Island as well, only established a few years before the civil war, which makes its prosperity even more surprising. It is perhaps its location that should be credited for this; the city is in two halves, one nestled among the cliffs of the Fangs on the interior of Dragon's Eye Bay, and the other on the outside, where it can spot potential invaders or send out ships full of troops and supplies.
The training facilities and the GlassWing army headquarters is positioned between these two parts of the city, where they are more sheltered from enemy spies or attempts to attack.
Sunset Province
The Sunset Province is a verdant, thickly rainforested area of the Island, known for its wide variety of flowers, fruits, and herbs. The majority of medicines, poisons, and fruits are from the Sunset Province, and most dragons raised here learn at least the basic application of their local healing herbs.
Tidewatch - Sound the Alarm
Situated along the south-western coast of the Island, Tidewatch is in a a prime location to warn of potential attacks from the rest of Isles. It gave a bit of warning before the recent pirate attack on the Ashdrift Province, when two Captains attempted to take it over, but it was relatively unheeded, as most simply expected the to sail in, steal some things from small coastal towns, and vanish before anything could be done.
Tidewatch is a large city, and now a hotspot for SurgeWing-GlassWing relations. Pirate Captains dock their ships in the city harbour, restock their ships, and are patrons to the many taverns, inns, and restaurants that line the shore. The majority of Tidewatch actually appreciate the sudden boom in business, and are supportive of the new alliance because of it.
Tidewatch is a large city, and now a hotspot for SurgeWing-GlassWing relations. Pirate Captains dock their ships in the city harbour, restock their ships, and are patrons to the many taverns, inns, and restaurants that line the shore. The majority of Tidewatch actually appreciate the sudden boom in business, and are supportive of the new alliance because of it.
Abyss - Staring into the Depths
Named for the deep trench not far from the shoreline, Abyss is a village rather more well known for its rainforest than its relation with the ocean. It borders fine, white-sand beaches that make a pleasant place to spend a summer day, but provide a poor place for ships to dock.
Instead, the dragons of Abyss traverse the jungle with the ease of generations of knowledge, gathering rare herbs while, at the same time, protecting the forests to ensure that the plants which enable them to make a living last for future generations. They are considered odd folk, but are gifted healers, and many sick dragons will travel to Abyss in hopes they will have some strange and otherwise unknown cure.
They typically keep to themselves, however, save for the monthly visits to nearby Tidewatch, where the dragons sell the herbs and fruits they have gathered, and buy whatever supplies they need that cannot be foraged from the surrounding forest.
Instead, the dragons of Abyss traverse the jungle with the ease of generations of knowledge, gathering rare herbs while, at the same time, protecting the forests to ensure that the plants which enable them to make a living last for future generations. They are considered odd folk, but are gifted healers, and many sick dragons will travel to Abyss in hopes they will have some strange and otherwise unknown cure.
They typically keep to themselves, however, save for the monthly visits to nearby Tidewatch, where the dragons sell the herbs and fruits they have gathered, and buy whatever supplies they need that cannot be foraged from the surrounding forest.
Sunlit Province
Ravaged by the civil war and revolution, the Province that once claimed to be most important is in ruins, with most of the population having fled years ago to seek out safer places to live, be it other Provinces or other Islands. It is known for its mountains and thick, tropical rainforests, with jewel-bright fruits, flowers, and parrots dotting the landscape.
The Sunlit City - Shattered Jewel
Once the seat of the monarchy, and one of the oldest, greatest of cities in Glass Island, the Sunlit City was once a magnificent sight, with the massive Glass Palace - sculpted generations ago by some of the finest SilverWing stoneworkers - is now a shell of its former self. The City is almost abandoned, with the markets ransacked, homes destroyed, and the Glass Palace completely destroyed by order of Nibiru.
The wealth - gold-encrusted mosaics, hundreds of pounds of jewelry, even the GlassWing King's secret treasury - has all been taken and used to pay for repairing the damage of the civil war and revolution. Fixing roads, rebuilding villages, instituting an Island-wide education system... that which was once hoarded by the royal family is now being put to use for the good of the entire Island.
Now that the fighting is over and the revolution settled, dragons have, slowly, begun to return to the Sunlit City to see what has become of their homes.
The wealth - gold-encrusted mosaics, hundreds of pounds of jewelry, even the GlassWing King's secret treasury - has all been taken and used to pay for repairing the damage of the civil war and revolution. Fixing roads, rebuilding villages, instituting an Island-wide education system... that which was once hoarded by the royal family is now being put to use for the good of the entire Island.
Now that the fighting is over and the revolution settled, dragons have, slowly, begun to return to the Sunlit City to see what has become of their homes.
Memory - City of the Dead
An ancient city chiseled out of the caldera of a long-dead volcano, the city of Memory actually gets a dusting of snow in the winter, due to its high altitude.
Of course, that is not the only remarkable thing about the city; it was built entirely for the dead, with only a few dozen dragons living there year-round to act as caretakers for the place. It is where dead GlassWings are laid to rest, as tradition demands, in small gemstone/coloured glass vessels that contain their ashes. Their descendants visit to pray to their ancestors and to the sun god Hyleg for guidance or help, burning offerings of food or leaving behind valuable gifts for them.
In recent years, the city has become a shelter for dragonets displaced by the war, with the traditional caretakers of the city of the dead caring for these new residents as well.
Of course, that is not the only remarkable thing about the city; it was built entirely for the dead, with only a few dozen dragons living there year-round to act as caretakers for the place. It is where dead GlassWings are laid to rest, as tradition demands, in small gemstone/coloured glass vessels that contain their ashes. Their descendants visit to pray to their ancestors and to the sun god Hyleg for guidance or help, burning offerings of food or leaving behind valuable gifts for them.
In recent years, the city has become a shelter for dragonets displaced by the war, with the traditional caretakers of the city of the dead caring for these new residents as well.
Whitecliff Province
One of the older Provinces and known for its startling natural beauty, Whitecliff is a place for hunters and traders. Its two largest cities, Dune and Whitecliff, are both characterized by dragons of this profession. Should a dragonet wish to have a different future, they must leave behind their home Province and head somewhere they may see more success.
Dune - City of Sand
Perched at the border of the rainforest and the small desert region of the Island, Dune is aptly named for the massive, picturesque sand dunes that edge the city to the south.
Dune is a trading city, providing unique goods such as camels, cactus milk, and figs, among other things. The buildings here are commonly framed with sturdy stone or wooden timbers, and then finished with sandstone made from mixing clay, sand, and other materials.
Dragons who grow up in this city often learn to be good bargainers and very worldly (Island-y, at the very least, anyway), used to the crowds and variety of dragons that a busy merchant city tends to attract.
Dune is a trading city, providing unique goods such as camels, cactus milk, and figs, among other things. The buildings here are commonly framed with sturdy stone or wooden timbers, and then finished with sandstone made from mixing clay, sand, and other materials.
Dragons who grow up in this city often learn to be good bargainers and very worldly (Island-y, at the very least, anyway), used to the crowds and variety of dragons that a busy merchant city tends to attract.
Whitecliff - Where Stone Meets the Sea
Whitecliff is one of the odder cities on Glass Island, built into the steep, pale limestone cliffs that form the coast of the province.
Dozens of caves and tunnels network through the cliffs, though the dragons living there must be careful where they dig to avoid any potential collapses, and the city leadership is very careful about that new additions to the city they approve. The dragons dive into the water like seabirds, living mostly off of fish, whales, seals, sharks, and shellfish.
The selling of fish, bones, pelts, and other, similar goods, makes up the bulk of Whitecliff's economy; there is not much here for dragons who do not wish to hunt in order to survive and make a living.
Dozens of caves and tunnels network through the cliffs, though the dragons living there must be careful where they dig to avoid any potential collapses, and the city leadership is very careful about that new additions to the city they approve. The dragons dive into the water like seabirds, living mostly off of fish, whales, seals, sharks, and shellfish.
The selling of fish, bones, pelts, and other, similar goods, makes up the bulk of Whitecliff's economy; there is not much here for dragons who do not wish to hunt in order to survive and make a living.
The Deep Provinces
Beneath the surface of Glass Island is another, disparate culture, where dragons live underground and organized crime flourishes. These are the Deep Provinces; there are two, both characterized by their sub-subterranean locations. The dragons from the Upper Provinces look down upon the cavern-dwelling dragons from underground, considering them little more than labourers and thieves.
Dusk Province
A dimmer area of Glass Island, the Dusk Province always appears to be in the midst of a murky twilight. Low-class and poorer middle class dragons live here, though there aren't many stricken with absolute poverty. The Dusk Province has no University and its public facilities are less respected than that of the Upper Provinces.
They are best known for their craftsmanship; using raw materials mined from the Dusk and Midnight Provinces, the smiths and jewelers of the Dusk Province forge most of the armour, weapons, jewelry and coinage used in the rest of the kingdom. Organized crime is more subtle here than in the Midnight Province, but forge and mine owners have no qualms about hiring thugs from the Stonescales to further their own goals.
GlassWings living in the Dusk Province are known for being stubborn and rowdy; the Revolution originated here and spread to the surface from there. It takes a firm hand to lead these dragons, but they will respect a strong leader - provided that they are not too harsh.
They are best known for their craftsmanship; using raw materials mined from the Dusk and Midnight Provinces, the smiths and jewelers of the Dusk Province forge most of the armour, weapons, jewelry and coinage used in the rest of the kingdom. Organized crime is more subtle here than in the Midnight Province, but forge and mine owners have no qualms about hiring thugs from the Stonescales to further their own goals.
GlassWings living in the Dusk Province are known for being stubborn and rowdy; the Revolution originated here and spread to the surface from there. It takes a firm hand to lead these dragons, but they will respect a strong leader - provided that they are not too harsh.
Shield - Barrier to Midnight
The barrier between the Dusk and Midnight Provinces, Shield is aptly named and was built for this purpose. It was created by the then Prince Tigerlilly during the Civil War, heavily fortified, blocking the only known way in and out of the Midnight Province. Any dragons who tried to escape from the forced labour would be captured, and brought here to be punished - often brutally so - or even executed. As you might imagine, this dark history makes Shield an ominous location, and once Nibiru rose to power he ordered the city walls be dismantled and dragons allowed to move freely between the Provinces. Some dragons still live in Shield, but most avoid it, saying that they can hear the screams of the wronged dragons still echoing through the streets.
Temple was once a proud surface city, where GlassWings resided in old SilverWing ruins. The city was sculpted from fine, smooth marble, and host to the largest temple to the Moon Sisters outside of Silver Island. during the civil war, however, the greed of the two warring families forced thousands of dragons to mine deeper and deeper into the earth - often against their will - and the ground below Temple was made hollow. All it took was the smallest of earthquakes, and the entire thing collapsed into the Deep Provinces. The SilverWing ruins and the temple were completely destroyed, and every last one of the miners were either killed in the collapse or suffocated in the rubble. A small village has emerged from the ruins, but it is a shadow of what it once was.
Created as a luxurious place for royalty to vacation, the Hotwater Cavern has since been abandoned. The hot springs and palaces sit empty, with most dragons refusing to enter the city for fear of the apparent monsters known to live within. Dead bodies are sometimes found along the edges of the city, leading some to believe that some members of royalty - or even crime lords - live in the luxurious ruins of the Cavern.
The seat of power in the Province, Dusk was the first city build below ground by the GlassWings, created as a result of the early mining efforts by GlassWings. The architecture of the city is a mix of GlassWing and SilverWing, as when it was created there was still a notable SilverWing population. The streets are made of finely cut stone tiles, and the buildings rise elegantly out of the cavern floor. Many regard it as the most beautiful city in the Deep Provinces.
Midnight Province
The lowest, darkest area of Glass Island, the Midnight Province lives up to its name, so far underground that almost no light reaches it. It is the newest Province, created during the GlassWing Civil War. Soldiers from both sides rounded up orphans, the unemployed - anyone, really, that couldn't resist them - and forced them to work in the deepest mines in Glass Island, unearthing metals to sustain the armies of the warring families.
All of the dragons here are poor and a vast majority work in the mines (such as Golden Falls), a thankless job that supports the rest of the Island. Dragons of the Midnight Province are oddly content with their dark location; they often cover passages with glowing paint, line the streets with candlestone, and grow glowworms along the ceilings of their underground passages. The crime network of the Glass Island is run out of the Midnight Province, and some say that the Shardbearer themselves has their talons in the underground trade of precious metals and gemstones. The majority of the population of Shades live in the Midnight Province, hidden in ramshackle villages or lurking in abandoned mines.
All of the dragons here are poor and a vast majority work in the mines (such as Golden Falls), a thankless job that supports the rest of the Island. Dragons of the Midnight Province are oddly content with their dark location; they often cover passages with glowing paint, line the streets with candlestone, and grow glowworms along the ceilings of their underground passages. The crime network of the Glass Island is run out of the Midnight Province, and some say that the Shardbearer themselves has their talons in the underground trade of precious metals and gemstones. The majority of the population of Shades live in the Midnight Province, hidden in ramshackle villages or lurking in abandoned mines.
The Underbelly - Heart of Crime
The Underbelly is a city deep underground that houses many poorer GlassWings as well as a large amount of criminal activity. It used to have a more elegant name, but no one uses it anymore. There is a wealthy, fancy core where criminal overlords live, in hidden, opulent villas.
The dominant gang in the Underbelly is the Stonescales; they make most of their profits off of smuggling selling precious metals and gemstones to the other island tribes. They have three animus-touched items that give them an advantage over the other groups, though they deliberately keep the details of these items quiet. Some of the smaller ones get by alright, but large gangs are picked off rather quickly by the Stonescales. There is a small population of Shades that make their home here, protected and cared for by the criminal groups in exchange for service, usually in the form of high-profile assassinations or thefts.
The dominant gang in the Underbelly is the Stonescales; they make most of their profits off of smuggling selling precious metals and gemstones to the other island tribes. They have three animus-touched items that give them an advantage over the other groups, though they deliberately keep the details of these items quiet. Some of the smaller ones get by alright, but large gangs are picked off rather quickly by the Stonescales. There is a small population of Shades that make their home here, protected and cared for by the criminal groups in exchange for service, usually in the form of high-profile assassinations or thefts.
Golden Falls - the Darkest Depths
Located deep within the depths of the Island, Golden Falls is not really a city, but rather a large mining settlement. The majority of GlassWing treasure comes from these mines, which extend an unknown distance into the earth. It's said to be a haunted, cursed area, and those who don't work there are terrified at the thought of entering it, calling it 'Dismay' or 'Hopeless'.