Cloud Cities of Aerilon

The Cloud Cities of Aerilon exist as a persistent myth, a whispered promise of utopian societies drifting amongst the clouds. Tales describe them as the last bastion of the Aerilon Ascendancy, civilizations that mastered the skies, built upon immense floating islands, and whose secrets were lost during The Great Sundering. The Sky Cities are not static structures, but living entities, grown from colossal, airborne flora, interwoven with Aetherium Conduits, and constantly reshaped by the winds. According to legend, the cities are powered by a massive Sunstone Shard, a fragment of the original Sunstone of Aethelgard, allowing the city to defy gravity.

It is said that the remnants of the ascendancy, now calling themselves the Cloud Keepers, still inhabit these cities, guarding the secrets of Resonance Weaving and ancient technologies. However, they are fiercely protective of their domain, and any who dare approach are met with swift and deadly force. Legends speak of Aerilonian Wardens, guardians of the cities who wield the elements themselves, capable of summoning storms and unleashing bolts of pure energy. Explorers say that the way to get to these cities is through the Skystrider Paths, though the Skyclaw Griffons will stand in the way. The Crimson Cartographers might be the only ones to know the true locations of these cloud cities.

Some whisper that the cities are not merely physical locations, but rather pocket dimensions, existing between realities. To access them, one must find the Resonance Staircase, a series of aligned crystals that create a pathway through the clouds, or, the Warped Gates. Archivist Theron believes that studying these cities may give insight into how to stop the spread of the Chitinous Swarm. Even the Cobalt Corsairs dare not attempt to locate these cities. Could the Forgotten Smith know more about their construction and control, and leave it behind in the Vault of Whispers? It might be detailed in a lost Chapter of Ascendancy.