Overview
Skyway, the Floating World, is an asteroid world in which various asteroids orbit in a system of fully enclosed breathable air, and travel between them is done by airships and sometimes flying mounts which must brave weather, collision, and enemy hazards. The asteroids themselves, called skyliths, are large enough for settlements, agriculture, cities, and trade to have developed.
When used as a setting for a role-playing game, sessions consist of one-shots, in the style of a Cloud or WestMarches game. The world persists between sessions, even with potentially completely different people showing up to each session. Think of it as a shared story, but instead of the characters gaining the story, the world gains it. All participants will have access to see the changes done by others that would affect their own situations.
An Evolving World
Skyway's world is constantly enriched by the movement of characters and people through it. As a result, documentation is incomplete; moreover, context, contents, descriptions, and rules for role-playing games may change if something proves unworkable, unplayable, or unpalatable. We greatly appreciate our friends' and participants' help in making these determinations!
A Word on Cultural Appropriation
Representation is important. Yet so many worlds in speculative fiction and role-playing games are ultimately based on Western European medieval culture and mythology. When making choices for Skyway, the Floating World, the world builders were faced with a choice: incorporate concepts, references, and mythology from a broader set of cultures, and risk accusations of improper cultural appropriation, or leave it out, and create yet another setting which ignores the lived experience of most of humanity.
We opted for the former, and did our best to draw from a wide spectrum of cultures to enrich the world experience and try to have a broader set of mythologies and languages represented. If some of the choices are improper or deeply incorrect, just let us know.