Ghym Albahr

The floating archipelago of Ghym Albahr is known to many as a notorious hub of piracy; in spite of this, it is oft renowned for its evident natural beauty, and sees regular use as a convenient trade route, and for those looking for certain types of under-the-table work, a useful hub of commerce.

History
It is unknown when Ghym Albahr became airborne; some theories suggest this happened naturally over the course of centuries by an abundance of wind-aspected crystals in the rock and soil. Others maintain it is due to a dramatic aetheric imbalance of a type akin to what created Nabudis.

For a long while, the archipelago was the sole domain of birds, insects, and lesser drakes. With the advent of airships, however, the land slowly became inhabited by the sky pirates that it is now best known for, seeking a port outside the reach of the law.

These pirates made a name for themselves by hijacking or scuttling airships that came through their territory (nebulously defined as anything near, above, or below the islands). As time went on, though, the inhabitants began to make deals with cities and independent shipping firms: these caravans and airships would not be attacked on their route, so long as any ships traveling through Albahr airspace paid a fee for safe passage.

Ecology and Geography
Though suspended in the sky, Ghym Albahr finds itself directly in the line of several major aerial trade routes between major cities such as Sydan. This allowed the first pirates a convenient chokepoint from which to control trade and travel. The islands themselves are free-floating and largely disconnected; some boast small ports and harbors for airshop docking, and bridges spanning the gaps between the nearer islands exist as a matter of convenience. Others are fairly distant from each other, and the natives traverse from one to another by means of gliders, airlifts, and climbing rope.

While initially a rocky island chain with very little aside from roosting birds, the pirates who tamed the islands brought with them plants, animals, and water fit to sustain a small ecosystem. In modern times, many of the islands are lush with plant life, and it is not uncommon to see game animals in the wild-- though hunting is strictly regulated to keep the populations stable.