I hereby proudly present:
What I've been working on these past few moths.
Completed at long last.
#arcane

A secret santa I did in the mythical 'Paint Water Tea House' a while back, of Etis' OC Sam, featured in a Major Arcana card!

"And the greatest of the hunting ships is the Inevitable, and the greatest of the hunters is Captain Crow!"

From the Movie "The Sea Beast"

Behold the wonders of our age, at the imperial exhibition: Clockwork servants!
Unlike the automata of yesterday, these brilliant inventions move fully independently without rail or cable, and perform even the most complicated tasks with unparalleled grace!

#shardreach

"This hardy little fish is a common sight across the Grand Reach, especially in the warmer skies to the South of the imperial core; Notably thriving in a very wide range of Altitudes.
While their meat is held in low regard, its overall abundance still makes it a staple food for many."

#shardreach

"As unrest continues across the northern badlands, our brave sons and daughters in the Imperial Army continue to hold fast valiantly, keeping the northern borders of our empire safe and secure.
The situation is under control."
-Imperial Ministry of War, press release

#shardreach

Whale.

#shardreach

"Firefight"

#shardreach

"Mercenaries, Sellswords, hired guns. Their bloody work is in high demand across the Grand Reach and beyond, perhaps nowhere more so than in the 'City of Chains', Splinterheart - the capital of the Empire."

#shardreach

Ironclads, long favoured by dwarven shipwrights and captains, eschew the traditional sails and balloon for motorized propulsion and an internal aetherite generator for lift. Their closed hulls make passing through the clouds of the mare nubium, often rich in toxic aetherite, much safer.

#shardreach

#shardreach

Aetherite, the arcane mineral allowing both islands and airships to remain above the clouds can be harvested in various different ways, but historically, the primary method has been mining it out from the cores of flying islands.
Working conditions are almost always atrocious.

#shardreach

Hunting ships, or "Whalers" set sail across the sea of clouds with a perilous mission:
To hunt the gargantuan Leviathans of the sky, for their majestic carcasses hide highly prized arcane materials, and the Empire glady pays out bounties to those making her trade lanes safer.

"Veteran wayfarers know: Travel by ship is slow, cramped and fraught with danger, disease and boredom.
But fear not!
Today's technological advancements have brought you a new, superior alternative: The Golden Line!"
-Advertisement in the 'Splinterheart Gazette'

#shardreach

“ Stay clear of the vines
Don't stray away
To where the sun never shines
Or in the vines you will stay

In the vines
In the vines
Where the sun never shines ”

The city of Lierendel, south of the imperial core.
Famous for it's historical walls.

A Maw-Wyrm catching an unfortunate merchant vessel above the Mare Nubium.
Though such attacks have become rare in the core territories, they still occur from time to time in the forgotten fringes of the Grand Reach.

Marine of the Imperial Navy engaged in heavy boarding action