User blog:Kasarn/The Black

''Just dumping this here... I was going to make it an article, but I dunno. May contain unfinished thoughts/sentences.''

The Black is a colloquialism for the uncharted regions beyond the borders of Skytopia and the Barrens. Skylands of the Black are often unstable or move erratically making them difficult to track.

However, there are pockets of stability where populated skylands can be found, although travel to and from such places is often restricted by the distances involved.

Exploration
Exploration of the Black is usually a large undertaking and mostly done to expand Skytopia's limited resources. The easiest way to get minerals, especially unobtainium, is to simply rip apart a barren skylet. Meanwhile, soil rich skylets can be brought back to Skytopian airspace and farmed.

There is also the potential for discovering pre-Upheaval ruins. While most artifacts have often been ruined by the Great Upheaval and exposure to the elements, it is often archaeologists, historians and collectors who head expeditions. Of course, the more cynical would say they are given the job to forestall arguing between more commercial interests.

In any case, while the returns are potentially high, expeditions often find nothing for their efforts, so more cautious investors stay away. This void in funding is often filled by the black market, with some groups using the investment to generate good will (although, any returns are a bonus) while others are suspected of using expeditions to launder money and goods, or for simply making people disappear.

Travel
Since the establishment of communication with the Barrens there is usually a convoy of barges, blimps and other slow moving but fuel efficient craft at least once a month, with smaller groups going more frequently. Investment in trade with the Barrens has also made the exploration of the regions to the south of Skytopia somewhat safer as explorers can accompany the larger trade convoys far into the Black.

Far less communication has been had with the Courtlands. While Courtiers are presumed to have come and gone from the mysterious lands to the east, the Court of Violets often evades giving any specifics.

Dangers
The most present danger of travel through the Black is that supplies are limited to what you bring with you, especially fuel. If a plane drops below half its fuel reserves without turning back, it's unlikely that any rescue fleet will be able to find them. It's always better to play it safe than try and explore further and not come back at all.

A more active danger is that somewhere out there are the territories of the Hidden Fleet. No one knows much about the Hidden Fleet except that they'll usually attack anybody else on sight. An encounter in Skytopian airspace is harrowing enough, but the Black is their turf.

However, the larger fleets of the Hidden Fleet are often accompanied by dense fog or storm, which are easily avoided. Indeed, most pilots would be reluctant to fly in such weather even in heavily patrolled core, let alone the open ocean where there are few landmarks to mark your route.