#iceflight

Tonight’s topic: Why Ice has some of Sornieth’s biggest cities

Short answer: because Icewarden’s the worst

Long answer: The Southern Icefield. Very big. Very beautiful. Very very useless. At least from the standpoint of farming. This isn’t too much of a problem until you remember that tundras. Also Ice Flight has a sizable population anyway. All those dragons have to eat. So do all the exalted in the Fortress. So do all the prisoners those exalted guard. Yet the land produces very little even in the summer and in the winter.... yeah.

So The South, as an entity, is Sornieth’s larges agricultural importer. 

Now back to Icewarden for a sec. Icewarden doesn’t like his things being tampered with, nor is he fond of escaped prisoners slipping over an open border. Because of this, he keeps a close eye on immigration and trade. Nothing crosses the sea unless it goes through one of only a few designated check points manned by exaltees who ensure things like contraband stay out and convicts stay in. 

Because of this, anything from outside gets a hefty markup in Ice Flight markets, including all that food. The farther you get from one of those inflow choke points, the more you’re going to pay for imported goods. How to get around this? Move yourself to one of the handful of spots where:

Goods are cheaper and fresher

Out of flight merchants can come and go as they please

Large numbers of new arrivals are held for extended periods and may end up staying on the long term for the sake of ease

Cities happen and they get very big very fast. All because the economy is wrecked and dragons gotta eat without paying through the nose.

I can feel my heart breaking, mistakes I’ve been making, I’m running out of patience to pretend

this isn’t how I’ll let it end

I’m feigning, fading.

it’s a big, bad world, so you better find something to believe in

woah,

people gonna run, people gonna hide,

people gonna need ya!

wahhhh this song inspired me idk