Azimuth

Azimuth is the name of the world in which the Cloudgazer stories take place. It appears to be a gas giant, having no solid surface; although it may alternately be a solid world with a very dense and unstable lower atmosphere. The human inhabitants of Azimuth live on antigravity constucts such as Floatrock cities and Antimass airships.

The lowest cloud level, the point where the weather is invariably highly volatile, is known as the Understorm. In aeronautical terms the boundary to this layer is known as Mean underStorm Level or MSL. It forms the datum from which all altitude is measured (Above Mean underStorm Level or AMSL). Most human habitation resides between 1000 and 8000 feet AMSL.

Civilisation before the Gold Age

Many thinkers have pointed out that in order for humans to survive in Azimuth, technology of the Gold Age was required. This has led to many questions regarding humankind prior to the Gold Age. One popular theory is that humans originated from somewhere else entirely, and came to Azimuth many millenia ago.

The Gold Age Era

See: Gold Age

Earliest recorded history tells of humans living in Azimuth for at least the last 3,000 years. During most of this time, the world was actually administered by a single super-nation, Azrune. This era was referred to at the time as the Unity Age. Later centuries would call it the Gold Age.

The Collapse

See: The Collapse

Gradually, over the centuries, factions formed within Azrune and began to break away from it; at first peacefully and then eventually with bloodshed. Over five hundred years, the global union was whittled away by war, treachery and a cultural rebellion against world unity.

The Bloodied Skies Era

See: Modern Era

Also known as the modern era, this is said to have begun in 9281, when the Republic of Great Brazak declared war on the Caprican Empire. This sparked a widespread conflict known post-contemporously as the Old Nezzu War, marking the start of a particularly troublesome period. Toward what is known as the Late Modern era, generally post-Brazak Occupation, there was a clear and steady decline in the ideals of Honour & the Old Way.