Sornieth

Sornieth is the name of the planet hosting the Flight Rising world. Sornieth was first formed as an unstable mass of magical energy by a celestial event not unlike the real-world Big Bang, before the original four gods rose to shape it. From there, the world was exposed throughout the ages to all sorts of changes, spurred on by everything from battles between the gods to the technological successes and failures of now-extinct civilizations that may have once dominated the world. The standard gameplay of Flight Rising takes place on an unnamed continent that is separated into eleven parts, each dominated by one of the eleven flights.

Although the continent itself is unnamed, the name of the planet that is most widely used among inter-flight discussion is "Sornieth" (draconic for "our planet").^[1]^[2] Sornieth is one of at least four planets in its solar system, described as "the fourth-furthest".^[3] This can be assumed to mean it is the fourth planet from the system's star.

Sornieth's day and year length are similar to Earth's^[4], meaning that there are around 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year. Sornieth also has the same rotational direction as Earth.^[5] The planet's radius is roughly one and a half times larger than Earth's and has slightly less gravity.^[6] There are two moons that orbit Sornieth.^[7] The developers have previous stated that the planet has "one to two modestly-sized moons"^[8] which implies that one of the moons may rarely be visible in the sky or that the two moons rarely appear together. It is unknown if the dragons have names for the planet's moons.

The world is filled with magic that can be harnessed by the creatures who live on it and is the only planet in its solar system that is magical in nature. This is what drew the Shade to the planet in the first place and what makes it so troublesome for the planet. Though the magic in the environment can be replenished naturally, the Shade's rate of magic consumption is much faster than can be renewed.^[9]

Sornieth experiences its own winters, springs, summers, and autumns much like Earth does. However, the shift in temperature and weather patterns affects the elemental regions in different ways, some seeing more change than others. For instance, the width and strength of the Twisting Crescendo is much more fearsome in the late summer, when temperatures are warmer and more humid. The snowstorms of the Southern Icefield can send flurries as far north as the Starfall Isles. Overall, however, seasonal patterns are harder to predict or understand due to the constant imbalance in elemental magic ripping through the world.^[10]

Regions[]

Dragonhome[]

Home of the Earth Flight and The Earthshaker. Dragonhome is largely a dusty, rocky land dotted with mountain ranges. The crumbling remains of the Pillar that once housed eight of the eleven gods, stands in the center of a circular mountain range that curls inwards towards it. A massive ravine extends westward from it, revealing a vast network of caves that contain dragon lairs - old and new.

The Viridian Labyrinth[]

Home of the Nature Flight and The Gladekeeper. The Labyrinth is covered in abundant plant life of all kinds. The climate is humid and tropical. The outer edges of the territory tend to be wet and swampy or home to sparser forests blanketed in flowers and fruits. Deeper into the region, the forests turn to overgrown jungles thick enough to be dark even during midday. The Behemoth lies in the very heart of the Labyrinth - a massive tree that is said to be visible from almost anywhere on the continent. Rumors are split between whether the Gladekeeper lives in the tree or the tree is part of her.

The Starfall Isles[]

Home of the Arcane Flight and The Arcanist. The Isles have been warped by the Arcane energies that inhabit them, turning the landscape strange and surreal. The land still attached to the mainland is covered in tall, birch-like trees whose leaves glow blue at night. Pink, crystalline peaks stretch to the sky from the waters and curve towards the tall island in the center. Atop this Focal Point sits the Arcanist's Observatory where the youngest god peers into the heavens and records the knowledge he's learned.

The Scarred Wasteland[]

Home of the Plague Flight and The Plaguebringer. The Wasteland is largely that - a wasteland. Life instead thrives at the creeping borders and around the rim of the Wyrmwound. The land itself seems to be made of flesh and bone rather than foliage and dirt. However, amongst the fleshy tendrils and membranes patches of territory are still green and lush, kept that way to test out new strains of viruses. These "quarantine zones" can be a safe haven for dragons not of Plague element, as long as the zones are not being used. The center of the territory makes even the hardiest of Plague dragons wary as the cocktail of disease stirred up by the Plaguebringer in it could do worse than just wipe them out.

The Tangled Wood[]

Home of the Shadow Flight and The Shadowbinder. The Wood is a murky forest of evergreen trees. The whole region lies lower than the land surrounding it. Glowing mushrooms and brambles make up much of the undergrowth where ruins and leaf-litter do not. At the center of the territory lies a ruined temple, once used for scrying purposes by ancient civilizations.

The Sunbeam Ruins[]

Home of the Light Flight and The Lightweaver. The land of the Ruins is exactly that - ruins. Old crumbling architecture and cities dot the grassy landscape, reminders of past civilizations. The eastern edge of the territory is sheer cliffs that drop down to the ocean below. On the highest of these cliffs is a crumbling tower where the Lightweaver has made her home. The is currently an Emperor dragon wreaking havoc in the territory.

The Sea of a Thousand Currents[]

Home of the Water Flight and The Tidelord. The Sea of a Thousand Currents is not a sea in the technical sense. It is instead the largest body of freshwater on the planet. The eastern shores are shallow and filled with tidepools and underwater caves. The seafloor dips deeper and deeper as it goes west, leading the the Leviathan Trench - the deepest part of the world. Somewhere at the bottom of the seabed lies a giant conch shell named the Spiral Keep where the Tidelord resides and sends prophecies up to the surface. He is currently missing, as no words have been heard from him.

The Shifting Expanse[]

Home of the Lightning Flight and The Stormcatcher. The Expanse is a desert; hot and arid. The land is split in two by a vast canyon with the majority of the animal and plant-life lying on the western half. The eastern side is covered by a perpetual thunderstorm and the land is filled with various machinery, cables, and lightning rods. The largest of these - the Tempest Spire - is the center of the storm, constantly buffeted by lightning strikes.

The Windswept Plateau[]

Home of the Wind Flight and The Windsinger. The Plateau is a highland of steppes and fields, buffeted by constant winds - from warm, gentle breezes to fierce gales. Bamboo forests are heavily common here. Unique to this area is the Cloudsong - a community tended to by the oldest lairs in the area made of walkways and buildings held aloft by balloons and air bladders. It lies on the edges of a vast, ancient hurricane known as the Twisting Crescendo. It formerly spun east to west in a clockwise direction but has since reversed after its unexplained disappearance and reappearance.

The Ashfall Waste[]

Home of the Fire Flight and The Flamecaller. The land of the Wastes lies in stark contrast to the surrounding territories, covered in dark volcanic rock broken up by lava flows and pools. Lava spills over the southern coast, covering the ocean with scalding steam as it hardens and builds into new territory. An active volcano lies at the heart of the Wastes that powers the Flight's greatest forges and furnaces.

The Southern Icefield[]

Home of the Ice Flight and The Icewarden. Once covering the entire lower hemisphere of the world, the Icefield has since fractured and melted. Nearly half of the region is made of drifting ice floes. In the heart of the territory lies the most hospitable areas - dense evergreen forests and expansive tundra. The plant life quickly gives way to the looming figure of the Cloudscrape Crags, the peaks of which are so tall that they are inhospitable even to Ice-born dragons. At the southern-most part of the world, the mountains give way to an expanse of glacier and spires of pure ice. This makes up the Fortress of Ends where the Icewarden and his Gaolers reside, guarding their prisoners.

World Map Revamp[]

The World Map got a major overhaul on March 1st, 2021.^[11] It went from a static map that could be clicked to go to dedicated pages for each flight to an animated map that can be zoomed in, showing clickable points of interest markers to read pop-up information about each region.