Skies of Palladium (conversion from Skies of Arcadia)

  Above the land of Palladium there are a multitude of levitating "islands"
completely unaware of the mainland below.  Like Celistica, ages ago these
islands were raised to the sky by the gods to protect the inhabitants from the
dreaded elf-dwarf war.  These islands are huge, and have had nothing but time
to develope since the Elf/Dwarf War so they have already reached the Steam Age
long before the people on the mainland.

  Unlike nromal steam-agers, the inhabitants of the Skies are in constant
contact with technowizardry.  TW-Devices are a basic way of life, since power
crystals are fairly abundant and easilly recharged.  So, althoug normal
technology exists, the TW equivalents of normal devices are more common.

  Most notably are weapons, which come standard with crystals and minor
enchantments which provide effects like "Return to thrower" and "energy bolt"
at low costs.  Black-powder rifles, cannons and revolvers do exist, but are
uncommon, as they consume material resources.  More often magic "shells" are
created for these weapons to provide a similar effects.  
   Magic "shells" for modern weapons provide single-use, low level attack
spells like "Energy Bolt" and "Fireball."  Rare shells of hiigher power, like
"Sphere of Annihilation" often draw the life energy of the user for some of the
power needed to activate the shell (ususally 1d6 to 2d6 HP of damage), but
these often require special pistols or rifles to use (referred to as "Casters",
see: Outlaw Star)....

   Atop of the normal Steam Age skills, a new skill is added: Use
Techno-Wizardry.   This allows the character to channel their own PPE into
TW-devices and activate them.  Selection of this skill requires 2 OCC Weapon
Proficiencies, or 4 secondary skills.   Selection of the skill provides an
additional 1d6 PPE to the characters base PPE if a non-man of magic, and
likewise men of arms recieve an additional 1d6 every three levels.  This also
covers the use of PPE batteries.

   All steam-age style vehicles are powered by specialty steam engines that are
TW-enhanced to provide more power, and magical properties.  Land-based vehicles
will usualy travel faster on designated roads, and need no re-fueling between
cities, and magical ships are enchanted to sail the skies.  Generally, a full
charge on a TW-air ship will last 3 months at normal use, or 1 month if combat
occurs (the same battery is drained for the ship's TW-weapons).

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   The Sky Island territory begins roughly 3000 feet above sea level of
palladium, where horrible winds rush over the clouds.   These winds, referred
to as the "deep sky," are so fierce (many are trapped air-elementals with bad
tempers) they destroy anything that tries to pass through them.  The Islands
generally reside between 100 and 800 feet above the "deep sky" and can have
mountains reaching as high at 1000 feet.  For the most parts, the Islands are
fairly large, and many are un-inhabited.  When the gods raised the Islands,
they raised more than enough to make the people who survived believe that the
planet had been destroyed, and these islands under divine protection were all
that survived.
   For the most part, there are as many different cultures and nations in the
skies as there are on land.  All of which believe that there is no "center" of
the planet anymore.  Common belief is that beneath the "deep sky" is nothing
but the void, that is why the winds are so fierce.

   With the divine enchantements tht caused the islands to raise, can many
alterations on other aspects of the sea and sky.  Above the deep sky there are
major currents, now often used as trade routs as they aid in travel, dangerous
winds and storms, and even native life.  Many creatures of the sea were altered
by the enchantments and now survive by riding the wind and hiding in many of
the undersides of the floating islands.  In some areas, the magic has allowed
grat reefs of "storm coral" to form, streaching for hindreds of miles in
continual cloud banks.  Many sailors of the sky even ply a living by delving
into these reefs, hunting the exotic birds and "air fish" that survive in
them...