Chapter 23: Flying islands are always cool

Excerpt from the book “Basic building” By Strig

When building; certain rules are in place to make sure it looks good, while still being functional. Art is excluded since that is fundamentally designed not to be functional. These are not hard unbreakable rules, very flexible yet I wouldn’t flex em unless you know what you're doing.

The most basic, yet fundamental rule that all new builders should follow is a theme. For example clean buildings, these buildings made from concrete, smooth blocks, bricks. The palette for this theme is to keep them looking smooth, simple, and unblemished. That doesn’t mean you can't decorate! but this type would have a simple inset armor decoration rather than a wall of plants.

Across civilization, you will find many styles of buildings, but this most common rule Is found throughout and boils down to keep the pallet similar and goal close to the blocks.

Fundamentally what I am about to undertake is not difficult, as long as you know the theory behind the task; obviously, I do. Its labour intensive and takes a lot of instinct to make a natural-looking sky island.

With a skip, I jump off my island dramatically to get started. The first step is the foundation, as I call it. Half complete as I made the top of the island already. It boils down to creating layers of differing lengths gradually reducing in circumference until you get 2/3 down your desired length. Then you divide the island into 2 parts the spike and the flat, creating a differing height, This end result produces a very rough shape for you to build from; a foundation if you will.

Getting started, when I first learned you always start with 3, 2, 1 in length for the first 3 layers, it just looks better that way. I first create a ring around the edge of the island in stone to guide the builder's wand before lengthening it to 3. I then go in 1 block and create another ring this time 2 blocks… and so forth. A good rule of thumb is not to plan your layers, otherwise, you end up with something looking more artificial than natural, you need randomness as the key for this.

It takes me many hours, working with the fiddly builders' wand; with half my mind on flying it is very difficult. I have almost fallen many times and misplaced at least one in every 10 blocks. It's horrible if you misplace with the builders' wand, being you need to remove 9 blocks instead of 1. not always so bad the destruction wand can often time’s fix this issue but sometimes you need to manually do it.

I continue the process going down alternating between 2’s and 1’s with 1 3 mixed in. I don’t plan on it being super long. Sometimes doing 2, 2’s other times 1, 2, 1. Truly as random as my mind can conceive. Once I reach 2/3 down I create a circle inside the circle at the bottom, smaller dividing it in 2. With that done the outside of the circle still within the island gets filled in. The new circle I continue the process working down, this time only 2’s and 1’s. Once I reach nearly the bottom I focus on longer lengths ending in 1 long thick spike. Stage one is complete.

Now onto stage 2, rough shaping. This is where I go over the whole island placing blocks at random, this comes in later. I also create rock spikes from the flat bottom part of the island in varying lengths and thicknesses.

After I finish these stalactites I go over the whole island, chipping away at corners, rounding it out a bit downwards to make it look more natural. I also remove some of the outside blocks and those that fit I expand into abnormalities. Being very careful not to have any overhang as that would be unnatural in an actual floating island. This shaping takes most of the day carefully flying away looking at it, cutting away some stone, adding some more. This is where an eye for design really comes in. While I am here the waterfall that falls off the island I cut into the stone lightly making it look like it eroded some of the stone away.

I go to bed after doing this for a while with a massive headache, it’s a very mentally taxing process going over the island in laps looking for flaws in this façade of nature. But it's worth it, my island is finally starting to look like a sky island. Maybe I should add a chain to the ground “chuckles”.

That night I dream of flying rocks, and visions of the Aether I should visit sometime.

Waking up with a whine; arms sore like I just did ten rounds with a boxer. “Man, this stings.” I manage to fall back asleep for a short while hoping the pain would lessen; it did not.

Getting up, sluggish and grumpy I positively stomp downstairs to make breakfast, toast. I should make jam. Slowing munching on my toast I create a small campfire and get a saucepan. Filling it with sugar, enough water to hydrate all the sugar but no more. Adding about 2x the weight of the sugar in red berries I begin to gradually heat the mixture.

At first, I don’t stir it, being very careful to slowly heat the mixture. Liquid sugar is dangerous and if I heat it too quickly the bottom will melt while the top is still hard, producing a high-pressure bubble with explosive consequences. You would think “why don’t you stir it?” and the answer, if you do you risk crystallizing the sugar, resetting the whole process. I added a little too much sugar and ended up making too rich of sugar syrup but it will still work. Once the sugar is evenly melted through I begin to use a wooden spoon, made with a stick and wood on a crafting table. I am gentle with the heat, keeping it liquid but not increasing the temperature further, the berries need to cook and breakdown, I hope these berries have tannins so it sets well.

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Once the berries are very soft and starting to break apart, I increase the heat slowly, before setting it aside to cool down enough to handle.

Once cooled I crush it lightly with an ingot of iron, making a jam-like consistency before placing it inside a glass bottle; I made 3. Leaving it to cool completely, in a small pile of snow courtesy of a captive snow golem I locked in an insulated room in the castle; A fridge. After about an hour I prepare more toast, thick slices from a nice fresh loaf, lightly toasted over a fire. Checking the fridge I check the jam, slightly runny, must be too little tannins or I didn’t heat the sugar enough. I will bet on too little tannins though it would make sense. Still, it’s a tasty treat, and it is not too runny.

Lathering a thick spread of the jam on my toast I take a massive bite, or well I intended to but all I got was a bite of spider silk. “Get your ass over here, toast thief”. Chic is quickly running up the wall with my toast. Sighing in resignation I prepare a second portion. Sling has taken enjoyment in living in a ground floor room while chic not comfortably sits in a web in a corner of the main room. A small garden for food is erected outside the castle so they can both gather food at will. But clearly, my tasty concoction was too much for that troublesome spider.

Glancing up I see the spider lightly vibrating as it takes small bites of my jam on toast, “bastard”. Turning my attention back to my second portion, a slightly thinner toasted bit of bread. I still equally soaked it in jam.

Taking a large bite of toast, with eyes open this time I am welcomed to a tasty wonderland of flavor. It is sweet, as jams should be but it has an almost floral taste, like rose and raspberry. Not a strong flavor but flavor all the same. I guess that’s what it tastes like without the overpoweringly astringent kick.

Now that was breakfast. Will a fed soul as well as body I get on with my day. Donning my pink armor, you get used to it I suppose. I quickly prepare another fishing rod. Enchanted with a level 30 enchant. I get unbreaking 3, lore 3, flimflam 1. What on earth is flimflam 1, how odd. I have had it before if I recall it's some kind of aura enchant but that’s all I know. Likely not to help my fishing endeavors.

Flying to the shore of the ocean, a rather quick journey with a personal flight. I make a small wooden pier, lightly decorated with wooded fences leaning into the ocean depths. Taking comfortable perch on the dock I cast my rod. With a skillful swirl, I toss the hook a long distance. I have improved noticeably.

Grateful for the less strenuous activity I enjoy the peaceful serenity of it all. Crashing waves vibrating through the pier. Birds singing; “wait, birds?” il be damned I see a seagull, how odd.

Not long before I get a tug on my rod, a light tug, reeling it in; slowly. I manage to get it to break the water, finding a… “shoe?” what on earth. Even on whatever planet this Is you can't escape ocean trash I suppose.

As I cast my rod again I lazily gaze across the shoreline; not expecting to see anything. But a blue glint catches my eye, reeling in my fishing rod o go exploring. Finding the blue glint just under the waterline a few blocks. Submerged in sand “aquamarine!” damn it's my lucky day. This material is very important for producing astral sorcery items. Positively dancing back to the pier with a big grin on my face. Never expected that this morning. Today is turning out to be very good.

Recasting my rod, in a trance watching the waves, I feel it! the same feeling as when I found that fish. Standing up like my pants are on fire I hold the rod firmly. Slowly reeling it in, letting it go, reeling it in. Making sure too much tension is not on the line. Dragging the fish onto the pier I quickly catch it in a golden lasso for safekeeping.

With a quick glance, I realized it was salmon, I love salmon. Now I need a lemon. I continue to fish for another hour, collecting another standard silver scaled fish and a second salmon.

Bringing them back up safely in a golden lasso, I create a small pond both on and next to waterfall hill. Still 2 separate water sources. Saltwater, of course. I let the fish go into the water. I hope they don’t get temperature shocked. I watch them for a short while, the salmon quickly finding energy and zipping around. The silver scale is sluggish but slowly recovering.

Heading back down I gather some kelp and other sea plants along with an assortment of shells and other sea material. Bringing them up I flesh out the saltwater pond, hoping that’s enough for them to live. Well if not I have dinner sorted.

Now that I have had time to relax and heal I get back to work; the island ant gonna build its self.

I am onto stage 3 now, with large enhancements and top disk improvement. This step focuses on the top, the bottom part of the island is now nicely shaped but I use this to create small outer parts of shallow land, sparingly spread across the island to break up the circular shape. I also modify the spikes to make sure they fit the new and improved island. Once that is done I create small land offshoot blocks to rough up the top circle.

Lastly the exciting part. I create small floating rocks, floating islands. Staggered heights the whole nine yards. I create an asteroid field of destroyed island material, dirt rock. As if part of the island is breaking apart. I also created smaller islands above and below along with small and large rocks floating around the island.

With that my island is complete. A 4th step does exist, but I am skipping it. It involves taking the top of the island and creating a biome-specific geography ontop, like rolling hills, glacial spikes. Whatever you choose. Personally, I like it flat for building but that option does exist and is useful for giving your island a theme.

With that complete, I take a moment to enjoy the view of my complete island. I will definitely have to protect you with forcefields when possible. But man, it's something to see. I am so proud I completed such a task. In the game, good but not amazing, but here this is ‘reality’. Sometimes I forget that but this is something right here, it is magical having built something I am truly proud of. The same will soon be said when I refine the castle further.

In the process of building the island, the top has also been expanded by about 10%.

I am happy with my progress, I should find a way to celebrate.