attached to the undersides of the city's largest ships. Along with a team of scientists and engineers, and against the voices of several of the other ridings, Garwater is able to summon the avanc using a great deal of physical and magical energy. This gives Armada the means to travel to the mythical "Scar". Its ridings are: Garwater: The most powerful of the ridings, led by the Lovers, two nameless scar-covered pirates who influence most of Armada's decisions. Garwater's flagship is The Grand Easterly. It is also in possession of two enormous airships, the Arrogance and the Trident, as well as the stolen New Crobuzon deep-sea rig Sorghum. Dry Fall: Governed by a vampir called the Brucolac, Dry Fall's residents are prosperous and have the most security and individual freedoms of any of the ridings in Armada, but they pay for this way of life through a "goretax" - they donate their own blood to their vampiric leader. Dry Fall, along with Curhouse, stands against Garwater's plans to raise the avanc. Dry Fall's flagship is the Uroc. Booktown: Run by a khepri triumvirate. Booktown houses the Grand Gears Library, Armada's immense stronghold of knowledge. Curhouse: Curhouse is the most democratic of the ridings, and is governed by a large Council, who tend to oppose the Lovers. Curhouse is where Bellis Coldwine's ship the Terpsichoria ends up, and it is also the location of Croom Park, a large public garden spread over several ships that have been gutted and filled with soil. Thee-and-Thine: This riding is led by a trader-king named Friedrich, whose favour is easily bought by the Lovers. It is regarded as a lawless slum-like neighbourhood by the greater populace of Armada, but Bellis observes that it is more mercantile than lawless. The flagship is the Salt Godling. Bask: Bask's flagship is the Tailor's Moan. It is home to the menfish. Jhour: This riding is led by a Cactacae queen named Braginod. Its flagship is the Saskital. Shaddler: This riding is governed by a general, and is home to the majority of the Scabmettler population. Its flagship is the Therianthropus. The Haunted Quarter: A deserted riding of ancient ships, believed to be inhabited by all manner of ghouls and other supernatural beings. It was used as a hideout for Silas Fennec. History Ghosthead Empire Over three thousand years before the events of The Scar, powerful entities from another plane