Skyborn
The Skyborn are the legendary airborne warriors of the Windcloaks, forming their martial elite and acting as both defenders and raiders of the skybound nomads. Mounted upon storm drakes, equipped with storm-tempered weapons, and clad in aerodynamic armor forged of sky-iron and stormglass, the Skyborn are feared across the Wildlands as a force that descends with the thunder and vanishes like mist.
“You don’t see the Skyborn coming. You just feel the storm shift—and realize it’s already too late.”
— Ayarian watchman, last report before the Tempest Pass Ambush
Structure
The Skyborn operate in tight aerial units called Therms, each led by a Cloud Warden, a veteran of many storms. Above them stands the Stormmarshal, a position of great reverence, chosen by a council of Skyseers through signs interpreted from the Everstorm itself.
Ranks within the Skyborn include:
- Drake-Riders – The main fighting force, mounted warriors who strike with spears, chain-harpoons, and shock javelins.
- Windpiercers – Scout fliers and sharpshooters who maneuver between updrafts and cliff thermals with uncanny grace.
- Stormcallers – Mystics and stormchanters who wield raw storm energy in battle, using tempest rods and wind charms to summon lightning or gusts.
- Aetherbinders – Tactical engineers who control aerial war skiffs and floating supply barges, keeping the Skyborn mobile and supplied.
To become Skyborn is to earn the storm’s favor. Aspiring warriors must complete the Trial of the Roaring Gale, in which they must ride a juvenile storm drake through a live thunderstorm and return with a shard of singing sky-iron. Only then are they gifted the Skycloak, a storm-inscribed mantle that grants balance and protection in high-altitude combat.
Culture
The Skyborn excel in:
- Hit-and-fade tactics from the clouds
- Precision aerial strikes on ground-based armies or caravans
- Lightning-charged weaponry and storm magic bombardment
- Vertical sieges using airborne platforms and gliders
They favor ambushes from above, using the cover of storms and high winds to disorient and divide enemies before swooping in for swift, brutal engagements.
Public Agenda
To lowlanders, tales of the Skyborn often blur into myth—phantoms who strike during storms, leaving only charred wreckage and spinning wind behind. Yet for those who’ve seen them, there’s no mistaking their presence: glinting armor in the sky, drake-roars on the wind, and lightning that follows their blades.
Though the Windcloaks claim no land, the Skyborn enforce their aerial domain fiercely. Any who invade the Skyward Pillars, harass their drakes, or speak ill of the Everstorm may find themselves marked—and when the clouds roll in, vengeance follows.
Assets
Skyborn warriors are equipped with:
- Stormglass helms that repel wind pressure and enhance vision
- Sky-iron spears and hookblades, perfect for mid-air skirmishing
- Shock-charged nets and chain-lances to drag foes from mounts
- Cloaks woven from windroot fibers, allowing gliding and directional control in freefall
Comments