Windcloaks
The Windcloaks are a people of the sky and storm, unbound by land but fiercely protective of their ancestral home. They remain enigmatic, appearing only when the Everstorm rages, and vanishing as suddenly as they arrive. Whether they are remnants of an ancient civilization or simply nomads who have mastered the storm, one thing is certain—the skies belong to them.
Structure
Ruled by a council of Skyseers.
Culture
The Windcloaks are a mysterious, elusive people who thrive in the chaotic heart of storms. Unlike other nomads who roam on land, the Windcloaks live in the sky, traveling with the Everstorm and settling temporarily among the Skyward Pillars or the cliffs of the Storm Plains.
- They have a deep connection to the storm, believing it to be a living force that grants them strength, insight, and protection.
- Their homes are built within hidden crevices of the Skyward Pillars, anchored by woven windsteel cables and stormglass plating to withstand the violent winds.
- The Windcloaks speak in a unique, whistling dialect, using wind-carried tones to communicate across great distances.
Assets
- Windcloaks are renowned beastmasters, taming storm drakes and sky serpents to serve as mounts and hunting companions.
- Their airborne caravans consist of drake-mounted riders, wind-driven skiffs, and floating shelters crafted from lightweight stormglass and sky-iron.
- They appear and disappear with the storm, rarely lingering in one place, making them difficult to track or engage in diplomacy.
History
Believed to be the last descendants of an ancient sky-faring civilization
Legacy & Ancestry
- Legends claim the Windcloaks are the last descendants of an ancient sky-faring people, those who once ruled the Skyward Pillars before their civilization fell.
- They guard the runes and secrets of the Pillars, preventing outsiders from disturbing the ruins.
- Their shamans and stormseers interpret the Everstorm’s will, guiding their people through visions and omens.
Military
- Though they do not control fixed land, the Windcloaks hold dominion over the skies, making them unrivaled in aerial combat.
- Their warriors, called Skyborn, are swift raiders and skilled stormfighters, striking from above before vanishing into the clouds.
- They rarely engage in territorial disputes, but clashes with ground-based factions occur when outsiders threaten the Skyward Pillars.
- Some mercenary factions seek to hire or ally with Windcloak riders, but their loyalty is only to the storm.
Technological Level
Airborne nomads, riding storm drakes and residing in cliffside dwellings
Foreign Relations
- The Stormcallers view the Windcloaks as chosen ones, believing they hold lost knowledge of the Everstorm. Some Windcloak elders share cryptic wisdom with the Stormcallers, though they remain independent.
- The Iron Fangs have attempted to capture Windcloak riders in the past, hoping to break and tame their storm drakes, but such efforts have led only to bloodshed and retaliation.
- Merchants and smugglers occasionally trade with Windcloak outcasts, offering rare goods in exchange for stormglass, sky-iron, or stolen artifacts from the Pillars.
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