Tempestarii
Basic Information
Anatomy
The Tempestarii are a race of bipedal avian humanoids roughly equal in size to the Bediz. They stand and move with a digitigrade stance atop talons ending in 4 toes. Three of these face forwards, while the last faces backwards, roughly in line with the central toe. These clawed digits are greatly flexible and allow a Tempestarian to grab and manipulate objects, cling to surfaces and perch, similar to that of a hawk or other bird of prey. Tempestarii legs have 3 bone segments, which are fused to a uniform spinal bone. Their talons and tarsometatarsus are covered in scales, while the upper leg segments are covered in feathers up to the waist, although in some rare mutations and instances, the upper legs may be covered in smooth skin. The lower body is completed with a large tail, resembling that of a bird-of-prey, providing a wide surface to assist in balance and flight.
The upper body of the Tempestarii resembles that of a Bediz, their feathers ending, continuing with by smooth skin. Their heads and facial features are similarly proportioned and placed to the Bediz as well, possessing two eyes, a nose and a mouth. Tempestarii ears are smaller, rounded and less pronounced than those of most Sidhe species, and are proportional in size and shape to those of the Bediz, but capped with small pointed tips.
Starting at the shoulders, the feathers resume with winged forelimbs made up of two bone segments joined at the elbow and ending in a wrist with 4 clawed digits, 3 fingers and an opposable thumb. The feathered wings of the Tempestarii allow for gliding and short flight, but not long distance ascension.
Tempestarii bones are hollow, but dense, with an intricate criss-crossing of structural trusses, giving them additional strength. It is believed that these hollow structures allow the Tempestarii additional air reserves while in flight and at high altitudes. Tempestarii feathers are coated in waterproof oil that allows them to operate without detriment in most storms.
Ecology and Habitats
Tempestarii are truly creatures of the skies, living a nomadic existence about Windships or on the phantom islands that drift across Faerie. Even when grounded, a Tempestarian will typically seek out high, open areas with commanding views and options for mobility and flight.
The Tempestarii originate from the phantom islands of Magonia, a collection of floating landmasses that drifts above the clouds along the Gaoithe Sidhe. This city serves as the capital, spiritual center and the home nesting ground of the species. At any given moment, an individual Tempestarian will innately know the relative direction of the city from their location, and most return to the city at least once in the Wheel of the Year. Magonia is the largest and most consistent permanent population center of the race.
Other phantom islands serve as trading posts, drydocks and waystations for the massive trading network of the Tempestarii. These are typically settled and operated by members of an aerie in conjunction with the trade-routes of their itinerant members, but barring active hostility between groups, are open to other aeries and peoples.
The majority of the population, however, live and work on Windships, drifting between destinations on a long circuit or striking out for new prospects. While most crews belong to larger Aeries, these ships serve as the home and livelihood of the Tempestarii, and serve as the most important social group in their society over all others. While Magonia retains an important spiritual significance, the ships are first and foremost.
Tempestarii crews occasionally take up residence, often temporary, in the settlements of other, grounded peoples, such as Barrad-Faout, Rocamadour and Sant-Maloù, maintaining a consistent, but rotating, presence in these favoured ports. Errant Tempestarii will, in rare cases, attach themselves to a ship or windship crewed by other species, Bediz or Fae. This typically follows the loss of a Windship, which effectively and irrevocably disbands a crew and scatters its membership by Tempestarii custom.
Dietary Needs and Habits
The Tempestarii have a reputation among both the Bediz and Fae for a general lack of taste and culinary arts, and they make do with whatever they can get at markets, bartering or fishing. Staples include wheat and corn, typically seized from farmland during storms, insects, fish and small birds. Tempestarii rely less on Foyson than other Sidhe peoples. Their digestive system is quite remarkable, and they can consume spoiled, rotten, or typically inedible material, such as leather or wood fiber, without hesitation or ill-effect.
Tempestarii meals are a communal affair, typically done as a crew, with meals brought up to those still on duty, positions which cycle daily. Tempestarii ships and buildings typically feature a singular "spine" table, running down the center of a structure. Particularly large or affluent ships may have several of these on different levels in the interior and exterior of a vessel, but their design and placement in the center of a structure's width is fairly consistent.
Biological Cycle
The Tempestarii are affected strongly by the Cycle of the Wheel, gaining and losing strength with the rise and fall of the corresponding rule. A Summerrule aligned Tempestarii will gain strength at the beginning of the season, and lose it by the end, marked by the vibrancy and subsequent fading of plumage.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Tempestarii society is divided among 12 "Towers" or "Aeries", each corresponding with a originating district of Magonia, and a colour of the Gaoithe Sidhe, with the unaffiliated "Wings of Gradlon" making up a 13th "windless" Tower. Initially, these were highly specialized clans, each focusing on different industries or trade routes, but these have muddied over the centuries and instead resemble extended family clans. These units still hold sway on the islands, establishing preferential trade routes, drydocks and other benefits for their members in areas under their influence. These are further divided into fleets, collections of ships assigned to common industries, and finally into ship crews, the smallest, but most significant social division.
Aboard a ship, a Captain is elected by vote, typically falling to the largest, cleverest or most experienced individual, with new votes occurring every yearly cycle upon the Grand Embarkation, the official launch of the rule abroad. In most cases, this is a formality, and a captain will continue in their role at the start of each year. Division beyond this depends on the ship, with some exhibiting strict hierarchy and chains of command reminiscent of naval vessels and others more egalitarian, like a family unit. Tempestarii adhere to a code that "each ship is the master of its own destiny" and therefore no designations exist to separate a dedicated military craft from a more relaxed one.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Born explorers and nomads, Tempestarii are among the most widespread of the Sidhe peoples, although this same lifestyle and the social makeup of their ships also results in few permanent settlements or major presences outside of Magonia and its surroundings, typically limiting large amounts of Tempestarii to the North of the worlds. Most will also ensure that they are able to return to the capital or at least regular ports of call, once a year for a seasonal festival. Tempestarii ships have regularly traveled to Fjallkonan, Iram of the Pillars and beyond, perhaps even beyond The Graves or the Forest of the Erlking.
Average Intelligence
Although not unintelligent, the Tempestarii have a reputation of being dimwitted, unable to hold onto a thought for any manner of time. Indeed, most Temperstarii are given to flights of fancy, distraction and disinterest, with a great level of wanderlust and energy that prevents them from staying on one place for too long. Their remarkable feats of aerial engineering, knowledge of navigating storms and Wyldestorms, robust trade networks and complex meteorological Arkane tell a different story to the stereotypes.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Tempestarii have exceptional visual capabilities, capable of innate gauging of distance, speed and depth, making them adept at navigating their fast-paced aerial habitat. Likewise, their hearing, while within the range of the Bediz, is more sensitive, capable of picking up perfect pitch and hearing individual sounds.
In terms of touch and smell, most Tempestarii typically are on par with the Bediz. They fall greatly behind in taste, however, and Tempestarii palates are notoriously undeveloped, leading to their reputation of having "the most inedible food in Alvez."
Civilization and Culture
Major Organizations
The Tempestarii are highly represented in the Lavigerien Guild, prized for their innate navigational skills, understanding of the movement of Phantom Isles and shipboard prowess has made them valued members of the organization, and several Tempestarii were considered founding members of the Ailhedenneg on Menez-Mikael.
The group is also found in large numbers throughout inter-regional trade guilds, such as the Merchantmen, and to a lesser extent Arcanist cabals of facultiies of universities throughout Alvez. These are often emeritus positions, as Tempestarii rarely stay in one place for very long.
Beauty Ideals
Plumage is an important criteria for beauty in Tempestarii society, with more vibrant colors and well-maintained feathers being idealized.
Average Technological Level
The Tempestarii are masters of Druidecht, focusing their abilities on the raising and quelling of storms. This unique ability has translated into an affinity for Wyldestorms, which the Tempestarii follow in their windships, hoping to capture and bottle the magical energy for the creation of arkane and alchemical artefacts.
Tempestarii Windships are exceptional in terms of speed, maneuverability and reliability, but lack heavy armaments or carrying capacities as a result. Nevertheless, they are considered the model for replicatable windship design. Tempestarii have also perfected the storage and transport of Wyldstorm foyson, which many traffick in as their primary good, chasing storms to harvest fractions of energy for glow-orbs or Rods of Taranis, among others.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
The Tempestarii tie their selves to a windship crew, operating largely independently in search of fortune and adventure, returning with stories and gold in large supply. If a ship is destroyed on a flight, the crew is dispersed, and those affected must seek out new membership elsewhere. While many seek out the company of a new tempestarii crew, others strike out on their own or join with other species. The Wings of Gradlon are largely made of these, operating as an unofficial "Aerie" of the similarly dispossessed.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Tempestarii are largely active for half of the year, depending on their status as Unseelie or Seelie. Voyaging during Winterrule and Summerule, respectively, crews will seek out drydock in a friendly port or engage in small scale trading in the floating islands around Magonia, during the other half of the yearly cycle, striking out again when the seasons change. As a result, the festivals of Kalan Goañv and Gouel Eost are exceptionally important in Temperstarii society. These are marked by Seelie and Unseelie ships, passing through the great gates of Magonia. Each ship salutes each they pass with a dazzling light show in the aurora of the Gaoithe Sidhe they travel along. Tempestarii will line the great channel of Magonia to watch this spectacle, as all ships, fully rigged, are decorated in a parade of colours. Great bonfires are lit along this path, and the incoming ships are greeted in the central market square after a triumphant voyage.
Common Taboos
Unlike the Tuatha de Danaan, Tempestarii do not share a ban against cold iron, and in fact utilize windblades in navigation. However, using a windblade as a weapon against another creature of Faerie, even in self-defense, is punishable by exile or death, a prohibition enforced without exception in civilized society.
History
It is unclear where the Tempestarii came to be, and no explicit mention of the name as a unique entity, and their relation to Magonia, exists in Bediz records prior to 713 SI, when a group of Tempestarii pirates attacked the city of Liyon in the midst of a powerful Wyldstorm. It is generally thought by most scholars that they existed prior to this for centuries, however, belonging either politically or physically to the Tuatha de Danaan, branching off as a separate species and culture. Indeed, Tuatha legends of the settlement of Emain Ablach itself seem to indicate the presence of Tempestarii arkane, or at least its direct predecessor. Sadly, whatever event or sequence of event lead to the creation of a separate species has been lost to the mists. Creatures matching the description of the Tempestarii are found in the records of Fjallkonan and Imperial Kernev, indicating they have been present in Bedouar for as long as their Eladan cousins.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Bediz
Like many Sidhe, the Tempestarii have a complicated history with the Bediz, ranging from mutual hostility to productive coexistence. In the centuries following the Tear, the Tempestarii were among the most feared of the Sidhe forces, arriving in Windships on the banks of massive storm clouds, raining destruction down upon farmland and palisades with hail and whirlwinds. As relations settled, the Tempestarii proved capable allies, providing unparalleled transportation, navigation and meteorological expertise. In the early days of the Empire of Ys, Tempestarii Arkanists were among the founding members of the Lavigerien Guild. Relations soured before the Fall of Ys, when St. Guenole ordered the Windships of the Tempestarii set to flame, and the Tempestarii retreated to the Fortunate Isles, gradually re-emerging as raiders and traders. Those remaining and their descendants, known as the Wings of Gradlon, on the continent wandered, working as raincallers, Arkanists specialized in the control of weather, passing along this knowledge and establishing Aeries in the cities of the world, outposts for the Tempestarii of Magonia. In this way, the Tempestarii gradually spread southwards, becoming regular fixtures in the skies and markets. Tempestarii in Bediz settlements work as arkanists, sailors, and messengers, and their trade routes form the spine of the Windship trade across Alvez. Rogue Tempestarii raider crews are still common, however, emerging from Wyldstorms to strike without warning.Fomorii
It is said that the Fomorii are the Lords of the Sea, while the Tempestarii rule the skies. This comparison is apt, and the two peoples share multiple similarities, with a focus on tight-knit, mobile communities. Both peoples are reknowned for their respective shipcraft, and place a value on both trade and exploration, with a long history of raiding. Like the Tempestarii, Fomorian communities spring up in port cities along the routes taken by their compatriots, and indeed, there is both a partnership and strong rivalry between the two groups, often competing in the same markets and traversing similar hazards. The Tempestarii, while involved in the same historical animosity between the Tuatha de Danaan, prefer to focus on the current rivalries of trade, rather than animosity over centuries old tensions. Tempestarii often serve on Fomorian ships and ports, and Fomorian individuals do the same with the Tempestarii.Korrigan
As with the Bediz, most interaction with the Korrigan comes in the form of trade, without large interaction between the races as a whole. Tempestarii will buy and sell jewelry of the Kriores , produce of the Teuz and metals of the Tohoseguéannets in large quantities. The only Korrigan people with an exceptional relationship with the Tempestarii are the Gargoul. The Korrigan of the mountains, seized by their natural curiosity, will ride along with Tempestarii windships, with and without permission to do so. While some Gargoul scholars and artificiers will book passage as passengers or crew, others will stow away until discovered, often causing great mischief out of boredom or frustration, tinkering with the mechanics of a ship to "improve" it. Feral gargoul will often attack ships passing through mountainous areas like the Forest of the Erlking. Gargoul advisors are often brought along on storm-ships to capture wyldstorm foyson.Sidhe
The closest trade partners, neighbors and allies of the Tempestarii, and perhaps also their genetic ancestors, are the Tuatha de Danaan. The races typically enjoy close and cordial relations and have avoiding inter-racial conflicts, with Tempestarii Aeries and individuals fighting for both the Seelie and Unseelie causes in the millenia old civil war.Merfolk
The Tempestarii have a unique, but indirect relationship with three of the Merfolk races: the Selkie, the Marie-Morgane and the Moruach. The selkie occasionally trade with Tempestarii ships that dock in their fjords, a relationship that has proven beneficial to the shy sea-folk, taking advantage of the Windship's need to land on water. The Marie-Morgane of Ys have a decidedly more hostile relationship, going so far as the name the Tempestarii "sky thieves", as their windships often place the goods of maritime trade out of the reach of attacks and lessen the need for tribute when passing above Ys-Beneath-the-Waves. Lastly, the Moruach, traveling along the ley-lines, are often followed to lead Tempestarii to Wyldstorms, allowing them to extract the precious Foyson of lightning and storm.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Lifespan
Ageless
Average Height
1.58 - 1.7 m
Average Physique
Tempestarii are typically thinner and shorter than the average Bediz, with light builds, but surprisingly strong arms and leg strength capable of hanging and gliding in difficult weather.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Tempestarii come in a wide range of skin colourations, ranging from pale pink to dark brown. Their hair and plumage have a wider range of colour, typically resembling those of birds of prey, but with rarer colours, such as deep reds, light purples and blues being present across the population. These vibrant colours are typically found more commonly in Seelie individuals, while Unseelie tend to have blacks, browns and whites more commonly. The vibrancy of plumage grows and fades with an individuals corresponding rule.
Geographic Distribution
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