Zephrah

High atop a mountain aerie within the Summit Peaks sits Zephrah, the tribal home of the Air Ashari people, keeping vigil over a gate into the Elemental Plane of Air. The Ashari people worship and live by the balance of the natural world, and the people of Zephrah have adapted to life among the clouds. Subsisting on high-elevation vegetation and the occasional large avian hunt, most of the tribe consists of skilled hunters and climbers. Utilizing the proximity of powerful elemental magic, the druidic masters of the Air Ashari craft skysailing aids to ride the ever-present winds, allowing designated leaders and warriors to traverse the deadly peaks of the mountain range. The tribal leader of Zephrah, Keyleth, is referred to as the Voice of the Tempest and oversees all travel through the rift, all major druidic rituals, and visiting outsiders.
Though it's still a small settlement, Zephrah has grown greatly in the past several years. Many people with an innate connection to the element of air have petitioned the current Voice of the Tempest for her permission to live here among the Ashari. Likewise, a number of druids and other spellcasters have come to live in relative isolation here—after they have proven their good intentions and respect for the sanctity of the skies.

Diplomacy and Developments

Zephrah has grown in more than just population. The close friendship between Keyleth, Voice of the Tempest, and the genious inventor Percival de Rolo of Whitestone has led to a number of modern technologies being adopted in Zephrah. Windmills now dot the cliffsides, milling grain purchased from farms on the Dividing Plains. Keyleth continues to work with Percival to improve the lives of her people through technology and innovation. The operation of two of these mills is also kept private from the rest of Zephrah, and they're used to refine whitestone into residuum for the construction of magic items to arm the Ashari skydancers.
Keyleth's confident leadership has also guided her to make further diplomatic ties between her people and the rest of Tal'Dorei. These attempts at breaking down the traditional isolationism of the Ashari havve been met with skepticism from within, slowing the process to a crawl. Allowing any outsiders into Zephrah at all has been seen as a huge step. Beyond this, Keyleth has pushed for greater economic and political involvement, so that the needs of Zephrah can be heard in the Tal'Dorei Council. Resistance toward political integration has mostly been internal within the Ashari, but Keyleth considers any progress at all a good start.

Skysail

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)
These bat-like wings affixed to a pole are constructed out of either bone and leather or wood and cloth. While these wings are opened and the rung of the pole stepped into, you can use an action to cast levitate on yourself at will.
Additionally, you can use an action to cast fly on yourself for up to 1 minute (no concentration required). The fly spell ends if you lose physical contact with the skysail. You cannot use this ability again until you complete a long rest, or you (and the Skysail) are immersed in extremely powerful air elemental magic, such as the top of the Summit Peaks near the Rift of Air in Zephrah, or within the Elemental Plane of Air. When not in use, these wings can easily be folded together and worn beneath a cloak, and the pole used as a quarterstaff.

Demographics

62% half-elf, 12% genasi, 10% human, 9% halfling, 5% tiefling, 2% other

Defences

Zephrah has never maintained a formal army, though past Voices of the Tempest have trained martial forces and druidic warriors to defend their home against the monsters of the Summit Peaks. As Keyleth attempts to build bonds between her people and the rest of Tal'Dorei, she has expanded the training of new skydancers and created a unit of druidic warriors capable of responding to any emergency across Tal'Dorei. If a threat like the Chroma Conclave were to rise again in Tal'Dorei, the skydancers of Zephrah would be there to help save the nation's people.
Thanks to Zephrah's mountainous terrain, the Ashari enclave has never fallen under siege. Because of the dangerous beasts that lurk in the mountains, most Zephran adults have learned how to wield a spear or a staff to defend themselves. Roughly one in ten people have undergone a small amount of elemental training—enough to be able to cast the gust of wind spell a number of times per day equal to their Wisdom modifier (minimum of once).
Were Zephrah to fall under attack, the skydancers would defend the town and its elemental rift for as long as possible while the rest of its people evacuated to hidden retreats in the mountain caves.

Type

Village

Population

1,310

Inhabitant Demonym

Zephran

Location under

Summit Peaks

Owning Organization

Ashari

Characters in Location

• Keyleth