Sylph

Elementals of air, wind, and sky. Fem. sylphid.

Basics

• Taxonomic Order: Elementals

• Alignment: Aetherial

• Energy: Kiiric Yihi

• Lifespan: 60 years

• Diet: Water vapor

• Habitat: The sky

Origins

The first stirring of the air brought to life the winds themselves. Later, the Windkeep elves merged with them.

Description

Sylphs are invisible beings made of wind. They can take on more tangible forms by gathering clouds, mists, vapors, dust, and other materials to them and coalescing into a shape. They often take winged shapes, either bird or moth wings, and will sometimes use clouds to give themselves beards. If they take a human-like form, they will be taller than humans. They also sometimes take animal forms, especially moth, horse, deer, bird, or lizard shapes.

Procreation

Sylphs reproduce with one another sexually. They do not reproduce outside their species without supernatural intervention.

Powers

Sylphs move through the air with ease, having no need of touching the ground. They fly at any height, so long as there is enough air to move through. If they take on physical form, they tend to be supernaturally strong; in their wind forms, they may be a breeze or a a gale.

Directional Powers

Every sylph has a connection to a direction. There are four ordinal directions, four intermediate directions, and two axial directions.

Ordinal:

• North: cold winds.

• South: dry winds.

• West: rainy winds.

• East: warm winds.

Intermediate:

• Northwest: still air.

• Northeast: air pressure.

• Southwest: currents.

• Southeast: turbulence.

Axial:

• Up: whirlwinds.

• Down: gales.

Directions are determined when they come of age and embrace a wind from a specific direction.

Weaknesses

Being sealed in solid stone or deep underwater will make them panic. Fire consumes them. If they are bound in strands of cloth like scarves or ribbons, they will be stuck in their form. Brown aether kills them.

Nations

There are many nations of sylphs. The most well known are as follows:

• Anemoi: Stayflian nation once worshiped as deities.

• Bieggolmai: Cassaran [sami] nation.

• Boread: Cassaran offshoot of the Anemoi.

• Chwiju: Uruoese nation.

• Fēng: Unbulese nation.

• Fuite: Tenzanese nation.

• Havaon: Vimalan nation.

• Makani: Panaloan nation.

• Szelek: Idangarian nation.

• Venti: Uraymean slave nation.

• Vetry: Belasari nation.

• Wint: original nation in Gyrah.

Other nations include the following, which are all part of multispecies nations they dwell near.:

• Afẹfẹ: western Taggaran nation.

• Anugik: southern Palhuric nation among the Inuqsaragtaq.

• Biniyoldee'go: western Palhuric nation among the Shih-Chai.

• Ehecatli: central Palhuric nation.

• Fryrje: Sharians who wield hailstones

• Ganolvvsga: western Palhuric nation among the Yvwi.

• Gaotha: Lyrillan nation.

• Gizhiiyaanimad: western Palhuric nation among the Bemaadizid.

• Gió Nhẹ: Denaoese nation.

• Haizeak: Jael nation.

• Hatënotha: western Palhuric nation among the Hatokha.

• Hutawirihuur: western Palhuric nation among the Cáhrikstahkucuʾ [pawnee].

• Pupuhi: southern Island Bridge [maori].

• Shebuian: Azeti nation who take animalistic forms.

• Tȟaté: western Palhuric nation among the Oyate.

• Tuulet: Remaki nation known for smithing.

• Umiihip: Vada’daro nation.

• Vėjopatis: Paureki nation.

• Wayrakuna: eastern Palhuric nation among the Aylluyay.

Culture

The Wints (pronounced vints) dwell in the Gyran forests and mountains. They are very secretive and keep to themselves, but they will go out of their way to rescue mortal women who are in danger in their mountain passes. Otherwise, they have a reputation for being irritable and mercurial.

As elementals of the air, they take seriously the task of protecting the skies from pollution. It is the center of their culture: preserving the air. Thus, the three main segments of their culture focus on that: the purifiers, the protectors, and the wind-bearers. The purifiers, called mærers, use wind magic to separate clean air from pollutants; they are revered in Wint society. The protectors, called gáras, wield javelins and attack any who they perceive as a danger to the air. They are the elite warriors of sylph society. The wind-bearers, called dreás, are magonians who carry wind in satchels and wield them to fulfill various functions.

Every Wint community is led by a council of ten, one elder each for each direction. The de facto head of the council is the ufera, the elder representing the direction of “up”. They determine the rankings for the mærers, gáras, and dreás, creating hierarchies to keep them organized. These change often, however. Besides these roles, Wint society is otherwise equal, with everyone working together for most tasks.

Children are raised semi-communally, but with their immediate parents being the most focused on them. They are free to play and do as they please until they are sixteen. Play for sylph children involves frolicking in clouds, pranks and tricks, trying out different forms, and racing. At sixteen, they are brought before the elders for a special ritual that tests them. During the test, each elder unleashes wind from their representative direction, and the wind that the sylph embraces determines their powers and roles as an adult. Most know which one they want long before the test, though not always.

As adults, their wind-direction gives them specific powers that they use in their day-to-day life, but only if they are chosen for one of the four hierarchical roles do these affect what they do. Amongst protectors, for example, “up” warriors are tasked with shock attacks while “west” warriors more often take on support roles.

Daily life among the Wints usually involves gathering vapors for meals, collecting materials for bodies if needed, and maintaining the loose shelters they make out of feathers and cloth. They love music and dance; they carve flutes and use pressure changes to create percussion. They also like to create temporary art out of clouds.

National Cultures

The distinct cultures of sylphs from around the world, not counting the above-mentioned more assimilated nations:

• Anemoi: in Stayflies, a nation of sylphs known as the Anemoi were once worshiped by mortals. Eventually, their role changed and they integrated better, but many customs had developed among them. They would often take physical forms to fit in more, wearing curly golden hair and great wings. They took up horseback riding and growing cypress groves, fruit orchards, and hyacinth gardens. Hospitality is important to them - every guest must be given water from a special jug and nectar from a special cup. Music is also vital to them; they play aulos and keep swans to sing with. They wear great cloaks made of flowers and high boots, and their warriors create shields out of hailstones. In their homes, they use cauldrons and their wind powers to keep things cold. They are known for their skill as sailors, using their powers to lift ships by the stern.

• Bieggolmai: nomadic [sami] sylphs in Cassaru, they dwell in caves with wide openings to the sky and use shovels to move clouds about or create snowstorms. They are known for their bright clothing and use of ice and snow to take solid forms.

• Boread: a group of Anemoi who broke off and formed their own nation far to the north in Cassasru, they dwell in a small cluster of villages in the mountains. They are a warrior nation who take on masculine, bearded forms more often than not. They ride horses, wear billowing cloaks, and have great wings. Some turn their feet into snake-like tendrils as they ride. They also keep cypress groves. The conch shell is their symbol.

• Chwiju: in Uruo, they are very well adapted to the local culture, but they keep distinct practices similar to the original Wint culture and work often as farmers, fishers, and sailors, using their powers to serve the community.

• Fēng: in Unbul, they are skilled magonians who hold to traditions about the directions of the wind with a mystical significance. They take forms that make them seem like dragons with deer heads and snake tails, or deers with bird heads and snake tails, or various combinations thereof. They are respected for their willingness to help others, carrying them over great distances if needed, and their participation in the People’s Army, often as leaders or scouts in the airforce. Some of them take human-like forms and ride tigers.

• Fuite: in Tenzanai, they take monstrous forms with green and red skin. Also magonians, they are usually wild, dangerous bandits or outlaws who are seen as both good and bad by other nations. They are known for their leopardskin clothing and their disdain for snakes. They play with the weather.

• Havaon: in Vimala, they are known as charioteers and warriors who wield golden weapons, give themselves iron teeth, and split the clouds to create rain. They work as messengers and warriors. Their culture focuses often on special offerings, always given at midday, as part of their complex religion. They are stereotyped as being extremely emotional. Like other sylphs, they keep horses - theirs are often ruddy colored.

• Makani: in Panaloa, the Makani are sailors and sail makers who help others amongst the islands have safe journeys. They are stereotyped as being very forgiving.

• Szelek: in Idangar, they live in the mountains, ride thunder horses and whirlwinds, and are known as “barbarous”, though this is an exaggeration. They enjoy storms.

• Venti: Uraymean slave nation with a syncretic culture based on the many sylph cultures from which they come.

• Vetry: in Belasar, the Vetry are known for being protectors of the eight directions. They play with the weather and carry cold, harsh air from the sea to the land, but they are also known as loving and gentle.

Esoterica

Sylphs are beings of kiiric yihi, the aether of air and wind and the sky, and they are its greatest wielders. They are also known to wield bijalee, sonic aether, the bright, hvittdogg, hasken fure, hamasat al-sahra, livadi, lunar aether, ma’dhahabi, and lahab al’qalb. The only aether they do not commonly use is kazaddarean. They also often wield fortune, misfortune, and serendipity. They cannot wield brown aether.

Religion

The Wints worship Caelbewegt, He Who Moves the Sky, the Sky-Dancer, a deity who is seen as a protector and celebrant of all things air. In their culture, they honor him through intricate dances in the skies, skywriting with clouds, and rituals of movement. Those whose role is to lead these rituals are called feþer-bǽre, because they wear feathers.

Gender

Sylphs can alter their aerial forms to be any physicality. To them, gender is something they wear. They can express it in any way they wish.

Economy

Wint society is semi-matriarchal.

Military

Other than the gáras, there are no specialized warriors in Wint culture, but all Wints are capable of defending themselves.

Language

A mixture of Latin, German, and Anglo-Saxon.

Occupations

Common occupations include the following:

• Dreá: magonians.

• Feþer-bǽre: shamans of Caelbewegt.

• Gára: javelineers.

• Mærer: magonians who specialize in purifying the air.

Outside View

Sylphs are seen as spirits or demons by many, as fairies by some, and as guardians or angels by others. Their capricious nature makes others distrust them.

Notables

• Aeolia, Anemoi who fell in love with non-sylph in legends

• Fnæstǽrest: First Breath, Sylph Manifest, Aeonian

• Apeliotes, the Southeast Wind, Aeonian

• Argestes, the Clearing Wind, Aeonian

• Aparctias, a north wind hero

• Ariel, leader of a group of guards of a powerful queen long ago

• Aura, the Breeze, Aeonian

• Boreas, the North Wind, Bringer of Winter, Aeonian

• Etheria, queen of the Anemoi from long ago

• Euronotus, south-southwest wind hero

• Eurus, the East Wind, Bringer of Autumn, Aeonian

• Iapyx, protected a fleeing queen back to Azet, legend

• Kaikas, the Northeast Wind, Aeonian

• Libonotus, south-southwest wind, legendary hero

• Lips, the Southwest Wind, Aeonian

• Meses, a northwest wind, legendary hero

• Notus, the South Wind, Bringer of Summer, Aeonian

• Skiron, the Northwest Wind, Aeonian

• Thrascias, north-northwest wind, legendary hero

• Zephyrus, the West Wind, Bringer of Spring, Aeonian

And among the Venti in Urayme are special traitorous sylphs who serve the slaving empire:

• Septentrio (N), Aquilo (NNE), Vulturnus (NE), Subsolanus (E), Eurus (SE), Euroauster (SSE), Austeronotus (S), Euronotus (SSW), Africus (SW), Eurus (NW), Circius (NNW), Favonius (W), the Aerial Guard

Estimated Populations

• Anemoi: 200,000

• Bieggolmai: 200,000

• Boread: 200,000

• Chwiju: 1 million

• Fēng: 1 million

• Fuite: 1 million

• Havaon: 1 million

• Makani: 200,000

• Szelek: 200,000

• Venti: 250,000

• Vetry: 200,000

• Wint: 500,000

• Afẹfẹ: 100,000

• Anugik: 5,000

• Biniyoldee'go: 5,000

• Ehecatli: 5,000

• Fryrje: 1,000

• Ganolvvsga: 5,000

• Gaotha: 1,000

• Gizhiiyaanimad: 5,000

• Gió Nhẹ: 100,000

• Haizeak: 1,000

• Hatënotha: 5,000

• Hutawirihuur: 5,000

• Pupuhi: 5,000

• Shebuian: 100,000

• Tȟaté: 5,000

• Tuulet: 10,000

• Umiihip: 100,000

• Vėjopatis: 5,000

• Wayrakuna: 10,000

• Other: 2 million

Sample Stats

PRO 8
ATH 14
STR 9
AWA 9
WIL 8
PRS 9
STH 11