Skyview
Skyview is a city high above the clouds, so high
up that it's nearly orbital. The city was founded long ago, by a
civilization much more ancient than any of the nations on Kulm today.
According to the histories recorded by Skyview's oldest races, the
founders of Skyview built the city and set it aloft to escape an
ancient ice age. While the world below froze, the ancients of Skyview
lived in relative comfort high above the clouds.
It is also unclear whether or not any of the races that currently
reside in the city are descendents of the ancients who built Skyview,
nor is it known exactly by what magic or technology the city is kept
aloft, though the Skygnomes and Fremlins work tirelessly to
understand the ways of the ancients.
Geopolitical Background
Skyview is aloof from most of the world's affairs. The only nations on Kulm that the city has even infrequent contact with are Ghed and Capitol, both of whom maintain embassies and spelljammer bases at the Skyview skydocks. It's through Skyview's contact with the Ghedans that the aerial races participate in maintaining global peace, and occasionally they send students to Armistice to mingle with the land-bound races at the Academy.
Internal Background
The city itself has no centralized leadership. Skyview is divided into several floating pylons, each of which is comprised of a number of disc-shaped layers/floors, and the pylons themselves are interconnected by cables, bridges and platforms. There are six major pylons, and each major pylon has three peripheral pylons along its outer edges. The six major pylons revolve around a smaller central pylon, like petals around the bud of a flower. Each of the six major pylons ("Aeries") is the home of one of Skyview's major races (or groups of races, as the Gremlins, Fremlins and Urds share an Aerie). Each race dwells mostly within its own Aerie, and the smaller pylons surrounding that Aerie. The central Aerie is reserved for marketplaces and centers for the various races to conduct commerce with each other. The lower floors of this central Aerie are reserved for the skydocks, where offworlders and people from the surface can dock spelljamming ships.
The six Aeries tend toward theocracy; five of the six Aeries take the names of the gods worshipped by the race that lives there, and all six of the Aeries are governed by their race's religious leader.The Six Aeries
- Faenya Aerie - The Aerie of the Avariel Elves, named for the Avariels' patron goddess, Aerdrie Faenya. The Avariel Queen, Celthis Feanmil, is the High Priestess of Aerdrie Faenya.
- Nebelun Aerie - The Aerie of the Skygnomes, named for the Gnomish patron of tinkers. The Gnomes are ruled by Gerooin Bernog, High Priest of Nebelun.
- Kuraulyek Aerie - The Aerie of the Urds, Gremlins and Fremlins, named for the patron god of the Urds and Gremlins. Gurrt, an Urd Shaman, rules this Aerie, having won out against Kuraulyek's specialty priests for leadership.
- Cegilune Aerie - The Aerie of the Harpies, named for the goddess of Hags. Vebbzo the Harpy-Witch rules the Aerie, as the Harpies' most powerful witch doctor.
- Eachthighern Aerie - The Aerie of the Pegataurs, named for the lord of Unicorns and Pegasi. Vaelion Brightmane, Cleric of the Horse Lord, is the leader of this Aerie.
- Telvar Aerie - The Aerie of the Telvar, named for themselves. Enialphia Alddil is the leader of the Telvar, and the race's highest-level Druid.
Despite how high up the city is from the rest of Kulm, Skyview does have its enemies. Rarely spoken of to outsiders, the residents of Skyview tell tales of the hated Seventh Aerie, a city like Skyview and perhaps built by the same ancient race. Every once in a while, Skyview and the Seventh Aerie come into contact with each other, and battle is inevitable. It is for such battle that the Pegataurs are said to be constantly training themselves and their pegasi companions to fight in.
These winged elves are one of the most powerful races of Skyview, forming one third of a demihuman triad (with the Skygnomes and Telvar) that controls a good deal of the trade within the city. This combined with their close alliance with the Pegataurs makes them a force of influence to be reckoned with. When the Avariel Queen speaks, others in the city listen.
Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution.
Class Restrictions:
Multi-Class Allowances: Fighter-Mage, Mage-Cleric.
Kit Allowances: The kits below are drawn from the Complete Book of Elves.
Hit Dice: By class.
Natural Armor Class/Move Rate: 10; Avariel move on land at a rate of 9 and fly at rate 18 (C).
Bonus Languages: Elven, Common.
Special Advantages:
•Eyesight: Avariel have the standard Elven infravision to
a 60' range, and can also focus their eyesight when flying outdoors
to see details up to a mile distant or those obscured by underlying
forest.
•Magic Resistance: Elves enjoy a 90% resistance to Sleep
and Charm-based effects. Even if their resistance fails, they still
get a normal save against the effect.
•Weapon Affinity: Avariel Elves have a +1 bonus to hit
with Long and Short Swords, Lassos, Bolas and Crossbows. With swords
and crossbows they also have a +1 to damage.
•Leaping: Avariel can jump 10' in the air. This helps
them to take flight from the ground, and even when deprived of their
ability to fly (as by a wing injury) they are still able to make
these jumps.
Special Disadvantages:
•Fragile: If an Avariel loses 50% of its max hit points,
they become too weak to fly and must land. They can continue gliding
until they fall below 75% of their max hit points.
•Fire Weakness: Avariel suffer +1 damage per die from
fire damage.
•Claustrophobia: Avariel elves become deeply
claustrophobic indoors, suffering a -2 penalty to all attack rolls
and ability/proficiency checks until they are able to get outdoors
again.
These two races of tiny, winged goblinoids have live in Skyview for as long as any can remember. Natural pranksters, many consider them vermin, but most are content to leave them alone in their own Aerie of the city. The mischievous and often hurtful Gremlins are balanced by their gentler, less offensive Fremlin cousins. They share their Aerie with the Urds, who the Gremlins actually look up to and sort of respect.
Ability Score Adjustments: Fremlin: +2 Dexterity, +1 Intelligence, -3 Strength. Gremlin: +2 Dexterity, +1 Constitution, -3 Strength, -1 Charisma.
Class Restrictions:
Multi-Class Allowances: Mage-Thief, Illusionist-Thief. (Fremlin only)
Kit Allowances: The kits below are drawn from the Complete Book of Humanoids.
Hit Dice: By class.
Natural Armor Class/Move Rate: 4 for Gremlins, 6 for Fremlins; Gremlins and Fremlins move on land at a rate of 6. Both races can also fly: Gremlins at speed 18 (B) and Fremlins at speed 12 (B).
Bonus Languages: Gremlin, Common.
Special Advantages:
(Fremlin)
•Natural Attack: Fremlins can bite for 1d4 damage if they
are unarmed.
•Weapon Immunity: Fremlins are immune to harm from
non-magical weapons; a +1 or better weapon is needed to damage
them.
•Big Ears: Fremlin ears give them a 65% chance to hear
noise as a Thief. Fremlin Thieves add this to their base Hear Noise
score.
•Multiclassing: Unlike their Gremlin kin, Fremlins have
the ability to multiclass.
(Gremlin)
•Natural Attack: Gremlins can bite for 1d4 damage if they
are unarmed.
•Weapon Immunity: Gremlins are immune to harm from
non-magical weapons; a +1 or better weapon is needed to damage
them.
•Magic Resistance: Gremlins are 25% resistant to all
magic.
•Big Ears: Gremlin ears give them a 65% chance to hear
noise as a Thief. Fremlin Thieves add this to their base Hear Noise
score.
•Racial Class: Gremlins have the ability to advance in
their own racial class.
Special Disadvantages:
•Small Weapons: Fremlins and Gremlins can only use
fairy-scale weapons in combat. They can use size S weapons if they
wield them with two hands.
•Experience Penalty: Gremlin Fighters take an experience
penalty of 20%.
These foul, winged hags are somehow tolerated as members of
Skyview's civil society. While not as barbarous as some others of
their kind, the Harpies are still quite self-centered and gluttonous.
They have an ongoing political rivalry with the Avariel, and an
informal alliance with the Urds and Gremlins.
The Harpies of Skyview are much more civilized than those of the
outside world. They have taken to the worship of Cegilune, the patron
goddess of hags, and even speak the language of Hags as their own
tongue.
Ability Score Adjustments: +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution, -2 Charisma.
Class Restrictions:
Multi-Class Allowances: Fighter-Thief, Thief-Mage, Shaman-Thief, Witch Doctor-Thief.
Kit Allowances: The kits below are drawn from the Complete Book of Humanoids.
Hit Dice: By class.
Natural Armor Class/Move Rate: 7; Harpies move on land at a rate of 6 and fly at rate 15 (C).
Bonus Languages: Hag, Common.
Special Advantages:
•Natural Attacks: Harpies can attack with two clawed
hands or taloned feet (depending on if they are airborne or not) and
a bite. Their claws and talons deal 1d3 damage, and their bite deals
1d6 damage. If the Harpy is armed with a weapon, the weapon replaces
one claw/talon attack.
•Charm Song: The signature ability of the Harpy, from
first level the creature is able to charm humans, humanoids and
demihumans by song, but at low levels the Harpy's victims have a
bonus to save against the effect. At first level, victims save at +2
against the song, and then at second level the save is +1. At third
level and above, victims have no bonus to save against the song, as
by this time the Harpy has perfected its haunting melody.
•Charm Touch: At third level, the Harpy gains the ability
to cast Charm Person by touch. When first gained, the Harpy can use
this ability once per day. When the Harpy reaches 5th level, she can
use this power 3/day.
Special Disadvantages:
•Reputation: Nobody likes Harpies -- unless, of course,
they're charmed. But seriously, nobody likes Harpies. They get a -2
to reaction adjustments from non-natives to Skyview, and -1 reaction
adjustments from the other races of the floating city.
This race of centaur-kin have the torsos of elves and the bodies of pegasi. These noble flying horsemen are the traditional warrior caste of the city, responsible for fending off invasions; Pegataur constantly drill and train for the next encounter with the Seventh Aerie, believing that readiness is the only way for Skyview to survive such encounters. The Pegataurs' Aerie is also home to several stables of pegasi, who sometimes serve as aerial mounts for the races of Skyview, and whom the Pegataurs are responsible for caring for and grooming. Pegataurs revere their pegasi so much that their clerics and shamans are devotees of Eachthighern, the patron deity of pegasi and unicorns.
Ability Score Adjustments: +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution, -1 Wisdom
Class Restrictions:
Multi-Class Allowances: Fighter-Mage, Fighter-Shaman.
Kit Allowances: The kits below are drawn from the Complete Book of Elves and the Complete Book of Humanoids.
Hit Dice: By class, +5 bonus hit points at first level.
Natural Armor Class/Move Rate: 7; Pegataurs move on land at a rate of 18 and fly at rate 36 (C).
Bonus Languages: Pegataur, Elven, Common. Pegataurs can also communicate naturally with Pegasi.
Special Advantages:
•Natural Attacks: Pegataurs can attack with each of their
forehooves for 1d6 damage. They may do this in the same round as a
weapon attack.
•Weapon Affinity: Pegataurs have a +1 bonus to hit with
lances and long bows.
•Dive: A Pegataur armed with a lance can make a swooping
dive attack. This attack requires 20' of charging room, and grants a
+2 bonus to hit and -1 penalty to AC. If the Pegataur scores a hit,
he deals double damage but there is a 60% chance the lance is
ruined.
•Magic Resistance: Pegataurs enjoy a 30% resistance to
Sleep and Charm-based effects. Even if their resistance fails, they
still get a normal save against the effect.
Special Disadvantages:
•Size: Pegataurs take damage as large creatures.
The Skygnomes are a gnomish subspecies unique to Skyview, though they do share several traits in common with Tinker Gnomes. As a race, they have committed themselves to uncovering the technological and magical secrets of the ancients who built the city of Skyview, and are masters of both the engineering and arcane sciences. They are the only race in Skyview that is incapable of natural flight, but they have built most of the flying machines that provide transit for the city's residents.
Ability Score Adjustments: +1 to Intelligence and Dexterity, -1 Strength and Wisdom.
Class Restrictions:
Multi-Class Allowances: Fighter-Cleric, Fighter-Illusionist, Fighter-Thief, Cleric-Illusionist, Cleric-Thief, Illusionist-Thief.
Kit Allowances: From the Complete Book of Gnomes and Halflings.
Hit Dice: By class.
Natural Armor Class/Move Rate: 10; Skygnomes move on land at a rate of 9.
Bonus Languages: Gnome, Common. Additionally, Skygnomes speak the languages of birds and Air Elementals.
Special Advantages:
•Infravision: 90' range.
•Magic Resistance: Skygnomes gain a +1 bonus to their
saving throws vs. magic for every 3.5 points of Constitution.
•Air Resistance: Cumulative with their inborn magic
resistance, Skygnomes have an additional +1 bonus to save against
air-based spells and attacks (including lightning and electrical
effects). This bonus increases to +2 at 6th level.
•Combat Bonuses: Due to their size and quickness,
Skygnomes have a +4 AC bonus when being attacked by Gnolls, Trolls,
Bugbears, Ogres, Ogre-Magi, Giants or Titans.
•Engineering Skill: Skygnomes have a +1 racial bonus to
any proficiency or ability score check they must make when dealing
with machinery. This also includes any attack rolls they have to make
against mechanical opponents (since they are just as skilled at
breaking machines as they are at building and repairing them).
•Dumb Luck: Skygnomes make up for their inability to fly
by being just plain lucky. Whenever a Skygnome falls any distance
greater than 10', they are allowed a save vs. death. If the save is
successful, the Skygnome avoids the fall by grabbing something,
getting a leg entangled around something, or something similarly
extremely fortunate. This save is modified by the Gnome's missile
attack adjustment under Dexterity, and applies only to
accidental falls (if the Gnome jumps, he gets what's coming to
him).
•Aerial Detection: Skygnomes have the following suite of
detection abilities, most of which are useful when aboard a flying
machine, spelljamming ship or aerial mount:
|
Detect Unnatural Weather Patterns |
1-5 on 1d6 |
|
Determine Safety of Maneuvers |
1-7 on 1d10 |
|
Determine Approximate Aerial Speed |
1-3 on 1d6 |
|
Determine Approximate Altitude off the ground |
1-4 on 1d6 |
Special Disadvantages:
You mean besides being the only race that can't fly in a city so high
above the ground that if you fell toward the surface you'd be burning
from the friction and likely be dead from terminal velocity well
before you smacked into the ground and splattered into a zillion
pieces? Nope, not a thing.
The Telvar race of large (nearly 8' tall!) humans with the features of owls (including wings, large pointed ears and enormous eyes). With the Avariel and Skygnomes, they form part of the demihuman triad of Skyview. Of all Skyview's races, the Telvar most frequently make use of the Skygnomes' vessels to visit Kulm's surface, to keep honed their race's hunting instincts. It is not uncommon to encounter Telvar hunting parties in the forests of Ghed, nor to find a Skygnome airship hovering a good distance away waiting for the hunting party to return. Telvar very strictly regulate their hunting activities and are careful not to overhunt a given region.
Ability Score Adjustments: +1 Constitution, -1 Strength.
Class Restrictions:
Multi-Class Allowances: Fighter-Thief, Fighter-Bard, Fighter-Cleric (Females only), Ranger-Druid (Females only).
Kit Allowances: The kits below are drawn from the Complete Book of Humanoids.
Hit Dice: By class.
Natural Armor Class/Move Rate: 6; Telvar move on land at a rate of 6 and fly at rate 12 (B).
Bonus Languages: Telvar, Common.
Special Advantages:
•Infravision: 80' range.
•Surprise: Because of their soft wings, Telvar make very
little noise when in flight. At nighttime, or in other conditions
where it is difficult to see them, Telvar impose a -3 penalty to
enemy surprise checks if the Telvar is attacking from the air.
•Weapon Affinity: Telvar are skill with bows of all
kinds, so much so that each successful shot has a +2 to damage.
•Hunting Skills: Telvar males are expected to be
proficient hunters. All first level Telvar males have the Hunting and
Tracking proficiencies free at first level. Male Telvar Rangers
receive an additional +1 bonus to their normal tracking skills.
•Spiritual Leaders: Telvar females are expected to serve
the community in the capacity of healers and guides. All Telvar
females have the Healing proficiency free at first level, and only
female Telvar can become clerics or druids.
Special Disadvantages:
•Weapon Restriction: Telvar warriors can never be
specialized in melee weapons.
•Size: Telvar take damage as large creatures.
Urds are winged kobolds. They live alongside the Gremlins and
Fremlins in the Kuraulyek Aerie, and share a loose alliance with the
Harpies of Cegilune. They dislike being forced to live alongside
elves and gnomes, but the Urdish leaders recognize that there really
isn't anywhere else they could go since they don't have good
relations with their groundling cousins in the Hordelands (the Urd
god Kuraulyek and the primary Kobold god Kurtulmak are sworn enemies;
Urds that have attempted to roost in the Hordelands have suffered
religious persecution at the hands of the Kobolds and their allies in
the Bugbear and Gnoll tribes).
Just as the Pegataurs keep stables of pegasi, the Urds maintain large
roosts of bats of all sizes and kinds. The smaller, normal bats are
kept as pets and hunting companions by the Urds, while the larger
ones are trained as war beasts and mounts should the city ever be
attacked again.
Urds are NOT, and never have been, and never will be, reptiles, nor
related to dragons. That profound stupidity has no place in this
world.
Ability Score Adjustments: +3 Dexterity, -1 Strength, -1 Constitution.
Class Restrictions:
Multi-Class Allowances: Fighter-Shaman, Fighter-Witch Doctor, Fighter-Thief, Fighter-Priest, Priest-Thief, Shaman-Thief, Witch Doctor-Thief
Kit Allowances: The kits below are drawn from the Complete Book of Humanoids.
Hit Dice: By class.
Natural Armor Class/Move Rate: 8; Kobolds move on land at a rate of 6 and fly at rate 15 (C).
Bonus Languages: Kobold, Common. PC Urds can additionally choose to speak either Gremlin or Hag at first level.
Special Advantages:
•Infravision: 60' range.
•Reputation: Because Kobolds are viewed by some as a
weak, cowardly race, most opponents will leave them alone and attack
them last of all in battle.
•Rock Dropping: When flying and attacking enemies on the
ground, Urds can drop rocks on them. Urds have uncanny accuracy when
bombarding targets from above, and have a +1 to hit with dropped
weapons. The typical Urd bomb-rock does 2d4 damage to a target, and
if a target is unaware of the Urds they are attacked as though they
were AC 10.
•Animal Affinity: Urds have a strong affinity for bats.
They can innately communicate with these creatures, and calm them as
a Ranger. When dealing with these animals, Urds have the benefits of
the Animal Training and Animal Handling proficiencies.
Special Disadvantages:
•Light Sensitivity: Urds share the nocturnal,
subterranean natures of their Kobold cousins, and fight with a -1
penalty to attack rolls and morale while in sunlight. This can be
overcome with the purchase of the Survival: Daylight proficiency,
which is always purchased with a cross-class penalty (even for
warriors).