#skykin

Note: ‘Celestial’ is an archaic term rarely used in the current era.

The Skykin are so named because they primarily live in the Cloud Islands, floating structures that resemble clouds despite being solid. Their average height range is between 12 and 17 feet tall for adults. As a result, other kinfolk (particularly humans) tend to refer to them as giants. Using the term “giant” is controversial among the Skykin themselves, as it implies they are larger than “normal.”

Sky Folk who have been forced to leave the Islands and emigrate to the land, or those who choose to do so, are referred to as Exiles. Exile can occur as a result of a criminal transgression, financial issues, or even simple social pressure.

Physiology:

Skykin have the same range of skin and hair color as humans do. However, barring unusual circumstances such as albinism, their eyes are almost always gold. They live, on average, between 70-100 years and age at a similar rate to humans and Flower Folk.

Their diet varies widely based on the culture of their Island of residence. They are omnivorous, but tend to favor plant-based meals over meat ones on most Islands due to meat and poultry being expensive; beef, in particular, always needs to be imported and is considered a luxury. Eggs are common sources of animal protein, and goats are seeing increased popularity both as livestock and pets. 

Pregnancy lasts one year. Throughout much of their history, Sky Folk have had difficulties with birth and fertility rates. New advances in prenatal care, midwife practices and medical discoveries have helped to amend this issue, which has resulted in a small population boom in the modern era.

Due to their size, the average Skykin is a physical powerhouse compared to a human. While many dismiss this as unimportant, some will use it as an excuse to show off and perform feats of strength as a form of art. 

Politics:

The Sky is formally and collectively known as The Federated Islands of the Sky Republic. The Republic is a democracy centered in the Celestial Capital of Vox, a massive Sky Island located in the equatorial region over an ocean. All Islands with a population over a certain threshold have representatives in the High Senate of Vox. Larger Islands will themselves have a senate or a high council, while smaller, village-sized populations may have a mayor or elected magistrates.

The Republic was founded after the fall of the Golden Theocracy, a nation ruled by priest-kings and royal families entwined. While a less stringent adaptation of the Solarist religion practiced by the Theocracy is still widespread and dominant, a deep-seated mistrust of royalty and nobility lingers throughout the Sky. 

The process of Exile was designed, initially, to deal with criminal elements. If a crime is serious enough to mark the accused as a ‘social danger’ but not enough to merit prison or death, the accused is sent to live on the planet and left to their own devices. Children of Exiled will follow their parents unless relatives intervene. Some manage to integrate with human-dominated cultures, while others may live in isolation. Larger cities, such as Nautilus, may have neighborhoods of Exiled Skykin with buildings sized to accommodate them. Unfortunately, the practice of Exile has become more widespread, some seeing it as a way to dispose of business rivals by spreading rumors of ‘instability’ or ‘chaos.’ As self-imposed Exile will end debts, some desperate individuals opt for a life of uncertainty on the land over potential indentured servitude

Culture:

While Sky cultures vary greatly from Island to Island and among Exiled, there are common beliefs and traditions spread throughout the Republic. 

Much of their cultures center around creation of art, music, food and fashion. To create is the highest form of labor, and to strive to be the best is the purpose of work. A sense of competition, healthy and otherwise, fuels trade between Islands as a baker may seek to use “the finest sunflower oil made of the most beautiful flowers,” and the oil press will seek out seeds from “sunflowers of ancient lineage.” The baker will use the oil to create a pastry “in the shape of a great swan, filled with the finest custard and thousand-year crystallized fruit.” As a result, it’s not uncommon for human royalty and nobility to hire Sky artisans to design their wedding feasts or compose operas. (Such commissions are almost always done through a Merchant intermediary.)

The Sky Folk would deny that their size is exceptional in and of itself, but many believe it reflects something exceptional about them in the eyes of the universe and the Sun. They are largest, and from largeness comes grandiosity, luxury and excess. Everything one does, one must do in extremes. Epic poems may last hours. Fashions often reflect those of the lands beneath an Island due to trade and cultural adaptation, but often more lavish and outlandish even among the poorest Skykin citizen. 

Relations between humans and the Sky are chilly in the modern era. It’s believed among Skykin, particularly devout Solarists, that the land (often referred to as The Center of the Universe, to the dismay of some astronomers) is the core of corruption in the world, the source of ‘chaos,’ that which is unpredictable and destructive. And as humans and Flower Folk live on the surface, they are corrupted with social disorder that could lead to the downfall of the Republic if it spread. In turn, humans often see Sky Folk as arrogant, difficult to deal with, and all too eager to dump their problems (read: the Exiled) on human nations while claiming moral superiority. This, in addition to the innate issues when one kin is more than twice the size of the other, lead to Exiles being mistreated and sometimes turning to violence and bullying in retaliation.