Wind Lord

Wind lords resemble tall, muscular, sexless humans with smooth ebony skin, shaved black hair and white eyes lit from within. They go unclothed except for belts or harnesses. Their whistling, rhythmic speech sounds like wind in leaves; travelers among them also learn Common but still whistle when startled. Ages ago they ruled worlds across the Prime Material, until the war of Law against Chaos nearly destroyed them; they lived only by forging the Sevenfold Rod and ending the war with it. Survivors dwell in a hidden vale ringed by mountains, reachable only on the wing, where teleportation fails but several gates open to the Astral. This flawless, 72-degree paradise of gardens and pavilions could house ten times its people. Prim and rule-bound, they scold any breach of manners. They eat little, seem to live on air and never age, though disease or violence can kill them. Most are over 3,000 years old, and with one or two births a century the race may never recover.

They prefer talk but fight hard against chaos. All can use gust of wind, feather fall, dust devil and control temperature 10' radius at will, at 4th level or their own level if higher. They fly at 12 (halved in strong headwinds), doubled for a round by a gust, and see 90 feet by infravision and through fog or dust. Air elementals will not attack them or approach within five feet unless provoked; against air attacks they gain +2 to saves, AC and ability checks and take 2 less damage per die (minimum 1). They fight from above with spells and missiles, using feather fall to foil arrows. Their skin grants a strong natural AC; armor or bracers give whichever is better, while protection rings add fully. Morale is 13, up one per level beyond 4th, to 20 at 11th.

All are born workers (Strength 17, +1 hit and damage; staves and knives, or long swords and bows in war) who never leave the vale; after adolescence some join another caste, recognized by instinct. Sword caste: fighters of level 1d10+4, Strength 18/77 (+2/+4), base AC 3 improving 2 per three levels past 4th, specialized in the two-handed sword. Their swords and bows are +1 for them, rising one per three levels past 4th to +4, but lose all magic and rot in 2d6 months for anyone else. They strike barehanded at their full fighter rate, either pummeling or lethal (1d4+4), can make their swords dance three times a day, and under optional rules master martial arts style C and the two-handed sword. Lore caste: paladins of level 1d10+3, Strength 18/97 (+2/+5), AC 3 improving 1 per two levels past 3rd, whose powers target Chaos instead of Evil; they command or turn undead and at 9th level gain combat, healing, charm, divination and law spells. Three times daily they use reveal truth (dispel magic against illusions and disguises only; a creature targeted directly saves vs. spells or speaks only truth for 2d4 rounds) and calm air (stills all wind for 30 feet, bars air creatures, negates sound attacks, three rounds per level). Grove caste: druids of level 1d10+3, Strength 16, the same AC; they keep the vale, judge disputes and secretly aid the wanderers. They gain law spells, use cloudkill, calm air and solid fog three times daily, call a vortex blade once per hour (an air flame blade for 1d4+6, doubled against earth creatures, useless against air ones), and at 8th level summon one to seven whirlwinds once a day (MV 21, THAC0 10, 30 hp, their AC, 4d4 damage) that scatter magical clouds and raise blinding dust. Healer caste: clerics of level 1d10+4, Strength 16, the same AC, with law and air spells, undead command and the lore caste's two powers. Storm-mages and ward-mages are wizards of level 1d10+3, Strength 15, AC 4: storm-mages specialize in air, with daily solid fog and cloudkill and whirlwinds thrice a day; ward-mages are abjurers with daily spell turning plus reveal truth and calm air. The wandering wind lords, rangers of level 1d10+3 (18/97) descended from the captain who scattered the Rod and chased Skarrow the Wolf-Spider, are lawful good outcasts who hunt spider-fiends, fight with two weapons, keep magic arms that never fade, and track teleporters like a hound of law, carrying 250 pounds plus 150 per level past 10th.