Rick Steve's Guide to Featherfolk and the Ria Mountains



''Greetings! If you're reading this, chances are you're planning a trip to the Ria mountain chain. Be it for trade, fancy, or to visit the renowned oracle of the mountain, the Featherfolk who dwell upon these peaks are typically very accomodating to outsiders. Though this guide will be unable to help one with the physical climb to the top, we're confident the information contained within will help to make your experience at the summit all the more pleasant. We at Rick Steves' Travel Guides wish you a happy, safe trip!''

02e.jpgGeography
The Featherfolk, by and large, typically dwell on the chain of mountains known as the Ria. Occupying central Midland, the chain spans fifty miles in odd directions, and were said to have been formed when with the catastrophic changes brought by Azrial so many years ago. By and large, they are somewhat inhospitable and difficult to climb - the residents of the mountains typically get from one place to another through flight rather than a traditional, grounded approach. That being said, all of the major cities are at least somewhat accessible, with Featherfolk and their allies alike having helped to establish rough roads and pathways over the years.

Water and food are both scarcely available and plentifully abundant, depending on the location. Some areas of the mountain chain seem to flatten out into valleys where water springs from the rock below. Herbs and hardy fruits and trees are grown wherever they may take root.

Culture
Featherfolk culture is largely similar to those of humans, their assumed closest relatives. Their leadership is largely based on a long standing monarchy occupied by the purest of the Pristines - with those of the Resplendant caste serving the spiritual needs of the people. Featherfolk are uncommonly lawful, with very individuals dissenting from the rules of their king or family. This is likely due to the extremely severe punishments usually dolled out for even the smallest infractions. Travellers unaware of their laws are granted some leeway in this, but should still excercise common sense so as to not end up in a very bad situation. Thankfully, unlike some cultures, their laws are very straight forward and lack much in the way of misunderstanding.

Due to the nature of the mountains, however, central leadership and construction was entirely infeasible. Most featherfolk exist in small communities, the majority of which are housed within one or two tall, grand structures that appear almost like castles to outsiders.

One particular thing of note is that Featherfolk have different lifetimes than humans. Though their stages of infancy are essentially the same up until past the age of speaking, they then begin to develop much slower than their ground based counterparts - typically on a scale of five years slower. A seventeen year old human, then, would be the equivalent of a twenty two year old Featherfolk. This aging continues throughout their lives, though Featherfolk tend to die on average ten years earlier than humans in times of peace - leaving fewer to reach a feeble old age. This means many Featherfolk never have the opportunity to meet their grandchildren.

Popular Cities & Destinations
By large, the grandest destination on the Ria Mountain Chain isn't actually on the chain itself - but in the clouds above it. The sky castle Thais is where the Pristines and Resplendants govern and hold court. It is a beautiful and marvelous place, one with flowing waterfalls and marble architecture. The castle is held in place by the sustained efforts of expert spellcasters who devote their life to an almost monastic calling - spending their days alternating between rest and charging the grand magical battery used to hold it aloft. It is said that the castle can sustain itself for one week on this battery alone.

In addition to this, there are many smaller communities dotting the mountain range that are of particular interest. Examples of these include Coldwell and Montigny. Both of these locales were actually established on valleys that had been carved into the top of their respective mountains. The abundance of land, water, and greenery made them quick to be established as some of the larger settlements to be found - accomodating both the giant sky towers that the Featherfolk are so well known for as well as nontraditional smaller dwellings that are based on the houses of humans. Needless to say, both of these places are very popular trade destinations - and also make great rest stops, should one be travelling the entire range.

One last destination of note, of course, is the Oracle of the Mountain. Most who wish to visit the featherfolk do so specifically to seek out the oracle's council - an undying but aged man who is capable of answering a single question to any who make the pilgriamage.

Demographics
Though the caste system of the old days has steadily gone into decline as time advances, Featherfolk are still rather adamant about preserving the traditions that their particular breeding may entail. There are five (or six, depending on the way one looks at it) types of Featherfolk - each with their distinctive role in society. Unlike some forms of caste systems, it is extremely easy to tell one type from the other, as the color of their wings serve as identification. Population percentages are based on recent census numbers.

The Golden / Resplendants (~1% of the population): The Resplendants of the mountain are the most distinctive of all, having shining wings of gold. Popular belief is that this caste was either blessed by the Gods or is in posession of divine blood at some point within their line, much like the Aasimar of the groundbound races. The Golden are raised from a very young age in order to prepare them for positions as clergy or leaders. Of all of the castes on the mountain, they are the most respected - having power second only to the King.

Pristines (~14% of the population): The white winged Pristines make up the noble class of the mountain, and are typically the image people have in their mind when they think of Featherfolk. The Pristines usually occupy places of leadership among the wayward and far reaching populations, though a large concentration of them exist within the Skycastle Thais. They are well known for their intelligence, grace, and skill with magic. It is worth noting that the purity of a Pristine's wings are entirely based on their parents - the child will always have the darker shade amongst the two. Only the ruling family's wings are entirely white and pure, the result of many generations of interbreeding.

Scarlets [female] / Azures [male] (~10% of the population): This caste occupies a strange niche within the Featherfolk society - those born with red (if female) or blue (if male) wings are almost indefinitely geniuses when it comes to the creative arts. Whether it is through song, acting, artistry, writing, poetry, architecture, or any other profession of creativity, the Azures and Scarlets are often highly sought out

Brownfeathers (~70% of the population): By far the most common caste, and likely the one that most travellers would actually meet. The Brownfeathers are a proud and jovial lot, and it is their existance and numbers that leads the continued survival of all of the other breeds. Brownfeathers occupy all of the main walks of life - from soldier to engineer, shopkeeper to adventurer.

Ashwings (~5% of the population): Once thought to be a sign of bad luck, in times past these black feathered people were often held at the very bottom of the social ladder. While they still hold some stigma within Featherfolk society, for the most part that has vanished - allowing them all of the same opportunites as the Brownfeathers they are supposedly related to. Much like them, they occupy a wide variety of niches - although they tend to excel in tasks involving physical labor, as their frames are on average a little larger and stronger than their bretheran. A recent glimpse of the social mobility Ashwings now hold can be seen in Eris of Coldwell - the recently appointed bodyguard of Prince Cormac.