Anemoi (4e Race)

Anemoi

From Antioch C2nd A.D., Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Carefree, mountain-dwelling humanoids who take to the skies with large wings and hollow bones.

Racial Traits

Average Height: 4'9"-5'3"

Average Weight: 75-95 lbs.

Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity; +2 Constitution or +2 Wisdom

Size: Medium

Speed: 6, Fly 7 (altitude limit 2 squares) squares

Vision: Normal

Languages: Common, Choice of one other

Skill Bonuses: +2 Acrobatics, +2 Perception

Anemoi Fortitude: You gain a +1 racial bonus to Fortitude.

Mountain Dweller: You gain resistance to cold damage equal to 5 + half of your level.

Tailwind: You gain the tailwind racial power.

Tailwind	Anemoi Racial Power
'You cause a breeze behind you, and you feel it's much easier to fly now.'
Encounter  Racial
Minor Action	Personal
Requirement: Normal load or lighter.
Effect: Your move is increased by your Dexterity modifier until the end of your next turn.

The Anemoi are an old race distantly related to humans, evolving from the first few humans who lived on the peaks of mountains. They developed wings and hollow bones so that they may take flight, making traveling easier for them, and grew smaller than humans to conserve their body heat and energy. They're resilient and spirited individuals, making them helpful companions to have. However, very few know about their existence. This is because most Anemoi choose not to leave from their mountains, and those who do often get lost and never return to their homes.

Play an Anemoi if you want...

• To take to the skies and embrace freedom.
• To be resilient, hardworking, and free of worry.
• To be a member of a race who favors the ranger, bard, and warden classes.

Physical Qualities

Anemoi look like humans, but are, on-average, far shorter due to how they evolved. Their skin has the normal human range, while their hair has the tendency to be any shade of brown or black, with red or blonde hair being incredibly rare. Their eyes, too, have the range of colors that would normally be seen on humans, though yellow eyes aren't unheard of in Anemoi. They're often lean, though most of their muscle reside in their backs and large, feathered wings that are not dissimilar to a bird's. Their wings can come in any color, pattern, or size, so you could meet an Anemoi with the wings of a barn owl, and then later meet one with the wings of a finch. Their hair has a tendency to either be cut short or pulled back, to make sure it doesn't obscure their vision while flying.

More often than not, Anemoi wear loose-fitting clothing that doesn't restrict their wings. However, their clothing does also tend to be on the heavier side, often being adorned with furs to keep themselves warm in the colder climate of the mountains they live in. While adventuring, they tend to prefer the feel of light armor, as it doesn't restrict them from flight too much. When they do wear heavier armor, they have to make sure that it doesn't obstruct their wings, because if it does, they tend to express extreme discomfort.

Anemoi live fairly long lives. They can live up to about 150 years, and while aging does affect their bones and ability to fly, their spirit and carefree attitude matches the one they carried in their youth.

Attitudes and Beliefs

On average, Anemoi are carefree and ambitious. They're hardworking individuals who live by belief that the harder they work, the better the payoff. As such, they tend to do plenty of favors for people and never let a debt go unpaid. However, because of their willingness to do favors for people, and the fact that many Anemoi are naive to the world beyond their mountains, they tend to be easily manipulated into doing more unsavory tasks.

Regardless, Anemoi are friendly, altruistic individuals. At an early age, they are taught not only how to fly, but how to be generous and care for others. However, while they might be friendly, they do have the drive to protect themselves and their homes, and will not back down from a threat. They don't tolerate attacks against their mountains and anything that poses a threat to their people, and will get aggressive against those they consider their enemies.

Anemoi also value their personal freedom, and hate being restricted to any task or role. They will try their hardest to prove to others that they're capable of nearly anything. As such, a single individual might have several, varied different jobs as opposed to just one or a few, closely related jobs. However, this tends to lead to impulsive behavior, as an individual may drop a job they don't enjoy in that moment to go take on a few others they might enjoy.

Anemoi Communities

Anemoi live in small clans that rest on mountains, and multiple clans may reside in the same mountain range. Each clan is led by a chief, and when the chief dies, their oldest child will be the one who takes over if they had any children. If they didn't, then the clan will elect a chief. Besides the chief, the rest of the members of these clans are equals. The clans are close knit, if a bit chaotic due to clan members not sticking to one job. Young Anemoi are of great importance, with many adults dropping any other jobs they have to teach and take care of the young.

Anemoi clans are far from any form of civilization beyond the mountains, and they rarely interact with members of other races unless they get lost in the mountains, approach the Anemoi for a favor, or an Anemoi gets lost in the outside world. Anemoi are treated mostly with neutrality, with many other races getting curious about them upon seeing them for the first time. Those who have met and dealt Anemoi more than once find them to be helpful, and gladly welcome their presence.

Anemoi Adventurers

Anemoi adventurers are, more often than not, individuals who got lost from their clans and are curious about the outside world. Despite being lost and confused, they'll still keep their philosophy of working hard and will help out anyone they can. As long as they're free and can help out as many people as they can, they'll be content to keep adventuring.

Three sample Anemoi adventurers are described below.

Volance is an Anemoi ranger with a reliable, if somewhat quiet nature. Losing his way home from an errand he was running, he decided to explore the outside world instead of finding his home. Regarded as a very skilled hunter in his clan, he put his talent with the bow to use and became a mercenary, doing favors and working hard for those who hired him until he was recruited into a band of fellow mercenaries. He now travels the lands with his party, never letting his debts go unpaid.

Sona is an Anemoi bard, whose songs and voice provide inspiration and inner peace to those who listen. Getting curious about what was beyond her clan's mountain, she set out on a journey to explore the world, while helping others on her way. A very talented singer, her ability to sing was highly revered and she took up the task of aiding people with her musical talent, working hard to ensure that no one would find her useless.

Circos is an Anemoi warden with a slight temper and a strong drive to protect nature. Known among as the chief's self-proclamed bodyguard, he was chosen by a nature spirit to defend his tribe and mountain. While impulsive and reckless, Circos is loyal to his tribe and to those who those who find the same value in nature as he does and seeks to stop those who want to destroy it.

Roleplaying an Anemoi

When creating a Anemoi adventurer, here are a few points to consider.

You enjoy helping others. Anemoi, by their nature, are hardworking and won't allow a debt to go unpaid. As such, many Anemoi adventurers end up in their adventuring parties through a need to help or because they feel indebted to a member of their party. Many people find Anemoi useful in some shape or another, so there's plenty reason to keep one around.

You're naive to the outside world. Anemoi rarely leave their mountains, and because of that, they don't know much about the world beyond them. Anemoi adventurers will often get curious about things they don't already know. However, this can lead to a lot of questions, to the point where it can overwhelm others. It depends on the individual's base knowledge of the outside world on what kind of questions they'll ask or how many.

Living in the moment. Anemoi are carefree, and don't tend to live in the past or think for the future. Instead, they care about the here and now, and will act on impulse. If they see an opportunity to show off their bravery or to pay off a debt, they will do it. This can lead to recklessness or can get the party in some trouble, however, so they might need to be taught to not act on these impulses.

Anemoi Characteristics: Adventurous, ambitious, carefree, compassionate, considerate, daring, energetic, fun-loving, hardworking, honest, impulsive, inquisitive, naive, selfless.

Anemoi Male Names: Aeros, Boreas, Circos, Cirius, Cyclonus, Exalos, Gust, Halos, Huricus, Tumul, Ventis, Volance, Zephyr

Anemoi Female Names: Aerana, Avia, Aire, Cycla, Celes, Gayle, Halita, Impera, Mistra, Sona, Tempesta, Tropa, Voxia

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