Editing Skylands (section)

== Races of the Skylands ==
Humans: Normal humans that inhabit the upper layers of the world.  Most belong to the Justearan Empire, a pseudo Roman empire that incorporates most of the civilized islands.  The Emperors of the Justearan Empire are usually not cruel men, and rule justly, provided the citizens obey their laws and tributes and taxes arrive on time.
Several other groups of humans include nomadic herders, Highland clans, tribal bands of hunters, monks who worship the Dew Spiders and numerous lesser civilisations either under Justearan rule or somewhat independent.
There are even few bands of humans that call the Wilderness home but these are usually nothing more than a temporary Imperial minig colony or a group of savages, barbarians or cultists that have avoided the eye of the empire.

Maotai:  A race of large Manta Ray people that spend their lives gliding along ancient migration paths throughout the upper skies, their culture is reminiscent of Maori, Samoan and other pacific island tribes.

Most Maotia live as herders, tending to their flocks and trading their goods to passers by
They are generally distanced from the other races due to their strange appearance and wandering lifestyles, though it is not uncommon to find the odd Maotai who has settled permanently in a human village, usually due to the Maotai providing access to trade routes and exotic goods sourced from the far corners of the empire.
When not on the move (which is a very rare occasion) Maotai live in small huts made from the stretched skin of their animals and painted with all manner of patterns, usually mimicking their tribal tattoos.

Aven:  While not a true race.  The Aven is the name given to the the many subraces of Bird like humanoids, the major groups being the Eagles, Owls, Cranes, Rooks, and the reviled Gulls, though once powerful and mighty rulers of the skies, the time of the Avens as a race without equal has passed, and they often keep to themselves.  The different breeds of Aven meet in a so called 'Council of Four Wings,' with the exclusion of the Gulls. All aven pay homage to a figure known as the Ancestor, though its worship and even gender differs from subrace to subrace.

The Eagle subrace that calls the southern deserts their home are known throughout the world for their proud nature and skilled stone masons. Culturally similar to ancient Egyptians, the Eagles are a warrior race and masters of warfare with a focus on lighting fast spear charges. While their temples, cities and vast Pyramids are grand sandstone structures, elegantly decorated with sacred artwork on a scale no other culture could hope to match, the Eagle civilisation has been in decline for many years and struggles against a variety of troubles. They were the first race to contact the fledgling Justearan people and shared much with them in knowledge, and the two have worked together in a rocky relationship over the years.  

The Owl subrace dwells primarily in the thick foggy forests that rise from the depths as the air growls colder. Withdrawn and secretive, owls are known even amongst aven as being almost supernaturally quiet fliers and ambushers on par with dewspiders. Often seen with their arms wrapped about their bodies like a cloak, owls have the most extensive libraries among the aven. If one wishes to find information or secrets, one need only look for an owl, but finding one is often a task in and of itself.

The Crane subrace are perhaps the most outgoing of the aven, often visiting and aiding the villages near their islands. With a culture resembling Korean or Japanese, they live humble and rural lives tending to their rice paddies and training their bodies and wits. Living in the bamboo-covered islands scattered about the skylands, they make their homes in either simple bamboo structures close to the ground or in communal pagodas that rise up, covered in alcoves and niches. 

The Rooks subrace are a culture similar to the Celtic Druids of Europe with twinges of Gypsy wanderers.  Inhabitants of isolated forests, builders of stone circles and worshipers of nature. Their temperament is like that of an eccentric or somewhat immature, their behavior may be endearing in small doses but their obsession for "sacred trinkets", pettiness, overly enthusiastic demeanor coupled with their greed can get on the nerves of the other races, they are known for being cunning and are as quite crafty adversaries to those who have made the mistake of finding themselves in a challenge against them. Gifted thinkers and innovators, they see themselves as the only members of the aven that are truly growing stronger rather than weaker though their cousins denounce this as quickly as the Council overrules the Rook's ideas. 

Unnamed (as of this time) not-dwarf Race:  are creatures that while vulnerable at birth, as they grow, they consume rock and creates a creates a coral like shell around themselves giving themselves the appearance of stone golems.  There is no limit to the lifespan and age that this race can become, though as they grow, they slowly lose mobility until they become indistinguishable from the rocks around them.  When this happens, the creature goes into a deep slumber and drifts off into the void to become an island in its own right.
Have an affinity for mining and one group has turned an island into a giant fist that they crash into other islands in order to strip them of their ores.