Caelum

Caelum
Spirit	Shasae
Native Sophants	Caelites
Significance	The realm of air and atmosphere • home to the winds and birthplace of life in Adaris

Caelum is the realm of Shasae, the Primordial Spirit of Atmosphere, encompassing the vast expanse of sky above much of Adaris. It is a realm without solid ground, composed entirely of air, clouds, and wind currents that move in complex, ever-shifting patterns.

Caelum is the source of all winds in Adaris, shaping the weather and carrying the breath of life across the world. It is inhabited by beings formed of mist and air, including the sentient cloud-like Caelites, the drifting and elusive Sky Drifters, and powerful storm-born entities. The realm is defined by its intangible geography, with settlements formed from dense cloud masses and invisible air currents serving as natural pathways.

Though in constant motion, Caelum is considered one of the fundamental realms of Adaris, tied to the natural cycles of the world. It is viewed as a place of both harmony and unpredictability, where winds carry whispers of the past, and tempests serve as reminders of Shasae’s enduring presence.

History

Caelum’s history is shaped by the creation of the atmosphere, the formation of its inhabitants, and the great storms that have influenced its balance.

• The emergence of Shasae – According to myth, Shasae came into being when Daathir, the Primordial Spirit of Earth, recognized the need for an atmosphere to sustain life. Shasae emerged from the Primordial Void, creating the first winds and filling the world with air.

• The First Breath – The First Breath marks the moment when Shasae exhaled for the first time, setting the winds of Adaris in motion. This act is believed to have given life to the Caelites and Sky Drifters, forming the foundation of Caelum’s ever-moving nature.

• The Great Tempest – A legendary storm that once threatened to destabilize Caelum. The Great Tempest raged for days, with winds strong enough to tear apart cloud formations and lightning that illuminated the skies for hours at a time. Some accounts claim it was caused by an imbalance in Shasae’s domain, while others suggest it was a natural cycle of renewal.

• The Sky Serpent’s Path – A tale recounting a colossal Sky Drifter that wandered through Caelum for centuries. Its immense size allowed it to act as a bridge between distant cloud cities, providing a pathway across the sky. Though considered a legend, some claim to have seen remnants of its form lingering in the highest reaches of the realm.

Geography

Caelum exists as a vast, atmospheric realm, composed of air currents, drifting cloud formations, and volatile wind patterns. The realm is in constant motion, yet its defining features remain distinct, shaped by the unseen forces of the sky.

Notable Regions

• The Saelcom– A dense, stratified region of the upper sky where the air is thin, and the light bends into shifting auroras. The Saelcom is known for its prismatic mists, which refract color unpredictably, making it difficult to navigate.

• The Skyflow – A vast region dominated by high-velocity wind currents. These air streams act as natural highways, guiding travelers and shaping the movement of Caelum’s inhabitants. Some currents are steady and reliable, while others shift unpredictably, creating turbulence that can strand even experienced navigators.

• The Tempest Hollows – A region marked by unstable weather patterns, where rolling stormfronts generate powerful windshear and constant flashes of heat lightning. The Tempest Hollows are thought to be a focal point of Shasae’s influence, where the balance of air and energy is at its most volatile.

• The Breathless Gulf – A rare atmospheric anomaly where the winds fall silent, leaving an expanse of still, motionless air. Travel through the Breathless Gulf is considered dangerous, as those who enter must rely on external forces to escape. Some claim that sound itself behaves differently here, carrying whispers from distant places.

• The Cirrus Tangle – A labyrinth of thick, interwoven cloud formations, where visibility is limited, and navigation becomes a test of patience. The Cirrus Tangle is known for its slow-moving air pockets, where the wind moves in spirals rather than straight paths.

Caelum lacks a fixed surface, and all travel within the realm depends on understanding its shifting atmospheric layers. The inhabitants of Caelum, particularly the Caelites, have developed methods of navigating these regions by sensing subtle changes in air pressure, temperature, and current.

Climate

Caelum’s climate is defined by continuous atmospheric movement, fluctuating air pressures, and localized weather phenomena. The realm lacks fixed seasons, instead experiencing cyclical shifts in wind intensity, temperature gradients, and cloud density.

Climate Zones

• The Upper Expanse – The highest reaches of Caelum, where the air is thin and the temperature remains frigid. Winds here are weak, and pockets of near-vacuum conditions create voids where sound barely carries. Light refracts unpredictably, creating prismatic distortions and auroral waves that ripple across the sky.

• The Mid-Current Belt – The most stable region of Caelum, where temperate wind streams regulate airflow. This zone is home to consistent breezes, moderate cloud formations, and occasional drifting mist. The Mid-Current Belt serves as the primary navigational route for Caelum’s inhabitants and is considered the safest area for travel.

• The Lowswirl Depths – A dense atmospheric layer where heavy cloud masses churn in slow, spiraling currents. This region is prone to rolling fog banks, sudden shifts in wind direction, and intermittent downbursts of condensed mist. The Lowswirl Depths often experience silent electrical discharges, illuminating the clouds from within.

• The Tempest Basin – A highly unstable region where rapid shifts in air pressure generate near-constant storm activity. Intense downdrafts and updrafts create vortex formations, and the presence of charged particles results in near-continuous lightning storms. The Tempest Basin is considered one of the most unpredictable areas of Caelum, where even the Caelites tread carefully.

• The Stagnant Hollow – A rare anomaly within Caelum where wind activity ceases entirely. The air here is heavy and unmoving, with an eerie silence that disrupts natural airflow. This zone is avoided by most travelers, as prolonged exposure to its stillness can cause disorientation and fatigue.

Caelum’s climate is in a constant state of flux, with wind patterns acting as the primary force shaping its environment. While some areas maintain stable conditions, others shift unpredictably, influenced by the greater atmospheric currents of Adaris.

Flora and fauna

The flora and fauna of Caelum are adapted to an existence without solid ground, thriving within air currents, cloud formations, and atmospheric pressure shifts. Many of these lifeforms are ephemeral, shifting with the winds, while others are semi-solid, composed of condensed mist and energy.

• Sky Drifters – Solitary creatures that float or glide through the skies for decades at a time. These beings are varied in form, some resembling earthbound animals, while others are more abstract, like floating ribbons of light or clusters of glowing orbs. Sky Drifters are mysterious and elusive, often appearing and disappearing without warning.

• Fael Blooms– A rare atmospheric plant that forms from dense mist. Fael Blooms do not root but drift on slow-moving currents, their translucent petals pulsing faintly as they absorb energy from the surrounding air.

• Waelks– Agile, gliding creatures that navigate the Skyflow Expanse by riding air currents. Their elongated forms shift with the wind, allowing them to maneuver effortlessly between pressure pockets.

• Cirrus Lattice – A complex, web-like structure formed from interwoven strands of condensed vapor. This semi-living entity expands and contracts with changing humidity, creating massive, floating cloud formations that serve as shelter for smaller aerial creatures.

• Maelonex – Massive, storm-born entities composed of thunderclouds and volatile energy. Rare and formidable, Maelonex manifest within the Tempest Basin and are believed to be self-sustaining storms given form. Their presence is often accompanied by lightning surges and violent wind shifts.

The ecosystem of Caelum is fluid and ever-changing, with its inhabitants relying on the currents and temperature shifts to sustain their existence. Many forms of life in the realm appear transient, existing only as long as conditions remain favorable before dissipating into the winds.

Native Sophants

• Caelites: Sentient beings composed of clouds and air, the Caelites are the primary inhabitants of Caelum. They have a ghostly, translucent appearance and can shift their forms at will. The Caelites are deeply connected to the winds and are able to manipulate the air around them. They live in floating cloud cities and have a communal culture, valuing harmony and balance above all else.

Native Spirits

Caelum is inhabited by spirits that embody the forces of the atmosphere, existing within the currents of wind, storm, and air. These spirits are categorized into three stages of manifestation: nascent, mature, and ancestral.

Nascent Spirits

These are newly formed spirits, often ephemeral and fleeting, bound to the smallest motions of air. They exist briefly before either dissipating or growing into more stable forms.

• Zephryx – Small, playful spirits of wind that move in erratic, swirling patterns. They are responsible for sudden breezes, shifting air pockets, and the subtle fluctuations in pressure felt before a storm.
• Mistrays – Faint, drifting entities composed of near-invisible strands of vapor. They carry whispers from distant places and are said to echo the last words spoken in the air around them.

Mature Spirits

More defined and stable, these spirits influence weather patterns, maintaining balance within Caelum’s shifting currents. They are commonly revered as caretakers of the realm’s natural order.

• Thalvren – Spirits of steady wind currents, responsible for maintaining the Skyflow Expanse. They guide travelers unknowingly, their presence felt as the strong, directional winds that carve pathways through the realm.
• Cymrul – Spirits of cloud formations, shaping the structure of the Cirrus Tangle and influencing the movement of mistbanks. When disturbed, they can cause rapid shifts in visibility, concealing or revealing pathways in the sky.
• Vaeliths – Manifestations of turbulent weather, existing within the Tempest Basin. These spirits control storm formations, determining the scale and intensity of tempests before they descend upon Caelum.

Ancestral Spirits

Ancestral spirits are rare, powerful beings that have existed since Caelum’s earliest formation. They are tied to the fundamental forces of the realm and rarely manifest in ways that can be directly perceived.

• Aeshir the Unbound – A vast, unseen presence that moves throughout Caelum, influencing the formation of wind patterns across all of Adaris. Some believe Aeshir is the first breath of Shasae, still circulating through the skies.
• Kaeloris, the Silent Gale – A spirit bound to the Breathless Gulf, where no winds flow. Kaeloris is said to be the remnant of an ancient storm that was never allowed to break, existing in perpetual stillness. Travelers who linger too long in the Gulf claim to feel its presence as a pressure against their thoughts, urging them to leave.
• Syriln, Keeper of the Sky’s Memory – A spirit that dwells in the Aetherveil, preserving the echoes of past winds. Some say Syriln carries the remnants of every breath ever exhaled in Caelum, holding the history of the skies themselves.

The spirits of Caelum are ever-present, shaping the movement of air and sky. While some interact directly with the realm’s inhabitants, others remain distant, their influence felt only through the shifting winds and unseen forces that govern the atmosphere.

Factions

The inhabitants of Caelum are loosely organized into factions that represent different aspects of the sky, weather, and winds. These groups do not govern in a traditional sense but instead serve as custodians, scholars, or seekers of knowledge within the realm.

The Keepers of the Horizon

A collective of scholars, navigators, and wind-scribes who study the shifting patterns of Caelum. They believe that the winds hold knowledge of the past, present, and future, and dedicate themselves to understanding these movements.

The Keepers map the Skyflow Expanse, track the migrations of Sky Drifters, and listen to the whispers of the Mistrays for traces of forgotten words carried by the wind. They are known for their intricate wind charts and their ability to interpret the subtle shifts in the atmosphere to predict future weather patterns.

The Stormwardens

A faction devoted to maintaining the balance of Caelum’s weather systems. They believe that storms, winds, and calms must exist in harmony, and they act to prevent unnatural disruptions to the realm’s currents.

The Stormwardens often gather in the Tempest Basin, where they observe and, when necessary, intervene in the formation of violent tempests. Some among them are said to have the ability to commune with Vaeliths, the spirits of storms, influencing their path or intensity.

The Shroudcallers

A secretive order that dwells within the Umbral Drift, studying the nature of still air and the mysteries of silence. Unlike the Keepers of the Horizon, who seek knowledge in motion, the Shroudcallers believe that true wisdom is found in what the air does not carry.

They are the guardians of the Breathless Gulf, ensuring that whatever force lingers there remains undisturbed. Some claim that the Shroudcallers can manipulate sound itself, creating moments of absolute silence that even the winds cannot break.

The Aetherborn Concord

A loose alliance of Caelites and other sky-dwelling beings who advocate for free movement and the preservation of Caelum’s autonomy. They resist outside influences that may seek to control or harness the winds for personal gain, believing that the sky should remain untamed.

The Aetherborn often travel between regions of Caelum, acting as messengers, mediators, and protectors of the realm’s natural balance. While they do not enforce laws, they are known to challenge those who attempt to disrupt the skies for their own purposes.

Factions in Caelum are not rigid institutions but evolving collectives, their influence shifting with the winds. Many inhabitants drift between allegiances, their beliefs and duties changing as they move through the ever-flowing realm.

Notable settlements

Caelum’s settlements are formed from dense cloud formations, wind-forged structures, and suspended atmospheric phenomena. These cities and sanctuaries drift through the sky, shaped by the ever-moving nature of the realm.

Nimala – The Pillar of Winds

The largest and most well-known settlement in Caelum, Nimala is a sprawling metropolis of solidified cloudstone and condensed mist, held together by stabilizing wind currents. Positioned near the heart of the Skyflow Expanse, Nimala serves as a central hub for scholars, travelers, and those seeking the wisdom of Shasae’s domain.

The city’s towering spires seem to grow and shift with the air, their shapes subtly changing as currents pass through them. Many believe Nimala to be the place where Shasae’s influence is strongest, and the Keepers of the Horizon often gather here to study the movement of the skies.

Veythar – The Shifting Spire

A settlement that moves with the winds, Veythar is a spiraling, helix-like structure formed from hardened mist and crystallized vapor. Rather than remaining fixed, it follows the natural pathways of the Skyflow Expanse, appearing in different locations over time.

Veythar is home to the Aetherborn Concord, who view its movement as a representation of Caelum’s free and unbound nature. Those who reside within Veythar are skilled navigators of the winds, relying on instinct and experience rather than fixed charts.

The Thunderhold

A fortress of storm-forged stone and crackling energy, the Thunderhold drifts within the Tempest Basin, sustained by the powerful currents of Caelum’s most volatile region. It serves as a refuge for the Stormwardens, who monitor and influence the realm’s storms from within its charged halls.

Lightning surges continuously through the structure, illuminating its jagged towers with flickering blue and violet light. Few outside the Stormwardens dare to enter, as the fortress exists in a constant state of atmospheric turbulence.

Elysar – The Silent Refuge

Hidden within the Umbral Drift, Elysar is a city cloaked in perpetual twilight, where the air is thick with stillness. Built from dense, layered clouds that absorb sound, the settlement is home to the Shroudcallers, who believe that silence holds the key to understanding the sky’s deeper mysteries.

Visitors describe Elysar as an eerie yet peaceful place, where voices seem to vanish into the air as soon as they are spoken. It is said that those who linger too long begin to feel the pull of the Breathless Gulf, as if the silence itself is calling them into its depths.

Caelum’s settlements are not permanent in the traditional sense—some shift with the currents, while others remain tethered to specific regions of atmospheric stability. Despite their differences, they all exist in harmony with the ever-moving nature of the realm.