Cloud Nomads

*"Thrown into the wind are the seeds of civilization. Few grow, fewer blossom. In between these precious isles, we wander sowing and reaping evermore."*

## Wanderers between the continents

The Sisterworld Venus has been a home to the humankind for centuries. Even still the Cloud-Seas of Venusia remain vast and devoid of civilization, safe for few graceful masses of land, suspended high above the hellscape down below.

Between those bulwarks of sedentary life wander those who choose not to oppose the wind but follow it on its tireless journey. These wanderers are known as the Cloud Nomads, often seen as merely one people, even though their clans exist in everchanging multitude and often share as many friends as foes among themselves.

### People of the Cloud-Sea

The Cloud nomads inhabit vast wandering archipelagos, swarm-like fleets and lone vessels like fortresses. Despite its vagrant nature, the civilization of Cloud Nomads follows a tangible order of infrastructure and routes aligned with the tradewinds of Venusia.

At the heart of each clan is a capital fleet or isle, the representative seat of the leaders. It is located at the heart of a massive wandering city, where the knowledge, rare resources, and craftsmanship of the clan are gathered. From here, the knowledgeable and wise venture out to the herders and reaping fleets, where water, food, and produce are provided. These follow populations of Venusian Fauna around the edges of habitable clouds. Their protection is the task of much smaller, agile formations, the defenders, and warriors of each clan.

### The Four

Among the hundreds of clans, four stand out among the many and now have a tradition of leading the lesser clans. In times of need, under their banners, the Nomads stood united and when outsiders seek to approach their people, it is these four who send ambassadors to the nations of Venusia and beyond.

#### Gossamer

The Gossamer are weavers of words and arrangements, grand diplomats as much as deceivers. They keep elusively away from the affairs of grand nations, yet always seem to be there when rare artifacts appear and information of great value goes missing. They trade in luxuries but are said to never indulge in them themselves.

#### Tradewind Merchants

Along the great steady routes of Tradewind, these merchants erected lone way stations and taverns, marketplaces and exchanges for the nations of different continents to barter and trade. The merchants are fierce when protecting their routes, but seek profit and more trading partners rather than foes.

#### Gloom Drifters

Just beyond the twilight of Venusia, the creeping line of the Terminator, the Gloom Drifters wait in the shadows. It is said that during the long dark night, vast creatures roam the nightly Cloud Sea - great horrors bred out of sight of civilization. These are what the drifters hunt and rarely trophies of their ventures emerge.

#### Gilt Reapers

Of the people on Venus, none understand better the flora and fauna of the skyward world than the Gilt Reapers. They live off the nature the humankind has crafted here and for every fruit and prey they take, a hundredfold more are sown. The Gilt Reapers expand the spheres of atmosphere and clouds wherein life thrives and their work is admired by all.