Skylings

To get caught up on the basics of Skylings, read here.

Skylings are a species made by Olive Waffles/Doggerwoofle for their Splatroad story, but were incorporated into Permafrost for personal idea reasons. Despite existing in this world, Permafrost is not Splatroad related, rather it is Shockwave related instead (see splatroad wiki linked above).

## Appearance

Skylings are basically Inklings with finlike wings who are capable of flight. Their ink, eyes, skin color, etc. can all vary in the meantime, and though their clothes can also vary, most are usually seen wearing light armor.

Despite the wings seemingly made out of fins, they are capable of flying thanks to magic (in Permafrost's world). It is possible for the Skylings in the world to lose the magic and therefore lose their flight.

The wings can all come in various shapes, colors, and sizes, but it is possible for more than one Skyling to have the same wing pattern. Sometimes hybrids will have different patterns on their wings, and in the case of ink wing Skylings (a variant of Skylings), they are simply made of ink manipulated by magic.

They are still attached to their body though, so they are unable to be retracted (unless a mutation allows for it) fully into the body. The wings can fold up and cling to the body, but cramping the wings for longer than needed is not recommended. They can also be pulled/stretched out, which again, is ill-advised if done for too long.

They are mostly Inklings since they are mostly Japanese Flying Squid. However, hybridism with other species like Octolings is possible. In permafrost's case, there are variants like the Ashwing (Pyroling), Icewing (Rinkling), and Wavewing (Sprinkling).

## Powers

A Skyling's main power is flight, provided to them by magic. Other than being able to shift into squid form (though their squid form has wings), they have no other noted powers at a base. Some are capable of wielding swords or dart guns in a battle, though this is mostly learned and not something they can do immediately. Armor will also weigh down their flight, so they usually wear light materials.

Hybrids are more likely to have powers, depending on the species. They may gain special ink or kinesis (if they are part Pyroling, Rinkling, etc), but they may also simply gain nothing (if they are part normal Octoling, Cuttleling, etc).

**Their weaknesses at a base (since hybrids may not have such weaknesses) are:**

Cold: Skylings are weaker to cold because their wings get shaky and it's harder to fly. Since there isn't any sort of wing cover other than spells to protect from cold, it's a little harder to steer and/or focus during winter snow or other decently cold times. Also, the cold can sometimes lock their wings up (similar to paralysis) and prevent them from flying until warmed back up or rested again.

Excessive Heat: Causes them to tire out in a shorter time if exposed to the sun for too long, especially if they're wearing enough armor.

Storms: Under the idea of strong winds and lightning, or possibly blizzards, Skylings have a hard time flying against strong winds, and if other elements like temperature (cold) or direct threats like lightning are added to the mix, it's a high risk to fly through a storm.

Airborne materials: Weapons, vehicles, maybe even birds. If they're not looking where they're going, it'll be dangerous.

Injury/other status effects: Though obvious, if the wings are injured or their bodies are too pained to move, the Skyling is at a disadvantage in a fight.

Being tired/Under an influence of something: Anything that messes with their focus can mess with their ability to fly and/or attack.

## History

In the original Splatroad lore, they evolved from Japanese Flying Squid and developed working wings by themselves that could carry their weight and armor without a problem. They also beat Inklings and Octolings countless times in wars simply because they could fly, until both species teamed up against them and defeated them once and for all. Of course, this left many plot holes and questions around, so Skylings have been modified to allow for a better explanation.

In Permafrost lore, they were created when a Flying Squid Inkling magic user sought out a magic gemstone to grant them working wings (despite them being made out of fins, as they were magic boosted). Because of this, all Skylings in Permafrost have magic in them. The gemstone is still around, but should it be shattered, all Skyling wings will either fall limp and remain useless or disappear entirely. This includes hybrids as well.

As for history, the Skylings waged war against the Rinklings and the Pyrolings due to territory disputes and establishing of dominance. The Rinklings were pitied upon by an ice spirit named Misty, who gave them the Nitro Weapons to kill and freeze countless Skylings in retaliation. This led the Skylings to back off from the Ice Kingdom, but still attack the Fire Kingdom, who had a rougher time beating them and the Rinklings together (though not as allied forces). The Sprinklings eventually stopped the warring between the three after being tired of the wars interfering with their lives. No wars have been brought up since.