Subtypes

This species of Shiji-Long lives high in the mountains, far above most other settlements, where the air grows thin and the winds are strong. Compared to their cousins, Air Shiji are usually smaller and leaner, with light bodies made for navigating the skies. They are mostly feathered and furred, with their coats often growing into long, flowing, wing-like shapes that help them keep their balance while flying through heavy winds. Some Air Shiji can also possess multiple pairs of wings, making their silhouettes especially varied. Air Shiji can appear in many different colours, but their coats almost always resemble the sky in some way. Some carry the soft colours of dawn, others the clear shades of a bright day or the deep tones of the night sky. Rarer patterns may resemble stars, distant galaxies, or other celestial sights.

Their magic is closely tied to the air around them. Many possess passive state magic that allows their bodies to partially or fully turn into air, smoke, or clouds. Others wield active or passive elemental magic connected to wind, air, or smoke. Old stories even claim that the storms raging across Shengdao are born whenever these wind dragons roam the skies.

Most Air Shiji rarely travel below the cloud line. Their cities are built high above the clouds, hidden among the tallest mountains and peaks. Because of this isolation, they rely heavily on what can be found at these heights, harvesting the plants that manage to grow there and hunting the creatures that inhabit the highest mountain regions.

Visitors from the lands below are rare, and Air Shiji are not known for inviting outsiders into their homes. It has happened before, but being welcomed into one of their cities is considered an unusual privilege.

Unlike some other clans, the Air Shiji are not currently guided by their Elder. Their Elder's whereabouts are currently unknown, and in their absence, the clan is led by a council. The council oversees their cities and communities and has taken on the responsibilities that might otherwise have fallen to their Elder.

Despite their Elder's absence, their devotion to the Elders remains particularly visible in their architecture. Air Shiji are known for creating some of the greatest temples dedicated to them, built high among the mountains and reaching into the skies above the clouds.