The Vaati (VAH tee), or Wind Dukes, are a race of immortals dedicated to Law. Vaati look like statuesque humans. They are tall, muscular, and androgynous. As a rule, they wear no clothing but usually wear belts or harnesses to carry weapons and equipment. Vaati have smooth, ebony skin, brilliantly white eyes that sparkle with inner light, and velvety black hair (which usually is kept closely shaved).

Vaati speak their own language, which is very rhythmic and melodic. It contains many complex whistling sounds. A group of vaati talking produce something that sounds more like chanting or wind whispering through the trees than conversation. Vaati adventurers also speak common. When surprised or exited, however, a vaati tends to let out a whistle rather than use an exclamation peculiar to its adopted language.

Aeons ago, the vaati ruled a vast empire spread over several worlds on the Prime Material Plane, with footholds throughout the planes. When war between Law and Chaos erupted, the vaati were nearly annihilated. They survived only by creating the Rod of Seven Parts and using it to end the war.

Combat: Vaati are peaceful and prefer to negotiate rather than fight. If pressed into action, or faced with chaotic foes, they display considerable strength and ingenuity in combat.

All vaati have the following spell-like powers usable at will: control temperature 10' radius, dust devil, gust of wind, and feather fall. They can fly at a speed of 12 (some vaati fly even faster), although strong head winds reduce their movement by half. They can use their gust of wind ability to double their flying movement for one round. Their spell-like powers function at 4th level or at their character level, whichever is higher.

Vaati are immune to all forms of aging and are resistant to attacks based on the element of air. No air elemental creature will attack a vaati or even approach within five feet unless the vaati attacks first. Even then, vaati receive a +2 bonus to all saving throws, armor class, and ability checks involving air-based attacks of any kind, and any damage suffered is reduced by -2 per die (minimum of one point per die).

Vaati have infravision with a 90-foot range and can see though fog, dust, and similar air-based impediments to vision.

If they cannot avoid a fight, vaati usually try to gain a height advantage over their foes. They bombard the enemy with spells and missiles; they also use their feather fall ability to foil incoming missile attacks.

More powerful vaati have additional class and spell-like abilities based on their castes, as detailed below. The level ranges given are only typical values, and higher or lower level vaati are possible.

A vaati's flesh is resistant to blows and provides an excellent armor class. More powerful vaati have even better armor classes. If a vaati wears armor, he receives either the armor class bestowed by the armor or his own armor class, whichever is better. Bracers of defense and other protective items that bestow a fixed armor class work the same way. An unarmored vaati wearing a ring of protection or a similar item receives the full benefit of the item.

Vaati have a base morale of 13, which improves by one for each level beyond 4th for a maximum of 20 at 11th level.

Habitat/Society: Vaati society is divided into seven castes. The exact criteria the vaati use to assign castes is unclear to outsiders. All vaati are born into the wergadeam (worker) caste. Sometime after adolescence, a young vaati either joins another caste or remains a wergadeam. In times of need, some members of the wergadeam join other castes where they can be more useful. The other six castes are the houdeam (civil and military leaders, guards, and soldiers), the haikjadeam (teachers, investigators, and lorekeepers), the trygrideam (farmers, animal keepers, and judges), the kheirdeam (physicians and counselors), the vindeam (philosophers, guardians, and advisors), and the bledrudeam (also philosophers, guardians, and advisors).

The vaati employ no badges or markings to indicate caste. To a vaati, another vaati's caste is immediately and innately obvious.

To most observers, even the most open-minded, vaati seem stuffy and overconcerned with formal rules. They are excruciatingly regular in their personal habits and they have rules governing everything. They are quick to criticize any lapse in etiquette. Very lawful creatures usually are impressed by their behavior, but others find it tiresome.

Ecology: Though fairly large and powerful, vaati eat very little. They seem to exist primarily on air.

Although they can be slain or laid low by disease, vaati are immortal. Most vaati are at least 3,000 years old, and many are much older than that. Vaati birth rates are very low; there are no more than one or two vaati children born in a century. The race will probably never recover from the losses it suffered during the war against Chaos.

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