The cool air and gentle breezes of the Sea of Clouds attract a wide variety of cloudkin, from the scaled to the furred to the feathered. Among the latter, there is one as revered for it's breathtaking beauty as it is feared for its insatiable thirst for blood--the fabled Bird of Paradise. There is nothing it loves more than to feast on living flesh. The moment it hears the plaintive cries of a wounded animal, it will swoop down from the skies with talons bared, drool dripping from its beak. Something to bear in mind should you wish to hunt for the bird yourself...

  Have you ever seen a groundskeeper? No, no, I'm not talking of our botanist friends. These are much more up a Clansman's alley?ten-fulm titans born from stone and magic. Whether they form naturally like sprites, or are magicked into existence like golems, I know not. One thing is for certain, though?they feed on the rocks that make up these islands, and add the rubble they produce to their ever-growing forms. The one the knights call Enkelados appears to have an especially prodigious appetite. If something isn't done about him soon, we shall all be living on his back before long...or in his gullet.

  "Where we Eorzeans would employ a chocobo, the Vanu Vanu rely on the Sanuwa--a race of winged scalekin native ot the Sea of Clouds. They use them as pack animals, and as mounts for their cavalry."
"Wild sanuwa are fierce, independent beasts, less like to take a bit in their teeth then their captors' gizzards. The sanuwa whisperers of the Vanu Vanu work wonders to tame the creatures against seemingly impossible odds."
"Completely impossible, in some cases. The one they call Sisiutl has defied all attempts at domestication, the gentlest whisper driving the black hearted beast into a furious rage. Not so long ago it brok free from its wranglers, and has begun to take out its ire on the local populace."

  Mayhap it's because these floating islands have been cut off from the world for so long, but the Sea of Clouds seems to have more than its fair share of curious creatures?and they don't come much curiouser than the paissa. They're mischievous critters with wild, staring eyes, who seem to be in a constant state of agitation. Still, they're no match for a Clansman?all apart from their leader, the dreaded Squonk. I don't know whether it's because he's unusually clever, or especially quick, but he's succeeded in pulling the Rose Knights' breeches down on more than one occasion. Whenever aught of import goes missing from the Rosehouse, you can be sure that Squonk isn't far away.

  The Vanu Vanu are a beast tribe native to the Sea of Clouds, and they're not short of a few decent hunters and fighters. Sanu Vali's one of their best and brightest?a Vanu warrior who wields her twin blades to such devastating effect, her compatriots revere her as a force of nature. The Rose Knights who often come into conflict with the birdmen hold her in equal and opposite regard. The Vanu are wont to put on something of a show before they enter battle, and it's the graceful majesty of Sanu Vali's own war dance that has earned her the moniker “of Dancing Wings.” That said, the only “wings” you'll need to worry about are the steel ones she holds in her claws.