Akadi

Akadi (pronounced ah-KAH-dee ), the Queen of Air, was the embodiment of the element of air and goddess of elemental air, speed, and flying creatures. As an immortal being of freedom and travel, she instructed her followers to move as much as possible from place to place and from activity to activity.

History
Technically, Akadi was not a true goddess but a primordial, a member of an elemental race once in competition with the gods before they were driven away to Abeir. As one of the few primordials who did not war with the gods, Akadi remained in power on Toril.

Akadi was considered one of the four elemental deities, a god who remained unchanged by history and the passage of time.

Relationships
Akadi had many allies, including Quorlinn and Syranita, but she was enemies with Grumbar, the elemental god of earth and a fellow greater power. The archomental Yan-C-Bin wanted to challenge her power, but in truth Akadi had no superiors among aerial beings.

Although a primordial and not a god, Akadi acquired a fey aspect, and under the name Aerdrie Faenya has functioned as an active member of the Seldarine for millennia uncounted.

Worshipers
Akadi, like all the elemental gods, with the exception of Kossuth, had a very small following. Being a greater power, she did not care much for her group of followers, and usually required a fitting sacrifice. One example was the burning of incense that was carried to her on the winds, a necessary action before she would recognize her followers. Appeals to Akadi could affect or change the winds, such as producing a strong current of air or creating a bout of rain, but would not bring about or end more severe storms, which lay within the portfolio of Talos, or if at sea, Umberlee.

Traveling across the extensive lands of Faerûn, listening to the howl of the many winds, spreading the word of Akadi's glory, and spontaneously choosing to act upon the interests of the moment were the most common of the activities that the followers of Akadi took part in. Also, occasionally clerics of Akadi became absorbed in something called a "life experiment", an absolute goal of either a useful or personal manner. For example, one cleric might have been devoted to raising sleeker and faster hawks or running hounds, another might try and deduce how orcs accommodated to powerful windstorms, or perhaps a cleric with a more unique attitude might try and deduce a design for artificial wings on cats.

Before dawn, clerics of Akadi prayed for their divine spells so they were able to chant their incantations on the morning winds. The church of Akadi did not have many official holidays, and there was only one holy day of the order, which was Midsummer. Worshipers gathered in the Shaar, at the ruins of Blaskaltar, where the first shrine to Akadi was constructed. The ancient shrine itself was lost to many years of erosion by wind and rain. The chant of heroes of their faith was spoken, while new names were added to the list of those who died during the past year.

Orders
The followings of Akadi were often divided into small sects, and these sects varied in the manner in which they spread her dogma, though were similar in their practices.
 * The Whisper: This sect worked quietly, trying to discreetly bring about change.
 * The Roar: This group dedicated to Akadi were those who openly preached the Lady of Air's dogma.
 * The Azure Guard: This elite guard of a dozen female air genasi fighters served as Akadi's proxies on the Elemental Plane of Air.

Worship in Zakhara
On the continent of Zakhara, Akadi was called one of the cold gods of the elements. As they were seen as uncaring for human affairs, they were considered opposed to the Land of Fate's pervasive culture of Enlightenment. Only a few Zakharans were willing to worship a cold god in order to gain power.

Worship in the Hordelands
Within the Hordelands, Akadi was known as Teylas, also called the Lord of the Sky and Lord of Storms, and was the God of Heaven to the nomads of the steppe.

Teylas monitored the nomads and herdsmen of the great steppes, sending rain and blessings to protect them from evil spirits. He also sent savage storms when he was angered to strike at his enemies.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
Ed Greenwood initially used Misha, one of Michael Moorcock's Elemental gods as found in the original Deities & Demigods, as the elemental lord of air for his home Dungeons & Dragons campaign set in the Forgotten Realms. As Greenwood indicated in his article "Down-to-earth Divinity" in Dragon #54 (October 1981), Moorcock's elemental gods "may later be replaced in [his] universe by "official" AD&D beings as these are published". Akadi first appeared in the original Manual of the Planes (1987), and was featured as one of the elemental lords for the Forgotten Realms in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Set's "Cyclopedia of the Realms" booklet (1987).

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
Akadi was described in the hardback Forgotten Realms Adventures (1990), the revised Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (1993) in the "Running the Realms" booklet, and Faiths & Avatars (1996).

Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition (2000-2007)
Akadi appears as one of the major deities of the Forgotten Realms setting again, in Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (2001), the Deities web enhancement, and is further detailed in Faiths and Pantheons (2002).

Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-Present)
Akadi appears in the fourth edition as a primordial, not a god.