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The element of air was one of the four fundamental building blocks of matter,[4] and the origin of everything that was gaseous.[5] It represented change, flexibility, and freedom.[6]

“
What can withstand the storm's scream? The lightning's spear? The want of sweet breath? Air is the mightiest of elements—respect its power.
”
— Husam al-Balil ben Nafhat al-Yugayyim[7]

Cosmology[]

Air manifested its position in the cosmos as the Elemental Plane of Air, one of the Inner Planes.[8][5] The element was also represented there in living form as air elementals.[5]

The ruler over the portfolio of air in Faerûn and Zakhara was the elemental lord Akadi[6][9]—in the Hordelands known as Teylas[10]—while it was held by Enlil in the Untheric[11][12] and Qotal in the Maztican pantheon.[13] Among demihuman deities, Aerdrie Faenya of the elves held dominion over air.[14] The archomental Yan-C-Bin also announced his wish to dominate the element by calling himself Master of Evil Air,[15] as did, by her very name, the Queen of Air and Darkness.[16]

A number of Torilian powers were concerned less directly with the elemental aspect but with moving air, either as beneficial wind—Bahamut,[17] Eha,[18] Hakiyah, Haku,[19] Valkur[20]—or destructive storm—Anhur,[21] Talos,[22] Umberlee (at sea),[23] and Set (in the desert).[24]

Magic[]

School of Elemental Air[]

Many magical spells utilized the element of air.[25] Elemental air was recognized as a "school of effect" (rather than one of the eight traditional schools of magic).[26][27] Wizards specializing in this school were called air elementalists.[27][note 1][28] Air was opposed to the element of earth, both as a school of magic[27] and as a worldview.[6][29]

Magic-users in Zakhara had a similar, but not identical, notion of air magic in the form of the province of wind. These individuals were called wind mages.[30]

Divine Air Magic[]

A number of deities granted divine spells that relied on the element, either in the form of the elemental air sphere,[31] or the air domain.[32][33]

Celestial Bodies[]

Spacefarers also used the four elements to distinguish different types of celestial bodies present in the crystal spheres.[34] The one major air body in Realmspace was the gas giant Coliar.[35][36]

Appendix[]

See Also[]

Notes[]

  1. ↑ In some areas of the world of Mystara, air elementalists were called aeromancers.

References[]

  1. ↑ Jeff Grubb (July 1987). Manual of the Planes 1st edition. (TSR). ISBN 0880383992.
  2. ↑ Jeff Grubb, Bruce R. Cordell, David Noonan (September 2001). Manual of the Planes 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 68. ISBN 0-7869-1850-8.
  3. ↑ Richard Baker, John Rogers, Robert J. Schwalb, James Wyatt (December 2008). Manual of the Planes 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 978-0-7869-5002-7.
  4. ↑ David "Zeb" Cook (1994). Planescape Campaign Setting, A DM Guide to the Planes. Edited by David Wise. (TSR, Inc), p. 26. ISBN 978-1560768340.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Monte Cook and William W. Connors (December 7, 1998). The Inner Planes. Edited by Michele Carter and Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 6, 20–29. ISBN 0-7869-0736-3.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 24–25. ISBN 978-0786903849.
  7. ↑ Jeremy Crawford, F. Wesley Schneider (February 2025). Monster Manual 5th edition (revised). Edited by Judy Bauer. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 12. ISBN 978-0-7869-6954-8.
  8. ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 256–257. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  9. ↑ Jeff Grubb (August 1992). Land of Fate (Adventurer's Guide to Zakhara). (TSR, Inc), p. 57. ISBN 978-1560763291.
  10. ↑ David Cook (August 1990). “Volume I”. In Steve Winter ed. The Horde (TSR, Inc.), p. 13. ISBN 0-88038-868-4.
  11. ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 94. ISBN 978-0786906574.
  12. ↑ Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 62, 172. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
  13. ↑ Douglas Niles (August 1991). “Gods & Battles”. Maztica Campaign Set (TSR, Inc.), p. 24. ISBN 1-5607-6084-2.
  14. ↑ Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 114. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
  15. ↑ Monte Cook and William W. Connors (December 7, 1998). The Inner Planes. Edited by Michele Carter and Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 26. ISBN 0-7869-0736-3.
  16. ↑ Carl Sargent (May 1992). Monster Mythology. (TSR, Inc), p. 125. ISBN 1-5607-6362-0.
  17. ↑ David Noonan (May 2004). Complete Divine. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 108. ISBN 0-7869-3272-4.
  18. ↑ Douglas Niles (August 1991). “Gods & Battles”. Maztica Campaign Set (TSR, Inc.), p. 30. ISBN 1-5607-6084-2.
  19. ↑ Jeff Grubb (August 1992). Land of Fate (Adventurer's Guide to Zakhara). (TSR, Inc), pp. 48–49. ISBN 978-1560763291.
  20. ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 72. ISBN 978-0786906574.
  21. ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 96–97. ISBN 978-0786906574.
  22. ↑ Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), p. 155. ISBN 978-0786903849.
  23. ↑ Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), p. 173. ISBN 978-0786903849.
  24. ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 126. ISBN 978-0786906574.
  25. ↑ Cook, Findley, Herring, Kubasik, Sargent, Swan (1991). Tome of Magic 2nd edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 151. ISBN 1-56076-107-5.
  26. ↑ Richard Baker (1996). Player's Option: Spells & Magic. (TSR, Inc), pp. 16–19. ISBN 0-7869-0394-5.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 Cook, Findley, Herring, Kubasik, Sargent, Swan (1991). Tome of Magic 2nd edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 9. ISBN 1-56076-107-5.
  28. ↑ Tim Beach (October 1994). “Campaign Book”. In Lester Smith ed. Red Steel (TSR, Inc.), p. 30. ISBN 1-56076-895-9.
  29. ↑ Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 66–67. ISBN 978-0786903849.
  30. ↑ Jeff Grubb and Andria Hayday (April 1992). Arabian Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 111. ISBN 978-1560763581.
  31. ↑ David "Zeb" Cook (August 1989). Player's Handbook (2nd edition). (TSR, Inc.), p. 34. ISBN 0-88038-716-5.
  32. ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 62. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  33. ↑ Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams (July 2003). Player's Handbook v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 185. ISBN 0-7869-2886-7.
  34. ↑ Jeff Grubb (August 1989). “Concordance of Arcane Space”. Spelljammer: AD&D Adventures in Space (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 0-88038-762-9.|74-76}}
  35. ↑ >Jeff Grubb (August 1989). “Lorebook of the Void”. Spelljammer: AD&D Adventures in Space (TSR, Inc.), pp. 92–95. ISBN 0-88038-762-9.
  36. ↑ Dale "slade" Henson (April 1991). Realmspace. Edited by Gary L. Thomas, Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 1-56076-052-4.

External links[]

Connections[]

The Building Blocks of the Multiverse
Elements

Air • Earth • Fire • Water • (Wood)
Energies

Negative energy • Positive energy
Schools of Magic
Abjuration • Conjuration • Divination • Enchantment • Evocation • Illusion • Necromancy • Transmutation • Universal
Schools of effect
Air • Earth • Fire • Water • Dimension • Incantation • Shadow
Schools of thaumaturgy
Artifice • Song • Wild magic
Zakharan provinces of magic
Flame • Sand • Sea • Wind • Universal
Netherese Fields of Mythal
Inventive • Mentalism • Variation
Others
Chronomancy • Hishna • Pluma • Paths of power
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