Various archomentals. Starting in the top left corner and going clockwise: Zaaman Rul, Ben-hadar, Chan, Cryonax, Yan-C-Bin, Ogrémoch, Olhydra, Sunnis, and Imix in the center.
Archomentals, also known as Elemental Princes[1] or collectively Princes of Elemental Good and Evil[2], were powerful beings of the Elemental Planes and rulers over the elementals.[1][2]
Description[]
Although archomentals were not truly rulers of their planes, they liked to consider themselves as such and often granted themselves regal titles like Prince or Princess.[1][2]
Personality[]
All archomentals varied wildly in personality according to their elemental natures, but each of them skewed strongly to either good or evil[2]
Abilities[]
All archomentals shared a handful of traits beyond their great power. Their natural weapons, as well as any weapons they wielded, held either good or evil energy (according to the archomental's alignment). They could each shapechange, akin to the spell, into any creature of the same elemental subtype; this change could not be dispelled except at the archomental's will, though true seeing revealed its true nature.[3][4]
Each archomental could also innately attempt (and mostly likely succeed) to gain control over any elemental of their subtype; the rare elemental that resisted such control was immune to further attempts for only 24 hours. There was no limit to the number of elementals an archomental could control in this manner, and it took no concentration or effort on their part to maintain the effect, which lasted either the archomental dismissed it, the elemental (or, in theory, the archomental) died, or, if summoned on another plane, the duration of the summoning spell expired. This effect overrode even the power of summoning spells, to the point that an archomental could command a summoned elemental to attack its summoner.[3][4]
And lastly, the archomentals had a certain number of spell-like abilities in common. They could speak to and understand any creature as per the tongues spell, an effect that was always active, and could mimic the effects of detect good, detect evil, greater dispel magic, greater teleport, see invisibility, suggestion, and telekinesis at will.[3][4]
Known Archomentals[]
- The Princes of Good:
- Chan of Air
- Ben-hadar of Water
- Sunnis of Earth (and possibly her consort, Entemoch)
- Zaaman Rul of Fire (formerly Bristia Pel)
- The Princes of Evil:
- Rumored or Claimed:
History[]
The major Princes of Elemental Evil were rumored to have been sired by the Elder Elemental Eye, making them strange siblings indeed;[2] while the Princes of Elemental Good were said to have been birthed by the Elemental Planes as a balancing force. Certainly, they were all unimaginably old and powerful entities.[3][4] Though Yan-C-Bin was said to be the youngest of the major Princes of Elemental Evil,[12] and Zaaman Rul was certainly the youngest of the Princes of Elemental Good.[13]
In the Age Before Ages, it was said, many of the Elemental Princes joined in the great war between Law and Chaos: Chan, Ben-hadar, Sunnis, and Bristia Pel decided as one to join the Wind Dukes of Aaqa who fought for Law, who eagerly welcomed them as allies. Chan, however, was dismayed to find that Yan-C-Bin also fought on the side of Law, and consequently left the fighting.[3] It was during the Battle of Pesh that Sunnis first met and fought against Ogrémoch,[14] who had joined the side of Chaos in opposition to his then-rival Yan-C-Bin.[15] Bwimb, too, fought on the side of Chaos.[16]
Two lesser-known archomentals, Chlimbia and Ehkahk, were also said to have fought on the side of Law, until during one of its major battles they betrayed the good archomentals, and ambushed and killed Bristia Pel. After that, Ben-hadar joined the side of Chaos until the end of the war.[3]
In the 15th century DR, several archomental-worshiping cults became active in Faerûn. Such cults were ultimately responsible for the Elemental Evil crisis.[17]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Don Turnbull (1981). Fiend Folio. (TSR Hobbies), p. 30. ISBN 0-9356-9621-0.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Monte Cook, ed. (1998). Monstrous Compendium Planescape Appendix III. Edited by Michele Carter and Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 16–21. ISBN 0-7869-0751-7.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Eric Jansing and Kevin Baase (March 2007). “Princes of Elemental Good: The Archomentals, Part II”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #353 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), pp. 43–44.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Eric Jansing and Kevin Baase (September 2006). “Princes of Elemental Evil - The Archomentals”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #347 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), pp. 29–30.
- ↑ Monte Cook and William W. Connors (December 7, 1998). The Inner Planes. Edited by Michele Carter and Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 117. ISBN 0-7869-0736-3.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Eric Jansing and Kevin Baase (September 2006). “Princes of Elemental Evil - The Archomentals”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #347 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), p. 39.
- ↑ Monte Cook and William W. Connors (December 7, 1998). The Inner Planes. Edited by Michele Carter and Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 77. ISBN 0-7869-0736-3.
- ↑ Monte Cook and William W. Connors (December 7, 1998). The Inner Planes. Edited by Michele Carter and Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 98. ISBN 0-7869-0736-3.
- ↑ Monte Cook and William W. Connors (December 7, 1998). The Inner Planes. Edited by Michele Carter and Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 89. ISBN 0-7869-0736-3.
- ↑ Monte Cook and William W. Connors (December 7, 1998). The Inner Planes. Edited by Michele Carter and Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 112. ISBN 0-7869-0736-3.
- ↑ Monte Cook and William W. Connors (December 7, 1998). The Inner Planes. Edited by Michele Carter and Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 124. ISBN 0-7869-0736-3.
- ↑ Eric Jansing and Kevin Baase (September 2006). “Princes of Elemental Evil - The Archomentals”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #347 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), p. 41.
- ↑ Eric Jansing and Kevin Baase (March 2007). “Princes of Elemental Good: The Archomentals, Part II”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #353 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), p. 50.
- ↑ Eric Jansing and Kevin Baase (March 2007). “Princes of Elemental Good: The Archomentals, Part II”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #353 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), p. 48.
- ↑ Eric Jansing and Kevin Baase (September 2006). “Princes of Elemental Evil - The Archomentals”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #347 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), p. 36.
- ↑ Wolfgang Baur (December 2005). “A Gathering of Winds”. In James Jacobs ed. Dungeon #129 (Paizo Publishing, LLC) (129)., p. 47.
- ↑ Richard Baker, et al. (April 2015). Princes of the Apocalypse. Edited by Michele Carter, Stacy Janssen. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 7–12, 20, 112. ISBN 978-0-7869-6578-6.