Ben-hadar, called the Prince of Good Water Creatures, the Squallbringer, and the Valorous Tempest, was the good archomental of the Elemental Plane of Water, and thus the counterpart and enemy of Olhydra. His symbol was a blue-green wave in a golden circle.[1]
Description[]
He appeared as a rush of pure blue-green water, or as a masculine humanoid formed of that same water, some 18 feet (5.5 meters) tall (or long) and weighing approximately 4,000 pounds (1,800 kilograms). Where his eyes were, the water sparkled like the sun shining on waves, and instead of hands he had a pair of crustacean-like claws.[1][2][4]
Personality[]
Ben-hadar was a gruff warrior who seemed loud, boisterous, arrogant, and aggressive, but on the inside he was serene as a still pool. He was a deeply emotional and intuitive person, and one who would sacrifice himself to save his plane and his followers, whom he deeply cared for and nurtured as needed. The biggest flaw in his personality was his unwillingness to look beyond the Plane of Water. He was easily disappointed, bored, and dejected; and just as easily cheered up by those he cared for.[1][2][4]
His experiences during the great war between Law and Chaos taught him to trust no one but himself, and that evil could come from all sides. He believed that seeking out evil to destroy was a fool's errand and that even evil creatures could be used for good purposes.[1]
Abilities[]
Like all archomentals, Ben-hadar could shapechange into any creature of his elemental subtype at will, could innately command any water elementals within 100 ft (30 m) of him, and could use the spell-like abilities detect good, detect evil, greater dispel magic, greater teleport, see invisibility, suggestion, and telekinesis at will. He could speak to and understand any creatures as if under the effects of the tongues spell.[5] His more elemental spell-like abilities included being able to replicate the effects of bless water, control water, create water, and obscuring mist at will;fog cloud, solid fog, wall of water (similar to a triple-strength wall of ice, and only underwater), and quickened control water thrice per day; and horrid wilting, which he used only on truly evil creatures, once each day.[1][2]
Also like other archomentals, he was immune to effects that would paralyze, petrify, stun, poison, or put him to sleep; healed quickly; and was highly resistant to both spells and physical damage. He couldn't even be harmed at all by weapons without at least a moderately powerful enchantment, and his watery form meant that slashing weapons were particularly ineffective. His mastery of water meant that creatures attacking him while in water were at a distinct disadvantage.[1][2]
Ben-hadar could turn his form into an 80‑foot-tall (24‑meter) vortex of water at will, a massive whirlpool that posed a serious hazard to any creature that was caught in it. He could also affect the movement of boats and ships at whim, capsizing ships up to 210 ft (64 m) long and holding motionless crafts as much as 420 ft (130 m) long. Ben-hadar radiated a 10‑foot-radius (3‑meter) aura of dampness that extinguished any open, nonmagical flames; he could extinguish magical flames with but a touch.[1][2]
Once per day, Ben-hadar could summon up to five elder tojanidas, three elder water elementals, eight nereids, one water monolith, or one hundred tritons to serve and aid him.[1][2]
Possessions[]
Realm[]
His realm was the Coral Reef of Ssesurgass, and his command post there was a massive fortress hidden in the reef and guarded by colossal coral golems. A natural portal in his realm, guarded by a great sisiutl named Triusis, connected it to the Court of Stars.[1][2][4]
Activities[]
The odd peace Ben-hadar had with Olhydra meant that he spent most of his time watching over and promoting the general welfare of those who lived in his realm. He still battled evil when necessary, but warred with no one who did not give him a very good reason to do so. Overall, he kept his affairs and doings private.[1][2]
Relationships[]
Enemies[]
Ben-hadar, unlike the other good archomentals, had no great rivalry with his evil counterpart Olhydra; rather, the two seemed to have a tentative truce and any conflict between their servants was only incidental. Instead, the ooze archomental Bwimb (and later, Bwimb II) was the biggest thorn in the Squallbringer's side, frequently polluting the pure waters that Ben-hadar nurtured. He also actively opposed the minions of Sekolah and Panzuriel. [1]
Ben-hadar kept the marid of the Citadel of Ten Thousand Pearls in line.[1] He had a great rivalry with Chan, the good archomental of Air, and Zaaman Rul, the good archomental of Fire, because of his unwillingness to look beyond the concerns of the Plane of Water; with Chan, at least, the feud meant that he would not help her or anyone allied or serving her.[1][2][4]
Allies[]
Ben-hadar had a truce with Charon: in exchange for that archfiend keeping fiendish troublemakers from using vortexes between the River Styx and the Plane of Water, Ben-hadar restrained his followers from interfering with Charon's own business. Another unusual ally and friend was the slaad lord Rennbuu, who sometimes visited Ssesurgass to admire and transform the colorful coral reefs; Ben-hadar appreciated his art and would provide him with materials and inspiration.[1]
The Valorous Tempest was on good terms with the deities Deep Sashelas, Eadro, and Persana, and he was known to aid the mysterious Water Lion as well. [1]
Servitors[]
Ben-hadar was directly served by water elementals, water mephits, and water weirds, who helped him run his dominion. Tritons, aquatic elves, ocean giants, and darfellan also inhabited his realm.[1]
History[]
Like the other three Princes of Elemental Good, Ben-hadar was said to have been birthed by the Elemental Planes to balance out the evil of his counterpart Prince of Elemental Evil, Olhydra. With his four compatriots, he initially joined the side of Law and the Wind Dukes of Aaqa during the great war between Law and Chaos in the Age Before Ages. However, after Ehkahk and Chilimba, two lesser-known evil archomentals who also fought for Law, betrayed the four Princes of Elemental Good and then ambushed and killed the then-good archomental of Fire, Bristia Pel, Ben-hadar joined the side of Chaos until the war ended.[5]
Rumors & Legends[]
Among the celestial eladrin, there were rumors that Ben-hadar and their Queen Morwel were occasional lovers after they met during the great war.[1]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 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. 44–45.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 Monte Cook, ed. (1998). Monstrous Compendium Planescape Appendix III. Edited by Michele Carter and Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 20–21. ISBN 0-7869-0751-7.
- ↑ Richard Baker, Robert J. Schwalb (February, 2012). Heroes of the Elemental Chaos. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 25. ISBN 78-0-7869-5981-5.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Monte Cook and William W. Connors (December 7, 1998). The Inner Planes. Edited by Michele Carter and Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 55. ISBN 0-7869-0736-3.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 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.