Chan, called the Princess of Good Aerial Creatures, the Silent One, and the Glorious Zephyr, was the good archomental of the Elemental Plane of Air, and thus was the opposite and archenemy of Yan-C-Bin, Prince of Evil Air. Her symbol was an eye within a silver circle.[1]
Description[]
Chan's body, such as it was, was normally invisible to normal sight, being an amorphous mass of air some 10 ft (3 m) in diameter (and weighing only 3 lb (1.4 kg)). See invisibility showed only the faint outline of a cloud, but true seeing revealed a shifting cloud ringed in air currents, with darker patches forming vague facial features. She could also will herself to be visible. Her presence could also be detected as a faint disturbance in the air, or a scent like raindrops on a bed of roses.[1]
Personality[]
Chan was a master of calm breezes and gentles sounds, patiently watching the forces of evil. When angered, however, she could rage like the fiercest winds and tornadoes. She was a gracious host to guests who visited her home, though she spent most of her time wandering the Plane of Air, quietly seeking to further the cause of good.[1][2] Because of her actions, she ruled more by reputation than by word.[4]
Abilities[]
As an archomental, a being whose power rivaled that of archfiends and celestial paragons, and who was surpassed only by the gods, Chan possessed a long list of powers and abilities. Like all archomentals, she could shapechange into any creature of her elemental subtype at will, could innately command any air elementals within 100 ft (30 m) of her, and could use the spell-like abilities detect good, detect evil, greater dispel magic, greater teleport, see invisibility, suggestion, and telekinesis at will.[5]
Moreover, while she was fluent in Auran and Celestial, she could also speak to and understand any creature in a manner akin to the tongues spell. She possessed darkvision and was extraordinarily perceptive in all ways; she was also a genius with great knowledge of many topics.[1]
Chan was immune to damage caused by electricity, petrification, paralysis, poison, or sleep-inducing effects. She healed quickly and was resistant to both spells and physical damage, and could not even be harmed by weapons without at least a moderately powerful enchantment. Her great aerial maneuverability and natural invisibility also afforded her protection from attacks.[1][2]
At will, Chan could take the form of a great whirlwind 80 ft (24 m) tall. Once per day, she could control the weather in a 30 mi (48,000 m) radius around herself. She was unaffected by strong winds or other airborne or -created effects, and her mastery of air meant that any airborne creatures attacking her did so at a distinct disadvantage. Once per day, she could summon up to three elder air elementals, eight air mephits, five djinn, five invisible stalkers, five sylphs, four aerial servants, or one air monolith to aid and serve her.[1][2]
She also possessed other spell-like abilities related to her element, being able to mimic the effects of control winds, ghost sound, gust of wind, and wind wall at will; air walk, gust of wind at triple the normal strength, and wind wall at triple the normal strength thrice each day; and wind walk once each day.[1][2]
Possessions[]
Realm[]
An entity of Air, Chan had no need of possessions, though she did dwell in a great citadel called the Palace of Unseen Contemplation, a place of twisting corridors made of the purest glass crafted from the finest sand from the Plane of Earth, a gift from Sunnis. While visitors often got lost in its twisting halls, it was said meditation revealed the correct paths to take. Written upon the walls in Auran and Vaati were numerous observations of the multiverse; Chan was cautious enough to keep the greatest secrets locked away.[1][2][4]
Activities[]
Chan spent her time fighting her quiet war of observation with Yan-C-Bin, wandering the Plane of Air to further the cause of good, and meditating in her palace. She also enjoyed mental puzzles and tests, and would seek out new challenges to solve.[1][2][4]
Relationships[]
Enemies[]
Chan considered Yan-C-Bin her greatest foe, though the two had never met, and fought a war of silent threats and intimidation, covert information-gathering, and observation with him. Her unceasing surveillance had forced him to curb his activities time and again, but it also forced her to take care in her own doings, for he could just as easily interfere.[1][2][6]
Besides the Prince of Evil Air, Chan counted as her only enemy the demon lord Lissa'aere, a determined opponent who sometimes aided Yan-C-Bin against Chan.[1] Less seriously, she had a great rivalry with Ben-hadar, the good archomental of Water, and refused to help him or anyone who was allied with him.[2]
Allies[]
Chan counted as allies Talisid and the Five Companions, considering Sathia a close friend and Kharash a kindred spirit. She was also on good terms with the deities Koriel, Syranita, and Aerdrie Faenya.[1]
She also worked with Ty-h'kadi, at times allying with him to fend off invaders into the Plane of Air together, but at other times his more tempestuous nature drove him into destructive fits. She always sought to stop him before he harmed anyone during those outbreaks, and her presence could calm him quicker than any other being in the multiverse, but sometimes she was forced to battle him to subdue him.[1]
After she heard rumor that Zaaman Rul, the good archomental of Fire, was the son of his predecessor Bristia Pel, she took the possibility, however unlikely, seriously enough to secretly watch over him as a kind of surrogate mother. She sometimes prevailed upon Ehkahk, the archomental of Smoke, to provide her with information regarding Zaaman Rul's activities, though his selfish nature made it a tenuous alliance.[1]
Servitors[]
Though she gathered no armies, Chan was followed by a large complement of air elementals, sylphs, djinn, and other aerial creatures;[1][4] and arrowhawks, air mephits, invisible stalkers, air weirds, and spirits of the air watched over her realm in her name.[1] Her servants did what they knew she would want them to do more often than simply obeying actual orders.[4]
Chan could also call upon the aid of ki-rin, hollyphants, shedu, and senmurvs. On the Material plane, she was revered by some aarakocra, avariel, cloud giants, giant eagles, pegasi, and other avian creatures; additionally, many goodly monks found inspiration in her ideals of quiet contemplation and stewardship, and a number of monasteries used titles (such as "Master of the North Winds") that were considered to reference and honor Chan.[1]
History[]
Chan, like the three other Princes of Elemental Good, was said to have been birthed by the Elemental Planes to balance out the Princes of Elemental Evil. But in the Age Before Ages, many of the archomentals involved themselves in the great war between Law and Chaos. Chan, like her compatriots, originally joined the Wind Dukes of Aaqa who fought for Law, only to be dismayed to discover that Yan-C-Bin also fought alongside them. Consequently, she ceased her involvement in the war.[5]
Rumors & Legends[]
Though Chan and Yan-C-Bin had never actually met each other, nor fought each other with armies, it was said that one day the two would meet- and only one would survive that day.[6]
Appendix[]
Appearances[]
Video Games
External Links[]
- Chan article at the Baldur's Gate Wiki, a wiki for the Baldur's Gate games.
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. 46–47.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 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 4.4 Monte Cook and William W. Connors (December 7, 1998). The Inner Planes. Edited by Michele Carter and Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 25–26. 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.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Monte Cook, ed. (1998). Monstrous Compendium Planescape Appendix III. Edited by Michele Carter and Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 18. ISBN 0-7869-0751-7.