Queen of Air, the Lady of Air, Lady of the Winds, Queen of Air Elementals

Greater Power of the Elemental Plane of Air
N

PORTFOLIO: Elemental air, air elementalists, movement, speed, flying creatures
ALIASES: Teylas (Hordelands)
DOMAIN NAME: Elemental Plane of Air/The Great Funnel
SUPERIOR: None
ALLIES: Aerdrie Faenya, Quorlin, Remnis, Shaundakal, Stillsong, Stronmaus, Syanita
FOES: Grumbar
SYMBOL: A white cloud, often upon a blue background
WORSHIPPERS ALIGNMENT: Any

Akadi (Ah-KAH-dee) is the whispering wind and the blinding gale storm, her form changing from season to season. Her kiss might be moist and sweet or bitter and cold. Uncaring, she carries sounds and scents along on her journey, but she never pauses to impress upon a traveler the importance of her travels. In religious art she is often portrayed as a huge, translucent blue woman with gigantic feathery wings that trail away into clouds. Her wings are said to toss the winds about the surface of Faerun.

Like all the elemental lords, Akadi is relatively uncaring of her followers on Abeir-Toril. Her reactions are difficult to gauge, and she seems almost an alien being in her responses to most mortals not native to the Elemental Plane of Air. The relative inaction of Akadi and the other elemental Lords has led to their being viewed as only lesser powers in the Realms and their followers being classed as cultists. Akadi is known as Teylas in the Hordelands, a god of the Elemental Plane of Air. The distinction between a female and a male form of the Lady of the Winds makes no difference to the faith.

Akadi does seem to have some small affection for her followers, but most often displays that affection when they make large offerings to her by burning precious incenses that waft to her on the winds-so it could be argued that she only cares when she is bribed to do so. While appeals to Akadi to change or still the winds, provide good flying currents, or bring gentle rains meet with her approval, she grants no prayers to raise or quell harsh storms, as storms lie within the purview of Talos and Umberlee (though she occasionally manages a whirlwind of brief duration but stunning force). During the Time of Troubles, she was not spotted in the Realms.

Akadi's Avatar (30-HD Air Elemental, Cleric 30, Mage 30)

Akadi has only been seen twice in written record in avatar form on Abeir-Toril. The Queen of Air normally appears as a huge column of swirling winds resembling an immense tornado that towers from the earth into the clouds above (although it only does tornadolike damage when she forms a whirlwind-see below). Her voice can range from the whisper of the slightest breeze through the trees to an insistent roar that can be heard for miles in every direction. She casts spells from the elemental air, healing, and weather spheres and the elemental air school.

AC -4; MV Fl 64; HP 296; THACO -9; # ATT 2
Dmg 6d10
MR 50%; SZ G (160 feet)
Str 21, Dex 24, Con 22, Int 19, Wis 19, Cha 15
Spells P: 12/11/11/10/9/9/8. W: 7/7/7/7/7/7/7/6/6
Saves: PPDM 2, RSW 3, PP 4, BW 4, Sp 4

Special Attacks/Defenses: Akadi normally attacks with focused blasts of air and casts spells. So long as there is air for her to move through, Akadi is considered of the native Prime Material Plane in any crystal sphere she appears in. This makes her immune to the adverse effects of such spells as anti-magic shell, protection from evil/good, and holy word on creatures from other planes. Akadi's avatar may form a whirlwind for three rounds once per turn. AS a whirlwind she is up to 160 feet tall, with a 10-foot bottom diameter and a 90-foot top diameter (if she reaches her full height). The height Akadi can reach has no effect on the damage she does in whirlwind form; however, if she can reach only half her maximum height, her top diameter is only 45-feet, and if she can reach only one-quarter of her maximum height, her top diameter is 25-feet. The incredible winds of Akadi's whirlwind instantly slay creatures of fewer than 6 hit dice within 360 feet of her. Creatures from between 7 and 9 hit dice are struck unconscious for 1d4 turns, and creatures with 10 or more hit dice are stunned for 1d4 rounds. Those who survive this attack suffer 4d8 points of damage.

Flying creatures are instantly grounded by the appearance of Akadi's avatar form, unless the Queen of Air Elementals makes her winds subside to allow them to fly. She often does this, as being stuck on the ground is an insult to all flying creatures (including herself). Creatures struck down in mid-flight suffer normal falling damage unless Akadi cushions their fall.

Akadi may leave a field of battle or the Prime Material Plane at any time by spending two rounds merging with the air, whereupon she dissipates into misty clouds.

Other Manifestations

Akadi has sent manifestations to the Realms more frequently than she has sent an avatar, but even these appearances are extremely rare compared to the frequency with which other powers manifest. The Lady of Air has appeared in the form of almost any normal flying creature, and her voice has been heard as a gentle whisper upon the breeze. She frequently sends an aerial servant to deliver private messages (or demands) to those she deems worthy or useful. A rising breeze or a change in the wind is usually seen as a sign of her favor.

The Church

CLERGY: Specialty Priests, Crusaders, Mystics, Shamans
CLERGY'S ALIGNMENT: NG, CG, N, CN, NE, CE
TURN UNDEAD: Specialty Priest: No, Crusader: No, Mystic: No, Shaman: Yes (if good)
COMMAND UNDEAD: Specialty Priest: No, Crusader: No, Mystic: No, Shaman: Yes (if neutral or evil)

All specialty priests, crusaders, mystics and shamans of Akadi receive religion (Faerûnian) as a bonus nonweapon proficiency. Akadian priests are strongly encouraged to learn weather sense and to acquire skill in playing a musical instrument that involves blowing air through it to produce sound (such as woodwind instruments, brass instruments, organs, and bagpipes) in addition to their required proficiencies. All shamans of Akadi receive elemental air as one of their major spheres in addition to their normal spheres of magic.

Before the Time of Troubles, all of the elemental cults had clerics in their ranks, now, only specialty priests remain. Why Akadi decided to gradually convert her clerics to specialty priests in unknown. Since the Godswar, the Akadian church has added a small order of mystics and an order of crusaders to the church to round out the capabilities of the priesthood. In primitive or nomadic societies (such as those of the Tuigan), Akadi is served by shamans.

Few priests of Akadi ever settle down in one place, so few communities feel threatened or benefited by the appearance of an Akadi priest. Akadian priests blow into a town or village upon the morning breeze and are typically gone by the time the sun sets. A philosophy of incessant movement and wanderlust has ingrained itself into the church of Akadi, and few temples exist to the Lady of the Winds. Those that do are most often open air circles of wooden poles adorned with feathers and streamers that flutter in the slightest breeze. Priests of the faith travel across Faerun, spreading the word of Akadi at each opportunity. They often lecture on the joys that the freedom of Akadi brings, but seldom stop to argue semantics or principles with those who would appose them, choosing instead to sew the seeds of the Queen of Air and then continue along to "wherever the wind takes them." This tendency to sprout high-sounding verbiage has led to more than one Akadian priest being called a "windbag" in several senses of the word.

The priests of Akadi are divided up between the Whisper and the Roar. These are not rankings within the church or even a division between those clergy members with parish territories and those of an adventuring bent. Rather these are distinctions in philosophy of action. Those who follow the Whisper typically work behind the scenes, seldom showing themselves to be a member of the church of Akadi. Members of the Roar are much more direct about their involvement in the affairs of Faerun. The disparate and unfocused nature of the activities of the church of Akadi as a while has left few in Faerun viewing it as any sort of threat, although personally ambitious members of the church can sometimes wreak havoc in a particular region.

Akadi's priests are organized mostly into "churches" formed of small cliques who follow a particularly charismatic Akadian. These cliques shift and flow over time as the group politics lead to some members rising in status, others falling, and others leaving in disgust or empowered by the inspiring message of their leader to begin a new church in a far-off land. This sort of organization is very fluid and often very confusing to those outside the faith, as such folks are never sure who will be in charge in a tenday and therefore who to hold responsible for living up to agreements and contracts. Most Akadians have a reputation for being untrustworthy because of this very problem in their faiths organization. When time comes due for an Akadian to live up to a promise, frequently the answer received is: "I'm so sorry, that's not my job anymore." -if one can find the Akadian the deal was struck with in the first place!

Novice Akadians are referred to as fledglings. Upon undergoing a personally designed rite of empowerment supervised by at least two senior clergy (and usually involving flying), they become full priests. In ascending order of rank, the titles in general used by the priesthood are: Winged one (full priest), Air of the Goddess, Breeze of Light, Zephyr (senior priest), Mistral, Sirocco (leader of a large "church"), and Whirlwind (leader of a very large church or priest of great experience). A priest who has slain or soundly defeated an enemy of the church (usually a high ranking priest of Grumbar or an earth-based creature of power) may add the honorific "high" to the beginning of his or her title. Specialty priests of Akadi are known as Airwalkers.

Dogma: The teachings of the Akadian church amount to a doctrine of finding one's own enlightenment. The church feels that one can only find truth in what one is interested in and as soon as interest fails, all chance of finding spiritual growth has left an activity or place. Therefore, the faithful must move from activity to activity, from place to place, pursuing a personal dream or series of interests and growing through the changing experiences each new day brings. The church pays little attention to resistance to its doctrine; such obstacles will be worn down over time. Few maters are ever deemed so important that the church feels the need to commit itself to a particular cause. The only stance that the Akadian faith takes adamantly is that its members and its priests should not be fettered or imprisoned; such a condition rapidly leads to the onset of depression among the faithful and a languishing death.

Novices in the Akadian faith are charged as follows: "The eternal Akadi is change personified. Each new day reveals to us a new side of her. Strive to be as flexible as she is. Pursue everything that interests you in turn. Look at problems from as many viewpoints as possible to achieve the most creative answer. View life as an art form to create anew around you each day to your benefit and that of Akadi. The freedom to move about and to soar on the breeze of life is one of the inherent rights of every living thing. Fly forth and spread the word of Akadi and show though your works the fresh new life she brings."

Day-to-Day Activities: Each day is an important day in the eyes of an Akadian. The faithful typically rise before the sun emerges to whisper their prayers on the morning breeze and stay up to watch the moon rise over Faerun or glide the dying thermals of the waning day and joyfully speak their evening prayers.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: Each day is an important day in the eyes of an Akadian. The faithful typically rise before the sun emerges to whisper their prayers on the morning breeze and stay up to watch the moon rise over Faerun or glide the dying thermals of the waning day and joyfully speak their evening prayers.

Major Centers of Worship: Few permanent temples to Akadi have been erected. Many of her shrines are tended by a rotation cycle of priests as they travel the countryside, leaving the shrine when a replacement arrives. The holiest site of the Arcadian faith is the mound of the First Shrine of the Queen of Air in the ruins of Blaskaltar in the Shaar. The structure is long gone through ages of neglect; however, the faithful gather here yearly to remember the history of their church and it's great members so that they do not lose their past and thus become doomed to repeat it.

Affiliated Orders: The order of Akadian crusaders is known as the Knights of the Wind's Four Quarters. Its members tend to pursue personal quests and errands for church elders or carry out the ongoing vendetta against the church of Grumbar. Mystics of the faith being to the Companions of the Summer Wind, who tend to be good-aligned, the Disciples of Spring's Breeze, who are mainly Neutral, or the Alliance of Midwinter's Teeth, who are evil.

Priestly Vestments: Priests of Akadi dress for rituals in robes of White, light gray, and light blue, representing the many faces of their Goddess. Silk is a preferred material in vestments, as its flowing nature pleases the Goddess, and rare silks dyed in flowing or rippling patterns of blue or white are highly prized. Many priests wear jewelry of milky opal, crystal quartz, augelite, turquoise, beryllonite, blue spinel, or sapphire, and these are the stones from which Akadian holy symbols are constructed. Air elementals blow fine grit over these gemstones, thereby inscribing Akadi's symbol; the stone is set into a piece of jewelry, forming a holy symbol.

Adventuring Garb: Adventuring priests and Akadian clergy members on the road dress practically, though they favor clothes or accessories of white, light gray, and light blue. They recognize that traveling through the countryside on the enemy element of earth requires heavier clothing to shield oneself from that harsh element. They typically confine their use of silk to a scarf or decorative vest and pack their ceremonial vestments carefully to protect them.

Specialty Priests Airwalkers

REQUIREMENTS: Constitution 12, Wisdom 12
PRIME REQUISITES: Constitution, Wisdom
ALIGNMENT: CG, N, CN, CE
WEAPONS: Any one melee weapon; all other weapons must be missile or thrown ( no arquebuses or other firearms) A nonweapon proficiency penalty is enforced against the use of a thrown weapon in melee unless it is the sole chosen melee weapon.
ARMOR: All armor types up to and including chain mail and shield
MAJOR SPHERES: Astral, elemental air, healing, protection, travelers, weather
MINOR SPHERES: Combat, divination, elemental fire, elemental water, necromantic
MAGICAL ITEMS: Same as clerics, except forbidden from using magical items with earth based effects (ring of spell storing with stoneskin spell in it, ring of earth elemental command etc.)
REQUIRED PROFICIENCIES: Riding airborne (pick one mount)
BONUS PROFICIENCIES: Tightrope walking, direction sense

• Kenkus and aaracokra may be airwalkers.
• Airwalkers may cast wizard spells from the elemental air school in addition to priest spells. These spells are cast as if the airwalker were a mage of the same level. For example, a 3rd level airwalker casts wizard spells as a 3rd level mage. Airwalkers pray for their wizard spells instead of studying to memorize them, and chosen mage spells replace priest spells potentially available for that day. Airwalkers gain access to 8th level wizard spells at 16th level and 9th level wizard spells at 18th level. An airwalker must have a wisdom of 18 or higher and an intelligence of 16 to gain access to 8th level spells, and a Wisdom of 18 or higher and an intelligence of 18 to gain 9th level spells. If an airwalker is able to gain high level wizard spells, every 8th level spell prayed for occupies a 6th level priest spell slot and every 9th level spell prayed for occupies a 7th level priest spell slot. Airwalkers are always able to read elemental air spells on scrolls or in a wizards spellbooks as if they knew read magic. No more then three-quarters of an airwalker's total number of spells available can be taken as wizard spells.
• All airwalkers gain a +2 bonus to saving throws vs. the harmful effects of air or wind related spells or cloudlike or gaseous breath weapons.
• Airwalkers are never injured from a fall so long as the distance of the fall does not exceed 10 feet per level of the airwalker. In game terms, teis translates an ability to feather fall at will (and even when unconscious) for up to this distance limit.
• At 5th level, airwalkers gain the ability gain the ability to assume a wraithform (as the 3rd level wizard spell) once per day.
• At 5th level, airwalkers can summon one 8-HD air elemental once a day. This elemental remains under the control of the airwalker for one hour and cannot be taken control of by another creature. If the summoner is killed or struck unconscious, the summoned elemental goes on a rampage, attacking everyone in sight except its summoner until its one-hour time limit upon the Prime Material has elapsed. It is important to note that the elemental summoned is not a servant of the airwalker, but rather is looked upon as an agent of Akadi that is to be respected. The ability to summon an elemental is granted once each day when airwalkers receive their normal complement of spells.
• At 7th level, airwalkers gain the ability to cast fly (as the 3rd level wizard spell) once per day
• At 9th level, airwalkers gain the ability to cast cloudkill (as the 5th level wizard spell) once per day
• At 9th level, airwalkers can summon one 12-HD air elemental once a tenday. All the same conditions apply as for summoning an 8-HD air elemental
• At 13th level, airwalkers can summon one 16-HD air elemental once a tenday. All the same conditions apply as for summoning an 8-HD air elemental
• At 15th level, airwalkers can move through the Elemental Plane of Air without need for food or water.
• Airwalkers who work together can summon an elemental of greater HD then they would otherwise be able to alone. For example, a 5th and 9th level priest could summon a 16 HD elemental. AS long as both summoners remain alive, then elemental remains under their control, for one full hour. If one of the summoners is killed or struck unconscious, the summoned elemental goes on a rampage, attacking everyone in sight until its one hour time limit as elapsed. It then returns to the Elemental Plane of Air. The participants in such a combined summoning attempt must abide by time restrictions for further elemental summoning apportioned by their levels. In the above case, then 5th level priest would have summoned his 8-HD elemental for the day, and the 9th level priest would have summoned her 12-HD for the tenday.

3rd Level

Windbearer
(Invocation/Evocation)
Sphere: Elemental Air
Range: 10 yards / level
Components: V, M
Duration: 1 turn + 1 round / level
Casting Time: 6
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: Special

This spell creates a pillar of air 5 feet in diameter and up to 5 feet tall per level of the caster. The vertical dimension is decided at the time of casting. The pillar of air exerts an upward force of 40 pounds per level of the caster. If this is sufficient to counter the weight of an object or creature entering the area, such an object or creature rises vertically to the top of the column in a single round. Unwilling creatures are allowed a saving throw vs. spell to avoid the effect. The caster can vary the height if the pillar from the possible maximum to a minimum of 5 feet by concentrating for one round.

The material component for this spell is the priest's holy symbol.

4th Level

Calm Winds
(Invocation/Evocation)
Sphere: Elemental Air
Range: 0
Components: V, M
Duration: 1 turn + 1 round / level
Casting Time: 7
Area of Effect: 20-foot-radius globe
Saving Throw: Special

This spell creates an area in which the air remains perfectly calm. Calm Winds negates the effects of whirlwinds and spells such as dust devil and gust of wind within the protected area, although such spells are not ended. Creatures from the Elemental Plane of Air and wind-based creatures such as vortices and windwalkers shun and seek to leave the area at the earliest opportunity. This calmed area is mobile with the caster and lasts as long as the caster concentrates undisturbed or until the spell duration expires. The caster can move at up to half his or her movement rate and maintain concentration, but no other strenuous actions are allowed.

The material component for this spell is the priest's holy symbol.

Clean Air
(Invocation/Evocation)

Sphere: Elemental Air
Range: Touch
Components: V, M
Duration: 1 turn + 1 round / level
Casting Time: 7
Area of Effect: 20-foot-radius globe
Saving Throw: Special

This spell creates an area in which the air remains perfectly clear. Clear air banishes smoke, gas, fog, and instantly settles particles such as blowing sand, soot, or grit. Creatures in gaseous form are immediately expelled from its confines, and they cannot enter the area while the spell is in effect. The spell affects the area surrounding the creature touched, and it is mobile with that creature.

The material component for this spell is the priest's holy symbol.

Winds of Akadi
(Alteration, Invocation/Evocation)

Sphere: Elemental Air
Range: 100 yards
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 turn
Casting Time: 7
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: ½

When this spell is cast, a 30-foot-diameter sphere of whirling air comes into existence at a point indicated by the caster. Creatures in the area of effect when the spell is cast (or those entering the area of effect while the spell is in effect) must make a saving throw vs. spell or suffer 1d4 points of damage.

On the second round of the spell, the priest can cause a lightning bolt to issue forth from the storm at any target within range, inflicting 1d6 points of damage per level of the caster up to a maximum of 10d6 points. Bolts fired from the cloud behave the way as those created by a lightning bolt 3rd level wizard spell, and all effected creatures are entitles to a saving throw vs. spell for half damage. Creatures within the cloud in a round when lightning bolt is projected make their saves with a -4 penalty.

Every other round, the cloud releases one lightning bolt in a manner and at targets selected by the caster. The cloud produces a total of five lightning bolts before the spell expires. In the intermediary rounds between the lightning bolt, the casting priest is free to perform other actions, including melee attacks, and spellcasting. At the start of each even-numbered round, however, the priest directs the lightning bolt to its target and thus loses his or her normal action for that round.

7th Level

Akadi's Vortex
(Alteration, Invocation/Evocation)
Sphere: Elemental Air
Range: 100 yards
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 turn
Casting Time: 1 round
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: ½

This spell is exactly like the winds of Akadi spell in effect, except that the lightning that issues forth from the cloud behaves like that produced by the 6th level wizard spell chain lightning. A chain lightning stroke inflicts 1d6 points of damage per level of the caster up to a maximum of 12d6 points, and loses one die of damage each time it arcs to a new target. The cloud issues forth chain lightning on the third round after it is cast, the sixth round, and the ninth round. On the tenth round, the spell expires abruptly in a normal lightning bolt (1d6 points of damage per level of the caster to a maximum of 10d6).

Conjure Air Elemental
(Conjuration/Summoning) reversible
Sphere: Elemental Air
Range: 40 yards
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 turn / level
Casting Time: 1 turn
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None

A caster who performs this spell summons an air elemental to do his or her bidding. The elemental is 60% likely to have 12 hit dies, 35% likely to have 16 hit dies, and 5% likely to have 21 to 24 hit dice, Further more, the caster needs but to command it, and it does as she or he desires, for the elemental regards the caster as a friend to be obeyed. The elemental remains until destroyed, dispelled, sent away by a dismissal or holy word spell (see the 6th level priest spell conjure fire elemental), or the spell duration expires.

Whirlwind
(Invocation/Evocation)
Sphere: Elemental Air
Range: 120 yards
Components: V, M
Duration: 3 + 1d4 rounds
Casting Time: 1 turn
Area of Effect: a 270-foot-high cone with an apex 30 feet in diameter and a 10-foot-diameter base
Saving Throw: Special

This spell creates damaging, gale-force winds capable of destroying structures of less than the sturdiest stone construction. On land, the whirlwind appears as a tornado; at sea, it appears as a hurricane. The whirlwind can be created only where there is room for it to fully form, and its formation requires a full turn. It automatically scatters unprotected creatures with up to 3 hit dice, who must make a successful saving throw vs. death magic or be killed. It grounds all flying creatures, who must make a successful saving throw vs. death magic or crash, taking falling damage. Unprotected creatures with 4 or more hit dice take 3d6 points of damage per round of exposure from buffeting, flying debris, etc. and cannot move into the wind (in other words, towards the caster). The whirlwind has the same effect as an earthquake (see the 7th level priest spell) on all structures except those made of solidly constructed stone.

The whirlwind moves at a rate of 30 to 60 yards per round according to the desire of the caster, and the caster can vary its direction by up to 60 degrees per round. The caster must concentrate on the whirlwind for a full round to change its speed or direction.