Archomental

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Archomentals are powerful exemplary beings of the Elemental Planes and rulers over the elementals. Although they are not truly rulers of their planes, archomentals like to consider themselves as much and often grant themselves regal titles like Prince or Princess. They are compared in the source material to the archfiends or celestial paragons, and are considered to be the elemental equivalent of such beings.

Evil archomentals

The evil archomentals are collectively known as the Princes of Elemental Evil. The five most famous include:

  • Cryonax: Prince of Evil Cold Creatures
  • Imix: Prince of Evil Fire Creatures
  • Olhydra: Princess of Evil Water Creatures

Two further archomentals, Uzrith of Earth and Alyolvoy of Water, are mentioned in "The Mud Sorcerer's Tomb" in Dungeon #37. They are powerful and possessive evil elemental beings who created at least one of seven magical vessels called the Ships of Earth and Sea, which have the ability to move on the earth and underwater as well as on the surface of the sea. The two are fierce rivals of one another.

Good archomentals

The good archomentals are collectively known as the Elemental Princes of Good. The four most famous include:

  • Chan: Princess of Good Air Creatures
  • Sunnis: Princess of Good Earth Creatures

Para-archomentals

Three other archomentals are first mentioned in Manual of the Planes (1987).

  • Bwimb: Prince of Ooze Creatures
  • Ehkahk: Prince of Smoke Creatures

Quasi-archomentals

Similar beings ruling the quasielementals include:

  • Gazra, "the Shifting Emperor," a lord of the quasielemental plane of Ash.
  • Crystalle, Lord of Minerals, the most powerful of the mineral quasielementals.
  • Alu Kahn Sang, a chaotic evil dust quasielemental. This High General or the Wind of Destruction leads a legion of other dust quasielementals on a campaign of destruction and violence.
  • Ty-h'kadi, Prince of Thunder and Lightning, Lord of Storm Elementals.
  • Sun Sing, Viceroy of the Vacuum.

Creative origins

The Elemental Princes of Evil were created by Lewis Pulsipher for the 1981 Fiend Folio. The Elemental Princes of Good were created by Monte Cook for the 1998 Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix III.

Bibliography

  • Cook, Monte. "Four in Darkness: A Guide to Elemental Evil." Dragon #285. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2001.
  • -----. Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix III. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1998.
  • -----. Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2001.
  • Cook, Monte, and William W. Connors. The Inner Planes. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1998.
  • Grubb, Jeff. Manual of the Planes. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1987.
  • Jansing, Eric, and Kevin Baase. "Princes of Elemental Evil: The Archomentals." Dragon #347. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2006.
  • -----. "Princes of Elemental Good: The Archomentals, Part II." Dragon #353. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2007.
  • Kestral, Gwendolyn, et al. Monster Manual IV. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2006.
  • Mearls, Mike, Greg Bilsand, and Robert J. Schwalb. Monster Manual 3. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2010.
  • Mentzer, Frank, and Paul Jaquays. Egg of the Phoenix. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1987.
  • Shel, Mike. "The Mud Sorcerer's Tomb." Dungeon #37. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1992.
  • Turnbull, Don, ed. Fiend Folio. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1981.

    Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

Topic Type Description Product Page/Card/Image

Archomentals Deity Dragon magazine #347 29-41, 76
Archomentals Deity Manual of the Planes, AD&D 1e 35, 40, 45, 49, 53
Archomentals Deity Oerth Journal #11 12
Archomentals Deity Reference SEE Elemental Princes of Evil