Akadi
| Akadi | ||
|---|---|---|
 A cloud |
||
| Aliases | Teylas, the Lady of Air, the Lady of the Winds, Queen of Air | |
| Alignment | True Neutral | |
| Divine Rank | Greater Goddess / Primordial | |
| Pantheon | Faerûn, Hordelands, Zakharan | |
| Portfolio | Air, Flight, Movement | |
| Domains | 3E: Air, Illusion, Travel, Trickery 5E: Tempest |
|
| Home Plane | Great Wheel/World Tree: The Great Funnel (Elemental Plane of Air) World Axis: Sky Home |
|
| Worshippers | Genasi, Rangers, Druids, Sailors | |
| Favoured Weapon | A Whirlwind (Heavy Flail) | |
Akadi is the goddess of Air in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. One of four primordial elemental Lords who elected to remain in Toril after the planet was divided by Ao.
She is the goddess of freedom, flight and movement. However without any consistent teachings or recognized church, she is not particularly popular and her followers are classed as cultists or cliques rather than an actual religion, mostly because the elemental gods aren't really interested in what people do, just so long as they promote their preferred element somehow. This also means her "doctrine" can vary from congregation to congregation as Akadian priests fabricate their own sermons, resulting in frequently changing demographics as members disagree, leave, and start their own cults elsewhere, giving them a reputation as being untrustworthy. Regardless of doctrine or interpretation, Akadi can be motivated to action by her followers but typically only bothers when they make large offerings to her, providing the argument that she only cares when she is bribed.
During the Time of Troubles, she was not spotted anywhere. She is depicted as a blue-skinned humanoid with wings, but has never been seen in this form and in fact has only ever been witnessed twice in avatar form at all, which actually manifests as a huge column of swirling wind similar to a tornado with a voice that can be heard for miles in every direction. If she does have to exert her will on the world, she usually does it through a servant like an elemental or an aerial creature.
So out of the four elemental lords, only Kossuth has what could be measured as an organised religion, because it's quite easy to make and spread fire. Non-magical followers of Akadi can only really store up farts and pass gas in their efforts to "make wind".
Even as a patron of the Air, there are plenty of other deities who include air in their portfolios but couple them with actual teachings and lessons.
| The Deities of Forgotten Realms | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawful | Neutral | Chaotic | |
| Good | Ilmater • Nobanion • Torm • Tyr | Chauntea • Deneir • Eldath • Enlil • Gwaeron Windstrom • Lathander • Mielikki • Milil • Mystra • Shiallia | Lliira • Lurue • Selûne • Sharess • Sune • Tymora • Valkur |
| Neutral | Azuth • Helm • Hoar • Jergal • Kelemvor • Red Knight • Savras • Siamorphe • Ulutiu | Akadi • Ao • Auppenser • Gond • Grumbar • Istishia • Karsus • Kossuth • Oghma • Silvanus • Tempus • Ubtao • Waukeen | Finder Wyvernspur • Ibrandul • Leira • Mask • Shaundakul • Uthgar |
| Evil | Asmodeus • Bane • Gargauth • Gilgeam • Iyachtu Xvim • Loviatar | Auril • Bhaal • Myrkul • Shar • Velsharoon | Beshaba • Cyric • Garagos • Malar • Moander • Talona • Talos • Umberlee |
| The Deities & Faiths of Zakhara | |
|---|---|
| The Great Gods | Hajama • Hakiyah • Haku • Jisan • Kor • Najm • Selan • Zann |
| The Local Gods & Faiths | Bala • Jarmik • Jauhar • Vataqatal • Kahin • Temple of Ten Thousand Gods |
| The Savage Gods | Akadi • The Faceless God • Grumbar • Istishia • Kar'r'rga • Kiga • Kossuth • The Lost One • Lotha • Migal • Ragarra • Shajar • Thasmudyan |
Aspects[edit | edit source]
Aerdrie Faenya[edit | edit source]
| Aerdrie Faenya | ||
|---|---|---|
|
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| Aliases | Bringer of Rain and Storms, Lady of Air and Wind, Queen of the Avariel, She of the Azure Plumage, the Winged Mother | |
| Alignment | Chaotic Good | |
| Divine Rank | Intermediate Goddess | |
| Pantheon | Seldarine | |
| Portfolio | Avariel, Flying Creatures, Rain | |
| Domains | 3E: Air, Animal, Chaos, Elf, Good, Storm 5E: Tempest, Trickery |
|
| Home Plane | Great Wheel: Arvandor (Arborea), Alfheim (Ysgard) World Tree/World Axis: Arvandor |
|
| Worshippers | Avariel Elves, Bards, Druids, anyone with wings | |
| Favoured Weapon | Thunderbolt (Quarterstaff) | |
In the 4e transition, it transpired that the elven goddess Aerdrie Faenya had been a fey aspect all along, despite being a member of the Seldarine since practically forever, and despite being a multispheric, interloper deity (while Akadi is restricted to Toril). In 5e, however, that retcon was undone, making Akadi and Aerdrie separate entities again.
Aerdrie is immensely more popular than Akadi because she is the patron of flying creatures and the sky, rather than just "Air" so she finds worship and reverence amongst many of the winged races, as well as land bound people who pray for good weather or protection from storms. She also is said to represent the Elven race's expression of freedom and impulse.
Although "Good", she is also considered to be far more chaotic and flighty than the other members of the Seldarine, therefore her realm, which ostensibly remains part of Arvandor, swings philosophically between the realms of Arborea and Ysgard (at least in the Great Wheel cosmology).