Archomental

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, 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 such 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.^[1]

Publication history

The elemental princes of evil first appeared in the first edition Fiend Folio (1981), created by Lewis Pulsipher.^[2] Ed Greenwood, in his review of the Fiend Folio for Dragon magazine, considered the Elemental Princes of Evil "worthy additions to any campaign".^[3] The original first edition Manual of the Planes (1987) first used the term "archomental" to describe the most powerful elemental creatures, "great beasts that are individually named and may stand toe-to-toe with the lesser deity-class creatures of the outer planes. The rulers of the various elemental types are called 'elemental princes.'"^[4]

The good archomentals first appeared, along with the evil archomentals, in the second edition book Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix III (1998).^[5]

The evil archomentals appeared in the third edition in Dragon #347 (September 2006),^[6] and the good archomentals appeared in Dragon #353 (March 2007).^[1]

Imix and Ogrémoch appeared in the fourth edition Monster Manual 3 (2010).^[7][8]

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

Ogrémoch: Prince of Evil Earth Creatures

Olhydra: Princess of Evil Water Creatures

Yan-C-Bin: Prince of Evil Air 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.^[9]

Good archomentals

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

• Ben-hadar: Prince of Good Water Creatures
• Chan: Princess of Good Air Creatures - Chan first appeared with the good archomentals in the second edition book Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix III (1998).^[5] Chan is an Archomental, the Elemental Princess of Good Air. She is an invisible entity of softly churning air. Though master of calm breezes and gentle sounds, she can rage like a harsh wind or even a violent tornado when she must. She resides on the Elemental Plane of Air, within her floating citadel, the Palace of Unseen Contemplation.
• Entemoch^[10]
• Sunnis is an archomental. She first appeared with the good archomentals in the second edition book Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix III (1998).^[5] Sunnis is an Archomental, the Elemental Princess of Good Earth. She takes the form of a tall, muscular woman with features chiseled out of stone and is a power to be respected on the Elemental Plane of Earth.
• Zaaman Rul: Prince of Good Fire Creatures, and Bristia Pel the late Princess of Good Fire Creatures.

Archomentals of Uncertain Alignment

Three other archomentals are mentioned in Manual of the Planes (TSR, 1987). Only their names and planes are given; it is unknown if they are evil or good.

Bwimb: Prince of Ooze Creatures

Chlimbia: Prince of Magma Creatures

Ehkahk: Prince of Smoke Creatures

Additional reading

• Baur, Wolfgang. "A Gathering of Winds." Dungeon #129 (Paizo Publishing, 2005).
• Cook, Monte. "Four in Darkness: A Guide to Elemental Evil." Dragon #285 (Paizo Publishing, 2001).
• Cook, Monte. Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil (Wizards of the Coast, 2001).
• Cook, Monte, and William W. Connors. The Inner Planes (TSR, 1998).
• Grubb, Jeff, Bruce R. Cordell, and David Noonan. Manual of the Planes (Wizards of the Coast, 2001).
• Mentzer, Frank. The Egg of the Phoenix (TSR, 1982).
• Mentzer, Frank, and Paul Jaquays. Egg of the Phoenix (TSR, 1987).
• Mona, Erik. "The Whispering Cairn." Dungeon #124, (Paizo Publishing, 2005).

References