Aerzeebn (air-z-bin)
Shadow of the Four Winds, The Air Tyrant, Howling One
Neutral Evil Elemental Prince
Depicted from the waist up as a tall, thin, elderly humanoid with long hair flowing in the wind wearing rich silk robes of palest yellows and blues, and from the waist down as a spinning tornado-like vortex of air. His most common symbol is an inverted equilateral triangle (tip down) crowned with three rays at its upper base and with a slim rectangular portal centered upon its inverted tip (representing passage to the Elemental Plane of Air).Like that of the other Elemental Princes, worship of Aerzeebn has come and gone many times over the eras in a cyclic fashion as the powers of Elemental Evil have found purchase upon the world via the opening of elemental portals, only for them to eventually be defeated and become temporarily stymied by the closing of their portals. The names of the cults and churches dedicated to him have borne various names over the centuries, and in some cases more than one has existed at the same time.
In the modern era the most recent incursion of Elemental Evil has been quietly growing for a handful of years. Aerzeebn's return to mortal affairs started among scattered descendents of the Cult of Howling Winds. This fell cult has grown in size and influence with the return of Aerzeebn's influence, and has started to spread membership beyond its original roots. However other lesser factions, spin off sects, and strains of Aerzeebn's worship exist as well.
Devotees of Aerzeebn evoke the freedom, impulsivity, and flexibility of elemental air. They tend to be clever, creative, adaptable, but arrogant and mercurial. When they meet resistance that doesn't succumb to their initial pressure, they prefer to flow around, deflect, or find some other way forward. If that doesn't work they'll usually abandon their efforts and try something else altogether. This gives them a furious but flighty nature which simultaneously means they can be stymied and prevented from acheiving various goals, but on the other hand they are endlessly able to hatch some other scheme; this makes them difficult to come to grips with or deal with permanently.
Of all the followers of the Evil Elemental Princes, the favored of the Howling One are the most amenable to accomodation. They can be bought off or negotiated with...at least in the short term. But one brokering such an accomodation would do well to remember that these shifty cultists cannot be trusted. Mercurial by nature, and always working some angle, their promises and blandishments are nothing more than noises upon the wind. They will selectively remember or forget any deal or promise or arrangement, as best suits them in the moment.
It is worth noting that the goddess Skyla harbors a great personal emnity towards Aerzeebn, and her faithful are honor bound to oppose servants of the Howling One whereever they might be found.
Aerzeebn does not have clerics; however druids of the Circle of Howling Winds serve as priests of the faith and act to spread the conversion of new believers and swell the numbers of the cult. Some sorcerous scions whose bloodline carries the taint of elemental air find places of special favor among elemental fire cultists, though there are certainly others who have no allegience to (or even awareness of) Aerzeebn and seek their own destiny. Some swear service to Aerzeebn in return for his dark patronage and arcane secrets (notably, it is usally such a fool who opens a portal to allow Aerzeebn back into the world in the first place), and while such Warlocks might follow an independent path most are cult leaders. Finally, a few practitioners of the esoteric wizardly School of Aeromancy worship (or at least venerate) Aerzeebn, and when such learned devotees are encountered they tend to be in positions of power or leadership among the elemental air cults.
The Cult of Howling Winds
Various roaming and rapacious raptorkin clansfolk of the high reaches, nomadic tribes of wind whisperers of the central plains, and wandering piratical aeronauts of the skies have kept the worship of Aerzeebn alive since his last incursion upon the world. Some of the warriors of these septs are favored with airy blessings by their patron; most notably their mastery over winds increases as they grow in Aerzeebn's favor.
The wisemen and shaman of these scattered septs are effectively the priests of the cult. However, unlike the other Elemental Evil druids, this Circle prefers direct and indirect manipulation of outsiders over conversion. While they will, of course, welcome new worshipers whose zeal is authentic, their main focus is on infiltrating, influencing, leveraging, or otherwise maneuvering non-believers to further their service to the will of Aerzeebn. Their ways are subtle, and favor management of perceptions, rumors, and spin.
- The Barbarian subclass Path of Howling Winds is available to player characters with DM permission; however this cult has a villanous agenda and those who follow this path are among its most prominent foot soldiers.
- The Druid subclass Circle of Howling Winds is available to player characters with DM permission; however this cult has a villanous agenda and these fell druids are prominent furtherers of it.
Elemental Air Origin
Some sorcerous bloodlines trace their magical origin back to an elemental entity or power from one of the Elemental Planes, and air is no exception. During the long years between incursions of Elemental Evil such sorcerous potential tends to remain dormant and unrealized (though a very rare few elemental sorcerers do manifest their abilities even during such times) and such scions live out their lives without ever realizing their magical potential. But when portals to the Elemental Plane their bloodline is attuned to remain open upon the world, the manifestation of such abilities are much more common. Consequently, there has been a noticeable spike in sorcerers of this kind in recent years.
- The Sorcerer subclass Elemental Air Origin is available to player characters. Such characters' bloodlines might ultimately trace their arcane potency back to Aerzeebn, or some other entity or power native to the Plane of Elemental Air. Either way, such characters might or might not have any knoweldge of Aerzeebn and / or any of his various cults and followers, and they might or might not be entangled in Aerzeebn related concerns, as their player prefers.
Air Tyrant Patron
Extremely uncommon but among the most insidious and effective of Aerzeebn's servants, such Warlocks gain great power from Aerzeebn's patronage. But at what cost? Some are part of or are at least affiliated with the Cult of Howling Winds, while others work alone or lead a cult or sect of their own.
- The Warlock subclass The Air Tyrant is available to player characters who have accepted Aerzeebn as their patron and seek to increase the influence of Elemental Evil upon the world, with DM permission. However, a player character with such a nefarious agenda may not be appropriate in some campaigns.
School of Aeromancy
An esoteric school of wizardry which specializes in studying the Elemental Plane of Air, how to draw and channel arcane power from it, and better ways to summon and control it's native denizens.
- The Wizard subclass School of Aeromancy is available to player characters. While a few practitioners of this art worship or venerate Aerzeebn, most do not, and a few actively oppose Aerzeebn and his servants. An Aeromancer actively crusading to expose and eliminate servants of Aerzeebn could be a particularly fun and thematic character in a campaign that encompasses the looming threat of this latest incursion of Elemental Evil.