Shroomy said:
Boz, check out Borders. Issue 353 arrived here in Madison WI today.
yep, we got it here too - which means i now have it in my very hands.
i definitely like the art.
they do much more closely match the text now.
much as i did with the
evil archomentals article, i decided to page through and see what was cut. a lot more was cut from this one, but looking at what was cut i can kind of see why at least some of it went.
it's nothing that's a major loss, but here are the cut parts. of course, none of it is official at all, but feel free to use any of it as you will, from our original manuscript.
from the first paragraph: "While the fury of the Elemental Princes of Evil has shaken the multiverse for millennia, many mortals don’t realize that nonevil archomentals exist. In fact, each Elemental Plane has several archomentals with differing alignments and goals."
BEN-HADAR
these parts were trimmed from the Wall of Water ability: "The entire wall must be completely submerged when formed." "It does not deal cold damage."
from the second paragraph of text: "Ben-hadar’s purity freshens any water he moves through."
"A squad of ocean striders (MM II 163) aid any ships sucked through vortices into the Plane of Water to find their way back, while destroying those that come seeking to plunder its riches."
CHAN
these two full paragraphs:
"Long ago, Chan discovered a strange multi-colored pool on a flying rock at the heart of an eternal thunderstorm. Tied to this pool are four primal elemental weirds, one of each element. These ancient beings form an oracular consciousness, always answering any questions presented in unison. Their lore of the multiverse is nearly unmatched, yet they refuse to reveal their own origins."
"Chan stays on good terms with the djinn, who treat her more as a revered guest than a leader. She occasionally visits the Citadel of Ice and Steel to consult with their grand caliphs, and rumors suggest that she has a particular interest in the enigmatic prisoner held within the citadel's heart."
SUNNIS
"As Sunnis walks, fragrant flowers bloom from the earth in her footprints."
this paragraph:
"When traveling the plane of Earth, Sunnis seeks out items and people of great worth. She collects unique and exotic treasures, and shows her gratitude to anyone who finds them for her. Gem collectors (especially gnomes) hold her up to a high ideal, saying "if Sunnis would not value this, neither would I!" Sunnis also collects powerful individuals in a sense, by making friends with true heroes and making allies of good-hearted beings. She has much in common with the guardinal paragon Bharri, her most potent ally."
regarding a certain lord of minerals: "he seeks to become the ruler of the Plane of Earth, and hoards gems of all sorts, both of which make him a nuisance to Sunnis."
ZAAMAN RUL
"In his wake, Zaaman Rul leaves twin trails of bright flame which glow brightly like torches before burning out."
the Abyssal lord Alzrius was mentioned in our submission as one of his adversaries, but was replaced by a certain Archdevil.
this sentence explains who the sollux are, for people unfamiliar: "Zaaman Rul has also gained the allegiance of the sollux—tall, crimson skinned beings claiming to be cousins of the efreet."
this paragraph:
"Rumors hint that Zaaman Rul armed himself with a mysterious artifact of untold goodness during his assault on Imix, though it was lost in the waves of the Blazing Sea before he had the chance to use it."
and this sidebar:
AVATARS OF ELEMENTAL GOOD
Monster Manual IV introduced the avatars of Elemental Evil, each the living will of a Prince of Elemental Evil that contains a tiny fragment of the corresponding prince's essence and exists solely to advance its creator's cause on the Material Plane. To counteract these powerful elemental servants, the good archomentals have created avatars of their own. Ben-Hadar has spawned the Seaborn Sentinel; Chan created the Guardian Zephyr; Sunnis' spawn is known as the Brightgem Colossus; and Zaaman Rul has formed the Truefire Liberator. These avatars sometimes aid powerful nonevil druids and clerics with elemental domains.
