Evil Elementals

[Azure Trance]

I was flipping through the Tome of Horrors this morning, and noticed two things:

1) I didn't find a reference to a Salad in the Slaad description Poor eyes, or was it corrected?

2) Why are the Elemental Dragons evil? I'm sure it was the original alignment when EGG created them, perhaps to make it justified in kicking their butt and taking their treasure ... but Elementals aren't evil. Their neutral ... except for their grand overlords who are evil elementals (Ref: RtToEE). Is there any ... well, other reason why elementals are evil? Are they all xenophobics to creatures not of their pure form? Has any thought been given into this subject?

 

[reiella]

Something of note, the Elemental Princes aren't universally evil (in fact, iirc, half of them are... the other half being good).

Fire: Imix, Zaaman Rul
Air: Yan-Ci, Chan
Earth, Ogremoch, Summis

I err think... .

Elementals in general by their nature (by MM at least ), gravitate toward Neutral and simply do whatever they were summoned to do so they can go back home.

The Princes, and the more sentinent elementals are probably evil for much the same reason that humans can be evil. At least that's my cursory opinion .

 

[EvilMountainDew]

Sorry, this has nothing to do with your topic, but I thought I would take this time to comment on your beautiful GIR Sig...

Hah, I have like 5.0 GB of my computer devoted to Invader Zim Cartoons!

 

[Spatula]

There's also the elemental grues (from the original MM2 I think) that were evil elemental animal things. And of the genie-kind that inhabit the elemental planes, half are evil (efreet, dao) and half good (djinn, marid).

 

[Alzrius]

While a lot of elemental creatures are neutral in alignment, there are quite a few, as people have pointed out here, that vary in alignment also. While not so many of those creatures have been converted to 3E, they were there. I recommend looking at the 2E products Mystara Monstrous Compendium Appendix and The Inner Planes for more information on those creatures.

The Elemental Princes of Good and Evil (aka the Archomentals), are as follows:

Fire
Imix (evil)
Zaaman Rul (good) (its worth noting that Zaaman Rul is the son of Imix)

Water
Olhydra (evil)
Ben-Hadar (good)

Earth
Ogremoch (evil)
Sunnis (good)

Air
Yan-C-Bin (evil)
Chan (good)

Ice
Cryonax (evil)

It's worth noting that the Archomentals are roughly the elemental equivalent of Demon Lords, or other Quasi-gods, in how much power and influence they yield (which probably makes them rank 0 deities in their own right). If you allow quasi-deities to grant divine spells in your campaign, you may wish to allow the Archomentals to grant divine spells also. We do indeed know that the evil Archomentals are the children of the Elder Elemental God (aka the Elder Elemental Eye, and who may or may not be an aspect of Tharizdun, or vice versa). Whether the good Archomentals are also is unknown (save for Zaaman Rul, Imix's son).

Note that the elemental gods, who are indeed True Neutral in alignment, pretty much ignore the Archomentals, since they're so far beyond them in terms of sheer power (all four of the elemental gods being greater powers). The elemental gods are pretty much a silent part of nearly every pantheon, representing their element in its most pure form. Though only the Forgotten Realms has given them any treatment in recent years (such as in Faiths & Pantheons), they are not Forgotten Realms-exclusive gods.

The four elemental gods are Kossuth (Fire), Istishia (Water), Akadi (Air), and Grumbar (Earth).

 

[Steverooo]

Tharizdun not the EEE, and vice versa

the evil Archomentals are the children of the Elder Elemental God (aka the Elder Elemental Eye, and who may or may not be an aspect of Tharizdun, or vice versa).

EGG says no. See his thread elsewhere om EMWorld (just thought you might like to know).

 

[Alzrius]

Could you post a link please? Its kinda hard to have to go mucking around to not only find the old thread, but find the right part of it also.

That said...didn't we very recently get WotC confirmation (which is the most canon source) that Tharizdun and the Elder Elemental God were the same in Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil (I assume thats what he said no to, yes)? *sigh* I miss my books.

Thanks Steveroo.