Aerdrie Faenya

The Winged Mother, Lady of Air and Wind, Queen of the Avariel, She of the Azure Plumage, Bringer of Rain and Storms

Aerdrie Faenya (air-dree fain-yuh) is the elven expression of freedom and impulse, and she dislikes staying in any one place for too long. She delights in the sound of wind instruments and in creating unpredictable atmospheric conditions, including fairly severe or violent thunderstorms on occasion, but her primary joy is simply feeling the air rush past her with the ground far below. The Winged Mother is a somewhat distant deity who rarely involves herself in elven culture, and she is far more chaotic than the rest of the Seldarine. Of all the elven races Aerdrie takes a keen interest only in the avariel, and few of them remain in Faerün. She is also known as an aspect of Angharradh, the Triune Goddess.
Aerdrie Faenya (AIR-dree FAH-ane-yuh) is the elven goddess of the air, weather, and birds. As the bringer of rain, she is the closest the Fair Folk have to a fertility goddess. At one time, the Winged Mother's followers were composed largely of the avariel, much like Deep Sashelas was and is worshiped primarily by sea elves. However, unlike their aquatic kin, the winged elves were nearly wiped out by the dragons before the First Flowering, and what was believed to be the last of their race in Faerun flew westward before the start of the Crown Wars. Today, gold, moon, and wild elves who desire certain weather conditions make the most frequent sacrifices to Aerdrie. Her small church is also popular with elves who possess flying mounts, such as asperii, dragons, giant eagles, griffons, hippogriffs, and pegasi. The Lady of Air and Wind is revered by all nonevil birds, particularly aarakocra and other sentient avians, but their numbers are small and declining as well. She is also called on by elves oppressed by overly lawful creatures.
Aerdrie is both an aspect of Angharradh and one of the three elven goddesses-the other two being Hanali Celanil and Sehanine Moonbow-who collectively form the Triune Goddess. This duality tightly binds Aerdrie with the two other senior elven goddesses, and the three collectively serve alongside Corellon in leading the Seldarine. Aerdrie maintains close relations only with those powers of the air who share a love of birds and freedom as deeply held as the Lady of Air and Wind. Aerdrie is particularly close with Syranita, the gentle goddess of the aarakocra, and some theologians speculate the two may eventually merge if the bird-men continue their steady decline.
Aerdrie is also close with the avian lords of the Beastlands, particularly the hawk lord. Since the Time of Troubles, Aerdrie has been romantically linked with her long-time ally, the human god Shaundakul, the Rider of the Winds, but this new twist in their relationship is undoubtedly little more than a passing fancy, at least on the Winged Mother's part. Aerdrie contests with Talos and the Gods of Fury, for they challenge her control of the winds and seek to wield them for purely destructive purposes. The deep antipathy between the Winged Mother and the Frostmaiden stems from the war in Arvandor between the Seldarine and the anti-Seldarine forces who were arrayed against them. Aerdrie soundly defeated Auril in that battle, forever banishing the Frostmaiden from Olympus, and the two goddesses continue their eternal war on the myriad worlds of the Prime.
Aerdrie is the elven expression of freedom and impulse, and she dislikes being tied down to any one place for too long. Her realm is so close to the philosophical border between Arborea and Gladsheim that it moves back and forth, sometimes part of Arvandor and sometimes part of Alfheim. Aerdrie delights in the sound of wind instruments and in creating unpredictable atmospheric conditions, including fairly severe or violent thunderstorms on occasion, but her primary joy is simply feeling the air rush past her with the ground far below. The Winged Mother is a somewhat distant goddess who rarely involves herself in elven culture, and she is far more chaotic than the rest of the Seldarine. Of all the elven races, only Aerdrie takes a keen interest in the avariel, and few of them remain in the Realms.
The church of Aerdrie Faenya is small, with little communication or organization between its scattered temples. Aerdrie's clergy is primarily concerned with exploration and maintaining good relations with sentient avian races (e.g. giant. eagles and aarakocra). With the decline of the avariel (winged few elven clerics of the Winged Mother can fly without magical aid. As a result, many Winged Siblings work to create new spells and items by which magical flight is possible, and a not a few of their more adventuresome brethren seek lost relics of yore that permit the same. Similarly, members of Aerdrie's clergy raise winged steeds employed by the aerial cavalries of elven realms and tend cotes of fanciful birds from far-off lands to dwell in formal elven gardens and to supply the molted plumage employed in elven fashions. As servants of the Bringer of Rain and Storms, Aerdrie's clerics work closely with the small groups of elves involved in agriculture and horticulture to ensure favorable weather for their crops. Winged Brothers and Sisters are also charged with destroying evil flying creatures.
Clerics and druids of Aerdrie Faenya pray for their spells at dawn, when the first hint of a breeze often drifts across the land. The Dance of Swirling Winds, held semiannually on the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, celebrates the changing seasons and honors the Winged Mother. The winds always blow strongly on such days, wherever Aerdrie's followers gather. Celebrants offer beautiful feathers and join in an aerial ballet danced to the music of wind instruments played by some of the participants. Those who lack wings or magical means of flight sometimes levitate as a gift of the deity herself.

Divine Domains

Nature, Tempest

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Cloud with bird silhouette

Tenets of Faith

The ever-changing reaches of the sky are the great gift of the Winged Mother. Take flight into her windswept embrace, and gambol amidst the everchanging clouds. Honor those who dwell with the Lady of Air and Wind and cherish the birds who dance on her tresses. In change there is beauty and in chaos there is the birth of new life. Ascend, soar, glide, dive, and ascend again and relish in the freedom that the Winged Mother bequeaths. The air is the breath of life.

Holidays

The Dance of Swirling Winds is a semiannual festival held on the vernal and autumnal equinoxes to celebrate the changing seasons and to honor the Winged Mother. The winds are always strong on such days no matter where Aerdrie's followers gather. Celebrants make offerings of beautiful feathers and join in an aerial ballet danced to the music of wind instruments played by some of the participants.
Those who lack wings or magical means of flight may ride the wind (as the 2nd-level wizard spell) as a gift of the goddess herself. For the duration of the formal ceremony, recipients of Aerdrie's blessing are usually tethered by long ropes to others who can command their own aerial movements. Once the dance breaks up, however, wind dancers, as they are known, are swept across the forest canopy for miles in a breathtaking flight before settling gently in a sylvan glade not too far from home.

Divine Goals & Aspirations

Day-to-Day Activities

Aerdrie's priesthood is primarily concerned with exploration and maintaining good relations with sentient avian races (for example, giant eagles and aarakocra). With the decline of the avariel, few elven priests of the Winged Mother are capable of flight without magical aid. As a result, many Winged Siblings work to create new spells and items by which magical flight is possible, and a not a few of their more adventuresome brethren seek lost relics of yore that permit the same. Similarly, members of Aerdrie's clergy raise winged steeds employed by the aerial cavalries of elven realms and tend cotes of fanciful birds from far-off lands to dwell in formal elven gardens and to supply the molted plumage employed in elven fashions. As servants of the Bringer of Rain and Storms,
Aerdrie's priests work closely with elves involved in agriculture and horticulture to ensure favorable weather systems for their crops. Winged Brothers and Sisters are also charged with destroying evil avians, such as eblis, perytons, and simpathetics, as the Lady of Air and Wind considers them perversions of nature.

Priestly Vestments

Ceremonial garb for priests of Aerdrie consists of sky-blue robes, with those of high rank wearing the darkest shades. Feathers are used in decorating their clothing and armor, and at least one feather is worn in the hair. The holy symbol of the faith is a feather of great beauty, willingly given after molting by a sentient avian who venerates the Winged Mother. A new feather must be found at least once per year.

Adventuring Garb

When adventuring, Aerdrie's priests prefer light, flexible armor that maximizes maneuverability and minimizes weight and drag. Streamlined helms, carved to resemble stylized bird heads and padded to reduce concussions, are secured with leather chin straps. Missile weapons - particularly javelins and elven bows with flight arrows-are commonly employed in combat. If at all possible, priests of Aerdrie who lack wings of their own obtain wings of flying or similar magical means of flight. At the very least, they seek to train a steed capable of flight, such as an asperii, dragon, giant eagle, griffon, hippogriff, or pegasus.

Social

Contacts & Relations

Like most of the Seldarine, Aerdrie serves Corellon, works closely with her fellow elven deities, and opposes the activities of the drow pantheon (with the exception of Eilistraee). She also works against the Deities of Fury (Auril, Malar, Talos, and Umberlee). Aerdrie is allied to like-minded deities of wind, flight, rain, and fertility, iucluding Akadi. Cyrrollalee, Isis, Lurue, Shaundakul, and Sheela Peryroyl.

Symbol: Cloud with bird silhouette
Home Plane: Arvandor
Alignment: Chaotic good
Portfolio: Air, weather, avians, rain, fertility, avariels
Worshipers: Bards, druids, elves, rangers sorcerers, travelers, winged beings
Cleric Alignments: CG, CN, NG
Domains: Nature, Tempest
Favored Weapon: "Thunderbolt" (quarterstaff)
ALIASES: Angharradh, Remnis
SUPERIOR: Corellon Larethian
ALLIES: Akadi, Cyrrollalee, Eachthighem, Eilistraee, Fionnghuala, Isis, Koriel, Lurue, Remnis, Shaundakul, Sheela Peryroyl, Syranita, Stillsong, the Seldarine, various Animal Lords
FOES: Auril, Talos and the Gods of Fury (Auril, Malar, and Umberlee), the drow pantheon (except Eilistraee)

Divine Classification

Intermediate God