Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2010 23:04:31 GMT -5
Ben-hadar
Prince of Good Water Creatures, Squallbringer, The Valorous Tempest
The Prince of Good Water Creatures, Ben-hadur rules the plane's good aligned inhabitants from his realm of Ssesurgass on the Elemental Plane of Water. His command post consists of a great fortress hidden away in a massive reef of living coral, guarded by a group of Collossal coral golems (Stormwrack, 150). Good water elementals, water mephits, and water weirds (Monster Manual II, 93) keep his dominion in working order, while tritons, darfellan (Stormwrack, 143), ocean giants (Monster Manual II, 111) and aquatic elves populate the realm.
Ben-hadur is a deeply emotional, intuitive being, with a personality akin to a tropical storm: Boisterous, loud, and aggressive on the outside, but calm, peaceful, and serene on the inside. This arrogant warrior has a gruff demeanor, but he truly cares about his followers and nurtures them as needed. Ben-hadur would sacrifice his own life to protect his plane and those who serve him. Although he reaches boredom, disappointment, and dejection easily, those he cares for just as easily bring him love and happiness.
Ben-hadar's symbol is a blue green wave within a golden circle. He stands 18 feet tall and weighs 4,000 pounds.
Strategies and Tactics
Ben-hadar is a confident fighter, using his great lobsterlike claws to deadly effect. He prefers to fight completely submerged, but if forced to battle above the surface, he uses his vortex ability to bring his foes under. He only calls for aid when clearly outmatched, and he reserves his horrid wilting ability for truly evil foes.
Ben-hadar's Goals
Ben-hadar's experiences is the war between Law and Chaos affected him profoundly. From the betrayal at the hands of his supposed allies he learned that evil comes from all sides and to trust no one but himself. He believes seeking out evil to destroy is a fool's enterprise and that evil creatures can even be used for good purposes at times. He keeps his affairs private and wars with no one who doesn't give him a reason to do so.
Unlike the other good archomentals, Ben-harar has no great conflict with his evil counterpart. Olhydra nearly ignores Ben-harar, considering Imix to be a much greater threat. Ben-harad's forces do sometimes clash with Olhydra's but such battles seem more due to circumstance then to any real enmity. Since neither archomental challenges the other, they rarely dispute over control of the Elemental Plane of Water. This tentative peace with Olhydra has allowed Ben-harad to take a keener interest in the needs and well-being of the various creatures of his realm. Rumors among the eladrin suggest that Ben-hadar and the eladrin Queen Morwel are occasional lovers who met during the ancient war. A Gargantuan sisiutl (Stormwrack, 157) known as Triusis zealously guards a portal to Morwel's demiplane. Ben-hadar also polices the vortices to the River Styx and Oceanus, keeping out unwanted fiends and helping lost travelers from Oceanus find their way back. Ben-harar has a truce with Charon, who controls navigation on the River Styx: in exchange for preventing fiendish troublemakers from using the portals to the Elemental Plane of Water, Ben-hadar deters his followers from interfering in Charon's business. Ben-hadar also keeps the marids of the Citadel of Ten Thousand Pearls in line.
Ben-hadar stays on good terms with the deities Deep Sashelas, Eadro, and Persana. For the most part he stays out of their way, assisting their worshippers when in need. He often aids the enigmatic Water Lion, a patron of good sea creatures, and actively opposes the minions of Sekoloah and Panzuriel.
The evil archomental of ooze, the mighty Bwimb, often served as the biggest thorn in Ben-hadar's side, polluting his pure waters with foul excretions. Bwimb's death has changed things little, as his daughter (Bwimb II) continues to pester Ben-harar with her attempts to gain his attention.
Rennbuu, the slaad lord of colors, often visits Ssesurgass to admire and transform the massive coral reefs there. Ben-harad and Rennbuu have formed an unusual friendship of sorts around Rennbuu's strange art forms, with Ben-harar providing the inspiration and raw materials, and Rennbuu changing the natural palette in bold new ways.
Sources: Dragon Magazine #353, Planescape Monstrous Compendium III, Defenders of the Faith.