Syranita, Mistress of the Aarakocra

The only non-aquatic member of Deep Sashelas’s asathalfinare, Syranita is the protector-goddess of the aarakocra. She is an excellent diplomat, and is always on the look out for new allies to help protect her gentle race.

Syranita (PDF Version)
(Mistress of the Aarakocra, Morningfeather)
Intermediate Power of Arborea, NG

Portfolio:                 Aarakocra, protection, watchfulness, education
Aliases:                     None
Domain Name:           Olympus/Whistledge
Superior:                   None
Allies:                       Aerdrie Faenya, Akadi, Chan, Deep Sashelas, Eachthighern, Eadro, Eldath, Fanthros, Finder Wyvernspur Jazirian, Koriel, Krocaa, Melira Taralen, Milil, Persana, Remnis, Stillsong, Stronmaus, Surminare, Trishina, Water Lion, Ye’cind, the Seldarine, the Caliph of the Djinn, various Animal Lords
Foes:                           Kuraulyek, Malar, Panzuriel, Pazrael, Sekolah, Talos, Yan-C-Bin
Symbol:                     Opal necklace with feather pendant
Wor. Align.:              LG, NG, CG, LN, N, CN

Syranita (seer-ah-NEE-tah) is the creator and protector of the gentle race of bird men known as the aarakocra. She is an educator deity, teaching her people how to survive constant threats, while ensuring they never forget to appreciate the simple beauties of their world. She is a superb diplomat known for the extensive network of alliances she has forged to help protect her people, and is the only non-aquatic member of the alliance known as the asathalfinare.

The Mistress of the Aarakocra has had a long and close relationship with the Seldarine through the elven goddess Aerdrie Faenya, with whom she is closer than all others save her mate Krocaa. Through this relationship she was brought in to the asathalfinare, an alliance of non-evil aquatic deities led by the sea elven power Deep Sashelas, and Syranita serves as an envoy to terrestrial and aerial powers. Some say it was the inclusion of Syranita in the group that convinced the normally insular powers Persana and Eadro that the alliance was not just a means to further elven goals under the sea. Syranita and her aarakocra are often the first to spot major land-based threats to the aquatic communities, especially those posed by pirates and coastal humanoids who serve evil powers. Outside of this alliance, the Mistress of the Aarakocra is a regular visitor to Stronmaus’s palace in the Beastlands, and it is said she served as a neutral arbiter during the ancient war between the giants and the elves. She has also cultivated alliances with the jann and goodly beings of Elemental Air, including the Grand Caliph of the Djinn and Chan, although as expect d, this has earned her the ire of Chan’s evil sibling Yan-C-Bin. She has had a long friendship with Remnis, the Lord of Eagles, and is nearly his equal in skill at spying danger, and has been making repeated overtures towards Quorlinn, although he has yet to respond in any way. As a great lover of music, Syranita has also cultivated friendships with a variety of deities of music, most recently the newly ascended Finder Wyvernspur. Finally, she knows something of Stillsong’s history and fate, although she refuses to answer any questions on the matter; those asking receive only feelings of joy mixed with sadness in response. She has been known to seek him out on his wandering so in order to listen to his constant melodies; some say she can understand a deeper meaning behind them, but if so, has never revealed what she knows.

Despite her long list of allies and friendships, there are few powers she truly considers her enemies outside of the specific foes of the asathalfinare. Her oldest rivalry is with the urd deity Kuraulyek. When he was still a member of Kurtulmak’s court, he stole her blue wings, along with a portion of her creative powers and used them to turn his kobold followers into urds. This theft was a serious blow to her power and ability to protect her race; it was only through the healing light of the morning sun that she was able to grow a new pair, which took on hues of the dawn. She also staunchly opposes destructive deities who harm her flock; those such as Talos the Destroyer delight in sending storms that harm aarakocran eyries, and followers of Malar the Beastlord delight in hunting and slaughtering the peaceful bird-men.

Aarakocran myths about Syranita are quite varied, and often credit her with miraculous events in individual tribes’ oral histories. Myths of creation often portray her as having laid an egg that hatched the whole race at once. From this first generation she fell in love with Krocaa, the brightest, swiftest, and most cunning hunter. Taking him as a mate, she elevated him to divine status so he could be her eternal companion. Aarakocran myths regarding other deities are common, with Remnis, Akadi, and Aerdrie common; few such myths are universal across all aarakocran tribes, however, and many are contradictory. Tribes with no knowledge of Krocaa, for example, sometimes portray Remnis as Syranita’s mate, while others make them out to be siblings. Akadi is often described as Syranita’s mother, although many sages speculate this is due to older myths that describe the Mistress of Aarakocra as “born of the wind itself.” Still other myths portray Syranita as blood sister of Aerdrie Faenya from the same mother, often Akadi, but different fathers. Finally, one particularly obscure myth describes Quorlinn as her offspring, and a disappointment until he was able to prove himself.

Syranita is an active deity, frequently sending avatars on missions for the asathalfinare, and to commune with or aid her flock. She is a superb spy, and takes pride in spotting dangers long before such threats would ever believe they could be spotted, and taking necessary precautions against them. If pressed into combat, she fights bravely and with great skill, and exploits heights and the sky to their utmost. She sees combat as an absolute last resort, however.

Syranita’s Avatar (Druid 16, Air Elementalist 28, Fighter 16)
Syranita appears as a female aarakocra of exquisite beauty and grace. Her skin is pearly silver, and is covered in feathers of a pinkish-gold. Her far-seeing eyes are the color of a clear blue sky. She draws her spells from all schools save elemental earth and elemental fire, as well as the spheres of all, animal, divination, elemental (save earth and fire), guardian, healing, plant, protection, sun, wards, and weather.

AC −3; MV 9, Fl 54 (A); HP 161; THAC0 0; #AT 5/2 or 2
Dmg 1d6+8 (flight lance +4, +1 Str, +2 spec bonus in flight lance) or 1d6+1/1d6+1 (claws)
MR 35%; SZ M (6 feet tall, 20 foot wingspan)
Str 16, Dex 21, Con 16, Int 19, Wis 22, Cha 21
Spells P: 10/10/10/9/9/9/8, W: 7/7/7/7/7/7/7/7/7*
Saves PPDM 2; RSW 3; PP 5; BW 4; Sp 4
* Numbers assume one extra air elemental spell per spell level.

Special Att/Def: Syranita wields Skytalon, a flight lance +4, defender when engaging in melee. Strapped to her torso she wears a magical quiver that can produce a javelin of lightning or a javelin of piercing upon command, which she uses when she wishes to maintain her distance. She can also engage in battle with her claws, which deal 1d6+1 each, and if she needs to, she can bite with her beak for the same damage.

She wears an opal necklace of protection +4 (as the ring) that has all the powers of a ring of shooting stars. By silent act of will, the necklace can also radiate protection from evil, 20′ radius. Due to her exceptional eyesight, she can never be surprised and has perfect vision to a range of 4 miles. Twice per day, Syranita can summon a massive 24-HD air elemental with maximum hit points that serves her willingly and unconditionally for 12 turns, and once per week she can summon a 10-HD noble djinn with maximum hit points which will also serve her for 12 turns.

Syranita is immune to spells and effects that would affect or negate her ability to fly, and no natural avian will attack her. She is unaffected by magical blindness, and her eyesight is so keen that she can see though all illusions as if she was affected by the true seeing spell.

Other Manifestations
Syranita manifests primarily through natural airborne phenomena, especially wind-carried debris such as leaves, petals, dust and grit, and the like. Such manifestations carry meanings that her priests interpret in order to understand her will.

She sometimes manifests as powerful winds that push a flying follower out of danger just in time, or an updraft that slows the fall of an injured aarakocra just enough to prevent serious injury. She can manifest as the effects of nearly any magical musical instrument, favoring chimes when possible. Ephemeral musical tones also herald her intervention, often in order to warn a tribe of impending danger. Finally, she has been known to grant protection from normal missiles or protection from magical missiles to a follower in particularly deadly situations.

The Mistress of the Aarakocra is served primarily by eagles, hawks, parrots, and other normal avians, air elementals, and djinn. In addition, she has been known to work her will through the actions of aasimar, aasimon, asperii, avariel, air fundamentals, cloud giants, einheriar, griffons, hippogriffs, hollyphants, kenku, pegasi, pseudodragons, ravenkin, rocs, simurghs, spirits of the air, storm giants, sylphs, and wereravens. She demonstrates her favor primarily through the discovery of opals and windchimes, but also blue quartz, mynteer, raindrops, rose quartz, zircons, and woodwind, stringed, and small metal percussion instruments of all sorts. Syranita displays her displeasure through the discovery of milky, flawed, or damaged opals, broken chimes or those that appear intact and well-made, but instead create discordant music, and strong, gusts of wind that shift direction randomly and swiftly.

The Church
Clergy:                      Clerics, specialty priests, shamans
Clergy’s Align.:      LG, NG, CG
Turn Undead:           C: Yes, SP: Yes, at priest level −2, Sha: No
Cmnd. Undead:         C: No, SP: No, Sha: No

All clerics, specialty priests, and shamans of Syranita receive religion (asathalfinare) and religion (aarakocra) as bonus nonweapon proficiencies.

Syranita’s clergy are well respected by followers of other members of the asathalfinare, who often rely on the aarakocra to convey news from the surface world beyond coastal lands. They have close relations with many non-evil aerial and mountainous races, particularly giant eagles and pegasi. Among aarakocra, Syranita forms the head of a loose pantheon, with even those who worship other deities paying homage to the Mistress of Aarakocra in her creator aspect. The pantheon typically consists of Krocaa, Akadi, Remnis, and Aerdrie Faenya, with Stronmaus, Koriel, Jazirian, or other deities sometimes being included.

Temples dedicated to the Mistress of Aaracokra are open, airy constructions designed to offer shelter from stormy weather while allowing free air flow on pleasant days. They are built high on mountains and in tall treetops, where few who cannot fly can reach; they form the center of the community among aarakocra tribes. Temples always contain wind chimes and wind-played whistles that create a constant soothing musical environment. The construction methods depend entirely on the architectural style favored by the builders. Some temples appear much like large bird nests, while others are open structures of wood, stone, and crystal. Shrines are always located on high perches, typically adorned with a woven arch or other decoration that holds a wind chime.

Novices of Syranita are called Nestlings, while full priests are known as Vigilant Perchers. Titles used by the Mistress of Aarakocra’s clergy vary from tribe to tribe, with titles such as Halcyon Calm, Chiming Wind, Whistling Breeze, and Clouded Peak being common. Specialty priests are known as eyrie wardens. Syranita’s clergy is overwhelming dominated by aarakocra (90%), with a small number of giant eagles (4%), winged elves (including half-winged elves; 3%), kenku, wereravens, and ravenkin (3%). Her priesthood is balanced slightly towards females (56%). The majority of her clergy consists of shamans (65%), with most of the rest being specialty priests (33%) and clerics (elves and half-elves only; 2%).

Dogma: Protect and guide the community. Be ever vigilant for dangers and threats to the tribe and allies. Friends, family, and community are what make life worth living; work together to ensure their safety. Music is the sound of life carried on the breath of the wind. Fly free in the open sky and keep watch on the lands below with keen sight. High open places are home, for few predators can reach them and those able to will be seen coming.

Day-to-Day Activities: The duties of Syranita’s clergy vary from tribe to tribe. Priests in small, loosely organized tribes tend to operate much as other members of the tribe do, with males hunting and females caring for eggs and young while fabricating weapons and tools. Larger tribes tend to be more organized, with priests operated as elite protectors of the eyrie, as well as dedicated educators for the young, regardless of gender. In some tribes, the priests are also the tribal chief, although this is uncommon.

Important Ceremonies/Holy Days: Sunsets on the first day of each month are considered holy by Syranita’s clergy. These days, known as Syranita’s Grace, are a time when aarakocran tribes give thanks to the Mistress of Aarakocra for her protection of their members and lands. These ceremonies tend to consist of an extended period of music, at least an hour long. The music varies, but singing, whistling, and the use of wind chimes are common, along with musical instruments acquired from other races.

Major Centers of Worship: Despite the large population of aarakocra on the world of Coliar, Syranita’s worship is relatively minor, with Akadi being the favored deity. The aarakocra see the flightless lizard men as interlopers on a world that is sacred to the Queen of Air, and use this as an excuse to constantly wage war on them. The worship of Syranita is generally relegated to smaller shrines in most communities, with her worshipers typically favoring roles of education and knowledge. Her largest temple is found on the relatively neutral port of Athenar, which is also the largest aarakocra port on the world. Her temple is a soaring structure of pink marble and crystal, curving up like a bird taking flight. The peak is some 50 feet high, from which a large group of wind chimes hang, filling the port with soft, pleasant tinkling tones most of the day. The temple is overseen by Dawning Cirrus Danara (aarakocraf P8), a kindly old aarakocra with an intense thirst for reading. She makes a habit of inquiring after new ships at port for books she hasn’t yet read. Due to the relative unimportance placed on Syranita’s worship on Coliar, many aarakocra who find her teachings appealing have left the world to travel wildspace in Corbinas and Eagle Ships.

While there are many aarakocran holy places on the disc world of Plata, the most significant location is the closest thing the bird-men have to a city, located on the highest peak at the very center of the world, on the island of Barrakis. By no means large compared to most human and demihuman cities, it does contain at least 120 aarakocra, many of whom tend to the temple known as Touch of the Morningfeather, as well as associated shrines to Krocaa, Akadi, Quorlinn, and Aerdrie Faenya. The temple is an old structure of sweeping stone buttresses and columns, with wide, open windows all around, giving tremendous views of the countryside. Stories speak of a time long ago when the aarakocra were plagued by intertribal skirmishes and wars; seeing her children fight this way saddened Syranita, so she appeared before them and taught them how to work out disputes through peaceful diplomacy. To show her how well they learned her lessons, the aarakocra built the great temple, greater than had ever been built on their world before, thus proving their devotion.

Affiliated Orders: Aarakocra maintain no military units or knightly orders. Some members of the clergy make a personal choice to take on a sacred duty of patrolling beyond their tribal hunting ranges to better watch for danger, as well as establishing relations with nearby worshippers of the asathalfinare, but this isn’t an organized endeavor.

Priestly Vestments: The priesthood of the Mistress of Aarakocra has no formal raiment save a headdress made with colorful feathers in interesting patterns. Males typically wear a circular crown of feathers, while females prefer longer headdresses that run down to the back of the neck. Aarakocra also sometimes use body or feather paint for when leading religious ceremonies; the paint washes off easily and is not harmful to their feathers. Other races, such as avariel and kenku, usually wear robes in a native cut decorated with many feathers and cloth in reds, yellows, and oranges. The holy symbol used by the priesthood is a shiny metallic object that can be worn as a necklace. Rings and coins are favored, and opals will always be used if possible.

Adventuring Garb: Members of Syranita’s clergy equip themselves as normal for their community. Armor is never worn save simple protective items like rings and necklaces, and favored weapons are those that can be used while in flight.

Specialty Priests (Eyrie Wardens)
Requirements:          Constitution 9, Wisdom 9
Prime Req.:                Wisdom
Alignment:                NG
Weapons:                   Any
Armor:                       None
Major Spheres:         All, animal, elemental, guardian, healing, plant, protection, sun, wards, weather
Minor Spheres:         Divination, travelers
Magical Items:         Same as clerics and druids
Req. Profs:                Weather sense
Bonus Profs:             Chanting, dancing

  • Eyrie wardens must be aarakocra, avariel, giant eagles, kenku, ravenkin, or wereravens.
  • Eyrie wardens are not allowed to multiclass.
  • Eyrie wardens can use any magical musical instrument allowed by their biology, regardless of class restrictions.
  • Eyrie wardens can speak with avians (as the 1st level priest spell) at will.
  • At 2nd level, eyrie wardens can cast predict weather or wind column (as the 1st-level priest spells) once per day.
  • At 3rd level, aarakocran eyrie wardens can summon an air elemental with three other aarakocra by performing an intricate aerial dance and chant for three rounds. The summoned air elemental will comply with a request for a favor, though it will not endanger its life.
  • At 4th level, eyrie wardens can cast protection from evil, 10′ radius (as the 4th-level priest spell) or cloudburst (as the 3rd-level priest spell) once per day.
  • At 6th level, eyrie wardens can cast speak with dead (as the 3rd-level priest spell) or weather stasis (as the 4th-level priest spell) once per day.
  • At 9th level, eyrie wardens can cast forbiddance or weather summoning (as the 6th-level priest spell) once per day.
  • At 12th level, eyrie wardens can cast control weather (as the 7th-level priest spell) or protection from normal missiles or protection from magical missiles (as the 3rd-level wizard spells) once per day.

Syranitan Spells
In addition to the spells listed below, priests of the Mistress of Aarakocra can cast the 1st-level priest spells speak with avians, detailed in Demihuman Deities in the entry for Aedrie Faenya and blessed watchfulness, detailed in Demihuman Deities in the entry for Gorm Gulthyn.

1st Level
Flight Basket (Pr 1; Invocation/Evocation)
Sphere:                    Travelers
Range:                     0
Components:           V, S
Duration:                 1 hr./level
Casting Time:          4
Area of Effect:         Special
Saving Throw:        None

This spell creates a basket of magical force with straps a large avian creature can grasp in their talons or loop around their neck. Items carried in the basket weigh only a tenth of their normal weight, although the maximum the basket can carry is 250 pounds. If used to carry creatures, it can hold one man-sized individual or two smaller creatures (gal flings, gnomes, etc.), so long as the weight limit is not exceeded. Should the weight limit be surpassed, the flight basket immediately winks out of existence.

3rd Level
Chimes of Syranita (Pr 3; Abjuration)
Sphere:                    Wards
Range:                     0
Components:           V, S, M
Duration:                 1 turn + 1 rd./level
Casting Time:          6
Area of Effect:         30-ft. radius
Saving Throw:        Special

When this spell is cast, the sound of ghostly wind chimes fills the area of effect. These harmonious chimes are soothing and comforting to creatures of good alignment, granting them a +1 bonus to morale checks and saving throws. In addition, any healing spells cast by a good creature within the area of the chimes’ magic heal an extra point of damage per die. Creatures of evil intent feel disconcerted and uncomfortable when hearing the chimes, suffering a −1 penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, and morale checks. In addition, undead and evil extra-planar creatures must make a saving throw versus spell in order to enter an area protected by chimes of Syranita. Finally, creatures of animal or semi-intelligence refuse to attack any other creatures while hearing the chimes, even if magically compelled.

The material component of this spell is a small wind chime, which is consumed in the casting.

4th Level
Stormwind (Pr 4; Alteration)
Sphere:                    Weather
Range:                     0
Components:           V, S, M
Duration:                 1 rd.
Casting Time:          7
Area of Effect:         10 ft. wide × 10 yds./level long
Saving Throw:        None

This spell summons a strong blast of stormy wind that blows away from the caster in a direction of their choosing for one round. While generally matching the parameters of the gust of wind spell, the wind is much stronger, equaling gale-force wind. Any aerial creatures of Large size or smaller are pushed back 10 feet per caster level; those striking a solid surface take damage as if they fell a like distance (1d6 points of damage per 10 feet pushed back). Aerial creatures of Huge size or greater have their movement halved while affected by this spell. This spell extinguishes any flames within the area of effect, up to and including bonfires; larger fires are fanned by the winds and spread in the direction the wind is blowing. Creatures from the elemental plane of Air (genies, mephits, etc.) can be affected, while those composed entirely of elemental air are completed unaffected. Gases caught in the area of effect dissipate instantaneously, and breath weapons are impossible to use as well.

The material component for this spell is the priest’s holy symbol.

 

10 Responses to Syranita, Mistress of the Aarakocra

  1. Barastir says:

    Very nice entry. I’m a fan of Syranita. Her lance’s damage, though, should be revised. Since a flight lance deals 1d6+1 points of damage, and she receives +4 for the magic bonus, +1 for strength and +2 for specialization, the damage should be 1d6+8… There are also a mispelling (jannee instead of janni) and a typo (expect d instead of expected, just after mentioning Chan) in the second paragraph. Beak damage is also missing in the stats block, but since it is occasional, I imagine the omission was intentional. On the Major centers of worship there is also a minor typo after Barrakis.

    • AuldDragon says:

      Looks like it should be Jann, rather than Janni (or Jannee, which was right out of DMGR4). I made the other corrections, and re-uploaded the file. I didn’t put in beak damage because it’s more of a desperate act than part of her normal attack routine. Thanks again, always appreciate the editing assistance! :D

  2. Alzrius says:

    There’s a minor typo near the end of the stormwind spell. It says that creatures composed of elemental air are “completed unaffected.”

    • AuldDragon says:

      Thanks; probably won’t update the published document for that, but I made the change to my back-end copy. I appreciate it! :)

  3. Dave says:

    You are awesome! First – you helped me with the information about Lendys – which my dragonborn paladin who worships him is still in play.

    Now – you gave my anthropomorphic Whippoorwill his god to worship.

    Rock on and thank you!

  4. Emma says:

    Thank you for this! I am currently playing an aarakocra ranger – Kheel of the Mistcliffs. As I chose the Lucky feature I felt he was close to a deity so chose Syranita as she matched his vibe, and I figured they’d get along. As I play through my campaign, that connection is growing so he’s going to multi class as a Paladin. Spread Syranita’s good work. This info you have supplied is so useful so thanks again. :D

  5. Kevin Whitaker says:

    I am trying to find physical stats for Syranita. What is her height, weight, and age? Thanks!

    • AuldDragon says:

      Syranita’s avatar is typically 6 feet tall, but she can vary that, as well as her weight, which would be typical for a female aarakocra of that height unless she wants it to be otherwise. As a god, she has no true height and weight, and her age is immaterial since she’s very old and there’s no fixed origin date in any settings (and her age wouldn’t really matter anyway, gods aren’t affected by age).

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