Environment any (Plane of Air or Plane of Water)
Organization solitary
Treasure standard

The Personification of Fury is a living elemental storm of air and water. It may in fact have once been an actual storm given independent life and intelligence, but it does not remember anything before its awakening. Its powers allow it to shift itself fully into air or water or even to assume the form of a beast, though it is most comfortable in its dual material elemental shape.

Unusual in that it is one of the few elemental creatures serving the Wind and the Waves, Personification of Fury is often courted by the elemental lords to join their ranks as a high-ranking general or advisor on the mortal world, but Fury dislikes the lords’ squabbling and petty wars among their kind, seeing itself as a perfect example of how in the material realm elements should mix together without jealousy. It remains neutral in the dealings of various planar entities, and sometimes acts as an intermediary between rival forces—but only in direct, blunt, and expedient way, for it is a creature of force and action, not gentle diplomacy. Its actions have attracted a small number of sycophants and refugees from the elemental wars, air and water elementals tired of battle and looking for other ways to fill their immortal lives; these creatures follow Fury and allow it to summon them, and in faithful service to it they allow mortals to summon them. When the herald is on the Material Plane and left idle (such as before a battle or while guarding a sacred place), it entertains itself by summoning dozens of Small elemental minions and sending them scurrying about, letting them explore for a few minutes and get into mischief.

The Personification of Fury is genderless and easily offended if someone calls it a “he” or “she.” It also dislikes being called “the” Personification of Fury, as if its name were a title; if a speaker doesn’t want to use its full name, it expects to be called “Fury.” It has a short temper, and has been known to blast anyone offending it with cold or lightning if sufficiently annoyed (though more as a warning than with intent to kill)— those who anger it receive no mercy just because they share the same deific master. It prefers to be conjured during active storms or when such phenomena are nearby; a caster who calls the herald under these circumstances (whether natural or invoked by magic such as control weather) gains a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks to bargain with it. The creature is also fond of certain monoliths and standing stones, some of which include large stone faces or roughly anthropomorphic figures. Having a penchant for dramatics, it might use its control over an object and varied abilities to pose as the deity on a whim or to guide mortals on a desired course.

As a living storm, the herald can provide life-sustaining water, whisk others to safety, save mortals from drowning, or rain down watery death upon enemies. It is comfortable doing any of these things, and has no objection to taking lives—even innocent lives.

Ecology

Personification of Fury is an elemental outsider, and does not need to breathe, eat, or sleep. However, it enjoys mixing with the thin air on mountaintops, skimming misty valleys, or tasting the icy waters of the deep ocean. It sometimes forgets its own strength, and may accidentally crush, freeze, or electrocute nearby creatures and objects— its errant bolts of lightning have started many forest fires. It is amoral in this destruction, just as it is in any help it unintentionally provides. Certain magical pools, springs, and streams in the mortal realm may be inadvertent manifestations of its presence, changing the ecology of the region where they appear for hundreds or thousands of years.

Habitat & Society

Fury has no urge to reproduce or create more of its kind; interacting with its minions and mortal worshipers is the closest it comes to familial interests.

On the rare occasions when one of its elementals is permanently slain, it has been known to grieve for years, becoming more withdrawn and prone to outbursts, though its attitude is more that of a creature who has lost a pet than that of someone who has lost a friend or relative. When it finishes grieving, it usually travels to the Plane of Air or Plane of Water, working with the lords there in hopes of finding another like-minded minor elemental minion who may replace the one who was lost. Because the herald can recover from almost any injury as long as a small portion of it remains, some elementals wandering the Material Plane may actually be derived from its substance, cleaved off in some mighty battle and only becoming self-aware after gathering sufficient air or water—though they would not recognize any kinship.