Vaati

ripvanwormer's picture

The Vaati, or Wind Dukes of Aaqa, were an ancient race of elemental beings native to the Elemental Plane of Air and fiercely devoted to the philosophy of Law. At the height of their empire they conquered all the Elemental+Planes, even the legendary City of Brass, as well as many worlds of the Prime Material Plane. Their chief foes were the hordes led by the Queen of Chaos, an Obyrith lord of extreme antiquity.

After eons of warfare reduced the numbers of both sides, most of the vaati race was destroyed at the battle of Pesh on the world of Oerth (which created the geological feature known today as Rift Canyon), but not before banishing the general of Chaos, the Prince of Demons Mishka+the+Wolf-Spider to a prison in Agathion, the deepest of Pandemonium's howling Layers. The hordes of Chaos scattered and the destiny of the Multiverse would be inherited by younger races such as the Tanar'ri and Baatezu, who continued the war between Chaos and Law in the form of the Blood War.

The vaati resemble muscular, androgynous humanoids with ebony skin and short-cropped hair.  They hover above the ground rather than walk. They have a rigid caste system. The vast majority of the survivors of this race dwell in a hidden valley called the Vale of Aaqa.

Sources: 
Dungeon #129
Book of Artifacts
Dungeon Master's Guide
Age of Worms Overload
Dungeon #124
Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Four
Dragon #224
The Rod of Seven Parts
The Mahasarpa Campaign
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