Aarakocra lore question.

[orcafromthesky]

I'm joining my first 5e campaign in a few weeks. My DM is taking our group through the Princes of the Apocalypse adventure module (part of the Elemental Evil storyline), which I know little to nothing about (no spoilers, please). I've taken a look at the Elemental Evil Player's Companion (which is a supplementary text for that module, right?), and I've decided that I want to play an Aarakocra.

My class and backstory is starting to come together, but I'm confused about a few things. In the Player's Companion, it says that the Aarakocra have "historical ties to the Wind Dukes of Aqaa" (pg. 4), before elaborating about why that connection could be important for a character's backstory. I know very little about the Forgotten Realms (which the Elemental Evil storyline takes place in, according the WOTC page), but everything that I'm reading online seems to indicate that The Wind Dukes of Aqaa are from the Greyhawk campaign setting.

So, clearly I'm missing something. Can someone help me out here? Is the Elemental Plane of Air the same for both Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms? Do I have my campaign settings mixed up?

[M Placeholder]

In the default 5e cosmology, Oerth and Toril are in the same multiverse, on the same plane. So they both have the same Elemental Planes.

[orcafromthesky]

Thank you! I didn't know that. Is there a resource somewhere that gives a general outline of the cosmology for 5e?

[velinion]

Is there a resource somewhere that gives a general outline of the cosmology for 5e?

I don't know of one, but the planes are laid out in the PHB, Appendix C, on page 300. The diagram is pretty bad, but then again, it is difficult to show a six-dimensional space on a piece of paper.
The Prime Material Plane officially contains all of the different settings (except Planescape), as different planets, and I think most, if not all, in different solar systems.

:::Unnecessary details follow - maybe I shouldn't post to forums at 2am?:::

This was true in 2nd Edition (and Spelljammer allowed space(or space-ish at least... Spalljammer was weird) flight between settings) and I believe 3rd edition kept the multiverse intact (and just didn't release anything for Spalljammer, so I guess DM's decision if space-flight was OK)

If you want to ignore Spalljammer, travel between settings on the Prime Material was always possible by finding a portal to Sigil (Planescape setting) the City of Doors, and then finding (and finding a way to open) a portal to the setting you wanted to travel to.

The layout of the planes is a bit complex (Especially since they have now wedged in 4e's Faywild and Shadowfell... just what a layout that could only be pictured cohesively as a complex 6-dimensional space really needed - an extra dimension), but for the most part rarely important outside of Planescape.

Unfortunately, the details of cosmology in past editions were usually hammered out in supplements (one of the reasons I loved both Spelljammer and Planescape was for hammering out different aspects of these, as well as providing bizarre, surreal, and enchanting settings for adventures) and we have no supplements for 5e on this topic yet, just brief sections of the PHB and DMG.

If you are interested, summery of the Planes (Probably overkill to include this)
{Inner}->Etherial->{Prime(+4e extras!)}->Astral->{Outer}
{Inner} included Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Positive Energy and Negative Energy and you can find a layout map pretty easily by googling.
{outer} included a plane for each alignment (except true-neutral) arranged as a ring, with the city of Sigil in the center. Again, the layout can be pretty easily found by googling.

A side note: I am no expert on the planes, and skipped 4e. I welcome any corrections and alternate interpretations.

[orcafromthesky]

I don't know of one, but the planes are laid out in the PHB, Appendix C, on page 300. The diagram is pretty bad, but then again, it is difficult to show a six-dimensional space on a piece of paper.
The Prime Material Plane officially contains all of the different settings (except Planescape), as different planets, and I think most, if not all, in different solar systems.

:::Unnecessary details follow - maybe I shouldn't post to forums at 2am?:::

This was true in 2nd Edition (and Spelljammer allowed space(or space-ish at least... Spalljammer was weird) flight between settings) and I believe 3rd edition kept the multiverse intact (and just didn't release anything for Spalljammer, so I guess DM's decision if space-flight was OK)

If you want to ignore Spalljammer, travel between settings on the Prime Material was always possible by finding a portal to Sigil (Planescape setting) the City of Doors, and then finding (and finding a way to open) a portal to the setting you wanted to travel to.

The layout of the planes is a bit complex (Especially since they have now wedged in 4e's Faywild and Shadowfell... just what a layout that could only be pictured cohesively as a complex 6-dimensional space really needed - an extra dimension), but for the most part rarely important outside of Planescape.

Unfortunately, the details of cosmology in past editions were usually hammered out in supplements (one of the reasons I loved both Spelljammer and Planescape was for hammering out different aspects of these, as well as providing bizarre, surreal, and enchanting settings for adventures) and we have no supplements for 5e on this topic yet, just brief sections of the PHB and DMG.

If you are interested, summery of the Planes (Probably overkill to include this)
{Inner}->Etherial->{Prime(+4e extras!)}->Astral->{Outer}
{Inner} included Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Positive Energy and Negative Energy and you can find a layout map pretty easily by googling.
{outer} included a plane for each alignment (except true-neutral) arranged as a ring, with the city of Sigil in the center. Again, the layout can be pretty easily found by googling.

A side note: I am no expert on the planes, and skipped 4e. I welcome any corrections and alternate interpretations.

Dude! This is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you. If you're up late again and feel like elaborating even further, please do.