Elemental Powers (EAFW)

Some have heard the rambling tales of the desert madman who claims that each of the elemental planes was once ruled by individual, powerful entities. Most clerics now believe that even if this was true, those sovereign beings are long since dead.
There are still beings of enormous strength living in the inner planes that are home to the elementals. Those who commune with them say they complain incessantly about the dryness of the earth, the scarcity of cool breezes, and roar louder than thunder when defiling magic begins to eat at their souls like leprosy.
Other, smaller spirits flit around these giant beings like hungry rasclinn, begging for any morsel their masters might toss them. For the last few centuries, the scraps have been few and far between.
When clerics or druids tap their patron plane for assistance, or to recharge spells, they have no idea which entity will answer the call. Rarely do the spirits reveal their identities, but somehow the dwellers of the planes always seem to know whether a cleric or druid has fulfilled  his Pact, and they grant or deny him access accordingly.