The Elemental Plane of Fire

Wizard School Alterations

Water	Absolute Prohibition
Air, Earth	>
Fire	+

It's not the heat, it's the... hmm. No, it's the heat.

- Haimich Tallshins, a halfling Planewalker

Greetings, honored readers! I am Riddel im-Bashadiel, Commander of the Melted Wing, a dedicated legion of the finest soldiers ever given life in the flames of a mother's womb. I have been chosen above all others to instruct those unfortunates not native to the Elemental Plane of Fire about the realm of my heart and home. This I do gladly. My great Sultan, Lord of Flame, the Potentate Incandescent, the Tempering and Eternal Flame of Truth, the Most Puissant of Hunters, Marshall of the Order of the Fiery Heart, the Smoldering Dictator, and the Crimson Firebrand wishes me to encourage those who come to our realm to do so with greater education. The more a "cutter" knows, the more likely it is that he may avoid roasting in the Pit of Slow-Burning Flame for angering my people, the great and noble Efreet.   Filiag Highthumbs of the cold and dark city of Sigil once wrote this of the plane of Elemental Fire in his Planes and Travel journals, which were published posthumously many years ago:
"If there's a more hostile place than the Elemental Plane of Fire anywhere in the multiverse, it's being kept in the dark. From start to finish, this plane is nothing short of destruction incarnate. Nothing, either animate or inanimate, that finds its way here lasts for long without a good deal of magical protection. That's why folks call it the Crematorium.
"When most primes, especially the clueless ones, think of Hell, they think of a place that looks a lot like the plane of Fire. The lowest regions of the place appear as a giant sea of living fire. Occasionally, plumes of flame leap into the air, becoming vast blazing clouds of oily incineration. In time, these rolling firestorms slowly settle down to the surface again, frying everything they touch. If a body hasn't tumbled to the idea yet, it's really, really hot here."   The honored master Highthumbs obviously has — or I should say, had — a poor opinion of my home. Actually, that does not surprise me. To those from the frigid realms beyond the plane of Fire, the glory that is true flame must be more than they can comprehend. My sympathies. His description of the plane is not entirely inaccurate, however. The Sea of Scorching Waves washes upon the shores of the Lands of Fire while the Scalding Skies rise above, filled with firestorms and rippling waves of pure, invisible heat. Thus, unlike the natives of some of the inferior Elemental Planes, we can identify such simple concepts as "up" and "down" here. But I will not linger overlong on the misfortunes of the lesser born.   Most physical objects from elsewhere simply burst into flames the moment they arrive in the Elemental Plane of Fire. Some do not even last that long, being instantly and utterly consumed too fast for their owner to notice. In most cases, things burn so thoroughly that no ash or other residue is left behind. The weakness of flammability becomes apparent here more than in the cold realms outside the plane. Even objects that do not burn on the frozen wastes of the Prime Material or most of the Outer Planes catch fire or melt here. While a pleasant thing for my kind (and the elementals and their kin), this can cause hardship for an outsider. However, magical items forged elsewhere have a chance of surviving the hungry flames.   Perhaps you should come to our plane bearing a great number of magical items.... Ahem. In any event, volcanic stone is not subject to the heat of the inferno. Thus, a traveler can sometimes find islands of obsidian or basalt and even scattered, extensive deserts of pumice floating in the endless sea of fire. Such places may offer respite from the searing flames, but they do nothing to lessen the heat.  

Physical Conditions

Those from the worlds of diluted elements must learn a number of things if they are to survive in the Elemental Planes. In the lifeless, boring expanse of the plane of Stone (Earth), for instance, explorers who do not possess a plan for moving through solid stone will be lost the minute they arrive. Of course, the biggest obstacle to traveling the realm of Fire should seem obvious to even the most inexperienced traveler: They must discover a way to resist the heat and flames that their too-frail cold bodies cannot tolerate.   Many assume, for reasons which I do not fully understand, that the plane of Elemental Fire is an evil place. Perhaps the answer lies in the concept many races have regarding Hell, or perhaps it is because fire can be a destructive, ever-hungering force. Some even call my plane the Crematorium, which seems quite rude to me, truth be told. Do not assume that just because our environment is so hostile to your cool flesh. that we — the inhabitants of this realm — are all evil.   (lt must be said, for all our good narrator's protestations, that many of the inhabitants of the plane of Fire are evil in nature. Of course, many inner-planar natives tend toward evil, just as a fair portion are dedicated to the cause of good. And it should be said that unlike the fiends of the Lower Planes, efreet, salamanders, and other inner-planar bashers aren't inherently, irrevocably evil. Good, or at least neutral, efreeti — for example — are more common than a body might think.)

Getting Here

The plane of Fire is not only dangerous to nonnatives, but, I am told, it can very hard to reach. Few gateways lead here and even fewer lead out. Still, those who possess the determination can find their way into this vast, insatiable blaze. I leave mention of the well-documented portals of Sigil to others, instead, I will reveal a few of the lesser-known means of ingress that I have learned of from planar travelers.   In the tortured wastes of Carceri's lowest sphere there is an immense portal bound within a great ring of jumbled bones. Every one of these bones comes from an intelligent creature of some sort.   In order to open this magical conduit and thus travel to Fire, a creature must press a bone against the ring. This bone must be from some manner of intelligent creature. Further, it must be from a type of creature whose bones have never before been used to open the portal. If the bone is new to the gate, it is absorbed into the structure of the portal and the doorway opens. If this type of bone has already been used to open the gate, nothing happens.   So just how likely is it that any given type of bone works? Well, don't expect anything common to open the portal. The following chart indicates the chance that a spe-cific type of bone causes the gate to open.

Creature Rarity	Chance to open Gate
Common	1%
Uncommon	2%
Rare	3%
Very Rare	5%

It is said that the yugoloths of Gehenna have their own gateway to the domain of Elemental Fire. This basalt-framed portal, if it does indeed exist, is rumored to stand within the dread Tower of the Arcanaloths. Unlocking this gate is very easy, one need only have a black heart (that is, be of evil alignment) and carry an open flame.   The real problem, of course, is reaching it. Rumors claim that anyone foolish enough to enter the Tower finds either untold magical power or death. The latter seems to be the case far more often than not. After all, how many beings have you met with unlimited magical power?   Vortices to the plane of Fire are far more common than portals, though even these are few and far between. While expanses of water, air, and earth are common enough on the Prime Material and other planes, such concentrations of fire are, sadly, almost unknown. Still, when a great blaze erupts (a vast forest fire or suchlike), the heart of the inferno sometimes creates a vortex to the plane of Fire.   Further, there are those who say that the magical fire that spews from the maws of legendary red dragons is drawn directly from the Elemental Plane of Fire. If this is true, it might be possible to use such a torrent of flame to make the journey. Whether it works or not, however, most agree that a flammable being would have to "barmy" to try it. I, on the other hand, would love to attempt the experiment — if only the flames of such beasts were their only threat....

Hazards

Just how intense is the substance of the plane of Fire? Well, here is "the dark of it."

Fire, Fire, and more Fire

Any nonmagical or unprotected flammable material like wood, paper, cloth, and so forth instantly bursts into flames when it arrives here. Nothing like this lasts for more than a round. Anyone wearing items made of such material suffers 1d10 points of fire damage if they are not already shielded from injury by heat or flame. Magical items like spells scrolls or a cloak of elvenkind or such require a d100 roll every round, on a roll of 80 or lower they are destroyed.   Unprotected water and other fluids instantly boil away into vapor. Those exposed to these boiling liquids or the cloud of superheated steam they release suffers 2d10 points of damage. Magical fluids (which do not include holy water) maynot be destroyed instantly, roll a d100, on a result of 60 or lower the drink evaporates.   Nonmagical or unprotected nonvolcanic stone melts into magma in 2 rounds and then boils away into vapor 2 rounds after that. This inflicts 3d10 points of damage on anyone in close contact with such material. Living creatures made of stone, such as earth elementals or golems, suffer 1d10 points of damage from the heat each round. Volcanic stone, which includes basalt, obsidian, and pumice, is immune to the heat of this plane. Magical stone of any type can survive with a d100 roll with a result of 40 or lower.   Unprotected or nonmagical metal items heat to the melting point in only 2 rounds. This causes 4d10 points of damage to those in contact with the metal, and may potentially disable limbs and the like (as per the heat metal spell). Magical metal items can escape this fate with a d100 roll with a result of 50 or higher. Creatures of flesh and blood suffer damage each round that they spend exposed to the heat and fire of this plane. The severity of their injuries relies upon their natural Armor Class (only natural features like scales, stat modifiers such as dexterity or constitution are to be ignored) as indicated on the chart below.

Natural AC	Damage per Round
0-3	6d10
4-6	5d10
7-8	4d10
9-11	3d10
12-14	2d10
15-18	1d10
19+	N/A

Magic is, without a doubt, the best protection a non-native can have. Spells like protection from fire or magical trinkets like a ring of fire protection are nothing short of necessities here. Of course, a fragile, flammable outsider has to be careful, because the minute his protection expires, he likely to do the same.

Breathing

Again, I turn to the opinionated Filiag Highthumbs for the nonnative's point of view:
"What passes for an atmosphere in the plane of Fire isn't really fit for man or beast. Forget the fact that its superheated. If you've lived long enough to be worried about breathing, then you've obviously got something to protect yourself from the fires.
"The problem with breathing in the plane of Fire is that the air here a mixture of toxic gases (many of which are flammable and in the process of burning). Beyond that, the stuff is very thin and chock-full of poisonous vapors. The net effect of all this is that a body must make a constitution saving throw each round or suffer 1d10 points of damage. This saving throw can be avoided by holding your breath, but that's only a delaying tactic at best. And when your lungs give out and you have to start gasping in breaths, this imposes a -2 penalty on your saving throw.
"A body can protect himself from this danger in any number of ways. Anything that slows or prevents poisoning retards or negates the effects of this danger. Spells such as breathe fire or magma or airy fire are sure protections. Likewise, a planewalker who doesn't need to breathe doesn't need to worry about it."   Of course, when I travel to a nonburning plane. I can breathe normally (perhaps with a little discomfon), but it is probably improper to boast....

Vision and Senses

No one lacks for light in the plane of Fire. The blaze here provides all manner of beautiful illumination in almost any conceivable color, from the yellow of a campfire to the blue of an eternal flame. Despite all this illumination, though, flame is much harder to see through than air for those not blessed with flamesight.   Creatures not native to this plane find the range of their vision reduced to only 120 feet. Native creatures can see twice as far in most cases. At the market in the glorious City of Brass (see below), a nonnative can acquire special glasses that improve vision. These spectacles have lenses fashioned from smoky quartz, giving nonnative creatures vision to a range of 240 feet. Needless to say, Darkvision doesn't work in the plane of Fire. The whole plane is so awash with heat that the difference between one place and another is insignificant.

Elemental Pockets

In many of the Inner Planes, elemental seepage is a dangerous phenomenon. In the plane of Fire, these pockets can offer flammable explorers a refuge from the relentless inferno that surrounds them. The problem, however, is that such pockets are generally only slightly more resistant to the realm than the average -planewalker. Thus, these refuges are fleeting things at best. We of the plane do not care for these pockets and do not mourn their passing. They dilute the purity of Fire — although the pockets of magma and smoke are more tolerable than say, those of earth and water. Of course, showing the true superiority of flame, earth and water become magma and steam here!   And, of course, explorers are not the only people — or things — looking for respite from the heat. Countless predators (salamanders, fire snakes, flame spirits, hell hounds, phantom stalkers, fire giants, and so on) watch any safe haven the way a lion watches a water hole in the Beastlands.   But Fire does not tolerate other substances, and so these pockets tend to be consumed in time. On the average, an elemental pocket is consumed at a rate of 20 yards per day. Thus, a pocket 400 yards in diameter gradually dwindles in size until it is utterly consumed in 20 days, while a pocket 1 mile across (that's 1,760 yards) lasts 88 days.   What does that mean for the very large pockets? Well, a pocket 10.000 miles across (or 17.6 million yards) lingers for 880.000 days. That's just shy of 2,410 years. To the average human, that might seem an eternity. In the scope of the multiverse's eternal lires, however, it is but a blink of an eye.   Pockets of ash, magma, smoke, and radiance are consumed at slower rates than normal. Because of their close relationship to elemental Fire, they burn away at a rate of only 10 yards per day. The reverse is true of those elements tied to water. Elemental pockets of water, ice, steam, ooze, and salt are consumed at a rate of 40 yards per day.

Other Dangers

Once you poor, frail mortals have dealt with the basic difficulties of simple survival, you may wish to consider two unique hazards found within the plane of Fire.

Detonation

From time to time, a cloud of deadly, explosive vapors manages to coalesce before ignition. When something finally triggers the blast, a powerful explosion rips through the area. To determine the size of the blast area, use the table presented on elemental pockets (In the Inner Planes Article), dividing the results from that table in half.   These events can pose a threat even to creatures like myself, although true fire elementals, it is said, do not fear even these eruptions. An explosion like this requires every-one in the area to make a dexterity saving throw. A failed save results in 2d10 points of damage while a successful one cuts this by half. Creatures not naturally immune to or somehow protected from heat and flame suffer twice the normal damage from this blast.

Shadow Fire

Shadow fire is a strange and deadly phenomenon found only in the Elemental Plane of Fire. To the naked eye, regions of shadow fire look just like the rest of the plane. However, a closer examination with magic like true seeing indicates that something is amiss. The size of a shadow fire pocket can be determined just as for elemental pockets. Regions of shadow fire are far cooler than those flames surrounding them. To those of us who are physically adapted to existence in the plane of Fire, they are dangerously cold. Indeed, even creatures that are magically protected from flame and heat are vulnerable to the chilling effects of shadow fire.   Creatures native to this plane, like a salamander or fire elemental, suffer 2d10 points of damage for every round spent in a region of shadow fire. Nonnative beings that have been magically or otherwise protected from fire and heat suffer 1d10 points of damage each round. Ironically, creatures without any protection from heat and flame find regions of the cursed shadow fire to be cool sanctuaries that cause them no harm at all, although it is doubtful that they would survive the rest of the plane long enough to reach such safety.

Moving About

Traveling from one place to another in the Elemental Plane of Fire should be fairly simple. After all, a definite up and down exists here, although nonnatives may find wading through a boundless region of flame very unsettling.   The "surface" of this plane is composed of highly compressed fire. In appearance. it is rather like a brightly burning coal, although its consistency is about the same as that of water. It is therefore possible to swim through this sea of flame just as one would paddle through some distastefully cool mountain lake. Some enterprising souls have even created sailing ships that ply the flames as more common ships might sail atop water.   This layer of liquid flame is only about 15 feet deep. Beneath it lies a layer of even more highly condensed fire. This has the appearance of white-hot metal and is as smooth as glass to the touch. Beings heavy enough to sink beneath the layer of liquid fire may walk upon this surface.   Flying through the atmosphere above our blazing sea is not as easy, however. The atmosphere is so thin that wings, gas bags, and the like cannot provide enough lift to raise a heavy body above the surface. Of course, magical means of flight still function, and creatures such as fire bats, elementals, and we efreet can move wherever we like throughout any of the plane's environments.

Inhabitants

The natives of the Elemental Plane of Fire are as diverse as they are dangerous. Some of the most well known and feared supernatural menaces originate on this plane.
There're some folks who say that natives of this plane are all hot tempered and aggressive. That may or may not be true, but there sure seems to be plenty of evidence for it. The Crematorium has more than its share of powerful, warlike creatures. These include not only the native elementals, but also demonic beasts like hell hounds and the dreaded efreet.

- Filiag Highthumbs, Planes and Travel

Dreaded, indeed. Demonic, Hrumph. I wish master Highthumbs was still alive so that I could...well, never mind.

Elementals

Strict racial segregation and rigid social structures generally mark the Inner Planes. Earth elementals stay in the company of earth elementals, steam mephits only associate with other steam mephits, and so on. This is not always the case in the plane of Fire, however. Here, diverse races form tiny kingdoms and principalities, each ruled by a leader who commands a variety of creatures. The typical citizens of such realms include not only elementals, but also fire minions, mephits, harginn, gen, plasms, giants, drakes, hell hounds, and flame spirits.   The salamanders are the one notable exception to this standard. This evil race lives in vast nations ruled by their own powerful nobles. While other races sometimes live among them, there is never any doubt that a salamander community is a salamander community. They generally maintain an alliance with we efreet and often war with the azer. Despite these common characteristics, salamanders often battle among themselves. It is said that the greatest enemy of the salamanders is the salamanders.   A race of chaotic evil elementals known as pyrophor fight endlessly against the helions, their lawful good counterparts. These battles are of such epic scale that any general would be well advised to study them. I find them fascinating.

Animals

Our plane hosts a few types of black flies and glowing hornets as well as crawling bugs, the largest of which is, of course, the fire beetle. A common little creature called the waiveras, more a pest than anything, feeds on these tiny insects and fire snake eggs. The waiveras, a black lizard with eight legs, makes a fine stew. Likewise, the scape, a teleporting rodent that feeds upon carrion, can be made into many fine dishes. Unfortunately, my tastes tend toward the cooked meats, and neither of these creatures can be seared like the meat of animals from other planes — as natives they possess an immunity to heat.   Elemental versions of many so-called 'normal" animals known as animentals also dwell in the plane of Fire. These include birds made of nothing but fire, which waft about on winds too thin to support their mortal peers: and blazing sharks that swim within the scalding fluid of the Blazing Sea and the Sea of Burning Waves (where one begins and the other ends no nonnative can truly comprehend).

Monsters

The diverse creatures of Fire include flamelings, lava worms, fire bats, fire elemental beasts, and other predators. These brute beasts form their own packs, preying upon anything that wanders by.   Firetails and tshala lead a more peaceful existence and avoid conflicts. Reclusive by nature, they shun contact with other creatures.   At the same time, vast armies of firenewts struggle to claim any and all territory on the more -solid- firelands. Riding great striders, these deadly creatures challenge anyone foolish enough to cross into their domains.

Efreet

The noble efreet, eternal enemies of the hated djinn, call the Elemental Plane of Fire our home. We are such an integral part of this plane that our bodies are composed of basalt, bronze, and flame itself. Although we efreet are not so simple as to wholly be labeled "evil" as if we were all forged of the same flame, there are a few among us who one might call self-serving and arrogant, I will admit.   The center of our insurmountable power is the awesome City of Brass, which is described below. In addition to this magnificent fortress, we have spread our keeps and outposts throughout the plane of Fire to keep it secure. Our dominance is only for the good of the plane. The typical efreet outpost houses 4d10 of us, and there is a fair chance that 1d4 jann or 1d4 dao may also be found there. The Grand Sultan of the Efreet and his inner council of six high pashas rule the City of Brass, while a variety of deys, amirs, and maliks oversee the outposts.   We also have built grand fortresses to secure our power throughout the outlying provinces stretching away from the City of Brass. We build these great structures from obsidian or submerge them within liquid metal or flaming oil pits. Each serves as a bastion for a thousand or more of our greatest soldiers. I, myself, command a fortress called the Black Fist, which floats upon the Sea of Scorching Waves. It lies near the Isles of Scorched Bones, where rumor has it the bones of some long-dead race rest above the flaming sea. These islands now provide a home to hundreds of thousands of fire bats (and a great many fire mephits), which I and those in my command take great sport in hunting.   We efreet often utilize slave labor traded to us from the dao of Earth in exchange for magic or iron-wrought work. We despise the djinn of Air and the marids of Water (cursed fire-extinguishing water!) for their opposition to our most glorious of elements. Most of the intelligent races of Fire resent our power and lust after our position as masters of this plane. Still, the salamanders. the azer. the fire-newts, and even the elementals themselves eventually find their way to efreeti citadels or the City of Brass. In short — they need us more than they hate us.

Azer

The azer are a dwarflike race of honorable creatures who dwell upon the Elemental Plane of Fire. They reside upon and within the elemental pockets of earth that stand in the Blazing Sea. These master metalworkers make their homes in towers of iron, brass, and steel. Foolish rumor says that they laid the foundations of the City of Brass, but this is nought but a cold and baseless lie. (The azer won't comment on the matter.) A typical tower serves as a residence for 5d6 azer. Beneath it one finds a catacomb of tunnels and mines dug through the fire in which the azer work.   The azer swear fealty to Amaimon, the master of their kind. His government has no seat, however, for Amaimon and his host of advisers travel throughout the Elemental Plane of Fire. They visit each azer tower for a brief time, then move on to the next.

Powers

Few powers inhabit the Elemental Plane of Fire. Perhaps they find this place as uncomfortable as mortals do. Still, there are three very powerful creatures — the Elemental Princes of the realm — that must be considered by anyone who would travel here.

Imix

Great and powerful Imix, the Prince of Evil Fire Creatures, rules over his domain from a mighty fortress within the heart of a powerful volcano. Supposedly, his home contains vortices leading to the planes of Earth and Magma. This may be true, for the archomental is said to have powerful allies in those planes.   A vast army of fire elementals, efreet and salamanders call Imix master, but this is not enough for him. The Prince of Evil Fire Creatures constantly strives to destroy everyone who refuses to bow down to him. This often includes his allies, whom he sees merely as passing conveniences.   Zaaman Rul (see below) recently launched a great war against Imix. Despite the naive belief that good always triumphs over evil, this battle was clearly won by the forces of evil. Imix continues to press this advantage, routing Zaaman Rul's forces wherever he finds them. Some have said that his great success in these battles has tipped the scales of the entire plane of Fire toward evil. That, I suppose, remains to be seen.   It has been suggested that Imix might even be able to sweep Zaaman Rul and his followers out of existence, but for one important fact: The Prince of Evil Fire Creatures is also engaged in an endless war with foul Olhydra, the Princess of Evil Water Creatures. As he is unable to allocate his full attention to Zaaman Rul. It seems likely that the Prince of Good Fire Creatures will be able to survive, if not prosper, for some time to come.   Imix appears as an 18-foot-tall column of flame, radiating powerful waves of heat at all times. At will, he can send forth tendrils of flame to manipulate objects or attack his enemies. A continuous crackling and hissing fills the air around Imix.

Kossuth

If Kossuth, the Tyrant-King of Fire Elementals, is easily the most powerful creature dwelling in the plane — except of course, for the Great Sultan himself (whose entry I had to remove from this section since he clearly is not a power, despite our narrator's suggestions to the contrary). Kossuth remains wary of Imix, however, for the Evil Prince constantly schemes to undermine Kossuth's authority and destroy him. Despite Imix's efforts, however, Kossuth remains a greater power and the ultimate master of all names.   Kossuth's home is an immense globe of elemental Fire that bums brightly at the heart of this plane. This orb shines a brilliant blue-white in color and throws off heat so great that the rest of the Elemental Plane seems chill in comparison. This fortress, known as the Crimson Pillar, is described more fully below.   While Imix, Zaaman Rul, and the other masters of this realm battle each other for supremacy, Kossuth has more important duties to attend to. The Tyrant-King oversees the protection of the plane of Fire as a whole. Any who would dare invade this place must be ready to deal with him and the dread forces at his command.

Zaaman Rul

The azer and the salamanders agree on at least one thing: that Zaaman Rul, the Prince of Good Fire Creatures, is the bastard son of none other than Imix, his archenemy. No one knows for sure except for Imix and Zaaman Rul, of course.   Being of a very different temperament than his supposed sire, Zaaman Rul gathered together a great army of his brethren, including such diverse creatures as azer, firetails, and even a few renegade efreet. On the Plain of Burnt Dreams, his army attacked the fortress of Imix in a battle of a magnitude that the plane of Fire had rarely seen.   But Zaaman Rul grossly underestimated the might of his foe. The army of good was all but swept out of existence. As a result of this defeat. Zaaman Rul has gone into hiding. His supporters claim that he's biding his time, working to rebuild his army that he might again challenge his father.   Zaaman Rul is a 10-foot-tall, red-skinned humanoid with long black hair and black eyes. At will, he can conjure forth the great flaming sword that has become his symbol. He is aware that he is probably the weakest of the Princes of Elemental Good. He has vowed to never again overestimate his own prowess, or to underestimate those of his enemies.

Proxies

None of the powers noted above actually make use of proxies in the traditional sense of the word. Still, they have attracted some very powerful followers who serve their masters as diligently as any proxy.

Asgeroth

The evil Imix has searched the multiverse for creatures of great power and evil to help him in his battles against Zaaman Rul and Olhydra. The greatest of his finds is the dread Asgeroth, a pit fiend drawn from the dire depths of the Nine Hells (Baator, to our planar readers).   On his own plane, Asgeroth was a minor general. He hungered for greater power, but the might of his peers was always just a bit too much for him to match. When Imix contacted him, the pit fiend eagerly jumped at the chance to assume an important role in the army of evil fire creatures.   Asgeroth recognizes his debt to Imix and so he is a most loyal servant to his blazing master. It was Asgeroth himself who led the final charge that shattered the armies of Zaaman Rul on the Plain of Burnt Dreams. Indeed, Imix has placed Asgeroth in command of his efforts to find and destroy the Prince of Good Fire Creatures, leaving the Evil Prince to focus his attention on Olhydra.

Garn

A powerful and intelligent salamander, Gam serves the cause of neutrality and its ultimate master, Kossuth. While he appears to have had his natural powers greatly enhanced by the power he serves. Garn does not seem to have any real contact with his master. Whether or not some mystical bond exists between them is a matter of debate. The truth is, no one knows and no one is likely to find out.   Garn is nothing short of an assassin. He does not negotiate with Kossuth's enemies or lead his armies. When someone begins to cause the Tyrant-King too much trouble, Garn sees to it that the difficulty comes to an abrupt end.

The Sites

Of all the Inner Planes, none are more changeable than Fire. As such, few sites endure for very long. Still, some resist the eternal burning and become places of which any visitor to this realm had best be aware.

The City of Brass

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The City of Brass

Settlement | Jun 14, 2022

Perhaps the most well-known place in the plane of Fire is the legendary City of Brass, and rightly so. This magnificent fortress of towers, domes, spires, and minarets stands upon a great hemisphere of solid brass fully 40 miles across. The whole of the city glows hotly at all times, a constant reminder that only the power of the efreet keeps the place from being consumed. Rivers of magma and boiling, black ooze spread out like spider webs from the base of the city. All in all, the effect is rather like that of a river delta on a prime world, if one must make such a comparison. A shining brass wall surrounds the entire city, broken only for eight well-guarded gates.   Near the City of Brass lies the Obsidian Fields, where our slaves tend the crops that sustain us. Qamh, habbat, verdobba, umbellin, and tergamit, which I believe you call fire fruit, all grow here in abundance. (The first four are grasses, grains, tubers, and beans all native to the plane. Fire fruit is in fact deadly to nonnatives, something of which the narrator is no doubt aware.) Near these fields lies the Sable Forest, where the serpent trees sustain themselves on nothing more than heat. Here, our nobles relax and experience the joys of the hunt with their hell hound packs and fiery mounts.   No one knows exactly how many efreet fill the City of Brass, except perhaps the Grand Sultan himself. At the very least, however, the place has a population twice that of any city known to exist on the Prime Material Plane. The huge number of elemental beings that live and work among us further increases this total. Not all of those that dwell within the city are even natives. Why, Jamina al-Mubarak al-Kamal is one of you (Prime/Female human/Wizard (Fire) 15). She serves as an ambassador for a prime group called the Brotherhood of the True Flame. And there are others — so feel welcome!   At the center of the City of Brass stands the Sultan's Charcoal Palace. This structure towers above the rest of the city, and from its uppermost spires the Grand Sultan of the Efreet can look down upon the whole of his domain. The palace's spires rise near a fountain of fire called the Breath of the Sultan, which can be seen from any quarter of the city.   Untold riches, the wealth of multiple worlds, lie below, cached deep within the heart of this magnificent palace. Few know for sure exactly how much treasure there is or what forms it might take. The only thing known for certain about the Sultan's hoard is that it must be very well guarded. In fact, the public executions of those who have tried to sneak into the palace are truly staggering in their brutality, even to me.   (Although Riddel would never or could never relate such things, there're a few more things that a planewalker might need to know about the City of Brass — a few thousand, really, but there's only so much space here. First of all, the efreet work hand-in-hand with the baatezu. Portals between the city and various spots in Baator abound. They trade servants and slaves as well as information. It's not all that uncommon to spy an osyluth or a cornugon roaming about in the company of efreet here — and some have even rattled their bone-boxes about seeing a pit fiend hob-nobbing with the nobles. Second, a planewalker ought to know about the Wormhole. This is a secret section of the undercity that even the efreet haven't tumbled to. It's a hidey-hole for salamanders, but perhaps a diplomatic and silver-tongued soul could convince those within to allow him sanctuary — a word to the wise.)

The Crimson Pillar

If one part of the plane can be said to be hotter than any other, it must certainly be the Crimson Pillar of Kossuth. This great orb, which is not less than 10 miles in diameter, hangs high above the fiery surface of the sea.   This blue-white sphere throws off so much heat that those who draw near to it, even creatures native to the plane of Fire, burn. The closer a body gets, the more dangerous the rays of the citadel become. The following chart indicates how much damage a traveler suffers at a given distance.

Distance from the Pillar	Damage per Round
100 Miles	1d4
50 Miles	1d6
25 Miles	1d8
10 Miles	1d10
5 Miles	1d12
1 Mile	1d20

The above numbers assume that the body is naturally immune to or otherwise protected from the normal heat of the plane of Fire. If this is not the case, then the damage indicated above is doubled and added to the normal injuries inflicted by the burning of the plane.   Within the Pillar of Kossuth the great power holds court, providing protection from the damaging heat to those he wishes to see (and taking it away if they displease him). A few (including some of those who revere him) see Kossuth as the neutralizing force between the warring archomentals of the plane, but that far oversimplifies the role of the Tyrant-King of Elementals. More accurately, he serves only his own needs as the master of Fire and those creatures associated with it. Surely, if he wished to destroy both Imix and Zaaman Rul, he would (and perhaps, such is his plan).

The Crucible

The largest of the azer towers is known as the Crucible. It rests on an island of obsidian ringed by a vast sea of molten, bubbling platinum. Whether this metal ocean is natural or was created by the azer is unknown. It may, in fact, serve as a vortex of some sort linking this place with the plane of Earth. The island itself is covered with a forest of treelike plants whose bark and leaves consist of pure metals.   The master of the Crucible is named Shanmakeen (Planar/Male azer/Fighter 16,Wizard 16) and his skill with hammer and anvil is legendary. It is said that he can and will fashion any manner of magical weapon for those who meet his price.

Plain of Burnt Dreams

In the vast region of the Plain of Burnt Dreams, the solid fire that forms the base of this plane rises above the liquid flames of the Blazing Sea. The Plain is highly uneven in shape but looks as much like a great octagon as anything else.   The Plain is noted for two things. The first of these is the Temple of Ultimate Consumption, from which Imix rules his legions of evil. Built in the shape of a great pyramid and fashioned from gleaming blocks of pure obsidian, it is a breathtaking sight. A legion of powerful fire elementals and similar beings constantly patrols the Plain of Burnt Dreams to protect the temple from unwanted visitors.   Second, and perhaps more important, is of course the great battle between Imix and Zaaman Rul which was recently fought here. There are those who say that a great artifact of untold good was supposed to be used to decide that battle. During this conflict, the story goes, the artifact was lost and vanished beneath the waves of the Blazing Sea before Zaaman Rul could bring it into play. If this is true, anyone who procures the relic could name his own price, selling it to either of the Elemental Princes.

Planewalkers in Fire

The plane of Fire possesses a reputation unmatched by any other plane in the multiverse. It is feared as much as the Abyss or Baator, and rightfully so. Considering the environmental conditions alone, only the strong can survive here. Still, these kinds of hazards sometimes attract rather than repel mortal adventurers and explorers.   They come to the plane of Fire not only to challenge its reputation (and earn one of their own), but because they know, deep within the primal essence of their being, that fire is power. Nonnatives come to the plane of Elemental Fire to discover power or to learn how to master it. And there is power to be had. We efreet reward those mortals who choose to serve us or work with us. The azer can offer a planewalker a finely crafted item for the right price. Sometimes wizards come (or send others) to siphon a tiny fraction of the plane's energy to power a magical item or even a spell.

Spell Keys and other Necessities

(Spell keys in the Elemental Plane of Fire always take the form of fluid dancelike movements. These mimic the leaping flames and enable the caster to attune his own magical energies to those of the plane around him. Remember, though, that magical effects must themselves be able to endure the heat to be useful. (Summoning a creature that dies instantly upon entering the plane of Fire does neither spellcaster nor creature any good.) No key has ever been discovered that permits a wizard to cast spells from the school of Elemental Water in this plane.   A powerful mage named Hynthamis Ruh developed a special son of homunculus that a nonnative can actually wear that protects the wearer from heat and flame. A little-known secret of these homunculi is that it they can only be created using efreeti skins, so it may not be wise to visit the City of Brass bearing such a creature. Similarly, the efreet have created a homunculus that protects an efreet who travels to the depths of the plane of Water or the frigid cold of Ice)