Inhabitants - Fire (TIP)

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: "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 4d 10 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 firenewts, and even the elementals themselves eventually find their way to efreeti citadels or the City of Brass. In short-they need us monc 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.-the Editor) 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 lmix 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 aJlocate 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.
KOOSSUTH. 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-the Editor). 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 flames.
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 lmix, 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 aH 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-the Editor).
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, Garn 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.