Flare

**Flare** is the familiar of Kyra Volcora in the *Forgotten Realms Campaign* of Nat19. He is an elemental spirit from the Elemental Plane of Fire. Despite his ability to take on many animal forms, Kyra prefers to summon him as a snake.

## History

Flare was first summoned by Kyra years ago, under the tutelage of Eurybia Maelstrom.

## Role in Plot

Flare has mostly been seen in his snake and owl forms, coiled around the arm or perched on the shoulder of his summoner, Kyra. He has aided her and her friends in combat on several occasions.

During the Dragon Heist Party's mission to locate Floon Blagmaar, Flare was transformed into an owl and told to follow a paper bird addressed to Floon. Through Flare's eyes, Kyra managed to track where the paper bird went and guide herself, Alyf, Torrin, Baxter, and Ranaer most of the way to a Xanathar's Thieves' Guild hideout in the sewers of Waterdeep where Floon was being held.

Flare also briefly assisted in Kyra's first mission for the Harpers. He was summoned to scout ahead inside Uza Solizeph's house and find the gazer within, but was swiftly killed upon finding it.

Several days later, Kyra would transform Flare into a spider and have him infiltrate Gralhund Villa to search for the Stone of Golorr and/or Urstul Floxin. However, he witnessed several people being murdered by Zhentarim thugs. One of the thugs spotted Flare and was about to kill him, but Kyra managed to get him to safety and de-summon him before that could happen.

During the Dragon Heist Party's search for the nimblewright that detonated a fireball outside the Obsidian Hall, a plan was devised. The party took the Nimblewright Detector they were given by Nim and Valetta at the House of Inspired Hands and tied it to Flare in his owl form with the trigger pressed down. They then had Flare fly around the city until the device began to spin and click, after which he was to return to them and then guide them to the location where it went off. This led the party to the Dock Ward, where they met an eccentric ship captain named Zardoz Zord who treated them to dinner. They did not, however, find the nimblewright they were looking for.

Flare assisted the Dragon Heist Party in combat while they pursued the rogue nimblewright, and again when they fought the bandits that were harassing Grinda Garloth. However, during the latter encounter, he was killed by one of the bandits' crossbow bolts. He was later revived by Kyra and aided her again in the three-way battle between the Dragon Heist Party, a group of Xanathar's Guild kenku, and Losser Mirklav's skeleton horde, where he was once again killed by a skeleton.

Kyra later utilized Flare's owl form during the Dragon Heist Party's confrontation with Skeemo Weirdbottle. Whilst trying to stay out of sight and await her friends' escape, she looked through Flare's eyes and kept an eye on the fight.

During Kyra and Flare's time with the Apocalypse Party, the latter has scouted several locations for the former. After the completion of Kyra's new spell — Volcora's Empowered Familiar — Flare was able to take part in a battle against a revenant and its horde of zombies, as well as an undead kraken. It was through the power of this same spell that Flare aided the Apocalypse Party against the Cult of the Howling Hatred.

Flare continued to aid Kyra and the Apocalypse Party against the four elemental cults, dying several times to various enemies. Eventually, Kyra re-summoned him after one of his deaths, and his form had changed to that of a Fire Snake. Though Kyra was unaware of the cause of this change, the shadowy figure in Krusk's mind simply said "they're welcome."

## Relationships & Affiliations

### Kyra Volcora

Kyra cares greatly for Flare and his wellbeing. Despite his nature as an immortal flame spirit that can be easily recalled upon destruction, she does not wish to subject him to such pain if she can avoid it. Kyra will oftentimes have Flare around simply to spend time with him, but she does call upon him for assistance in times of need. Since developing the Volcora's Empowered Familiar spell, Kyra has been far more willing to allow Flare to participate in combat.

## Abilities

As a familiar, Flare can appear or disappear to a pocket dimension at Kyra's discretion. She can issue telepathic commands to him up to 100 feet away, as well as see and hear through his senses, though the latter action renders her blind and deaf while doing so. If Flare's form is destroyed or Kyra simply wishes to change his form, she can cast the Find Familiar spell again to re-summon him and/or change his form.

## Trivia

* In order to add flavor for Flare and Kyra, an allowance was made for the Find Familiar spell to permit the summoning of Elemental spirits, in addition to the usual Fey, Fiend, and Celestial spirits.
* Every animal Flare transforms into is red or orange in some capacity.
* It has been stated by Kyra that Flare prefers his snake form.