Elemental myrmidon

Elemental myrmidons, otherwise known as elemental archons, were a variety of elementals created by conjuring and bonding elementals into ritually created suits of armor to act as servile weapons of war.

Description
Elemental myrmidons were of roughly human size and shape. They were typically composed almost entirely of a single substance, be it an element or paraelement, though some could be a combination of elements.

All myrmidons wore thick armor, typically of a plate variety. These not only protected them against attacks, but contained their form and was integral to their being. After some time they were capable of removing this armor and replacing it with something else, but many never saw any need to do so. When a myrmidon was killed, their armor was all that would remain of them.

Behavior
Elemental myrmidons retained no memories of the free elementals that were bound to create them.

Being creatures that were forged for the purpose of war, their mindset revolved almost entirely around conflict, conquest, and following the commands of their creators. They had an innate desire to wage war, though not necessarily a desire for winning. They had no personal ambitions, no need for comforts, and didn't value material wealth. There was no innate hostility between myrmidons of differing elements, though all shared an innate desire to kill non-elemental creatures, a desire that they could not be talked out of.

When their innate desire to wage war went unsatisfied for a long period of time they would initially become restless, then careless and sluggish.

Abilities
All elemental myrmidons were immune to the effects of diseases and poisons, as they were beings composed wholly of elemental essence.

History
Elemental archons were created by the primordials during the Dawn War as a response to the gods' use of angels. It was believed that the idea for them came from an outsider. Those most commonly speculated were djinn, an angel, or a deity that had turned traitor to his fellow gods.

In order to create the archons, the primordials studied nature in the Elemental Chaos. They then found several elemental creatures or wild elementals and split them apart into their components. Finally they reshaped them, forging the elementals into archons through intentional creation. The use of archons was initially successful, although in the end the gods prevailed. At some point, efreets managed to steal the secrets of archon creation from the primordials and from them this knowledge eventually spread across the planes.

Since the time of the Dawn War, archons served a variety of elemental lords across the planes. However, nearly all archons had within them a burning urge to return the world to the rule of the primordials, having little other purpose in their minds.

During the Elemental Evil crisis, archons were utilized by members of each of the four elemental cults responsible for the crisis: the Cult of the Black Earth, the Cult of the Crushing Wave, the Cult of the Eternal Flame, and the Cult of the Howling Hatred.

Varieties

 * Air Elemental myrmidons: Myrmidons created from binding air elementals.
 * Crystal archons: Archons created from binding mineral quasi-elementals.
 * Earth elemental myrmidons: Myrmidons created from binding earth elementals.
 * Fire elemental myrmidons: Myrmidons created from binding fire elementals.
 * Ice archons: Archon created from binding ice para-elementals.
 * Slime archons: Archons created from binding ooze para-elementals.
 * Storm archons: Archons created from binding the elemental essences of air, lightning, and water.
 * Water elemental myrmidons: Myrmidons created from binding water elementals.

Society
Regardless of their elemental make-up, when left to their own devices archons would form societies that had the same structure, one that was roughly militaristic. They were rigidly disciplined and had hierarchies based on rank, with rank determining every aspect of life in their stronghold. These ranks did not have proper titles, as archons simply knew where they and others ranked. They did not challenge authority or compete against one another for rank, each being satisfied with their station and feeling they best serve in that position.

When archons had their own settlements they were best described as bastions, fortresses, or strongholds, rather than cities. They sometimes conquered the settlements of other races and converted them into strongholds, but most often they constructed strongholds around the special forges needed to create them. Hundreds of these strongholds could be found all across the Elemental Chaos. These strongholds were lead by the archon who had the greatest personal power and military acumen.

Outside of combat, archons spent much of their time trying to hone their knowledge of strategy and tactics, engaging in tactical exercises, or sparring. Constantly training for the next conflict, which satisfied their innate desire to make war.

On rare occasions, archons took slaves to perform manual labor or act as practice opponents. Slaves usually died from the latter or from neglect, as the archons did not understand how fragile creatures of flesh could be.

Creation
Some said that constructing an elemental archon required a special foundry, with a special forge built in a significant concentration of elemental energy, and a summoning crucible that served as the transformation space. These forges rarely appeared like a common forge, being unrecognizable contraptions of arcane and elemental magic.

Creating elemental myrmidons was a difficult ritual, a crucial element of which was encasing the elemental energies in armor ritually created at the foundry's forge. If this was not done a myrmidon might quickly expire, lack intelligence, or worst of all grow into something more powerful and uncontrollable that sought to avenge its creation.

A working foundry could produce elemental myrmidons as often as the ritual could be performed and for as long as its resources were maintained. The forge's power determined what kind of myrmidon was created. A forge with ebbing power could only generate the most basic version, while those at high flow could produce more powerful varieties.

The efreets were known to create fire archons from such a forge in the Char district of the City of Brass, while some ice archons were known to create more of their own kind through a forge located in the Crater of Blue Ice.

Relationships
Archons of different elements would freely associate with one another, though infighting amongst them could occur if they lacked strong leadership.

Those archons that lacked a master would sometimes hire themselves out as assassins, guards, or soldiers in order to satisfy their innate desire for conflict. They were willing to work for any employer that could guarantee them a fight, even a non-elemental. Some used the payment from these services to purchase tools and weapons that sat gathering dust in their strongholds, providing outsiders motivation to come and siege them.

Many archons were known to serve the evil archomental of their respective element, including Cryonax and Yan-C-Bin. They were also known to serve efreet, storm titans, earth titans, fire titans, and even mighty archons. Titans generally amassed archons of a specific element, while efreets were known to include a wide variety in their armies.

Some ice archons were known to serve the goddess Auril and act as escorts for her winter hags.

Rumors & Legends
It was said that those who knew the proper rituals could enforce the obedience of all archons that emerged from a particular forge.

Appearances

 * Video Games
 * Board Games
 * Tyrants of the Underdark
 * Card Games
 * Dragonfire (Moonshae Storms)
 * Dragonfire (Moonshae Storms)