Hearth fiends were chaotic evil elementals of fire that were attracted to the dark magics of the Domains of Dread.[1][2]
Description[]
Hearth fiends were largely indistinguishable from mundane fire, but had a malevolent face that flickered among their flames. If they so desired this face could be easy for all to perceive or be rather discretely hidden and only rarely seen upon close examinations. Their faces could be forcefully revealed by casting see invisibility.[1][2]
Personality[]
These elementals delighted in causing acts of evil,[1][3] chaos,[1] and mischief.[3]
Abilities[]
On their native plane, these elementals were very weak beings, easily at the mercy of even the most minor creatures of the Elemental Plane of Fire. Their only distinguishing feature from other elementals of fire was their ability to sense when magic was drawing upon the energy of their plane, which they would then attempt to latch onto. Whenever they were in the Domains of Dread or on the Prime Material, hearth fiends became far more powerful beings.[3]
Among these expanded abilities, hearth could release hot embers into the air three times per day that could be extinguished by normal means or by dispel magic. Hearth fiends could see and hear through these embers, allowing them to gather information from afar, but could also ignite flames to which they could then transfer their consciousness. This transference took about a minute, during which time it was left open to attacks. They were generally reluctant to transfer themselves to smaller fires, but would resort to doing so if it meant escaping destruction. Following transference, any harm that a hearth fiend's body had previously endured was fully healed and the fire they previously inhabited was returned to being mundane. Typically, they waited several days after a transference to reveal their presence to anyone.[3]
Lastly, hearth fiends had the power to charm people in a manner similar to the charm person spell. They could only do so to one person at a time and they chose to prey upon those with weak wills.[1][2] However, awareness of a hearth fiend's true nature made one immune to its enchanting whispers.[2]
Hearth fiends made promises to those they charmed in exchange for committing evil acts. Initial promises would be quite innocent, if not helpful, such as "I will keep you warm." But over time, as the creature acquired the friendship and trust of an individual, their offerings of aid would become more insidious, such as "I will burn your foes." Their demands also grew to asking for small sacrifices, usually involving escalating acts of arson.[1][3]
The flames of a hearth fiend could not be extinguished by normal means,[1][3] such as mundane water. Only magical water and water created from spells could smother their flames.[2] Beyond water, they were impervious to harm from magical fire, heat, electricity, and lightning-based spells. Spells relying upon cold or ice to inflict injury only caused partial harm. And weapons could only cause them harm if they were enchanted.[2][4]
Combat[]
These elementals fought by releasing powerful bolts of flame from their bodies.[1][2] The degree to how harmful or powerful these firebolts were was dependent upon the size of the fire that a hearth fiend inhabited.[3]
Society[]
Hearth fiends lived solitary lives.[1][2]
Diet[]
Being elementals, hearth fiends did not have normal dietary needs. However, they did require fuel to maintain their flames. In addition to typical materials like coal and wood, hearth fiends could uniquely consume stone and water for fuel just as easily. They also particularly enjoyed the taste of flesh from living creatures.[3]
Homelands[]
Hearth fiends were native to the Elemental Plane of Fire,[2] but could often be found in the Domains of Dread. Every time a fire-based spell was cast in the Domains of Dread, regardless of whether it was arcane magic or divine magic, there was a small chance that a hearth fiend would be sucked into the plane and instantly drawn to the nearest source of mundane fire.[2][3] Outside of their home plane they could only be found in open sources of fires, such as campfires, candles, lanterns, torches, fireplaces, and so on.[2][3]
Due to how weak a hearth fiend was on its home plane, these elementals were greatly reluctant to return to it and would try to bargain if the possibility of being banished back to it was presented. However, hearth fiends did their best to be deceitful with such people, plotting to destroy them at the earliest opportunity.[3]
Languages[]
Hearth fiends spoke both Ignan[1] and Common, but they seldom desired to do the latter outside of charming others.[2]
History[]
Around the late 14th century DR, sometime after the Three Women War, on a cold and gloomy rainy day in Ravens Bluff, a group of adventurers were led by a group of young children, dogs, and cats across the Ravensbridge and into the Shutters neighborhood of the Crow's End district, eventually coming to a small wooden shack in the woods bordering Mraedara's Street. Inside they found a thirteen-year-old half-elf named Michael, who was praying for aid and had sent those children out to find help. He introduced himself to the adventurers as Chancellor of the Fellowship of Exalted Adventurers, a club made up of children from the Shutters, and explained his predicament. The children had recently found an old, small building that looked to have once been an stable, and thought it could be a potential new clubhouse. He entered the house on his own and upon leaving found that everyone else had disappeared. He beseeched the adventurers to rescue them and was willing to offer them the club's entire treasury in return, which consisted of 3 gold pieces, 6 silver pieces, and 24 copper pieces.[5]
At the stables, the adventurers found a hearth fiend inside,[6] who had traveled from the Domains of Dread to Toril inside the lantern of an escaping adventurer.[4] The fiend had charmed Michael, but the other children were all led away into the Mists of Ravenloft by the ghost Melinda Glass with promises of cookies and milk. Not content with Michael as fuel, the hearth fiend left him alive to stock his forge fire and to look for "help" from adventurers, wanting to feast upon the flesh of some adults.[6]
Appendix[]
Appearances[]
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
External Links[]
Hearth fiend article at the Ravenloft Wiki.
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Beth Bostic, et al. (January 2004). Denizens of Dread. Edited by Dale Donovan. (White Wolf Publishing), p. 113. ISBN 1-58846-951-4.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 Kirk Botulla, Shane Hensley, Nicky Rea, Teeuwynn Woodruff (1994). Monstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix III: Creatures of Darkness. Edited by William W. Connors. (TSR, Inc.), p. 57. ISBN 1-56076-914-9.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Kirk Botulla, Shane Hensley, Nicky Rea, Teeuwynn Woodruff (1994). Monstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix III: Creatures of Darkness. Edited by William W. Connors. (TSR, Inc.), p. 58. ISBN 1-56076-914-9.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ed Gibson (August 1999). The Witch of the Mists. Living City (RPGA), p. 5.
- ↑ Ed Gibson (August 1999). The Witch of the Mists. Living City (RPGA), pp. 2–3.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Ed Gibson (August 1999). The Witch of the Mists. Living City (RPGA), p. 4.