D&D 5E What do intelligent, fire elementals want?

[Shiroiken]

It would probably like to burn things that it cannot normally burn. Exotic woods and such might provide a specific "flavor" when consumed, and might be quite valuable in the Plane of Fire. Fszzzt might be seeking a specific type of wood or plant to present to the ruler of Ftttsz to gain his favor, or maybe there is a type of material that is poisonous to Fire Elemental that he might trick an enemy into consuming.

Another option would be relating to other elemental creatures, such as Efreet. If he has an Efreet master or enemy, he may need something to help/hurt said Efreet. Maybe a group of salamanders had taken over his home and wants something to get them out (maybe by sending them to the Material Plane).

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Aang: All this time, I thought firebending was destruction. Since I hurt Katara, I've been too afraid and hesitant. But now I know what it really is... it's energy, and life.
Zuko: Yeah. It's like the Sun, but inside of you. Do you guys realize this?
Chief: Well, our civilization is called the Sun Warriors... so yeah.
Zuko: That's why my firebending was so weak before. Because for so many years, hunting you was my drive... it was my purpose. So when I joined you, I lost sight of my inner fire. But now, I have a new drive. I have to help you defeat my father and restore balance to the world.

Fire IS destruction, but it is ALSO energy and life. Fire is the most numinous of the elements: where the air is always there, and will simply move to and fro, Fire has a heartbeat, and it can be dispersed to never return again. Fire, in the abstract, perches precariously on the point between destroying and being destroyed.

So what would Fire want? It depends on which part of Fire you want to talk about. Is this the Fire of destruction, which seeks to consume everything? Or is it the Fire of need and drive, which seeks to be sated, which yearns for some particular thing? Or, perhaps, is it the controlled Fire, that which sits at the fulcrum between wanton and needy, the fire that mirrors the metabolic fire that burns in each living thing?

If it is the Fire of Destruction, then its desires likely lie in two directions: overcoming something which opposes its expanse, or destroying something particularly important or meaningful. If it is the Fire of Need, given that this is a very powerful fire elemental, I would expect its need/drive to be something that cannot be easily achieved in whole, but any gift which progresses toward that need in a substantial way would be perfect. For instance, if its burning need is to reclaim a lost fortress/artifact/etc. from the forces of the Plane of Shadow, then trophies of defeated shadows (proving that its enemies have been weakened) or items which could enhance its ability to fight shadows would both be highly welcome. A Fire of Balance would be most likely to appreciate the "finery" type things--being in control of itself and its needs means it can pursue higher callings. The example of rare (presumably aromatic) woods is a good one, but also oils, candles, etc. And it might even, possibly, want things that CANNOT be burned, so it can continue to enjoy them repeatedly. Imagine a fire elemental with a scholarly bent. The flimsy, easily-destroyed records of mortals would almost surely vex it greatly, and if you had a rare book transcribed onto stone or metal tablets (which fire cannot easily burn), such an elemental would surely be very grateful.

 

[trentonjoe]

It seeks to become the sixth hottest fire in the domain of Ftttsz.

Fszzzt sets reasonable goals for itself.

I don't know if this was serious or not but that's my main motivation for "him". I appreciate the ideas. I particularly like the ones about bumping off some of his rivals followers.

 

[PnPgamer]

They could want a wand of water splash.
It wouldnt do any damage, but they could do some pranks or play "splash the butt" tag.

 

[fba827]

Some random ideas off the top of my head ....

* Burn and consume things to somehow give himself power (perhaps if things are burned and consumed with his own flame siphoned off his body into a jar for the PCs to use on the prime plane).
* 3 decades ago a wizard and his 12 students from a wizard school went on a field to trip to the elemental plane and while there did something that injured or upset the elemental. What he wants is revenge on that wizard and now-grown-up apprentices who are on the prime plane outside of his normal reach
* The elemental's love is trapped on the prime plane and he seeks where she is and to heck with anyone in the way, OR seeks some sort of "key" that can be found on the prime plane
* The elemental is in love with an air elemental but to win favor with her, he wants to bottle some famous winds from the prime plane (top of mountains, bottom of deepest chasms, etc) as a gesture for her
* Dreams/visions/prophet told him that he was going to do something important or achieve something (such as becoming the 6th ranking fire lord or that he was destined to own the prime world as his own domain) in which case he needs something from the prime world to achieve said goals
* It's not so much "what" but rather he simply wants the fame. So he wants fire from his body to burn in certain notable locations that bards are sure to notice and singe about... so particular forests or coal mines that are big and important, etc (and if he's having the PCs do it, he's siphoned off some of his own fire into a jar for the PCs to use to alight the flames)
* He wants boulder sized uncut rubies (or whatever seemingly-innocuous-yet-harder-to-get mcguffin you want to use). Unknown to the PCs these rubies/objects will actually help fortify the elemental's body as he plans to eventually be strong enough to come to the prime plane himself
* He wants the death of water elemental cultists (or at least destruction of water elemental cultist sacred places)
* he wants to convince fire elemental cultists to draw power form him rather than others higher ranking as a way to diminish the higher ranking elementals' power and increase his own
* Perhaps he wants "good" propaganda spread about how fire elementals aren't all about death and destruction but also about life and energy
* He wants the tail feathers from 7 phoenix, what he will do it it is unknown (perhaps they are the key to releasing his love, perhaps they will grant him some power, perhaps they are a vulnerability to an enemy of his, perhaps it is simply to be a trophy/jewelry that he can actually wear since the feathers are unsinged by his fiery body, whatever...


Anyway just some random ramblings off the top of my head....

 

[Nellisir]

Vowels. Fszzzt would like to buy a vowel.

(Sorry, but...it had to be said.)

 

[Mistwell]

Fire Elementals want, more than anything else, freedom. Freedom from summoning. Freedom from control. Freedom from evil little circles, from forced enslavement, from fighting for others causes.

 

[gyor]

To burn a mixture of rare substance in a pacticular order that will by the end increase his temperture, making his flames hottest and brighter.

 

[gyor]

Or purhaps genosis with a elemental prince of good fire.

 

[Unwise]

I would say that it wants to make babies. A fire elemental requires a fair bit of room to move and lots of stuff to consume. It does not necessarily do this just for laughs or food, it needs to do it to reproduce. When it consumes enough, gets to a certain size, it sort of split like a starfish and some of the smaller fires that it started take on a life of their own. Those fires need to be fed and in time, they need to gorge and reproduce too.

The elemental plane of fire is kind of crowded, as you would expect given this reproduction method. There is not really anything left to consume and they can't make more babies. Imagine what it does to a society when they all become sterile. Suddenly it becomes the most important thing around to many of the people. They are a dying race that need this world to continue. A biological clock ticking can make people pretty crazy and scary in RL, imagine what it does to an elder fire elemental.