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

[JWO]

Some men just want to watch the world burn.

 

[jgsugden]

Just to mention it: It doesn't have to be a fire goal. They can have pursuits outside combustion. Perhaps he wants to learn some ancient secret? Perhaps he wants to know how to travel back in time to see the days when the Primordials were a match for the Gods?

 

[Mephista]

Fire doesn't just want to destroy. Look up fire as an alchemical agent. Fire is the agent of change and growth. It cooks food so that a mess of ingredients becomes something different. Its used in a forge to turn metal into useful shapes.

Fire is a crucible that shapes anything into something new and different. So, a fire elemental could want symbols of new (non-living) creation. Forge things. Baking. Battle cold.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

I'd go with some asbestos pants. Sometimes you just don't want your fiery junk hanging out there!

Alternately, maybe he's seeking an heir. In his younger days he had dalliances with a sultry air elemental, and they had a child, Sirocco. Unfortunately he's been a bit of a deadbeat dad, and they lost touch. In his advanced age, he's come to regret this, and wants the primers to locate his kid and help them reconnect before he burns out. For an added twist, maybe its all a con, and he really just wants to sacrifice the kid, thinking the infusion of air will "fan the old flames" so to speak and maybe he's back up to the 4th hottest, 3 on a good day and in the right light.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Just to mention it: It doesn't have to be a fire goal. They can have pursuits outside combustion. Perhaps he wants to learn some ancient secret? Perhaps he wants to know how to travel back in time to see the days when the Primordials were a match for the Gods?

That is an interesting point. An elemental could have a transcendent spiritual aim where pieces of the puzzles of concrete magical artifacts.

Perhaps this fire elemental is an Alchemist who seeks the secret of the Philosopher's Stone?

Perhaps the fire elemental seeks the legendary fifth element that is beyond the understanding of a creature of any of the four elements, thus the foray into the material plane for insight and helpers?

Perhaps there are legends of the time before the four elements were separated? Perhaps reunited, the elemental planes could give birth to an entirely new race of gods?

Note that these goals do not even necessarily have to be based on fact. The fire elemental may believe something that is only half right.

 

[mlund]

Fire is the elemental affinity associated with substantive change in the nature of things - it's always discontent with the status quo and trying to change itself and its environs. This can be positive or negative. In that regard, a Fire Elemental could desire almost anything other than for the world to remain as it is. Fire is generally not subtle, so it's probably a grandiose transformation. Yeah, maybe it is to reduce the continent to ash - temporarily. It could just as easily be to inspire a spiritual awakening among the mortal population and lead them to a transcendent existence. Fire Elementals tend to be the visionaries of the elemental world and a bit rash. You've got to wonder just how in-touch Elementals even are with the thinking patterns of mortals in the first place, though.

Marty Lund

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

I suppose the question is, what is power in the elemental plane of fire? It's overly simplistic to say that it's just that which burns hottest, though that is part of it. Perhaps it's fame. It's not enough to burn hot. You need to burn bright.

So what an elemental might be seeking is stories, or the opportunity to be part of great endeavors.

 

[Warbringer]

How about ...

The more a fire elemental consumes on the material or fey plane the greater their stature and size on the elemental plane. As fires rage they get stronger, if they are put out their power starts to dwindle...

 

[Hand of Evil]

To be a star, a sun. The question is how that could happen: find a location that would provide the fuel, then portal to get the fire elemental there. Contacts could gather that information and perform or provide the materials to get the elemental there.

 

[mlund]

To be a star, a sun. The question is how that could happen: find a location that would provide the fuel, then portal to get the fire elemental there. Contacts could gather that information and perform or provide the materials to get the elemental there.

Now that is an interesting idea. It might be even more interesting if it wanted to be the Sun - for its flame to usurp the star itself, and thus also the solar system. It's such a nice neighborhood, really, with intelligent life in orbit, worshipers and all that ...

I'm sure Ra / Pelor / whatever sun god and its clerics would have serious problems with that.

Or even more amusing, what if it was supposed to take over for the flame of the current sun, which is starting to die? If the PCs don't find a way to level up this Fire Elemental to ascend to his rightful place in time life as we know if on the planet could be wiped out by its sun going into a red giant phase or a white dwarf phase. Or, heck, since it is fantasy the whole thing could just go nova or collapse into a black whole because fantasy physics is way more entertaining than astrophysics.

Marty Lund