Azer [Fire Kin]

Azer are humanoids of the plane of fire and are almost never met on the material world without some special cause. They look a great deal like dwarves, but their skin is metallic and brassy and their hair is living flame. They dress only in kilts or aprons of hammered copper, bronze or brass.

In battle azer throw wide-bladed javelins that deal damage as spears, and up close they swing mallets equivalent to a footman's mace. Their great strength improves both their attack and damage rolls. Anything not immune to fire takes 1d4+1 points of damage when an azer grabs it, and their heated weapons add +1 damage against such victims. Cold-based attacks deal azer double damage.

At home azer belong to a strictly regimented, layered society in which everyone knows their place and law outranks both personal freedom and personal survival. They live in small groups in outposts and cities of towers raised from granite, basalt or metal, shaping the stone with their many flame complexes. They also cultivate odd trees with metal-skinned bark and leaves wholly of metal, sometimes precious metal.

Cold, curt and unsympathetic, azer seize and question trespassers and execute those who prove especially violent or dangerous. They are greedy, above all for clear red or purple stones such as garnets, amethysts and rubies. Yet an azer's promise, once made, is unbreakable.

Their legendary ruler, King Amaimon, is the biggest, strongest and cleverest of all azer, with 9+8 HD, 18/00 Strength and 35% magic resistance; nothing else is known of his powers. He is attended by 8d4 nobles who are only a little weaker (7+6 HD, 18/76-90 Strength, 25% magic resistance), and their full abilities are likewise unknown.

No one is sure whether azer eat at all. On their own plane they are opposed only by other intelligent fire-dwellers, and those feuds have nothing to do with predator and prey. The efreet are their worst enemies, now and then waging wars of conquest to grab azer lands and enslave the inhabitants. Azer defend their towers with mighty bellows-driven air cannons and special vessels for pouring elemental water on attackers.