Infernite

Infernites are human-sized beings of liquid rock and metal, akin to fire elementals, found on many fire-based worlds. Stronger than humans and about as smart, they are far more rigid and single-minded. Their fluid bodies keep a humanoid shape but can pour through any gap 6 inches wide at full speed.

They seldom fight in groups of fewer than five, and all are drilled soldiers. Mere contact burns for 2d6 per round, so they like bear-hugs (attack at +2; an open doors roll breaks free, one try per round). Most wield heat-proof swords for 1d8 plus 2d6 fire. Twice a round one can hurl a glob of its molten body at thrown-dagger range (1/2/3) for 2d4, losing 1 hit point per glob, and stops once down to 10 hit points.

Cold deals double damage, any temperature up to boiling costs them 1d3 per round, and each gallon of water deals 1d10. Merging with lava, hot coals or similar matter heals 1 hp per two rounds if undisturbed.

One in six is a magician of level 1-10. Having warred only among themselves before reaching the void between worlds, they ironically favor cold spells: chill touch, chilling hands (a frosty burning hands), wall of ice, cone of cold, ice storm and affect normal fires. Each can also cast improved phantasmal force once daily.

All organize into five-member kilns. Pike kilns form vast phalanxes, close-combat and magical kilns handle piracy and boarding, and missile kilns support any fight, one member carrying a vat of molten matter the others dip into to heal. Each member of an intact formation gains +1 to hit and -1 to AC, lost at three or fewer members.

Their homeworlds flow too constantly for clothes, buildings or borders, yet that chaos bred iron-rigid cultures. A community of 10-100 has one extra leader with maximum hit points and wizard ability who can plane shift daily with up to 50 infernites in contact. Offspring inherit their parent's role, and each infernite serves one leader for life, starving to death when that leader dies. Leaders feud over policy until one faction is destroyed, which curbs their numbers.

Leaders and mages can run starhelms, and leaders build metal starships forged to endure the heat: stove-hot outside, volcanic inside, and still too 'cold' for the crew's liking. The leader captains, the crew forms kilns, and a ship that loses its leader drifts until it freezes. They use common designs and statistics, saving as thin metal; rams deal 1d3 extra hull damage and ignite wooden ships or rigging. They despise and hunt one particular rival race.

A dividing leader splits its followers, and one half usually emigrates by starship or plane shift. They have colonized many fire worlds through gates opened by leaders and also like volcanic vents, world cores, hot gas worlds and dim red stars. They rarely trade with earth-based races; their pirates raid for heat-proof metal and magic and guard their holdings fiercely.

They avoid the flame-sea between worlds, which magnifies their heat until they burn out. A 'hot' ship entering it explodes for 30d6 within 100 feet against non-fire beings, and each round there an infernite saves vs. death magic at -4 or perishes.

Single-sexed, they reproduce by fission in a week-long ritual every four months. If the community is threatened or arming for war, a shared consciousness forces everyone to absorb fresh material and divide daily while threat and material last, so armies appear fast. Leaders resist dividing, since it splits their power. Material comes from dim stars, volcanoes, fire-world surfaces or great kilns they stoke. At home they eat almost anything; elsewhere they eat whatever burns, but 'cold' food slowly chills them, so exiles eventually die. They shun water worlds, and air worlds burn their fuel too fast.