[ Div ] [ Ahriman ] [ Aghash | Akvan | Bushyasta | Doru | Druj Nasu | Dulhath | Ghawwas | Immolith | Pairaka | Sepid | Shira | Taromaiti ]
Div, Immolith
The Wildfires of Destruction
NE; CR 11 [PF1e]
An immolith is a terrifying sight, a pillar of fire with a leering horned skull floating in its upper reaches, and four blackened, clawed hands snaking forth on fiery tendrils. These divs are devoted to spread the destruction brought by fire, caring nothing for warmth and light but only for the searing of flesh and the reduction of objects to ashes. They are far less subtle than many other divs, leaving a trail of wildfires and arsons in their wake on the Prime.
The Ecology of the Immolith
The immolith represent the damage that unchecked fire can cause to mortals. While almost every culture has a myth that the powers gave fire to the humans—sometimes willingly, sometimes less than—the immolith are the dark side of this gift. Since it was given to them, mortals have become utterly dependent on fire to cook their food, keep their homes warm and defend themselves against the wilderness. The immolith seek to take advantage of this dependence, by turning beneficial fires into dangerous infernos. Every time a cooking fire sets a village ablaze, every time a forest fire destroys an elven settlement, and every time wildfires sweep across a savannah, that might be the work of an immolith. At best, they’ll be there enjoying the destruction and misery that follows.
Immoliths are more likely to ally with elementals than other divs, often surrounding themselves with salamanders, fire and magma elementals, and mephits as guardians and minions, finding kinship in their destructive essence.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Towering at ten feet tall, yet surprisingly lightweight due to their elemental composition, immoliths wield fiery tentacles that can extend to grasp and consume foes from afar. Their lairs are infernal landscapes of fire and molten rock, reflecting the destructive fires they embody.
Despite their destructive tendencies, immoliths harbour an ironic hatred for the sun, resenting its brightness that outshines their own flames. They normally limit their depredations to night-time hours, making them relatively easy to spot—unless they’re disguised as a campfire—and they can be affected by spells that draw on the sun’s power. In realms like Gehenna where there’s no sun, well, that’s just bad luck, berk.
Philosophical Musings
Immoliths care not for the warmth or light of fire but only for its capacity to consume and reduce everything to ashes. Their presence challenges the balance of creation and destruction, reminding mortals of the relentless cycle of annihilation that engulfs all things in time. Encountering an immolith is to witness the embodiment of fiery destruction, a reminder of the relentless march of entropy. Their presence challenges mortals to confront the dual nature of fire, both a source of warmth and light, and a force of utter annihilation.
Source and stats: The immolith were originally undead demons from D&D 4e Monster Manual and had cool artwork but were, to be blunt, pretty unimaginative. They were revamped into div by the Creature Codex [PF1e] and this is the incarnation that I’m going with; see also a 5e homebrew conversion here.
