An Elemental Family Tree
You might not be surprised to learn that there are three groups of creatures that inhabit the Inner Planes: Elementals, Elementaliods and Fleshy Beings.
Elementals
First and foremost, there are the elementals. Simply put, these creatures are bits and pieces of the elemental matter that has gained sentience. Nobody knows what exactly makes these spirits stir—perhaps they are formed at some focal points of elemental energy, or maybe the Inner Planes themselves are alive in some incomprehensible way, and elementals are merely individual thoughts of those beings. It is known that several smaller elementals can combine into a larger one, although they very rarely do so—it seems that the combination process strips them of their individuality, and they may never get their original bodies back.
Elementals range greatly in size and intelligence. Graybeards have given them names like that range from the tiny elementites to regular elementals to elder, monolith and finally primal elementals. Other graybeards propose the existence of elementals of all sizes down to a microscopic level. This theory of micromentals is then also used to explain magical effects. Though most bloods regard this hypothesis to be shaky—no one’s come up with a way to prove their existence as of yet.
It should be noted that the size isn’t a clear indication of an elemental’s intelligence. Elementites (the tiny elementals) are most often unsophisticated, yet some of them can be intelligent. Most other elementals have an intelligence similar to that of an average human. Or at least they do on their home planes—elementals that are summoned by Prime spellcasters, are often scared, angered and confused by unfamiliar surroundings. They react with aggression, which is what gives rise to the harmful stereotype of elementals as unthinking monstrous creatures. This couldn’t be further from truth, as most elementals in their native environment are quite intelligent and even philosophically inclined. Elementals do not need to eat, drink, sleep or even breathe, so they spend their lives in deep thought, moving around through the substance of the planes, forming small communities of like-minded individuals. Some may champion different causes, choosing to serve archomentals or powers. It isn’t clear whether or not elementals can die of old age, or how would this death even look.
Elementals can take many different forms, although they still are, in essence, elementals. The most notable of them are the archomentals—massively powerful and influential elementals. They are not the biggest elementals of the bunch (in fact, some primal elementals are bigger and stronger, though also much more passive), but they are certainly the most important. There are eight known major archomentals—Ogremoch, Imix, Olhydra, Yan-C-Bin, Sunnis, Chan, Ben-Hadar and Zaaman Ruul—who claim four primodials—Grumbar, Kossuth, Akadi and Istishia as their progenitors. Whether or not an elemental has to be a spawn of one of those powers to be considered a true archomental is unclear. Bloods like Bwimb II, Crystalle and especially Cryonax would certainly beg to differ.
Most of the archomentals take a side in the grand philosophical opposition of Evil and Good, and their elemental followers do too. The so-called Avatars of Elemental Evil are monstrous elementals morphed by an entity known as the Elder Elemental Eye. Elementals beholden to Good, Law and Chaos exist too. They shouldn’t be confused with pseudoelementals—beings created from the quintessential matter of the Outer Planes, who confusingly have no connection to the Inner Planes at all. Moreover, not every creature that serves archomentals is one of those avatars. In fact, it may be more accurate to say that on Inner Planes the struggle between “Good” and “Evil” is really a struggle between expansionism and isolationism. For mortals who depend on Elemental Planes it may be wise to advocate for balance of these sides.
There are other forces that can change an elemental. Those of them who become infused by negative energy, may gain the undead-like ability to sap other creatures of their life force. Those are necromentals, and they are feared by their kin and mortals alike. Negative quasielementals seem to be unable to become necromentals however—or perhaps they all are already undead…
On Prime, the moniker weird is sometimes erroneously given to an elemental that has been magically compelled to guard a particular location. This is one of a few kinds of ways an elemental can be transformed by a spellcaster or a natural source of magic (for example the corrupting influence of Shadowfell that summons dreadful Blood, Grave, Pyre and Mist elementals).
Elemental beasts known on the Prime world named Athas are in fact the same elementals, only much less intelligent and more comparable to animals in that regard. Without the summoner’s guidance these creatures lie dormant, yet can be aggravated if disturbed. Elemental spirits, such as those summoned by the summon elemental spell, are sometimes thought to be even simpler elementals, who lack intelligence and free will altogether. Fundamentals, strange creatures that look like a pair of paper wings, fall into the category of mindless elementals too.
But not all elementals are composed of a single substance. They are as diverse as the elementals they live in. Creatures like xorn, belkers and tsnng are made solely of elemental matter, but are distinct from regular elementals due to their nature or behaviour. This category of creatures is sometimes called elemental-kin. One of the better known examples of them are elemental grues—self-styled scavengers of the elements, who thrive on turning any impurity in their home into their respective basic elements. Elemental grues aren’t necessarily evil, but their goals often align with that of evil archomentals.
Elemental weirds are somewhat similar to grues, and yet they are their enemies. Weirds act as a kind of immune system for the Inner Planes, striving to drive away or seal anything they feel despoils their natural environment. They like those pesky Primes no more than grues do, but weirds are also afraid of the Elemental Evil that encroaches on their territory. Thus, weirds ally with Elemental Good and treat the grues with suspicion at best. Unfortunately, what is good for the elements is deadly for an average planewalker. Greater weirds should be noted as well—they command their lesser brethren, and use their prophetic powers to coordinate their attacks. Greater weirds are highly intelligent and can be of great help—or danger.
Last, and currently least, are the energons—beings that could be considered energy elementals. Most notable are the xag-ya and xeg-yi—Positive and Negative energons respectively. There are other species that represent thermal (fire), kinetic (sound), chemical (acid) and electromagnetic (lightning) energies. Less-reliable chant adds a fifth, the cold energon, but it seems like it shouldn’t make sense—cold is an antithesis of energy, after all. Should this imply the existence of neutrality, stillness and isolation (anti)energons?) In any case, your average planewalker has a slim chance of meeting any one of these enigmatic creatures.
Elementaloids
Elementaloids‡, semi-elementals or half-elementals are all terms the Fraternity of Order graybeards use to describe any creature that combines biological and elemental nature. They aren’t true natives of Inner Planes, but many of them have been there for many millennia. This category includes genies, ruvoka, catastrophic dragons, elemental drakes, animentals, genasi, mephits, elemental vermin and hundreds of other unique creatures such as sisutl or salamanders. Most of these creatures live in symbiosis with archaea, who provide them with necessary nutrients.
Mephits, or scamps, are widespread on the Inner Planes and are quite important in their ecology (and sometimes even their politics). They are imp-like flying creatures with insufferable attitudes. The origin of mephits is unclear, but chant goes that they may have originally been created by planar spellcasters, but escaped and multiplied. Mephits can—and will—eat plants and animals, but can sustain themselves with elemental energies. Aside from the mephit species for all of the Inner Planes (save Vacuum), there’s a multitude of multi-element mephits hailing from the Elemental Chaos.
Genies are formed when a spirit of a powerful mortal is drawn into the Inner Planes before it can reach the Astral. They are mighty creatures of the elements, who retain no memories of their mortal existence. Genies can mostly subsist on raw elements, yet they need to consume organic matter every once in a while. Gen seem to be the lesser kind of genie, possibly created from only a fraction of mage’s soul, but their true origins are dark.
Genies and some other elementaloid creatures can sire children with mortals. Those half-breeds are called genasi. More rarely, genasi can be born due to exposure to elemental energies. This process allows even for Para-, Quasi- and even Energy genasi to be born, although they are exceedingly rare. Genasi, together with gen, occupy rather an underclass position in genie society.
Ruvoka or ruvkova are the fourth (or third or fifth depending on whom do you count) race of elementaloid humanoids. Their origins are dark, but the best-known myth traces their origin back to Prime druids who have undergone a radical transformation, perhaps at the hands of a fabled efreeti leader. Ruvoka are a diverse bunch, and exist on every Inner Plane save for the Energy Planes and the Elemental Chaos. They live in isolationist tribes, but often walk the planes in pursuit of their mysterious missions.
Catastrophic or Elemental dragons are dragons, transformed in a similar way to the genies or ruvoka. Many of them are descendants of those dragons who allied with Primodials in the Dawn War. However, even regular dragons who make their kip in the Elemental Planes can slowly turn Catastrophic. Amethyst dragons propose an explanation—dragons are so explicitly tied to the Prime, that being far away from it for too long, causes their bodies and minds to attune to new environments. That’s exactly why so many gem dragons are suspicious of any planar influence—catastrophic dragons have to wreak havoc on other planes to successfully reproduce.
In the same way that guard drakes can be created from the scales of Prime dragons, elemental drakes are born from scales of catastrophic dragons. However, unlike guard drakes, elemental drakes can naturally spawn from shed scales.
Animentals are strange creatures born from animal souls (basically animal genies). “Animal” here includes monsters like chimerae and gorgons. In theory, animentals can be of any shape, but typically they take the original shape of their souls. For example, air animentals are usually birds, and earth ones are burrowing creatures. Animentals live with similar priorities as they had in their previous lives, looking for food (even though, like mephits, they don’t need it) or defending their territory. As the conditions needed for their formation are rare, most animentals spend their lives alone, but some can successfully reproduce and in time beget a new planar species in their own right. For an example look, no further than fire bats.
Sometimes, the definition of elementaloids is broadened to include certain Ethereal creatures such as plasms and gingwatzim. Apparently there’s also some kind of an elemental lich, but these cutters fortunately keep to their Domains of Dread.
Fleshy Beings
A catch-all category to include everything else, the fleshy beings on the Inner Planes can only inhabit a few regions of the elemental planes without serious magical protection. Settlers bring plants and animals (and fungi, oozes and microbes for that matter) to the Inner Planes, and sometimes they get away. Those creatures that survive, evolve to better adapt to their new environments and eventually form new species.
And of course, there are always powers, celestials, fiends, undead, giants, dragons, aberrations, slaadi, rilmani, modrons, fey, shadowspawn, humanoid settlers, miners, mages, slaves and slavers, factioneers and plenty of planewalkers scattered across the Inner Planes, generally causing trouble, mixing up the pristine elements in those quiet, unspoiled places.
Sources: Margarita and Jon Winter-Holt. The classification of ‘elementaloid’ is a homebrew term, aimed at grouping together creatures which have an elemental heritage without being purely elemental. ‡