Ember beasts

Placid flame eater

Oh don't worry, these big things are peaceful, no need to panic. They do seem to enjoy your torch. I suggest you throw it away before you get stomped.

An explorer to his friend

Fire eaters

The Ember beasts are huge beings living in geothermally active areas, like in volcanoes and very deep caves. Despite their large and aggressive stature, they are peaceful beings that ignore anything not attacking them. What sets them apart is that they don't eat meat or grass, but fire or lava through their three tendril-like appendages.

Their nature has tormented wizards and biologists, as to how they can turn heat into nutrients is unknown. Whenever they get their hands on a specimen, they cannot find any digestive, respiratory, or circulatory systems, and even powerful mages can't detect magic. Even more annoying, their miraculous " tongues " become inert pieces of meat, devoid of any qualities, whenever they are separated from their owners.

Anatomy

They possess four robust limbs to move around, as well as four eyes that can see heat. They can absorb heat using three smooth tendrils that can sense and absorb heat. A recognized theory is that while their tendrils can detect heat, their eyes can only see it when it reaches great levels, otherwise they would attack any living being.

Despite their passivity, trying to attack them is ill-advised as they have the ability to be dangerous opponents. Firstly, they are covered in a fireproof rock-like carapace that can deflect many blows. They also possess great strength, which is only amplified by the fact that they live in herds. To top it off, their blood is thick and hot, with elders able to melt steel.

Because of their strength and the inhospitable area they live in, they have few predators. However their rather slow reproduction cycle, and the fact that they can still be burned by lava, their population remains steady.

Life

When Ember beasts hatch, they are around 1 meter long for 76 centimeters high, and 45 kilograms. As they reach maturity, they are about 2 meters long for 1,6 high and weigh 950-1200 kilograms. Female beasts lay between 3 to 6 eggs about every two years. They can live for up to 75 years.

Ember beasts typically live in herds of 8 to 20 individuals, with several young beasts marching alongside them. Around certain volcanoes, however, they can reach larger groups, like in the Caldera of Hekuel, where over 100 adults have been sighted. Unless they're in large colonies or if the females have laid eggs, they move around certain areas.

Despite the hazard that is fire and lava, they can survive in extreme conditions due to their carapace being incredibly fire-resistant. While they dislike the experience, adults are capable of swimming in lava and carry their children on their backs for quite some time.

Hot-blooded creatures

One of the reasons why Ember beasts are so mysterious is that they are incredibly hard to study specimens. Their numbers and strength make it extremely difficult to capture them, let alone with all the environmental hazards. Something that makes it even worse is that their blood tends to damage their bodies when they die.

Because of how dangerous their blood is, it is one of their strongest weapons. In fact, younglings have developed a way of using it without hurting themselves. They can spit jets of pressurized blood over a rather long distance. While it is not as dangerous, it is hot enough to ignite dry wood and strongly irritate skin. Sometimes, they use it against each other as a sort of game.

Fiery war beasts

Ember beasts are numerous in Infernus. This interested some Warmongers, thinking about how many troops could be mounted on these hard-skinned, fire-eating beasts. However, they were too passive to serve as war mounts and would lose control at the first wound. So the elementals stole a few eggs and modified them with Essence. The hatchlings were fiercer and larger than their regular counterparts.

The Ember beasts the elementals breed for war are bigger and more aggressive, with thicker hide plates and serve as mounts for minor elementals or carry heavy weaponry. They are often outfitted with armors protecting their soft spots. One characteristic is that an elemental can create a bond between it and the creature by infusing some of its vital essence into the egg, allowing them to fight as if they were one.