A Flame swallow is an elemental creature from the Spelljammer campaign setting.[1]
Overview[]
Flame swallows are believed to have originated on the Elemental Plane of Fire, but are rarely found there. They appear to find fire-worlds on the material plane to be much more attractive homes than their native plane. Flame swallows can not survive in an environment colder than the environs of a fire world. If the ambient temperature drops below that of boiling water (212°F or 100°C), a flame swallow will suffer the effects of hypothermia while exposed to this "frigid" environment.[1]
Description[]
Flame swallows are magnificent, graceful birds similar in appearance to terrestrial swallows, except that their wingspan is often 5-feet or more. A flame swallow's plumage includes a bright red on the back of the head and down the back, shading to brilliant orange on the upper surfaces of the wings and forked tail. Their bellies and the undersides of their wings are bright yellow. Their beaks are short, but sharply-pointed, and can deliver a nasty bite.
Flame swallows are always surrounded by a nimbus of bright orange fire. This nimbus extends to about 3-feet from the body of the bird, and is hot enough to ignite flammable materials on contact. Flame swallows love fire in all its forms, and enjoy darting through flames and playing in the hot, turbulent air above the surface of fire-worlds. They are equally at home within the superheated atmosphere as well as the fiery body of such a world.[1]
Personality[]
Flame swallows are exceptionally curious creatures, and will investigate anything out of the ordinary. If danger - or apparent danger - appears, however, they usually flee. The creatures enjoy starting fires so that they can then play in them, and as such pose a grave threat to any spelljamming vessels approaching a fire-world. Such a ship will often attract several of the beautiful creatures who will approach to investigate... and then probably ignite the ship's rigging.[1]
Combat[]
Flame swallow's are non-aggressive and will avoid conflict unless there is no alternative. If forced into combat, a flame swallow can deliver a nasty bite, but their main offensive weapon is the flame nimbus that surrounds them. This aura will burn any creature not immune to fire, and will immediately ignite any flammable clothing or equipment exposed to it.
Flame swallows are completely immune to all fire and heat based attacks. They are, however, extremely vulnerable to cold-based attacks, while electrical attacks affect them normally.[1]
Society[]
Flame swallows congregate in small family-based flocks. Occasionally multiple flocks can be encountered, although this is very rare. Next to nothing is known about the reproductive behavior of flame swallows. Presumably they lay eggs, and - judging by the size of family flocks - these eggs may be few in number. Nobody knows, however, where the eggs are laid; no flame swallow nest has ever been discovered. The question is even more interesting because flame swallows have been reported on fire worlds with absolutely no solid surfaces on which those nests could be built. Some sages theorize that the creatures return to the Elemental Plane of Fire to lay and hatch their eggs, but this has yet to be confirmed. Further adding to the confusion, no obviously immature flame swallow has ever been seen.[1]
There are significant populations of flame swallows dwelling within the flames of the fire-worlds of Ignia and Garrash. Presumably they found their way through the spontaneous interplanar gates to the Elemental Plane of Fire that occur within these worlds, along with several other fire loving creatures, including salamanders, fire bats, efreet and fire elementals. The flame swallows love to fly through the fiery atmosphere, apparently playing in the strong winds and thermals above the planetary surface. Here, they frequently come into conflict with fire bats which seem to prey on the flame swallows and vice versa. These creatures can often be seen swooping through the superheated air in massive "dogfights" sometimes comprising hundreds of individual creatures.[2][3] Although not overly intelligent, flame swallows are amenable to training, and many efreet on Ignia keep flame swallows as pets. There is even a great deal of (comparatively) friendly competition between efreet over the beauty of their winged friends.[4]
Ecology[]
Although flame swallows seem to prey on other fire-dwelling creatures such as fire bats when the opportunity presents itself, this seems to be a preference rather than a necessity. Flame swallows seem to be able to survive without any such source of food. Sages theorize that they draw the energy they need to survive directly from their environment. This has yet to be confirmed, however.
Flame swallows in tum are preyed upon by other fire-dwelling creatures, and fire bats and flame swallows seem particularly hostile towards each other, and generally attack each other on sight.)[1]
Appendix[]
External Links[]
- Flame swallow article at the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition Wiki, a wiki for official Dungeons & Dragons content from 2nd edition AD&D.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Nigel Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Flame Swallow (Ignia, Garrash) entry, page 54
- ↑ Nigel Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Ignia section, chapter 3 Fire Bodies, page 21
- ↑ Nigel Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Garrash section, chapter 3 Fire Bodies, page 23
- ↑ Nigel Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Ignia section, chapter 3 Fire Bodies, page 22