Cinder Swarm

While most elementals tend toward neutrality, cinders are most definitely evil. They glory in inflicting pain and causing destruction. Individually, they are no more significant than a fleck of hot ash that snaps out of a campfire. Collectively, they possess great destructive power.

Each elemental composing a cinder swarm speaks Ignan, but communicating with a single Fine elemental in the swarm is virtually impossible. The crackle and roar of the mass of cinders is overwhelms individual voices.

A cinder swarm begins by attacking the nearest creature. However, in subsequent rounds, it will attack creatures that demonstrate the ability to harm it, especially those that have cold-based attacks. Unlike many fire-based elementals, cinders have a fly speed and frequently go after aerial opponents.

Burn (Ex): A cinder swarm’s attack deals damage as a swarm plus fire damage from the Fine elementals’ flaming bodies. Those swarmed by cinders also must succeed on a DC 20 Reflex save or catch on fire. The flame burns for 1d4 rounds. A burning creature can take a move action to put out the flame. The save DC is Constitution-based. Creatures hitting a cinder swarm with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take fire damage as though hit by the swarm, and also catch on fire unless they succeed on a Reflex save.

Cinder swarms are native to the fiery plane of Fernia and often find their way to Eberron at times when Fernia and the Material Plane are coterminous.

Cinder swarms are born in great pits of lava that touch on the Elemental Plane of Fire. Carried to the surface by erupting volcanoes, they can ravage thousands of acres of surrounding countryside. However, they are far more prevalent in the Underdark, particularly in the Serpent Deeps (under Tashalar and Lapaliiya), the Burning Rift (under the Jungles of Chult), and the Spawning Deep (under the Smoking Mountains).