Salamander Broodling

He regarded me with a terrifying intensity, and seemed about to strike me down until one of the smaller creatures called for his attention, pointing to something huddled in the corner, across from the forge. The follower revealed a hideous little beast, similar to them but malformed and shaking. I understood then just what had brought these invaders to my land. The fool mage had attempted to control forces greater than his own, possibly with blackmail. I was left with my life that day, albeit burned and broken. -Ovan Locaser, High Priest of the Southern Falls

Salamander Broodling

A Broodling has just recently escaped the burning hot Larvae pit of its youth. These young Salamanders often appear quite small, awkward and weak, their forms not fully developed out of their Larvae stage, some even retaining some of their bulbous, pale skin that is typically shed on the path to adulthood. These children are much smaller than an adult, slightly larger than a Halfling. Still, they exude fire and wield burning spears like the rest of their kind, and can quickly swarm and pick apart an adventurer foolish enough to underestimate them.

Salamander Characteristics

Salamanders are a snakelike humanoid race of flame-born entities that reside most commonly on the elemental plane of fire. These creatures can range anywhere from 3' to 12' in length depending on their age and physical traits. Salamander skin ranges from dark red to bright orange, and all of them exude a fiery aura, which surrounds their muscular, scaly forms. They are cruel and sadistic to other species, and unforgiving to members of their own kind who are deemed "unworthy". They speak Primal, the higher ranking Salamanders are also known to speak common

History

Salamanders, in addition to being a wicked and violent society, are known for their skill in metalworking. Their immunity to fire, as well as the heat they produce allows them to forge some of the finest weaponry in existence, and for this reason they are sometimes summoned by powerful forces, either subjugated or coerced to assist in the construction of fantastical magical weapons and armor. It is wise to treat an employed Salamander very well, however, for they are a proud race of supernatural beings, and to harm one is to invoke the wrath of an entire culture. Small kingdoms have been brought down for unethical dissolution of such partnerships, entire countrysides burned to the ground and its peoples eviscerated.

Salamanders have also been known to serve other more powerful beings of fire in military and domestic capacities, in addition to setting up forces to serve their own ends. The Salamander races has always exhibited an unrelenting desire to branch out into other planes of existence in the name of conquest and procurement of precious alloys.

Culture

Salamanders are a strong, prideful race who despise weakness. They have a hierarchy in most cities and military encampments that loosely resemble a sort of caste system, the largest and most powerful of Salamanders referred to as Nobles. Nobles are generally more intelligent, stronger and more practiced in various arts. They can commonly be seen treading on their own kind with little opposition in their fabulously designed brass cities located on the Plane of Fire. Position in a Salamander society is based entirely on size and power, as the very nature of these creatures would demand nothing less. Salamanders produce asexually once every 10 years. The Larvae are raised in places of extreme heat, and after a short time either manage to fend for themselves among their peers, or are tossed into the wild as being too weak. In some cases, Broodlings are even eaten by nobles as a sort of delicacy.