Elementals

Acid Elementals

STR 1d6/cubic meter
SIZ 1 cubic meter
POW 1d6/cubic meter
HP 1d6/cubic meter
Move fly 6
Frequency Rare

An example of an elemental corrupted by chaos, a water elemental summoned into acid can often become corrupted by the substance. They are, fortunatly, exceedingly rare, especially because of their deadly nature. As acidic as a gorp, except far swifter, they can cause untold damage. Acid elementals are the bane of all water cults, and are associated with shamanic chaos cults such as Bagog, Thed and Malia. They are unique spirits, almost impossible to find on the spirit plane in the normal course of things, but are sometimes found in greater quantities in chaos pits.

An acid elemental is, funnily enough, made out of acid, with a POT equal to 1 per cubic metre. It inflicts this damage to any and all locations that it engulfs, and any equipment including arms and armoour that it can lay it's fluids on, on SR 10 of every round. Additionally, striking the acid elemental inflicts this damage to whatever hit it. An acid elemental can engulf upto 10 SIZ for every cubic meter it possesses.

Celestian (Star Elementals)

STR 1d6/cubic meter
SIZ 1 cubic meter
POW 1d6/cubic meter
HP 1d6/cubic meter
Move fly 12
Frequency Very rare

Celestians are the elementals of the stars themselves. Mostali identify them as Sub-Products of the Exterior Wall Flame Units, the Dara Happans know them as the chosen embodiment of the Star Captains, and Uz know them either as signs of the Evil Burner, or friends of their own Heroes for there are Stars in Hell as well as the Sky, and some rare Uz know how to summon them. They are most commonly associated with the cults of Polaris and Yelorna, although both Ourania and Dayzatar sometimes have dealings with them. Worshippers of Heroes who have stars are sometimes privy as how to summon them, but that is not commonplace. They are unique in the Inner World, and rare in the Sky Realm and certain portions of the Underworld (Underworld Stars are slightly different though).

Celestian's require starlight to manifest. Thye can manifest only at night, and for every 10% of the sky that is clear of cloud can provide enough starlight for 1 cubic meter of elemental (so if there is 45% cloud cover then up to a 5 cubic meter Celelstian can be brought forth).

They appear as silvery soft light, but when they actively use their powers they start to burn like a silver salamander. They can be directed to focus their starlight, either to produce a focused beam of light 1m in radius and the Celestians POW in metres as range, or to produce beams of starfire. The starfire of a star elemental always hits, and inflicts 1d(POW) damage where armour protects (so a Celestian with POW 20 would inflict 1d20 damage). Obviously Celestians are quite powerful, and it is fortunate that they are both rare and holy to the cults that can summon them.

Dust Elementals

STR 1d6/cubic meter
SIZ 1 cubic meter
POW 1d6/cubic meter
HP 1d6+3/cubic metre
Move =Wind STR
Frequency Uncommon

Dust elementals are the union of Ernalda and Orlanth, the Earth and the Storm (other myths say that they are older, the union of Umath and his wife). Often people mistake sylphs for dust elements, for a sylph can whip around itself a healthy dust or sandstorm, but the dust elemental is quite different. They manifest themselves as trailing piles of dust, not towering whirlwinds. A dust elemental can only be called into powdered dry earth, so larger dust elementals may require suitable preparation to summon.

A dust elemental has two modes of attack. The first is to penetrate an opponents fur, eyes, armour, shoes etc... with dust. Anyone who is present within a dust elemental can be attacked in this way, the dust elemental can attack up to 10 SIZ worth of opponent per cubic metre of size it possesses. Each attack causes irritation, building up a cumulative -10% on all physical related skills as the dust elemental covers the target with particulate matter. The maximum this penalty can reach is -10%/cubic metre of size the dust elemental has (so an eight cubic metre dust elemental will, in eight rounds, reduce someone to -80% on all physical skills, but no further). This penalty remains after leaving the dust elemental and the victim will have to clean themselves somehow, removing the dust (takes 1 full uninterrupted melee round for every 10% penalty).

The only other mode of attack a dust elemental has is on particularly small targets (SIZ equal to or less than the cubic metres of the elemental, so a 5 cubic metre elemental can affect only creatures with a SIZ 5 or under) or prone targets. The dust elemental forces dust into the airways of the victim, causing suffocation beginning at CONx3 (follow normal rules for asphyxiation). Because the dust elemental is really only a blanket of dust, it cannot attack larger foes.

Dust elementals are rare, normally a cult secret.

Empyrean (Sky Elemental)

Empyreans are the elementals of the Sky Rune, unconnected to its manifestation as either fire or light. Back in the Godtime they roamed the Sky World, the body of their father Sky. When the Blue Moon vanished and the sky turned from white to blue, the empyreans changed with it. They stood firm, holding in place all the stars, lifting the heavens from the below world, keeping the pure from the impure.

Empyreans can only be summoned on a cloudless day (or anywhere in the Sky World) when there is no wind blowing. They manifest as a slightly brighter, sharper radiant blue than the surrounding sky itself.

An Empyrean can immobilise and hold things in place, just like they do in the Sky Realm. Unlike sylphs they don't move them, or push them places, but hold them tight. It can attack by matching its STR against the victims. If successful the victim is held firmly in place, unable to move (even if caught in midair, they are held stock still, not floating but simply immobilised from falling). A victim can try and escape once per round. The Empyrean can immobilise upto 10 SIZ per cubic metre it possesses. Similarly, it can immobilise and hold, indefinitely, upto three times its STR in ENC. Sometimes more extravagant Dara Happan temples use Empyreans to hold pieces of the building in place.

Empyreans are really only used by the Dara Happans. Sometimes they are used in combat, to hold a victim in place so troops can slice and dice them at all will.

Flares (Light Elementals)

Written by Tal Meta, adjusted slightly for a Gloranthan context and for my own taste

STR 1d6/cubic meter
SIZ 1 cubic meter
POW 1d6/cubic meter
HP 1d6/cubic meter
Move fly 6
Frequency Uncommon

Flares manifest as globes of brilliantly shining light. Anyone within a flare has all of their senses overloaded, sight is impossible in the light, a vast roaring fills the ears, and the senses of taste, touch and scent fluctuate wildly from one extreme to another.

A flare's primary attack is it's blinding presence, whereby it matches it's magic points vs. the target's CON. The flare must be touching or partially englobing the target's head to use this attack form. When a flare attacks, it may engulf 10 SIZ worth of opponents for each cubic meter of SIZ it possesses. Victims within a flare are subject to it's blinding attack, which affects all sight based and Darksense based skills. Anyone else remaining within the flare's presence loses 1 fatigue point per round to the wildly changing sensory input inside the flare's volume.

Flares are sometimes used by Sky cults, are lesser known in the cult of Yelmalio (for some unknown reason).

Glaze (Ice Elemental)

STR 1d6/cubic meter
SIZ 1 cubic meter
POW 1d6/cubic meter
HP 1d6/cubic metre
Move 2/4 swim
Frequency Uncommon (except during heavy winters and on Valind's Glacier where they are common)

Glazes are the ice elementals, creatures of Inora, Himile and Valind. They manifest themselves in ice much as gnomes do, invisible except for the trundling scatter of a few shards of ice as they make their way along. Glazes can, however, travel in water, at which point they manifest themselves as submerged icebergs, feezing the water around them.

A glaze can travel through a medium that is a frozen liquid composed of more than 90% water (ice) at a move rate of 2. In this medium they act exactly like gnomes, capable to opening up a maw to devour passers by (although note that a glazes have less of a damage bonus than gnomes do, and so are less effective). They can also travel through any liquid that is composed of more than 90% water, at a move rate of 4, and as long as it is below 10 celsius in temperature, for every celsius above that they take one hit point every full turn (10 MR) of immersion. In water they can envelope water bound creatures and crush them, just as if that creature had been caught inside them on land.

The glaze is found normally only on the Glacier in the north, where they are a fond weapon of snow trolls, and more sophisticated snow trolls use them to hunt for animals. Because of the lack of ice and the heat of the water in other regions glazes are more uncommon.

Heliosi (Sun Elemental)

STR 1d6/cubic meter
SIZ 1 cubic meter
POW 2d6/cubic meter
HP 4d6/cubic meter
Move 5 fly
Frequency Rare

It is unclear whether Heliosi are actually distinct from Salamanders, or merely a more powerful variant. Certainly when they manifest they do so as far brighter, hotter and whiter than a salamander. Heliosi are exceedingly rare, as they must be summoned into sunfire to manifest which is rare even in the Sky Realms, never mind the Inner World. HeroQuesters who have visited Yelm sometimes return with Heliosi if they have prepared properly, but they are unusual.

Heliosi act just like salamanders, except they inflict 5d6 damage not 3d6. Additionally they have natural armour of 1 point per cubic metre, and burn so brightly any attacker must take a penalty equal to the POW of the Heliosi.

Molters (Lava Elemental)

STR 1d6+6/cubic meter
SIZ 1 cubic meter
POW 1d6/cubic meter
HP 3d6/cubic meter
Move 12/3
Frequency Rare

Molters are rare lava elementals. A particular favourite of the Lodril cult, they are unlike gnomes in that they can move above ground, pulling forth the molten mass of rock onto the ground and moving it into motion. Whilst they are not good offensive creatures, they are unstoppable. Often they are sent to attack enemy temples, where they can literally melt the walls!

Molters can only be summoned into molten rock, although once embodied the lava will not cool naturally. Molters, obviously, inflict damage by pushing their molten form on to someone. They attack on SR 10, able to strike 1 foe for every cubic metre of size. They attack with a chance equal to their POW. Molters inflict 5d6 damage per cubic metre in size, additionally the damage is inflicted to any object (such as armour, say) that is present in that location. So a blow for 14 points of damage would destroy any chainmail in that location. Any weapon that strikes a molter suffers 5d6 damage. This damage is taken before damage is inflicted upon the elemental, so if the weapon is destroyed then the molter takes no damage.

Molters move at a rate of 3 on land, and 12 in lava. They cannot protect people from the deletrious effects of lava, although were one to somehow make themselves immune to lava then the molter could carry them as passengers just like a gnome.

Immersion in water causes a molter 2d6 hit points per round of exposure, more if the water is substantially colder. Undines can engulf molters, the molter loses 1d6 hit points per round whilst the undine loses 1d10.

Murks (Shadow Elemental)

STR 1d6/cubic meter
SIZ 1 cubic meter
POW 1d6/cubic meter
HP 1d6/cubic meter
Move fly 6
Frequency Uncommon

Murks manifest themselves much as shades do, although they are somewhat humid and not as cold. Smaller murks are also not as dark, and sometimes one can see through them. Murks are sometimes used by darkness cults, although shades are far more preferrable in most cases. The cult of Moorgarki considers them especially holy.

Anyone trying to attack a murk will find it difficult, their boundaries are nowhere near as defined as a shades, and this makes them hard to hit (-50%). Anyone attacked by a murk will immediately be plunged into darkness - a murk can affect 10 SIZ for every cubic meter it has. Obviously this doesn't affect darksense.

Oceania (Deep Water Elemental)

Oceania are elementals from the deepest oceans, the deep waters of Glorantha. They look just like undines, but are unable to move on land unlike their elemental cousins. Oceania cannot be summoned into normal water, only into deep sea water.

Oceania can suffocate air breathers just as an undine can, and can also bash their victims against the bottom as undines can. They cannot, however, suffocate water breathers.

Nevertheless they are very deadly, not only are they stronger Oceania carry within them the deep immersive pressures of the oceans. If someone finds themselves present within an Oceania, and they have no resistance to extreme pressures (only deep sea creatures have such resistance) they will start taking damage. The victim talkes one point of damage per cubic metre to every location on SR 10 of every round they are within the Oceania. No normal protective magics like Shield, Protection or Resist Damage work - not even magics specialised against crushing damage from mauls or maces can help, although magic designed to protect against all forms of crushing damage works fine. Worse still, if a location takes more than half the total damage it can take then that location is so damaged that it cannot be healed whilst within the Oceania. The location is simply unable to heal whilst the sea pressure is still pressing against it.

Oceania are rarely found in the surface world, being so difficult to summon. Sometimes sea cults summon them, although as they are virtually immobile on land (give them a move of 1/100th to simulate their slow, laborious movement on land) they are even then pretty useless unless used to guard underwater locations. The merpeople often use Oceania, especially Gnydron who can easily stomach the higher pressures, and bring the Oceania futher up towards sea level to wreak havoc on weaker underwater beings. Oceania are also used by deep water creatures who cannot survive in lighter pressures, such as shallower waters or the surface world. They are safe within the boundraries of the Oceania.

Shiver (Cold Elementals)

STR 1d6/cubic meter
SIZ 1 cubic meter
POW 1d6/cubic meter
HP 1d6/cubic meter
Move 6
Frequency Rare, except on the Glacier where they are uncommon

Shivers manifest themselves as whitish-blue indiscriminate blobs. As they move they leave a small layer of frost behind them. Shivers are rare elementals, and normally only associated with the cult of Himile, and sometimes Valind. The only people who make use of them are the snow trolls of the northern glacier.

A shiver causes anyone within it's area of effect to suffer from the freezing cold. Every round it inflicts 1d6 cold damage direct to general hit points, no armour protects. Creatures immune to cold, or using cold-resistant magics, will find that effective against the cold damage. Anything thus affected is struck by a frost, a chiling icy grip. It affects objects as well, according to the Gamesmaster's discretion (although most worthwhile objects have more than 6 ap's so will be unharmed by the experience as that is the maximum damage a shiver can cause).

Terra (Dark Earth Elementals)

STR 1d6+6/cubic meter
SIZ 1 cubic meter
POW 1d6/cubic meter
HP 2d6+6/cubic meter
Move 1
Frequency Rare

Terras are the elementals of the Dark Earth cults such as Maran Gor. They are rare, being more difficult to control, and more aggressive than normal elementals. They will attack all living creatures, without provocation, and if left to their own devices they will destroy villages, towns and cities. Terras can only be called into earth that has been soaked in blood, such as a ritually prepared area or a battefield.

Terras are just like normal Gnomes with one additional feature. Every round that someone is trapped in a Terra they lose 1d3 magic points per cubic metre if they fail a magic points versus magic points with the creature. Anyone who is killed and reduced to zero magic points by a Terra has their soul trapped in the Terra itself. Any Terra that captures a soul will, unless Commanded otherwise, seek to return to the Dark Earth to displace the soul in hell. No such person can be ressurected whilst their soul is in hell. The only way to prevent this is to either HeroQuest to recover the soul, or kill the Terra before it gets to where it's going (which, on average, takes 3d6 weeks). People who die before their magic points are reduced to zero manage to escape this awful fate. Terras can "hold" one spirit per cubic metre of size, once this is exceeded they will spit a soul out, on a "first one in, first one out" basis, unless commanded otherwise.

Additionally, anyone who uses the Terra as a mode of transport will lose 1 magic point per round they spend within it if they fail a magic point versus magic points with the Terra. The Terra cannot be commanded to prevent this, it is a natural feature of its being. Anyone reduced to zero magic points in such a manner does not have their soul trapped (unless, subsequently, the Terra is ordered to attack them anyhow).

Terras are exceedingly volitile. Any attempt to command them must overcome their magic points x1.5, not just their normal magic points. A Terra also has once chance per day to cast off any magical command spells, such as Dominate. A Terra cannot escape a Binding enchantment, although Binding Enchantments for Terras are very rare.