Minor fire elementals in the shape of chiropterans, fire bats are pests native to the Plane of Fire that can very quickly become a major threat when left unchecked.
A fire bat looks like a flesh-and-blood bat, two feet long with a wingspan of over four feet, totally engulfed in flames. Indeed it appears to be made entirely of living fire until killed, when its flames extinguish and its charcoal-like true body is revealed. Unlike true bats, fire bats do not usually flap their wings; they are propelled by jets of heated gasses expelled from tiny tubes along its wingtips.
Fire bats feed on flesh, particularly that of fiery humanoids such as efreet, azers, and salamanders, swooping down and latching onto their victims. When a fire bat is sated, it flies off to a safe place and reproduces through fission, splitting down the middle into two separate fire bats. In this way fire bats can quickly overwhelm a region unless dealt with quickly, and even vile creatures like salamanders and efreet may put aside their differences to destroy them. True fire elementals, who lack flesh, enjoy the company of fire bats and revel in their vast flights.
Despite their bestial appearance, fire bats are semi-intelligent and possess an evil will, seeming to target intelligent creatures over dumb beasts and enjoying the chance to attack humanoid settlements. They are thought to be creations of the demonic bat-god Camazotz, who made them as gifts to Ymeri, the elemental queen of fire. To be sure, they flock in huge numbers in both Camazotz and Ymeri’s domains and never knowingly attack servants of either deity.
Fire bats are normally seen in the company of cultists of Camazotz, who summon them as potent enforcers. Their pyromaniac tendencies also make them common minions of Hinnva and his faithful.
Shores of Swords 