Basically Azer

Check out Aetherial Expanse, Ghostfire's fascinating new adventure setting: ghostfiregaming.com/RUNE_AESG...
This be a video about little fire people that wear brass dwarf shells, avoid getting "employed", and create awesome stuff! Like that tig 'ol bitty city.
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Music Credits: Pretty much everything by Kevin MacLeod
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License: creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

[@CheezMonsterCrazy]

Congrats on your father's marriage and your girlfriend's thieves' tools expertise.

[@ryanskellenger564]

In my game where metal is uncommon, my Azer equivalent know the secrets of glass blowing. But literally no one else can copy their methods because their method is to take a big gob of molten glass and chew it/blow it like bubblegum.

[@kolbeinnskjaldbakahrolfsso167]

haha thats awesome

[@Xhalph]

Just throwing this out there, are you familiar with glassteel? I don't know if the latest editions have it, and it was kind of obscure in 3e. Anyway, it's this glassy-lookin' stuff that's as light as mithral and as strong as adamantine alloy (it's also more expensive). Seems like your azer would be all over that.

[@rowdyriolu1]

That's really funny

[@twilightgardenspresentatio6384]

Nice

[@adamdunlap2984]

Now I just need a locksmithing lawyer and ruinsmith crossover

[@jacobrutzke691]

Ruinsmith who's dat

[@borkware]

"you made that saving throw against death, but please roll again to show it was not a fluke"

[@chocolito9461]

@@borkware LMAO

[@immediateegret2120]

This makes me want a "Forged In Fire" style competition between azer, dwarves, fire giants, and whichever other races whose lore includes "good at making swords."

[@Eisenwulf666]

I think a sub-race of elves was very good at crafting? I mean, there' s one for everything, so probably..Also, everybody sleeping on the duergar, but they see smithing as an act of worship for their god and their work ethic is unparalleled

[@joshuaestrada6042]

​@@Eisenwulf666 they'd probably get bullied by the dwarves

[@agustinvenegas5238]

​@@Eisenwulf666 the thing with duregar is that they don't usually value aesthetics a whole lot so their craftsmanship is pretty good but looks like shit

[@MattManDX1]

@@agustinvenegas5238 So then one of them should be the protagonist of this scenario and be the underdog who ends up winning after his ugly equipment outperforms all of the others

[@bray2964]

What about Fire Giants?

[@rikusauske]

I wonder if the reason all the monsters are slavers is because of years of accidental TPKs dms had to pivot to "uh actually they don't kill you they drag you in chains to be slaves!"

[@MrNoot39449]

Or maybe it's based on human history, who is full of this

[@TheAwakeOrangutang]

I theorize that it's also because slavery is pretty universally a bad thing. And D&D has a history of having a hard morality system with mechanical effects. Making monsters slavers narratively simplifies things. You're looking for monsters to uncritically kill and who would have sympathy for a slaver?

[@Nyghtking]

I can imagine a scenario where there's a dwarven kingdom in the mountains and there's just a couple Azer hanging around crafting stuff every so, and maybe a coupe occasionally teach young dwarven smiths how to craft wonders.

[@WalkinStereotype]

Personally, I like to think that the Azers are the direct children of the god of smithing, and that they forged the armor and weapons of the gods in seeking to display their skills. They are beings of creation with no need for coinage or wealth. All they ask for is materials to continue their purpose.

[@megamania1436]

A runesmith upload? Time to get the fine aged wine and wagyu steaks.

[@MerlynMusicman]

Ikr, such quality!

[@brianmoyachiuz905]

Mmm waygu

[@nessesaryschoolthing]

Would you like truffles or caviar with that?

[@reubenfromow4854]

There’s one item in the Azer’s flavour text that’s easy to miss: they actually are capable (with enough time) of forging legendary items. This means that with the right summoning, planar binding, and resource gathering, they can make something really powerful

[@madmank7881]

The Ifrit are so evil that people sometimes mistake them for devils from the nine hells it also doesn't help that they have some deals with the devils, also slaves that have escaped and describing what happened has led to many people believing that the Nine Hells look like the plane of fire.

[@Kermit_the_hermit]

I feel the "facade" comment was more in reference to there body being crafted and that there souls are their true self's. Could be they are basically elementals that have by one way or another been required to have the physical body, or a elemental born of the meeting of the Earth and fire planes.

[@LordDragox412]

Inb4 they look like cute tiny stars/balls of fire that float around inside this big metal shell they created and control from the inside to make them look big and tough.

[@Eisenwulf666]

The most interesting part is that they actually aren' t dwarves at all and could have any shape they wanted, they just like that one in particular. Couldn' t they build a huge contruct/ war machine and imbue it with a part of their souls? That could be the start of an adventure: azers or their agents ask the adventurers to look for some rare/ weird pieces to build their colossus, the adventurers don' t know that though and are soon faced with efreeti operatives trying to stop them. When they realize the colossus could be way too dangerous, what will they do?

[@EliteWarrior1026]

Now that sounds like an amazing adventure!

[@planescaped]

I assume they have a finite amount of themselves they can put into a new body when reproducing, and presumably multiple Azer can't all -dump their loads- give their lifeforce to one body, hence the size limitation. Though such a scenario could still work if the Azer found some way of overcoming this limitation.

[@JasonBrose-gv6po]

Given the similarities, is it possible that the Azer helped assist Moradin when creating the Dwarves? It would explain why the two share similarities in both culture and stature.

[@ancientbrassdragon2679]

That’s the lore for my homebrew setting. I had a player who wanted to be a Moradin cleric, so i had to write him into the rest of my world. Moradin, as a celestial, made Azers as a first attempt at making dwarves, but they were too focused on metalwork and not other crafts. Even so, having a species to worship him made Moradin from a celestial into a god, and together, they made the first dwarves for the material plane.

[@ryankunst668]

@@ancientbrassdragon2679 Funny, my homebrew lore is pretty much the opposite. The First Azer was created by / was a Dwarven arcane smith who bound his own soul with a generic fire elemental and bound both to a metal body. The resulting being was then just like "cool, I exist now, time to go make more of me."

[@mmangalisomasinga432]

@@ryankunst668 I don't know whose idea is better

[@Trefox87]

​@@mmangalisomasinga432 why not both? The first Azer made by Moriden could be made through taking their first and most "perfect" dwarf and trying to make them more long lived than even elves, so they took a bit of golemancy by combining that first soul with the endless spark of a fire elemental and gave them a seemingly perfect vessel of metal. But Moriden didn't think of how their perfect being would create new vessels, only that they would be the perfect aide in their craftsmen duties and smiting assistant. Eventually the first Azer grew lonely, and attempted to replicate themself or asked Moriden to make them a companion, with Moriden agreeing as an act of love or interest in the outcome, thus leading to more Azer. But having seen the loneliness of this new people, something gods may never feel since they don't usually die and they have other gods to be with, Moriden went back to the drawing board of their initial design of the not so "perfect" dwarf that would be able to reproduce more like other creatures at the expense of seeming immortality, as well as grow beyond the forge and master other forms of craftsmanship. So from their the first true dwarves were made, with the Azer giving some of their insight into what makes a limited life worth living (even if Dwarves live like 200 years and I still don't know if Azer ever naturally die from like their flame going out or if it's only by being killed, that's still limited compared to a god), all of which lead to true godhood for Moriden at some point

[@mmangalisomasinga432]

@@Trefox87 These are all great. I'll definitely need to think about this but this is a great jumping off point.

[@yungo1rst]

Azer are neat. I guess the Efreet shut the doors via iron wall spells and then declared slavery. After the hostility is declared, the azers who knew the city better just escaped by obscure heat venting underneath. Sorta like a rain water drain but for fire and mephits.

[@hmroid6884]

I like the idea of the azer being assisted by dwarfs during their efforts to populate The azer probably once tall and mellow giants needed smaller more battle ready bodies to scout the city of brass Some grand dwarven forges being created as a trade for reliable bodies

[@clonetrooper2505]

"'I'm gonna come break into your house now" Logan, I'll just leave the door open for you, we'd love for you to stop by.

[@garygallimore4620]

As far as the true form/nature of the azer, in many of my home games I rule that the elemental planes function very similarly to the planes of oblivion in Skyrim. Where the plane, the people, and all things within are a single entity. There is no physical form until someone is present to see them. So the whole plane of fire is just a concept of fire itself and only when a mortal goes there does it take shape.

[@selensewar]

I've recentlystarted playing a fire genasi who was born in the city of brass, so this video is very appreciated! I hope you'll make more thorough vids about minor elemental inhabitants in the future :D

[@connordarvall8482]

Keep in mind that unless you have some metamagic, you can only summon an Azer for about an hour for every spell slot of 4th or above you have. If you have a spare day, you can repeatedly summon one to make you a cool weapon. I found this out because I was just researching elementals. Did you know that fire and earth elementals have way more variety than any other.

[@zylowolfzan3345]

"An Azer's craftsmanship is, on average, unmatched in the arts of flame and forge. The Dwarves, though they may boast themselves the finest of smiths, tend to work primarily in the mundane metals and lack the wide knowledge of ores and metallurgy spanning the planes. Fire Giants, while their skill is excellent, will consider their work a means to an end. A tool to empower themselves and their troops for further conquest. Only the Azer can blend the pure Dwarven passion for the artform, with the knowledge and skill of the Fire Giants. Should you desire a weapon to face the greatest of foes, or armor to defend you in a thousand battles, seek the aid of an Azer. Though, if you wish for a weaved basket, I would not recommend their works." - Fredregar 'Fret' the Wanderer, Adventurer, Scholar, and Weaver of Fine Baskets. (There ya go, a much nicer quote about the Azer, from a fun side character I made.)

[@agustinvenegas5238]

I'm tempted to have a bronze weaved basket made by Azer artisans that's basically a cross between a bag of holding and a portable fortress

[@warriormatt5562]

No Mr. Runesmith please don't break into my house. In seriousness though happy for your pop's new marriage and your girlfriends new lockpicking skill!

[@snowboundwhale6860]

The way they reproduce by forging a shell and then splitting off part of their elemental soul an pouring it into the shell where it becomes it's own Azer makes me think it's form is a "façade" because their true body is actually the fire inside their metal shells. I am wondering who the better smiths are between Azer and Fire Giants, given both have the lore gimmick of "legendarily skilled craftsman that handily outperform even Dwarves!", when Dwarves themselves have the craftsman shtick in relation to humanoids.

[@andrewnewell1142]

Heyo wake up, new Runesmith video!

[@MildlyOCD]

I feel like the reason why WOTC put in so many slaver race/civilizations is so that there's always a justification for an adventuring party to fight them as enemies. By trying to appeal to the modern sensibilities of the modern player base, I don't think that they stopped to think about what that implies for the setting or how weird it sounds to the people who notice that pattern. I'm not saying that slavery is right, but when putting into context that most of the civilizations you encounter implement some form of it, & your players are the outlier in being anti-slavery, trying to stop it is kind of an uphill battle.

[@InquisitorThomas]

Also an NPC that has been enslaved can be freed, while an NPC that has been killed requires costly magic. Like if a town gets attacked by a slaver race that means there’s a quest to free the people, you can come up with fun escape plans, you can attempt to blend in with the Slave population, you can potentially meet up with sympathetic members of the slaver race and try to reform the civilization. And compare that to Gnolls or Demons: Goes into town and kills/eats everyone. There’s nobody to talk to except corpse, you hunt down the monsters who can barely be interacted with, you kill them, and whoops the town is still gone unless the Cleric is secretly the heir to a diamond mine.

[@DeusExAngelo]

Not to mention that IRL's recognition of slavery as evil and it's abolition is relatively recent thing in human history as a whole. For much of it, slavery was a norm. Nor was it isolated to a particular groups or continents. Examples can be found going back to some of the oldest human civilizations. In fact, civilizations or groups that didn't practice it were the outliers. This isn't me condoning slavery in case that needs to be said, this is just explaining historical fact. So if humans had no trouble enslaving other humans (including many of those who may have looked especially alike)...why would it not be for supernatural, nonhuman races full of individuals who are less than benevolent?

[@MildlyOCD]

@@InquisitorThomas In a vacuum, it makes perfect sense because it's a very easy writing tool. But when you put into context of every civilization having this issue, it gets muddy. Even more so when you add races/species that come from those civilizations; bear in mind that you can play as the Genasi or Grung (you don't have to play them that way, but the implication is there). It's like, in an effort to make things easier on the player & GM to write a story, WOTC has unintentionally added more problems.

[@MildlyOCD]

@@DeusExAngelo Yeah, that's kinda one thing that comes off as a bit tone deaf for Runesmith, XP to Level 3, & anyone else who's been pointing it out. If you like the idea of being in a medieval fantasy setting, then you're going to have to acknowledge the very real problems that were normalized during that time frame. Doesn't make it ethically right, but you can't exactly demand an older setting & ask yourself, "Why is there so much slavery?"

[@DeusExAngelo]

@@MildlyOCD My thoughts exactly. Plus, it's very logical for generally malicious, supernatural races to engage in mass slavery. Especially if they see those they've enslaved pretty much as objects with some personal quirks. Also going back to human history, while slavery is all wrong, some practices of slavery were worse than others. Some slaves got it better than others. So that's something else that could explored in a fantasy story/setting.

[@twilightgardenspresentatio6384]

Imagine having to craft a toddler from charcoal and iron then needing to fill it with your own blood.

[@oliverholm3973]

A runesmith and a locksmith. What a combo

[@Internetresident0451]

I honestly forgot that Fontaine looked like that I remember the evil business man and Atlas, not the upscaled Morrowind model

[@casbot71]

Lawful Neutral? How do they get on with Modrons and the whole Mechanus Plane crowd under Primus? Now if they got involved things could get complicated. Plot idea, some Azer try to go to Mechanus to "forge" a Alliance.

[@yellow_fungustv5630]

🪲

[@thefriendlynerighbourhoodc7697]

Cold war in plane of fire? Really? That's the best you got BECAUSE IT WAS FUNNY AS HELL😂

[@johnm.9597]

I love your vids. They make really complex ideas easy to digest and I think you do a good job of explaining motivations behind historical actions. Wishing you the best man!!

[@eliasvernieri]

i love any kind of dwarf.. even if they are not really dwarfs... and one thing i love about the Azer is that they too worship Moradin :P ( that make them more dwarven than their looks.. i think)

[@eliasvernieri]

i made a homebrew adventure about an "azer-half-dwarf" king of the dwarfs of a volcanic tribe kingdom. some unrequested exposition: long time ago... a female dwarf (cleric of berronar) hired an azer to help her to create some legendary objects... they worked together to create a legendary forge where she was able to create the purest truesilver rings. and the Azer and the dwarf becomed really close... the day the azer wanted to have offspring the cleric of berronar helped in the creation of the body and berronar interceded and married them both.. and the dwarf becamed pregnant and to "brothers" where born at the same time.. an extreamly dwarvish azer and and the first "fire dwarf/ volcano dwarf" and usher a time of friendship among a group of azer and dwarf that became an empire ;)

[@yamato9753]

So you wanna tell me that there's a kickstarter project with which i can become Jedi-Ussop? Thats kind of neat, gonna support it now

[@lefu87williford55]

I need that book for my d&d in space campaigns.

[@madmanwithaplan1826]

i love the Azer and Frequently use them in any campaign where the plane of fire is involved. my favorite running side Character is an Azer standing next to a what looks like a giant particle accelerator cannon, pointed out the window at the largest Building in the City of Brass. scribbling grumpily on a sheet of paper. many other such papers are strewn around him and a cursory glance shows some are lists. A more indepth look shows that its a Pro Con list with the title Destroy City of Brass Capitol Building/Assassinate Leader. And that slowly but surely the Pros are beginning to overtake the Cons.

[@catdragon1313]

Absolutely here for a dose of lore with a side of why we should eat the rich 🎉 Thank you Papa Logan!

[@aspookylich4153]

The Azer are incredibly cool and I also wonder why they don't get better attention, I can imagine them maybe building in secluded parts of the Plane of Fire similar cities to the City of Brass with Golems and other constructs for protection

[@rubyseach]

I'm so happy that mr. Smith is back doing videoes

[@ronben-ezer8373]

damn it Logan, I literally needed info about Azer for yesterday's session, great timing lol

[@ArchAngelxDemonChao]

Hey! Tell'em congrats on becoming a Locksmith! Great video, btw, Runesmith. I've been wanting to use Azer but for all the crazy misadventures my party gets into nobody has suggested they go to the Elemental Planes yet aside from the one between Earth and Fire as a joke. I might turn that into an entire side quest now to fight for Azer freedom.

[@Grabnok]

Imagine going off in search of the Elusive and powerful Azer in the hopes of them repairing some ancient artifact that you need to help save the Material Plane, worried that you'll have some harsh negotiations or even that theyll be hostile to you. But then your group gets there and theyre just happy to have a paying customer for once.

[@Megastronkguy]

Hey Runesmith love your videos, and I think a video on the supplementary book "The Game Master's Book of Legendary Dragons" would be supercool. It has a wide variety of some crazy legendary dragons that are really fun and entertaining. If you don't think you can make a video on it I would still read it, it's very good. There is a lot of content so I don't think you could do every dragon, probs a top five.

[@drilltotheheavens1695]

Well that explains the sponsor and also his own book. He just loves One Piece, which is completely understandable.

[@eriadorranger2196]

Thank you for the inspiration Mr. Smith

[@Quietu]

Runesmith. Having you back is fantastic!

[@hydragamedev6920]

0:53 sponsored segment ends

[@Navifaerie64]

If Runesmith breaks into your house, make sure you leave some dice sets and minis out for him, or perhaps a rough draft of that TTRPG system you're writing

[@planescaped]

Sounds like the story of the Efreeti and Azer building the City of Brass parallels modern Dubai and "itinerant workers". Usually it is D&D taking inspiration from real life, looks like this time real life mimicked D&D, lol.

[@Wreckur4203]

Conjure Minor Elementals a.k.a. call a blacksmith

[@joshuakanapkey6570]

I do love me some Azer. Great breakdown and great ideas!

[@Daedricsoulslayer]

So glad you're back!

[@Daedricsoulslayer]

Congratulations Pop pop

[@gelbadayah.sneach579]

Break into my house? Fie! This is further complicated by the fact that I am bound by geas to prepare food for anyone who enters my house and requests it, regardless of whether or not they broke in. /grumbles and mutters while preparing mise en place/

[@whitemansucks]

Great to have a new video! Sweet!

[@shonklebonkle324]

Plot idea: a party of adventurers help the azer unionize.

[@Americanbadashh]

Fun fact, the Egyptians didn't use slaves to build the pyramids. They used a unionized work force that had PTO. The slaves thing is a dated assumptions British archeologists in the 1800's made but that we now know is incorrect.

[@ILostMyOreos]

I love your videos! Thank you

[@anthonyambrose7830]

Literally had some azer ideas this is perfect

[@camblycreeper7999]

Wait, Runesmith has a father... and a Girlfriend? I thought he was just a very tall gnome with a typewriter and a sending stone connected to XP to Level 3. I was here thinking he just lives in a very large hovel on his own just thinking about things, it never occured to me that there was others in his house... maybe except a cat or some tiny fey creatures Edit: forgor to congratulate you. My cousin's actually getting married soon, too.

[@richardmyhan3369]

If you break into my house, could you grab a gallon of milk?? I'm out. 😂😂

[@Rawkwilder]

If you break into my house bring snacks otherwise my dog Will have a word with you.

[@lodestar2733]

Maybe the Azers’ facade faces are like All Might’s- super terrifying but he’s a great guy

[@Dragonlover554]

Ayo, new Runesmith video dropped. Let's goooooooo

[@user-hs1xb9tv6e]

Ngl I didnt thogut that much about the azer besides that they look kinda neat. Now I kinda want to play as one.

[@Dyneamaeus]

Hmmm, their bodies as hollow shells for their fiery real self could have a lot of interesting lore implications. Maybe they come in all shapes and sizes, but literally, like there's some people shaped, some monster shaped, and some shaped like things that don't exist. Coupled with their apparent fixation with quality craft, their reproduction speed could be blamed on meticulously crafting their offspring's shell.

[@DwarfDaddy]

I mean conflict breeds strength that’s why Halflings and Gnomes are so puntable

[@Zalamancer]

The call to action background art is from Kent Davis, right? If so, I must grab this book

[@himboghost629]

A Locksmith and a Runesmith

[@diogoteixeira4950]

I Love them a lot, they are a big part of my homebrew setting.

[@ruflexo]

A locksmith who's also a runesmith? Sounds like a fun npc.

[@stevenknauer6234]

"I hate these guys. A lot." haha I love you Runesmith

[@rpbattleman]

You should look at the Tincalli aka Scorpionfolk

[@gabrielrussell5531]

Only in 4E were they actually Dwarves.

[@robbieleeson6341]

You're going to break into my house!? Nah mate, I'll just leave the door on latch - come on by for tea.

[@matthewparker9276]

Very awkward how the dnd cannon is basically split into slave races and slaver races.

[@aisuru01]

Congrats on the things going on in your life!

[@BurttheBard]

CONGRATS TO LOGAN’S POP POP And IF you’re able to break into my house…welcome, we have brownies and tea. I’d love to pick your brain and maybe would you mind autographing my copy of Twisted Taverns? I’m sure my roommate would also appreciate you signature on their copy of Stibbles’ Codex. Anyway, let me know if you’re planning to break in, I’ll make a fresh pot of tea

[@evanvanwormer6805]

Remember the old Azer saying, “Boss makes a dollar, dwarves made of metal and fire make a dime.”

[@zygoatindustries]

Whoa Rune man

[@ConstantChaos1]

Imagine an azer giving the characters some of its fire and granting them powers ftom the azer

[@sambro6657]

Any other time rune smith I’d back this instantly but with web dms sea of fallen stars on the horizon with weird wastelands soon to be released I am sorry I can’t back the Kickstarter thank you for telling me about it but I have been planning to back this thing since Pruitt and Jim talked about sea of fallen stars so that’s what I’m gonna do. But when the book by ghost fire goes to market I will buy it.

[@Shadowrunner123]

WHAT WAS THAT VIDEO ENDING, lmao my dude.

[@mightbehusbandmightbewife]

Do Basically Sorrowsworn!

[@researcherchameleon4602]

*Diggy diggy hole stops

[@philurbaniak1811]

👍👍Congratulations to him and congratulations to her!

[@ThatFreeWilliam]

Wait, Azer breed like diatoms? And they're shells, like diatoms? Are Azer just spicy diatom dwarves?

[@lukek.5773]

congrats!

[@luciendelaney8975]

Still have not received my stibble’s codex of companions.

[@Kikrafis]

If Aetherial is Grimdark like Grimhollow Ill buy.

[@MonsterPrincessLala]

What if they were all little guys inside like Calcifer fron Howl's Moving Castle?

[@blueuniversezen]

Lore!

[@cameronpearce5943]

I like to think that the Dwarves are to Stone what the Azer are to Fire and Metal. Maybe they are kin but crafted from a different element by Morridin?

[@the.jack.ass.]

Nice 👌

[@TheVillainInThisGame]

A six minute video with a one minute ad, that's ⅙ ad or roughly 17% ads

[@AzraelThanatos]

Azer might not be making themselves look more like a dwarf. There's a hybrid genasi like hybrid of Dwarf and Azer as well...which just leads to shrugs.

[@taylordedzomb7995]

one of my favorite PCs that I made is an Azer forge cleric

[@claudefaust9104]

I'm glad that Logan is one of one piece people.

[@AlexReynard]

It's almost as if D&D accurately reflects how slavery was a norm for pretty much all of human history. We in the Western world enjoy the benefits of our culture's early realization, 'Hey, slavery is wrong, let's stop it', so much so that we have the luxury of thinking that when media depicts slavery, that's weird and problematic, instead of being something that's still the norm in plenty of other places that _haven't_ decided yet that slavery is bad. But hey, easier to get upset at the authors of fictional slavers than at actual slavers who exist right now.

[@MrTwyres]

Good.

[@RedCap-vz1dw]

W reference to peak fiction

[@Dem0nicT0aster]

These guys are just Poland.