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| “ | A small humanoid surrounded by fire which they can hurl at their enemies. | „ |
| ~ In-game description. |
Fire Imps are minor antagonists in the indie construction and management simulation video game Dwarf Fortress. They are small, demonic creatures that inhibit the hellish Underworld layer of the game. True to their name, they are able to attack their enemies with fire.
Due to the procedural generation of the world and civilizations in the game, coupled with the fact that many elements can be customized by the player, the strength and placement of fire imps vary greatly.
History[]
Early history[]
Like almost all the creatures in the game, there is no concrete history of fire imps. Although, given the fact the main antagonists of the game - goblins - have originated from demons escaping the Underworld, living on the surface, and slowly evolving into goblins as their bodies get acclimated to the surface, it can be assumed that fire imps have some connection to demons, given their appearance, fire-related resistances and hostile nature.
Their appearance looks very similar to other underground creatures, especially goblins. Given their resistances to magma and fire, it is evident that they have obviously evolved solely in the Underworld.
Description[]
Standard and undead fire imp sprites.
In the classic version of the game, or if playing the premium version with ASCII mode enabled, fire imps appear as a yellow "i". In the premium version, fire imps appear as small, skinny, bright orange demonic-looking humanoids with horns. Their undead version looks the same as most other undead creature sprites, with a blue/indigo tint, with black eyes and white pupils. Fire imps do not become a threat in the game until the Underworld is accessed, and when that happens, fire imp attacks can become a normal occurrence from then on.
Fire imps are small, genderless creatures that will be hostile to the player's dwarves, or any other citizen of their fortress. When unprovoked, the imps will wander around the underworld aimlessly, either trekking across the ground or casually swimming in magma. They will immediately attack any creature foreign to them, without any fear or hesitation. They have two very dangerous attacks that are somewhat unique to them: throwing fireballs and releasing streams of fire from their palms. Standard melee attacks can also be performed by them, such as biting, punching and scratching. Even undead versions of fire imps can summon fire.
A fire imp's fireball sprite.
These flame attacks are extremely dangerous for two reasons, as they can easily set any fortress occupant on fire, as well as easily burn down buildings and items the flames happen to hit. Just one fire attack can leave a fortress crippled, heavily denting progress. Any fire existing in the game will also create smoke, which can suffocate and injure anyone caught in it. It is also possible to be rendered unconscious by the smoke, leaving residents even more vulnerable to attacks. These fiery attacks can be blocked completely by shields, assuming they are made from a non-flammable material. Fire imps can still summon fire underwater, although this boils away some of the water.
The imps are slightly larger than the average size of a cat, and do not age, making them biologically immortal. They are one of the most heat-resistant creatures in the game, as they can easily swim through magma, and even see through it while submerged in it. Given their demonic nature, appearance and attacks, they are obviously immune to fire as well. It is common for groups of three or four to suddenly jump out of a magma sea and attack their enemies. Seeing as they can survive in magma indefinitely, they do not need to breathe, so being submerged in water won't affect them. Their climbing skill is maxed out, as it is at the rank of "legendary". This means they can not only climb most surfaces with ease, but they can catch themselves if they are thrown into the air by something.
The imps are also somehow able to open locked doors. Whether this is due to a form of lock picking, or just being able to bash the doors open, is unknown. Pipes can be built to pump magma around fortresses, turning it into a usable resource. Fire imps are small enough to fit through these pipes, and surprise attack fortress residents. Despite their fire resistance, they are able to take damage from heat greater than 15000 °U (2777.8 °C/5032 °F). Despite being a fire-related creature, they are neutral to cold elements, rather than being weak to them.
Fire imps take the role of glass cannons, which means they can be killed rather easily due to their small stature and lack of physical strength, but can do extreme amounts of damage with their fire attacks alone. They are carnivorous, but also eat bones. One of the extremely rare instances that fire imps are seen at the surface before reaching the Underworld, is due to a volcano being nearby, seeing as they can just travel from the Underworld all the way to the surface by swimming up the volcano. If the player embarks near a volcano, there is a chance that fire imps will be encountered.
The imps cannot get fevers, due to their bodies having the immunity to dangerously high temperatures. When they are cut open, their blood is a unique gray goo, which the game simply calls "fire imp goo". Since fire imps do not have the [INTELLIGENT] token in their code, they can be butchered like animals, meaning they can provide meat that feeds a fortress, as well as fireproof leather that can be made into fireproof items or clothes. If playing the game in "Adventure Mode", one can smell a fire imp before they're encountered, with the smell being described like smoke.
Personality[]
Undoubtably evil, openly aggressive and somewhat mischievous, their behavior and Underworld origins fit their hostile disposition. Despite their small size, they do not back down from a fight, and usually play the role of being the provokers, as they'll just start attacking as soon as they see an enemy, rather than keeping to themselves and only fighting if provoked or if something is too close, like most creatures in the game.
Despite not being classified as "intelligent" in the game's code, they can come up with devious plans to not only attack their enemy, but fit themselves into pipes and sneak into fortresses that way. They also intentionally hide in magma to ambush anyone that gets too close. It is unknown if these hostile behaviors are inherited from demons, or just a product of their own nature.
The raw files for the game indicate that fire imps have "terrifying features", heavily implying that the appearance of the imps are much more disturbing and grotesque than what is shown as their sprites.
Trivia[]
- With the initial release of the premium version, fire imps had a child sprite, which was later removed due to fire imps being born as adults, and do not age.
Gallery[]
External Links[]
- Fire Imp - Dwarf Fortress Wiki
 Villains 
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Enemies Immortal & Undead Night Creatures Other | ||