Elemental
Elementals are incarnations of the elements that make up the universe: air, earth, fire, and water. Some of these creatures are little more than animate masses of their respective elements, including the creatures simply called elementals. Others have biological forms infused with elemental energy. The races of genies, including djinn and efreet, form the most important civilizations on the elemental planes. Other elemental creatures include azers, invisible stalkers, and water weirds.
Living Elements
During the Founding, the Primordial's slaughter of mortals set off the schism between the Betrayer Gods, who wanted to join with the Primordials and allow chaos to claim the world, and the Primaris Deities, who wanted to subdue the Primordials to save their mortal creations. The slaughter also drew demons from the Abyss and celestials from a far-away realm. Eventually, the Primordials were defeated and locked away in their own elemental planes.Conjured by Magic
Certain spells and magic items can conjure an elemental, summoning it from the Inner Planes to the Material Plane. Elementals instinctively resent being pulled from their native planes and bound into service. A creature that summons an elemental must assert force of will to control it. Powerful magic can bind an elemental spirit into a material template that defines a specific use and function. Invisible stalkers are air elementals bound to a specific form, in the same way that water elementals can be shaped into water weirds. The strength of the magic and materials that bind an elemental determines how well the elemental functions in a bound form. Golems are elemental spirits bound to physical forms, but weaker materials such as flesh and clay can’t bind elemental power sufficiently. Durable materials such as stone and iron require stronger magic, which consequently binds an elemental more securely.
Genetic Descendants
