Flame atronachs are lesser Daedra made of living fire, and the weakest of Skyrim’s three elemental atronachs. You will fight them in the lairs of hostile conjurers, but you can just as easily call them to your side, which is why many mage characters spend half the game with one floating behind them. Compared to their bulky frost and storm siblings they are slim, nimble and very fond of keeping their distance.
A flame atronach looks like a burning woman clad in scraps of black metal armour, with three claws on each hand and two toes on each foot. Its face is a feminine metal mask topped by two long horns swept back like ears. When idle it hovers, twirls and flips in the air with a soft, breath-like whistle over the crackle of its flames, and wherever it moves it leaves a brief trail of fire. According to the Collector’s Edition art book, the designers wanted this atronach to be the most distinctive of the three, elegant and graceful even while it burns everything around it, which explains why it is the only feminine one. It also looks a lot like a spriggan matron, although matrons are bigger and coloured grey and orange.
Variants
All versions look the same; only their numbers change.
| Type | Level | Health | Magicka | Stamina | Spells |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flame Atronach | 5 | 111 | 174 | 50 | Flame Cloak, Firebolt |
| Potent Flame Atronach (Elemental Potency perk) | 10 | 174 | 215 | 86 | Flame Cloak, Firebolt |
| Flame Thrall | 30 | 242 | 245 | 98 | Flame Cloak, Firebolt, Flames |
| Flame Thrall (Elemental Potency perk) | 35 | 358 | 270 | 157 | Flame Cloak, Firebolt, Flames |
| Pelagius’ Flame Thrall | 15 | 5229 | 100 | 106 | Flame Cloak, Firebolt |
Every variant is immune to fire and leaves Fire Salts behind.
Where to find them
Hostile flame atronachs roam the wilderness as random encounters and guard dungeons run by conjurers. Your own can be summoned with the Conjure Flame Atronach spell, the Staff of the Flame Atronach, or the stronger Flame Thrall spell, both part of the Conjuration school.
Notes
- Summoned atronachs are friendly, but hitting one turns it against you. Ice Spike hits are the curious exception and do not anger it.
- The death explosion hurts everything nearby, so a summon dying next to townsfolk can turn them hostile.
- Wild flame atronachs hold a Lesser soul, but your conjured ones cannot be soul trapped.
- Summoning one against a dragon priest is a gamble: the priest can take control of it with Command Daedra. Flame thralls are immune to banishing and commanding.
- Because it floats, a flame atronach will ignite gas leaks in Dwarven ruins but never sets off oil slicks.
