The Emer appears as a shadowy figure in armor and Eisenhut helmet, face unseen or unseeable. It searches for easy sources of ignition and sets them ablaze, standing at a respectful distance and admiring its handiwork. When it is a dwelling that is ablaze, the Emer will not interfere with anyone who tries to escape the inferno–indeed, it has been known to hack open routes of escape as a gesture of apparent mercy.

But if anyone tries to extinguish the blaze before its time, the Emer will wade into ferocious combat, first by placing itself between fire and would-be firefighter and if necessary by engaging in battle. It bears a prodigious zweihander and the wounds it inflicts are all too real. If allowed to go about its business, or after any interlopers are driven off or slain, the Emer will watch until the embers cease to glow before wandering off in search of its next conflagration.

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