Elemental Magic

Elemental magic is the magic of the fundamental forces of the world, and is the oldest source of magic known to humanoids, discovered and utilized long before the arcane magic of the Grand Necromancer or the Magelords. Elemental magic consists of 6 branches, each fundamentally at odds with each other, and each following a distinct logic and purpose within the cosmos. These 6 are:

• Ignean magic, which belongs to the Everfire
• Auran magic, which belongs to the Highstorm 
• Aquan magic, which belongs to the Deepcold 
• Terran magic, which belongs to the Mountainwalker
• Cthonian magic, which belongs to the Abyss
• Sylvan magic, which belongs to the Worldtree

Each of these branches of magic have their own histories and have been used by different cultures in the milennia since the First War. In the Gold Empire, the study of elemental magic falls to the Purple Order of Alchemists, who try to unravel its secrets and use it for the glory of the Dragon God, though their efforts are hamstrung by the brass metal clerics.
Purple alchemists have long sought to decipher the nature of Elemental Magic, and the only similarity between the different types of elemental magic seems to be their reliance on Rune of Power. Dwarves learned long ago to seek out shards of ignean and terran power, expressed as syllables of primordial energy, and bind them to their weapons and forges, while the sky gnomes have harnessed auran words of power to fly their skyships.
Such magic is theorized to be pieces of the ancient primordial elementals, separated and given power of their own through the ages. Perhaps they are akin to blood from wounds, or scales shed. The greatest such runes are the Greatrunes, supremely powerful and unique expressions that alter the cosmos around them.

Utility

Elemental magic has been used for many different purposes in its long history. Transportation, medicine, weapons, architecture, different cultures have used the elements for all these things and more. In the Gold Empire, the use of elemental magic is generally proscribed, though it has found several important uses in transportation and the production of magical weapons.

Access & Availability

Elemental magic is widely used around the world by many different cultures, and is arguably the most practical form of magic as its powersources can be mined, such as firerock and amber. However, elemental magic is not widely practiced in the Gold Empire, due in large part to the restrictions placed on the used of magic. The winds are slowly changing in the empire, as Purple Alchemists have convinced their colleagues in other Rainbow Orders of the utiltiy of their magic, an initiative spearheaded by the work of the Schafers in the Highhammer Railway Company.
The arguments of the Elementalists, as they are slowly coming to be called, is that elemental magic is every bit as natural as transmutation magic, arguably more so as the laws of elements are more easily deciphered and logical than the strange haphazard discoveres of the arcanists. Additionally, the promises of elemental revolution are incredible. It took a Yellow Alchemist's full focus to heat the steam-engines of Ælmsleóht, but using high-quality firerock it requires no effort other than a Purple Alchemist to oversee a factory and the purchase of new firerock. Of course there is also the argument of the epic Godweapons, such as the Shatterstorm and the Darklances, all of which are based on ancient elemental magic.
However, the arguments against the Elementalists remains strong. The greatest argument is that while elemental magic may be more useful in many ways than arcane magic, arcane magic will not corrupt its user in spirit and body.
For now elemental magic remains mainly the providence of dwarven smiths and giant wizards.

Complexity

Elemental magic varies widely in complexity, from simple everburning torches to the massive flying city of Solitude. The Gold Empire currently has a poor grasp on advanced elemental magic, but the Purple Order is slowly reverse-engineering the Godweapons and learning from the elemental races of the empire.

Discovery

Elemental magic was discovered in ancient times by the races who fough in the First War. Since then the arts of elemental magic have been lost and rediscovered time and time again. The Alchemists of Goldstadt were arcanists for many centuries, until contact with the skygnomes of the Stormlands and the ember elves of Ashefell inspired an interest in elemental magic.