Elemental (an·ni·hi·la·tion)
Unicellular Titans
Most elementals are semi-conscious collections of pure matter that make up the cosmos: air, earth, fire, water, and will. Though little more than energy given will, on their own planes of existence they can be called on by spellcasters and powerful beings to take shape and perform tasks.
Overview
Similar to how fey are a category of species rather than a specific linear heritage, elementals is a term that encompasses many varied types of creature. Most are horrifying titans of destruction that have passed beyond human memory and are now incredibly rare, especially across the continent of Allegri. Some smaller elementals have survived, some have remainedhidden for eons, and have now adapted to the once foreign environment. These elemental species, such as mephits, have abandoned their ancient purpose and cannot absorb their signature elements any longer but instead seek out regions of plenty and live comfortably surounded by the material they were once drawn to.
Common Knowledge
Elementals are a rare sight across Allegri but wherever they appear, it's always followed by carnage and annihilation. All civilized folk consider these extrinsic behemoths to be living natural disasters that can only be dealt with if enough warning is provided and the appropriate resources are available. Since they're a type of extremophile, elementals don't often thrive on the surface and will sometimes go dormant due to lack of resources available, or submerge themselves fully inside a suitibly large mass of their aligned element. There are no persons living that can say they've witnessed a fully grown elemental and smaller, true elementals don't tend to survive long enough in their vulnerable state to develop or multiply unless they're in an extremely remote environment, whereupon it's presence is likely to go undetected.
Being native to an entirely foreign environment, elementals are single-celled creatures that only consist of two things; pure elemental matter and an elemental core. The elemental core serves as a type of focal point that sense out waves of quasi-gravitational magnetics - calling out to a specific kind of elemental matter via this nearly imperceptible siren's call.
As long as the elemental core remains functional, the elemental will reconstitute itself over time by absorbing any appropriate and available matter. Absorbing elemental matter directly adds to an elementals' size and mass, and strengthens the entire organism. These single-celled organisms live together and each cell must carry out all life processes to survive. In contrast, even the simplest multicellular organisms have cells that depend on each other to survive.
The theory that all elementals are manufactured automations has been circling the social scholastic circles in Etude for a few years, comparing elemental cores to nuclei and the collected elemental matter to cytoplasm within some kind of imperceptible membrane.
In living creatures, cell division involves a single cell dividing into two smaller cells. This leads to growth in multicellular organisms but elementals absorb existing matter rather than converting it into something else before it becomes useful. Instead, elementals preserve the matter in its pure state and can 'use' it immediately. Being completely homogenous, elementals do not have specialised cells with differing functions. In contrast, even the simplest living, multicellular organisms have cells that depend on each other to survive.
Elemental Origins
A very long time ago, in a realm beyond the knowledge of Dark Heart & Bright Soul and before Kaos existed, an unidendified and intelligent species created the elementals as tools to gather resources - unmanned drones that could survive in nearly any environment tasked to collect useful materials for their creators. Which kind of element could be designated by manipulating their technological cores and were vital to the survival of their creators. Any record of these extra-dimensional beings has either been lost and destroyed or never existed on Kaos to begin with.
Basic Information
Growth Rate & Stages
Elementals are not biological beings but do display physical growth based on the mass of elemental matter they've collected. Inversely, should an elemental lose elemental matter through some kind of mishap, their mass decreases. Their elemental cores almost perfectly preserve the collected elemental matter and therefore an inert elemental can grow to incredible size if they simply allow their natural processes to slowly gather and absorb the elemental matter that is pulled towards them.
Once an elemental reaches it maximum capacity the elemental core begins the process of division. This can take anywhere from an hour to several weeks depending on the specific element the core is attuned to and concludes in a new, identical elemental core. Creatiing a new core seems to consume roughly 10%-15% of the elemental matter collected and the remainder is split between the two cores. Once fully seperated, the new elemental leaves as though being mysteriously beconned by a distant call. This is often when they're the most dangerous due to their comparitively fast-paced journey immediately after being 'born'.
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