The Elements
Elementalists are born able to use and manipulate the seven Elements: Air, Death, Earth, Fire, Life, Metal, and Water. Each Element is capable of various effects, ranging from offensive abilities like using fire to create a blast of heated air to more utilitarian abilities such as using earth to increase the arability of soil, and a myriad more. The list grows exponentially when taking into account ways that they can be combined. All Elements have both physical(such as moving or burning an object) properties and metaphysical properties(such as bolstering a person's health or mental capacity). Elementalists can use weak and basic abilities nearly all the time, expending their own energy to fuel them, however if they want to use a powerful or complicated ability they require a Place of Power. A Place of Power is a location that gives an Elementalist access to reserves of energy outside of their own, and consequently allows them to access to a wider range of abilities. What follows is a list of each Element, and some of their uses.
Air
Air, the Element of movement, speed, and freedom. Using air allows an Elementalist to cause gusts of wind, but air is a gateway to more metaphysical abilities than physical. Air allows a person to speed their mind, and think their way through most situations, but at the risk of burning out their mind if they do so too long or often. The same can be done for an Elementalist's movement, although this puts heavy strain on the body. Flight can also be achieved, but is taxing on personal energy reserves, so most Elementalists reserve such abilities for Places of Power. Air requires much less energy to use than other Elements, which is why it is often the first one taught to aspiring Elementalists. When combining Elements, Air is often used to help guide other aspects of Elements.
Death
Death, the Element of sapping and finality. Also the most controversial of the Elements, and one made illegal in many countries and cities. Death is feared for its ability to call forth Spirits and Risen from the leftover souls and corpses of people and animals, and to drain people of their very essence which can leave a person weakened. However, death has many more uses, such as calling forth a fragment, a piece of a person's soul, which can answer questions that the person knew the answer to in life, or use your own essence to bolster someone else's. Death's most infamous creations, Risen and Spirits, are nearly mindless creatures capable of carrying out only the most basic commands, there are however more advanced entities which only a skilled Elementalist could make, incorporating a fragment with the form of a Risen or Spirit, in which case they become a Revenant or Geist respectively. Such entities possess the skills and knowledge from the fragment with either the resilient form of a Risen or the incorporeal form of a Spirit, however they are not under a compulsion to follow their creators orders, which is why they are not often created. When combining Elements, Death is often used to affect essence, or altering Risen, Spirits, fragments, and their counterparts. There are also combinations that allow Elementalists to sap other aspects of a creature, such as heat or the very blood in their body.
Earth
Earth, the Element of strength and sturdiness. Earth is the most physical Element, often used in construction and destruction, as well as mining and farming. Entire cities have been built by Elementalists using Earth, all at Places of Power. Earth is often called the simple Element, but to build great things with it requires the knowledge of how to keep your construct from falling apart. Earth is also capable of increasing an Elementalist's endurance, allowing them to survive mortal wounds should they have the strength to maintain the channeling until their wound can be treated. When combined with the other Elements Earth is often used to make spells last lonnger, with varying degrees of increased cost.
Fire
Fire, the Element of courage and passion. Fire is probably one of the most well-known Elements, due to its flashiness. Channeling Fire can allow an Elementalist to throw balls of fire, however it's usually aided by channeling Air to assist with aiming, but it can also be used to keep warm in cold climates or to allow crops to grow despite cold climates. Another common use is to wreath something or someone in flame to hurt them, or even help them should the necessary protective measures be taken in during the channeling. When combined with the other Elements Fire is often used as the base while other Elements provide support to help it accomplish the desired effect.
Life
Life, the element of bolstering and beginning. Life is one of the hardest Elements to channel properly, due to the complicated nature of Life in general. A skilled Elementalist can use the Element to heal grievous and mortal wounds, although such feats will take a heavy toll on the Elementalist if they are not in a Place of Power, and only someone with knowledge of how the wound heals naturally can heal a wound in a way that keeps the wound from worsening or adding additional complications. In the hands of an inexperienced Elementalist, Life is more offensive than healing, causing abscesses, tumors, and other dangerous growths. Life can also be employed to grant a fraction of will into an object, to create golems. Golems are one of the main uses of Life, as they require less anatomical knowledge and less energy, although higher complexity golems do require more energy to create. Life can also be channeled to speed healing in the Elementalist channeling it, although this is draining it is not as bad as healing others, and channeling just a small amount is a common way to help get over minor illnesses. By far the most common use of Life is growing crops, or at least insuring that they can grow, which leads to many an Elementalist being enlisted by a government to make sure that there is enough food for everyone. When combining Elements, Life is often used with another Element to create a golem.
Metal
Metal, the Element of structure and conductivity. Metal is a strange Element, as its uses are extemely limited without combining it with other Elements. The uses on its own are simply creating weak magnetic fields, which can be made more powerful by adding different Elements, or even simple manipulation of metal. However, what Metal lacks in lone uses, it makes up for in combined uses. Adding Metal to a working allows you to add power, accuracy, and control. No one is sure how Metal is capable of doing this, and it is a matter of constant study. Combining Metal can also produce unique effects, such as lightning when combined with Fire or hardening structures created with Earth.
Water
Water, the Element of logic and refraction. Water is used to manipulate water, focus an Elementalist's mind, or to focus another Element into a more potent effect. Water is an almost necessary Element for researchers, as its powers allow someone to better focus on a task, without the speed or drawbacks of Air. Water is also used as a simple, if efficient, combat Element, used to create blasts of ice and sharp water tendrils. However, Water's true strength is 'refraction', its ability to focus other Elements into more powerful effects, something that, especially when combined with Metal, can create truly wonderous, or dangerous, workings. The downside is that refraction requires a Place of Power with a lot of energy and an Elementalist skilled enough to combine all the necessary Elements to create such things. While refraction is possible, it is not necessary when combining Water, there are other less costly effects, such as creating steam more easily with Fire or combining it with Death to drain liquid, such as blood, from a creature.
Places of Power
Places of Power are locations in the world that have an excess of energy available for an Elementalist to use for their workings. The energy seems to accumulate in no known order, and appears randomly. There are two types of Places of Power, perpetual and nomadic. A nomadic Place of Power is one that appears and will eventually disappear, either in days or even years, but such places often have a massive reserve of energy that is gone once it is fully used. In contrast perpetual Places of Power are there to stay, although usually with a lesser amount of energy in reserve, but will be replenished given enough time. Most large cities are founded on perpetual Places of Power, which allows their Elementalists to aid the city's growth.
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