Elemental Enhancements

Elemental enhancements are abilities, usually minor, related to the elements such as being able to hold one's breath for a long time, having rocky skin, or briefly moving a particular element. Some beings, asiae, have natural elemental enhancements, others can temporarily gain them through elemental elixirs. These elixirs are made from parts of asiae. When someone uses them, the person gain the elemental traits of the asi that it was made from. What form and effects the elixir has are dependent on the element of the asi.

Transmission & Vectors

I was born with these gifts, but you seek to take them from others and make them your own.

— Semal, earth genasi

Asi traits are passed down from generation to generation. An air elixir takes the form of mist which one must inhale, earth elixirs take the form of fine powder which can be snorted or ingested, fire elixirs take the form of incense sticks which must be burned and effect those that smell it, and water elixirs take liquid form which must be drunk.

Symptoms

Air

by Sharon McCutcheon

Air asiae and users of air elixirs typically experience one or more of the following symptoms:

Physical

Common:

• Being able to hold their breath indefinably
• Being able to levitate for a short period of time
• Being able to control wind limitedly
• Feeling light headed
• Skin having a blue-ish tinge
• Wild, windswept looking hair

Rare:

• Being resistant to lightning damage
• Being able to deal lightning damage on their attacks
• Being able control wind moderately
• Being able to very limitedly control the weather
• Flying
• Having translucent skin
• Lightning like or wind swirl like patterns on their skin
• A faint breeze accompanying them wherever they go

Mental

• Euphoria
• Mercuriality
• Unreliable tendencies

Earth

by Shinpei Ueda

Earth asiae and users of earth elixirs typically experience one or more of the following symptoms:

Physical

Common:

• Being able to move easily over difficult rocks
• Being able to conceal their passage through an area
• Being able to control rocks limitedly
• Increasing in mass
• Skin having a gray-ish tinge

Rare:

• Being resistant to acid damage
• Being able to deal acid damage on their attacks
• Being able control rocks moderately
• Being able to very limitedly walk through rock
• Sensing creatures or objects through rock
• Rough, stony skin
• Dirt and mud clinging to their body

Mental

• Lethargy
• Stubbornness
• Tendency towards destruction

Fire

by danielam

Fire asiae and users of fire elixirs typically experience one or more of the following symptoms:

Physical

Common:

• Being able to see in the dark
• Being resistant to fire damage
• Being able to control fire limitedly
• Feeling really hot and hot to the touch
• Skin having a red-ish tinge
• Wild, flame like hair

Rare:

• Being immune to fire damage
• Being able to deal fire damage on their attacks
• Being able control fire moderately
• flame like patterns on their skin
• The smell of charcoal lingers around them

Mental

• Impulsivity
• Wrathfulness
• Tendancy to be volatile

Water

by Thaliesin

Water asiae and users of water elixirs typically experience one or more of the following symptoms:

Physical

Common:

• Being able to breathe in both air and water
• Being able to move quickly through the water
• Being able to control water limitedly
• Being resistant to cold damage
• Skin and hair always appearing wet
• Skin having a dark blue-ish tinge
• Free, swaying hair

Rare:

• Being resistant to acid damage
• Being able to deal cold or acid damage on their attacks
• Being able control water moderately
• Being able to very limitedly control the weather or sea
• Having large translucent fins
• Swirling wave like patterns on their skin
• Barnacles clinging to their body
• Large eyes

Mental

• Fierce independence
• Great patience
• Tendency towards selfishness

Prognosis

For asiae the effects are for life, for elixir users the effects usually last for an hour or more depending on how much elixir was used. Asiae can take elixirs and the effects seem to last slightly longer for them, especially if the elixir is the same element as them. They also tend to exhibit mental symptoms much more strongly, especially for their element.

History

One does have to wonder who created fire elixirs, and wince at the possible failed experiments.

— Ralmir, herbalist

Asaie are thought to have sprung forth from the archelementals meddling with the plane when it was still young. The elixirs legendarily came about when some starving people were only able to catch a water asi. They made a stew from it and began experiencing the ability to breathe naturally under water, exceptional swimming, large translucent fins and webbing growing from their skin, and feeling very independent. After the effects faded, they tried to replicate these abilities and told others about them. Others started experimenting not just with water asiae but also with other types, leading to the four elixirs which can be found today.

Cultural Reception

Almost every culture uses elixirs. Water elixirs are frequently used to gather resources from the ocean. Earth elixirs are frequently used by travelers explorers, and scouts wanting to navigate difficult terrain or hide their passage. Fire elixirs smiths and those venturing into dark spaces or scouts needing to be able to see without a light. Air elixirs are used by those wanting to navigate mountains, hunters, scouts, and they see use as make-shift water elixirs. The elixirs are also used for military purposes and by those that enjoy the mental symptoms.

Raising animal asiae for elixirs is a fairly large and prosperous world wide industry. Unfortunately, there are known cases of people killing genasi to make elixirs. Most sovereignties have passed laws to try to protect their genasi residents.