Elemental

Forces of Nature

Written by Endrise

In a world where entire concepts have shapes and thoughts, why would not the elements think as well? The breeze in the air, the fire crackling at the campsite, the river flowing through the woods. Spirits inhibit everything, and are willing to protect anything near and dear to their hearts.

— Druid about the nature of Elementals

Elementals are beings that come from the Cosmic Hourglass's pillars, born from the elements themselves. Sentient forms of raw energy, they roam their homeworlds either as primitive lifeforms or something greater. Whether they are there to help any civilisations roaming their realms, or be a major threat as living forces of nature.

Forces of Nature

Anatomy

Elementals are living energy, similar to a soul found in other beings. They may manifest anywhere from small wisps to large humanoid entities in countless shapes and sizes.

To maintain a physical form, they cling to the elements that make up their worlds, hence their name. Such shells serve as their way to interact with the physical world, while also protecting themselves against any harm. Common Elementals pick only one element to make their body, but some may combine multiple to create more complex bodies.

There are no hard limits on the mass an Elemental may accumulate, allowing one to reach massive sizes in due time. The largest recorded subjects sit around several miles tall and are akin to walking landmasses, sentient hurricanes or living tsunamis.

Intelligence

Elementals display huge differences in intelligence, from being barely conscious to higher forms of sapience. Though there is no connection between said intellect and one’s size.

The most intelligent Elementals have displayed an ability to form complex societies with other species. Not just infrastructure or a shared language, but also culture and art can exist amongst civilised Elementals. Some multiversal travellers even communicate with such intellectual beings for trade and other services one may provide.

Genetic Descendants

• Ifrit
• Oread
• Sylph
• Undine

Origin/Ancestry

Elemental Pillars

Lifespan

Undefined

History & Culture

History

The roots of Elementals lie at the dawn of Prehistoria as inhabitants of the Faelands. They were some of the original Fae, co-existing with the others in the vast wilderness of the plane. Whether their ties to the elements existed yet is unclear.

During the Tri-Realm War, the imprisonment of the Crawling Chaos and Great Will divided the Faelands into the Elemental Pillars. With it, countless souls ended up in these new realms, stranded from the prime Faelands themselves. Without a proper way back, they settled down, finding their new homes amongst the primal elements that made each world.

These prime Fae evolved over time, losing their ties to the old world. Their immortality became tied to the realms themselves, fusing to the flames and winds, soil and currents. Some remaining primitive beings, others becoming capable of building greater societies.

Forces of Nature

The eternal fight with Angels and Demons makes Elementals be protectors of their respective worlds. As those outsiders pull at the seams of reality, they provoke the elements to fight back. An endless war to protect the integrity of the pillars, where every time invading forces are met with an unrelenting army. For as long as the planes stood, they guard their homes with unrelenting force.

Elementals native to their planes are territorial beyond comparison and will protect their homes with their lives. Maybe they would not hurt a simple traveller, but anyone threatening their world’s balance may face the wrath of one.

Elementals And the Material

While native to the Elemental Pillars, Elementals may appear in Fabulae as well. Summoners may call upon their strength with conjuration magic or very strong Aetheryical Hot-Spots can even manifest them in certain locations. So one may encounter them at any moment.

Their territorial nature may make them dangerous to face, with incidents leaving folk burned, drenched, choked or crushed. Hence why it is advised to keep a distance from them, unless they are alongside a druid or other spellcaster.

It is rare for one to be actively hostile, but misplaced ones may lash out through sheer confusion. Such Elementals may overflow a local river or burn down a forest until they either get sent back or eradicated by the right people. Usually a group tasked with dealing with their rampage.

Living Power Sources

Some people learned to turn Elementals into living power sources for many contraptions. Airship engines are a frequent usage for them, but even wisps may get used for things as small as wands or staves. All of it providing a long-lasting fuel source.

There are debates whether it is ethical to use them as a power source due to the intellect of some, but others like ignoring those details. Others try focusing on making Elementals a part of their crew, turning the engine into another chamber for them to live in.

The biggest problem lies in their primal nature. So much raw energy is both powerful and dangerous when released, leading to many accidents. Even with advanced in technology and magic, some engineers and mages lose a few fingers every year handling these power supplies.