The Elements

The elements are formed when Eyla manifests in a physical form. This can be done with solely natural Eyla, Eyla given off by a naturally occurring source of an element (like a glacier for the ice element, or the ocean for the water element), solely pure Eyla from the body of a Lihlsu, the magical ability of a superhuman (different from Eyla), or through a combination of both pure Eyla and natural Eyla.   Elements formed through the Eyla in a Lihlsu's body are notably more potent and powerful than elements formed from natural Eyla, a fact that the Lihlsu attribute to their belief that Eyla from a Lihlsu's body is 'pure' (as it exists on its own with and does not come into contact with any other type of Eyla) and natural Eyla is 'contaminated' (being that is exists alongside and frequently comes into contact with the other types of Eyla).   The elements also manifest differently depending on how they're formed. Elements formed by a superhuman manifest the same as they would in the natural world - for example, when a superhuman with aerokinesis creates or manipulates air, it is usually invisible. But when a Lihlsu forms an element, they can manifest the element in a variety of ways, depending solely on their intention.   For example, a Lihlsu can manifest fire Eyla as a flame, or a pile of ash, and the Air element when manifested by a Lihlsu usually manifests as swirling clouds, while the Star element is manifested as inky blue-black smoke dotted with stars but can also be manifested as a miniature star.  

Superhuman Manifestion

The elements are usually formed from Eyla coalescing together into a physical manifestion - either naturally or forced into doing so by a Lihlsu. However, the formation of an element is different when it done by a superhuman.   All superhuman abilities are tied into the flow of arcane magic that is woven through the fabric of the universe. Different species, and different superhuman abilities access this flow of magic in different ways. The Arcane Lihlsu, Sorcerers and superhumans with the 'Alter Reality' power use the flow of magic to bend reality to their will, conjuring objects out of nothing and changing how people and things appear to the eyes of others. Shapeshifting superhumans use it to change their form, and superhumans with the substance mimicry power use it to duplicate the properties of any substance they wish.   Meanwhile, superhumans with elemental manipulation abilities use the flow of magic to instead create their element. It is not a conscious act, and is done instictually without any thought from the user. But when a superhuman with elemental manipulation abilities uses their powers, their bodies instinctively tap into the flow of magic and use that to create their element or manipulate a pre-existing form of the element. While it doesn't make the element they form any less real and while the elements they create are compatible with natural elements, it does make the created element different from the elements created by Lihlsu. As such, the Lihlsu are actually incapable of manipulating elements formed by superhumans as they aren't made up of Eyla, and are instead formed through magic - although they are still incapable of being harmed by the elements if they are of the same alignment.   Although a Lihlsu is unable to manipulate a superhuman's element, it is not the same the opposite way around. A superhuman is still capable of manipulating a Lihlsu's element after it is formed as, once formed, a Lihlsu's element is no different from a naturally occurring source of an element and only differs in terms of power and potency.