Lore of the Elements (Läran om Elementen)
More commonly known as the Läran om Elementen, the Lore of the Elements comprehends one of the six, officially recognized, major branches of
Magi, the elementary essence that harbours the utter majority of magical phenomena. Along with evocation, elementalism ranks among the most common lores wizards manipulate, encompassing the dominion over basic elements such as fire, water, air and earth, yet in reality, the actual branching of the lore isn't as clear, as many fields overlap or can be extended to other, more complex subjects.
The marked of this lore are called elementalists and respective wizards of the Academy wear robes of four main different colours, following their element: red - fire; dark blue - water; hazel - earth; light blue - air. The casting sources of elementalism are the extremities of the limbs - hands and feet, with overcasting resulting in pain and wounding of the aforementioned body part. Famous or otherwise widely known wizards of this lore include Phyteas Barsotti, Natalia Raventhorn and Romeo Pyotr.
Branches and Spells
As an example, the dominion over fire, besides the obvious, well-known spells, encompasses more than just the manifestation of flames from one's hands, but also any sort of heating spell or even the control of literal plasma - which overlaps with the branch of Air. Water manipulation can be extended to things such as ice, liquid metals and even fluids in living beings, which exemplifies how the dominion over a certain element is a rather lax definition, when in truth it relates more to the physical state of matter. The discussion and categorization of this division is a topic of nearly endless debate and study amongst wizards, as some speak of remaking the lore as a single branch, while others argue of the casting limitation most marked show, proving the division of the arcana.
'Generalist' spells take shape in the respective element each individual manipulates, such as shields and projectiles. Moreover, akin to Evocation and unlike the majority of the other lores, elementalism harbours a large number of Grand Spells - magical phenomena that take huge proportions, such as storms large enough to affect entire cities or the ability to bring forth waves over 30 meters high. Finally, just as every other lore, spells present themselves as very flexible events, in which the wizard holds significant freedom (given their skill) as to how magic takes its shape.
