Elementals
Of the four groups which make up the Council of Magi the Elementals are perhaps the least understood by their peers. They are beings of myth made manifest and their forms are as mercurial as their temperments. Indeed, in many ways no two Elementals are truly alike, though each is an anthropomorphic aspect of the physical world around them.
This is in a very literal sense, as they are made up of the natural elements of the world. The earth and stone, smoke, fire, water, air, all mixed in different balances to create beings of immense power and variety. Throughout the ages they've been called by countless names, often associated with demons or spirits of special places, but they are perhaps the opposite of a spirit in reality. They do not possess a host as an angel, demon, or ghost would, nor are they bound to a location or object as some legends claim. They are able to change their form at a very foundational level, appearing at varying times as human, animal, or mythological creature. In all cases they are biologically immortal, having no natural cause of death, and they bear physical capabilities which make harming them exceedingly difficult.
It is perhaps more effective then to describe Elementals in terms of their most famous individuals. Dyvanius "the dragon," Genet, Caleb Thorne, Bartholomew Vandergriff, Arissa Tremane, Tigettar, and many more including prominent folk heroes around the globe. These people were powerful, influential, and dangerous, all being well-known in their own time, yet each is uniquely different from the others.
Figures like Dyvanius have lived for centuries maintaining a roughly stable form for the entirety of his life, even if he's had to slightly alter over time to give the illusion of a normal human life to the mundane humans around him. Despite this, in times of need he revealed himself as a true elemental being of stone and fire, giving a popular face to the classical concept of a dragon in what was then Britannia.
Others like Tigettar change their form constantly, appearing in multiple different guises sometimes within the span of a conversation. Indeed, the legend of Tigettar spread throughout appalacia in the latter part of the 19th century, depicting them sometimes as a beautiful wise-woman, othertimes as a terrifying cannibalistic man, and still othertimes as an animal. Some modern psychologists within the supernatural community believe Tigettar may have lived with a particularly unique case of ADHD, with their appearance reflecting the constant activity and shifting focus of their mind.
So to explain what is an elemental is quite the tall order, but like a hurricane or avalanche they can be accurately described as a force to be reckoned with.
This is in a very literal sense, as they are made up of the natural elements of the world. The earth and stone, smoke, fire, water, air, all mixed in different balances to create beings of immense power and variety. Throughout the ages they've been called by countless names, often associated with demons or spirits of special places, but they are perhaps the opposite of a spirit in reality. They do not possess a host as an angel, demon, or ghost would, nor are they bound to a location or object as some legends claim. They are able to change their form at a very foundational level, appearing at varying times as human, animal, or mythological creature. In all cases they are biologically immortal, having no natural cause of death, and they bear physical capabilities which make harming them exceedingly difficult.
It is perhaps more effective then to describe Elementals in terms of their most famous individuals. Dyvanius "the dragon," Genet, Caleb Thorne, Bartholomew Vandergriff, Arissa Tremane, Tigettar, and many more including prominent folk heroes around the globe. These people were powerful, influential, and dangerous, all being well-known in their own time, yet each is uniquely different from the others.
Figures like Dyvanius have lived for centuries maintaining a roughly stable form for the entirety of his life, even if he's had to slightly alter over time to give the illusion of a normal human life to the mundane humans around him. Despite this, in times of need he revealed himself as a true elemental being of stone and fire, giving a popular face to the classical concept of a dragon in what was then Britannia.
Others like Tigettar change their form constantly, appearing in multiple different guises sometimes within the span of a conversation. Indeed, the legend of Tigettar spread throughout appalacia in the latter part of the 19th century, depicting them sometimes as a beautiful wise-woman, othertimes as a terrifying cannibalistic man, and still othertimes as an animal. Some modern psychologists within the supernatural community believe Tigettar may have lived with a particularly unique case of ADHD, with their appearance reflecting the constant activity and shifting focus of their mind.
So to explain what is an elemental is quite the tall order, but like a hurricane or avalanche they can be accurately described as a force to be reckoned with.
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