elementals

m any scholars argue that earth, fire, air, and water are
the four immutable building blocks of the universe.
Wood, for example, is made of the earth, but burn
it and it gives off fire and smoke of the air, and many trees
contain water in the form of sap. Living creatures are often
nature to change the environment around them in order to
suit their own needs.
Elementals appear as churning, constantly moving shapes
of their matching element. Air elementals may appear as
small cyclones formed of dust and trapped wisps of smoke,
made of the earth of the ground, breathe the air, give off whereas fire elementals may appear as beings of pure heat
heat like a fire, and their blood is a form of the waters. It is and energy, constantly burning their surroundings. Earth
the combination of these things that create and sustain the elementals are the most static, being formed mostly of rock
universe. Under this theory of creation, each thing is some and having a squat humanoid shape. Water elementals are
combination of these core elements and mastery of these mostly tentacles of viscous liquid, but can collapse into a
elements is a source of great power. watery form at any time. Some more powerful or intelligent
In the same way that most living creatures are formed of elementals may take humanoid or animal forms composed
a mixture of these elements, there are some that hold in of their core elements, but these are still quite obviously not
a stronger fashion to just one or two of the elements and flesh and blood beings, but those composed of fire, air, earth,
exemplify their extremes to a greater degree. These “elemen- and water.
tals” are powerful creatures, able to control the very state of It is unknown exactly where elementals originated. Knowl-
edgeable minds have scoured ancient tomes for reference to
the creation of such beings, and studied what
few captured samples they have, but all that
can be discerned is that they are living, they are
non-intelligent, and that they react violently if
removed from their associated medium.
Multiple theories persist regarding the origins of
elementals. Scholars either assign blame to mages’
spells going awry and creating a life force of their own
in locations of wild magical energy, or of portals to other-
worldly locations where elementals are as common
as birds and animals are in the natural realm. Some
speak of all-powerful “alpha” elementals, creating
elementals as carvings from itself, while still others
speak to them being leftovers from the creation of
the universe, like flecks of dough left in the bowl
after making a pie. Other scholars refrain from
postulating on such things, instead focusing on
the fact that regardless of their creation, their
existence suggests that the raw power of the
universe can be contained and, like any
other creature, yoked or controlled with
the right stimuli.
Elementals are inherently wild and
unrestrained. As natural beings of
pure force composed of the building
blocks of the world, it is not possible
to change their nature. Magic items, or
powerful enchantments may allow a mage
of sufficient power or skill to command or
control an elemental, but there is always a
danger the elemental will break free if held
too weakly or too long.
It is important to note while some elementals
can be destructive, volatile, and even brutish,
they are not inherently evil. However, as creatures
composed of a single element, they are deliberately
unbalanced in ways that can seem wicked or mali-
cious to mortals. For example, a fire elemental
lives to burn, and should its fire destroy a
village or kill a living being many might
consider the elemental to be committing

46 - elementals