Elementals
Elementals
The Primordials took Essence from the vast chaotic sea that is the Wyld and wove into it the five elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Wood. Each of these elements interacts with the others, and the total result is the stuff from which Creation was born. The five elements correspond to one of the five aspects of Creation: Air is movement and progress; Water is change and the ability to adapt; Fire is the continual cycle of destruction and rebirth; Earth is the strength and solidity of all matter; and Wood is the spark of life and the drive to continued existence.
The Primordials then created the gods to manage Creation for them, while they retired to play the Games of Divinity. After some time working with the tools left behind by the Primordials, and being tutored by Gaia, the youngest of the Primordials, the gods succeeded in birthing the five original elementals. These five were living embodiments of the principles of the elements, and their primary purpose was to maintain the natural order of Creation. These elementals were of a stature that rivaled the Elemental Dragons in power, who tread the length and breadth of the world in a day and manage all the aspects of the functioning Creation.
The first elementals were bound to the will of the gods with strict magics and curses that forced these titanically powerful beings to always obey the Celestial Incarnae. When the gods rebelled, the Primordials struck first against these beings, shattering their bodies and casting their Essence across Creation. In time, this Essence collected itself and birthed the first of a new breed of elementals, far smaller and weaker than the original five but capable of wielding the same powers on a lesser scale and managing the natural order. The strictures that the gods laid upon the minds and hearts of the original elementals persists in those elementals that have been born later. Elementals are bound to the will of the gods with the purpose of maintaining the functions of a well-ordered Creation.
New elementals are born out of Creation wherever there is a surge in the flows of Essence through the dragon lines and are given the purpose of correcting the balance of Essence in that portion of Creation. Elementals sometimes appear at the sites of great battles, where Essence has been spent by multiple Exalted or where many mortals have been slain, because the great release of Essence at these locations has created an imbalance that threatens the natural order. Elementals are naturally very task oriented. The smallest and least of elementals know only their limited purview and concentrate solely on whatever task or tasks they were born to, never looking beyond the area where they live or wondering about things greater than they are. These small elementals are often born to tasks that take little time to finish, then they are without a purpose. The gods of the Bureau of Nature collect these elementals and place them in areas that need more elemental workers or put them to work as servants of other spirits.
Unlike other spirits, elementals are naturally material, and must expend Essence to dematerialize. As such, they are beings whose nature and purpose is intimately tied to the mortal realm.
Though elementals are spirits, and therefore naturally immortal, their existences are touched by the fragility that is inherent in all substantial things. Elementals know a bit more about mortality than do other spirits. They can be slain more easily, not having the refuge of an inherently immaterial form that is immune to harm. Large predators, natural disasters, adventurous Exalts and cruel Fair Folk are just a few of the worst dangers elementals can face in their lifetimes.
Elementals occupy the lowest ranks in the Celestial Order. They are looked down upon by almost all gods, regardless of their rank or power, and they are laughed at for their material disposition. Elementals are considered of low origin, being spawned by seemingly random acts of nature. They are considered ill-mannered and slow witted, because they shun the trappings of court society and prefer to complete mundane tasks. Even the most powerful elementals, those great dragons whose power rivals the heads of the Celestial Bureaus and whose mere touch would destroy lesser gods, have little standing in the eyes and minds of most gods. Even the Celestial Censors, who are almost always lesser elemental dragons, rarely receive the respect due to their station.
Elementals are grouped and ranked more strictly than other types of spirits. The Essence trait of an elemental is far more indicative of its scope and sphere of influence, as well as its power and nature, than that of a god. Because elementals are naturally material, they grow and evolve more quickly than other spirits and do not require change to be forced upon them. Elementals accrue power simply by surviving in Creation and persisting in the tasks to which they were set. They do not need to play games of politics to earn new rank and be granted power by their superiors, though more powerful elementals do engage their spirit cousins in such dealings.
Elemental shapes and forms are as varied as the different species of demon, though not as plentiful as the number of unique forms little gods take. The size and shape of an elemental is often determined by its Essence trait and its purpose. Least elementals, with an Essence of only 1, are usually insects or small plants. As an elemental grows in power, so too does its size and scope. More powerful elementals take the forms of larger animals, such as birds, fish, snakes and dogs. Elementals with an Essence of 3 or greater often take humanoid forms or those of large predators such as bears and lions. Eventually, as an elemental reaches the highest echelons of rank and power, the only physical shape that can contain its Essence is that of a dragon. Lesser elemental dragons have Essence traits that range from 6–9, and greater elemental dragons can have an Essence of 10 or more.
Elemental Powers
Elementals have access to the same universal spirit Charms that other spirits use, though the effects of these Charms often reflect the affinity of that elemental. In addition, elementals have other powers and characteristics unique to their spirit type.
Dematerialize—This is the exact opposite of the Materialize Charm, but it works in the same manner. An elemental must pay a number of motes of Essence equal to five times the sum of its Willpower and Essence ({Willpower + Essence} x 5) to dematerialize. Once the elemental is immaterial, it can be affected or harmed only by powers and Charms that specifically state they interact with immaterial beings. An elemental may stay immaterial for a number of days equal to the motes spent to activate this Charm. This power cannot be used while in a sanctum, Yu-Shan, the demon realm or other places designated as Elsewhere.
Dragon's Suspire—The elemental can make a ranged attack that emanates from its body, usually in the form of breath, that strikes its targets with an effect based on its affinity. This effect might be a gout of flame, a rain of splinters, a thunderclap, an explosion of rock or a freezing fountain of water. The elemental must pay five motes of Essence and one temporary Willpower to activate this attack, then the Storyteller rolls its (Dexterity + [Athletics, Archery or Thrown]) to hit. Dragon's Suspire has an area of effect 10 feet long and five feet wide, and it deals four lethal health levels of damage, plus extra successes on the attack.
Elemental Expression—All elementals' basic task is to maintain the flows of Essence through Creation so as to maintain the natural order. All natural phenomena are reflections of the flow of elemental-aspected Essence throughout Creation. An elemental can expend its own Essence to affect or control these phenomena. A mote of Essence spent either doubles or halves the effects of any natural phenomena, including wind, fog, rain, thunder, undertows, flames and earthquakes. These effects may be used to inflict damage on material beings within the elemental's sphere of influence. If so, each mote of Essence spent deals one health level of lethal or bashing damage, soaked by the target normally, at the choice of the elemental. Elementals cannot spend more motes of Essence in this manner than their Essence trait.
Elemental Rejuvenation—All elementals can rejuvenate themselves when in contact with the raw element with which they are aligned. This power requires full concentration to work, so the elemental may not engage in any other actions while rejuvenating. When the elemental comes into contact with the naturally occurring element with which it is aligned, it may heal one health level of damage or regain one mote of Essence per three ticks.
Elemental Summoning
As part of the strictures placed on the elementals by the Celestial Incarnae, they may be called upon by the gods or their Chosen. The rituals and methods used to summon elementals are different from those used to call and bind demons. All summoning rituals pass a request through the Celestial Bureaucracy, which is then passed on to the appropriate elemental. A sorcerer may call upon a type or species of elemental or call upon a specific elemental by name, or he could just put in a generic request for elemental aid. The elemental receives this request and is then pulled across Creation to appear before the summoner. The test of wills that follows, in which the sorcerer engages the elemental, is highly formalized, unlike the power struggle that occurs between sorcerer and demon. Neither the elemental nor the Exalt summoner may use Charms or powers during the test of wills, lest they face punishment by the Bureau of Heaven. Many elementals seek to gain status by serving a powerful Exalt, or they find that being summoned gives them a welcome respite from an otherwise boring existence. These elementals quickly forfeit the contest of wills.
Elementals of great power who have other elementals as slaves or employees who are the recipients of a summons may choose to send one of these subordinates in their stead, so long as the subordinate is capable of fulfilling the requests of the summons.