Excerpt from Magical Elements And How to Wield Them, Vol. I
Transcribed from the original text, abridged for clarity where necessary.
Prologue
Magical elements are, in essence, forces drawn from the orb around us—Nature—imbued into the magic we wield. They exist everywhere; indeed, magic itself is an element, a force most natural in origin. Yet, to bind these elements unto the craft thou wield is a task far more arduous than the wielding of magic alone. To displace the energy from nature and combine it with our own mana as we exert control over it is an ancient art, existing since the morn of magic's birth itself. 'Tis one of the most perilous pursuits known to mages, for to err in the binding is to invite ruin, and to overreach is to be lost to one's own heart.
Many a sage hath sought mastery o'er this craft, and many a fool hath perished in its grasp. The fire that giveth warmth may yet burn; the water that doth cleanse may yet drown. Each element beareth a will of its own, and to command them is not to subdue, but to entreat, lest they turn against thee as a storm against the unready mariner. Thus, let it be known: only those of patience and wisdom may walk this path unscathed, and even they tread upon the precipice of oblivion.
On the Nature of the Elements
The most common and basic elements—which, I must emphasize, are very poorly chosen and remain a point of heated debate—are as follows:
Water
Fire
Earth (or Wind, depending on one's place of study)
Ice
Thunder
Soul (which is not truly an element, yet as the Divine Magus Marklevin declares it so, it is considered as such by the simple-minded Magusi.)
Before proceeding, let it be stated clearly: the elements used in magic are neither grand nor a fool's pursuit, though fools may make them seem so. Nay, elemental magic is, as the name would suggest, elementary work. One need not even fully grasp the complexities of magic to wield elements; merely the barest understanding of mana manipulation suffices. No staff, no wand, nor tome is necessary—only the will to wield.
Water: The Most Basic and the Most Easily Undone
The first, and, quite frankly, the most unimpressive of the elements, is Water. This is not to say it is weak, merely that it is predictable. Water, as a basic element, is easy to understand, easy to use, and—most importantly—easy to counter.
Against Ice, Thunder, or Wind, Water shall fail. Ice renders it inert, Thunder moves freely through it, and Wind scatters it to nothingness. Yet against Fire and Earth, Water prospers. Fire is doused by it, and Earth—dependent on water for life—can be made fertile or eroded away with its force.
There exist many tiresome and flowery philosophies regarding Water's nature, yet the truth is simple: it is a tool, much like any other element, to be wielded wisely or wasted foolishly.
Fire: A Fool's Ambition and a Master's Ruin
The next, and most vexing element, is Fire. Fire magic is, by its very nature, foolish. It is wild, difficult to wield, and often leads its wielder to ruin. Those who attempt to tame it unprepared will burn themselves before ever striking down a foe.
Yet, in the hands of one who can command it, Fire is devastation incarnate. A mere spark may ignite a city, and a single breath of flame may turn an army to cinders. However, at its simplest, Fire magic is but a flickering ember—a conjured heat to warm the hands or a weak arrow of flame no stronger than a candle's kiss.
Fire is countered by Water, Earth, and Wind, yet it dominates Ice without contest. The interaction with Soul, however, is where the foolish Magusi lose themselves in poetic drivel. The Magusi claim that every being carries a fire within—a metaphorical blaze that represents will, ambition, or rage. This so-called "inner flame" can be tempered or left unchecked to consume its bearer. I refuse to elaborate further on this absurdity, as I find the very notion of Soul as an element to be a detestable absurdity.
Earth: The Foundation of All, Yet Oft Ignored
I shall count Earth and Wind as separate, unlike the misguided Magusi who attempt to distinguish them based on culture or origin rather than function. Earth is one of the simpler elements, both amongst the basic elements and advanced elements. Unlike Fire, which requires one to temper their own flames, or Water, which requires your mind to be clear and your mana to flow smoothly, Earth is as simple as picking up rocks and throwing them, as would a child in a garden. To wield the power of the orb beneath us, one must simply conduct their own essence as if it were in itself a rock; Solid, Strong, Unbending. The element of Earth bends only to Wind, Ice (If paired with Fire), and Water, yet Earth easily stomps out Flames and Thunder, while sharing a similar relation with Soul as does Fire.
As previously stated, Water can bring life forth from Earth, and Water can take life away from Earth. And, as also previously stated, particles Earthen in nature are commonly used to stomp out raging flames. When confronted with raging Winds, a boulder shall be worn down to naught but a small pebble. Though many don't understand how the combining of two opposites shatters the boulder that is Earth, it is quite simple. The rapid change in temperature from being hit by Ice and Fire in succession causes the boulder that is Earth to crumble and dissipate.
Yet if you were to attack this boulder with even the strongest of Thunders, it shall not crack, nor crumble. The Thunder cannot build up enough to shatter Earth before being dissipated through it. The boulder representing Earth is simply too dense for the Thunder to spread properly to destroy it from the inside, yet is also filled with enough miniscule holes for the Thunder to evenly spread throughout the inert stone, trapping it within. It is a very easy and very powerful element for beginners.
Wind: An Element Yet Tamed, A Wild Monster
Wind is an element that most people, both common folk and Magusi, either underestimated or misunderstood. Underestimated as in mostly unused by stronger mages, mainly Magusi, and misunderstood, as in most mages, again, mainly Magusi, think that it's just another name for Earth. Wind is an element that few can hold, either blown away by the unrelenting gale or lost in the song it carries with. Wind defeats Earth, Fire, and Itself, and is defeated by Water, Ice, and Soul. I shan't elaborate upon Soul; Read that foolish Marklevin's works to understand it. Wind erodes Earth, drowns Fire, and is defeated by stronger Wind currents. On the other hand, The ocean stands steadfast against the strongest of gales. The mountainous walls of Ice would not bend before even the 8 Great Sages' magic, much less Wind, though even on smaller scales the most Wind can do is push the Ice Cubes around and not truly destroy them.
Wind is difficult to control, almost as much so as Fire is, yet once you can control its unrelenting currents, a power nigh unmatched will be yours to command. Most intermediate mages spend their free time studying the arts of the element of Wind. Even non-elementalists and some civilians concern themselves with understanding Wind. Some believe that Wind could be the future of magic as a whole, in fact. Yet those who don't take interest in Wind tend to despise it as a whole, seeing it as foolish a pursuit as its more well-known brother, Earth.
Ice: The Frozen Blade, Unyielding and Absolute
Ice is, quite frankly, the most elegant of all elements. Unlike Fire, which flares wildly, or Wind, which refuses to be tamed, Ice is discipline incarnate. It does not rage—it simply is. A wall of Ice will not falter under the might of a storm; a blade of Ice will not dull with the passing of time. To wield Ice is to wield control itself.
It triumphs over Water, for it turns it to solid form. It conquers Earth when paired with Fire, the rapid change in temperature causing stone to crack and crumble. It bends not to Wind, which can do little more than scatter its shards. However, Ice is weak to Fire alone; its only true adversary, which reduces it to nothingness with ease. Against Thunder, Ice is neither victorious nor weak, for Ice does not conduct—though, if shattered, the moisture left behind may yet betray it.
Mages who favor Ice tend to be of the meticulous sort, valuing patience over brute force. As such, it is often overlooked by those who seek power too hastily. Fools. True mastery of magic does not come from wild destruction, but from the quiet inevitability of control. And no element embodies this truth better than Ice.
Thunder: The Unchecked Tyrant, The Fool's Delight
If one were to rank the elements by sheer raw power, Thunder would sit atop the list like an unworthy king—cruel, unbalanced, and utterly undeserving of its place. It strikes without warning, faster than the eye can track, and delivers its destruction instantaneously. There is no grace to it, no true finesse. Thunder is the choice of those who seek victory without effort, the plaything of those who would rather overpower than outwit.
Thunder defeats Water with ease, flowing freely through it. It courses through Earth but cannot break it, for the stone dissipates its charge. Against Wind, it moves unchallenged, for Wind provides no resistance to its advance. Yet it falters against Ice, as frozen matter resists its touch, and against Earth, which does not break before it. Fire is a curious case—while it should, by all logic, stand against Thunder, it instead fuels it further, the heat providing ideal conditions for its power to grow.
I loathe Thunder magic. It is a brute force tool, lacking the complexity or artistry of the superior elements. Those who wield it are often insufferable, speaking in exaggerated metaphors about "unstoppable force" and "divine judgment." Spare me. Thunder is the tantrum of the heavens, nothing more.
Soul: The Greatest Fraud Ever Conceived
Soul is not an element.
I will not waste ink explaining further.
If thou seeketh understanding of this farce, read the ramblings of the fool Marklevin. He is wrong and deserves not the title of Divine Magus.