Elementals of Epios

In many a legend the most powerful beings known to man, besides the Gods themselves, were the elementals that roamed Epios in the earliest days of time. It is said the elementals were the ones who lifted the continent from the sea and shaped it to support a variety of life that continues to this day.   In earlier tellings of this myth this is portrayed as a giant war between the different types of elementals, which finally resulted in peace and the emergence of humanoid races upon the continent. An undeniable legacy they have left is the touch of elemental blood that runs in the veins of Genasi. Some peoples, such as the Vasphans, treat fire genasi as the appointed rulers of the country by birthright - having descended directly from the beings who saw fit to create the continent in the first place. As time carries on, and since the veil between the planes was enacted and true elementals left the material plane, so does the sentiment fade.    Genasi, themselves, live relatively normal lives. They are attuned to their element but very rarely manifest more than small gifts that relate to their origin. What does make genasi odd is that sometimes the trait of their origin is hidden, and becomes visible after a few generations. Many have tried magical means to see if they are descended from the elementals. In a handful of Aeresian tribes, such a test can be a rite of passage. A prevailing theory from the academics in Menmerin is that every single humanoid being has traces of elemental power in their blood, waiting to manifest. Knowing how small flocks of minor elementals behave in group settings, often under the control of a leader, this has led to some unrest. If a elemental royal were to return, would the people beholden to their blood be forced to obey the commands of an ancestor?   Another mark the elementals left that still remains to this day are pockets of power, often hidden within deep forests, covered under the stormiest seas, and nestled in the most violent volcanoes. Some of these places are treated as holy sites, others are walled off in fear of the unknown, and a rare few have gone entirely unnoticed. From places such as these shards of material have been found and crafted into objects of worship... but also weapons. Only a few skilled smiths have ever touched, let alone worked, the material left behind the turbulent elemental forces.