Elementals

Lasair is a fractured and damaged land. The cataclysmic effects of the Dragonscourge left many scars in the world. One of the symptoms of those scars is the leaking of chaotic magical energy through the relative order that is the world's surface. When raw magical energy appears in large enough quantities it can coalesce into intelligence and form, with the result being one of the myriad types of Elementals that an appear across the continent.    

Raw Elemental Energy

Magic in Lasair is harnessed by mortals tapping into chaotic magical energy that infuses the world. The world itself was formed by bringing order out of that chaos, but it still exists deep within the world and is merely contained.   Elementals are created when some of that chaotic magic reaches the surface and coalesces into life. It takes the form of the type of magical energy it is created from. An elemental is effectively immortal - it does not have a traditional lifespan and will exist as long as the magical energy making up its being remains coherent. It can be destroyed, and if so, the energy will fade back into the background noise of the world.   Wild elementals will often have some level of sentience, depending on the amount of energy they contain and the nature of the energy. Fire elementals, for instance, will tend towards single-minded consumption. Meanwhile earth elementals will often be patient and contemplative.   It is also possible for elementals to be summoned through magical spells, which are in essence a controlled release of that same energy. Most of these spells will have a specific duration and often involve a high level of control over the created elemental. These elementals rarely have much of a mind of their own and will usually be dispersed at the end of the spell.  

Common Regions

  Elementals can appear naturally anywhere that magic is strong or particularly chaotic. They are most common in the regions that suffered the most direct damage during the Dragonscourge, especially the Firelands , The Desolation , and The Glow. In these areas, elementals are common enough to be the largest native population. Elem'tor, a permanent explorers' encampment at the edge of The Glow is named for the persistent threat of elementals attacking what they see as interlopers into their domains.   Elementals are also frequently present in places far away from civilization, where there is not much mortal life around. It's not quite clear whether these places are less likely to be inhabited because of elemental presence or whether the elementals are drawn to places without habitation. Regardless, places such as the Titanic Deeps and Tempest Reefs are rife with elementals. The Dwarfs of Bastion even have a dedicated fighting force for combatting the elementals common to the Deeps.  

Types of Elementals

Elementals appear from the coalescing of many different types of magic. Some are detailed here.  

Fire Elementals

Fire elementals are easily the most common form of elemental on Lasair, due both to their naturally angry disposition and the enormous source of fire energy that is the Firelands. The volcanoes and broken lands of that region frequently spawn fire elementals of a huge variety of sizes and strength, from small fire sprites to enormous towering spirals of flame and lava. Fire elementals are also the most common elementals to break free when summoned by magic users due to their intensely independent nature.

Water Elementals

Arising anywhere that intense currents, tides, and storms appear, water elementals are rarely encountered due to where they arise but can create tremendous risk to sailors, fishers, and even river traders. They are also capable of moving away from water for a certain amount of time (depending on various factors including humidity) but even if they lose coherence a strong water elemental will simply flow away and reform once its drops reach a body of water again

Air Elementals

Flighty and whimsical but with the capability of lightning-driven anger, air elementals persist high above the clouds, only coming near the ground when riding storm fronts or when called down by magic. Many air elementals are indistinguishable from clouds when seen from below - more than one Halfling has been lazily watching "cloud shapes" while resting in the Fertile Lands, unknowingly watching an elemental change its form.

Earth Elementals

Grinding up from tectonic ridges and out of landslide regions, earth elementals can be found slowly striding across The Desolation or (not) found slumbering under a layer of dirt and trees. Earth elementals are often sought out by Mages seeking magical knowledge of regions as their patient nature often results in earth elementals watching and absorbing information about the areas in which they exist.  

Plant Elementals

Where jungles and forests grow over magical residues, the plants themselves can become imbued with life. The Treants of the Shifting Jungle are plant elementals, as are any number of smaller, fiercer plant-based creatures that can be found in these places.

Void Elementals

One of the rarest types of elementals known, void elementals are massive "holes" of negative magical energy. Absorbing magic from the surrounding world, these creatures are essentially gigantic, mobile, anti-magic fields given a low sentience. Visually these elementals resemble black crystals, drawing in light. To those viewing them with magical senses, though, they are simply... empty, in a way that is horrifying to those used to seeing the world with the flow of magic surrounding it.