Wisp

Bards have become rare over the years, often accused of sowing discontent or enticing rebellion, but they have yet to stop Eldrin's songs.  Some claim he could sing the very hymn of creation, the language of the elements.  I thought the stories just exaggerations until I finally saw him myself, and I swear I saw the elements come to life before my eyes.  Little spirits of fire and water, fluttering about on nearly invisible wings.  At first I thought it some Mage's trick, until one of the little creatures lighted on my shoulder, dancing about like a child of wind and fire.

Pyre Vulture

With a few heavy beats of the massive black wings it was atop the remains of our fallen. It did not feast, however. Or at least not on the flesh. The jagged and charred beak opened and the air around the corpse shivered. We heard a noise, a wind, like the rushing of a great bellows. Two orange embers slowly lit in the empty pits of its eyes as it consumed the heat from the corpses. Something beneath its seared feathers glowed, as if the demon-bird were lit from within by some hellish fire.

Definitions

(This section will likely be updated as I think of more categorizations or details to include.)

The following is just a few useful descriptions to make reading this compilation a bit more clear.  While my methods and categories are by no means universal, I have tried to keep them relatively straightforward so that even the novice venturer might make use of this work.

The Four Prime Elements

If you will continue reading this volume, it is imperative that you set aside any religious or nationalistic preconvictions you may have.  While I understand the tendency of those less knowledgeable to be fearful of the emotional manifestations of their brethren, it must be understood that we, like the rest of our living world, are creatures composed of the elements.  I am familiar with the long-held idea of the Living Quintessence, the belief that we are not built of the Elements (as 'lower' creatures are) but of some higher substance.  However, all modern inquiry into the matter points to the fact that we are in fact composed of the same four elements as the world around us.  And while the Academy has refused to make any definite statement on the issue, you can be sure that they have already taken this idea into deep consideration.

Though it is a hotly debated topic, there is sizable evidence pointing to our emotional states being linked to our inherent elemental natures.  While some, including the prominent elemental scholar and archmage Ferrim Ignatious, would insist that these connections are only found in more complex and amalgamated beings like ourselves (perhaps as a result of the interactions between the elements within us), study of creatures with less hybridized natures have shown at least some tendency toward corresponding emotional states. While the precise connections are still being explored, the basic correlations seem to be as noted below.

Introduction

The world of Telus is a tumultuous one. The elements shift and mingle across its surface, as well as above and below, in an endless dance of contention and coalescence.  The result of this constant roiling is a world populated by an extensive variety of creatures made of every conceivable mix of the Prime Elements.   From the everyday canine to the uncommon Wisp, the majestic Pegasi to the dreaded Rage Elementals, there seems to be no end to the number of ways the elements can combine, and we seem to be discovering more every day.

While this log is by no means an exhaustive compilation, I hope it will at least begin to show the true breadth of diversity our world is capable, and perhaps inspire more to take up the task.  While my own travels have been extensive, I have unfortunately been unable to personally confirm each and every entry, but have done my best to weed through superstition and phantasm.  Many may still require further investigation and study to truly understand their nature.

Daithes Scrib

Animist and Elemancer