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.

Classification: Binary Elemental

Major Elements: Air

Minor Elements: Fire, Water, or Earth (possibly Cold, see Rime Wisp)

Habitat: Any (some variance depending on minor element)

Wisps can be spotted anywhere humans are settle, but seem to be especially prevalent near more artistically-open communities.  Their origin is yet unclear, but the connection they show to music is further evidence that the elements and emotions are linked.

These delicate creatures manifest as tiny, vaguely-human shapes composed of flame, water, or small stones.  They have often been described as having delicate wings, but close inspection has shown that this is in fact an illusion.  The central 'body' of the creature is actually surrounded by a current of air that continuously whirls about it and is substantial enough that it may appear as ribbon-like strands in the right light.

The exact motives or purposes of the wisps are a mystery.  They tend to emerge in correlation with music befitting their element, drifting and dancing as long as the music continues.  Fire wisps prefer more intense, driven songs like war marches or heroic epics.  Water wisps are generally spotted during sorrowful or reflective songs such as tragedies or lamentations.  Earth wisps show up for spirited music and songs of pride, generally nationalistic anthems or zealous hymns.  It is assumed that wisps are drawn to music, though some believe they may in fact be created by either the music or the crowds emotional reaction to it.

Outside of musical performances wisps are considerably more rare.  They will tend to drift back to environments matching their minor element, though with their strong Air nature they wander rather sporadically and may end up just about anywhere.  Sometimes wisps can be observed circling camps or settlements, and there are even tales of them interacting with travelers and encouraging them to sing or play nearby instruments.

There are no records of pure Air wisps, perhaps because the nature of the species requires a dual elementalism, perhaps a wisp of pure Air is just not visible, or perhaps music associated with the Air element (presumably light and whimsical) doesn't create a strong enough emotional response to attract (or form) wisps.