Elemental Madness (F for Any)

[Sol Lua]

Good evening everyone,

This is an idea that developed of the course of the day that I would like to explore.  Looking for one person, male, female, or other, to play the intrepid hero in the little saga.  This would be long term with a significant amount of story and build up, but also potential for a lot of fun.  I would be playing the four elementals, and we can discuss how the world in general will be handled, but I'm happy to GM that as well.  Content could be anywhere from romantic to bdsm to ex depending on your preferences and where we line up.  To that end things are pretty basic here, so if you're interested let me know and we'll flesh it out.

This could also turn into a group idea if some people are interested.

The elements, primal forces of nature and magic.  Everyone in the world of Altair knows and respects the elements, but only the Gifted and those few who can learn from them can actually see and interact with the elemental spirits.  This interaction grants them their magic, as the lesser spirits answer the call of their will, and as a person gains more power they can interact with greater and greater spirits.  This growth in power does not always come easy, as the spirits intelligence and will increases with their power.  Some form partnerships with powerful spirits, coordinating their efforts towards the greater good.  Others bind the spirits to them, discovering their true names through guile or force and enslaving them to do their bidding.

Thus do the spirits and the Gifted who command them become tools of war.  Thousands of years ago the world teetered on the brink of ruin, torn between warring nations and the elemental chaos left in their wake.  Then one Gifted emerged, one who had been able to gain the power of the Primal spirits, the greatest of the elementals.  Kingdom after kingdom fell before them until they finally united all of Altair.  All of the legends agree on these points, but each land now has it's own version of the tale.  Some tell the grand story of the Warrior King who gained the respect and cooperation of the Primals and ruled over a golden age for humanity.  Still others warn of the terrible overlord who enslaved the Primals and ruled with an iron fist.  Even the hero's gender and the number of Primals changes with the telling in each nation as story became legend and legend became myth.

Belief in the legend waxed and waned over time, propped up by the occasional encounter with one of the Primals of Earth, Air, Fire, or Water.  Most appeared only seldom, although any Gifted strong enough to see her can usually find Earth in her home cavern, provided they can each it.  Somewhat erratic by humans standards, their appearances are often spontaneous and impossible to predict.

Now, however, interest in the myth has been renewed.  Placan, the young Mage King of the small island nation of Helias, has been binding and enslaving progressively stronger elementals and buying every scroll, book, and tablet he can get his hands on that even mention the primals and the ancient legends.  His intent is clear, to bind the Primals to himself and become the next world ruler.  Then word came that terrified the gifted.  Placan had somehow learned the True Name of Fire and was desperately searching for her whereabouts.  The race is on as the powerful Gifted debate about what can and should be done.  Should someone try to warn and negotiate with the Primals?  Should they be enslaved and made to serve humans?  Who among them would have any chance not only of dealing with the Primals, but opposing Placan?

The Lesser Primals.

Fire

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Less if known about the Primal of Fire than her compatriots.  Those how have managed to catch a glimpse of her within a raging inferno have been surprised by her seemingly calm nature and almost constant dance.  She moves with the flames of great fires, leaving ashes in her wake.  When she appears a forest fire can rage of dozens of miles and entire towns reduced to ash during her twisting dance.  Yet those fires sometimes dance in strange ways, leaving a sacred shrine untouched within a forest of ash or sparring a child trapped in a building.  No one is quite sure of her nature, but legends tell of quite but intense passions that can flare up and consume everything.

Earth

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Signficantly more is known about Earth since she can be found by any Gifted strong enough to make the journey.  Often found lounging within her cave and seemingly bored, anyone offering interesting conversation or a good fight can find themselves learning about the secrets of the earth, and even some of the treasure buried there.  Unfortunately her standards of interesting and fighting are both prohibitively high and unpredictable.  Most who try to speak with her elicit nothing more than a sigh, and she's been known to petrify people who challenge her to a fight without the power to make it interesting.  Alternatively, tales say she listened with rapt attention one time when a Gifted farmer discussed the intimate details of crop raising and rotation, finally gifting him with a sapphire the size of an apple.  Evening when interested in a conversation or fight her words and movements are deliberate and efficient, without undue haste or wasted energy.  She speaks with a deep and sensual voice, and more than one fighter has tried to beat her in order to get her true name and enslave her.  They account for a large portion of the "statues" leading into her cavern.

Wind

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Like many of the higher spirits of her kind, Wind is rather tricksome and fond of pranks.  She never appears for long, but her tinkling laughter and feather soft touch usually leaves a person with mixed blessings.  Those events known to be her pranks are usually not malicious, although most sailors know to fear her and water in equal measure.  Sometimes when a pompous noble ends up in a pigsty the gifted will see hear her laughter and see her form taking a bow from a nearby rooftop.  Often her appearance alone is enough of a distraction to cause problems, particularly for men.  Stories of her sometimes speak of her appearing to lost travelers, who may or may not be considered lucky.  They always make it back to civilization, but often colourfully decorated, clothing deficient, and only after being teased beyond endurance in every possible way.

Water

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Normally calm and gentle when encountered, Water is known to be capricious and incredibly violent if angered.  Often nearly worshiped by sailors, she has been know both to save a vessel from sure doom, as well as pulling them down into the abyss.  When a few Gifted have been able to make contact with her she proved to be calm and very knowledgeable, discussing spirit magic with her fluid voice and even occasionally helping with a ritual.  Her smiling face is usually greeted with relief by gifted who are seeking some greater understanding.  There are a number of Atolls scattered throughout the world, places sacred to Water and known for the healing properties of their waters.  Lucky Gifted can sometimes see her visiting one of these places, though she seldom stays at one for more than a few hours.