Elements
Introduction[edit]
In the beginning, the Endless Void existed as an expanse of nothingness save for the extensive, solid landmass that floated atop an infinite, dark sea. From the sea, the progenitor entities of life found mana, a form of energy they drew upon that could be used to conjure magic and light. The discovery of mana brought curiosity. Curiosity turned to ambition, and ambition turned to conflict. Upon the Sundering of the Planes, all aspects of the Endless Void broke and ruptured, much like the rest of reality. This cosmic disturbance forged anew 12 elements by which this new reality’s laws were directly affected.
Rhyst Elements[edit]
Earth[edit]
The Element of Earth was created by the Dragon Eidolon Paludrex.
Water[edit]
The Element of Water was created by the Dragon Eidolon Melusine.
Wind[edit]
The Element of Wind was created by the Dragon Eidolon Fah'nadir.
Fire[edit]
The Element of Fire was created by the Dragon Eidolon Zahhak.
Void Elements[edit]
Paedion[edit]
As the Endless Void shattered, its physical matter was flung across the newly formed planescape. Most of it was called and diverted toward the Eidolon most dedicated to piecing it back together, and so much of this dark matter found itself drawn drawn into the Void by Vul'karik. Though reminiscent of what formed the Endless Void, the solid structure had been permanently altered by its separation from what made it permanent and unchanging. Supremely dense and believed to be impenetrable in solid form, Vul’karik called it paedion, the First Element, in his desperation for the past. Together, the four Eidolons of the Void recreated their home out of paedion, and it came to form the gray sand and the obsidian stone that forged mountains and cities.
Properties:
Paedion is the densest form of matter in the known cosmos, and in its refined form it is abysmally dark in coloration. Even a pebble weighs heavily within one’s grasp
Demonic weapons and armor are crafted through forged paedion metals that make them nearly impossible to wield without the strength and gifts of Vul’karik
Though supremely solid, paedion is without a trace of magical energy and mana and stands as an inert substance that does not draw nor absorb any other element or energy
Naim[edit]
The vast and infinite ocean that existed before time began once housed the first sparks of mana, but with the Sundering, this sea was spilled across time and space. While much of it pooled into what is now known as the Astral Sea, Limbo’s pull forced a current to form, and with it, the River Styx came to be. The stream was filled with all loose and unclaimed mana that the vacuum of Limbo sought to swallow, and accumulated as it was, it collected into another sea of darkness within the Void that began to drain into the nothingness. Through the design of the Eidolon Nevanerro, the maelstrom was stopped, and instead the flow of the Styx would pass through Limbo and into the Faewild. The liquid substance that made up the river came to be utilized in the conjurations of souls, and Nevanerro called the element naim, or more colloquially, the waters of Stygia after the ocean that had existed in the Endless Void.
Properties:
Naim, though tangible as a fluid, may often appear as a dense mist or fog within the Void and along the banks of the Styx
Given the water is one of the primary substances making up a soul, it is incredibly dangerous to touch by those who bear one within their bodies. A mortal that comes into contact with the Stygian waters may very well have their soul pulled from their body where it will join the current or pool before them
Where it pools, Naim appears as blackened, inky water, but when it is moving, it is filled with the glow of residual mana, giving the River Styx its luminescent blue-green color
Maelstrom[edit]
The Sundering of the planes came with many violent changes, but one that came after the pieces of reality had settled was the maelstrom, the Winds of Nothing. A vacuum within the center of the cosmos forced a vortex to form within the Astral Sea, and with it came a wind that none could withstand. It forced those who had anchored the Void to change their plans as one of their own left to wrestle with its cause. Though Limbo was created to stop the loss of reality, the maelstrom still howls over the Void, especially near the Stygian sea, where the Styx is forced to flow.
Properties:
Maelstrom is a harsh and unforgiving wind that is said to rip apart any solid matter caught within it. Even paedion erodes over enough time when exposed to the dark wind, and it is for this reason that the Voidic skies are barren and those that exist within the plane remain near the ground
Once caught in the maelstrom, there is nothing that can be returned or saved, it is now destined for Limbo and beyond
Maelstrom isn’t exactly visible, though the particles within it make it so a shadowy trace can be made of its erratic patterns and currents
Felfire[edit]
Where the planes fractured and shattered, the energy that was released from such a breakage churned out bright green flashes of heat and flame that came to burn nigh eternally across the cosmos. Where the Eidolons could, they avoided this newly formed fire, for it burned and incinerated nearly everything it touched, even their own bodies. But one Eidolon stepped forward to claim this element of pure destruction, and with careful and laborious work, she mastered its form through secrets and techniques that gave it use. Paschia Fel gave her own name to the fire, and with it the magic of witchcraft as well.
Properties:
Felfire is a burning, brilliant green color that is hard to look at
This fire is the only known element capable of shaping paedion in a deliberate way, but even the art of using it to forge the metal takes a great amount of time and effort. While the demons and the witches were allied, they utilized this combination to create weapons and equipment for the war, but it wasn’t until Mavkoda’s imprisonment and subsequent immolation that the demons could continue this work
Felfire can burn away the essence of a soul, a final and complete destruction that is believed to leave nothing left to flow into an afterlife and beyond
Faewild Elements[edit]
Astratum[edit]
Matter that was flung across the cosmos endured transformation after transformation. Through Felfire scorches and cast upon malevolent winds, propelled by the forces of entropy that resulted in the clash of titans, debris was scattered to all corners of reality, and some of it ended up supercharged by the potent energies it came to absorb. Unlike paedion, some pieces of the Endless Void came to glimmer and shine, and with mana thrumming through their structure, they attracted and combined until the jagged and random landscape of the Faewild came into being. They held permanence in this world of ever changing dynamics, and through these crystals, the Shimmer saw the promises of divinity it was seeking. Astratum became the catalyst of magic the Eidolons had never seen, an element that enhanced all others. Had the Shimmer not been killed, it would have definitively claimed dominion over reality as we know it by utilizing the astratum crystals that still pepper the Faewild today.
Properties:
Astratum ordinarily takes the form of a gem that shines every color in a prismatic array, though like small grains of glitter, the beaches of the Faewild and the solid earth that makes up the land sparkles with the promise that each grain and pebble are simply microscopic forms of the element
There is no substance capable of breaking astratum save for astratum itself, for even Felfire is absorbed by the material whereupon it becomes superheated
Astratum makes up most meteors and shooting stars in the sky given it reflects and refracts all light that it takes in
Vitae[edit]
The physical form of mana itself, vitae is arguably what caused the war of the Eidolons. This essence of pure creation made magic of all kinds possible, and even now it persists as the most abundant and widespread element across all planes. Not condensed into liquid form by natural means anywhere other than the Faewild, vitae flows through streams, rivers, and even collects within the wide oceans of the realm. Oberon harnessed the essence of mana when he began declaring the truths of his world, and it is through this seemingly limitless fuel of power that he continued to reign supreme as one of the mightiest powers in the planescape.
Properties:
Vitae mixes with all other elements seamlessly save for paedion and felfire that repel and incinerate it respectively
Liquid mana has a shine to it that’s often multicolored or reflective of what’s presently within or around it, given it flows and moves like water
It is believed that vitae and naim share a curious partnership given souls are comprised primarily of naim yet act upon the energies of mana
Aurora[edit]
Where the planes and their elements collided in the past and where they continue to mix in the present, a curious energy forms and swirls about. Aurora is considered to be a collection of the chaos that the cosmos has to offer, and though it primarily dances across the skies of the Faewild, it may be spotted painting the distant Astral Sea and is concentrated where Yggdrasil’s branches and the current of the Styx cross the boundary between worlds. During a Convergence, auroras are a beautiful omen of what’s to come. Despite their elegance, closer observation of the essence has proven it just as volatile as one would expect, and intense mutations and transformations occur to anything placed within the path of the gaseous glow. The Unseelie once utilized wind currents within the Faewild to draw auroras down upon both its enemies and its creations where it turned them into hideous creatures and beasts. Even water turns to thick, viscous blood when it mixes with the entropic wind, and crimson rains still fall across the Faewild today despite the Unseelie’s absence.
Properties:
Auroras are gaseous and cloudlike in appearance and are multicolored like astratum, and it shares the same absorption properties as well. The key difference is that where astratum catalyzes, aurora transfigures and transmutates as it affects what it engulfs
There is little understanding as to how auroras work and why they make the changes that they do, but a number of Fae creatures draw their origins to specialized mutations caused by the the substance
Auroras are arguably one of the only elements that could be manufactured given it is a collection of the static and mixture of multiple other volatile elements, though a system capable of this has never been created
Faefire[edit]
Like vitae in liquid state, mana may also take the form of a potent flame, though unlike felfire and even natural fire, this flame does not harm physical matter. Instead, mana in this state directly affects the ethereal and the nonphysical. Faefire manifests the essence of life itself, and in doing so it spurns corruption, disease, and alterations that dillude purer purposes of mana to exist within the cosmos. This fire was claimed by Titania upon the growth of Yggdrasil, for the mana flowing throughout the tree took form along its bows and burst free in spouts of light. Many that dabble with faefire see its uses in medical fields, though there are cautions to it as well, for the element seeks to burn away that which was not ‘original’. An individual buried in a large amount of faerie fire would be at risk of total memory loss to the point that they may act as if they were a newborn. It is believed that faefire plays a vital role in the Cycle of Souls, and it is due to its existence that mortals are able to live multiple lives as if each one was their first.
Properties:
Faefire is bright purple or pink in coloration and provides its glow internally to most of the plantlife throughout the Faewild
Faefire has been said to be the cure to any curse and has been proven to absolve the soul of planar corruption, undeath, and mutations caused by auroras or other sources
Faefire is named after the creatures capable of utilizing it without losing themselves to its flame; the faeries of Titania