Elementals are cool, and able to provide tailored reinforcements on the fly. But how do they work, and what are their limitations?
Wind Elementals, as Fanriel knows them, are creatures of pure and raw magic, composed of the energies of a single Wind of Magic. They are built around a core consisting of a swirling vortex of magic that pulls other magic of the corresponding type from the surrounding area to sustain itself and build its body. This means that casting spells from the other Winds on an Elemental creates Dhar, and they are effectively immune to spells from their own Wind because they simply absorb it into themselves, though Fanriel speculates it may be possible to overcome this with sufficient application of raw power.
Elementals will normally have a lifespan ranging from a few minutes to about a dozen, dependent on how much ambient magic is in the area, though a spellcaster wielding the correct Wind may feed them more magic, sustaining them as long as they maintain the flow of energy.
The primary limitation with the Elementals that Fanriel can summon is one of intelligence: Elementals can currently only be given orders by imprinting them upon their core as they are created, and these cannot be changed afterwards. With Fanriel's current spells, they can only receive a simple, single-part order: you can be reasonably specific in giving them a target, or even give them multiple targets, but the order cannot contain more than one distinct part. They will also attempt to fulfill that order with robotic, suicidal single-mindedness, ignoring everything else around them. If you tell them to do something, they are going to immediately take the shortest path to accomplishing that task without waiting or considering other people that might be in the way. If somebody tries to block them from reaching their destination they would trample over them or smash them aside, but they would not defend themselves if attacked if that wasn't part of their orders.
To give you some examples, "Kill Goblins" is valid. "Kill Goblins and Orcs" is valid. "Kill Goblins and non-lethally subdue Orcs" is invalid, because that is two different orders. "Kill Goblins and then Orcs" is invalid because that is two distinct stages. "Kill Goblins while leaving Orcs alone" is invalid but redundant, because they would leave them alone anyway. "Wait here until I give the signal, then kill Goblins" is invalid. "Kill any non-elf that steps through this door" is valid, though they might end up standing in the doorway and blocking it even for elves because "let elves through this door" is not part of their orders.
Now, there is an upside in that the Elementals will never misinterpret their orders: they're not literal genies, they know what you mean by the words you use to command them. This is because in the process of imbuing them with those commands, you are also granting them the understanding of what those words mean. An Elemental doesn't know what a "Norscan" is, but it knows what you think a Norscan is. This also means that you can give Elementals subjective commands: if you tell them to protect allies, they will protect anyone you recognized as an ally at the moment of casting the spell.
Fanriel currently knows of four tiers of Elementals:
Minor Elementals are small and not meant for combat, but instead act as servants and auxiliaries, fulfilling a variety of support roles. Lesser Elementals range from humanoid-sized to ogre-sized, and are of comparable combat power.
Greater Elementals are the size of monsters like Manticores or Hydras, and can devastate entire groups of enemies or change the outcome of a battle. Incarnate Elementals are titanic beings that warp the landscape around them by their mere presence, able to go toe to toe with elder dragons and change the course of entire wars.
Fanriel currently has access to the following Elementals:
Lesser Hysh Elemental: Blocky golems made of translucent crystal that can shoot out beams of burning light. Extra effective against undead and daemons.
Lesser Chamon Elemental: Bulky humanoids made of metal, slow and awkward to move but immensely durable, making them excellent mobile cover.
Lesser Ghyran Elemental: Vaguely humanoid shapes composed of whatever plantlife is native to the local area. Regenerate very rapidly, making them very difficult to put down.
Lesser Azyr Elemental: Winged humanoid shapes composed of churning cyclone of wind. Capable of flight, but low strength.
Lesser Ulgu Elemental: Humanoid wisps of smoke with long curved talons. Become nigh-invisible in low-light conditions.
Lesser Shyish Elemental: Disembodied, ragged black cloaks with metal chains hanging from them, which can move like tendrils. Feed off of everything they kill to sustain themselves, very easy to mistake for Necromancy.
Lesser Aqshy Elemental: Swirls of flame in the shape of a humanoid upper torso. Weak in combat, but explode like a small mortar shell when slain or as a form of attack.
Lesser Ghur Elemental: Six-legged hybrids of bears, wolves and boars, with rudimentary predatory instincts, allowing for slightly more intelligence and coordination than other Elementals.
