I'm a little confused about the last bit. Fire and water have a natural rivalry so is it the fact that the water elementals are Class 1 while those of fire are Class 0 that would encourage water to assault fire if neglected? Does that not just postpone the problem though since we need fire to be strong enough to not be attacked? I would think our priority should be bringing the rest up to Class 1 but I suppose singling out water would result in a stronger reaction than limiting the food of dirt, fire and water.
Exactly what my vote is kinda intended to do, actually. This is pretty much my line of thought. We need to try and even them out.
No matter how knowledgeable a tutor Delight is and how eagerly we follow her advice in other areas, I am pretty darn sure she doesn't properly understand Melia's bond with elementals. She seems to think that actually making friends with one is "the hard way," which suggests she has little or no experience or regard for it.

As I've said before, I don't think it's a good idea to leave our elementals thinking Mommy is playing favorites. "Leave No One Behind" is a higher principle, but "strengthen the more beneficial elementals tactically" is not. That's the kind of thinking a regular wizard would adopt towards elemental minions, and regular wizards don't befriend them the way we do.
I agree quite strongly. Melia's Talent works completely differently from how any regular summoner operates. We're an extreme outlier. I'd like to say that we're unique, but I don't know that for certain. That said, there certainly aren't many with either of our Talents.
 
Exactly what my vote is kinda intended to do, actually. This is pretty much my line of thought. We need to try and even them out.

I agree quite strongly. Melia's Talent works completely differently from how any regular summoner operates. We're an extreme outlier. I'd like to say that we're unique, but I don't know that for certain. That said, there certainly aren't many with either of our Talents.
What would your vote mean though, would we feed the air and stone elementals until they're Class 1 and then move on to the rest with the possibility of not feeding any to the water elementals? I'm not really sure we know enough to control their growth like that. We don't even know if the crystals would be enough to get any to Class 1. For now I suppose I'll just vote to not rock the boat.

[X] Distribute the crystals evenly among all your elementals. You're sure they'll all be useful in their own ways.
-[X] The quickest way to an elemental's heart is through their stomach. Independent of the rest of your distribution plan, feed the light elemental crystalized mana until you can summon it.
 
[X] Distribute the crystals evenly among all your elementals. You're sure they'll all be useful in their own ways.
-[X] The quickest way to an elemental's heart is through their stomach. Independent of the rest of your distribution plan, feed the light elemental crystalized mana until you can summon it.

Changed my mind.
 
What would your vote mean though, would we feed the air and stone elementals until they're Class 1 and then move on to the rest with the possibility of not feeding any to the water elementals? I'm not really sure we know enough to control their growth like that. We don't even know if the crystals would be enough to get any to Class 1. For now I suppose I'll just vote to not rock the boat.
Eh. I'd rather the water elemental not reach class 2 while the others are at 0. I expect these things are pretty potent.

Eh. Whatever. It's a badly phrased vote anyway.

[X] Distribute the crystals evenly among all your elementals. You're sure they'll all be useful in their own ways.
-[X] The quickest way to an elemental's heart is through their stomach. Independent of the rest of your distribution plan, feed the light elemental crystalized mana until you can summon it.
 
[X] Follow Delight's proposed plan to avoid encouraging elemental rivalries; give the bulk of the crystals to your earth and air elementals.
-[X] The quickest way to an elemental's heart is through their stomach. Independent of the rest of your distribution plan, feed the light elemental crystalized mana until you can summon it. (Locked with this option; Leave no one behind!)
 
[X] Follow Delight's proposed plan to avoid encouraging elemental rivalries; give the bulk of the crystals to your earth and air elementals.
-[X] The quickest way to an elemental's heart is through their stomach. Independent of the rest of your distribution plan, feed the light elemental crystalized mana until you can summon it. (Locked with this option; Leave no one behind!)
 
I agree quite strongly. Melia's Talent works completely differently from how any regular summoner operates. We're an extreme outlier. I'd like to say that we're unique, but I don't know that for certain. That said, there certainly aren't many with either of our Talents.
Yes. I very much agree; Melia's special circumstances and unique background are important factors we need to consider when making a decision like this.

[X] Distribute the crystals evenly among all your elementals. You're sure they'll all be useful in their own ways.
-[X] The quickest way to an elemental's heart is through their stomach. Independent of the rest of your distribution plan, feed the light elemental crystalized mana until you can summon it.
 
Eh. I'd rather the water elemental not reach class 2 while the others are at 0. I expect these things are pretty potent.

Eh. Whatever. It's a badly phrased vote anyway.
I don't think it was badly worded so much as our options our limited by how little we know. I do believe it likely that the gap between class 1 and 2 is larger than 0 and 1 though, so the water elementals shouldn't get too far ahead unless we're really unlucky.
 
I'd consider explaining to the other elementals why Melia is feeding the Light elemental so much. They might only have a rudimentary understanding of the explanation, but it's better to forestall jealousy where we can.
 
[X] Distribute the crystals evenly among all your elementals. You're sure they'll all be useful in their own ways.
-[X] The quickest way to an elemental's heart is through their stomach. Independent of the rest of your distribution plan, feed the light elemental crystalized mana until you can summon it.
-[X] Explain to the other elementals that we're giving the light elemental extra food so it can come with us.
 
[X] Distribute the crystals evenly among all your elementals. You're sure they'll all be useful in their own ways.
-[X] The quickest way to an elemental's heart is through their stomach. Independent of the rest of your distribution plan, feed the light elemental crystalized mana until you can summon it.

Delight knows her stuff, but the elementals are more friends then minions or just something summoned for a job, and they appear to think of Melia first. If there's any disagreements down the line, Melia can mediate, and Delight can tell us she told us so :V

'Sides, as far as I can tell, there was nothing hard about "the hard way" where Melia was concerned.
 
[X] Distribute the crystals evenly among all your elementals. You're sure they'll all be useful in their own ways.
-[X] The quickest way to an elemental's heart is through their stomach. Independent of the rest of your distribution plan, feed the light elemental crystalized mana until you can summon it.
 
All of Delight's advice - and I mean all of it - is predicated on the way magic works on her world. We've already seen that such things aren't exactly...consistent...across realities and I'm rather leery of trusting anything she tells us for that reason, especially when she's oh so damned certain she knows the way of things.

In fact, frankly, I wasn't a fan of most of her offered 'rewards,' either, and would probably have voted to go without had I not read the update at work and forgot about it.
 
I don't think it was badly worded so much as our options our limited by how little we know. I do believe it likely that the gap between class 1 and 2 is larger than 0 and 1 though, so the water elementals shouldn't get too far ahead unless we're really unlucky.
Fair enough.
I'd consider explaining to the other elementals why Melia is feeding the Light elemental so much. They might only have a rudimentary understanding of the explanation, but it's better to forestall jealousy where we can.
Good thinking!

[X] Distribute the crystals evenly among all your elementals. You're sure they'll all be useful in their own ways.
-[X] The quickest way to an elemental's heart is through their stomach. Independent of the rest of your distribution plan, feed the light elemental crystalized mana until you can summon it.
-[X] Explain to the other elementals that we're giving the light elemental extra food so it can come with us.
 
No real opinion on the root decision yet, I'm kinda brain-fried right now, but I'll put weight behind this regardless of the victor:

-[X] Explain to the other elementals that we're giving the light elemental extra food so it can come with us.
 
[X] Distribute the crystals evenly among all your elementals. You're sure they'll all be useful in their own ways.
-[X] The quickest way to an elemental's heart is through their stomach. Independent of the rest of your distribution plan, feed the light elemental crystalized mana until you can summon it.
-[X] Explain to the other elementals that we're giving the light elemental extra food so it can come with us.
 
All of Delight's advice - and I mean all of it - is predicated on the way magic works on her world. We've already seen that such things aren't exactly...consistent...across realities and I'm rather leery of trusting anything she tells us for that reason, especially when she's oh so damned certain she knows the way of things.
Considering how Alivaril does his worldbuilding, it's extremely likely that there's one underlying magic system behind all the dimensions, with all discrepancies explainable without resorting to "Well, things work DIFFERENT here."
 
[X] Distribute the crystals evenly among all your elementals. You're sure they'll all be useful in their own ways.
-[X] The quickest way to an elemental's heart is through their stomach. Independent of the rest of your distribution plan, feed the light elemental crystalized mana until you can summon it.
-[X] Explain to the other elementals that we're giving the light elemental extra food so it can come with us.
 
[X] Follow Delight's proposed plan to avoid encouraging elemental rivalries; give the bulk of the crystals to your earth and air elementals.[X] Follow Delight's proposed plan to avoid encouraging elemental rivalries; give the bulk of the crystals to your earth and air elementals.-[X] The quickest way to an elemental's heart is through their stomach. Independent of the rest of your distribution plan, feed the light elemental crystalized mana until you can summon it. (Locked with this option; Leave no one behind!)
 
[X] Distribute the crystals evenly among all your elementals. You're sure they'll all be useful in their own ways.
-[X] The quickest way to an elemental's heart is through their stomach. Independent of the rest of your distribution plan, feed the light elemental crystalized mana until you can summon it.
-[X] Explain to the other elementals that we're giving the light elemental extra food so it can come with us.
 
I respect the sentiment, but I would argue that the elementals' morale and affection for Melia is a more important asset than any other specific thing about them.
 
[X] Distribute the crystals evenly among all your elementals. You're sure they'll all be useful in their own ways.
-[X] The quickest way to an elemental's heart is through their stomach. Independent of the rest of your distribution plan, feed the light elemental crystalized mana until you can summon it.
-[X] Explain to the other elementals that we're giving the light elemental extra food so it can come with us.

Specialization comes after we build a good base.
 
[X] Distribute the crystals evenly among all your elementals. You're sure they'll all be useful in their own ways.
-[X] The quickest way to an elemental's heart is through their stomach. Independent of the rest of your distribution plan, feed the light elemental crystalized mana until you can summon it.
-[X] Explain to the other elementals that we're giving the light elemental extra food so it can come with us.
 
Considering how Alivaril does his worldbuilding, it's extremely likely that there's one underlying magic system behind all the dimensions, with all discrepancies explainable without resorting to "Well, things work DIFFERENT here."
If I had to guess, it's at least partially based on how the local mana behaves, along with potentially some sort of underlying biological/evolutionary differences, potentially caused by those differences in environmental mana.

It might also be based on differences in what sorts of magic have been discovered, and in what order. For example, mages here have discovered ways of using mana crystals to power long-term spells, something that wasn't discovered in Melia's original dimension. That may, in-turn, have influenced a divergent development of magic in Delight's dimension.
 
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