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(Taken from the Royal Library of Evendarr 7/22/603) Amaliel
Golindreth, Master Archivist, Arch-Wizard of Records
& Lore The Elven Institute of Learning
& Magick Helevorn It has been dated from early in
the Fourth Cycle of Ages, some 3000 years ago, and is considered the earliest
and most reliable elemental study because of its ability to ring true through
the Cycles of Ages. The author is
unknown. The Elemental planes I have reached a number of
conclusions in my studies that are both enlightening and troubling. It appears
that the vast network and web of beings that I have named elementals
exist beyond our small consciousness in a greater expanse of knowledge in vast
realms of great power. The most
troubling aspect of my research is that these beings
of power, who can easily affect our very being, care as little for our existence
as a small child may lose interest in a broken toy and discard it.
Their battles involve us, certainly, and occasionally we appear to be the
foot soldiers of these conflicts, but do they battle us? I think not.
Their struggle is greater, and with each other.
We are merely tools of their destruction. The appearance of the elementals in
this area has been of great concern to the local peasantry and nobility alike.
It does appear that they have indeed not come to this place because of us
but as I have feared, it is rather their struggle that must be played out here
with consequences that reach far into their realms. I have watched with trepidation a
creature so hideous as to make my blood freeze, with a small wave of his hand
kill scores of townspeople as they faced him.
It was later that another came, appearing as a creature of life with
healing and life-giving magics that then replenished
the town and saved a good many of the fallen.
But again I wonder why they have brought this conflict here and why they
struggle against each other using creatures as frail and weak as we in
comparison. Why do they not take
this great conflict to their realms? Unless, of course, for
some reason they cannot. I
have been unable to get clear answers to this question but I shall try to make
contact with one of the more approachable of these creatures to test my
theories. I have heard reports of many types
of elementals and have questioned those with the more reliable tales and
reputations. I can only conclude
that there are pairs of elementals, linked through there opposite nature and
destined to battle forever their opposite.
I have observed beings of Life and Death, Order and Chaos, Sanity and the
Dreaming, Brilliance and Shadow. These creatures are different than
the base elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water, which are more physical in
their nature. The latter creatures
seem to battle in a duel that is somehow carefully balanced.
They spar one another but rarely directly, as it seems that these beings,
while their powers are great, cannot so easily destroy their counterparts. The creature that I cannot place is
the one that seems to manipulate time itself.
I have heard a tale where such a creature interceded between the battles
of light and shadow, the battle of these two had altered the cycles of the
season in a small valley. The crops
had failed and despair spread throughout the people.
The creature of time itself appeared and seemed to banish the combatants.
With a gentle look at the starving farmers, the creature set the season
to right and deep snow blanketing the high summer melted away.
The creature then told them to replant the fields.
The farmers set to their task and within days, the grains had matured.
It was as though the creature had somehow sped the growth of the crops,
restoring them to where they would have been before the terrible battles. Elemental creatures seem to have a
structure of power within their ranks, not unlike our own great nobility.
There are leaders, called Icons that control a specific part of the plane
and all elementals within that part. Beneath the Icon there are great elementals
which act like generals of an army. Their
purpose is focused and it appears that their motivations and behavior are
somehow aspects of the encompassing Icon. Beneath
the Greaters are countless lesser beings, they are
of even narrower behavior and much weaker in comparison.
One other interesting note is that
the Great elementals vary from region to region and even the Iconic class seems
to manifest itself differently. I am positive that in truth, they are all
basically the same but are merely extensions of the plane that governs them. As for the planes themselves, the
great realms of power that have so affected us, I have extended my study to
include the notes of Arillara Quel'Insiron.
This amazing woman has actually had contact with an iconic elemental and
has ventured to what I believe is another plane.
Arillara was a great healer involved in the battle that I recorded
earlier in my notes. When the Life
Creatures appeared, Arillara approached them and asked many questions.
The leader of these creatures, I believe to be Iconic, spoke with her at
length and without warning, she disappeared!
Shortly thereafter she returned and spoke of a vast place that she knew
was not of this world. She also was
acutely aware that while she was in no immediate danger, the very nature of her
surroundings could not support her life. Her
different nature and mortality would not allow her to survive on this plane and
so she was returned, unchanged, to the village.
The interview with Arillara revealed
much information and I have been able to draw some conclusions about the nature
of the most powerful of the elemental beings.
I believe that we are being presumptuous when we assign labels to these
creatures such as "good" and "evil" or "right" or
"wrong". It is without
question that some of these creatures are at odds with our basic nature and we
will always be at in an adversarial stance with them but there are others who seems
to be far more aligned with our views. This
is singularly the most controversial subject when dealing with elementals and
the discussions about them. I have considered other countries, where perhaps
there is oppression and wondered which of these beings they would consider good
or evil in comparison. I can only
say that the best way of dealing with these creatures is to have no expectations
and to be wary of them. Those elemental creatures that we
find ourselves at odds with and would wish to destroy have an impact to us that
cannot be denied or withheld without disastrous results.
I am inspired to an analogy. Our
world is a piece of delicate fabric. The
threads of which are made up of each of the planes I have mentioned save time
itself. Time is the loom on which
the fabric is woven. Each thread
holds an important and undeniable place in the fabric.
Remove one and the fabric unravels, never to be woven again as it was
before. I have seen a
transference of power between Iconic elementals but I have never seen a
planar influence cease on our world. I
do not believe that an action that would so remove us from the planar realms can
and should be endeavored. END Copyright 1998-2003 NERO International Holding company, Inc., All Rights Reserved NERO is the Registered
Trademark of NERO International, Inc. US PTO Trademark Registration Number
2,270,409 The NERO Rule Book© is Copyrighted 1989-2003 by NERO International Holding Company, Inc., All Rights Reserved. |
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