Elementalism

The ancient magics of elementalism predate the days in which Teclis came from Ulthuan and taught humanity the rites of Colour magic. During the Age of Wars, around the years 1260-1280, when the Empire lacked any central authority and anarchy stalked the land, a hedge-wizard by the name of Gunthar the Wise spent twenty years traveling the Old World, talking to scholars and sages, trying to come up with some overall theory of magic that would make teaching and the invention of new spells easier.

In Nuln, Gunthar was befriended by the alechemist Berthold Fessbinder, who taught him the alchemical theory of the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Everything, Berthold said, was made up of these four elements combined in varying degrees. Gunthar deduced that in some way magic too must follow this law. Thus, he reasoned, magic must likewise be divided into four elements; the common spell types must draw a little from each of the four types of magic in order to work on the corresponding four elements in the physical world.

It was a simple theory, but it was better than any other wizard had at that time. What is more, it was surprisingly close to the theories Teclis would elaborate on some years later. Experimenting with this notion, Gunthar soon discovered he could create 'purer' and more powerful spells than the hedge-wizards, who simply progressed through aimless trial and error. Others heard of his success and came to learn his methods. Soon a small but thriving school for wizards was born in Nuln, founded and run by Gunthar.

In those early days the Old World was a much wilder place. The forests were greater, the mountains unchallenged by humanity, and the pockets of humanity were widely scattered and isolated. Much of hte magic developed by the new-fledged elementalists related to this natural, untamed world. As they became more entrenched in its disciplines, students of elementalism began to move further and further away from the squalor and crowding that was prevalent in the towns and cities. Those who remained looked on in suspicion, accusing their brethren of abandoning civilized practices and 'going native'.

An early surprise for the elementalists was the discovery of the strange creatures known as elementals. At first the wizards thought they had discovered a new type of being, but they soon came to realize the truth was nowhere near so straightforward. In fact they found that they were allowing the elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water to manifest corporeally through the application of magic. Each of these new forms acted as a kind of avatar, epitomizing the qualities with which the element was imbued.

For many years, elementalism was the main and most respected form of magic in the Empire - although in truth this wasn't much of a claim, compared to the level of power that Imperial wizards are capable of producing today. When Magnus the Pious invited the High Elves to come and teach magic to humanity, many elementalists were incensed, believing he had spurned their wisdom. The truth is that Magnus had respect for the elementalists but did not believe that their magic would be powerful enough to defeat the Chaos hordes. He did not think they were disciplined enough to work as part of an army, and worried about the strength of their loyalty to the Empire.

When the Chaos Incursion of 2303 was finally driven back and Teclis began the founding of the Imperial Colleges of Magic in Altdorf, some elementalists went to join them. Others hung back, still smarting from Magnus' slight and remained suspicious of this new theory propounded by inhuman beings. They also felt ill at ease with the establishment of congested buildings in the grime and bustle of the largest city in the Empire.

Teclis was genuinely impressed by the elementalists' theories and congratulated them in getting so far in theoretical magic without the knowledge of the High Elves. However, he also told them quite plainly that their theories were wrong. This was the final wedge driven between the two factions. Those convinced of Teclis's wisdom joined the Imperial Colleges, glad to learn the true nature of magic. Others stayed in and around Nuln, nursing their imagined grudges, and determined to keep the theories of elementalism alive.

As the years passed, it became increasingly obvious that the magic taught at the Imperial Colleges was primarily to use in battle. Little of it related to the natural world that the elementalists could manipulate so well. With the threat of Chaos subdued, this preoccupation with violence drove many of the more sensitive wizards to the elementalist school in Nuln. As time passed and the Empire introduced licensing in order to control wizardry, the school in Nuln (then calling itself the Elementalists' Guild) came under the watchful eye of the witch-hunters. Members were questioned and sometimes tortured in an effort to find some evidence of corruption or allegiance to Chaos, but little was uncovered. Eventually, the witch-hunters conceded that although the elementalists had no great love for the Imperial Colleges, they were neither evil nor Chaotic. In 2420, the college was finally granted its charter and was allowed to issue licences. However, even to this day politics between the elementalists and the Imperial Colleges are strained, and members of the different traditions shun and scorn each other.

In addition to the school in Nuln, specialist colleges have since been set up under the Imperial charter, each of which has been tasked with the investigation of elementalist magic. Whilst the Colour Colleges are supported in order to advance the military might of the Empire, these elementalist colleges are are encouraged "for the betterment of society and knowledge". The minimum funding they require is all but irrelevant; to the elementalists, the Imperial sanction is seen as small recompense for being passed over in favour of the raw destructive powers of the colleges in Altdorf.

Spells
Elementalists are able to manipulate the four elements (or life forces) of air, earth, fire, and water. Elemental magic allows them to summon short-lived personifications of these forces - creatures known as Elementals.

A

 * Ageing


 * Animate Water


 * Assault of Stones

B

 * Banish Elemental


 * Become Ethereal


 * Bind Elemental Slave


 * Blinding Flash


 * Breath of Life


 * Breathe Fire


 * Breathe Underwater

C

 * Cause Fire


 * Cause Rain


 * Change Weather


 * Clap of Thunder


 * Cloud of Smoke


 * Control Lightning


 * Create Chasm


 * Create Geyser


 * Create Quicksand


 * Create Spring


 * Create Vegetation


 * Crumble Stone

D

 * Dispel Elementals


 * Draw Down Lightning


 * Drop


 * Dust Storm

E

 * Earthquake


 * Erupt


 * Extend Flight


 * Extinguish Fire

F

 * Field of Lava


 * Find Mineral


 * Flame Sheet


 * Foul Air


 * Fountain of Life

H

 * Hand of Fire


 * Heal Vegetation


 * Hedge of Thorns

I

 * Icy Ground

M

 * Magic Light


 * Move Object

N

 * Navigate Underground

P

 * Part Water


 * Plague of Lice

R

 * Resist Fire

S

 * Scourging Wind


 * Summon Elemental


 * Summon Elemental Horde


 * Summon Swarm


 * Sunburn


 * Swell River

T

 * Tornado


 * Tunnel Through Stone

W

 * Walk Earthquake


 * Walk on Water


 * Wall Shaker


 * Walls of Rock


 * Ward of Arrows


 * Wave of Destruction


 * Wilt Vegetation


 * Wither Vegetation

Z

 * Zone of Hiding


 * Zone of Temperate Weather

Source

 * Warhammer Fantasy RPG 1st ED -- Core Rulebook
 * pg. 166
 * pg. 167
 * pg. 168
 * pg. 169
 * pg. 170
 * pg. 171

Magia Elemental
 * Warhammer Fantasy RPG 1st ED -- Realms of Sorcery
 * pg. 62
 * pg. 199
 * pg. 200
 * pg. 202
 * pg. 203
 * pg. 204
 * pg. 205
 * pg. 206
 * pg. 208

[[Category:E]]