There were far fewer people at this lecture than he had hoped, but Jigano squared his shoulders and faced those who had come. He gave a smile and a grateful nod to Freina and Chuy (who would, indeed, find a cheerful gryphon swooping down from her perch on a nearby bookshelf to flop down beside his notebook, expecting scritches and purring contentedly if she received them). When it seemed like no one else would be arriving until later, he drew a breath and pulled back the first sheet of paper on the easel Libbs had helped him set up half a year ago.
”There are five elemental magics of Caido,” he began. ”Fire, Earth, Water, Air, and Lightning. What they share in common is that, in their most basic forms, they allow a mage to manipulate the element within roughly five feet, though control is unstable. If the element is honed to its upgraded form, both range and control increase. Upgraded elements can be controlled within thirty feet of the mage, but they still cannot be created. Only when one has reached the mastered level of a given element can one create it.” He grinned as he caught sight of Isuma looking mournfully at Chuy for more scritches, but returned to a more serious mien as he nodded to Freina.
”Lightning magic is one of the more difficult types of magic to practice early on. In its base form it amounts to controlling static electricity, but when upgraded it can deflect natural and magical lightning. When mastered, you can create lightning within a thirty foot radius, making it a particularly dangerous element, and one well-suited to offensive combat.
“Water magic is prized in Halo. Again, though its basic form is limited to puddles, when upgraded it can be used to move large quantities of water and calm or create large waves in pools and rivers. But when mastered, not only can water be created but its temperature can be controlled, chilled to ice or raised until the water turns to steam. Useful for staving off hypothermia or building shelter in a snowy land,” he added wryly.
”Air mages will find their element around them most of the time, making it a bit more convenient for them to practice with. When it’s upgraded it can even lift a person off the ground, up to perhaps five feet – or any other medium to large object that isn’t nailed down. Mastered, you can create air to breathe underwater or create strong enough gusts to lift things up to ten feet off the ground.” He didn’t look at Freina as he said this, speaking to the hall as a whole as he respected her right to decide when and how she wished to hide or display her own magic.
”Fire is another magic that is primarily destructive, though it can also be used to put out dangerous fires from other sources,” he continued, warming to his topic. ”Budding fire mages might only be able to affect or snuff candles at first, but the amount of flame that can controlled will quickly increase when upgraded, and when mastered it can be created at will, to cook food or attack others at a distance.”
Taking a breath he tilted a wry smile at his audience. ”I’ve saved Earth magic for last, because it is often the most complex and complicated. It gives power not only over soil and rock, but over plant life as well. In its most basic form a mage of earth can bend flowers or heave small rocks. Upgraded, it can uproot trees or speed the growth of living plants, or pull pillars of packed earth into rough formations to create shields or barricades. When mastered, earth magic can create both soil and plants, such as fruit and vegetables. Though it’s limited by the region you’re in at the time,” he cautioned. ”For instance, an earth mage in Torchline can create breadfruit while there, but not here in the Hollowed Grounds.”
He reached for a nearby mug of water, taking a soothing drink as he waited for any questions, or late arrivals to wander in.
”There are five elemental magics of Caido,” he began. ”Fire, Earth, Water, Air, and Lightning. What they share in common is that, in their most basic forms, they allow a mage to manipulate the element within roughly five feet, though control is unstable. If the element is honed to its upgraded form, both range and control increase. Upgraded elements can be controlled within thirty feet of the mage, but they still cannot be created. Only when one has reached the mastered level of a given element can one create it.” He grinned as he caught sight of Isuma looking mournfully at Chuy for more scritches, but returned to a more serious mien as he nodded to Freina.
”Lightning magic is one of the more difficult types of magic to practice early on. In its base form it amounts to controlling static electricity, but when upgraded it can deflect natural and magical lightning. When mastered, you can create lightning within a thirty foot radius, making it a particularly dangerous element, and one well-suited to offensive combat.
“Water magic is prized in Halo. Again, though its basic form is limited to puddles, when upgraded it can be used to move large quantities of water and calm or create large waves in pools and rivers. But when mastered, not only can water be created but its temperature can be controlled, chilled to ice or raised until the water turns to steam. Useful for staving off hypothermia or building shelter in a snowy land,” he added wryly.
”Air mages will find their element around them most of the time, making it a bit more convenient for them to practice with. When it’s upgraded it can even lift a person off the ground, up to perhaps five feet – or any other medium to large object that isn’t nailed down. Mastered, you can create air to breathe underwater or create strong enough gusts to lift things up to ten feet off the ground.” He didn’t look at Freina as he said this, speaking to the hall as a whole as he respected her right to decide when and how she wished to hide or display her own magic.
”Fire is another magic that is primarily destructive, though it can also be used to put out dangerous fires from other sources,” he continued, warming to his topic. ”Budding fire mages might only be able to affect or snuff candles at first, but the amount of flame that can controlled will quickly increase when upgraded, and when mastered it can be created at will, to cook food or attack others at a distance.”
Taking a breath he tilted a wry smile at his audience. ”I’ve saved Earth magic for last, because it is often the most complex and complicated. It gives power not only over soil and rock, but over plant life as well. In its most basic form a mage of earth can bend flowers or heave small rocks. Upgraded, it can uproot trees or speed the growth of living plants, or pull pillars of packed earth into rough formations to create shields or barricades. When mastered, earth magic can create both soil and plants, such as fruit and vegetables. Though it’s limited by the region you’re in at the time,” he cautioned. ”For instance, an earth mage in Torchline can create breadfruit while there, but not here in the Hollowed Grounds.”
He reached for a nearby mug of water, taking a soothing drink as he waited for any questions, or late arrivals to wander in.
