Tempestarii

Tempestarii can be described as Elemental/Human hybrids; however, rather than being an actual crossbreed species, they are an aberration created through forbidden magical rituals. It is thought that the rituals for creating Tempestarii originated in ancient native cultures as a way to attempt to gain control of the weather and environment of Felarya. Tragically, it didn't quite work out that way.

Most developed magic-using Felaryan cultures have laws against the creation of Tempestarii, and for good reason; creating one requires a human body, just moments after death. It is vital that the body be prepared immediately after the soul has left it, and worst of all... small bodies are preferred, such as those of children.

The ritual involves drawing elemental binding runes on the body with a specially-prepared magical ink; these runes are only capable of binding a specific type of elemental. Once the preparations are finished, the body is placed in the center of a summoning circle, and the ritual truly begins; the mages must summon an elemental of the appropriate type and use their magic to force it into the body.

This is the most dangerous part of the ritual, as once the elemental suspects what is going on, they will do everything within their power to escape or destroy the mortals who dare force it into such a flimsy form. The casters must literally subdue the elemental and force it to enter the body; once the elemental makes even the slightest contact with the body, the magic of the runes will activate and bind it to the human form. Permanently.

In an interesting phenomena, the elemental spirit seems to act as a substitute for the human soul, reanimating and revitalizing the body. Color will return to the skin, the heart will begin beating once again, the lungs will draw breath. Eventually, the eyes will open... and that is usually when the troubled life of a Tempestarii begins. Tempestarii do not lead very happy existences; they are elemental spirits inhabiting a living human form, something that was never meant to be. Being bound in the way they are permanently diminishes their power, and strips them of some of their elemental abilities, the most important of which is the ability to reconstruct another physical form once destroyed.

Once an elemental becomes a Tempestarii, they lose the ability to reincorporate themselves. Once they die, it's over. This is understandably disturbing to beings used to changing their forms as they will. Exactly what happens to the elemental spirit once a Tempestarii dies is a matter hotly debated; some theorists insist the elemental spirit goes to Heaven or Hell just like a mortal spirit would, while others believe that the spirit breaks down into primal elemental energy, and flows back into the world. Whatever the case, most Tempestarii are not eager to find out.

Despite being less powerful in their mortal form, Tempestarii still maintain some of their powers. A Tempestarii is still completely immune to their element, and capable of exerting a great amount of control over their element; they are more powerful users of their single element than a cabal of Elementalists. However, they are no longer capable of merging with their element and increasing their mass, or otherwise altering their human form- a Tempestarii can not turn into living flames, for example. The binding runes prevent them from leaving or altering their new bodies.

Sometimes the attempt to raise Tempestarii as human children is made... this usually fares poorly. Despite their appearance, a Tempestarii still has an inhuman mindset, and many of them simply are not capable of grasping certain human concepts. In addition, they are likely to loathe what they've become and the ones who did it to them, and only the constant threat of true death is enough to keep one in check... at least for a while. Eventually (usually once they reach adolescence or adulthood) a Tempestarii will decide he or she has had enough, and strike out on its own. It often leaves the village in ruins while its at it for good measure, although some Tempestarii who have learned to be somewhat human may leave peacefully.

No matter where they go, however, the world seems to have it in for a Tempestarii. They're not welcome among most societies (particularly those that are highly superstitious), and the highly visible tattoo-like runes on their skin are a dead giveaway to their nature. Most true Elementals find Tempestarii distasteful, and will not tolerate their presence for long. Most tend to settle into a life of aimless wandering, and trying to find out where they belong in the world. A somewhat daunting task, considering that they now have to worry about predators that would not have been a concern before when they were still in true elemental form (Nagas, Harpies, Mermaids, etc.). It's worth mentioning that the closest thing to acceptance a Tempestarii is likely to find is among various species of Sprites; the Fae/Elemental hybrids seem to be able to understand some of what the Tempestarii have to deal with... assuming they're not too hungry to answer questions.

For all intents and purposes, the body of a Tempestarii is human; if a Tempestarii has children, they will be human, and not Tempestarii. They are not a naturally occurring species, so they do not breed true. Tempestarii can be created from any type of elemental, but the most common are the usual elements one might expect. There are no real sub-species of Tempestarii, but they do use informal names to identify them with the type of elemental they were previously:

Flameborn are created from Fire or Lava Elementals.
Stormborn are created from Air or Lightning Elementals.
Waterborn are created from Water, Fog, or Ice Elementals (Ice Tempestarii sometimes call themselves Frostborn instead).
Earthborn are created from Earth, Sand, or Rock Elementals.
Shadowborn are created from Darkness Elementals.
Natureborn are created from Wood, Flora, or Vine Elementals.

Despite use of these common terms, Tempestarii don't really gather together or stay in each other's company for very long. They tend to run towards the brooding loner, or rogueish waif types, and aren't really much for socializing. Chance encounters between them are as likely to lead to the barest acknowledgement of one another's existence as a fight; they just really don't get involved with other Tempestarii much. Added to the fact that there aren't very many people alive who both know how to and would create one, means that there aren't a lot of Tempestarii on Felarya.

But if you happen to see someone with interesting looking tattoos on their arms, neck, and face hurling around fire like there's no tomorrow...

Interesting idea and concept

...The idea of tatoo like runes on the whole body and control over a specific Element is very similar to my OC.

Also, it's only me, but I tend to see water and ice separate. The reason is that I don't see Ice Elemental magic to be magic over frozen water, but magic over ice created by sheer cold.

Sean Okotami wrote:

...The idea of tatoo like runes on the whole body and control over a specific Element is very similar to my OC.

Also, it's only me, but I tend to see water and ice separate. The reason is that I don't see Ice Elemental magic to be magic over frozen water, but magic over ice created by sheer cold.

This kind of things is not very original, in many fiction using magic like that is very common.

It's a necessity to separate them into two different school, because someone who controls water can control ice and someone who controls ice can control water. They are no incompatibilities between then.

gwadahunter2222 wrote:

Sean Okotami wrote:

...The idea of tatoo like runes on the whole body and control over a specific Element is very similar to my OC.

Also, it's only me, but I tend to see water and ice separate. The reason is that I don't see Ice Elemental magic to be magic over frozen water, but magic over ice created by sheer cold.

This kind of things is not very original, in many fiction using magic like that is very common.

It's a necessity to separate them into two different school, because someone who controls water can control ice and someone who controls ice can control water. They are no incompatibilities between then.

I mean, Tempestarii has rune like tatoos all over their body; my OC is more birthmarks. Both are shunned for this. And both are Elementalist, 'xcept my OC is not for one Element alone, and he's pure human. So, from reading this, it's almost as if my OC is a Tempestarii due to the great similarity in appearance. The only contradiction is my most recently uploaded story.

Sean Okotami wrote:

...The idea of tatoo like runes on the whole body and control over a specific Element is very similar to my OC.

*nod* It's a common concept. I'm actually picturing them more like tribal-style tattoos, but the base concept (for the runes, not the elemental powers) came from a fantasy I read in 1988.

Sean Okotami wrote:

Also, it's only me, but I tend to see water and ice separate. The reason is that I don't see Ice Elemental magic to be magic over frozen water, but magic over ice created by sheer cold.

They are seperate things; the name "Waterborn" is a pretty meaningless distinction. Water-elemental and Ice-elemental Temesptarii use it to refer to themselves mainly to have a "group" to belong to. It doesn't actually mean anything, it's just a label. Some Ice Tempestarii don't like being lumped in with water elementals, so they use a different term to describe themselves. But not all of them have a problem with the name being applied to them.

In short, a Waterborn Tempestarii is not a Tempestarii that has control over water and ice, it is one that has control over water or ice.

Sean Okotami wrote:

I mean, Tempestarii has rune like tatoos all over their body; my OC is more birthmarks. Both are shunned for this. And both are Elementalist, 'xcept my OC is not for one Element alone, and he's pure human. So, from reading this, it's almost as if my OC is a Tempestarii due to the great similarity in appearance. The only contradiction is my most recently uploaded story.

I wasn't aware that your OC was like that. It's somewhat interesting, but not really contradictory; your character is obviously not a Tempestarii, since he's fully human and has control over numerous elements. However (if you wanted to use this idea), a possible explanation for him being shunned by Felaryans is because people mistake him for a Tempestarii, since they have many things in common.

Him not knowing what a Tempestarii is or insisting that he is not one isn't going to be quite as convincing, when anyone can see the "proof" with their own eyes.

It's just that everyone think of ice has solid water, when in reality, it's frozen water. I prefer seeing ice as a whole new category that has nothing to do with water. Mainly, ice created by sheer cold. And I now there's moisture or water particles or whatever in the air, but that's too nitpicky for my tastes.

The thing is that ice is frozen water, but we could also say that water is melted ice. So, which came first? We probably will never know, but I don't see Ice Element in the same category of water, but in its own category that deals with cold temperatures.

Anyway, it's just me, but would there be anything else that would distinguish a Tempestarii from an Elemental Knight (my OC) in appearance? Because I think both look too similar. Or that the tattoos aren't mirror images from the left side to the right side of the body.

Also, my OC is shunned only on his homeworld of Earth, on Felarya he isn't shunned.

But since it only met my race of humans which aren't racist and are technology based so far, I can have him being shunned for such thing, it would give him further motivation to feel hatred against humans for leaving him alone for so long.

Sean Okotami wrote:

It's just that everyone think of ice has solid water, when in reality, it's frozen water. I prefer seeing ice as a whole new category that has nothing to do with water. Mainly, ice created by sheer cold. And I now there's moisture or water particles or whatever in the air, but that's too nitpicky for my tastes.

The thing is that ice is frozen water, but we could also say that water is melted ice. So, which came first? We probably will never know, but I don't see Ice Element in the same category of water, but in its own category that deals with cold temperatures.

Actually, in purely a physical sense, there is no difference at all between water, ice, and water vapor. They are all water in different states; liquid, solid, and gas. In physics, the primary physical properties of ice are not that it is cold, but that it is a solid (that sometimes behaves as a liquid for surface effects).

Ice is actually not inherently freezing by itself; that is a trait water picks up from a cold environment. Lower the temperature of water enough, and it will freeze into ice. Raise it enough to boil it, and it will turn into steam (vapor). These freezing and boiling points change depending on other environmental considerations like altitude/atomospheric pressure.

That's why saying that water magic can be used to create/control ice is perfectly valid, for someone who has "complete control over all forms of water". However, not all water elementalists can control ice, and not all ice elementalists can control water. It's more of an individual thing, based on your style of magic. If you're an elementalist from a world that only recognizes the four basic elements of Fire, Water, Earth, and Air, "Water" magic is going to include ice and steam along with it, since they are forms that water takes.

Sean Okotami wrote:

Anyway, it's just me, but would there be anything else that would distinguish a Tempestarii from an Elemental Knight (my OC) in appearance? Because I think both look too similar. Or that the tattoos aren't mirror images from the left side to the right side of the body.

I don't know how similiar or dissimiliar they are, since I'm not sure what your OC looks like. I'll have to check out your page and read your stories. Note, however, that I never said that the "tattoos" on a Tempestarii were mirror imaged; in fact, they are highly asymmetrical and unique to each elemental spirit (they can be used to identify a particular Tempestarii). More to the point, they're not just any runes, but a specific type of elemental binding runes dating back to before the rise of Ur-Sagol.

Sean Okotami wrote:

Also, my OC is shunned only on his homeworld of Earth, on Felarya he isn't shunned.

Ah, then that's less of a similarity. The Tempestarii are only shunned on Felarya, since that's the only place they're created. On Earth, they'd just be someone with wicked tats, not an unnatural freak.

I still prefer to see Ice and Water separate, it just sounds better. I can still have him be shunned on Felarya. He only met a specific race of humans that knows noting of Tempestarii, so it can still work.

I really can't see ice and water as separate. Why? Because of something my chemistry teacher told me once: at a normal room temperature, if there's enough atmospheric pressure, water will become ice. It will not be cold, because it's room temperature, but because there's enough pressure, the water condenses down into a solid state.

Of course, the kinds of pressure it would take to make water into ice at room temperature don't exist on Earth, but you never know. They just might exist on Felarya.

Still prefer refering Ice Elemental magic as using cold.

Besides, if you think about it, saying ice is 100% water is not very original. What if on Felarya, water and ice are actually two spearates things and not different phases? That would bring in more mystique to the world.

Sean Okotami wrote:

Still prefer refering Ice Elemental magic as using cold.

I understand you but cold is not ice and heat is not fire

You confuse the concept of heat and cold and fire and water

You can warm somthing or cold it bu using wind or Earth it's not a specificity of an element.

That's why the coldfire can harm water and ice elemental

Sean Okotami wrote:

I still prefer to see Ice and Water separate, it just sounds better.

That's fine, if it fits your concept. However, it is not universally true, and there are water elementalists in several works of fiction capable of controlling the Ice "Element" simply because it's a form of water. Waterbenders in Avatar: The Last Airbender are just one example. For purposes of your OC's powers, they're seperate; but he may very well one day encounter an elementalist who that does not apply to.

Mirukani wrote:

I really can't see ice and water as separate. Why? Because of something my chemistry teacher told me once: at a normal room temperature, if there's enough atmospheric pressure, water will become ice. It will not be cold, because it's room temperature, but because there's enough pressure, the water condenses down into a solid state.

This is the truth, as I said:

TheQuantumMechanic wrote:

These freezing and boiling points change depending on other environmental considerations like altitude/atomospheric pressure.

Mirukani wrote:

Of course, the kinds of pressure it would take to make water into ice at room temperature don't exist on Earth, but you never know. They just might exist on Felarya.

Those kinds of pressure do exist on Earth; however, the exact combination of pressure and temperature don't occur on Earth naturally. We can create them in laboratory conditions just fine, though. Agreed that they may very well exist on Felarya.

More to the point, "Cold" is actually not a type of energy, although it's convienent to use it as such for fictional purposes. "Cold" is actually a physical property, caused by a lack of heat within a system or object. In realistic (physical) terms, a fire elementalist would be able to "freeze" something just by drawing all the heat out of it, despite not being able to control the "element" of Ice.

Look, let's just see them as different Elements before I go on a rant, and become mean again. It's getting too nitpicky for me.

If it does, it's gonna end with me going on saying that cryomancy is actually hydromancy, that Ice Nagas are actuallly Water Nagas, why cryomancers can contol sub-zero phenomenon like a freezing blast is it's basically water in your way of reasoning, and I don't want to sound like an asshole again.

TheQuantumMechanic wrote:

More to the point, "Cold" is actually not a type of energy, although it's convienent to use it as such for fictional purposes. "Cold" is actually a physical property, caused by a lack of heat within a system or object. In realistic (physical) terms, a fire elementalist would be able to "freeze" something just by drawing all the heat out of it, despite not being able to control the "element" of Ice.

It confirm a bit my point about the fact the concept of heat and cold, is not necessary linked to an element, and it's maybe the reason why the coldfire exist

Sean Okotami wrote:

Besides, if you think about it, saying ice is 100% water is not very original. What if on Felarya, water and ice are actually two spearates things and not different phases? That would bring in more mystique to the world.

If that were the case, then you would not be able to melt ice into water, or freeze water into ice, because they would not be the same thing.

Water does not become Arsenic, no matter what temperature and/or amount of pressure you apply to it. "Arsenic" is not one of the physical phases of Water.

You can, however, make Water transition between Ice, Vapor, and (liquid) Water by applying different amounts heat and/or pressure to it. This is because Ice, Vapor, and liquid Water are all physical phases the substance "Water" can take. At a low enough pressure, water will boil itself at room temperature.

If Water and Ice were actually two seperate things like you suggested, no amount of pressure or temperature, or combination of the two would be capable of changing Water into Ice or Ice into Water. The same way no amount of temperature/pressure is enough to change a human into a dog.

Now, due to the unusual rules by which Felarya operates, it's certainly possible that there are certain places on Felarya where Water and Ice behave in this manner, but it is impossible for it to be a planet-wide thing. For waaaaay too many reasons to list; it would totally destroy the ecosystem and weather.

*sigh* Look, I said not going too much into nitpicking, just look at the top of the link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryokinetic It says less often water. Not all cryomancy is all about water, most is about freezing the water particle in the air because cold apply said pressure. It's possible that cryomancy which uses Ice Element has nothing to do with water, it simply creates ice on a specific target, which is why an ice beam sort of spell could work underwater because said water is not the target.

Let's not do this. Let's say cryokinetic doesn't depend on water all the time.

gwadahunter2222 wrote:

It confirm a bit my point about the fact the concept of heat and cold, is not necessary linked to an element, and it's maybe the reason why the coldfire exist

Indeed. I have a few theories about that myself, but I agree with you, heat and cold are just properties themselves, and not actual elements. One of the properties of the element of "Fire" is "Heat", but that does not mean that Fire is merely Heat; the same is true for the element of Ice and property of Cold.

The reason I think Coldfire is able to harm Elementals is because it is not the same thing as "Elemental Fire" or "Elemental Ice"; it's more a seperate, unique element that just happens to resemble the other two, with different properties than Fire and Ice. Ice Elementals are not immune to Coldfire simply because they're not "Coldfire Elementals", basically... it's not really "their element".

I always pictured Coldfire as being an ice attack at the Absolute Zero. Hence why it would harm even Ice Elementals, nothing can survive at Absolute Zero temperature.

Sean Okotami wrote:

*sigh* Look, I said not going too much into nitpicking, just look at the top of the link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryokinetic It says less often water. Not all cryomancy is all about water, most is about freezing the water particle in the air because cold apply said pressure. It's possible that cryomancy which uses Ice Element has nothing to do with water, it simply creates ice on a specific target, which is why an ice beam sort of spell could work underwater because said water is not the target.

Let's not do this. Let's say cryokinetic doesn't depend on water all the time.

You're jumping to conclusions again.

If you go back and read what we actually said, it was acknowledged that not all water elementalists can control ice and not all ice elementalists can control water. Some water elementalists make no distinction at all between the "elements" of Ice and Water; some other elementalists do.

Ice, Water, and Steam are the same thing. This is an indisputable fact; they just are not seperate "things", unless you are specifically referring to them as such, or some external factor makes it so. The reason an "Ice Elementalist" can only control Ice is because his or her magic only works on "water in the form of ice", which is what comprises the Ice Element. Likewise, under an elemental system that recognizes Water as a seperate element from Ice, the element of Water might be defined as "water in every form except ice", explaining why a water elementalist can not control ice.

It's the magic that makes that particular distinction, not the laws of physics. On Felarya, that might change in certain places (Like a glacial plain where ice never melts, and never transforms into water), but it is impossible for it to be the way the planet operates on a global scale. It would just require way too much explanation for every little natural process that occurs.

What about forming icicles in your hands? There aren't ice in front of you until you create it out of thin air.

Look, let's come to an understanding alright? Hydromancers can have limited control over ice, but are much better at using water. Likewise, cryomancers can have limited control over water, but are much better at using ice. Is that okay with you?

TheQuantumMechanic wrote:

Indeed. I have a few theories about that myself, but I agree with you, heat and cold are just properties themselves, and not actual elements. One of the properties of the element of "Fire" is "Heat", but that does not mean that Fire is merely Heat; the same is true for the element of Ice and property of Cold.

The reason I think Coldfire is able to harm Elementals is because it is not the same thing as "Elemental Fire" or "Elemental Ice"; it's more a seperate, unique element that just happens to resemble the other two, with different properties than Fire and Ice. Ice Elementals are not immune to Coldfire simply because they're not "Coldfire Elementals", basically... it's not really "their element".

In many anime, manga and fiction I like the guy who say he is a master of fire, and shows the many properties of the fire by example he can burn one person without burning everything, or the fire don't burn it.

Or the holy fire or the fire of the demons is still for me one of the properties of the fire and we are still in fire manipulation.

A creature who is very experienced in one element can defeat without any problem someone who use many elements or using the same element.

Because a generalist is versatile he can switch an element to another but it doesn't know all the strenght of the weakness of the element. If he meets a problem with an element he switch to another and if it doesn't work he changes again.

A true master know all his strenght and weakness and how to use them depending the situation

Edit:

Sean Okotami wrote:

What about forming icicles in your hands? There aren't ice in front of you until you create it out of thin air.

When someone create an icicles, he can use the molecules of water inside the atmosphere it slowly freeze, using a cold wind or his own energy.

But it's a manipulation of temperature and pressure to transform the water.

Please, avoid double post

Gwada, did you read the little understanding I made so we can both agrees on one hand?