Chapter 6: The Five Metaphysical Elementals

The five elementals of classical philosophy and alchemy are the foundational metaphysical constituents of all things: Quintessence, Air, Fire, Earth, and Water. These are not like the physical elements of chemistry from which all matter is made, but rather the source of the magical and mystical characteristics of all things including the magical creatures and woods as well as the mystical crystals and metals used in wand making. Conversely, a creature's or material's mixture of these elementals determines its associated magical or mystical properties.

As can be seen in the following figure, the four elementals of the physical plane can be placed in a square where neighboring elementals are compatible and tend to reinforce each other when incorporated into a wand. On the other hand, pairs of elementals that are opposite each other tend to be slightly incompatible and slightly weaken each other when incorporated into a wand. Wand makers will use this information to determine which magical creatures and mystical materials can best be combined to produce powerful wands.

The Four Elementals of the Physical Plane

The following figure documents the pyramid of the metaphysical elementals. The four elementals of the physical plane form the base of the pyramid while the elemental Quintessence forms the top of the pyramid.

The Five Metaphysical Elementals

Every magic spell is associated with one of these five elementals. All magic wands strengthen spells, and wands with mystic crystals or metals also help focus the spells on their intended targets. The specific elementals of the components of the wand will determine which spells are strengthened and focused the most.