Alter Aeon The Great Library

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Note - as with any topic, researchers should question the reliability
and veracity of these texts.  The library's aim is to preserve
documents, not verify accuracy.

AABN:  13773
Title: a book entitled "Magus Novum II: Elementals"

Some planes are inhabited by complex entities. For example, demons of
myriad sorts are known to inhabit the Demon Realms, Chaos and the plane of
elemental darkness. Though differing from us biologically, these creatures
have metabolisms and ecologies into which they fit, and have habits similar
to our own.

The elemental planes, however, do not have the necessary diversity of
materials to support life as we know it. However, given the subtle
differences in natural law between our world and others, these planes often
support forms of life that could not exist in or near the prime material
plane.

These entities are called elementals. Elementals come in all shapes and
sizes. Some are tiny, little larger than a pebble or a spark. Others are
titanic entities the size of mountains. Elementals are most common on the
planes of elemental earth, air and water. Lightning and fire elementals do
exist, but are difficult to distinguish from the background energy of their
native planes until summoned. Some scholars believe the planes of fire and
lightning are in fact two colossal elementals, and that every  part of them
is imbued with small amount of consciousness.

Ice elementals hail from frozen regions of the elemental plane of water.
Crystal elementals are known to exist, but have only been found on the
elemental plane of earth.

Elementals do not appear to have organs or a metabolism. The mechanisms
that drive their behavior and consciousness are not well understood. Most
are wild and beast-like, though some demonstrate considerable intelligence.
A few have been known to emulate the activities of mortal creatures, ruling
over hordes of lesser elementals as self-proclaimed Lords.

There are rare types of elemental entities that appear to be hybrids of
normal creatures and elementals, or normal creatures that are infused with
elemental energy. These creatures have habits and metabolisms that are more
easily understood. The most common variety are animentals -- elemental
creatures that exhibit the shape and habits of mortal animals. The wave
raiders of the Dome Sea on the elemental plane of water have human-like
shapes and habits, and live side-by-side with water animentals. Djinnis 
from the plane of air also have a strong elemental composition.

Powerful mages can learn to summon and control elemental creatures. They
must expend considerable energy maintaining the creatures -- the conditions
of the Prime Material Plane are hostile to them, especially fire and
lightning elementals.

Summoned elementals can also be used to animate a special class of
constructs. The infusion of elementals into specially crafted bodies result
in entities called golems. Made from clay, stone, crystal, glass or metal,
they help shield the inhabiting elemental from the hostile conditions of
the Prime Material Plane. Lesser golems may be made from wood, leather,
cloth or even foodstuffs, but these usually serve as menial servants or
exotic works of art.

Some believe that the so-called "fairies" found throughout the world are
elementals native to the Prime Material Plane. This viewpoint is not
accepted by most scholars, though it does hold some merit. Fairies are
often bound to locations, objects or certain elements. Many of them seem to
be manifestations of primal natural urges such as anger, lust, hunger,
greed, grief and joy. The exact nature of fairies is not well understood.
It is generally accepted to be the purview of druids and thus few mages
concern themselves with it.

Certain demonic and angelic entities appear to be, at least in part,
elemental in nature. The imp-like mephits and humanoid devas seem to
represent a link between elementals with demons and angels, respectively.