Nimue
Auror
Using the four elements as the basis for a system of magic has, obviously, been done many times before. Do y'all think it's possible to inject new life into this concept, or is it all beating a dead horse? This could be a good place to discuss elemental magic in general, but I'd like to specifically ask after the magic in the current world I'm working with.
There are five domains, rather than four, as follows: sigil of the Greenwood, sigil of the Waters, sigil of Stone, sigil of Wind, sigil of the Sun and Moon. (Essentially, plants/forest, water, earth, air, and fire.) Each of these domains is tapped into through enchanted instruments (wand, chalice, knife, harp, fire-striker, etc etc). Now, the magic of these does not actually involve manipulating the element, casting about water or fire, but rather powers arranged around certain qualities. For wood, transformation or transmutation of matter; for water, purification or harmony of spirit; for stone, protection or harmony of matter; for wind, command or transformation of spirit; for fire, destruction or transcendence. The exact limits and powers of working in each domain is still something I'm muddling through as the story requires it, but suffice to say that to do anything really extraordinary you need to work with multiple domains and instruments and, preferably, multiple spellcasters, which is why great magic is done through gatherings of witches (and the occasional warlock. Or druid.)
Does that description make any sense at all...?
There are five domains, rather than four, as follows: sigil of the Greenwood, sigil of the Waters, sigil of Stone, sigil of Wind, sigil of the Sun and Moon. (Essentially, plants/forest, water, earth, air, and fire.) Each of these domains is tapped into through enchanted instruments (wand, chalice, knife, harp, fire-striker, etc etc). Now, the magic of these does not actually involve manipulating the element, casting about water or fire, but rather powers arranged around certain qualities. For wood, transformation or transmutation of matter; for water, purification or harmony of spirit; for stone, protection or harmony of matter; for wind, command or transformation of spirit; for fire, destruction or transcendence. The exact limits and powers of working in each domain is still something I'm muddling through as the story requires it, but suffice to say that to do anything really extraordinary you need to work with multiple domains and instruments and, preferably, multiple spellcasters, which is why great magic is done through gatherings of witches (and the occasional warlock. Or druid.)
Does that description make any sense at all...?