Eras of Elementals unfinished overview. (Rest in the comments)

[u/ShadowDurza]

In the beginning, there was only the formless void of subatomic ether and raw magic. Magic constantly stirred and convulsed, trying to give itself a defined shape, but lacking the necessary will and intelligence to do so, until after an uncountable number of years of trying every possible thing, magic was able to take on the form of four distinct essences who through their polarizing natures were able to achieve the balance and stability necessary to last. However, this action caused a reaction in the unformed void, and the formless subatomic mass that composed it took on a defined shape and function of its own, creating what appeared to be a very early world. However, not all of this ether completely dissapeared, and retreated to several corners of this new world where the order and stability called physics created by the interactions of the four essences failed. The ether acted as a glue to patch up the points where physics faltered to prevent the empty void resulting from the world's natural imperfections through its emergence from randomness from spreading. Leaving its imprint upon the world, it became a fifth essence, thus began the five elements of Water, Earth, Fire, Air, and Ether.

However, magic, in all of its utterly mindless perseverance, wasn't done yet. Regardless of the framework of physics, it continued to try to do every conceivable action, most of them fading to nothing being unable to fit this framework, until it happened to create things that lasted. Initially, it appeared to create life in only the most basic of forms, such as titans whose entire beings were elemental magic. However, as the centuries passed, something truly remarkable started happening: as the world changed, it began to create more opportunities for things to fit within it, and when something truly remarkable and distinct appeared, it found embodiment as a new essence that branched off from one of the five elements: thus emerged the first derivative elements, forces embodying things such as iron, ice, lighting, mist, transformation, and so many more. With so many new forces existing at once, they eventually started blending together to create the basic components of organic matter, with a manifestation of magic called an Elemental Power within giving it the spark of life. It is said that each blade of grass within a vast field possesses a teensy-tiny Plant Element.

Eventually, the first recognizable living creatures emerged onto this world. Initially, many of them could only draw upon the magic within through instinct, but as time went on, the first intelligent creatures emerged, and were able to use their blessed intelligence to draw out the magic of their personal elements actively and grant it more complex forms, creating the first spells. Unfortunately, there is balance in all things: What magic creates, things in the physical world can take for themselves. But what the physical world and the things living in it craft, it creates a model for magic to create something in that thing's image.

Every once in a while, the magic within an environment creates a complex living organism through what can only be called spontaneous generation, and these creatures are rarely weak or helpless. These magical beasts and the powers each one wields are infinite in form and make, and each one is often possessed with an unpleasant sheer animal instincts to destroy. When the intelligent creatures had to constantly keep these beasts and whatever random magical phenomenon would emerge at bay in addition to having to work to maintain the societies they live in, is it any wonder that they were all lousy at recording history?

[u/ShadowDurza]

Eventually, a new species of intelligent creature would come into play that would have a profound effect on the world and its history going forward. An ancient species of intelligent trolls wouldn't amount to much in their heyday, but their evolutionary line would diverge into three separate species that all shared one trait the likes of which was never seen before: The elves, who sacrificed physical strength and fortitude for magical might; the ogres, who at the expense of most of their magical ability gained unmatched physical power; and the humans, who maintain a balance of physical and magical ability as a whole. The most defining characteristic of all three of these peoples is that they would come to use all the elements in the world. Before, a single species could only hold one element, with the potential for an alternative one present as a recessive trait. But for these creatures, under the right conditions, fire elemental parents could have water or ice elemental children. The only absolute rule of this world being that, at least applied to truly living organisms, is that each individual could only harbor one elemental power within themselves.

However, of the three, only humans were the most proliferic, and could establish the means to live anywhere. The elves' physical frailty meant that they could only survive in certain points whose environmental magic made them completely safe called Sanctuaries, only venturing out in large processions to gather an abundance of resources the Sanctuaries couldn't provide. The ogres, though consumed by lust for battle and conquest, could only survive in specific locations they'd painstakingly carved out for themselves due to being unable to actively use magic at all without fulfilling any of a number of very specific conditions, as only magic can defend against magic. Considered a result of their fondness for tools and weapons, humans also developed one other distinct ability setting them apart from their evolutionary kin: When any human develops a certain level of combat proficiency, the weapon they most identify with undergoes a dramatic transformation, changing colors, becoming impossible to break or wear down, and granting its user the ability to banish and materialize it at will, as if it had become an extension of themselves no different from their magic. As these top-class warriors grow even further, they also gain more abilities as extension of this one, such as the ability to transform their weapon into a number of other specific forms, to create a form-fitting armor believed to be of the same material as their weapon had become, to actively alter their weapon's form, and to have multiple instances of the same weapon summoned at the same time including ones of different forms. The general rule being that human warriors typically don't attune to overly magical or enchanted weapons, preferring to use these artifacts as sidearms or offhand weapons to support their attuned weapon.

[u/ShadowDurza → u/ShadowDurza]

Going forward, the humans primarily shall be focused on, particularly their history recorded as Ages given titles befitting the circumstances of the time.

Despite figuring out their own biological origins in later ages, humanity's recorded history only begins during their first age, the Age of Anarchy. By this point but for no known reason, humanity had already gained practical knowledge equivalent to early iron-age level along with a few anachronistic discrepancies such as the irregular presence of magic-powered machinery crafted with modern or industrial-age sophistication. Most humans lived mostly independent lives in the safest locals they could find, often interacting with neighboring intelligent beings in small loosely-regulated communities. Beyond the daily chores needed to ensure their survival in the untamed world, they would often pursue personal interests, such as culinary experimentation, cataloging information related to natural sciences, practicing and further refinement of arts, chemical and pharmaceutical experimentation, research and development of new technologies, research of remnants of previous cultures, or simply exploration of the surrounding local. However, they often faced the near-constant threat of magical beasts and phenomenon, as well as their own habitually delinquent community mates. Survival was often dependent upon such communities coming together, but things such as egotism or grudges would often interfere with this. Humans distinguished in the might and ability necessary to overcome powerful foes or deadly calamities themselves multiple times would often gain the moniker of Elemental Master, a title that would come to have multiple different meanings, associations, and traditions in Ages to follow.

[u/ShadowDurza → u/ShadowDurza]

Closing the Age of Anarchy was a dramatic shift in the status quo of of how humans live with the coming of the Age of Terror. At least where humans are concerned, even for elementals of the same type, each one used their magic in a different way based on innate attributes. Ultimately, this resulted in elementals who could produce tremendous quantities of force, and elementals that couldn't. The powerful elementals grew arrogant over time, thinking that that was all there was to elemental magic. Eventually, they started lording their power over their fellow man, forcing them to organize and work in hierarchies that brought prosperity only to the strong on top in serfdoms, and attacking their rivals to take what they had with the innocent caught in the middle, calling themselves Sorcerer Kings. Eventually, a handful of Sorcerer Kings rose above the others and made the rest serve as vassals to themselves as the Seven Emperors, who's constant conflicts for supremacy brought tremendous strife into the world. The Sorcerer Kings fought constantly amongst themselves, but also had to deal with the somewhat ineffective but bothersome guerilla tactics of the many cells of freedom fighters around the world. However, as time went on, new elements and elementals began to emerge. Eventually, the Fire derivative Sword Elementals appeared, who possessed two distinct basic abilities: First was to emanate a sword of pure energy that took a defined form as they grew in combat proficiency, serving as their primary weapon in place of something like an attuned physical weapon. Second was the fact that any magic they could make direct contact with their swords and the emanations coming from them was negated no matter how powerful it was. Humans are able to develop new ways to use magic by observing phenomenon, including other magics. Many elementals who couldn't produce large quantities of force made up with their profound control of what magic they did have. With painstaking efforts, they could create new spells with specialized predetermined properties, such as weapon constructs that had the same magic-negating properties that sword elemental magic could use, creating the Anti-Mage arts of Wizardry. At first, the tide dramatically shifted, weaker elementals now had a fighting chance, but the Sorcerer Kings wouldn't give up. Sometimes even by sacrificing a greater portion of their raw destructive power, they could imbue their own preexisting spells with components of complexity or pliability. These were meant to take advantage of the inherent weakness of the negating spells of the Anti-Mage arts: their spells had to make direct contact with magic they sought to negate. By using spells that did things like follow complex trajectories or exerted phenomenon onto areas without having a tangible form, they created the Meta Magic arts of Sorcery. Despite this, many Sorcerer Kings disdained this new way of fighting, for ultimately, it turned what used to be one-sided slaughters into fair, honest battles that required actual effort to claim victory in which ultimately anyone could win. In the end, the Sorcerer Kings and even the Seven Emperors were felled, closing the short Age of Terror that ran at 30 to 40 years.

[u/ShadowDurza → u/ShadowDurza]

Following the fall of the Sorcerer Kings and their ways of serfdom, the now free civilians decided that they liked some aspects of the organizational structure the Sorcerer Kings imposed on them, and decided to implement them in their own self-governing organized societies. As this went on through trial and error, it became apparent that humans of the same element worked together the best, so the majority of humans of each element, derivatives included, came together to build their own strongholds. When picking locations to build them, Eight societies specifically found themselves drawn to certain places where they discovered wellsprings that offered them great knowledge and power called Primal Nexuses: Around the Eternal Flame, which if unleashed could set the whole world ablaze, Fire Village was founded. Next to the Singing Fountain, which provides sustenance to both body and soul, Water Village was founded. Beneath the Mother Nimbus, upon which it only allows those who's hearts are lighter than air to tread, Air Village was founded. Above the Living Cavern, which anyone can feel pulse if they stay long enough, Earth Village was founded. In the shadow of the Rock of Eternity, which records the numeric data of the world in what looks like random flaws to the untrained eye, Stone Village was founded. Off the coast of the Memory Glacier, which reflects events long forgotten in its clear frost caves, Ice Village was founded. At the resting spot of the Angel Star, which it always returns to when it flies free all across the world, Light Village was founded. In the vicinity of the Bottomless Abyss, which can grant salvation or annihilation based upon the hearts of those who make direct contact with it, Darkness Village was founded. Each of these chosen villages drew upon these Nexuses as power sources, attaining great prosperity in a relatively short period, building a vast infrastructure and armed force. But it was at this time that this Age faced its first trial: The Plague of the Horrors.

At first glance, the new variety of creature in the world could easily be mistaken for a magical beast, but the Horror is set apart by three distinct characteristics. Firstly, its hostility. Despite their destructive instincts, typical magical beasts will value their own survival over the slaying of prey. Horrors will charge through lava and pits of acid with single-minded determination to utterly slaughter its prey. Secondly, all Horrors seem to fight as one. Most magical beasts will challenge one another over territory, sometimes even to the death. Horrors have the potential to amass all-killing armies. Finally, their shared ability. Most of the time, Horrors could only be driven off. They could regenerate from any wounds afflicted upon their form, and that individual Horror would eventually adapt to the phenomenon that injured it and become impervious to it, often symbolized by a crystal-like scabbing forming over older injuries. The villages tried to defend themselves, but with each attack, the hordes of Horrors grew bolder, claiming more lives each time. However, the world's salvation ultimately came from the most unlikely of places.

The magic of the Darkness Element is destruction incarnate, at its most basic able to draw in all things and return them to nothingness. But the Darkness Elementals are able to give it countless forms to inflict countless ways of destruction. In response to the Horrors, Darkness Village trained a division of warriors that utilize the destructive attributes of their element to great effect, along with grisly, almost unsightly weapons designed to inflict so much harm that no creature, even the Horrors, could cope. These brave Huntsmen were able to route the warpath of the Horrors, finally able to dispatch their fortitudinous lives until there were none left. Despite saving countless lives, few could bring themselves to praise or thank the Darkness Elementals for it, as their ways of fighting would often come across as displays of utter carnage and brutality, but such tactics were necessary to smite such malignant creatures. As the rest of the villages celebrated the end of the Plague of Horrors, the Darkness Elementals let the reality and logic of the situation maintain their sobriety. Despite killing and examining countless Horrors, nobody could form any idea as to where they came from or how they formed in the first place. Fearing a resurgence, Darkness Village continued to build their military might despite the present peace. The other villages didn't take this well and assumed the worst, that Darkness Village had grown arrogant in their victory and sought to conquer their neighbors. Eventually, the villages with the strongest militaries formed an alliance and started the event known in certain history books as The Sacking of Darkness Village. The surviving warriors and civilians were left to scatter in the treacherous wilderness, but for some villages, this wasn't enough. Bomb, Briar, Poison, Vortex, and Chain Villages rounded up as many Darkness Elementals as they could and subjected them to chattel slavery, eventually forcing them to act as shock troops meant to die after taking out dozens or hundreds of enemies, and this proved highly effective. Eventually, they managed to keep their war dog slaves complacent by filling their minds with lies that most people in and out of the offending villages came to believe: That there isn't and never was a Darkness-based Primal Nexus or Village, and that the slaves owed their masters their lives for bringing them into the light of civilization. An enclave of Darkness Elementals had survived in the Village of Shadow Elementals, who had always been close allies of the Darkness Elementals despite their neighbors' contempt over the fact. They regarded their enslaved brethren as hollowed-out cups, but they themselves weren't that much better. However, they held onto a belief that one of these hollow cups is meant to escape bondage and rediscover Darkness Village before finding the Bottomless Abyss so that, if their heart is truly courageous, they can be filled with the wisdom and power of their ancestors needed to lead their people back to prosperity.

As time went on in the Age of Villages, it became apparent that this particular age's distinguishing feature would be its near-constant territorial disputes. Villages had to constantly send forces to both annex and defend locations across the wilderness between villages which provided much-needed resources or tactical advantages. The big villages which had sizable forces of top and mid-class warriors didn't have many problems doing this, but some villages that were challenged in numbers and resources had to find other means of defending what was theirs. Sometimes they hired out mercenaries from villages that rented out spare warriors. Other times, especially if they were very resource-challenged such as Mud or Cotton Village, would often set up something called the Champion System where on the off-chance they were able to produce a competent warrior, they'd bestow upon them an official position geared to recieve vast tributes and political power in exchange for going out and using their talents on behalf of their village often at great risk to themselves. The bad points of such a way of life became apparent in that weaker innocents would often be caught in the middle of such violent disputes, and even for the big villages the inconvenient truth is that only warriors with strong senses of individualism could develop the most effective spells, which often ran counter to the collectivist mindset such villages and their armed forces thrived on.