The three ways a person approaches the world may be broadly defined as through the Body, the Mind, and the Spirit. These traits correspond to the elements of Earth, Air, and Water. Decisions are made using all of these in combination, but each individual at birth has one element that is dominant, one that is weaker, and one between them. Perfectly balanced or utterly one dimensional people do not exist in the real world. The intensity of these differences combined with life experiences which develop or restrict development of these traits are what generate the unique ways people act in the world.
Earth, Air, and Water are not to be confused with their lowercase counterparts of earth, air, and water. The capitalized version represents a state of matter: solid, gas, or liquid in a raw, "element" form. The fourth state, Fire or plasma, is emphatically not fire. This element is treated differently from the others and will be discussed later.
Body or Earth represents the solidity of the physical plane. Strength, agility, and hardiness are represented here. A character with Earth as the strongest element in their makeup prefers approaching problems through action rather than deep thought or intuition. The best way to learn and process is through movement. Knowledge gained first hand by listening to the body's own wisdom in this way is superior to any book or hunch.
Mind or Air represents the gaseous state of matter and is most often associated with an analytical view of life. A character with Air as their primary element trait will have a cerebral approach to problems and rarely acts without due consideration. Data and information are indispensable to planning, regardless of the time horizon, and anyone who neglects this will eventually pay the price. There are also the qualities of lightness and quickness to Air, but rather than physical it is in perceiving the truth of something.
Spirit or Water represents the liquid state and often confers a natural intuition, grace, and connectedness to the world. These individuals generally seek to see beyond a problem and perhaps discover that there is no problem at all. They may appear to be less goal driven and more fluid in their approach to life than those strongly possessed of Earth or Air. However, these individuals usually hold strong beliefs beneath the surface and when roused are as stalwart as any other.
The first step in the character creation process is to rank the three elements of Earth, Air, and Water from strongest to weakest in your character's makeup at birth. The element with the highest modifier in a character's makeup is known as their Dominant Element and will be a crucial number moving forward. These modifiers can never exceed +10 either naturally or with equipment, but the Dominant Element can change based on training or equipment. During the final step of character creation, you will have three additional points to distribute. Keep this in mind as you choose your Path and Element Focus. Below are the major in-game effects of the elements and starting modifiers based on ranking.
A change in Dominant Element occurs only when the current Dominant Element is surpassed by one of the others via advancement in level or with equipment. If another element has the same modifier as the Dominant Element, the Dominant Element does not change.
Strongest Element: +3
Middle Element: +1
Weakest Element: +0
Remember that just because someone has Earth as the strongest element in their makeup does not mean they are always stronger, faster, and tougher than someone with Air or Water as their strongest element. Conversely, just because someone has Air as their weakest element does not mean they cannot think well or plan. Individuals vary wildly and their lives could have made them adept at things they are not naturally inclined towards. In the final step of the character creation process you will distribute additional Element Points into these three elements. This allocation could potentially change the Dominant Modifier, representing training or experiences that have overcome or replaced natural inclinations.
The terms Body, Mind, and Spirit are given here as bridges to the elements. They will not be used again in this book.
When you are ready, move on to the next step.