The Secrets of Elemental Destruction - Srad, Athar, Creag, Sal
This series of secrets comprises of the series of Sal, Srad, Athar, and Creag, and their respective beag, lamh, mor, ard, meall and gar iterations. This series does not, under any circumstances include the Leasaich or Nadur elemental secrets.
The aforementioned secrets are all gifted to the Wizard class, for the Wizard is the one able to command
nature, and therefore harness its elements to cause damage. They can all cause damage if properly utilised against their respective opposite elements. However, what makes the Wizard –more- fit to utilise these spells than any other path?
The path that next comes to mind is that of the Monk. Wizards are attuned to nature, and so are Monks. However, where the Wizard commands nature and bends it to his will, and is thus the master of nature, the Monk seeks to become one with it, in harmonious balance. Therefore, the Monk seeks no mastery of nature, unlike the wizard, but a synergy with it. The Wizard spends laborious hours studying nature, in order to find ways to harness and exploit it, whereas the Monk tries to preserve its balance. Therefore, secrets that command nature are more likely to disrupt its natural order, as the aforementioned secrets result in destruction, whereas the monk seeks a balance between growth and decay. An interesting analysis arises in the creag lamh, sal lamh, with the srad lamh and athar lamh secrets. The former pair of secrets only attacks enemies immediately around the caster - as creag and sal are solid and liquid respectively - their physical states do not reach far. On the other hand, srad lamh, and athar lamh are intangible and gaseous-like, and thus can reach far and wide. This shows the degree of imitation the secrets of elemental destruction bear to nature, and the Wizards' ties to it.
The Medenian Elemental Damage Secrets, Keeter, Groo, Mermaid and Torch, take this one step further in that they not only command nature, but summon one of its elemental servants to do its Master’s bidding. While it may seem obvious that such secrets involve Summoning, and therefore should belong to the Path of the Summoner, other paths have access to calling upon nature’s servants, such as Priests, through the Spion Beathach incantation, Druids through their Forms and Animal Forms. However, as the Summoner’s aforementioned summons involve the elements, it falls under the aforementioned arguments of Wizards commanding the elemental mastery of nature.
The aforementioned secrets are all gifted to the Wizard class, for the Wizard is the one able to command
nature, and therefore harness its elements to cause damage. They can all cause damage if properly utilised against their respective opposite elements. However, what makes the Wizard –more- fit to utilise these spells than any other path?
The path that next comes to mind is that of the Monk. Wizards are attuned to nature, and so are Monks. However, where the Wizard commands nature and bends it to his will, and is thus the master of nature, the Monk seeks to become one with it, in harmonious balance. Therefore, the Monk seeks no mastery of nature, unlike the wizard, but a synergy with it. The Wizard spends laborious hours studying nature, in order to find ways to harness and exploit it, whereas the Monk tries to preserve its balance. Therefore, secrets that command nature are more likely to disrupt its natural order, as the aforementioned secrets result in destruction, whereas the monk seeks a balance between growth and decay. An interesting analysis arises in the creag lamh, sal lamh, with the srad lamh and athar lamh secrets. The former pair of secrets only attacks enemies immediately around the caster - as creag and sal are solid and liquid respectively - their physical states do not reach far. On the other hand, srad lamh, and athar lamh are intangible and gaseous-like, and thus can reach far and wide. This shows the degree of imitation the secrets of elemental destruction bear to nature, and the Wizards' ties to it.
The Medenian Elemental Damage Secrets, Keeter, Groo, Mermaid and Torch, take this one step further in that they not only command nature, but summon one of its elemental servants to do its Master’s bidding. While it may seem obvious that such secrets involve Summoning, and therefore should belong to the Path of the Summoner, other paths have access to calling upon nature’s servants, such as Priests, through the Spion Beathach incantation, Druids through their Forms and Animal Forms. However, as the Summoner’s aforementioned summons involve the elements, it falls under the aforementioned arguments of Wizards commanding the elemental mastery of nature.
A Humble Mimicry - Beag Nochd
One more secret through which the Monk Path is able to mimic one of nature’s forces - the wind, which can often be a soothing breeze, or a destructive tornado - which is why it deals damage. However, as a compromise for the unpredictable nature and strength of the wind, the Monk Path only has access to a beag iteration of the nochd secret. Translated from the Old Tongue, it means Minor Manifestation - in that it is a manifestation of nature’s forces, and arguably wrath. Although, as the Monk Path has neither the intelligence nor the degree of willpower required to make proper use of this - as the Wizard class could, it is ambiguous as to whether it has more of a symbolic meaning so as to give the Path of the Monk an all-round access to nature’s domains.
Slaves by Nature - Fiery Defender, Cyclone, Bubbles, Mud, Spion Beathach
The calling of a Cyclone and Fiery Defender are seemingly an extension of the elemental damage secrets series, as they call upon the servants of the elements, made of pure energy affiliated to the said element - the Defender is pure Srad, the Cyclone is pure athar. Once again, it displays the manipulation of nature by the Wizard, and a direct chain of servitude, as in this instance, not only is the Wizard calling upon nature, but a real and tangible servant is drawn forth, serving its master, elucidating the domination of the Wizard upon nature. The Bubble and Mud Block, as well as the Bubble Shield and Mud Fortress secrets also elucidate this relationship, but with respect to Sal and Creag. Instead of destruction, these spells offer direct manipulation of nature, akin to the Elemental Manipulation Series, instead of Destruction. However, due to the direct manifestation of natural elements, they have been assorted with the secrets of Elemental Destruction. The priest is also able to summon spiders, however, to serve them. However, this has nothing do to with nature - it instead has to do with the cultural symbolism spiders bear. Spiders have many times been depicted as symbols of patience as they take time in weaving their webs. This fits with Priests, for they're the least capable to attain experience for masterhood on their own - patience is a necessity. Spiders could also be interpreted to instill fear - alike to what many of the other secrets the Priest has at their possession does
Hail of Feathers - The Fury of the Eagle
The Hail of Feathers imitates the Eagle’s powerful flapping of wings, which can produce massive forces of winds at its target – which is inherent to its nature as it is based on the element of the wind. As the Karura druid is the one that assumes the form of the Eagle, it is very obvious that no other Druid would have the ability to imitate an ability that is based on the flapping of wings, let alone someone of another Path.
