FIRE MAGIC
Fire mages are, in recent years, theorised as the most populous class of magic. This could be due to fire mages often coupling up, adding to the theory of elemental magic being hereditary, or because they tend to be the most outspoken of any class and this simply lends to them being counted more often.
The above factoids and theories give a fair example of the average fire magician. Their magic pulls heavily from their emotions, and most simply aren’t afraid to feel them with every bit of zeal they can muster. This has led to a fair bit of disaster in terms of scorching, but fire mages are still often very popular amongst their peers, a bit of a point of contention between themselves and air mages, and the inspiration for a sort of (mostly) friendly rivalry between the two classes. All fire mages, regardless of subclass, have heightened sensitivities to heat left on an environment. Fire mages are attuned well to the body heat of the average person and can often sense another nearby by feeling their body heat and being drawn to it. All fire mages are also able to summon and hold flame with ease, and with enough exposure, have resistance to the damage fire can cause, with some even being able to walk straight through fire or, in extreme cases, survive close contact with lava.
PHAGE LI
PATRON DEITY
PHOENIX
PATRON BEAST
RED & YELLOW
CLASS COLOURS
TORCHBEARERS
Often referred to as “living bonfires”, Torchbearers are powered by the flame within them. This can be a boon to their skill and social standing, but can also be to their detriment. Torchbearers tend to, much like Skyspinners, find their home among others, often proudly declaring themselves “people people”, and make fine acquaintances, leaders, and close friends. Torchbearers seek the approval and happiness of those around them to “fuel their fire” as they refer to it. Their magical energy can often take the form of inspiration brought on by those they keep close, and as such these mages can be caught listening to their heart rather than their head when it comes to decision-making, or being easily influenced by those around them. This can work well, or can occasionally lead to rash or impulsive decisions.
While most Torchbearers rely on the rush they get from engaging in group dynamics, some more introverted Torchbearers have been known to follow their heart in other ways, focusing all of their time and energy into their passions on their own or with small groups of people. In any case, it is a commonly-accepted trait of torchbearers to be the first one bounding towards risk or adventure when it comes to something they truly care about.
EMBERSEEKERS
While Torchbearers tend to lead, Emberseekers tend to split off, more keen to follow their passions on their own terms than to compromise with a group. Many Emberseekers find group work to be tiresome, especially when it doesn't focus on something they're directly interested in. Emberseekers have a reputation for being a little selfish, and while this isn’t entirely true, this subclass does tend to have a habit of putting their passions over the wants of others they aren’t particularly concerned with.
Students of this division can easily get sucked into arguments and debates due to their self-assured demeanours and deep care for their own interests, and it isn't uncommon to find Emberseekers at odds with each other or with Air students, usually locking horns over their respective opinions and interests. While social interaction can often take a backseat to whatever else an Emberseeker has on their plate, these mages are also the fiercely loyal type. Any friend of an Emberseeker has a friend for life, a shoulder to lean on, and an ear to talk to, and it takes perhaps more work to sever that bond than to create it for some mages. This loyalty can perhaps even be blinding, leading to Emberseekers to follow those they care for and fight unflinchingly for their allies without any thought to their own life or limb.
ABILITIES
Because of how much their emotions can affect their magic and their magic can affect their physical state, in tense or overexciting situations, Torchbearers often become very physically hot to the touch, and minor burns can be acquired from touching them in an overemotional state. Conversely, an ill or depressed Torchbearer often dips into a freezing state, and it is said that rather than dying of sickness the same way most other living creatures would, Torchbearers have their flame extinguished. This leaves them uniquely susceptible to spirals of lethargy and sadness.
Creatures of warmth, Torchbearers are able to sense someone's heat nearby and remember someone by their temperature. Similar to a scent, a torchbearer can identify someone by their resting temperature. Just as any fire mage can, Torchbearers have the ability to light small flames on their person, though where this differs from an Emberseeker is the “show” factor. Some Torchbearers of the most charismatic variety have been known to recolour flames, put on small “fireworks” shows, or, with enough practice, even float smaller flames through the air. Conversely, a Torchbearer can conjure tremendous, scorching fires at a moment's notice, but without a source of fuel for such figures, will quickly tire as it eats away their energy.
Torchbearers also possess the unique ability to “converse” with flames. Similar to how a mage of this subclass can sense a person’s presence by way of their temperature, Torchbearers can also witness glimpses into recent past by reading a fire or ashes left in an area, or hear echoes of words said around a still-active fire hours before.
ABILITIES
Where a Torchbearer’s body temperature correlates with their emotions, an Emberseeker’s body heat reflects the energy they have stored up and will heighten when they are about to release a spell. All fire mages run warm, but it is often easy to tell an Emberseeker apart only by touching them. Emberseekers tend to deviate from “fire” in the traditional sense, but are skilled at creating explosions out of about any flammable material and, at more advanced levels, can even form cracks in the ground, allowing lava to run through, or animate beasts out of flame itself or lava (if any is available) to fight battles for them. Some also have the ability to summon bolts of lightning to the ground, striking an unlucky enemy or starting a fire. This is something that takes patience, precision, and practice, something Emberseekers have much of an appetite for.
Because of the destructive potential of Emberseekers, they tend to tire out faster than most after much exertion, and have been known to go into trances of a sort to gain back energy a little faster. The “trance” has been described as a sort of dead sleep that allows the mage to gain back most of the magical energy expended within a time anywhere from a full twenty-four hours to a full week– Or longer, if their powers were truly so exhausted. Most Emberseekers do not have the ability to control the length of these trances, and simply do not make plans for some time when it becomes clear one is in order.
When not causing explosions or other calamity, Emberseekers have the ability to hold embers or bury their hands in fresh ashes to draw out small bursts of energy. Being bound to the concept of heat and destruction itself, what is left of spells or simply natural fire can be pulled from embers and given back to the Emberseeker. There are some particularly stubborn mages known for trying this trick with electricity, but this tends to take a lot of specialised skill and often results in more of a nasty shock than any boost of magical energy that would be worth it. It's not uncommon to see an Emberseeker reach into the fire and drain the remaining warmth from a campfire’s embers, which is why they're usually the ones to put out the last of it in the end.
