So, I know that not everyone has the ability to become an elemancer, because not everyone can do even the simplest amount of elemancy. The ability to channel the elements cannot be taught, it is just something you can or cannot do; the University just acts to teach those who can how to better harness their abilities and study them. However, I am not sure as to how one discovers that they have the ability to become an elemancer. Do they discover it by accident, by actualky doing some form of minor elemancy? Do they have tests to see if someone can channel an element? Do the people just know somehow that they can? I want to know more about how the ability to channel the elements is discovered in people.
Tl;dr: How do elemancers discover that they have the ability to channel elements?
Is It A Gift?
Re: Is It A Gift?
Most elemancers have it as a gift, a sort of savant-like ability. It doesn't mean the character is a genius by any means, just that they happen to have the knack, perhaps subconsciously, to see and form these immensely complex patterns in their mind.
How do they discover it? Some might be able to pull off cantrips without knowing how or why. For instance, some young kid with a knack for pyromancy (though he doesn't necessarily know it) finds that for some reason his bedsheets are always catching on fire when he has nightmares, or something. Or perhaps when he looks at a flame he sees complex patterns and structures and form in his mind that he can't explain or put into words.
Brings up a point I've been meaning to make: If your character has joined the University of Elemancy, it's assumed that your character has this knack, and not that they're learning it all completely from scratch without any prior aptitude, as that would take years upon years upon years to do. Someday, there'll be more alluding to that as part of the initiation process rather than "You wanna be an elemancer? Cool, here's an ability. Enjoy."
How do they discover it? Some might be able to pull off cantrips without knowing how or why. For instance, some young kid with a knack for pyromancy (though he doesn't necessarily know it) finds that for some reason his bedsheets are always catching on fire when he has nightmares, or something. Or perhaps when he looks at a flame he sees complex patterns and structures and form in his mind that he can't explain or put into words.
Brings up a point I've been meaning to make: If your character has joined the University of Elemancy, it's assumed that your character has this knack, and not that they're learning it all completely from scratch without any prior aptitude, as that would take years upon years upon years to do. Someday, there'll be more alluding to that as part of the initiation process rather than "You wanna be an elemancer? Cool, here's an ability. Enjoy."
The lore compels me!
Re: Is It A Gift?
Great, thanks! I was needing to see if I had the right idea for an elemancer backstory, and I was pretty on-the-nose with it. Look for it soon, I should be polishing it up and posting it beforr long.
Also, as another bit of confirmation, I assume that the reason lore-wise as to why people can only master one element and be proficient in another is because everyone has a primary and secondary element that they have affinities for? I assume there are extremely rare cases of individuals who are skillex in three or even all four elements, but for the most part everyone has one element they are tuned into the best, and maybe another that they can use decently, while the other elements can never really be used beyond the basics. Am I somewhere close to right?
Also, as another bit of confirmation, I assume that the reason lore-wise as to why people can only master one element and be proficient in another is because everyone has a primary and secondary element that they have affinities for? I assume there are extremely rare cases of individuals who are skillex in three or even all four elements, but for the most part everyone has one element they are tuned into the best, and maybe another that they can use decently, while the other elements can never really be used beyond the basics. Am I somewhere close to right?