Thread:Wormulon/@comment-29927902-20160917142858/@comment-1073312-20160917174950

Elemental is a very basic form of essence, so I expect it has many powers in common with other essences. This is especially so because lots of old essences were merged into elemental, like the. However, what distinguishes elemental from the others is that it much more inwardly focused on the self rather than the world; so destructive uses of elemental on the external world will have a "like effects like" on the inside too. Therefore, it is much more of a defensive energy when used in combat and requires a high degree of non-attachment, for it has its own rules and lets the world flow through the user.

I suspect that the true advantages of elemental are more subtle that other forms of essence, because it uses a high degree of synchronicity and sympathetic magic. Maybe it will give the user more wisdom and precognition in combat, and that might link it to chronoscopic energy. An elemental user really understands essence beyond its dualistic polarity, and is able to control their emotions and inner world such that they don't become arrogant or corrupted like characters who became descended by celestial and chaotic energies. But it would be rare for elemental practitioners to get as powerful as the most powerful ascended or descended characters, because few survive to make it that far.