Category talk:Elemental

Question. You didn't remove anything that *I* put in, did you? Because I want to know if I made a boo-boo or not. o.o --Ruriko 07:08, 23 Nov 2005 (UTC)

Not that I recall? You can check the edit history of the page; click the 'history' tab above when viewing the article. What I do remember deleting was Leona's remark incorrectly listing the Oriental elements — it included air and lacked earth, I think. --Sparta Kerleon 07:24, 26 Nov 2005 (UTC)

Hm.... I'm tempted to attempt to file the additional elements at the bottom of the list? I'm tempted to file those under the system we presently have. Also, I'm wondering if it's right to have both Earth, Wood, *and* Metal as elements. Typically elements are Fire, Earth, Wind, and Water, are they not? And if you want to go with Feng Shui's set of elements, they have theirs as Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. So, yesh. Thoughts? --Ruriko 11:31, 24 Nov 2005 (UTC)

Well, given where Yuriba is, I think the oriental/feng shui style elements should take priority over the occidental mix. Leona 17:54, 25 Nov 2005 (UTC)

In 1645, Miyamoto Musashi wrote Go Rin no Sho, known better here as the Book of Five Rings. In it he divided the principles of combat into five 'books', based on the five elements: Ground, Water, Fire, Wind, and Void. Additionally, Yuriba's elemental springs are based most closely on Paracelsus' elementals, rather than hypothetical elementals of the Chinese classical elements.

That said, many people prefer the Chinese elements anyway, or want to import elemental systems from, oh, Final Fantasy or the like. I'd rather not imply that there is such a thing as The One True Set of Elements. So, even though there isn't an elemental system including all six of the elements listed... --Sparta Kerleon 07:24, 26 Nov 2005 (UTC)

Something I've kept quiet about, but feel I should make mention of now: the suffix -mancy means divination by (such as in cartomancy, divination by cards such as Tarot). It does not mean use of or command of. Thus, aeromancy is divination by air currents and other aerial features, not the command of air. The proper suffix for use of or command of an element is -urgy. (Yes, this means necromancy is divination by consultation with the spirits of the dead, and not command of death and the dead. That's necrourgy or necrurgy.) This may not mean much to certain players, but as Yuriba is supposed to be full of knowledgeable people, they would know better than to make that terminology error. Lumi 05:42, 10 June 2006 (UTC)

... I did know that at one point. I blame D&D for expanding "necromancy" to include "animate dead", myself. The -urgy suffix is just icky, though; and I don't think any of -mageuticy, -pharmacy, -epody, or -thelctery are much better. What would you suggest? Sparta Kerleon 23:26, 10 June 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, those are pretty icky too, aren't they? Tell you what, give me some time to think about it and I'll offer some ideas. No sense me complaining about it if I don't try to do something about it, is there. Lumi 19:15, 11 June 2006 (UTC)