ELEMENTAL SPIRITS
Overview
A naturally occurring phenomenon, spirits are a manifestation of the natural elemental power of the world. Born from the power of the world itself, spirits are the manifestation of dense elemental power given consciousness and form. Born small and weak, young spirits are not able to communicate with or influence the outside world. However, over time, they will naturally gather more elemental power around them, gaining a greater form and further intelligence as they mature. Spirits can be born anywhere in the world, but are most likely to form in an area that is dominated by their associated element. Spirits are also able to grow quicker when they are located in an area of their element that is undisturbed by other natural phenomenon
Natural Spirits
Due to the fact that spirits are born from the natural world, there can be a spirit for just about any aspect. This can range from commonly recognized elements, such as earth and plants, to small subsets of items, such as silk or gemstones. Particularly rare spirits are even able to be born from natural concepts, such as time or fortune.
In general, the broader the spiritual aspect, the older and more powerful the spirit is destined to be. This is because most spirits are born from a very small portion of an element. For instance, an earth spirit might have been born from clay, and have been a lesser clay spirit in its youth. However, as the spirit matures, it is able to start gathering natural energy from other sources. This will allow the spirit to transform from a clay spirit into a true earth spirit that is able to manipulate all aspects of dirt, soil, and rocks.
Human Interaction
Due to the fact that they are intermingled with the natural world, spirits are rarely visible to humans, or any other living creature. This is especially the case for young spirits, who have yet to gain enough power to actually manifest a form. However, spirits and humanity still have a unique relationship. Generally, for a spirit to interact with the physical world in any fashion, they must consume their own energy, rendering them permanently weaker. However, certain people are able to act as a channel for spirits, allowing them to manifest both form and power in the physical world without it permanently consuming their energy. Instead, the used energy returns to the spirit almost immediately, but they must rest for a period of time in order to reintegrate their used energy. This is why most spirit summoners will not keep their spirit present around them in physical form unless they need to accomplish something, as the spirit will consume power simply from maintaining a physical form.
Only particularly special people are able to see a spirit when it has not created a physical form. These people, naturally suited to be spiritualists, are able to see natural energy even when it has not taken a physical form. This also gives them an advantage when facing against a conjured spirit, because they will be able to see the spirit's spell before it is released.
Magic Items
When a spirit lives in an area for long enough, its presence will naturally transform some of the natural world around it, creating rare herbs and stones that are capable of manifesting a portion of the spirit's power without the spirit's presence. These rare items, often called magic items, are absolutely required materials for alchemists and engineers. Unlike spirits, people do not need to be able to establish a connection with a spirit to be able to tap into the natural energy inside a magic item. This allows people to use and combine them with other materials to create effects that seem far beyond the scope of the individual items.