Dreamer at War

Cassandra

Firelight seemed to dance about the material on screen as she rotated it to and fro under the scope. At this, the side of her mouth drew back. It was a substantial accomplishment to imbue compounds with any elemental essence, let alone one as temperamental as fire. Still, her work lost the satisfaction it once had for her.

Cassandra was a scientist for one of the three prominent clans of Meldevan, the Elsifs. Her primary research goal was to understand how to imbue objects with magical essence. Too often, however, these objects happened to be weapons.

She dreamt of a world where anyone could use magical abilities to their advantage, just as the creatures of Meldevan did freely. The citizens of this world, regardless of clan, deserved the simple pleasures that magic could provide: faster travel, lightened workloads, and efficient power sources are among but a few possibilities. Above all else, Cassandra believed that her work could bring the world closer to unifying once and for all.

You see, magical power was pretty much a global attribute on Meldevan. Everyone had magic, but it was the category of magic that was unique. The Elsifs used elemental magic, the Nemrielle focused their efforts on the magic of beast taming, and the Popplins used their magical influence to manipulate physical forces such as gravity.

Within each clan, however, the individual had power to make the ability their own. A member of the Popplins, for example, could alter physical properties due to a lifetime of concerning one's self with how the world worked. Essentially, theirs was a scientific society. Still, if one member focused on the large scale physical sciences, she might be able to make a locus of gravity to manipulate objects or even opponents given the right practice. Another who focused his work on the interactions of particles may be able to manipulate heat for its source in small scale kinetic energy.

The Elsifs held their beliefs in the natural balance of things, and as such, were privy to the abilities of the elements. Traditionally, they gained their natural affinity for the elements by allowing themselves to go out into the wilderness and connect to it through such methods as meditation and even ritual dances.

Due to this background, they were slow to join some of the more industrialized sectors of science. Still, they have adapted over time to settle on their own land, unlike the nomadic Nemrielle. With this adaptation came their more advanced scientific applications.

While not so advanced as the Popplins, their affinity for the elements placed the Elsifs in a substantially increased position of power. The flexibility allotted by the natural elements provided such opportunities as fire for thrust and air for maneuverability in flight, the raw power of lighting to power cities both populated and remote, earth magic to traverse the impassible, and water purification methods that would give all a fighting chance.

Instead, the Elsifs used Cassandra's abilities to prepare for war.