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Basic Water Abilities
Sap/Draw Water
Important for anyone venturing deep into the forest, or far away from shore without a waterskin. Saping Water allows the user to pull small amounts of water from the immediate air around them or from small plants. While not used often, those with this skill are always glad to have it when fresh water isn’t immediately handy. Though refreshing, this ability cannot pull more than a cup or so of water, thus it mustn’t be relied on.
Manipulate Water
This ability allows the caster to move liquid water to their will. Whether it’s containing a spilled glass, splashing a friend from afar, or pulling water from a bucket to carefully water crops, this ability is one of the most versatile that a staxie can know. It only allows the control of small amounts of water at a time; anyone attempting to move more than a large bucket’s worth will find themselves unsuccessful.
Alter Water
This ability allows the caster to change the state of water, be it ice, liquid, or even steam. Whether melting the snow off one’s boots, making a bit of ice to cool a drink, or forcing the fog to clear from a window, this ability has many uses to make daily life a bit more pleasant. What’s more, a proficient user may utilize it in conjunction with Sap Water, to draw more vapor from the air, nearly doubling the output. Much like Manipulate Water, this only works on small quantities, and the result is still impacted by the current temperature.
Purify Water
This ability allows the user to cleanse small amounts of water, and render it safe for drinking, bathing and cooking. This ability makes water much more easily useable. Many families will have water from the Cove purified by a friend with the ability before using it. Any large particles remain and are usually filtered before purification, and this ability cannot turn most other liquids, such as sap or oil, into water, though it may be able to unbrew tea…
Basic Earth Abilities
Blindsight
This ability allows the caster to sense their surroundings without their eyes, revealing movement and obstacles through the sensations of the sand, earth, or even stone beneath them. Blindsight isn’t perfect, and often cannot sense small details, or movement disconnected from the ground, like a passing mancake or a leaf on the wind. It also only extends about ten feet from the user in any given direction, but this is enough to give extra warning should something be lurking behind a tree in the dark, or perhaps under the bed during hide and seek.
Manipulate Earth
From digging small holes to building a sandcastle, this ability is fun if not always useful. Small amounts of soil, sand, clay, mud, or gravel can be pushed, pulled, and lifted hands free using this ability. Excellent for fine detail work on sand sculpture, and useful for the home gardener, this ability doesn’t allow for moving large quantities of earth, such as to plow a field, till the earth, or dig a basement, unless the caster is willing to do it a handful or so at a time.
Hasten Plant Growth
A favorite of farmers as well as young stems hoping to find flowers for a lover, Hasten Plant Growth allows the user to hurry along the natural process of plant growth. Whether sprouting a few seeds for a healthy snack, blooming some flowers for a bouquet, or ripening a fruit before picking it, this ability allows for food, crops, and other plants to work a bit more to the caster's liking. This ability cannot make an unfertilized flower turn to fruit, a plant grow in a particular shape, or otherwise alter the course of the plant’s natural life, only speed it up.
Earth Sense
One of the least appreciated though possibly most important of the basic magical abilities, Earth Sense allows the caster to analyze what soil needs to best grow crops, which clay might be best for pottery, and which cliff faces might have more ore or precious stones beneath their surfaces. This ability doesn’t alter the earth in any way nor reveal where or if specific things are buried, merely gives the user insight into its contents.
Basic Fire Abilities
Increase Body Temperature
This ability allows the user to warm themselves from within, staving off hypothermia and even frostbite. Practically a must for anyone who works outside in the winter, the ability lets the user move well past feverish if the caster is proficient, but doesn’t let them get hot enough to burn someone by touching. Great for snuggling.
Manipulate Fire
This ability allows the user to push, pull, grow, or even extinguish nearby preexisting fire. Perfect for controlling the heat of an oven, or perhaps making sure a campfire doesn’t get out of hand, this ability allows the caster to keep fire under their command, so long as the fire is a reasonable size.
Conjure Fire
The perfect counterpart to Manipulating Fire, Conjuring Fire allows the user to create a small flame in their hand. Warm, tickling flames appear in the caster’s palm, though unless they’re applied to some sort of fuel, they wither and die as soon as contact with the caster’s hand is broken. A quick and efficient way to light a torch, lamp, or bonfire.
Heat Resistance
This ability allows the user to withstand higher temperatures than a staxie normally can bear, and for longer. Similar in usage to Increase Body Temperature, this ability is a favorite for laborers who work under the powerful summer sun, as well as smiths working the forge. It allows them to conserve water and energy, and remain comfortable where they’d usually find themselves drained and dehydrated. Flame and extreme heat are still dangers as this ability isn’t absolute.
Basic Air Abilities
Speedy Movement
This ability cuts the user’s air resistance and puts the wind at their back, allowing them to move not as if through the air, but with it. This ability doesn’t assist with swimming and also doesn’t grant supernatural ability, more so guarantees the winner of a foot race. The user’s flying and running speed may increase as much as 1.5 fold using it, and while it’s useful for sprints, this ability isn’t sustainable long term, averaging closer to 1.25 times speed when used for more than a few minutes at a time.
Enhanced Hearing
Often seen as a nosey thing to do, enhancing one’s hearing nonetheless has its benefits. This allows the caster to hear things further away than they’re usually able to. The furthest it extends is approximately 100 meters from the user, and it’s not a very stealthy thing to do, considering the glowing of the user’s magic glands, so it’s not quite as useful as scheming stumps like to imagine it to be..
Wind Gusts
Though often considered the least useful of the ‘manipulate elements’ abilities, Wind Gusts still has its many uses. Perfect for flying a kite, knocking loose fruit from a tree, or sending sileans tumbling through the front door, this ability allows the user to send small, harmless gusts of wind in the direction of their choosing. About as strong as would be needed to close a door, these gusts can’t knock over staxies or structures but are still a good tool to have in one’s kit.
Cloud Sense
Much like Wind Gusts, this ability is often ignored by the general population, and yet, everyone wishes they had it when a picnic date is rained out, or one sets out rain catchers only to wake up and find them dry. Cloud Sense allows the caster to predict the weather with great accuracy by showing the user what the clouds in the nearby area hold within them. This ability doesn’t allow the user to pull rain from the clouds or keep it within, nor does it tell them the precise moment rain may start or end, and like many things, it’s not always perfect, with about a five percent chance of being incorrect about the coming day’s forecast.
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