Elementals

Elementals are humans that possess the magical potential to employ one of the four natural elements: wind, water, fire and earth.

History
Traditionally, during the First Age and still to this day amongst a few tribes of the Kiergen, leadership belongs to he who is the best fighter. For this reason, it was common to find elementals as the tribal leaders during the First Age, and during the Age of Kings, where they were seen to occupy high-ranking positions in militarizes. Their activity in militarizes met a decline as warfare and tactics evolved, though they can still play important roles in militarizes in the present day.

Because the population of Elementals rarely crosses into the triple digits, they do not have a strong, standalone-history such as other species. The history of the species if better told through the individuals.

Abilities & Weaknesses
Elementals can employ one of the four natural elements: fire, earth, water and air. Scholars believe that their potential to employ elements works like a muscle; the more you use it, the stronger it becomes. In fact, there have been a number of studies from the Illyrian Empire where water and earth elementals were observed over a decade to find how much earth and water based material they could lift. Similar to body building, the amount they could lift increased with time and training. Fire elementals can only control fire they produce, and cannot take control of a fire made by another elemental, or produced by any other means.

Elementals carry the same fatal flaws as humans. Fire elementals are not resistance to heat. Heat produced from flames cannot hurt them, but if produced from others, they will be wounded like any other being.

Classification
Though Elementals are human, they're classified as their own species because their potential for employing elements it not a learned trade, but something they are mysteriously born with. It's not known how elementals receive their powers, but it's known that it isn't hereditary.