Elemental Gem Lore?

thecrimsonrevenger

"Elemental" Gems you say?

Flame? Okay.

Earth? Sure we're right on track here.

Soul?? Chaos??? Whatchu talkin' 'bout Willis?

Are these from the books? Are there only four or them, cuz it really feels like two essential elements are missing from the elemental gem list. If those are the only four, and they are from the book is there some explanation for why the other two essential elements didn't make the list?

bulgarex

This is the way the Elemental Gems are described on Champions Universe p. 92. Note that this was written before the events of the Vibora Bay apocalypse (which I'll touch on subsequently).

One of the mystic items Robert Caliburn owns is the Flame Gem, which is one of the four Elemental Gems. Despite their name, they’re not associated with the four Aristotlean elements, but instead with the Four Elements of Mankind: the Earth from which he was made; the Soul that God gave him; the Flame of his intellect and creativity; and the Chaos that so often resides within his heart. Caliburn doesn’t know who owns the Soul Gem or Chaos Gem (if anyone — both were last mentioned in chronicles from the Renaissance and may still be lost). The owner of the Earth Gem is an old enemy of his: Cairngorm, the archdruid of a malefic human-sacrificing cult from the British Isles.
Like Caliburn, anyone who owns a Gem is vulnerable to attacks from the other Gems. Each of them is “attuned” to the others (especially its opposite [Fire-Earth, Soul-Chaos]), and this allows more of the force of an attack to affect the target.
Individually, each of the Gems holds great power — Caliburn has only barely begun to unlock the might within the Flame Gem, and only in the most basic way of literally enhancing fire-based magics. Were one man to obtain all four Elemental Gems, he would wield ultimate power over the Four Elements of Mankind, and thus over Men. Caliburn (and other right-thinking folk) want to prevent this, since placing such power in the hands of a fallible Man would lead to havoc, destruction, and evil. But he would like to know where they are so he can keep tabs on them.

Robert Caliburn's pre-Archmage PnP write-up appears in the Vibora Bay source book. As the text above notes, the powers he could draw from the Flame Gem at that time were only fire-related, fairly versatile but not very powerful. Cairngorm's own write-up is in Champions Villains Volume Three: Solo Villains, and he could tap much more of the Earth Gem's power. As one might expect, the Gem can manipulate earth and stone to form barriers, traps, or bludgeons. Cairngorm could open tunnels through the earth, and even rapidly "surf" on "waves" of earth. His body was infused with the durability of stone against various forms of harm. However, the Earth Gem can also manipulate "human clay," i.e. flesh. Cairngorm could heal wounds, bend a person's bones causing agony and temporary incapacity, or move a person's body like a puppet.

Based on how the Earth Gem is described, and how the Flame Gem is related to "intellect," I would guess that it also had the potential to affect minds. Both Gems have also been shown to be sentient and have at least limited intelligence, and are able to communicate information to their possessors telepathically. We never get more information about the Soul and Chaos Gems, so can only guess at their powers.

During the VB Apocalypse Archmage Caliburn obtains all four of the Elemental Gems. However, given the cautionary note as to their potential for abuse, I could see him entrusting one or more of the Gems to other guardians to keep that temptation out of his hands.

markhawkman

now I'm developing the urge to play the Vibora Apoc just to see EXACTLY what was said. They're the main focus of that story after all. Therakiel thinks that if he has them he'll be so powerful NO ONE can tell him what to do. So he does what he can to acquire them... a LOT of stuff quite frankly. Seriously, the Vibora Apoc is probably the longest story chain in the game.

markhawkman

More specifically... the Vibora Apocalypse is a possible future. The ONLY time we see them is after someone "acquires" them to either give them to Therakiel or try to keep them safe from Therakiel. Either way the Apoc ends after Therakiel gets them and you have to go back in time to stop him from getting them.

bulgarex

Champions Universe has a goodly number of such plot-generating McGuffins, but few of these "gotta catch 'em all" items that must be assembled to obtain their full benefits.

jaazaniah1

In VBA Therakiel actually destroys all the gems. Maybe he can't use them himself (since he's not human and they are attuned to humanity) and just wants to keep them out of the hands of humans who want to oppose them, or maybe destroying them releases power that hastens the Apocalypse?

bulgarex

But, after the time-travel mission sets things right, doesn't Caliburn end up in possession of the four gems?

markhawkman

In the back of my mind I was thinking Therakiel "eats" the gems. But I don't remember for sure.

fermi

After the time-travel mission, Caliburn doesn't even REMEMBER any of the events, though Dr Ka seems to. I always assumed that things had returned to their original position - Caliburn has the flame gem and hasn't even gotten the various doodads we accomplished for him in the apocalypse.

bulgarex

But isn't Caliburn the Archmage? Or did I just miss the whole frickin' point of the adventure?!

fermi

Caliburn was trying to BECOME the archmage, which required him to possess all four elemental gems, tour the nearby planes of existence and receive ceremonial gifts from them, and complete a secret task that he alone knew. Presumably he did all those things EXCEPT acquire the gems, which were all atomized by Therakiel before he got his hands on them. As Therakiel says, "There will be no archmage!" So Caliburn was neither the archmage now or in the future, though apparently he has the potential to become such a person.

bulgarex

Hmm... so that would mean Caliburn is just the Magnum Mage, and there's no sitting Archmage at this time. Cairngorm must then still possess the Earth Gem, and the Soul and Chaos gems are still out there somewhere.

If that's the case, I was mistaken in how I remembered/interpreted the situation. But this actually has more story potential than what I thought, so that ain't bad.

bulgarex

Okay, so I reviewed the CO Wiki entries for the quest arc related to the Elemental Gems after the Apocalypse and the time-travel mission (Who Ordered Chaos?/ Caliburn Baby Burn!/ Who Stole the Soul?/ Earth and Stone/ Apocalypse Aversion! ). AFAICT it does end with Caliburn becoming Archmage (he even states it) and holding all four of the Elemental Gems.

Anyone who'd like to read up on the arc for themselves can follow it starting here: http://www.championswiki.com/index.php?title=Who_Ordered_Chaos?

markhawkman

Wait, I may have missed that mission O_o' *reads summary*

OH right... I forgot about that since it was a while ago.

fermi

Ah! My bad. I can't speak much for what happens after the apocalypse. I ALWAYS do the apocalypse but usually afterwards I'm 40 and wander off for other shinies.

bulgarex

In discussing "elements" in the Champions Universe, it's also interesting to note the philosophy of magic in antediluvian Atlantis, comprising some of the most powerful and sophisticated spell casting the world has ever seen. Atlanteans organized their spells into several elemental categories: the modern classics Water, Fire, Earth, and Air; as well as Light, and its absence, Shadow; Order, and its absence, Chaos; and Arcane, or pure magical force. The elements of Shadow and Chaos were considered evil and dangerous to use.

Atlantean magic, and a great deal more about this era of the setting, is detailed in The Atlantean Age, a source book for the "fantasy" part of Hero Games' shared-world timeline.