Air

Portfolio
Air, like most of the elemental Arcana, is common as a Talent and may often be used intuitively. It governs wind, smoke, fog, perfumes, sounds and weather.

Common Uses
Plebeians use Air to dispel bad odors, create the smell of flowers, conjure a cool breeze during a hot day, to predict the next day's weather, to create the sound of chimes, to project one's own voice a few meters away and to eavesdrop, to snuff a candle or a torch's flame, to conjure a small pocket of breathable air around one's head, to conjure a wind that may slow down a person's fall.

Civem use Air to record a sound a keep it playing continuously, to sense very faint odors like a bloodhound, to create a sound one is familiar with as loud as a shout, to make sounds as loud as shouts as silent as a whispers, to project one's voice several dozen meters away, to create music (though that requires musical ability), to fill an area with loud noises, to converse in whispers with someone one can see, to change one's voice, to create a bubble of air that may exist underwater, to create a strong wind that may lift sand and light objects, to create a stench, to remove one's body odor, to help one jump higher than is naturally possible (some civem use special clothes to boost this ability, those may also be used to run faster than normal over an extended time period), to change the path of an arrow, to call down rain from a cloud, to cause lightning to come down form a dark cloud, to dispel clouds right overhead, to resist lightning, to predict the weather for the following week, to conjure fog even under the sun, to snuff a bonfire, to dispel a wind as strong as a Civem may conjure, conjure a column of air that may sustain one's own weight, to cause shock with a touch, to conjure wind that may slow down the fall of a target as heavy as cow. Civem may also summon sylphs.

Patricians use Air to create a sound as loud as a thunderclap, to create nauseating odors, to remove an odor completely, to create a column of air that may sustain oneself while moving around which is almost as good as flying, to create a wind strong enough to detain a person or to lift another a few meters off the ground, to create a wind that may deflect a swordblow, to conjure clouds, to conjure winds that may propel a small boat, to conjure lightning from one's fingers, to see through fog or smoke or rain, to call down hail, to conjure a slashing wind, to create air inside one's own lungs, to suffocate someone else, to make one's voice heard over an entire marketplace, to create a path made out of air that seems solid to those that walk over it, to create a wall made out of wind, to make a sound as loud as a lion's roar as low as a falling pin, to send a spoken message as far away as another city, to electrify a weapon, to electrify one's own armor. Patricians may summon wind knights.

Vilicus use Air to make lightning behave like a whip, to change one's own body into mist, to conjure a tornado that can destroy a house, to conjure a wind that may lift a cow a few meters off the ground, to conjure a wind that may propel a mid-sized embarcation, conjure lighting that spreads away from a center away from oneself, to conjure a storm filled with wind and hail and rain, to create a ball of charged air that may cause a concussion, to alter the weather for the following weeks, to use sound to guide oneself almost as well as sight, conjure a prison of air spinning at hurricane speeds around a target, to snuff out a forest fire. Vilicus may summon cloud giants.

Enchanters use Air to create an object that records sounds, to create an object that plays a sound on command, to create lightning rods, to create a room constantly cooled by breeze, to create arrows that may change paths midflight, stunning shields, rods of the winds, rain rattles, fog generators, bag of winds.

Civilian Careers
Guides, sailors and travelers of all kinds may benefit from accurate weather prediction and this is a skill most Ordona have with varying degrees of accuracy. Some artists become perfumers and create pleasant odors around important people and sustain them throughout events. Some wealthy Patricians even have slaves to keep them continually odoriferous.

Some musicians can use their magic to play sounds better than with any instrument. Although it is more taxing to use magic than a flute or drums, it is a more versatile medium.

Public announcers and heralds may use the Air Arcana to give more power to their voices.

Patricians may use weather manipulation to help their crops, while talented Vilicus may shape the crops of an entire town over weeks.

Patricians (or well equipped Civem) may fly as couriers and some Vilicus are wealthy enough to hire teams of flying litter bearers.

Thieves talented in Air are often hard to notice without the proper talents.

Military Careers
Scouts may benefit from an enhanced sense of smell, from flying, from odor and sound masking. Likewise, sentries may use the Air Arcana to detect interlopers and to see even through fog or using only sound.

For generals, being able to decide to fight under a cloudless sky or through terrain made muddy through rain is a strong advantage, but any large conflict will have so many people trying to manipulate the weather that most battles are fought under a cloudy sky pouring only a faint drizzle. A surprise attack, however, may benefit a great deal from fog cover.

Air superiority is always an advantage and most armies have Champions battling one another over the battlefield until only a few remain and those may be used for pinpointed devastating strikes if they are still strong enough.

Lightning is a powerful weapon, but usually only defining against those of inferior magical power and those without a talent for Air.