Fire
Where there's smoke, there's a Fire user
Fire magic is one of the most common of elemental magic to learn alongside water of course. Blacksmiths and entertainers alike often seek skill in this branch of magic due to the pyrotechnical potential that can be shown in and out of lessons being something that both careers, no matter how vastly different they seem, favor highly.
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As you'd expect, this elemental magic is focused almost entirely around the creation and Manipulation of the flame, even just learning how to keep a spark alive through this magic can pay off in the long term!
BASIC SKILLS
Limits/Risks: At basic level, typically only a small flame can be created and maintained. As they become more experienced with this magic, a dopaline may be able to create much larger fires, though regardless of level it’s recommended that a dopal be careful with their fire creation. Even the smallest of flames can become a wildfire in the right conditions.
Create Fire
Desc: The most basic of abilities, what’s a dopal with fire magic if they can’t make the fire? This is useful for a myriad of things, from magic tricks to campfires, so many who don’t even intend to master fire magic may dip in just to have the useful skill of conjuring a bit of fire at will. Be cautious when using it indoors.
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Learning: The easiest way to learn this magic is through your imagination! Dopals learning fire magic tend to stare at a spot in front of them, imagining the fire already present, and poof! It appears right there! Might look funny to those watching nearby though. Some also find that rubbing their palms together works to encourage a flame’s appearance in their hands, but most find the imagination method much more fun.
Colour Change
Desc: A must-have for any dopal, the simple ability to make your fire a different colour! Entertainers prefer this one most, but it’s a good quality of life improvement for anyone really, especially if you happen to get some fiery upgrades through non magical means!
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Learning: In much a similar way to creating fire, a good imagination is the one way ticket to quick learning of this skill! Simply stare at an already existing fire and pretend it’s your favourite colour! Some dopals may use the Create Fire skill to make the fire they need, or they’ll use any fire upgrades they may have, such as flaming tip or pelt of wicker!
Limits/Risks: It’s difficult to switch colours quickly, or make a fire more than one colour at once, though as your experience with fire magic increases, this skill becomes much easier to work with.
Increase Bodyheat
Desc: This skill is often used by doctors in order to warm up dopals who’ve spent too long out in the cold, but many dopalines like to learn this skill to prevent needing a doctor to do it in the first place! It’s also said to increase one’s resistance to fire related damage, though that’s a bit debatable.
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Learning: To learn this skill, dopalines tend to focus on the feeling of warmth. It’s advised to think about things that make them feel warm - fire, hot drinks, perhaps more abstract things like a loved one or a kind act someone did once.
Limits/Risks: Using this skill too much for too long may result in a dopal overheating, which could end up in them needing to take some time off to rest. It’s also harder to warm up other dopals than it is yourself. At basic level, a dopaline may be able to use this skill to melt small objects at their paws, but until they have more experience they can’t do much more than that.
Fire Shaping
Desc: Ah, an entertainer’s best friend. The ability to take fire and change its shape to something else entirely! Many use this to create visuals for a story, or terrifying fire beasts to scare off a foe.
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Learning: Dopals learning this skill find the imagination comes into play yet again, starting small with a candle’s flame and imagining it shifting to take the shape they prefer. Learning this skill is also a good opportunity to gather some friends and tell some stories to each other, perhaps one tells the story while another shapes the flame, or you shape the flame yourself while telling a historical tale, or the story of how you beat some thief up!
Limits/Risks: It’s harder to control much more than a candlelight sized flame at basic level - while larger fires aren’t impossible, they are much more unruly to less experienced dopals. Complex shapes are also harder to create - many prefer to go abstract with their shapes and work their way up to full storybook scenes.
ADVANCED SKILLS
Limits/Risks: An upset or angry dop may create a bonfire that can quickly grow out of control and possibly even damaging. It’s advised to be level headed when creating a bonfire, or otherwise be in a controlled environment. That, or learn the Harmless Fire skill before trying to learn this one.
Bonfire
Desc: Once a dopal has learned the basics of fire and how to make and manipulate it, the obvious next step is…more fire! Many dopalines love to use this ability, paired with Shape Fire, to make huge animated visuals for their tales. Other prefer to use it to make a campfire that’ll remain the whole night, or possibly to breathe or throw large amounts of fire in combat!
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Learning: Once a dopal has learned the basics of fire and how to make and manipulate it, the obvious next step is…more fire! Many dopalines love to use this ability, paired with Shape Fire, to make huge animated visuals for their tales. Other prefer to use it to make a campfire that’ll remain the whole night, or possibly to breathe or throw large amounts of fire in combat!
PREREQUISITE: Create Fire
PREREQUISITE: Colour Change
Harmless Fire
Desc: Often used for pyrotechnics and safer shows(some entertainers much prefer the danger of a harmful flame…), harmless fire is a must-have for many dops! It’s particularly preferred in educational establishments, or places that otherwise involve young dopals, as it can quickly turn a potentially disastrous situation into a pretty lightshow when there isn’t a firefighting dop present.
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Learning: One way dops like to learn this skill is by imagining a dangerous situation, often involving fire, and then envisioning how that same situation could be less dangerous. Some like to pair up and tell each other stories where something turned out not so bad, and others just like to create some fire and talk it down as if it’s an unruly animal of some sort.
Limits/Risks: It’s easier to make an existing fire harmless rather than creating harmless fire off the bat, and the smaller the fire the easier it is to wrangle. Once this skill has been practised and mastered though, well it becomes a handy-dandy skill to prevent disasters and create safe, fun fireshows!
Heatblast
PREREQUISITE: Increase Bodyheat
Desc: Used most by angry dopals who want to deter others from interacting with them, some dopalines like to combo this with its prerequisite skill for devastating attacks that hit multiple opponents with a wave of heat. It’s also a good way of cooling yourself down quickly and easily!
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Learning: Used most by angry dopals who want to deter others from interacting with them, some dopalines like to combo this with its prerequisite skill for devastating attacks that hit multiple opponents with a wave of heat. It’s also a good way of cooling yourself down quickly and easily!
Limits/Risks: A dopal could accidentally remove almost all the heat from their body with this skill, especially if their emotions aren’t stable in the moment. This ability is also rather exhausting to use more than once.
Firecrackers
PREREQUISITE: Fire Shaping
Desc: Yet another best friend of the entertaining type, firecrackers are the perfect way to start or end off a show - who doesn’t like bright exploding things on a small scale? Others may also use this to scare off small animals, or to prank other dopals!
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Learning: Many like to take a small fire and imagine it sparkling and exploding, others tend to get actual firecrackers and watch them for an example of the visual! It’s also recommended to get a dopaline learning sound magic to try and quieten the crackers, as the noise they make isn’t the usual hiss and roar of a stable fire!
Limits/Risks: Large scale firecrackers are rather difficult to make, and they may startle dops not expecting a loud noise. Additionally, an unruly dop may end up causing injury to themselves or others if they aren’t careful with their firecracker making.
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
Fireworks
Desc: The step up from firecrackers is fireworks, of course! And why buy fireworks when you can just make ‘em from the tips of your fingers? The perfect must-have ability for dopals really wanting to spice up a celebration, and you can use it for any occasion - Hwyleira, Galonrhoi, your birthday, heck why not just have a random bonfire night on November 5th?
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Learning: Many dopals learning this skill tend to start by creating some firecrackers, then focus on changing their colour - afterwards, they toss it into the air like it’s a ball and let it burst in the sky! Some also find that watching a firework show beforehand helps them get inspired.
PREREQUISITES: Firecrackers & Colour Change
Limits/Risks: Misfired fireworks can end up causing significant damage, both structural and physical. It also becomes much more difficult to control your fireworks if you make too many at once, generally 2-3 tends to be the limit - though you can still make more once the initial amount has gone off! It all depends on how much energy you have.
PREREQUISITES: Bonfire & Fire Shaping
Explosions
Desc: Typically used by criminals to break into buildings, or by law enforcement to startle or trap said criminals, this is a versatile yet dangerous skill to have.
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Learning: Many dops find creating a bonfire then shaping it outwards helps towards learning this skill, though it’s also said that focusing extreme, explosive emotions into it also helps really push it that extra mile you need.
Limits/Risks: Explosions can become very dangerous very quickly, especially if a dopal isn’t used to using them, or is particularly emotional. One enraged outburst can easily result in a blown up house and a repair bill, possibly a hospital bill on top of that, though most places in the Bound probably have free healthcare. No free housecare, unfortunately.
Limits/Risks: The longer the bodyfire is up, the more energy it takes, though with enough practice this caveat becomes much less of a problem. Its main limit is just how harmless it is! Once someone realises it’s not a threat, they won’t be fooled again, and making it harmful would harm you as well.
Sustained Bodyfires
PREREQUISITES: Harmless Fire & Increase Bodyheat
Desc: The best way to warm up and have everyone thanking you in a blizzard, sustained bodyfires are just that - setting yourself on fire for a period of time, with all the warmth and none of the danger! Many like to learn this as a utility skill for if they find themselves out in the cold, far from home, though some others may use it as a defence - not everyone who sees someone setting themselves on fire is going to immediately know it’s harmless!
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Learning: Picture this: you’re on fire. Most find it easiest to increase their own body heat, then push the heat out slightly and create a flame - not enough for a heatblast, but just enough that the area around them is warm enough for some easily sustainable fire. Then make it harmless and you’re golden!