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Talents are classified as such: Elementals, those who exhibit abilities that allow them various controls over one of the base elements of the world: Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind. Each serves a different purpose than the last, allowing those who control them to serve in different areas. Fire, generally used for aggressive and violent actions. Combat, warfare, and destruction is its purpose. The only non-aggressive action this Talent is used for is for putting out fires and controlling emotions. Emotions, you ask? Yes. Somehow, a person with the Fire Talent can subtly alter the emotions of those around them to the point where they can pinpoint people amidst a crowd. This ability, however, is generally taught to those high within the Tower. Water, for defensive and non-aggressive actions. Healing, defensive structures, and the hampering of enemies are the warfare and combat purposes of this Talent, with healing and the sensing of other beings around them the non-combat purpose of this Talent. It can also be used to injure enemies to the point of near-death, though the Talent generally hinders the act of actively killing another person beyond drowning.

Earth, both defensive and offensively used, in both combat and warfare areas. Sensing enemy movement, faster traveling speeds on stone and dirt, increased strength and endurance, and the crushing of enemies with thrown boulders, walls, or simply opening up the earth to swallow them; These are the combat purposes of the Earth Talent, with the passive purposes being the calming of animals, the innate understanding of earth-based substances – metal, wood, herbs, plants, and most animals – and structure building. Wind is generally used for scouting, hunting, and faster travel without the hindrance of having to walk. Yes, you read right: Flight. The more powerful of those who have the Wind Talent can take themselves airborne, though not indefinitely. The abilities to see, hear, and feel from a distance, the ability to become nearly invisible during movement, spying, and leaving barely any tracks are some of the combat uses of the Wind Talent, with flight, debris removal, early warning of intruders or enemies (though this is both combat and noncombat) and general all-around swiftness being the noncombat uses of the Wind Talent.

Each of the Elemental Talents comes with a signifying uniform and Arcane Tool to assist in their uses. However, no talent beyond Earth and Wind can generate their own sources of their Talent. A fire user cannot suddenly create a flame, nor can a water user suddenly conjure water from thin air. An earth user cannot use his abilities in the air, nor can a wind user use their abilities underground. The uniforms consist of three layers of clothing dependent on the weather; a long jacket of the signifying Talent – red for Fire, green for Earth, blue for Water, and white for Wind – and a symbol upon the left breast. Pants and boots for males, and dresses or skirts for the females, though this is also dependent on weather and what use they have for their abilities – i.e., a wind user who is a combat scout will not have a skirt, nor will a water user wear armor and pants due to their noncombat nature. Females generally wear soft shoes or boots – again, dependent on their job of choice. Gloves are issued but are not mandatory. Shirts that are either white or the color of the Talent are also given, but are mandatorily worn unless you are a noncombatant. This, however, does not apply to male noncombatants.

The Arcane Tools of the Elemental Talents are mainly staffs, with an orb of the wielders Talent hovering immobile over the tip. For fire users, a “living” fireball that mimics – by color – the emotion of the user, though this can be dampened through concentration and a polite request; Water users have an orb of water that tells them if someone is lying or is injured; Earth users generally have a precious stone that mimics the users birthdate or favorite color; Wind users have hovering orbs of a clear substance that can talk to the user, and are generally known for their good conversation skills. The user can use these orbs as a focus and source to use their abilities, and are highly regarded and are given upon the first day of attendance at the White Tower.

The second study of the Tower is Sorcery, the use and alteration of pure, raw, and untouched energy. Unlike the Elementals, Sorcerers have no need for an Arcane Tool – though they can still get one, though it’s generally in the form of a spell book or staff – and can use their abilities as long as they are alive. These abilities do not include the alteration of the base elements, and only include utilizing the stagnant energy of the environment around them. Masters of the art can take the energy of dead or dying things to fuel themselves, though some have learned to take it from living beings, and these have been dealt with very harshly. The abilities of a Sorcerer include: Telekinesis, telepathy, energy-based attacks – balls of energy, electricity, implosions/explosions, and devouring their energy for a short duration – energy barriers, armor, and basically anything the user can imagine as long as it doesn’t directly affect a manipulated Element from an Elemental.

The third and last study of the Tower is Summoning. Summoning is broken into four areas, with one being a semi-mixture of Sorcery and Elementalism: Alchemy, Construct Summoning, Ethereal Summoning, Rift Summoning, and Control Summoning. Alchemy is not the basic use, mixture, or creation of substances used for potions or other items of liquid power. Alchemy is the manipulation of special stones called Aembre found within the earth. These stones, with the use of an Alchemical Gauntlet, can be used for different effects. Each stone represents a different function, with some being the conjuration of one of the four base elements – which makes them handy for any Elemental in a dire situation – and some being the ability to form living beings by mixing two Aembre’s together. Each stone is color-coded, and can be deduced as to their purpose just by their color: Red – Fire, blue – Water, green – Earth, gray – Wind, white – Ice, cyan – Electricity, and so forth. Their Arcane Tool is the Gauntlet, a bulky object they forge upon their induction into the Tower. Worn upon the desired hand, it is basically a metal glove that grafts itself to the arm of the user, and becomes a conduit in which they may use their Talent to affect the outside world. Upon the back of the hand is two small indentions meant to house the stones they wish to use. Using them for basic uses – throwing fire, lightning, or freezing someone – the stones are constant and only need be removed to use another. However, upon the mixture of two to make a golem – a fabricated being of those two elements – the stones disappear and may not be used again unless that person has multiples of each.

Construct Summoning is much along the same lines of Alchemy, but with a slightly smaller Gauntlet and no need for Aembre. Many simply have intricate bracelets or armored gloves as their Arcane Tools, and are easier to manage instead of an armored appendage. Constructs include Golems – far more powerful than an Alchemists, and Automatons – metal-based creatures that have no sentient thought of their own. For Golems, any two elements may be mixed together to create one. The only exceptions are the ones that cancel one another – Fire and Water, and Earth and Wind – but any other may be mixed. Some have even experimented by mixing two elements together, then mixing in the other two, to make a very powerful but strange-looking creature that has random affects and abilities. As long as the two base elements are not opposites, anything is possible.

Ethereal Summoning is as it sounds: Beings of an incorporeal nature. Spirits and incorporeal beings that another cannot see but the Summoner can, along with other Aether Summoners - though only if the original Summoner allows them to. Good scouts and spies, though easily detected by dogs and other sensitive animals. Quite possibly the most underrated and unused among Summoners. However, their general use is spying and information gathering, though many either go insane or just become rather strange due to the talking-to and conversations-with the dead and long deceased.

Rift Summoning is the most widely used beyond Constructs and Control Summoners. This study includes daemons and other such non-ethereal beings that are of a diabolic nature, generally evil or ill natured. Minor daemons like imps and goblins are easily controlled and summoned. Daemons range - from least to greatest - as follows: Imps, Goblins, Minor Sin Daemons - A minor daemon that represents one of the seven sins though are not very pleasing to the eye and take a rather more blunt and straight-forward way of approaching their targets - Tempter, as it's name implies it "tempts" it's target into doing something they normally wouldn't, Succubi/Incubi - which, unlike their Lust cousins, they simply fulfill that persons greatest desire and, as long as they are needed, they survive. Very hard to get rid of and some of the more devious summons - Major Sin Daemons - More powerful than the Minor ones and more subtle, also taking a form in which their sin entails - Daemon Prince/Princess, and Dark Lord/Lady. The Princes and Lords are the most powerful Rift Summons to call upon, and only a Master can summon and control one, though for a limited time. Rift Summons are the most difficult and most dangerous of the Summoning studies, due to the chance to summon a Demigod by accident. Any Summoner may accidentally summon a Demigod. Demigods are not creatures formed by the pairing of a god and a human, but a creature that is born from a base element, and is that elements physical embodiment. Generally of an enormous stature – the smallest ever recorded being nearly as tall as the White Tower, the tallest structure in all of Alesia – they have short tempers and hate being called. Very few have ever been called intentionally – if any – and usually end up with hundreds of casualties before they fade back into the Rift – an alternate reality where all daemonic creatures reside.

The last is Control Summoning, a mixture of less-powerful creatures from each Summoning study. They can summon any and all from each study, but they are – as previously stated – never as powerful as someone who has taken to that study as their primary Talent. As for Arcane Tools for each, the Alchemist Gauntlet is – as before – for the Alchemists and Construct Summoners – though the Construct one can be a bracelet or a heavy glove and not necessarily a heavy gauntlet. For Ethereal, Rift, and Control Summoners, they are given either a pendant with a stone signifying their study of Summoning, or a circlet set with the same stone. Generally silver or platinum – both of which are good conductors of arcane energies – they are made upon induction into the Tower and their “true” Arcane Tool is awarded to them upon graduation from Novice to Apprentice. This new Tool will accompany them throughout their lives as a catalyst and source of their summoning. It is only replaced upon being broken, and only is removed upon the Summoners death.

The rank system of the Tower is as follows (from least to greatest) :

Novice - this lasts from the first day to the day they become an Apprentice.
Apprentice - given Arcane Tools and learn more advanced abilities.
Adept - choose profession and learn more advanced abilities.
Expert - gain experience within their profession and must pass various tests to gain Master status while learning the more advanced abilities.
Master - the greatest rank a student may attain before graduation of the Tower. Learns Master-class abilities and given the mantle of being a master of their Talent.
Magus - the rank given to teachers and those students who wish to further their studies but not as a student, but as a guest of the Tower. Regarded highly among the students, they are respected and given the utmost courtesy due to their master status and teacher-like abilities.

Uniforms - color, insignia, and Arcane Tool:
:Elementals:
Fire - Red; A silver flame upon the left breast(N-Ad), a silver bar under the flame(E), a gold bar under the flame(M) and upon each shoulder; A staff tipped by a floating, living flame that mimics the user's mood/emotions.
Water - Blue; A silver rain-drop upon the left breast(N-Ad), a silver bar under the drop(E), a gold bar under the drop(M) and upon each shoulder; A staff tipped by a floating that flickers with inner light upon sensing deceit or lies.
Earth - Green; A silver six-faceted stone upon the left breast(N-Ad), a silver bar under the stone(E), a gold bar under the stone(M) and upon each shoulder; A staff tipped by a floating precious stone that is the color of either the user's birthstone or favorite color.
Wind - White; A silver circle with four lines within it upon the left breast(N-Ad), a silver bar under the circle(E), a gold bar under the circle(M) and upon each shoulder; A staff tipped by a floating orb that have the ability of speech and coherent thought.

:Sorcery:
Novice through Adept - Dark blue; A gold gemstone surrounded by likewise gold flames upon the left breast; A staff - made of oak, beech, or elm - with an animal - mainly a bird of prey or hunter-type of animal - upon the tip.
Expert through Magus - Dark purple; A silver gemstone surrounded by gold flames upon the left breast and upon both shoulders; A staff - made of oak, beech, or elm - with an animal - mainly a bird of prey or hunter-type of animal - upon the tip. Generally has arcane script along the shaft.

:Summoner:
Alchemy - Dark gray; Indicated by the presence of the Alchemist Gauntlet, goggles, or other crafter-like articles of work; Alchemist Gauntlet with several pouches of Aembre stones in a special belt around their waist.
Construct - Brown and gray; A silver golem(N-Ad) or gold golem(E-M) with a bar of either gold or silver indicating what type of Constructs they summon (gold for Golems, silver for Automatons) upon the left breast; A bracelet, armored glove, or circlet with special stones inlaid upon it.
Ethereal - Silver; A silver(N-Ad) or gold(E-M) hollow circle upon the left breast; A circlet or bracelet inlaid with blue or green-colored precious stones.
Rift - Black; A silver(N-Ad) or gold(E-M) Rift-shape upon the left breast; A circlet or bracelet inlaid with red or black-colored precious stones.
Control - Brown; A silver(N-Ad) or gold(E-M) diamond-shape upon the left breast; A circlet or bracelet inlaid with white or clear-colored precious stones.

:Rank Key:
Novice - N
Apprentice - A
Adept - Ad
Expert - E
Master - M

The date system of Alesia: Age/Cycle/Month/Day.

Day - self-explanatory. Sunday through Saturday. Days and Months are the only things that have been taken from Earth.
Month - self-explanatory.
Season - Three-month periods that signify the change of seasons. Used primarily more than Months. Few ever say months.
Cycle - twelve-month period.
Moon - five Cycles, generally corresponding with whatever moon is currently visible in the sky - there are three. A total of sixty Cycles.
Century - 100 Cycles, has no correlation with Moons or Phases. Used to signify the next Imperial Date.
Phase - three Moons, beginning upon the return of the first moon, and begins a new set of Cycles, thus starting a new set of Moons. A total of 180 Cycles.
Age - 9 Phases, 1,620 Cycles, 45 Moons.
Eon - More than one Age passing.

Example of how a date is given:
15th Age, 5th Season, 3rd Day, the 8th Cycle.
or
15-8-5-M3
15 - Age
8 - Cycle
5 - Season/Month
M - Day {S - Sunday, M - Monday, T - Tuesday, H - Thursday, F - Friday, and A - Saturday.}
3 - Number of days so far within the month.