Elemental Classification System
also refer to the Complete List.
Introduction
As any devoted fan of the ELotH and its various incarnations knows, the importance of Elements cannot be underestimated... and there's really a whole lot of them and they're hard to keep track of. As such, their classification is quite a tricky thing to manage. This is one two-dimensional representation of the hyperprismic derivations of the various types of elements.
Please note that this system only tracks inner and outer elements. This is to say nothing of the inner middling and outer middling elements, of which there are very, very many.
Organization of the Elements
As everyone knows (or should), there are five main Elemental Types:
- Primary
- Primary elments are points of the Primary Prism (such as Air, AAA)
- Primary elements are always considered to be "face" (exterior) prism elements.
- Secondary
- Secondary elments are points of the Secondary Prism (such as Blood, BBB)
- Secondary elements are always considered to be "face" (exterior) prism elements.
- Tertiary
- Tertiariy Elements are lines drawn between the aforementioned points of a prism. Though they have an independent and intrinsic nature, they are still strongly tied to their associated Primary or Secondary Element.
- Depending upon the prism, they are classified as either Prime Tertiaries(if they are defined by relationship to the Primary Elements) or Ancillary Tertiaries (in the case of Secondary Elements)
- Tertiary elements may also be further differentiated as to whether they are a "face" (such as Lightning, AAW, which is the line of the prism drawn between Air and Water) or "interior" (such as Dust, AAE, which is the line of the prism drawn between Air and Earth) element
- Quarternary
- Quarternary Elements do not exist independently, as do the Primary Elements and their octahedric hypercongruent counterparts, the Secondary Elements.
- Quarternary Elements are triangular planes of the hyperprism, with the points of the triangle being the three elements of their codon.
- Quarternary elements may also be further differentiated as to whether they are a "face" (UnWA, Black Ice, can be thought of as the face of the prism formed by the three points of its codon, and is there fore a "Primary Face Quarternary) or "interior" (EAF, Ash, a "Prime Interior Quarternary) element.
- Quinternary
- Quinternary elements are not a part of this system because no self-respecting Elemenstor has anything to do with them. Those that utilise these elements tend to have their own theories about how they fit into the grand scheme of things. These theories are invariably retarded.
Classification
All elements are classified (and some would argue constituted) by a three-element codon.
In this system, all Elements are composed of three of the six Primary (for the Primary Quarternaries) or Secondary (for the Secondary Quarternaries) Elements. These units are called the Prixon, Doxon, and Trixon. Primary or Secondary Elements are "Pure" and thus all elements of the codon are identical. Elements containing two identical elements in the codon are Tertiary. And finally, those with a codon that contains no identical elements is a Quarternary.
What follows are several tables of the elements derived from both Primary and Secondary hyperprisms. Please refer to the pictoral chart at the end in order to achieve maximum confusion.
Primary Prism Elements
The Unspeakxta
| UsUsUs | Primary | |
| UsUsE | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| UsUsA | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| UsUSF | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| UsUsW | Prime Tertiary Face | Yorine |
| UsUsUn | Prime Tertiary Interior |
The Unearxta / The Earunxta
| UsEUs | Prime Tertiary Face | Polished Brass Towel-Holders |
| UsEE | Prime Tertiary Face | Copper and Ceramic Tubs |
| UsEA | Prime Quarternary Interior | |
| UsEF | Prime Quarternary Face | Sword element |
| UsEW | Prime Quarternary Face | Vernynut-glue |
| UsEUn | Prime Quarternary Interior | Xoil |
The Unairxta / The Aeirunxta
| UsAUs | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| UsAE | Prime Quarternary Interior | Cheese |
| UsAA | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| UsAF | Prime Quarternary Face | Flags |
| UsAW | Prime Quarternary Face | |
| UsAUn | Prime Quarternary Interior | Confusion |
The Unfirxta / The Fierunxta
| UsFUs | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| UsFE | Prime Quarternary Interior | Mauve |
| UsFA | Prime Quarternary Exterior | |
| UsFF | Prime Tertieary Face | Ned |
| UsFW | Prime Quarternary Interior | Alcohol |
| UsFUn | Prime Quarternary Interior |
The Unwexta / The Wetunxta
| UsWUs | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| UsWE | Prime Quarternary Exterior | |
| UsWA | Prime Quarternary Face | |
| UsWF | Prime Quarternary Interior | |
| UsWW | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| UsWUn | Prime Quarternary Interior | frozen pee |
Earxta
| EEUs | Prime Tertiary Face | Jessicstan |
| EEE | Primary | Earth |
| EEA | Prime Tertiary Face | Rystran |
| EEF | Prime Tertiary Face | Meteoric Iron |
| EEW | Prime Tertiary Face | Iyorn |
| EEUn | Prime Tertiary Face | Silverstone |
Eairxta / Aeirearxta
| EAUs | Prime Quarternary Interior | |
| EAE | Prime Tertiary Interior | |
| EAA | Prime Tertiary Interior | |
| EAF | Prime Quarternary Interior | Ash |
| EAW | Prime Quarternary Interior | Wicca |
| EAUn | Prime Quarternary Interior |
Eafixta / Fiearxta
| EFUs | Prime Quarternary Face | |
| EFE | Prime Tertiary Face | Lead Plumbing |
| EFA | Prime Quarternary Interior | |
| EFF | Prime Tertiary Face | Ceramic Tile |
| EFW | Prime Quarternary Interior | Cardboard |
| EFUn | Prime Quarternary Face |
Ewexta / Wearxta
| EWUs | Prime Quarternary Face | peanut |
| EWE | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| EWA | Prime Quarternary Interior | |
| EWF | Prime Quarternary Interior | Wood |
| EWW | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| EWUn | Prime Quarternary Face | Roots |
Earulnxta / Unlearxta
| EUnUs | Prime Quarternary Interior | Meat |
| EUnE | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| EUnA | Prime Quarternary Interior | |
| EUnF | Prime Quarternary Face | Hash Element |
| EUnW | Prime Quarternary Face | Tripe Element |
| EUnUn | Prime Tertiary Face |
Aeirxta
| AAUs | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| AAE | Prime Tertiary Interior | Dust |
| AAA | Primary | Air |
| AAF | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| AAW | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| AAUn | Prime Tertiary Face |
Aeirfixta / Fiaeirxta
| AFUs | Prime Quarternary Face | |
| AFE | Prime Quarternary Interior | |
| AFA | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| AFF | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| AFW | Prime Quarternary Interior | Lightning |
| AFUn | Prime Quarternary Face |
Aeirwexta / Waeirxta
| AWUs | Prime Quarternary Face | Sight |
| AWE | Prime Quarternary Interior | Sense |
| AWA | Prime Tertiary Face | Touch |
| AWF | Prime Quarternary Interior | Taste |
| AWW | Prime Tertiary Face | Sound |
| AWUn | Prime Quarternary Face | Fribulous |
Aeirunlxta / Unlaeirxta
| AUnUs | Prime Quarternary Interior | Hap |
| AUnE | Prime Quarternary Interior | Joy |
| AUnA | Prime Tertiary Face | Sorrow |
| AUnF | Prime Quarternary Face | Love |
| AUnW | Prime Quarternary Face | Hate |
| AUnUn | Prime Tertiary Face |
Firxta
| FFUs | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| FFE | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| FFA | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| FFF | Primary | Fire |
| FFW | Prime Tertiary Interior | |
| FFUn | Prime Tertiary Face |
Firwexta / Wexfirxta
| FWUs | Prime Quarternary Interior | |
| FWE | Prime Quarternary Interior | White Water |
| FWA | Prime Quarternary Interior | Steam |
| FWF | Prime Tertiary Interior | |
| FWW | Prime Tertiary Interior | |
| FWUn | Prime Quarternary Interior |
Firunlxta / Unflixta
| FUnUs | Prime Quarternary Interior | Hats Element |
| FUnE | Prime Quarternary Face | |
| FUnA | Prime Quarternary Face | |
| FUnF | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| FUnW | Prime Quarternary Interior | |
| FUnUn | Prime Tertiary Face | Lighting |
Wexta
| WWUs | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| WWE | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| WWA | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| WWF | Prime Tertiary Interior | |
| WWW | Primary | Water/Ice |
| WWUn | Prime Tertiary Face |
Weunlxta / Unwelxta
| WUnUs | Prime Quarternary Interior | |
| WUnE | Prime Quarternary Face | Brine Element |
| WUnA | Prime Quarternary Face | Black Ice |
| WUnF | Prime Quarternary Interior | |
| WUnW | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| WUnUn | Prime Tertiary Face |
Unlixta
| UnUnUs | Prime Tertiary Interior | |
| UnUnE | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| UnUnA | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| UnUnF | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| UnUnW | Prime Tertiary Face | |
| UnUnUn | Primary | Unlight |
Secondary Prism Elements
The Liftxta
| LLH | Ancillary Tertiary Face | choler |
| LLC | Ancillary Tertiary Face | phlegm |
| LLS | Ancillary Tertiary Face | Chloro |
| LLD | Ancillary Tertiary Interior | melancholy |
| LLL | Secondary | Life |
| LLB | Ancillary Tertiary Face | blood (biological element) |
The Carrixta
| CCH | ||
| CCC | Seconardy | Carry |
| CCS | ||
| CCD | ||
| CCL | ||
| CCB |
| Note - this is all I could fill out before bedtime, but you can get the general idea from the chart below, if you are not too infused with the Quarternary Element Confusion by now. Feel free to contribute and fill in as necessary, otherwise I'll do it little by little. |
2-Dimensional Elemental Chart
Below is a chart illustrating one layout of the combinations. Note that colors of Element groups match according to their hyperprismic congruence.
- Earth = E
- Air = A
- Water = W
- Fire = F
- Heart = H
- Life = L
- Death = D
- Stream = S
- Carry = C
- Blood = B
- Unlight = Un
The Unspeakable= Us
| Note that Primary and Secondary Elemental Codons are in bold, Tertiaries are in Italic and Quarternaries are in plain text. At some point I may have to gussy up the chart a bit to make it easier to read. ~asura |
Source Material
Taken from chapter 8 of Bjorn Z. Madsen's seminal 1998 work, "Fictional Grand Unifying Theories", the same publication that gave us the octahedric hyperprism hypothesis
Discussion
| Wow... certainly a very impressive undertaking to put all this together. You know as soon as Madsen published FGUT he began working on the second edition. It wasn't until a year later when his publisher informed him that only 177 copies of the first edition ever sold that he realized there would be no second edition. Copies of his revised chapter 8 float around on the internet, although its unclear which versions would have been his finished work, if any. |
Summary of the Revised Elemental Classification
I don't believe that a revised chart was ever drawn up, but here is the theory:
Elements actually are defined by coordinates in four dimensional space, which makes the definition of primary and secondary elements much more straight forward. Primary elements are a point (all coordinates being the same), secondary elements exist in the first three coordinates of a primary element, and the fourth coordinate being the secondary element, therefor secondary elements are lines. Tertiary elements have three different coordinates and are defined as planes, and quarternary consist of four unique elements (all primary or secondary) and define hyperplanes. For most quarternary elements the fourth point (called the clinch) is unspeakable and is not mentioned in its description.
Quinary elements have four unique elements but one or more of them may be some combination of Blood, Heart, or Unlight and are considered non-canon.
Under this system Water is W,W,W,W and Life is W,W,W,L.
Notes
The conversion of the original chart would probably be pretty simple because for primary elements you just repeat the element, for seconary you prepend a primary element, for tertiary you repeat the dominant element, and for quarternary you add Us.
| Just as a note to the other conntributors using the documentation in Finnish, In English the series of words desribing the order of phenomenon is primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary, quinary, senary, septenary, octonary, nonary, denary |
| Actually, I've seen both quarternary and quaternary in source RPG material (I believe that quaternary is now preferred, but like celcius and centigrade you will still see the terms used interchangably). -Tim edit: I think that senary, septenary, octonary, nonary, denary (as well as the much maligned canary elements) are all pretty theoretical. |
| The version that is posted here is also fourth dimensional, in that it holds to the theory that the Primary Hyperprism and Secondary Hyperprism are the same prism in different dimensions. This fourth-dimensional relationships is shown in the colors that display the hypercongruent (occupy the same position on the prism in different dimension) elements on each prism) relationships between the Prime and Ancillary Elements (for example: Blood and Unlight in this theory are hypercongruent). Apparently this thought has been handled differently for the revised chart. ~ asura |
| This is all well and good, but where does Wrack (UnUsB) fit in? There's no way here to make combinations of primary and secondary elements, which the existance of Wrack would certainly imply is possible for a quaternary element, and for that matter the six tertiary elements shown on Bjorn Z. Madsen's illustration in octahedric hyperprism hypothesis (Binding, Feeding, Driving, Still, Destroying, and Forcing) clearly demonstrate this property for tertiary elements. Anyway, there appears to be a third category of element besides Prime and Ancillary. I propose the prefix "Trans" (i.e. "Trans-Tertiary"), since these elements have edges that cross between the primary and secondary prisms. --5thEarth |
| Just so I'm clear on this: from what I've read, it would seem that the "middling" elements are the aforementioned "Trans" elements, inner middling elements having lines between their constituent points that pass through one of the Primary/Secondary octahedrons (AEH, UnUsB), and outer middling elements avoiding such passage (AWL, UnFD). Does anyone have any material to confirm or deny this hypothesis? - Cuncuxna |
| That's my understanding too. If you can find a copy of the aforementioned Madsen (1998), it's discussed on pages 56 and 57. Due to a printing error these pages were stuck together on many copies, which has added to the confusion about the nature of the middling elements. Even so, Madsen discusses what middling elements are, but notes that there are such a ridiculous abundance of them that he did not have adequate means to develop a classification chart for them in book form. Maybe someday an ambitious fan might develop some sort of 4-dimensional interactive flash animation that would allow us to enter any three points on the hyperprisms and be given proper codification and name of the element... well, we can dream anyway. ~asura |