Naming elementals

[SparksMcGee]

Hello, playground.
In my setting, I have people with affinity with the 4 elements. There are two degrees to these affinity. The highest degree I'm calling 'accepted', which is someone who is basically one with that element. They have a high degree of control, but they are vulnerable to the opposing element and can't use any other elements. The other degree I'm currently calling 'adept' and it's people who have some affinity with that element, but can still use other elements.

I don't like 'adept' as the name for that, though. Any suggestions?

[Haruki-kun]

Using a thesaurus, and off the top of my head: Something like Novice? Maybe Pupil? I don't know, it makes me think of students.

[SparksMcGee]

Yeah, I'm trying to avoid names like that. Adept, novice or pupil makes it seem like this is something you learn, but it is innate.

[The_Snark]

Do you want a generalized term encompassing all people with that degree of connection, or would terms for each specific element work? The first ideas I thought of were things like air-touched and fire-kin, but element-touched and element-kin doesn't really flow. I guess you could come up with a different word for each element (air-touched, earth-kin, fire-heart, water-bound?), but that still doesn't give you a general term...

Hmm. Maybe 'attuned'? It doesn't instantly convey the sense of being a weaker affinity than 'accepted', but then accepted isn't an especially strong term, and it doesn't give a sense of being stronger either...

[SparksMcGee]

I think I like attuned!

[LibraryOgre]

Supplicant?

[Inevitability]

Ascended?
Transcended?
Becomer?

[Ruethgar]

How about Aspirant?

[Targ Collective]

I will give you five levels.

Total Generalist

First Octave Specialist - ELEMENT

Second Octave Specialist - ELEMENT

Third Octave Specialist - ELEMENT

Total Specialist - ELEMENT

Note this is adaptable across multiple elements.

This should give you all the flexibility you need. The names for them are up to you, but this is a framework that allows for quite a high degree of flexibility. If you need more flexibility, simple madd more octaves in the 'specialist' tier.

I advise a separate level for a master of all elements.

Total Master Generalist

That is if you intend to go into that. Could be useful for a villain, even if your party can't access it.

[shawnhcorey]

Adept usually means very skilled or proficient. Just the opposite of what you intend.