Is there useful elemental magic?

From: Benedict Adamson <yahoo_at_gYwwOQ1S7GtQAVy4TEQbJqZsVrXSnplF528-rCZ1bDVqCW0-lnQo_PWBZRnt8mMFl3cguf>
Date: Sun, 02 Aug 2009 12:03:28 +0100

Jeff Richard wrote:
> It is often mistakenly assumed that Barntar is associated with the
> Earth Rune. Plowing is actually associated with Air and Movement â€"
> the plow turns the Earth and exposes it to the Air. Barntar is the
> tie between Earth and Air. He does not ripen the crops; he merely
> creates the right conditions where it is possible that they can grow.

Trotsky replied:
> YGWV, but I can't say I find that a very convincing argument.

Recently I was pondering whether there is really any useful element rune magic. An extreme idea, but my reasoning is as follows.

Globs of an element do not actually do any thing. They just sit there, being stuff. But, you might say, if I envelope a foe in a cloud of Darkness, they will be unable to see me, which could be useful. But concealment is the Power of Illusion; that example is not Darkness magic, but Darkness+Illusion magic. If Darkness is the element of hearing, enveloping someone with Darkness magic could enhance their ability to locate someone, the very opposite of concealment: so, Darkness+Truth. What about a deity such as Orlanth, who can do "anything" about Air: that would be combining Air with many other runes, not just the few that a lesser deity might have. For example, Orlanth could send a soothing breeze (Air+Harmony), but Vadrus never could, having Air power but not the slightest Harmony. Orlanth can send soothing breezes because, although the Harmony runs is not one of his runes, he is not so tied to Disorder that some (weak) Harmony magic is denied him.

It seems that an Element rune must be combined with a Power rune to do something useful.

Note the recent conclusion that there is no useful Form rune magic, other than for shape-changing. It seems the reasoning is that a Cattle rune does not actually enable you to do useful things like increase the milk from cows. Presumably, doing that would be Life magic, or perhaps Cattle+Life.

In the Barntar case, perhaps the Change (Movement) rune is important: transformation of "wild" compacted earth into cultivated field.