Athasian Magic

Tne sources of magical energy on AtKas are very different from those in other AD&D® campaign worlds. Athas is a world without deities, where clerics worship the elemental powers themselves. Despite the brutality that seems infused in its soil, Athas is a fragile world, where the very existence of wizardry magic can disrupt and destroy the land's ability to support life.

Divine Magic
The priests of Athas worship the beings that embody the classical elements: those of earth, air, fire, and water. In Athas, priest spells fall into four spheres associated with those four elements, through the aid of elemental spirits. The spirits themselves are of an alien mindset, their motivations not in keeping with most other life. Earth doesn't mind being at the bottom of the sea and fires aren't likely to understand the value of friendship. The would-be petitioner instead offers a boon of their personal life force to the spirit in exchange for a favor. It could be waters of healing or a sudden gust of wind. The elementals generally aren't picky as long as what's requested isn't against their own interests. All priests on Athas thus aren't casters so much as bargainers of favors from the elemental spirits.

Elemental Talens
Sometimes a member of the priestly persuasion will need to undertake a journey to somewhere they may not find the spirits of their choosing. While it's unlikely spirits of earth or air will be rare in the wilds of Athas, areas of intense defilement are seldom inhabited. Where life is, there spirits are more likely to gather. To get around this issue, enterprising clergy will bargain with spirits to create a Talen.

Talens are items specially crafted and ritually purified to become a temporary home for the spirit. A fire spirit might be carried in a horn full of smoldering coals or a bag of earth to accommodate an earth spirit. Once the vessel is properly purified to the spirit's requirements a bargain is struck as to what favor the spirit will perform later. Once agreed upon, the terms cannot be changed. As soon as the item is broken, used, or discarded the spirit will perform its favor and then depart.

There is a cost for the bargain itself paid normally. This price is exacted at the Talen's creation once terms are agreed upon. Additionally, the priest agrees to impart a portion of life energy to the spirit in order to keep it 'fed' while inside the talen. If at any point the priest wishes to dismiss the spirit without enacting its power, the spirit will freely leave. Nothing is refunded though, discouraging young clerics from making piles of talens on a whim.

It's also worth mentioning that spirits of opposing elements will not agree to serve the same priest as talens at the same time. Fire talens cannot be carried with water talens and earth talens cannot be taken with air. This tends to limit the priest to only two elemental talen types at a time however as many talens can be carried as the priest is willing, and physically able, to pay for in life energy.

The Higher Elements
There are more than just four elements in the cosmos. Sages theorize that between the elemental planes of earth, fire, water, and air lie other quasi and demi-elemental planes. Such planes would have natures reflective of both their parent elements. And apart from these elements are the Higher Elements of Energy and Entropy, more commonly called the Positive and Negative elements. Patron spirits hail from either Energy or Entropy. While other elemental spirits are tied to natural substances or phenomena, spirits of Energy and Entropy are more abstract in nature.

Energy spirits are boundless in curiosity & enthusiasm. Not to mention movement. They're equally entertained by crackling in a fireplace or setting off small explosions. It's their very nature to produce endless amounts of energy. So much that some sages theorize that an elemental plane of Energy may be the source of all life. Those favored by such spirits often benefit from magical healing and protection. Regular communion with Energy spirits tends to encourage bouts of creativity, intuitive reasoning, and manic levels of drive.

Entropy spirits are not inherently evil, any more than Energy spirits are inherently good. Entropy is a natural part of creation. Life begets death to make room for the next generation's life. Entropy spirits are still not something you would want to offend. The negative energy plane is thought to be a place of darkness and shadows where all things decay into oblivion. There are legends of undead in Athas and certain casters have been known to raise mindless minions from the dead. These unnatural things are powered by Entropy though often at the expense of the energy around them. Powerful undead often have auras that chill the very air. There are still those that wish to commune with spirits of Entropy for the fast track to destructive power or as a means of removing real evil from Athas permanently. Those in communion with Entropy are often quiet, contemplative, and sometimes prone to exaggerated acts of destruction.