Elemental Beads

Item from When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker

Colored beads that declare your elemental affinity to the world — or, if you wear none, declare you worthless.

Also known as: Element Beads, Affinity Beads

What They Know

Red beads: fire affinity (Ignos). Blue beads: water affinity (Rayne). Clear beads: air affinity (Clode). Brown beads: ground affinity (Bulder)
Wearing no beads marks someone as a null — no elemental songs heard, lowest social status
Raeve deliberately wears no beads to disguise her unprecedented ability to hear all four songs
Beads serve as both personal identification and social stratification throughout all three kingdoms