Cheater!!! @_@

[Hguols]

<i>How do you know when...
youve completed an elemental area?</i>

More or less, when you get the elemental staff. There is no "TA-DA! Area Clear" - more or less, you need the staff and level gains from those "stages" to move forward in the game. Those things are required to complete the last area of the game.

<i>I believe I am finished with fire and earth now and nearly done with wind. Is the basis of the 4 elemental areas just to get the staff of invoke x from each?</i>

Pretty much. However, there are some very important relics in the elemental areas besides the staff collection that you will NEED to gather to complete the game.

<i>In regards to the fire area, when you leave at the end and get to the switch that was hidden behind the light walls, what does it actually do when you flip it? I couldnt find anything?</i>

You must not have tried to leave the area before you flipped that switch. Flipping that switch lowers a pillar that was blocking your exit.... a pillar that appeared when you have the Staff of Invoke Flames in your possession.

Yay! You didn't know you were trapped! ^_^