"Play this music for appropriate dramatic effect while you click the links below:"
all of which have NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS GAME.
run along.
The links actually have a lot to do with the game. Everyone here is trying to explain how a Phoenix commits suicide in burning fires to become reborn. Have you not watched any of the Harry Potter movies? I think it was the Chamber of Secrets where Harry nearly gets traumatized with Professor Dumbledoors (sp??) Phoenix burning up.
Flying in the air and crashing down as a fireball makes perfect sense for you to receive damage. It is also a bad idea to tell anyone that is trying to help you understand to just "run along". The way fire spells work, your primary fire mage should have very high resistance to fire. Anything over 100% resistance will actually cause a healing effect.
Though Larian does need to make that skill more available, I didn't know only the fire elemental sold it. I thought it was too over powered and totally removed from the game.
