Even in Tuluk people should be far more concerned about a Defiler than an elementalist. Elementalists are blamed for destroying part of the city. Defilers are blamed for Killing the World.
Yes, but how can you explain to a Tuluki that lost his family, career, and home to elemental magick that they should be more concerned with sorcerers? I agree that "people in the know" would be more concerned with them, but not your average joe commoner, especially in the northlands.
Don't roll them all together, they are very different. Making them the same makes Sorcerers less scary, and deprives elementalists of a useful place in society.
The law also has a stronger interest in keeping Sorcerers down. A sorcerer has the possibility of evolving into a Sorcerer-King, with the ability to share power with his own Templars and eventually to become a threat to the other Sorcerer-God-Kings. The Templarate of both cities should be much more concerned with Sorcery than Elemental magick.
You have to look at who is "rolling them together". Northern? Southern? Elven tribes? Southern commoners? Southern templars?
I agree 100% that each Sorcerer-King and his Templars would be much more concerned about sorcerers than with elementalists, more because they represent a threat to their power than an interest in global safety. Beyond these people who are schooled, trained, and exposed to the differences in magicks, I don't think most people would recognize the distinction.
Southern folk may understand that a "Sorcerer" was worse than an "Elementalist" if discussing the subject in a tavern, but if they were confronted by the two forces somewhere in the world -- I don't think they would really be in a position to understand the difference:
If a group of hunters were riding in the desert sands when something like this happened:
Someone shouts, in sirihish:
"You have invaded my lands, and will die for your transgressions!"
Magickal currents swirl about someone.
Someone utters an incantation.
The tall, lanky man disappears into a cloud of pink smoke.
Would your character:A) Run screaming "Sorcerer, Sorcerer!"
B) Run screaming "Elementalist! Elementalist!"
C) Run screaming "Magicker, Magicker!"
If you answered C (and must choose one from the list), then my guess is your character wouldn't recognize the difference. Tales of how a magicker gathers their energy vs. an elementalist are probably not the common topic of most common men and women. Templars, elementalists, sorcerers, sure. But probably not the common person.
-LoD