So, the harding ritual requires soul gems made from certain level Earth elementals.
To me this sounds like binding elements to items, much like the Gnomes of Zirlargo (sp) do in Eberron and how the Quori used to do.
So that got me thinking, it would be logical if we could do things like add fire to a weapon or gear. Adding to a weapon would give it the fire aspect, doing an additional 1d6 damage. Mad with a soul gem of a captured fire elementals. and a second time doing the ritual with a more powerful soul gem would make it burst. Air would be shocking. That of course means what would be acid or cold?
Doing it to armor or gear would give fire resistance.
I think that would be some logical uses of the ritual. Perhaps a soul gem from the undead would give undead bane?
Ideas?