Description
Terramancy is a form of magic that manipulates the earth - not in the sense of natural magic that utilizes flora - but directly with the earth: rock, metal, and mineral.
Terramancers
Terramancers are a unique type of spellcasters. Their power to cast spells is not drawn from the Spirit as most spells are. Instead, the power is drawn directly from the earth. Another unique aspect of Terramancy is that the skill cannot be learned through any amount of study or obtained through the use of any magical devices. It is an inherent ability present in a rare few. The difference in power of Terramancers is the degree in which they have learned to harness the power.
Terramancy is a magic of passion. The manifestations of the power are directly proportional to the passion of the caster. Intense love, hate, sadness, anger, and joy fuels the desired effects of a Terramancer. The passion cannot be feigned. The most powerful spells are the result of powerful emotion.
Training
The power of Terramancy is usually discovered very early on in children. During early fits of anger or elated joy even in infants, the power will manifest. Typically it shows up as very minor disturbances, ranging from rocks bouncing off the ground seemingly on their own volition to very minor earthquakes. As the children have not learned to direct and harness this power, the manifestations are very weak. Training is needed to develop this talent, if desired.
Training for children typically begins at the age of 10 or 11 if their parents can afford it and desire to. Training is always one on one from a skilled Terramancer mentor. It takes several years to hone a talent strong enough to have any real effect at will. Even when training is complete after several years of tutelage, the power is still relatively raw and difficult to utilize. To further enhance the effects, most Terramancers utilize a Focus.
Foci
In order to further concentrate their power, most Terramancers use a Focus. A Focus is a magically enhanced item intended to enhance the desired manifestations of the Terramancer. A Focus is always made of an earthly material, such as a pure metal or stone. Obsidian rings are a common Focus. The mass off the Focus is directly proportional to the effectiveness. There are diminishing returns on size, yet some Terramancers utilize massive Foci to gain the maximum effectiveness from their efforts. Interedalor, a famously powerful Terramancer of old is supposed to have worn a suit of granite plate armor into battle to serve as a Focus as well as protection. Legend holds that in order to merely carry this incredibly cumbersome suit of armor, he learned a powerful set of spells to increase his strength just to the point of being able to stagger into battle. Bear in mind that there is no correlation between Terramancy and normal Spiritual spellcasting skill. There was certainly questionable value in a Focus of such immenseness.
Effects on the World
A powerful Terramancer is a frightening thing, capable of raising thousand foot volcanoes, or rending huge chasms in the earth, or shaking a town to the ground through massive earthquakes. Fortunately, Terramancers of such power are exceedingly rare. Today, there are extreme restrictions placed on Terramancers. There is not a culture on Solaria without laws - or at least great stigma - that prevent Terramancers from deliberately modifying terrain at their whim. In addition, a Terramancer without their Focus is greatly reduced in the level of devastation they can cause.
Evidence of Terramancy is present, to varying degrees, all over Solaria. Battlegrounds between Terramancers a thousand years ago are still very apparent. Sudden and vast changes to a landscape are a sure sign of a former Terramancers presence. Terramancers of the past have occasionally left landmarks as a sort of signature in their homelands. The face of Solaria is wildly scarred with these crazy changes in terrain.
More to come…