Geomancy
Geomancy is a form of High Magic which concerns the manipulation of certain magical currents which flow through the world and converge at particular places of mystical power.
The History of Geomancy
It is unclear when the earliest forms of geomancy were developed, though it is often said to be one of the most ancient forms of High Magic. The ancient Leshay are believed to have been among the first to recognise the power of the Pylons, though it is unknown if any of their magical techniques to have survived to the modern era, or whether such things would be recognisable as geomancy. The earliest geomancy that modern practitioners might recognise as akin to their own art is likely to be that which was practiced by the Ordning of the Giants during the Aeon of Ice; the giants are believed to have woven incredibly potent geomantic enchantments in the pylons about which they built their citadels, some of which endure to this day, though the vast majority of their wisdom is thought to have been lost to history. Following the fall of the Ordning, it is thought that geomancy played a significant role in the magic of Alversa and the Paragons of Azoth, most notably in the creation of the Arcane Thrones. In modern times, there are a number of geomantic traditions which - despite some differences in their theoretical underpinnings and the specifics of their techniques - share more points of similarity than places in which they diverge. The hegemonic influence of the Katari Empire - who are well-known for establishing interlocking networks of Ley Lines that stretched across the entire continent of Kataris - would seem to play a major role in this tendency towards convergence, with the traditions of Terianis, of Tzim Tevash, and those of the Dyarchy of Laria becoming deeply entwined with the broader Katari tradition over the centuries, to the extent that most continental schools of geomantic practice are interoperable and - aside from a few differences in technical jargon - almost identical. Further afield, other geomantic traditions do exist which diverge from the Katari tradition. In Aaranak the Empire of Yua was renown for having its own sophisticated form of geomancy admistered by certain of the priestly orders in the service of the Anathemata. Much of this knowledge is thought to have been destroyed during Mazayima's Rebellion in the late 13th century, with the priests of the Old Empire preferring to destroy their archives rather than let the rebels defile the secrets hidden therein, though the Alliance of Yuatlan is nontheless said to have made great strides towards reconstructing these secret magical technologies in the service of their new secular order in the last few decades. In Azarach, the Hegemony of Parath and the Kingdom of Zabaria have their own traditions which are remarkably similar to each other, both focussing on the manipulation of the climate and environment, and which are seen as more akin to a precise science than a spiritual exercise; conversely, among the Qaswartim of Imrat al-Shalanin the practice of geomancy is extremely carefully regulated as a method of bringing the physical world into alignment with the Divine Order. In the East, the Regency of Pryddcael is thought to have its own traditions of geomancy which derive from that which was practiced in the ancient elven homeland of Shas'Ellith - though as with many aspects of drow society, it is rarely discussed openly outside of the Lodges in which it is taught. Finally, it is understood that the Volsangans historically had their own tradition of geomancy prior to the coming of the Black Wind, but that this was lost or abandoned during or shortly after th crisis.Pylons, Ley Lines, and Places of Power
At the core of all known geomantic traditions lies the observation that there are certain places scattered across the world in which natural energies coalesce. The most potent of these are known as Mystic Pylons, the word "pylon" deriving from a Katari word meaning "gate". Mystic pylons can take many forms; they may appear as unusual standing stones, curious springs, natural caves, gigantic trees, or any other strange features of the landscape - though not all such unusual locations are true pylons. Pylons radiate a palpable sense of magic which can be detected by simple spells such as detect magic, and can reliably be distinguished from other magically-potent locations through the use of the identify spell - though there are some methods of disguising or concealing a pylon from such divinations. Different authorities report a differing number of pylons that exist; the Katari believed that there were precisely seven hundred and twenty scattered across the world, though others have reported figures between four hundred and five thousand. The truth of the matter is difficult to establish; as with the Inevitables, it has been noted that most gods and spirits appear to be unwilling or unable to discuss the precise number or location of the pylons, whilst attempts to answer the question by divinatory means give inconsistent or equivocal answers. The reasons for this have never been fully established. Each pylon is a unique site with its own properties which can be determined through the use of the identify spell. Numerous mages have made attempts to classify pylons into various types - some based on the eight Scholae Arcanorum of Kataris, others on the Divine Domains, the Alchemical Keys, or some schema of elements and para-elements - though no currently-existing system of classification is universally accepted, nor entirely compatible with empirical observations. Ley Lines, sometimes referred to as "shadow roads", are natural channels that link pylons, which some specialists are capable of manipulating to enhance geomantic workings. The Basilisk Queens were said to have been preeminent in their use of ley lines to propagate magical effects from one pylon to another, though much of the high lore relating to this practice is believed to have been lost when Kinik Kataris was destroyed. Those who have studied the workings of ley lines in detail tend to be extremely cautious about discussing the methods by which these channels can be manipulated; it is claimed that with the proper techniques, geomantic effects can be shifted from one pylon to another, or propagated between pylons, as well as allowing for near-instantaneous transportation between locations and the drawing of power from a distant site.The Practice of Geomancy
All geomantic rites require three components, aside from the pylon into which they are imbued: a "base" spell which is cast in an extremely specific way; a "matrix" - typically a valuable gemstone - to hold the power; and the power of a variable number of entities with connections to certain forces. These entities, known as "Emissaries" can either offer their assistance willingly - though most will expect some form of payment or ongoing agreement, the voiding of which results in the withdrawal of their support - or can be forced into service through the "Right of Conquest", which is to say, by binding their soul in the crystal matrix at the point of death. Whilst it has been proven - most notably in On Geomantic Universality, a monograph authored by "Accordance of the Tower" in 904AK - that any formulaic spell can be converted into a unique geomantic rite, the process of creating a proper methodology by which this can be achieved is time-consuming and expensive, potentially requiring months, if not years or decades, of work to achieve - and, crucially, the outcomes cannot always be predicted from the underlying spell. As such, whilst geomantic rites are potentially very wide in scope, the vast majority of formulaic spells do not have commonly known methodologies by which they can be cast as geomantic rites. Those who study geomancy often jealously guard their methods as a result, and scrolls containing obscure or lost methodologies can sometimes trade hands for enormous sums of money.OOC Mechanics
To cast a geomantic rite requires the following steps:
- A suitable matrix must be prepared to store the arcane energy. Typically this will be a gemstone of at least 1000GP value.
- A spellcaster who knows or has access to the proper geomantic methodology for the spell must cast it, using any material components as normal. The spell has no effect, but aligns the matrix to that particular spell.
- The matrix must then be charged by a sufficient number of emissaries, with the minimum number depending on the level of the spell. At least one of these emissaries must be from a particular source, which depends on the specifics of the spell to be converted into a geomantic rite.
- 1st-2nd - one emissary
- 3rd-4th - two emissaries
- 5th-6th - four emissaries
- 7th-8th - eight emissaries
- 9th - sixteen emissaries
- An emissary can either willingly empower the matrix, in exchange for some payment or ongoing agreement, or can be bound into it by force. In the former case, should the payment not be forthcoming or the agreement broken, the geomantic ritual immediately fails. Trapping the soul of an emissary into a matrix by force requires that they be dead or dying, and that the bearer of the matrix succeeds in an opposed Charisma check with the emissary. The outcome of having one's soul bound into a geomantic matrix and then use to empower a geomantic rite varies depending on the nature of the emissary - mortal emissaries and weaker spirits are irrevocably destroyed, whilst particularly powerful emissaries are incapacitated and unable to act in any way whilst the geomantic rite continues to function.
- Where a rite has an ongoing duration, it has a minimum duration of a year and a day. For every additional emissary empowering the rite, this increases by a factor of ten.
- Where a rite has an instantaneous duration, it takes effect immediately unless additional emissaries empower it. Every additional emissary allows a delay in activation of up to one day. The caster of the rite can set the rite activate at any point up to this maximum delay; if they are physically in contact with the pylon, they may use their action to activate it regardless of what delays may have been set.
A list of all commonly known geomantic rites can be found here.
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