One of the
more generic Sphere III spells found in the Earth
school, Solidify permanently increases the influence of
Earth over a specified target, imbuing it
with renewed strength and durability by drawing on the element’s property of
hardness. While in theory any object or being could be solidified, the constancy
of the spell’s effects greatly limits its practical applications, restricting it
to being used predominantly in the refortification of damaged
weapons and buildings.
Spell Effect. When
successfully cast, Solidify imbues the target with unnatural strength, repairing
from the damaging effects of time and overuse. Drawing upon elemental
Earth’s properties of hardness and
durability, this spell uses Sphere III techniques to permanently increase the
influence these qualities display upon the physical form of a target.
Speaking more technically, the spell permanently alters the metastate, a link’s
desire to be either passive or active, of the
xeuá bonds surrounding the Earth ounia
in the target’s cár’áll to soor. Alternatively, it
is also possible for a mage to increase Earth’s
properties by inserting additional ounia of the element, drawn from a reagent or
the target’s environment, into an object’s cár’áll,
Through these two actions, the mage not only ensures that the Earth already
within the target is given physical representation, but also increases the
overall prevalence of the element within the target.
Casting Procedure.
After having established the mental concentration and physical proximity to the
target required to successfully cast Solidify, the mage must focus intently on
the car’all of the object he wishes to fortify. Once this state has been
achieved, he or she must first alter the state of the
xeuá links that connect the
Earth ounia of the target, permanently
changing them from the passive state of ahm to that of soor.
Should the mage desire to further harden his target, he or she must insert
additional Earth ounia into the
cár’áll of their target. Drawing these ounia from a
foreign object, most commonly a reagent such as a lump of clay or stone, the
caster must then implant each oun into the target’s
cár’áll, increasing the element’s overall influence on the object.
Magical Formula.
Still to be defined.
Focus/Target. Solidify
is most commonly cast upon weapons, tools and buildings severely weakened as a
result of overuse though a number of instances have been documented in which the
spell has been cast successfully on other objects, such as bone or wood. Though
possible in theory, research in the casting of the spell over the flesh of
living targets has been banned by the
Academy of Ximax because of the
unpredictable side-effects the subject could experience as a result of such
drastic tinkering with the delicate balance of their
cár’áll.
Reagents. Though none
are required, many magi find it useful to keep a lump of stone, clay, metal or
bone close at hand when casting the spell over targets containing little
Earth to serve as a source from which
ounia can be drawn.
Spell Class.
Physical Representation of Sphere III (Permanence), Finalization.
Range. In order to
successfully complete the casting of Solidify, a mage must remain within
relatively close proximity to the object he or she is reinforcing. Though the
distances vary from caster to caster, those first practicing with the spell
often require physical contact with their target while an Archmage might be able
to complete the incantation from a
ped or two away.
Casting Time. A
demonstration of some of the most complex techniques available to elemental
magi, Solidify can take anywhere from five to ten minutes to cast successfully.
Indirectly correlated to the quantity of Earth
found within the target, casting time dramatically increases when ounia are
inserted from a foreign source and often requires several successions of the
spell to achieve the desired results.
Duration. Like all
Sphere III spells, changes imparted by Solidify permanently alter the
cár’áll by changing the meta-state of the links
between the ounia and by adding additional ounia to the
cár’áll of the target. It should be noted, however, that objects reinforced
by the spell are still subject to the wear and tear of time and thus can be
slowly withered away.
Counter Measures/Enhancing Measures.
Regardless of a mage’s skill and familiarity with Solidify, the spell’s effects
can always be heightened by multiple castings over the same target. By using the
spell in a series the mage is able to integrate more
Earth ounia drawn from outside sources
into the car’all of the target and alter a greater number of links than he or
she is able to in a single casting, therein by strengthening the cumulative
effect of the spell.
Since Solidify employs such complex magic, directly
removing the renewed hardness the spell imbues an object with requires equally
as difficult magic. Thus, only magi capable of using
the third Sphere are able to permanently reverse its effects by either releasing
the Earth ounia added to the target’s
cár’áll or altering the amount or state of the
Wind,
Water and Fire ounia to offset the
greatly increased influence of Earth.
It has also been found that using Sphere I and Sphere II techniques when coupled
with an external damaging force upon the targeted object can re-create the state
of ruin the item was in before Solidify was cast. Using spells of these two
disciplines to temporarily weaken the entity, any blow that strikes it will
cause severe damage that remains even after the deterioration spell has been
released.
