Earth Magic

On the Ocean Belt, Water Magic is rightly feared and revered above the rest, matched only perhaps by Wind Magic, for it tames or riles the mighty sea. But the Great Land, cut off by the Iron Belt, is a Land of earth. Even the mighty Lake Glazglubin pales against the sheer amount of landmass and mountains that make up the super-continent, and thus those who can bend, break and shape earth to their design hold immense power here.   Earth mages have raised cities from the dirt and hewn castles into mountainsides. Their greatest seat of power is the mighty city of Arda in the Erdwald Domain of the Middle Lands.

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Magus Academies

Gladering University of the Arcane

Many centuries ago, the Geomancers of the Ringed Glade of Erdwald Forest, who had forged the Middlish ley-fyres, heeded the call of progress and agreed to become a central force of the new capital of the Erdwald Domain: Arda.   In this new, shining city, they erected a tall castle with foundations deep underground and a grand, central plaza as their new glade. They name it ‘Gladering’, and in time it becomes the ‘Gladering University of the Arcane’, teaching the secrets of earth magic to new generations.

— Takeshi Bartleby, the 1480s GE

  The Gladering University is mired in arcane tradition and is as such being led by traditionalists. Though earth magic is a core aspect of the curriculum, a high standard of learning in many subjects is expected of those who seek to study there. Graduates do not necessarily take up work as earth mages once their studies are finished but are regularly hired as educators and advisors, though of course there is always a high demand for earth magic in Arda and an even higher demand beyond its great living wall.  

Monastery of Five Paths

The Monastery of Five Paths is not only renowned as a spiritual mecca for those who seek enlightenment in the elements such as ur-soulists, but also a well-respected magus academy even in the eyes of the elitist Middlish mages. This is due to the incredible ability of trained Monastery of Five Paths monks to change their elemental attunement within the span of one day, enabling them to manipulate any element of their choice given a 24 hour preparation period.   The downside to this unique feat is that the attunement itself does not reach as deep as it does in other schools, and while a large portion of their magic is sealed away with the other four elements at any given time, they have a versatile repertoire of spells for each element as well as a commendable modicum of flexibility in their application. Those monks who leave the monastery are highly valued as teachers in other academies and can easily find work wherever magic is in demand.

Traditionalists

The Mighty Worms of Arda

The Mighty Worms of Arda, feared throughout the Great Land, are an elite magus fighting force attached to the City of Arda. Though most of its practitioners are graduates of the Gladering University of the Arcane, some have been taught earth magic exclusively by the senior mages of the Mighty Worms. Such cases usually arise when noblemen or their sons are pushed into service.   With their more specialized tradition of earth magic, the Mighty Worms of Arda use their powers to dive into the soil and burrow so quickly beneath it that their motion seems more like swimming. Then, when their opponents least expect it, they emerge and strike with heavy weaponry and devastating earth magic.   Reminiscent of the mighty Keeper Weapon Kaplumbağa, many Mighty Worms of Arda choose to wield heavy maces and hammer with heads fashioned of dense crystal, which often has been shaped by the very magic of its wielder. Since crystals can be manipulated using earth magic, the style taught by the Mighty Worms includes spells and techniques that involve crystalline weaponry.    

The Iwatatsumin

岩竜民 ("The Boulder-Dragon Men")

The Iwatatsumin are a school of earth magic passed on through the Gintoku branch of the Taira Clan , which is one of the oldest and most powerful clans of the Yamato Kingdom. Though no longer the ruling house, they still hold immense influence, and their earth mages have long since held a high reputation within the kingdom. They were instrumental in the construction of the great Tendô no Senaka, the bridge that leads from the eastern to the western slopes of the mountainrange, close to its southern borders, a structure so monumental it would have been nearly impossible to build without the use of magic. Likewise, they helped with the excavation and construction involved in the erection of the new capital, Yamaseki atop Mt. Tenbashira.   Their art is passed on through the iemoto system, meaning there is one soke or "master" of the art, who knows all its secrets, which are usually contained in hidden scrolls, some of which are encoded. The oldest student and/or child is then taught these secrets before the soke retires or passes away.   Because of the highly arcane nature of Yamatonian magic, it has remained very set in its way and not enjoyed the rigorous process of evolution that Middlish Magic has experienced since the early centuries of the Age of Gears and Elements.