SporeWiki:Fantasy Universe/Old/The Source/Geomancy

Geomancy, most known as Earth Magic is one of the primary elemental schools of the Source, based around the manipulation of earth.

History
Tales say that the Old Colossus of Earth, Korddraigen, used her divine power over geomancy to aid in the creation of the world alongside the other elemental gods, with her being responsible for creating the landmasses and continents of Koldenwelt. Earth elementals and s inhabited the surface of the world since times immemorial, though no great immortal race was known for their distinct power over earth magic.

The draconic race known as Claeg-snaha were the first non-primeval beings to have widely used geomancy, though they lost their power over it when they eventually transformed into the modern. Use of earth magic was never as widespread as arcane, fire or water, though it remains prominent in many magic-using cultures during the New Age.

Source
Geomancy draws its power from the earth. Unsurprisingly, it thrives in the presence of solid soil. It possesses a strong connection to its child school, arenamancy, but a practitioner of pure earth magic is unable to manipulate sand and vice-versa. Its main counterpart among the elemental schools of the Source is aeromancy, though they are able to complement each other much more easily than pyromancy and hydromancy.

Use of earth magic is considered niche compared to fire and water, which have more immediate uses to a day-to-day basis. Nonetheless, geomancers are highly respected and feared for having the potential to become as formidable as literal mountains.

Abilities
Stone is known for its resilience, and geomancy is no different. Practitioners of the school are able to manipulate portions of soil and stone to their leisure in order to use them as projectiles or to create armor for themselves. Earth magic may also be used to create soil, or elevate or lower already existing earth in order to reach otherwise unreachable locations. Geomancers are often gifted with incredible strength and endurance as consequence of their training, making them particularly dangerous in combat.

Mud, which is essentially wet soil, is normally difficult to manipulate by a pure geomancer, though combined use of earth and water magic allows full power over it. While many would think magma (molten stone) would fall under the same category, one does not need pyromancy to manipulate it, though experienced geomancers would claim it helps, even if just as a shield for the high temperature. The greatest of geomancers have been observed having the ability to manipulate native metals, though extending such power to worked, forged metal is considered by most to be beyond mortal reach.