The Magic Art of Metallic Air, Part III

This is post 200 for The Everwayan!

Sitka Tlingit Moose Hide Armor
with Chinese Coins

The Magic Art of Metallic Air is a magical tradition practiced in the realm of The Rust Gate. This Art is best known for the mage-assassin's spell Coagulated Metallic Air, but there are several levels of casting possible with it. Not all of them are deadly.

All spells cast with Metallic Air magic require that the caster fuel their spell using Dragon-backed metals of some kind. Shirts and gauntlets made from coin mail, and strings of coins are popular casting materials. But other Dragon-backed metal materials such as thuribles, scepters, and toys are also popular. Quantity/weight is always a consideration, since such metals will be exhausted as the spell is cast.

The practitioner should have either the Element of Air or Earth at the same level as the Magic level being used.


The Magic Art of Metallic Air

At this magic level...A mage can:

1: Create clinking sounds such as those of:

• Men-at-arms in chain or scale mail armor
• Coins being counted
• A silversmith or jeweler at work

2: Increase the luster of a metallic mirror or surface (such as armor)

3: Create a shimmering metallic cloud that can blind enemies during bright daylight

4: Coat an object in the desired metal

5: Summon Serpent Coils - a waving mass of metallic springs and coils to impede the advance of an enemy

6: Coagulate Metallic Air - encase a average individual (Earth 3) in a suspension of metallic air, suffocating and coating them in the metal of the caster's choice

7: Arrow cloud - a single arrow with a metallic head becomes a cloud of metallic arrows capable of killing a small group of people (Earth 3)

8: Unleash a metallic tsunami upon an large group, devastating a city, army, or large beast (Earth 5)

9: Call and infuriate the Dragon whose hoard was used to fuel this spell; in its wrath, the Dragon will despoil an entire kingdom or a mighty beast (Earth 6)

10: Open a Gate to the fabled City of Brass

The Magic Art Of Metallic Air, Pt. II

http://www.ehow.com/
info_8429605_metal-polishing-air-tools.html

The Magic Art of Metallic Air combines two Elements: Air and Earth. There is only one text that mentions this Art in the Library of All Worlds. The Book of the Diggers lists this form of magic as one of the dangers that miners face when delving in the Dragon- and Ifrit-infested Hot and Cold Realms.

Its powers manifest in various ways, including gaseous-metallic clouds (this is one way to create mirrors or coat other objects in a metallic sheen), serpent coil air (a striking weapon), and deadly coagulated metallic air - a favorite of the magical assassins from the realm of The Rust Gate.

The Magic Art of Metallic Air has ties to the Dragon Trade: The Book of the Diggers states that metallic coins from Dragon hoards are required to cast and control this form of magic.  Bronze coins work as well as gold coins for this purpose. Practitioners of this Magic Art wear strings of Dragon-backed coins when they cast their magic. For exceptionally powerful spells, a mage may wear entire shirts and skirts made of coin-mail.

One way that realms may protect themselves from this form of magic is by promulgating and enforcing sumptuary laws. Unfortunately the realm of The Rust Gate has long since lost the political will to regulate its citizenry in this way.

The Magic Art Of Metallic Air, Pt. I

I am developing a specialized form of magic for Everway, which is a new experience for me.  Unlike Mage, a 90s RPG that I really liked a lot and did some fan writing for, I never tried to create my own magical traditions for Everway. Other people did, but I always shied away from it for some reason. I must have been afraid of getting it wrong. But that is changing now.

My current project is based on our gaming group's most recent experience with the Lost Days of Memories and Madness story-game. About a month ago, we created a rather interesting world  - one which I decided to port over to Everway. I decided to call that realm The Rust Gate.

There is a form of magic there that can produce something called metallic air. And you can assassinate someone by entrapping them in a pocket of coagulated metallic air. Nasty stuff - and it sounds like a wicked oxymoron. Two elements combined - something a bit challenging to conceptualize with Everway's magic system.

But I'll be trying to do just that. In addition to the Playing Guide, which sets out the rules for creating magical traditions in Everway, there are also these online resources that I'll be using as references: Kat's Guide to Magic and Twisted Confession's version of Jim Henley's Magic Formula for Everway.