Divide

The Origins

Divide is the form of magic that grants control over earth, stone, and sand, as well as their derivatives such as bricks, concrete, and glass. Scholars disagree about the exact origins of Divide, but there is consensus that it came from Evitrix. Whether it was a magic meant to encourage the people of Atharen to create material goods and build structures or tear those same things asunder is unclear. Given Evitrix’s general fondness for abstruse stratagems, the answer could well be that both theories are correct.

Concepts

Central to Divide are two concepts joined together in a dialectic: Synthesis and Antithesis. It’s difficult to define one without the use of the other, and impossible to make use of Divide without sufficient skill with both. Some Dividim understand this natively, and others struggle with it throughout their early training.

Synthesis: Synthesis is the act of creating an object, form, or structure using Divide. In order to create any structure with the use of Divide, Dividim must first be able to conceptualize the earth, stone, or sand as existing not as a mass but as small, moldable pieces. The smaller the pieces they are able to conceptualize, the finer their control.

Antithesis: Antithesis is the act of destroying an object, form, or structure using Divide. In using Synthesis to create, the matter must come from somewhere. Therefore, to create, Dividim must first destroy. The reverse is also true; Dividim do not obliterate matter when they destroy something, they merely alter its structure, creating something else in the process. The more efficiently Dividim are able to make use of Antithesis, the greater their alacrity in creating what they envision.

Initiation

An aspiring Dividi is initiated by an existing Divide practitioner. The initiation is simple enough: any piece of stone, mud, clay, earth, or glass can be used, provided that it is from a place that has personal meaning to the aspirant. It is rendered into powder by the practicing Dividi and then swallowed by both. The mage then expels the powder from their mouth and directs it into the initiate’s lungs, while the powder originally swallowed by the initiate is directed to circulate through their bloodstream.

If all goes well, the Initiate will become hypoxic and lose consciousness before waking up with a newfound Mark of Control. This is partially left up to the practicing mage, who must maintain a delicate balance of allowing enough air to reach their would-be initiate so as not to kill them, while also allowing the activated matter to circulate through the initiate’s body before pooling in the area where their Mark will form: if too much is let loose too fast, the initiation will fail, if too much is held back, they will suffocate. If the initiation fails and the initiate lives to tell the tale, the activated matter remains in their system, rendering them unable to be initiated again, as it will block any subsequent attempt.

Overstepping

The drawbacks listed below do not always come in pairs, and certainly not simultaneously. Some may come and others may not.

Lesser: Nausea, fatigue, headaches, muscle spasms, dehydration

Moderate: Bleeding through the nose, eyes and ears, intense cramps, seizure-like shocks and spasms, internal bleeding, vomiting and weakness

Severe

Evaporation: Moisture starts to spontaneously exit the cells of the body, causing them to burst. As the freed liquids pool in the lungs and brain, the affected mage succumbs to confusion and delirium. Supplemental oxygen and rehydration via Sinew Foam or Baptism should be provided as soon as possible to prevent an unpleasant and painful death.

Mutations

Mutations among Dividim are relatively common, seeing as the Initiation process is somewhat personalized, and the activated material within each Dividi has a different mineral composition and settles in a different part of the body to form the Mark of Control, typically a geometric pattern or crystalline structure. Marks, rather than being simple black tattoos, can themselves end up transformed into any mineral found on Atharen, including brightly colored, phosphorescent, or radioactive ones. Other mutations that alter the appearance include portions of the skin turning to living stone, which can look a bit like scales in appearance, or a permanent metallic glow or undertone added to the skin.

Other mutations can alter how Divide itself is practiced, however. In some cases, Dividim do not gain the ability to work equally on stone, sand, and earth: sometimes, the mage’s facility with one is greatly increased with a corresponding reduction of ability with the other two. Sometimes, the ability to work on one or two of the other basic materials is missing entirely, but the Dividi can instead work with a non-standard material, such as metal, wood, or paper. In other cases, the basic materials the Dividi can work with are left untouched, but some effect of Synthesis or Antithesis is automatically applied to everything they try to do, resulting in all materials being automatically heated, cooled, or pressurized.

Abilities

Erosion: Acquired at Novice. Making use of Antithesis, the Dividi examines the structural properties of an object made of stone, sand, or earth before applying force (such as shear or pressure) to weaken or even destroy it. weakens an object or structure made of stone, sand, or earth heightening existing structural issues or creating new ones. This can be quite dramatic, causing windows to shatter outward or stone walls to crumble, or it can be slow and steady, allowing a material to be weakened or expose flaws within it that makes it more susceptible to other effects. Objects that are larger, denser, or higher on the Mohs scale require more effort to affect than objects that are smaller, more diffuse, or lower on the Mohs scale.

Bolster: Acquired at Novice. Making use of Synthesis, the Dividi examines the structural properties of an object made of stone, sand, or earth before improving its structural integrity, density, or other similar properties, strengthening it. An object or structure made of stone, sand, mud, or glass by augmenting it with extant Divide materials in the area – materials that share similar properties (ideally being of similar mineral composition) are easier to work with, while those that are dissimilar make Bolstering more difficult. At higher levels, a Dividi can summon the materials from further away and are not limited to using what is in the immediate vicinity.

Parse: Acquired at Novice. Technically a foundational ability in the use of either Eroding or Bolstering any object is the ability to examine its structure and improve or weaken it. In order to Parse an object, Dividim need only reach within themselves for the activated material that makes up their Mark of Control and imparts their connection to earth, sand, and stone. The activated material will ping any object within sight range, allowing the mage to Parse it and determine that object’s mineral properties, approximate structure, and potentially uncover weak points, as well, should any exist.

Phase: Acquired at Apprentice. By applying the principles of Antithesis to stone, sand, or earth, Dividi gain the ability to convert material between each of the three base materials used in Divide. Note that the material itself will be changed between different states of matter and granularity, but will not fundamentally change: marble cannot be turned into rubies, for instance, so the properties of what is created will depend upon mineral content in the area.

Dust Storm: Acquired at Apprentice. The first overtly offensive ability learned by Dividim, with Dust Storm an Apprentice can direct projectiles of stone, sand, or earth at high velocity at anything within sight range. Dividim can form projectiles using Synthesis before directing them at a target, can break off projectiles from a larger mass using Antithesis, or can direct fine particles of activated material at the target instead, obscuring vision and abrading surfaces.

Craft: Acquired at Apprentice. Arguably the most useful day-to-day ability imparted to Dividim, Craft allows for mages to create finished goods like pots, bricks, or windows out of raw stone, sand, or earth. Using both Synthesis and Antithesis, the quality of what is created depends on the practitioner’s skill in visualizing the object, how they choose to put it together, and the materials used. Even in areas with sufficient technological progress to mass-produce items, items made by skilled Dividim are still sought after due to their lack of seams and the ability to create something custom with relatively little effort compared to more traditional craftsmanship.

Petrifaction: Acquired at Journeyman. Dividim are more reliant on there being earth, stone, or sand around to manipulate as a precondition of performing their magic than are mages of most other disciplines. The Journeyman ability Petrifaction is the first skill they possess that can rectify this issue, acting on the latent ability of all organic matter to mineralize and become inorganic. Petrifaction can be cast on anything not made of earth, stone, or sand, including both inanimate objects like cloth or furniture, as well as living targets like plants, animals, or people. Petrifaction speeds up the natural process to an almost incalculable degree; a process that normally takes thousands to millions of years can take place in only minutes.

To begin the Petrifaction process, the Dividi creates a hollow projectile and instills it with a bit of activated matter from their Mark of Control. It is then hurled at the target. In order to work, the projectile must not just hit, but pierce any barriers between the intended target, whether that be armor, cloth, a wall, or skin. If successful, it begins a slow but painful effect if cast on a living target; having parts of one’s body turned to stone is excruciating even to those with a notably high pain tolerance or a resistance to being tortured. As more and more of a living body is turned to stone, Dividim gain the ability to move and shape the newly petrified body parts, leading to legends of cursed statue gardens full of the unfortunate victims of a Dividi mad with power. Fortunately for those who wish to avoid becoming statues, victims of Petrifaction do have some ability to stop the process: the casting Dividi must maintain concentration and line of sight to continue the spell, and while their body is being petrified, they maintain the ability to control it if they can fight through the pain.

Parch: Acquired at Journeyman. An unpleasant ability to wield, suffer, or witness, the Dividim Synthesizes a mineral and directs it inside the body of their target at an extremely fine level to dehydrate them. This can be used to simply make someone thirsty, or the fine particulates can be used to suck the water out of the target, cause internal bleeding, or cut off air/blood supply with an impenetrable disc of solid matter materializing in the esophagus, veins, or trachea. Directing the material within another’s body like this requires a degree of fine control that renders this a Journeyman ability, and a need for continued focus and concentration as the body of their target attempts to fight back. Parch is also used during the initiation of new Dividim; Dividi of lower skill levels can attempt to initiate someone, but are more likely to fail due to lacking the fine control needed to do so successfully.

Lightning Rod: Acquired at Expert. Something of a misnomer, but the more modern moniker overtook the clumsier but more accurate name: Deflection Pillar. Dividim make use of Synthesis and the activated material within their body to create an effigy. To do so, the Dividi removes some of the activated material from their own body and puts it into an inert mass of stone, earth, or sand. As they concentrate on it, the effigy will come alive and the activated material will form a bond between it and the caster. A faster, more rushed job will usually lead to a simple pillar, incapable of independent movement, while a more skilled mage afforded more time may create what is functionally a version of themselves rendered in miniature in sand, stone, or earth; effigies creates after this fashion can move independently under the direction of the mage, while the more inert sort can be moved using Dust Storm. The activated material within the effigy causes it to glow slightly.

When any effect, be it physical or magical, would target the caster, Lightning Rod redirects the effect to the effigy instead. For example, should a Divide practitioner have Lightning Rod active when they are shot, the bullet will touch their skin before dropping to the ground, as all of its velocity is transferred to the effigy instead, leaving a scaled down crater on the corresponding body part. Should they be the target of Pyromancy, the effigy will be lit ablaze instead. Remnant’s illusions have no effect on a Dividi while Lightning Rod is active, as the illusions affect the effigy instead, but Mentalism’s ability to affect the emotional state of the target are unimpeded, as are Grave’s effects on vital essence, because the effigy lacks independent thoughts, feelings, or vitality. Passively maintaining an effigy requires a consistent flow of ether, and maintaining an effigy while being attacked drains more ether still. Effigies can only protect the caster, not anyone else.

Living Armor: Acquired at Expert. At lower skill levels, Dividim are able to cover themselves or others in protective Bolstered material, which can act as crude armor. It is only at the Master level, however, that a Dividi can use Synthesis to partially fuse living things with stone, sand, or earth, imparting the protective mineralistic properties of the material to their target. If a mineral is non-conductive, for instance, the target becomes immune to Storm effects. If it’s highly absorptive, it can deflect or even absorb Resonant spells, as well. Depending on how hard the material is, it can deflect or discourage injury via conventional weaponry as well.

Concretion: Acquired at Expert. Concretion can only be cast on something or someone that has been successfully Petrifacted. Concretion allows for thumb to fist sized stones to form from any liquid remaining inside what has been petrified before being extruded due to a build up of pressure, leaving the target pockmarked with missing chunks of stone-flesh as concretions are extracted under the direction of the Dividi. These can be extruded continuously until the target is nothing more than hollowed out stone to provide the caster with a steady supply of stones, or pulled out with greater force, allowing the mage to shatter the Petrified target. In either case, both the concretions and the petrifacted shards can be immediately put to use by the Dividi for other spells.

Tectonic Shift: Acquired at Master. There’s a reason stories about Master Dividim sometimes refer to them as Earthshakers. The Master Dividi connects to the seismic activity within Atharen itself, Parsing both the etheric ley lines and the faults present within the tectonic plates to gain an understanding of their structure, and an intuitive understanding of how to manipulate them to for how to manipulate each to their own ends. Tectonic Shift allows Master Dividim to use Bolster and Erosion on a grander scale – they can make a region more seismically stable by using gentle quakes to reduce potential energy built up in fault lines, or steadily add more to a fault line until it’s almost full to bursting before overwhelming it with targeted force, causing the sort of natural disaster that can level a city.

The amount of time required to produce a quake can be hours or days; more seismically active areas allow for faster casting times than those that do not experience earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. While the Dividi can choose which fault line to target to produce the quake, they are not in control of what happens during the earthquake itself: buildings will become structurally unsound and topple, glass will slide out of windows, streets will break apart, etc in accordance with physics, not by the will of the mage. The mage must focus and cast continuously during this time in order to allow the potential energy to build up in accordance with their expectations. Failure to do so will see the energy dissipate harmlessly or trigger an earthquake that has a different epicenter, duration, and magnitude than intended.

Dust Devil: Acquired at Master. Prior to casting, the Dividi must identify any people or structures in the area they wish to protect via Parse and safeguard them: shimmering, veils of activated material will appear around what they’ve chosen to keep safe and the caster will themselves begin to glow as the activated material within them supercharges with ether. Shortly after, the sandstorm will begin, though calling it that is inaccurate, as Divide does not impart control over the wind, so there is no wind. The sound produced by it is instead the innumerable grains of sand displacing the air as they speed toward the target(s) at high velocity. Any non-protected organic material will be abraded by the sand, dehydrated as though they are being targeted with Parch, and begin to be affected by Petrifaction, then Concretion. Unlike Tectonic Shift, the velocity, and direction of the sand whipped up by Dust Devil is under full control of the Dividi – if for instance a target is using a cloak to avoid being hit in the face by Dust Devil, the mage can direct the sand to circumvent that protection and incite Petrifaction of the target’s face. When the Dividi finishes casting it, the sand, as well as any stone created by Petrifaction and Concretion, remain in place for further use.

Ashbringer Abilities

Ashen Reign: Work in progress.

Novice

The Novice abilities of Divide ensure that Dividim understand the principles of Synthesis and Antithesis via Erosion and Bolster, as well as granting the ability to Parse nearby objects such that they gain facility in analyzing the structural integrity of everyday objects in their environment. Something that on the surface seems simple, such as taking apart a naturally formed piece of quartz and putting it back together such that it’s stronger, sleeker, and smoother, can be approached in many different ways, and Novices need to practice with such fundamentals to ready themselves for the abilities that await them as they become more adept with their new magical toolkit.

Apprentice

Apprentice Dividim gain the ability to translate one base material into another by manipulating its density and particle size with Phase, and unlock two of the most important abilities in the Divide skillset: the ability to create objects with Craft that can be permanent if they are able to maintain their integrity with magical assistance, and the first offensive ability in Dust Storm. All three abilities require more skillful use of Synthesis and Antithesis, and a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the structure and form of the objects Divide can affect.

Journeyman

The Journeyman abilities of Divide lend credence to the theory that it was created by Evitrix not just as a means to help the people of Atharen civilize, build, and trade, but to wage war, as well. Petrifaction allows for Journeyman to make stone from organic matter, and both Petrifaction and Parch impart powerful if slow offensive abilities to the practitioner.

Expert

The Expert abilities available to Dividim add two vital defensive abilities. With Lightning Rod, the mage can divert spells and blows intended for them to an effigy, and with Living Armor, Divide gains the ability to discourage, deflect, nullify, or absorb magical or physical effects. These abilities in tandem both allow Dividim to take a more supportive role in combat and prepare them to protect themselves and their allies from the devastating effects they can unleash at the Master level. It also adds Concretion, a spell cast upon Petrified targets that allows for the harvest of more activated matter as well as giving Dividim a slow but devastating one-two punch.

Master

Few Dividim have the occasion to become Masters at all, let alone to practice the Master abilities enough to have any facility with them. With Tectonic Shift, the Dividi can conjure localized shaking or a devastating quake severe enough to remake Atharen’s landscape. Dust Devil combines effects from Parch, Petrifaction, Concretion, and Dust Storm to create an onslaught that can rain down destruction on friend and foe alike.

Ascension: The Ashbringer

Work in progress.