====== Earth ======

{{:misc:magic:earth.png?nolink }} **Earth** is an Elemental path of [[magic]]. Among the four Elements, it governs what is solid. Its kings govern the mountains above and the caverns below, with the soil having fallen to the seduction of [[Blood]].

Of the Elements, Earth is among the toughest to [[Evocation|Evoke]], but one of the easiest to [[Alteration|Alter]]. In [[Thaumaturgy|Thaumaturgic]] tradition, the path is melancholic, resembling a more-negative sort of passivity. In the Way of Five Elements, it is conservative and stable.

After [[Holy|Holiness]], Earth is most prolific path in the [[nations-ea|Early Ages]], with only [[Nature]] coming close; fittingly, this is when great forces still roam the land or emerge from the crust, while much of mankind toils without a grander ambition than survival. But like an exposed stone in the desert, talents in Earth steadily erode over the ages, with the master **Earth Mages** steadily giving way to either lesser heirs or no one in particular.

==== Earth Spells ====

Earth is well-known for its buffs. [[Strength]], [[Natural Protection]], Armor [[Protection]], [[Elemental Resistance|Elemental Resistances]], and even [[Magic Resistance]] are available to even an average Earth Mage. Earth can even give fellas [[Stun|Stunning]] and [[Armor-Piercing]] attacks.

{{:abilities:resist_blunt.png?nolink }}{{:abilities:resist_slash.png?nolink }} Earth has some direct damage spells, but much of them are **nonmagical**. Creating rocks and blades is hard enough, let alone enchanting them. Many are [[Protection#Damage-Types|physical hits of a particular weapon type]]. Earth does have some very nice [[Entrapment|army-pinners]], though.

The four Elements have a variety of checks and balances against each other, even against themselves. Earth's stronger Protection spells also give [[Elemental Vulnerability|Elemental Vulnerabilities]], for example, specifically against [[Water|Cold]] and [[Air|Lightning]]; and while Earth mages also get [[Shock Resistance]], the elemental attack spells come out much faster than buffing spells. [[Air]] also counters Earth's more-ubiquitous attack spells, by letting fellows [[Floating|float]] or [[Flying|fly]].

==== Pure Earth ====

^ Skill Level ^ Early Research (0 - 3) ^ Medium Research (4 - 6) ^ Late Research (7 - 9) ^
| {{path>E1}} (a dabbler) | Shooting Rocks \\ [[Cave|Cave]] Summons \\ Rapid Punching \\ Lesser [[Entrapment]] \\ Ogres \\ Personal [[Shock Resistance]] \\ Lesser [[Alchemy]] \\ Lesser Armor-Breaking \\ Personal [[Natural Protection|Stoneskin]] \\ Lesser Earth Elementals \\ Personal [[Natural Protection|Ironskin]] \\ Limited [[Magic Resistance]] | Strong Self-Buffing |  |
| {{path>E2}} (average) | [[Strength]] \\ Clockwork Soldiers \\ Lesser Armor-Upgrading \\ Personal Path-Boosting \\ Lesser Shock Resistance \\ Entrapment \\ | Cave Drakes \\ Lesser Stoneskin \\ Clockwork Murderdwarves \\ Lesser [[Stun|Stunning]] Attacks \\ [[Magic Site|Site-Searching]] \\ Lesser Ironskin \\ Greater Alchemy \\ Robots |  |
| {{path>E3}} ("mastery") |  | Armor-Breaking \\ Army-[[Encumbrance|Encumbering]] \\ Shooting Blades \\ Greater Armor-Upgrading \\ Stone Golems \\ Greater Earth Elementals \\ Trolls \\ Earth Spirit-Bears \\ Stoneskin \\ Greater Shock Resistance \\ Crushing Entrapment \\ [[Inanimate]]-Breaking \\ Greater Strength \\ Lesser Weapon-Upgrading \\ Hill Giants \\ Ironskin \\ Army-[[Rust|Rusting]] \\ Living Statues | Greater Stoneskin \\ Iron Golems |
| {{path>E4}} ("god-like") |  | Earth-Shaking \\ [[Patrol|Patrolling]] for Vibrations \\ Troll Kings \\ Supreme Armor-Upgrading \\ Greater Stunning Attacks | Earth Elemental Hordes \\ Greater Weapon-Upgrading \\ Supreme Shock Resistance \\ Greater Ironskin \\ Supreme Stoneskin \\ Instant [[Fort|Castles]] |
| {{path>E5}} |  | Wall-Shaking \\ [[Petrification]] \\ **Premium [[Items|Item]] Forges** \\ **Mining Windfalls** \\ Weaponized Apathy | Wall-Buffing \\ Air-[[Dispel|Dispelling]] \\ [[Scales#Order-and-Turmoil|Orderly]] Fort-Defenders \\ Magic Phase Assassinations \\ **Earth Kings** \\ **Robot Militias** \\ Supreme Stunning Attacks |
| {{path>E6}} |  |  | **Drilling for Gems** \\ Supreme Strength-and-Ironskin |

==== Crosspaths ====

These are the crosspath effects with Earth as the **primary** path.

  * Earth/**[[Fire]]**: Magma spells (though Lava has Fire as the primary path), Goldskin, and heat-powered robots.
  * Earth/**[[Air]]**: Flying rocks, including winged ones (Gargoyles) and raining ones.
  * Earth/**[[Water]]**: Cave Crabs, [[Clouds#Rust Clouds|Rust Clouds]], and pulling entire provinces [[underwater]].
  * Earth/**[[Astral]]**: Meteor spells (though "Falling Stars" have Astral as the primary path), Leadskin, and Element-impeding.
  * Earth/**[[Death]]**: This combination can ruin harvests, but it can also locate and re-empower buried kings.
  * Earth/**[[Nature]]**: Nothing that Nature isn't the primary path in, unfortunately.
  * Earth/**[[Glamour]]**: Nothing that Glamour isn't the primary path in, unfortunately.
===== Indirect Magic =====

{{:dom6:stats:prot.png?nolink }} An Earth Mage with {{path>E3}} or higher has 3 extra points of [[Natural Protection]], presumably due to having a better understanding of physical things. An Earth Mage with {{path>E4}} or higher also has at least 50% [[Affliction Resistance]] (+1).

{{:abilities:inanimate.png?nolink }} [[Inanimate]] beings who **aren't** [[Undead]] or [[Demon|Demonic]] can better-maintain their bodies with Earth Magic. Each level they have, gives them 50% more [[Age|years]] (additively) before they get old. Typically, this will only really matter against [[Decay]].

{{:misc:gui:magicleadership.png?nolink }} Last-but-not-least, each level of Earth Magic skill bestows 10 points of [[Magic Leadership]], important for leading Living Statues and other beings.

==== Path Boosting ====

In battle, {{path>E2}} mages can cast ??Summon Earthpower?? for a temporary +{{path>E1}} bonus, along with 4 points of [[Reinvigoration]].

Outside of battle, there are twelve Earth-boosting items, but half of them are artifacts. The only "common" non-Artifact is the time-honored pair of ??Earth Boots?? (requiring [[Construction]] Level 5 and {{path>E2}}); the next-most-common one is the ??Blood Stone??, another Construction 5 item, which requires {{path>B3E2}}.