Earthnodes

Legend

“Earthnodes are places in our World where the Astral is leaking Mana uncontrolled, or where the leak is sealed and tamed with a Astral Site/Gate.”

“Trag studied the path one last time, then let the pillar slide-and it sealed the leak.”

—Skjald El Mary

 

Description

Earthnodes, spread across our world, are places where the internally swirling mana sea runs close to the surface or even bleeds through. Elthuun—most likely the most attuned mortal ever, wandered our world in its earliest years. Seeing the sea’s swirl beneath the surface, it’s tides pulsing, echoing its muffled and dulled song.

Planting shards where the echo was strongest, he anchored our surface to the sea and a friction grew, that would one day make the world spin. He taught none, and wrote nothing. But the shards, fused with the underlying energies, grew-into earthnodes and formed the worlds leyline grid and laid the foundation for astral travel.

Well that might hold for some of them, others are most certainly previous void gardens.

“Behold the sea said the shards, and the excavators sank into it.”

—Skjald Ulrich

 

History

Earthnodes have been known since long before the Archaic helped the Boriac raise the first astral sites. As far as we know, both to control the fragmental leaks from growing and also to create a more secure pattern of steady gates across the World as leaking rifts can close themselves or be forced shut and then gone forever.

Many have through time, our worlds turbulent history in mind. Been dislocated, or disconnected with their underlying sources. Not all has recovere fully, and some even became foul chaotic surface wounds.

It’s worth recalling that there’s a huge difference between a wild Earthnode capable of great boosting and surprises, and one tamed into the framework of an astral site. As those are as good as totally useless for anything but Astravelers, unless one… no wait, I won’t elaborate on that now.

“Pluck in a shard and travel its puritys length, pluck in more and go beyond.”

—Skjald Valgrif

 

Organisation

At an Earthnode, the influence from the Mana Sea is stronger than elsewhere; some say this is due to a really thin buffer separating us, others attribute this to Elthuun’s shard-work. Thus, any Mana Manipulator needs to be careful with setting things in motion at these places. Either released energies can be tenfold boosted or creatures might appear coveting the energies of the visitors Aura Colour.

Generally earthnodes are raw energy centres, or they have been turned into Astravel Sites. A very few has built their domains or academies on top of them.

“It might look kind, but could be grim. It might look grim, but could be kind.”

—Skjald Vinotis

 

Even though it’s decorated fine… it’s all hoax and mime…

Raw, it floats on the ground… free from any worldly bound.

“Sometimes they ‘shelter’ behind illusionary veils.”

—Skjald Kazumix

 

Special

Generally, the Earthnodes are also the home, or preferred resting place, of skilled individuals of great powers or odd Monsters.

“She came to see the herb-hermit, but alas some ‘thing’ sat sucking his bones.”

—Skjald Sejrik