Animus Online - The Travel Journal

...And so our story continues to unfold, a journey through the jagged canyons of the minds of Animus, the god of these strange realms that I've been given to visit. Quite similar to our world they are, yet everything that one comes across brings an unmistakeable feeling that something is out of place, eerie, unusual...

Eight Spheres of Magic

These strange creatures that call these realms their home seem to be capable of harvesting the very essence of their existence. This gives them great powers, far beyond the imagination of a simple man like I. These powers belong, as the locals say, to eight great schools of magic, or "spheres", as they call them.

Earth

The disciples of the Earth Sphere have always been interested in the natural defensive possibilities: hills, crevices, mountains, even a simple bump that, with a tactical level so complexe that it looks like dumb luck to untrained eyes, helps win a battle. Or, at least, helps reduce casualties whlist increasing those of the enemy.

It only comes as natural that the "special effects" of the Earth Sphere be based on transforming scenery in obstacles, walls, defensive posts, outlook towers, escape tunnels, rigged canyons, collapsing deathtraps, and other such toys for their sturdy soldiers.

Considering that it is only the finest earth and the finest care that makes vines flourish and give out the best grapes, and, as a consequence, the best wine, the other "special powers" of the Earth Sphere become obvious. Oh, and a good wine it is, too...

Air

To control atmospheric phenomena has been a century-old wish of Earthlings. Yet, just to add to my desperation, these creatures cannot even remember when they last had trouble doing just that. Be it the hailstone pounding on the enemy, or the spring rains that make your own grains throve, this Air Sphere is considered amongst the most useful.

It is hard to forget the pure olfactive pleasure that these magicians offer when showing us the enemy consumed from the sky by lightning. Or when the storms they conjure are so great, that what's left of the enemy is slowly eaten away by the damp rot of their soaked clothes, their reek alerting the sentries of their arrival miles before even elven eyes can see them.

And lest, we shall not forget that an army tends to lose their sense of direction whenever one of these Air magicians unleashes upon them a mist so dense that the arrows from the defenders literally cut through it when launched at the unsuspecting victims trapped inside.

Water

Ahh, water... The giver of life, the cradle of our birth, the very thing that made it possible for us to be here... The very thing that flows through our veins and give us the life we enjoy... Unless, of course, you are a fire elemental.

This in mind, it is easy to understand why the disciples of the Water Sphere can decisively influence the growing of crops, the health of the inhabitants, transport and deployment of troops by river or, even, through river, as our miraculous "parting of the Red Sea" is childs' play for these creatures, literally.

These creatures have so long been based on asking water to do their bidding, that they employ it in anything they do. Even when the enemy is trampling over their land, it is easy for them, as they crawl through the watery marshes that have inexplicably appeared overnight, to take for the harmless buzz of the coulds of mosquitoes above, the woosh of the arrow just on its way to forever rest them in this watery grave.

A stable source of water, a well system, perhaps an aqueduct are economical advantages of a region, not to mention not dying of thirst during a siege, and all these things are but little bother for Water disciples.

Fire

If you are talking about pure destruction, you are talking about the Fire Sphere. Through filre, metal becomes pure and maleable and, under the hammer of a skilled blacksmith, takes the shape of perhaps the finest tools of destruction that my eyes have been set upon.

The Fire Sphere seems destined exclusively for frying, burning, charring or otherwise rending the adversary directly to fine powders of ash.

Not to be mistake, by "adversary" I meant castles, fences, houses, farms, barns, storehouses, horses and, of course, whole armies that once belonged to your (most probably already former) enemy.

I took great interest in this sphere when my Earthling creativity has shown me other opportune targets, like mothers-in-law.

Chaos

Perhaps the only certain common element of all battles, chaos has been tapped by the great magicians of the Chaos Sphere and concentrated into powers that transform will into fury and bravery into slaughtering frenzy.

The fighters of Chaos, completely engulfed by their frenzy, long for one thing only: to die drenched in blood. That of the enemy, needless to say, and the more, the better. Those fighters that survive and win battles are so consumed by their fanatical frenzy, that they will immediately look for other battles to fight in. Hugely overpowering armies have barely been able to get away from these bloodthirsty killing machines. They haven't died while choking down the enemy commander's throat in this battle? No place for worries, as their moment of forever entering Valhalla, or whatever they call it, might come in the next battle.

A warrior of Chaos you are sure not to find dying of one particular ailment: old age.

Order

Order leads to progress, based on clear laws. If something can be done better, than so it shall be done.

Those that have order as purpose of their existence enjoy a great advantage: that of efficiency. It just may be possible that produce coming from perfectly symmetrical and well-arranged orchards don't have the same flavor as those left to grow at their own will, but they are certainly more to be and cleaner, and production is not a subject of the moods of weather (and, in some cases, Air magicians).

Order in an army transforms an otherwise erratic band of mindless fighters into a fully-fledged army unit, whose force greatly outmatches the combined powers of those that make it up. Like a plow, slowly but surely, and without getting dented in most simple bumps, this army unit munches its way through enemy lines, conquering and defeating regular armies of the same size with great ease and proving more than a match even when greatly outnumbered.

Life

...But what else can be more important than life? Those who respect it and worship it, the disciples of the Life Sphere, life seems to smile especially to. Lifespan increases, children are healthy, game is plenty and the future always bright.

What greater joy in the souls of marching armies than knowing that in the battle to come, their bodies are protected by the spirit of life itself? Wounds close, the dead come back to life, and any enemy curse is just one chant away from being rendered useless.

It is this kind of creatures that have given me hope. Their resemblance to our Earthling spirit of worshipping and sanctifying life is what has continued to keep me fighting and hoping that, one day, I shall find my way back to my realm and to my beloved Earth.

Death

"Come ye sweet death, cometh thou to me!"

Final destination, supreme duty of all that shades these realms. Death is inherrent to any being that is alive. As governing element of the Death Sphere, it is invoked over the enemies with no less than devastating effects.

An army that knows the ruin which lies in its future can in no way have a good morale. Soldiers that, until then, were full of joy, bravery and will to fight for what they hold most sacred are now facing the truth: they will die, and there is no avoiding it.

I have witnessed what Death cultists can do to their foes. I have myself felt that immense fear crawling up my body and poisoning my mind with images so horrible, yet so vivid, that I dare not lay them down on paper. I have seen the horror of the approaching curses, diseases and pure sickness that you could even smell in the air, that emanates from their cities.

I shall approach them not, these cultists, anymore.

To be continued...