MetalFatigue/TerrestrialCircleSorcery

Waves Breaking on the Wooden Shore

Cost:     15 motes
Duration: Instant

The sorcerer unleashes a shimmering aquamarine wash of Water-aspected Essence, which surges out to fill a rectangular area Essence × 100 yards wide, beginning 5 yards in front of the caster and reaching Essence × 5 yards beyond that. Within that area, every inanimate wooden object of a generally rod-like shape (i.e., whose length is at least ten times its width) is affected by a breakage attempt with an effective Strength + Athletics total of 15. This will generally destroy any wooden rods (such as lances, spears and arrows, or even such things as mine props and ships' spars) not protected by sorcery or reinforced by one of the Five Magical Materials. Artifact weapons such as skirmish pikes will be unharmed, as will such mighty timbers as ships' masts.

This spell was invented by a precocious fifth-year student at the Heptagram, who wanted to improve the effectiveness of cavalry charges by preventing the enemy from setting their spears. If it is employed in such a capacity, the defending force will most likely have to make a Valor check to avoid being routed.

Unfortunately (as the student's Sidereal mentor pointed out), the shallow area of effect means that the sorcerer must ride with the charging cavalry, and the mount of a Terrestrial Exalt channeling large quantities of Essence is not long for this world. It offers some potential in maritime combat, but to use it without incapacitating one's own vessel requires careful attention to one's position and orientation.

This spell is as yet unknown outside the libraries of the Heptagram.