Thermonics
Balancing Extremes
Those who reach great understanding in Arcana primum will learn a unique and powerful skill. The principles of Thermonics focus on how to manipulate, increase, or remove the thermal energy present in one's environment. The branch teaches how to alter elements already at the Arcanist's disposal, and discusses fundamental rules that must be adhered to in order to avoid unfavorable consequences. The power of ice and molten rock can be incredibly lethal, but it has also been used in medicine. Purification of water by evaporation and condensation is one such example. There are many diseases that to take their victims life through the symptoms they give. Fever is a common killer... or at least it was.
The Volcanic Path
There is one path that focuses on adding thermal energy to one's environment. The path of molten rock teaches how to isolate thermal energy and caused the temperatures to rise to extremes. The earth will melt and liquefy. Even the most frigid environments will thaw. Buildings can be vaporized as well as the people within and a body of water can be reduced to an arid desert, which then can be turned into a field of glass.
The Glacial Path
Their is another path of Thermonics that focuses on removing the thermal energy from one's surroundings causing the temperature to drop. It teaches that the very concept of cold is a product of the mind. To elementalists who reach this height in power, cold does not exist, and it's merely the lack of heat (thermal energy) in one's environment. They can make water freeze and can cause metal to chip and shatter.
Philosophy and Emotion
A common ideal that has spread over time among those who favor thermonics is the branch's unusual focus on balance and dualism. Unlike elementalism proper, Thermonics first established the idea that opposite does not mean opponent. Both ends of the spectrum are sides of a coin and are a must for life to exist. This leads many to follow both paths of Thermonics.
The belief is so prevalent that it often drives emotions in those who practice it. Arcanists will respond with anger when met with cold indifference and vice versa during conversation and debate, regardless of the arcanist's personal beliefs on the matter. Bards have even adopted a common tale used to train students about the importance of this duality.
The belief is so prevalent that it often drives emotions in those who practice it. Arcanists will respond with anger when met with cold indifference and vice versa during conversation and debate, regardless of the arcanist's personal beliefs on the matter. Bards have even adopted a common tale used to train students about the importance of this duality.
The Volcano and The Glacier
The tale depicts two titans, rulers of their domains. They somehow come in contact with each other and during a long exchange of messages across the vast distance of reality, the fall in love. The two decide to meet, and when they do they move to embrace each other.
The moment was sweet, but painful for both titans. They were of opposing elements and their love would cause great joy and great pain. A time came where the two threw caution to the wind. They met on the earth of the physical plane and endured the pain as they kissed. By the time the sun would rise, all that was left was a massive lake and a mountain of obsidian at its center.
The moment was sweet, but painful for both titans. They were of opposing elements and their love would cause great joy and great pain. A time came where the two threw caution to the wind. They met on the earth of the physical plane and endured the pain as they kissed. By the time the sun would rise, all that was left was a massive lake and a mountain of obsidian at its center.
History
The first principles of Thermonics explored by a group of enchanters who wished to learn how to speed up the process of producing weapons and armor. They failed in this regard, lacking the care and proper patience of a blacksmith. The goods that they produced could be easily enchanted but ended up being brittle.
The experiments failed, but they came across some interesting discoveries. They determined that temperature was merely an exchange of energy between substances and wondered if Arcane energy could be used to achieve the same goal. They were correct in their findings.
Elementalists would take this a step further. Turning water into ice and stone to magma was impressive, but one had to ensure a steady supply of resources. Arcanists who went to war man massive cauldrons filled with water, or wagons filled with rocks. They were cumbersome and often became more of a liability. An arcanist would paint a target on their backs when they entered a battlefield. Moreover, this rendered the practitioners of the arcane to artillery units, which the elementalists believed to be a needless limit to their versatility.
The experiments failed, but they came across some interesting discoveries. They determined that temperature was merely an exchange of energy between substances and wondered if Arcane energy could be used to achieve the same goal. They were correct in their findings.
Elementalists would take this a step further. Turning water into ice and stone to magma was impressive, but one had to ensure a steady supply of resources. Arcanists who went to war man massive cauldrons filled with water, or wagons filled with rocks. They were cumbersome and often became more of a liability. An arcanist would paint a target on their backs when they entered a battlefield. Moreover, this rendered the practitioners of the arcane to artillery units, which the elementalists believed to be a needless limit to their versatility.
Endless Bounty
By applying the principles of elementalism to Thermonics, they were stunned to find that water was everywhere. Water exists in the body of your enemy, in the blood-stained grass beneath your feet, and in the very air of your enemies last breath.
They use the elements to negate the need for cauldrons and wagons. The world was there quarry. The world was their cauldron, and in this discovery elementalists revolutionized warfare when it came to the use of arcane power.
This was approximately 400 years before Expedition Demeter departed. During this time Thermonics was considered its own Arcane Genre. As time went on and the discoveries of Thermal Swing and elemental compression were explored and studied, mages across the world began to teach Thermonics alongside other principles of elementalism. This inevitably led to a merger, solidifying Thermonics in the genre of Arcana Primum.
This was approximately 400 years before Expedition Demeter departed. During this time Thermonics was considered its own Arcane Genre. As time went on and the discoveries of Thermal Swing and elemental compression were explored and studied, mages across the world began to teach Thermonics alongside other principles of elementalism. This inevitably led to a merger, solidifying Thermonics in the genre of Arcana Primum.
An Acquired Taste
Thermonics is one of the least used and least studied branches of elementalism. Most of the time elementalists specialize in one of the many sub genres of elementalism, and never look back. Thermonics is often considered the hardest Branch to learn due to its emphasis on precision and knowledge of natural law. While most mages prefer this, many believe Thermonics to be useless in more practical applications. The effort is not worth the reward. As powerful as the branch can make you, it is unlikely you will use it's more unique principles often.
Fun Fact: Mhirriah
- In The Provinces of Mhirriah, Thermonics is outlawed due to the fact that it is technically a branch of Arcana Ignis, a specialized branch of elementalism also known as Pyromancy. Pyromancy is heavily outlawed in the provinces due to a cultural superstition that connects fire to the demons of The Infernum .
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