Spell:Calling the Wind's Kiss
Source: Book of the Emerald Circle by Brian Hon/Limited Reagent
Cost: 20+m, 1wp
Circle: Emerald
Type: Simple
Keywords: Component, Obvious
Duration: One full week, until renewed, or until dismissed
By completing the Azure Sign, a glyph that epitomizes the Element of Air, the sorcerer calls forth a great wind. When this spell is cast, the sorcerer may link the Sign to himself, another creature, or a wind-powered vessel within (Essence x 3) miles that he can see—centered on this target is where the glyph is to stay, no matter where the target moves. If linked to a creature, it hovers behind and above her like a great halo. If linked to a vehicle, the Sign emblazons itself upon the ship's mainsail. The sorcerer also chooses who or what controls the direction of the Sign, thus the direction of the winds. He may keep control himself, able to change the winds' direction with a miscellaneous action. If he gives control of the Sign to another creature, she has the same power. If the sorcerer gives control of the glyph to a vehicle, the winds always blow the direction the vessel is traveling; the ship always has full sails. The sorcerer can also pay extra motes in sets of five during the shaping action to help protect the glyph against usurpation, with effects described below.
How large the sorcerer draws the sign designates the area in which the winds are changed—any area between (Essence x 10) yards in radius (enough to affect a single ship) to (Essence) miles in radius (enough to change how whole fleets move). The great wind called by the glyph can help or hinder vehicles propelled by winds (such as sailing ships or airboats with sails), modifying the per-tick speed of such vessels by (Willpower + Essence), applied after any adjustments to the vehicle's own speed. Double that value is the miles-per-hour change in the vehicle's travel speed. It also applies a ±3-dice bonus or penalty (whether the wind is beneficial or unhelpful) to Sail rolls to keep the vessel on-course. The wind also strong enough to hinder ranged attacks that are affected by the wind, depending on the direction. It imposes an external penalty of -(Essence) upon attacks that go against the wind. Artillery is heavy enough to be much less affected, cutting the penalty in half.
Spirits that have control over the winds, such as Air elementals, can attempt to usurp the Azure Sign, for they do not like when their domain is tampered with in such a manner — doing so immediately beings a clash of wills with the one in control of the Sign. The roll's interval is one action. The spirit is at a -1 internal penalty for each additional five motes the sorcerer spent on protecting the Sign. If the sorcerer wins, the spirit does not gain control of the glyph. If the spirit wins, it gains control of the Sign and may change the direction of the wind as it pleases.
Casting an opposing Calling the Wind's Kiss of the same size and linking it to the same target cancels out this spell, just like as if countermagic was used against it.
The spell lasts for one full week. The sorcerer may retrace the Azure Sign and pay 20 motes as a miscellaneous Speed 6, DV -2 action at any time, if he can see the original glyph and it is within (Essence x 3) miles. This renews the spell's duration, resetting it to one full week from that instant. The sorcerer can Touch the controller of the Sign (the creature or the mainsail) to dismiss the spell early.
Component: To cast this spell, the sorcerer is required to draw the Azure Sign, as a somatic component. If he is unable to move, he cannot cast this spell.
