Spell:Emerald Countermagic

Source: Book of the Emerald Circle by Brian Hon/Limited Reagent

Cost: 5+m, 1wp

Circle: Emerald

Type: Reflexive (Step 2) or Simple (1 action)

Keywords: Component, Counter-Resist, Obvious, Sustain ([Essence] actions), War

Duration: Varies

The sorcerer uses Emerald Countermagic to protect herself and her companions from hostile sorcery. There are three different modes to this spell:

1) Personal (10m): The sorcerer secures her own person against hostile magic. She crosses her arms or makes a gesture of defiance, and a nimbus of multicolored energy surrounds her. This mode is Reflexive (Step 2). As long as she Sustains the countermagic, she remains unaffected by all unwanted Emerald Circle spells. This immediately shatters choice spells that attempt to personally affect her, by direct sorcerous attacks or sorcerously-forged equipment or modes of attack. This does not, however, end spells that affect multiple targets or an area; it only removes the sorcerer as a target and destroys anything in an area spell that would directly affect her. This mode also protects the sorcerer from the effects of disrupting a spell's shaping, no matter how severe. It also counters countermagic, beginning of clash of wills as described by the Counter-Resist keyword. Reflexive actions and damage taken during the clash still count toward distracting the sorcerer during shaping actions, including the reflexive rolls in the clash of wills. This mode counts as a defense for effect conflict.

2) Area (15m): This mode acts like the Personal mode, but affects everything within (Essence x 5) yards of the sorcerer, creating a multi-hued bubble of energy that sorcery can but splash against harmlessly. In mass combat, this mode can protect a unit of which the sorcerer is a part that is up to Magnitude (Essence). This mode, like Personal, counts as a defense for effect conflict.

3) Target (12+m): The sorcerer destroys a single Terrestrial Circle spell of choice within (Essence x 20) yards of her. For every ten extra motes spent, on top of the base cost, the character may shatter an additional spell within range. This mode is Simple (1 action), is of Instant duration, and cannot be Sustained. If the spell to be countered is currently being shaped, its caster is automatically interrupted and the spell is lost as if he failed his roll by half or less. Spells currently active are shattered. Remember this does not remove the results of sorcery; spells are only vulnerable to countermagic during their primary duration. This mode is considered an attack for effect conflict, although it is not physical, mental, or spiritual; it is purely sorcerous attack, thus most defensive Charms do not protect against it.

Emerald Countermagic is not a clean or quiet process. "Shattering" a spell means that it is literally torn apart. Its effects fail, and random magical effects wash out over the area, burning, warping, and otherwise causing damage. This is a one-time environmental effect with Damage (the mote cost of the countered spell)B, Trauma (the Essence of the sorcerer who cast the countered spell) within an area (Essence x spell's Circle x 10) yards radius, centered on the location of the spell (or the center of the countered spell's area if it is an area-of-effect). Those protected by the Personal or Area modes of this spell are also protected from the backlash.

Component: The Personal and Area modes of this spell require a gesture of defiance as a somatic component, so a sorcerer unable to move cannot cast this spell in those modes.

[OOC: will need editing]