Aeromancer (Arcanist Archetype)
We continue our look into the air-magic of the Shory today with an example of their air manipulation magic in full swing.
These “aeromancers” go far beyond merely taking the air elemental school or anything derived from it, and instead focus on using the arcanist mastery of bending the rules of magic to empower their air-related spells and gain unparalleled mastery of the atmosphere around them without even casting a spell.
With such powers, it is easy to imagine that these mages would have been responsible for the creation of an entire nation of flying cities, living high above the ground.
Of course, those days are long past, but the traditions still persist among the descendants of the Shory, as well as archaeologists and other historians that have recovered the lore of the Shory people.
That being said, even if you use none of this lore, there is no denying the power to deal damage, control the battlefield, and perform great atmospheric feats that an aeromancer commands.
While most arcanists can use a bit of their reserves to bolster the power and intensity of their spells, aeromancers have learned how to double the output of this increase when casting spells that channel the power of air, cold, electricity, and even thundering sonic vibrations, channeling freezing winds and the power of storms to do so.
They can also channel their reserves into a whirling envelop of wind that cradles their body, allowing them to move around in the air, while also protecting them from small projectiles and the like.
With a gesture, powerful aeromancers can channel massive gales of wind, either blasting outward in all directions, or in a more concentrated cone. These winds are strong enough to foil small projectiles, blow away man-sized and smaller foes, and even stop larger foes in their tracks.
The abilities of this archetype favor battlefield control, mobility, and protection from projectiles, which is a strong starting point, but you’ll want to follow it up with plenty of spells appropriate to the archetype. The aeromancer covers enough damage types to be quite self-sufficient as a blaster, but you’ll also enjoy battlefield control in the air and on the ground, as well as perhaps some abjuration and defensive evocation spells to protect allies from your weather manipulation. Don’t forget to diversify as well.
The aeromancer certainly is up there with the air elemental school and the stormborn sorcerer, as well as any storm-themed druid build or archetype in terms of being a “storm mage”. That being said, I feel like the difference between arcane and divine magic in this case is that aeromancers and their ilk typically master the power of the wind and storms, whereas divine casters hold the forces behind those phenomena in greater regard. That being said, both can become one with the power their wield, and there are certainly exceptions in attitude.
Despite it’s age, the house atop Starfall Hill remains remarkably intact, though nobody lives there besides a kikimora fey these days. However, the ill-tempered and antisocial fey holds a secret: The owner of the house and the house itself once flew, sailing the skies, and might again one day.
Resembling the gliding lizards of the rainforest below, the lizardfolk of Merka reside on the magnum opus of their people, a vast floating island they pulled from their home to serve as the cultural center of their people, unassailable from the ground. However, this isolation has left them out of touch with even other subspecies of iruxi, and they fail to see the extent of their decline in other parts of the world.
A freak, unseasonable storm rocks the city, and multiple lightning strikes occur in one particular district. Examining it the next day makes it clear that some manner of magical combat occurred in the plaza, but who was responsible and why did this occur?