The Grounding

Written by Noah_Oowada

The Grounding is a reoccurring earthquake caused by an imbalance of the natural world and arcane layer beneath the continent of Aradeia. When too many members of the immortal tribes are killed at once in a war or natural disaster, the arcane flow of nature is disturbed by over-saturation, causing it to collapse. Plants and rocks spread over both of the immortal kingdoms, planting their roots deeper into the Wilderness and Lorla, endangering flora and fauna, as well as the settlements of the mortals. This arcane disaster is usually accompanied by the celestial realm tearing down the barrier between the mortal realm and the celestial realm 'Aeva', so that the celestials can protect the mortals and immortals from going extinct.

This event is greatly feared by those who have lived through it and many scholars and politicians in the dwarven and elven kingdom do everything to prevent it from happening again. Therefore, peace or at least regulated killing during war are not only of utmost importance, but vital for the survival of the entire continent.
There are three cases of The Grounding, that have been recorded before today:

1167 during the Discovery Age (D.A.)

3641 during the Expanding Age (E.A.)

2486 during the Friendship Age (F.A.)

Manifestation

During the Grounding, the earth breaks open with flickering blue lines that broaden with time. Those that are unlucky enough to fall off the cliffs tumble down into the flickering depths of the planet's core and become an immediate part of the arcane, never to be seen again. Rocks and plants force their way through the continental plates, destroying cities and villages with no hesitation. Only celestial magic is able to stop both the conquest of nature and the earthquake itself. Those individuals lucky enough to survive The Grounding are usually highly adept fighters, artificers and mages; generally those that are able to think of easy, but efficient solutions.

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane