Manaquakes

When too much magic accumulates in a specific region, it creates a "Mana Quake" - a sudden and violent release of raw magical energy. The unleashed power manifests as destructive shockwaves, magical storms, and other unpredictable elemental manifestations.

Manifestation

Manaquakes are most often caused by two preceding events: leyline disruptions and overuse of mana. Leylines, natural conduits of magical energy from the ethereal plane, are essential for maintaining magical balance. If a group of reckless spellcasters, or even a singular, powerful entity, disturbs or corrupts these ley lines, it could lead to a buildup of magical energy and eventually cause a manaquake.
Leyline disruptions can be natural and temporary, but others may result from interference from magic users. Rare celestial alignments or phenomena could amplify the flow of magical energies, overwhelming an area and creating a minor manaquake. These could include comet sightings, cosmic alignments, or planar alignments.
Natural leyline disruptions are typically insufficient to cause manaquakes with severe or permanent effects. However, when mages coordinate their rituals without proper oversight, more severe manaquakes can occur. If an overly large ritual is cast too far away from a supporting leyline, or if artifacts are used to amplify magic too far, the mages can cause further disruption, increasing the severity.
Possible effects of manaquakes are as follows, in order of increasing severity:

• Cursed Flux: Those caught within the affected region experience the "Cursed Flux," causing wild fluctuations in their magical abilities. Unintended spells, wild surges, or even loss of control over their powers became common during this period.
• Arcane Instability: The surge of magic disrupts the natural balance of the world, leading to strange occurrences like gravity fluctuations, bizarre weather patterns, and distortions in reality.
• Magic Anomalies: The excessive magic creates localized anomalies, warping the landscape and flora. You might have floating islands, enchanted forests, or areas where time behaves erratically.
• Ethereal Tears: The fabric of reality becomes weakened during the event, causing "Ethereal Tears" where the boundary between the material world and the ethereal plane blurs. This can result in spectral entities crossing over, adding to the chaos.
• Mana Starvation: After the event, the area may be left magically depleted, leading to a permanent absence of magic, or in lesser cases, for a certain period. This creates a magical dead zone that prevents the casting of spells and can also influence the abilities of magical creatures or artifacts brought into the area.

Examples

The Ripple on Peyadi

• Once a vibrant and fertile moon, the Ripple turned Peyadi into a grim, lifeless husk. The event resulted from a massive convergence of magical energies that overwhelmed the moon's delicate ecosystem.
• The magical surge was so intense that it drained the very essence of life from the land, turning lush forests into desolate wastelands and extinguishing once-thriving civilizations.
• The aftermath left a haunting sight of ghostly remnants and echoes of what the moon once was, with only scattered pockets of residual magic remaining.

The Warp in the Obberic Highlands

• The Warp is a cyclical event that occurs over 30-40 days every 25 years, causing powerful magical anomalies to manifest in the Obberic Highlands near Corvalus.
• These unpredictable anomalies can lead to strange phenomena, such as inverted gravity, increased magical potency, and other unexpected magical manifestations.
• The area surrounding the Warp becomes a hub for magical researchers from The Triskelion School for Mages and other explorers who seek to understand the nature of these surges, but many have fallen victim to the unpredictable magic.

Wort Tower

• The manaquake's aftermath left Wort Tower and the surrounding area perpetually in a state of mana starvation. Spells cast in the vicinity have diminished power.
• Due to the manaquake's intensity, the passage of time within Wort Tower is often erratic. Days may pass in mere hours or vice versa, making it disorienting and dangerous for those who venture inside.
• Even centuries after the event, spectral wisps of magical energy linger around the tower. These eerie glows are said to be the echoes of the catastrophic ritual.

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane

by Midjourney