Quicksand

Soft, malleable earth has the misfortune of being unable to split open like solid ground might crack with the spell fissure. The sand of deserts and mud of marshes bemoan this fact. They went to sages and begged and pleaded to get a spell similar to the spell that can rend mountains and swallow armies... and the sages obliged.
Of course I jest - gaia sages living in places with little to no solid rock developed this spell to have a similar, if somewhat less dazzling effect. With nothing but sand or mud around, most gaia spells were impossible to use. So, spells like quicksand were created from the already-established gaia spells so that primal sages weren't limited to tempest spells. Quicksand is a modified version of the spell fissure.

Effect

On soft, shifting ground, this spell loosens the ground even further. Objects on or within the area of effect will sink down into the ground - sometimes quickly and sometimes alarmingly, mockingly slow. Once the caster stops the spell, the objects stop sinking but remain buried. Quicksand is often paired with the spell solidify in order to trap them more securely within the ground.

Side/Secondary Effects

If failed, this spell might swallow up the caster and anyone closeby. Or perhaps, instead of causing the soft ground to sink, the magic may snap backward and spray chunks of the ground upward. This second side effect won't likely injure anyone unless dirt or sand particles get into someone's eyes.
Gaia sages who are used to spells used for solid ground will likely overpower their modified counterparts. Casting spells like quicksand requires less power and more finesse - an often foreign concept for most primal sages.

Manifestation

Well, the ground sinks down in a circular fashion. That's pretty much the extent of it.

Related School

Primal

Effect Duration

Until the caster stops concentration

Effect Casting Time

30 - 45 seconds

Range

10 ft diameter

Level

Advanced

Applied Restriction

For any gaia sage with little or no experience fighting on sandy or muddy terrain, their spells are rendered useless. Modified spells like quicksand can't be created out of thin air by sages who haven't used them before. And even if a sage knows of such spells existing, or has maybe practiced it a few times, their lack of experience will end up making it far more difficult to cast such spells than it would be for someone who grew up learning such tactics. It's almost like learning a second language. Unfortunately, not many gaia academies teach such spells in Caladvel, seeing as how very few civilizations rest on unsolid ground.
A single sage may only be able to create a large enough pit to sink one or two opponents. It takes many primal sages to be able to immobilize large groups.
And of course, quicksand can't be cast on solid ground.