Water

Water magic focuses on generating, shaping, and manipulating liquids, ice, and moisture through the caster’s mana. The element responds to the mage’s concentration and intent, allowing them to control flow, temperature, and state with precision. Sustaining large volumes or extreme conditions requires careful focus and continuous mana, as the element naturally resists abrupt or unnatural changes.

A water mage channels magic through patience and intent, reading the currents and rhythm of their target. A strong mental focus ensures stable control, while distraction or misjudgement can cause the element to behave unpredictably or lose cohesion.

Summary

Ice Blade

Also known as: Frostblade

Affinity: Light

Recommended Level: (advanced) Student

A water manipulation or conjuration spell that forms a blade of ice and reinforces its crystalline structure through Light-aspected magic. The resulting weapon possesses far greater durability than natural ice, allowing it to withstand repeated impacts without shattering.

Because the reinforcing aspect remains stable after casting, it can also be applied through enchantment. This allows the strengthening effect to be sustained by an enchanted conduit rather than the caster's continuous attention.

Common uses:

Creating temporary weapons when conventional materials are unavailable
Training or sparring with conjured equipment
Cutting through vegetation or other soft materials

Notable drawbacks:

Requires a light affinity
Warm environments increase mana expenditure
Larger weapons require proportionally greater mana to sustain
Without the strengthening effect, the ice becomes brittle and vulnerable to impact
Requires suitable shaping control to create a functional weapon rather than a flawed ice structure

Ice Shard

Also known as: Ice Spike, Frost Shard, Ice Lance

Affinity: None

Recommended Level: Student

A water manipulation or conjuration spell that forms and launches a sharpened projectile of ice. The caster shapes and freezes water into a compact structure before propelling it towards a target.

Common uses:

Ranged combat against lightly armoured opponents
Hunting or disabling targets from a distance
Breaking fragile materials such as glass, thin wood, or brittle structures

Notable drawbacks:

Brittle against heavily armoured targets
Reduced effectiveness in warm environments
Requires precise shaping to maintain projectile stability
Larger or multiple projectiles require significantly more mana

Mire Step

Also known as: Mirestride, Mud Step, Marshwalk

Affinity: None

Secondary: Earth

Recommended Level: Arcanist

A combined earth and water manipulation spell that allows the caster to traverse muddy or unstable terrain without sinking. By combining earth-aspected mana to reinforce the structure of the soil with water-aspected mana to control the movement of moisture within it, the caster temporarily stabilises the ground beneath them.

The caster reinforces the particles within the soil while regulating the surrounding moisture, preventing the ground from shifting or collapsing beneath their weight. The spell continuously adjusts the immediate point of contact as the caster moves, rather than altering the entire area.

Mire Step requires precise control over both elemental aspects simultaneously. An imbalance between the two may reduce its effectiveness: insufficient earth influence leaves the terrain unstable, while insufficient water influence may cause the ground to become unnecessarily rigid and require excessive mana to maintain. The spell must be continuously adjusted as the terrain changes beneath the caster.

The spell performs best on shallow mud, marshland, and waterlogged soil with an existing solid structure. Deep bogs, flooded terrain, or areas consisting primarily of loose sediment require significantly greater control, as the caster must stabilise a larger volume of earth and regulate more moisture. Attempting to simply freeze the surrounding terrain or dry it completely is generally more mana-intensive than maintaining the balanced structure created by this spell.

Like other Step spells, Mire Step requires continuous adjustment and is therefore difficult to imbue as an enchantment. An enchanted version must independently detect each step, stabilise the terrain beneath the point of contact while it supports the caster's weight, and release the effect again as the weight shifts. The continuous evaluation and adaptation required make such enchantments considerably more complex than the spell itself.

Common uses:

Crossing marshes, swamps, and muddy terrain
Traversing flooded or waterlogged areas
Travelling through unstable ground without slowing movement
Supporting expeditions through environments where ordinary footing is unreliable

Notable drawbacks:

Requires access to both earth and water manipulation
Requires continuous mana control over two elemental aspects simultaneously
Ineffective on terrain with little solid structure to reinforce
Deep mud or heavily flooded ground requires significantly more mana
Sudden changes in terrain may disrupt the balance between earth and water aspects
Heavy weight increases the amount of terrain that must be stabilised

Snow Step

Also known as: Snowstride

Affinity: None

Recommended Level: Student*

A water manipulation spell that allows the caster to walk across snow without sinking. By channeling water-aspected mana into the snow beneath them, the caster temporarily reinforces the structure of the snow, increasing its ability to support weight.

The spell functions by strengthening the bonds between ice crystals in small areas with each step. Rather than hardening the entire surface, the caster continuously reinforces the point of contact beneath them, creating a stable path that shifts with their movement. Because of this, controlled pacing and awareness of the terrain are required to maintain the spell reliably.

Snow Step demands constant mana flow while in use. If the caster stops channeling or loses focus, the reinforced structure immediately returns to its natural state and the snow may no longer support their weight. Deep, loose, or freshly fallen snow requires greater mana expenditure, as the spell must compensate for weaker natural cohesion.

The spell performs best on compact or naturally dense snow, where the existing structure can be reinforced effectively. Powdery snow, melting snow, or unstable terrain greatly increase the difficulty of maintaining a reliable surface.

Like Water Step, the spell requires continuous adjustment and is therefore difficult to imbue as an enchantment. An enchanted version must independently detect each step, reinforce only the snow beneath the point of contact while it bears the caster's weight, and release the effect again as the weight shifts. The continuous evaluation and adaptation required make such enchantments considerably more complex than the spell itself.

Common uses: crossing areas with deep snow

Notable drawbacks:

Requires continuous mana input to maintain unless enchanted
Loss of concentration causes the caster to sink immediately
Heavier weight due to body mass or equipment adds more strain on the caster
Ineffective on unstable or rapidly shifting snow
Deep, powdery, or melting snow requires significantly more mana

*While the spell itself is considered accessible at Student level, maintaining it without visible effort requires considerable refinement. Many students learn the technique as a means of improving concentration and mana control, but only highly practiced mages can use it instinctively while performing other tasks.

Water Blade

Also known as: Aqua Blade

Affinity: None

Recommended Level: Student

A water manipulation or conjuration spell that forms a highly pressurised blade of water capable of cutting through soft materials and, with sufficient force, even harder substances. The blade is maintained through continuous compression of flowing water, with its cutting power determined by its pressure and velocity.

Water Blade requires continuous mana to preserve its shape. Its length, thickness, and cutting power depend on the caster's control, while any interruption in mana flow causes the blade to collapse immediately.

The spell performs best when manipulating an existing body of water, reducing the mana required to sustain it. It may also be cast through conjuration, though creating and maintaining the necessary volume of water significantly increases mana expenditure.

Common uses:

Cutting rope, cloth, leather, or vegetation
Harvesting crops or clearing dense undergrowth
Precision cutting during construction or craftsmanship
Combat against lightly armoured opponents

Notable drawbacks:

Requires continuous mana to maintain the blade
Loss of concentration causes the blade to collapse immediately
Less effective against heavily armoured or highly durable targets
Requires precise control to maintain a stable cutting edge
Conjuring the necessary water greatly increases mana expenditure compared to manipulating an existing source

Water Step

Also known as: Treadwater

Affinity: None

Recommended Level: Student*

A water manipulation spell that allows the caster to walk across the surface of a body of water. By channeling water-aspected mana into the liquid beneath them, the caster temporarily increases and stabilises the surface tension of the water, preventing it from yielding under their weight.

The spell functions by reinforcing the uppermost layer of the water in small areas with each step. Rather than hardening the entire surface, the caster continuously strengthens the point of contact beneath them, creating a shifting platform that moves with their movement. Because of this, steady concentration and controlled pacing are required to maintain balance and stability.

Water Step demands constant mana flow while in use. If the caster stops channeling or loses focus, the reinforced tension immediately dissipates and the water returns to its natural state. Rapid or careless movement may also disrupt the tension field, causing the caster to lose footing.

The spell performs best on calm water, where the surface remains predictable. Rough currents, waves, or heavy rainfall can interfere with the caster’s ability to maintain a stable walking surface.

Like Snow Step, the spell requires continuous adjustment and is therefore difficult to imbue as an enchantment. An enchanted version must independently detect each step, reinforce only the water tension beneath the point of contact while it bears the caster's weight, and release the effect again as the weight shifts. The continuous evaluation and adaptation required make such enchantments considerably more complex than the spell itself.

Common uses: crossing rivers or lakes, traversing flooded terrain, or moving quickly across shallow bodies of water without swimming.

Notable drawbacks:

Requires continuous mana to maintain the reinforced surface
Loss of concentration causes the caster to sink immediately
Unstable on rough water, strong currents, or heavy waves
Running or sudden movements may disrupt the surface tension
Limited to supporting the caster and light equipment

Spell Name

Also known as: alternate name

Affinity: Both/None

Secondary: -

Recommended Level: h

text

Common uses: h

Notable drawbacks:

Light-based spells:

Darkness-based spells: