Chapter Text

Degenerate Air

Code: DAEZ

Types: Major

Date: 299 FE

Summary

The Degenerate Air exclusion zone is a region of liquid air at extrememly high pressure. The ongoing magical effect maintaining the high pressure in the zone draws air inward, causing storms and other weather phenomena in surrounding areas.

History

Air mages had a fine-tuned telekinetic control of air, particularly in separating out slightly different aspects of the air and manipulating particulates. For much of history, this was of limited use, largely in combination with now-excluded water magic for the purposes of weather manipulation.

In 286 FE, researchers discovered that the strength of an air mage was limited, not in the total force they could apply, but in the volume of air they could affect at once and the accelaration that could be applied to it; thus, air magic was effectively more powerful in conditions of higher air pressure.

Following this discovery, air magic became increasingly relevant on the world stage, as mages could use compressed air for a variety of industrial and military applications, significantly increasing their effectiveness.

As the supply of compressed air became a major constraint on the effectiveness of an air mage, attempts were made to use air magic itself to pressurize gasses. In 299 FE, one of these attempts proved dangerously effective, initially creating a region of high pressure, devastating surrounding areas with hurricane-force winds. The effect proved to be self-sustaining, continuing after the death of the air mages who created it, and grew in strength as more air flowed into the area.

Features

Liquid air is unaffected by air magic, which was only concerned with gasses. Thus, the Degenerate Air exclusion zone has reached an equilibrium in which liquid air flows out of the center of the zone and sublimates, while air from the outskirts of the zone is drawn in and compressed until liquifying.

It is nigh-impossible to safely reach even the boundary of the exclusion zone proper due to the extreme weather conditions that surround it. Winds exceeding tornado-force rush inwards towards the zone, creating an area of permanent storm which presents a hazard for hundereds of kilometers around it, while high-pressure liquid air rushes outwards at ground level, boiling off as it leaves the radius of the exclusion zone.