Conquering Water

Conquering Water by Lilliana Be'letane

The creation of the Minor Water-Conquering Field Generation Matrix was a triumph of Aeromantic innovation; the culmination of many months of research and many feverish weeks of trial and experimentation.

The initial call for innovations to allow people to breathe underwater was made due to the need for a covert assault on Lord Kale's island fortress. A proper account of that matter may be found elsewhere. For now, it is important only to know that several inventions were trialled, including the AKN's functional but expensive water-breathing potions.

I discovered early in my research that an air Elemental, immersed in water, was still comprised wholly of air. A creature one is on good terms with - either by agreement or magical domination - may be inhaled from safely and easily at any time. Underwater this functions in the same way, allowing people to breathe by mere proximity to these most noble of Elementals. For a very large group - such as a heavily armed raiding party - relying on Elementals alone was not an ideal solution. For people to be able to move away from them in the confusion of combat, alternative methods were required.

The Device

A Minor Water-Conquering Field Generation Matrix is comprised of several key components. A glass cylinder contains the essence of an air elemental. Contained by a minor spell, the essence is held inert within the cylinder. A brass apparatus is attached to the cylinder, with a mouthpiece, pipes and a valve. The valve disrupts the containing spell, allowing a steady, constant stream of air to be siphoned from the essence. When the essence is depleted, the sealing may be removed to allow for it's replacement.

By placing the device to one's mouth, turning the valve and inhaling, the operator may breathe in the air released from the essence, allowing them a reliable supply of air in environments where breathing is otherwise impossible. Correct usage makes it impossible for the owner to drown in any circumstances, asserting the superiority of air over water.

Creation

The original devices were created using custom-designed and commissioned cylinders made by Murano's Glassworks in Kitanya Hill. The intricate brass tubes and valve system are adapted and refined from several Gnomish designs, and the brasswork itself was undertaken to my specifications by the Dwarven smith Kimli, based in Mikona. The essences of air were kindly donated by a number of Elementals, who were no longer using them.

The first design I worked on called for a device capable of creating a bubble or sphere of air, pushing water back and creating an area of safety around it. While testing with the Gust of Wind spell yielded some encouraging results, it was obvious that this idea would require far more time and research to perfect than was available - perhaps decades, to make it perfectly safe. Several unfortunate accidents occured during the testing of the prototype Major Water-Conquering Field Generation Matrix. The need for something personally portable - for reasons mentioned above - and the issues with larger devices stability led to the creation of the Minor Water-Conquering Field Generation Matrix as it exists.

Each one was assembled by myself personally, with a number of issues having to be overcome. Initially the essences of air were too voluminous to be contained within the glass without risks of cracking the casing; this was overcome by use of an enhanced containment spell worked on the case itself to keep the essence from damaging it. Many individual adjustments had to be made to the valves and pipes to ensure correct airflow at all times, an involved and rigorous process.

Conclusion

The creation of this device was vital for furthering my understanding of Elemental magic; much was learnt from the conversations with air elementals and the spells involved in bringing the devices together. I consider it to be one of the great triumphs of Aeromancy, and certainly among my greatest achievements.

Unlicensed copies of my design are available for purchase in Port Eridanus, though I cannot personally vouch for their safety or reliability.