The Tower of Earth isn't very visible as a tower, as it is embedded into the
great cliff-face of the western mountains. There is no visible doorway to
this tower, only a keyhole in the cliff 100' from the ground. As the Keeper
approaches the doors, a stone stairwell will emerge from the cliff leading
to the entrance. The Key of Earth is made of solid obsidian, set with an
emerald.
Keeper of Earth Powers
So long as the Keeper carries the Key of Earth, he has access to the powers
conferred by the Tower. All things that are 'of the earth,' sand, dirt, soil,
stone and even metal, are his to command. The sole exception is brass,
which 'belongs' to the element of Fire. Passing through these substances is as
easy as a fish swimming through water, and he does not need breath if immersed
within. None of these materials may harm, or even touch, the Keeper of Earth unless
he should permit it. The earth, itself, will answer to the Keeper's will, moving
and flowing as he sees fit, even vanishing or appear from thin air as he sees fit.
The Keeper may also transform the various sub-elements of earth to others within
its class (i.e., sand can become soil, rock can become gems, steel can become lead,
and so on). Earth elementals may be summoned and banished at will, and any such spirit
encountered will obey the Keeper's commands. All creatures native to the earth will
recognize the Keeper for who he is, and never attack him. Only free spirits or those
of unique power can retain their own will. The Keeper may also transform himself
into a being of any of the 'earthly' elements and back to his normal form at will.
The Keeper of Earth, however, is very vulnerable to the most plentiful element of
all: Air. Air itself is not harmful (as he does need to breathe) but toxic gasses and
other air-based attacks will have increased effect upon the Keeper should his basic
defenses be breached. Air elementals and all such creatures will know the Keeper for
what he is and are likely to attack him on sight. The Keeper of Earth's powers will
ebb should he ever lose contact with the earth (such as being levitated against
his will) and will fail altogether should he be taken too far away from the earth
which grants him his powers.
Keeper of Earth Unique Ring - Titan
Crags and mountainous spears of rock pierce the grounds of the ring, fusing and smashing
against one another constantly to form a flat mid-level playing field with spindly
pillars of earth rising to various upper-level platforms that tilt and could tumble
with a single misplaced step, not to mention the presence of treacherous holes
into the darkened and labyrinthine first level's Underdark. The Keeper and his/her
opponent must battle it out while remaining aware of their surroundings, watching
their footing, and making sure only to cause rockslides when it would be advantageous
to do so.
The second ascension of Rachael Blackthorne to Archmage and Keeper of the Celestial Citadel left the Tower of Earth without a Keeper. With the cycle’s All Ranks Tournament well over a month away, the decision was made to hold a special tournament, ‘As Above, So Below: Expedition Earth.’ Participants were given several options to score points and were required to take on the responsibility of informing the coordinators of their progress. When the points were tallied at the end of two week contest, it was Salvador Delahada, who, for the second time, earned the right to be the Keeper of the Tower of Earth and safeguard its obsidian and emerald key.
It took us but two matches to decide it. The first found Michelle racing to a quick lead, hitting match point in a blistering three rounds. In the fourth, Kruger at last put himself on the board with an expertly crafted mirror spell (who would have thought). But as he tried to call down the fury of Earth in the next round, Michelle escaped the mortal coil and closed the first match out in her favor in but five rounds (5-1.5 in 5 rounds). The second match started in Michelle's favor again, albeit far less quickly. But her scoring was steady and she never once gave up the lead. Kruger made a valiant effort at attempting a comeback, scoring clean in round 4 and finding a favorable trade in round 5, but in much the same way as she did in the first match, Michelle closed the second in definitive fashion in just six rounds, mirroring Kruger's spell back to him to claim victory (5-2.5 in 6 rounds). With that, Kruger's reign comes to an end with a promise to meet Air Keeper Xanth in the ring before long. As his reign ends, Michelle's begins and with it, a new TerraMaster rises. Congratulations Michelle and well reigned Kruger!
It was a race to the top amongst the crags in the special ring of Titan, where the key was brought to the top by an elemental and both Keeper and Challenger tried to climb and claw their way along the rocky terrain. Kruger moved upwards with a strong lead for the majority of the first leg of the race, while Cane looked to get caught a bit behind. The Keeper was not detoured, and even sent a searing hot whirlwind of sand back over to the challenger in route – the rain of fire having been called down by Kruger first mind you! But with a little assistance from a golem, Kruger was able to move and stay ahead of Cane while the Keeper was forced to grapple with the elemental. Kruger won the first leg with a final score of 5 to 2 in 9 rounds, but there was still more of Titan to climb! In the second leg, Cane really covered some ground (no pun intended) and held the striking lead of 3 to 0 in round 3. Able to take cover from Cane’s rain of fire, Kruger forged on and was able to overtake Cane’s lead, taking the score to 4.5 to 3 in round 8. Soon after Kruger took over to the top of the mountainous Titan and claimed the key and victory with a final score of 5 to 3.5 in 10 rounds, becoming the newest Keeper of Earth!
Not wanting to make Titan unhappy, Kruger elected to have the challenge with him and Michelle in the special ring to ensure it was given some action and excitement. With Kruger posing for his fans and Michelle slipping through shadows and carefully stepping on precariously titled pillars, they got things started, first with no score and then with a rocky start that had them both scoring! Letting the dust settle for a couple of rounds, Keeper Kruger tied things up in round 5 at 1.5 apiece. Swinging his hammer, Kruger blasted his way into the lead and finished up with a steady climb to win the first match with a score of 5 to 1.5 in 8. Coating herself in shadow, black mirrors and armor, Michelle struggled to avoid Kruger’s song and stares, but she finally got on the board round 5 with a score of 2 to .5 where Kruger was leading. With a banshee cry, Michelle cut into Kruger’s lead in round 8 where the score tightened at 3 to 2. The Keeper however continued to rock hard and closed the match and his first defense victory with a final score of 5 to 2 in 10 where the power of the Tower was at his beck and call!
On the Menu of the night we saw The Huntress and The Simple Sal. In the ring we saw challenger Kira Adia versus Keeper Salvador Delahada. Spectators watched with takoyaki in hand as the first of three matches began, the round one take by the Keeper and held until the third, therein the focused spellwork of the challenger saw the Keepers round choice bounced right back at him! The seesaw match continued, in Kira's favor then Salvadors.. Back to Kira, and then tied with Salvador. At 4 - 4 they stood in the 9th round, but it would be Kira who claimed first victory of the night with a 5 - 4 finish in the 10th. A bitter taste could very well been there, though not from the food, as Salvador dove back into the challenge by taking the first round in the challenge ring of Blood. This starting lead would be kept all throughout the match, from round 4 where he stood at 3.5 to - 1, all the way to the call of round 6 that saw him take the match 5 - 2.5! With victory in the second bout gained this meant that both challenger and Keeper would face off one last time.. Unlike the first buts prior, it was the challenger - Kira - who gained the first point, and it wouldn't be until the 8th that both combatants sat at a 2.5 tie. A tie broken the next round by Kira, who was then overtaken by Salvador, only for them to be once more at a tie - this time 3.5 to 3.5 in the 11th. In round 12 we saw Kira extend and claim her lead once more, and that lead was well kept in her corner as the 13th and final round of this challenge night was called. With the final score of 5 - 3.5 in 13 rounds, Kira reclaimed the Tower of Earth.
When the former Keeper of Earth was sadly stripped of their title due to inactivity just prior to their scheduled match with Salvador, Keeper of Fire Rachael Blackthorne as Senior Keeper was asked to Champion in the former Keeper’s stead and the match was postponed for a few days time. With Salvador still seeking the key, him and Rachael met on Twilight Isle to see if he was found worthy. The first match opened with both casters scoring, and they kept things close with additional ties in both the third and fourth rounds. In the fifth round, Salvador was able to defend himself against the elemental power Rachael weld and soon closed the match in his favor in the sixth with a score of 5 to 3. The second match opened with a null round and while the first match was tight in score, the second showed Rachael’s skill as she dominated in the ring with a score of 5 to 1 in 9 rounds. Not to be detoured however, Salvador sought to control the final match, keeping Rachael at a mere 1 point through 4 rounds. Though she more than doubled her score in the fifth round, it was in a trade and left Salvador at a half a point away from victory. When Salvador followed up with one last buzzing swarm and an icy cold ache, he closed the match with a score of 5 to 2.5 in 6 and would take home his first key to a Tower!
A bards tale of courage born of carnage on a battlefield of piercing stone. The Keeper of Earth and his challenger stood as opposites this night. The desire to keep and covet on full display to those watching from the sidelines. The scales of fate tilt to Szuzak's favor in the first round with a valiant show of magical prowess in the face of elemental mastery. While Sir Delahada gained the first point of the match, it would be Szuzak's skill that saw him rise to the final call of the eighth round as the momentary victor! A victory stripped from him in the second by the Keeper in a furious twelfth round match defining break to a 6-6 tie! Both Keeper and Defender were beaten and bloody.. yet it would be Salvador Delahada who stood strong in the finale of the third and final match. His victory and defense secured after 7 rounds with a 5-3.5 finish!
It was a night of Breakfast for dinner on the Isle as spectators settled in to watch Ellie try to best Salvador in his reign for the Tower of Earth, and just like the buffet these two casters did not disappoint! The Keeper extended an offer to Ellie to decide when to open and step into Titan, and they started their best of three evening right off in the special ring. In the first match, Salvador kept Ellie from scoring in the first two rounds, with the third round being a mirrored trade that kept his lead over the adventurer. The Terra Master (as Salvador still held PathFinder at the time of the challenge) continued a defensive spell route to close out the first match with a final score of 5 to 1.5 in 5 rounds. The second match showed Ellie’s growth and resilience as it was her who paved the way on the score board this time and kept Salvador from scoring for four rounds! The Keeper clawed his way onto the scoreboard in round 5 with a score of 3.5 to .5, then looked to be mounting a comeback train as he stalled Ellie’s points for both round 6 and 7 as well before she focused herself and closed out the second match with a score of 5 to 2. With a win for each of them, spectators could get themselves another plate of goodies and dig in as Salvador and Ellie went onto a third and final match for the night. Ellie scored first, but it only took that initial round for Salvador to refocus and get into a lead over her. By the 5th round however, they were tied at 2 points and were confirming to folks that this was anyone’s match to win! It was then that the Keeper turned things back into his favor, scoring in back-to-back rounds and holding a two-point lead. Ellie gave a valiant effort, squeezing out another point, but with Salvador’s final defensive stance he closed out another win as well as a second defense of the Tower of Earth!
Things took an interesting form for this challenge, as both challenger Kira and Keeper Haru showed up to fight a playful battle highlighting their fondness for Pokémon! With the pair being family and Kira being the former Keeper of Earth prior to Haru seeking it out from her in a previous challenge, it was no surprise to see fans cheering both on as the battles took place in the special ring of Titan! The first match was heavily in Kira’s favor as she kept Haru off the board for half the match and would steadily climb the score board herself to a victory of 5 to 1 in 6 rounds. While the first match went swiftly, the following match moved at a bit of a slower pace and kept a tighter score between the casters (or gym fighters as they might be called for the evening.) Tied at half a point each in round 3, then tying again in round 6 at 2.5 each, both Haru and Kira kept the crowd wondering who would take the win in this sea saw battle. It wouldn’t be until rounds 9 and 10 when Haru’s focused attacks would take the lead and the Keeper would close the second match with a final score of 5 to 3.5 in his favor. With each of them holding a win for the night, the challenge was pushed to a third and final match to decide who in the family would reign in the Tower of Earth for another month. The final match opened with a solid start, both Kira and Haru opening with a trade and getting on the board. Like their previous matches, they would keep the score tight and several ties to follow, 1 to 1 in the first round, 3.5 each in the fourth round and tied at 5 points each in the fifth round! In the end, it was Kira to take the victory of the evening with a final score of 6 to 5 in 7 rounds and return as Keeper to the Tower of Earth!
Fire to Earth and Fire to Earth! Haru's ping-ponging of challenges between the Tower of Fire and the Tower of Earth had finally come to and end his match against Kira Adia within the special ring of Titan. Though the challenge took only two duels, the second of them had been a nail biter. In the 10th round we saw Kira with a score of 5.5 against Haru's 5, a close match indeed, until Haru turned the tide thanks to a focused mage bolt against Kira's incoming wizard blades. With that half of a point boost Haru was able to stand strong in the 12th before finally extending his lead right past the victory line in the 13th and final round. The final scores of the evening were both in Haru's favor, the first being 5 - 3 in 9 and the second 7.5 - 6 in 13.
Haru’s second challenge as Keeper of Earth would come from current PathFinder holder (and Overlord) Salvador Delahada. The pair may have decided details concerning the challenge over lunch and a chess game, but the matches themselves were quite the site to see within the ring of Titan. Spectators were able to enjoy a glorious spread of meats and cheeses arranged on a delicious buffet, which they snacked on as the casters took to the ring. In two straight matches Haru and Salvador filled the ring with smokey spells and parkour skills, but it would result in Haru knocking out a second defense of his reign. Interestingly enough, both matches closed out with the same score of 5 to 2.5, though the first match went only 6 rounds while the second took 9 rounds to seal Haru’s reign.
Citing their first challenge together as fun and seeking a rematch, Kira Adia once more challenged for the Tower of Earth. A quick acceptance had it scheduled in no time and a little over a week later, the two came together to decide the fate of the tower in the mountain. There was neither heckling nor ill tempers but rather good spirited sportsmanship and competition between challenger and Keeper both, keeping the entire process remarkably grounded. While onlookers sipped flavored mojitos and munched on flower themed snacks, the duo executed a pair rapidfire duels within Titan that had the challenge done in less than an hour. The first was a narrow victory for the challenger, eight fast-and-furious rounds resulting in a close 5-4 win. The second fight was even faster, clocking in at a scant six rounds and a final tally of 5-3, also in Kira's favor. It may not have been a landslide, but it was a nice contrast with Kira's first attempt at the Tower. In two duels, Kira Adia ended Anya's 136 day, 2 defense reign and became the newest Keeper of Earth!
In utilizing the Mythical Grace Maker Breaker Grant, Anya shorted Bailey’s grace period for the Tower of Earth and pressed her challenge to him. Bailey came painted up like flowers and could have had either Roses or Sakura Blossoms in his hair, which could be admired as he sat on the sidelines and his conjuring by the name of Corazon entered the ring first with Anya. The first match was closely fought, with Anya inching out after sudden death with a handful of embers pitched at her opponent with a final score of 5 to 4 in 9 rounds. The second and third matches were then fought in the Titan ring, where Anya and Bailey himself fought amongst erupting geysers and bursting rocky columns. Once more the match remained close, sudden death leaving spectators on the edge of their seats, but it would be Bailey’s win of 6.5 to 5.5 in the 12 round that would even up this challenge and send the pair to the third match! In the final match, Bailey held a 2 point unanswered lead over Anya, but she pulled enough steam and fog in her control to close the large gap in the 3 round. As the spells continued, the scoreboard remained tight, when Bailey would close in on match point, Anya was quick to even things back out, and they reached sudden death again with a tie of 5 points each in round 10. With a final blast of hot air from Anya, she closed the match at 6 to 5 in 11 rounds and sealed her path on becoming a Keeper for the first time!
It was a Sunday night when Anya and Kira met in the special Earth ring, Titan, with Anya readily aware of Kira’s desire to hold the Earth Key. And while it was a friendly match between the two, neither one wished to give in easily and held strong in their fight. In the first match, Anya looked to bolster a strong lead, keeping Kira at only a half a point for much of the match while steadily climbing herself to 4 and a half, just a hairs breath away from a win. But it was here that Kira dug in and kept Anya from scoring, slowly chipping away at the woman’s lead and climbed up two additional points herself. However, it was Anya who would close the match in the 12th round with a final score of 5 to 2.5. The following match appeared to be largely in Kira’s favor then, steadily scoring over Anya the first three rounds and then keeping Anya to only a half a point in the following three. Things appeared to have shifted in the 7th round however and Anya climbed out of her whole and the pair reached a 5 to 5 sudden death score in the 12th round that kept everyone on the edge of their seats! It looked to be ready to go either woman’s way, but it was Anya’s final fear touch cast over Kira’s foul fog that sealed the Keeper’s first defense of the Tower of Earth!
An invitation to challenge! Haru stated such a fact with his issuance of challenge to the Tower of Earth and its keeper — Anya de la Rose. It would be on the night of June 17 that they met. The Isle did rumble as Titan was drawn to the surface for both combatants to test their magical skills within. Perhaps it was Titan, the Keepers special ring, that saw the home field advantage go to Anya in not only the first match, but the second as well. The Keeper clearly led from the start of the first by gaining 4 points in 4 rounds, while the challenger only saw a .5 that came through a trade. While Haru did gain some ground it would not be enough to stop Anya from taking the first match with a final score of 5 - 3 in 8. When the second match begun it was Haru who gained the first point, yet Anya was a force not to be reckoned with; as she not only regained what was lost, but pushed forward as well. By the fourth round did she have a 3 - 1 advantage over Haru. The challengers attempts to catch up saw the score stand, still in Anya's favor, at 4 - 3 in the seventh, but as the call of the eighth and final round came it would be the Keeper who once more stood victoriously. With the final score of 5 - 4 in 8 announced Anya would claim her second defense during her reign as Keeper of Earth.
There would be no second defense for Morgan Chae as the former Archmage Bailey Raptis, perhaps missing the feeling of tower-gained magic, issued challenge to the Tower of Earth. Morgan looked strong in the first bout by besting the challenger within five quick rounds with an ending score of 5.5-2.5 — though it seemed such a quick defeat would not shake Bailey, as he was able to tie the challenge in the second match with a 5-1.5 finish in nine rounds. In the end it came to the third and final match of the night. With his strong first round lead diminished in the second and third Morgan was forced on his toes but was able to regain some ground, yet the ground broke beneath his feet as Bailey landed his coup de grace in the tenth round with a final score of 5-3 and by doing so claiming the title of Keeper of Earth.
No single win would be in the corner of Mairead, the now former Keeper of Earth, after she faced off against Morgan Chae. While she may have held the advantage in the early rounds the tide would turn and favor Chae as he tied the match and overtook her with a score of 5.5 - 3.5 in 9 rounds. The second match had been the more contested one, with the score shifting between the two before Morgan took the lead, the win, and the Tower of Earth in the end with the final winning score of 5 - 3 in 9.
After a slew of challenges were going up rapid fire on the cork, Anya made her choice to challenge for Earth with the aid of the Keeper’s Blessing gifted to her by Mew. Excited to try things out in the challenge game, she hoped Morgan would keep things fun, and one thing is for sure that these matches were close and left spectators on the edge of their seats! Morgan sought to use the special ring Titan and everyone sat back and watched as he took the first win of the evening in a very tight match with the final score of 5 to 4 in 10! Things looked decidedly in Anya’s favor however as she kept the Keeper from scoring any points in the second match, taking a shut out win in 8 rounds with a final score of 5 – 0. Thus the challenge was taken to a third and final match which went into a few sudden death rounds and kept everyone cheering loudly for their favorites, but it would be Morgan who came out on top with a winning score of 6.5 to 5.5 in 15 rounds and scoring his first defense in his reign of the Keeper of Earth!
With Mythical Grace Makerbreaker Grant in hand Mairead cut into Morgan LaFey's grace period and issued challenge! What a challenge it was with Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, and Laser Tag being the lineup for the night. Mairead came out on top of the first match with a score of 5 - 4 in 8 though Morgan came back in the second to tie up the challenge one to one with a quick and speedy 5 - 3.5 in 5 victory. It all came down to the third and with Laser Tag in Titan we were left waiting to see who had the quicker trigger finger between the two. With the final bell ringing the one standing victorious in the elemental ring was Mairead Harker. In 5 rounds she secured her Tower of Earth victory with a final score of 5 - 2 in 5.
A second Morgan challenges — this time of the LaFey variety! With challenge issued at the rank of Wizard yet fought a week after becoming Mage meant that Morgan was in top form when he stood across the ring from defending Keeper Rachael Blackthorne. A back and forth battle took place in the first half of the full challenge, seeing Morgan and Rachael trading off the lead until the first-time-challenger shifted into turbo and clutched out their first victory of the best of three challenge with a 5 - 3 in 12 win. The second match began with Rachael coming out of the gate with guns blazing and secured the early lead, though after a mixture of both defensive and offensive play Morgan took the charge in the third round and never looked back: from 1.5 - 1 in the third to 4 - 1 in the fifth after landing a vicious (and rather focused) fear touch. Round 7 would be the final one of the challenge as Morgan defeated Rachael 5.5 - 1.5 and stood atop Titan as the newest Keeper of Earth!
Rachael's first challenge came from the beast of the Outback, Matt Simon. Earth, being the final Tower that Matt needed to claim the title of All Elemental Tower Holder, it was no wonder that he challenged Rachael with the hopes of achieving his spot in the history books. The two met on Tuesday, June 2nd, during the The Parade of Archmages - A Celebration of Mage Emeriti event held on Twilight Isle and began their match atop the elemental ring of Titan! With onlookers cheering the fought a rather close challenge — though in the end it was Rachael who reigned supreme to continue her reign as Keeper of Earth after two matches; with the first ending 5.5 - 4 in 9 in her favor, as did the score of the second: 5.5 - 4.5 in 10.
Andrea challenged Mallory for the Tower of Earth. The challenger made a strong start in the first match but lost some steam in the second. It fell on the third and final match of the night to choose a victor and it was Andrea. The scores of the night were: 5 - 2.5 in 5 rounds in Andrea's favor, 5 - 3.5 in 8 rounds in Mallory's, and 5 - 2.5 in 5 to finally secure Andrea's victory.
♦ 03-01-20
Due to inactivity Andrea was stripped of her right to the Tower of Earth.
Mallory defeated Rachael in 2 out of 3 duels. The first match was in the former Keepers favor and ended with a score of 5 - 4 in 11, but Mallory came back in the second and third with scores of 5.5 - 2 in 11 and 5 - 3.5 in 12.
Retired the title on the 444th day of her reign so that the Tower of Earth and its key could be used as a prize for the 2018 Spring All Ranks Tournament.
Artemus was challenged by Xanth Van Bokkelen. It was determined to be invalid by Topaz as Xanth had not been active for 60 days as per the rules at the time.
Xanth reissued his challenge for Earth. It was, at first deemed to be valid then revoked as, despite the previous challenge having be invalid, it was still counted against him as having challenged within 60 days as per the rules at the time.
Challenge from Vanion Shadowcast was determined to be invalid as insufficient time had past since Artemus had last defended the Tower of Earth. Notice posted by Topaz Datrazanov, DoM Coordinator.
Gained the key without a fight when Harris failed to respond to his challenge. Harris was declared to be in forfeit by Topaz Datrazanov, Duel of Magic Coordinator.
Defense vs Vince Smith. Harris retained the title, winning two of three matches. Officiated by Rory Laurent. Scores: Vincent, 5.5-3.5 in 10 rounds; Harris, 5-2 in 7 rounds; Harris, 5-3.5 in 12 rounds.
Abdicated two weeks after winning the key. Failed to answer a challenge (date and time had been announced) from Harris D'Artainian. Tower was placed in a tournament as a prize.
Won the key in a Keepers' Tournament which offered the Towers of Air, Fire, and Earth as the prizes. Tim placed third and claimed the key for the Tower of Earth. Tournament was officiated by Aylysia d'Etoile Lute.
