Mages are just as vulnerable to cold steel as the average commoner is. As knights shield themselves in armour to protect them from swords and spears, and archers most of the time will run for it when confronted with pointy items near them, the average mage has an assortment of spells to safeguard himself from melee attacks. Fiery Feet belongs in this same category, just like the other Fire spell Blazing Shield does, but is simpler in effect and more easy to cast.

Imagine a battle arena, where a common warrior wielding two fake moonblades charges a Fire mage. Unimpressed by the two swords pointed at him, the mage reaches down towards the ground, sitting on one knee and slams his open palm to the ground. The warrior, still at a distance and not feeling some earthly tremor like he had expected, continues his rush forward. Then the ground around the mage starts to glow softly and moments later small flames lick at the few tussocks of grass in the arena near him. The warrior, not noticing the sudden change of ground, screams as he jumps back from the hot ground and for a moment is taken aback by the new situation. The wizard rises, smiling malevolently, and prepares his offensive spell.

Spell Effect. Fiery Feet is a spell designed to protect the caster from melee attacks in an indirect way. It doesn’t provide direct protection like Blazing Shield, but enchants the ground around the caster with flames, hopefully keeping his assailants at bay. This would of course does not save the caster from attacks by throwing spears and arrows, nor, if the range of fire doesn’t extend enough from pole arms.

The caster of the spell functions as point of origin for the spell, which is in fact the heart of the circle of fire he's going to cast. From his position, he gathers Fire ouniá from below the surface of the earth, moving them into a circle around him. This results in first warming the surface and afterwards flames erupting from the ground. The range of the circle that the wizard is able to surround himself with and the strength of the heat and the resulting flames depend on the skills of the caster. The effectiveness of the spell depends of course on the success of his casting, as mere hot ground will not keep a Carthasian bear at bay.

The spell does not necessarily need to be cast in a circle, but could also be formed in a semi-circle or a square. Blocking a path, for example a cave entrance or doorstep, might also be ideal situations to use other shapes. This however would not prevent attackers from walking around the selected area.

The resulting flames that erupt from the ground might set the surrounding area aflame, for example, the grasses covering the ground. The caster has to keep in mind also to focus the Fire ouniá away from his own safe spot, or face the same fate as his assailants. On top of that, anything flammable in the nearby area might be a source of worry for the caster, as Fire does spread through dry grass, to name but one example.

The caster has to keep in mind that the resulting field of flames will not fade away quickly, as it takes time for the cár'áll to rebalance. He will effectively pin himself to one spot for the time being. A variant of the spell can be used to reverse to the first effect, as the Fire ouniá will be removed from the surface again. Experienced casters have been known to leave themselves more space to move in, allowing a circle of two peds around them as space to breathe. Legendary use of this spell was made during the War of the Chosen when a Fire mage surrounded a whole camp with this spell, preventing the incoming army from taking the camp at night by surprise. Such use of the spell would require immense focus, as great amounts of ground would need to be covered (and not covered!).

Casting Procedure. Casting Fiery Feet is based on manipulation of Fire ouniá in the cár'áll of the ground the mage is standing on. This offers both advantages and disadvantages. Contact with the ground is at first a necessity to focus enough on the appropiate cár'áll, but more experienced mages will be able to cast this spell standing or - if thought appropiate for mages in good standing - while making a little tarepi hop.

The caster touches the ground, usually done by kneeling and extending one’s palm to make contact with the earth. Focusing on the ground, the caster gathers Fire ouniá from the earth and directs them to the surface, first around him, then further and further away from he as he wishes and is able to. Gathering enough Fire ouniá to set the surrounding earth aflame usually takes as much as a minute for novice casters and is a mere matter of seconds for experienced casters, which may vary because of the intended surface covered and the type of ground that is targeted. For example, casting the spell on ground with volcanic origin will be easier than in a swampy old river bed.

Magical Formula. Not defined yet.

Focus/Target. The spell targets the ground surrounding the caster, going beneath the surface and forcing Fire ouniá to the top.

Reagents. Burning Stones are used as reagents. Flammable material like a flask of oil or gnomish fire may enhance the effect.

Spell Class. Physical Representation of Sphere II, Pyrokinesis.

Range. The spell range is usually a circle of about two peds around the caster, but according to skill and level of the caster, the amount and type of ground covered, the moving space left clear and form of the flame field can be manipulated to a greater extent.

Casting Time. The casting time varies greatly depending on the skill of the caster. A novice caster of this spell will sooner take a minute to have flames appearing than not, while an experienced caster can get a sizable ring of defence up in a second or two.

Duration. The duration of the spell depends on the availability of flammable material, possibly added by the caster and the time it takes for the Fire ouniá to rebalance themselves.

Counter Measures/Enhancing Measures. Just like the Fire ouniá can be moved towards the surface within the cár'áll of the ground, they can moved back down with the same spell. Also, this spell is only helpful against melee attacks, as ranged and pole weapons will get around, or better said, over it easily.

Final Note. Quote from the entry on Gean Firefeet:

31st Frozen Rivers 1668 a.S. Information provided by Gean Firefeet