Continuing the Elemental series…
Ethan Somersby – CRAG
A West Virginia, neighbor, Ethan grew up in a coal-mining community, the son of a third-generation miner. He would have been a miner himself if a congenital birth defect hadn’t left him blind. Still, as a child he loved to feel and hear his way through the hidden catacombs and caverns in the neighboring hills, always trying to go further than he should have. A worried friend or mother always held him back, but Ethan yearned to dive into the mysteries of the world beneath him. When he turned 17 he got his chance. Ethan’s father relented and agreed to let him tour the mine. He had been there only an hour when tragedy struck… a collapse. Several hundred tons of rock and earth came tumbling down over them. But… they would survive. THE FIRMAMENT had heard his call for help and suddenly the earth all around drew itself to the boy, enveloping him in a protective shell, a monstrous protector. To his surprise Ethan found himself able to see. THE FIRMAMENT saw for him, granting its vision to Ethan. With a gesture the rock parted and created a path for the miners to escape. Before he had a chance to explain Ethan was swallowed by the ground and found himself hurtling through the planet. He was being sent on his mission…
In his new role as earth elemental, Ethan can manipulate large quantities of rock and earth. Mostly he uses this to form a massively strong and durable exoskeleton around his body, but he can manipulate ambient terrestrial material in other ways, causing landslides, eruptions of rock, seismic phenomena, etc. Additionally, his mineral body provides him with natural sight, circumventing his own blindness. He can travel vast distances at phenomenal speed by enveloping himself in a womb-like construct and traveling through the inner layers of the planet.
