Mana Overview

See Also: Complete Magic Theory | Ley Lines | Mana Vents Related Systems: Magic Classification | Aethamic Primer

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Mana is a multi-dimensional energy that is able to be manipulated by all living things.

Mana, like water, exists in a cycle. The world churns up mana which moves up through the crust to the atmosphere and is then transformed into various other energies. This process is concentrated at mana vents and flows along ley lines.

Plants absorb mana as part of an energy source the same as sunlight and nutrients from soil. See Aethorian Flora for examples.

Animals absorb mana and create an extra organ (mana stones) that are used in fights, mating rituals, to help heal, escape, camouflage, etc. See Great Beasts of Aethoria for powerful examples.

The intelligent races have found that they can manipulate mana in various ways and with tools.

Practitioner Types

Wizards draw mana from their surroundings, filling their aura with energy to be used in spells. See Wizard Theory for details.

Sorcerers on the other hand both produce their own mana from within and have extra large auras that can be filled by their own mana or pulled from the environment. Notable examples include Miriel and Mathieu Stonebow.

Elemental Aspects

By changing the vibration, resonance, and harmonies of mana it changes the properties into the elemental forces:

Lower Elements: Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Spirit, and Light

Higher Elements: Life, Death, Time, Space, and Shadow

See Magic Classification for comprehensive elemental theory.

Specialties and Affinities

A person's natural vibration makes them more or less attuned to specific aspects when manipulating mana. A person born with a Fire vibration (specialty) finds it easier to cast and manipulate mana from that aspect but can still cast other aspected spells with more effort, practice, and repetition.

However, there are those that don't vibrate but resonate with an aspect (affinity) where those spells within that aspect come as easy as breathing and can become instinctually cast. Those with affinity can also have specialties that align with their affinity. For example, an affinity with Life may have specialties in Water and Wind or a Death affinity a specialty with Spirit and Time.

Having multiple specialties is not uncommon but nor is it common among magic users. Those with affinities are even more rare than those with Specialties and only 1 in every 7 million sorcerers have more than one affinity.

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Related Reading:

• Complete Magical Theory
• Practical Spellwork
• Summoning Arts
• Taming Magic