The Nature of Mana and Mortal Magic

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The Nature of Mana

When existence was created, an omnipotent, omnipresent form of energy was among the first forms of creation itself. Although this energy was once inherent to both the corporeal and spectral planes, most energy was eventually drained from the spectral, resulting in the spectral plane’s condition. The Elder Gods who inhabited the corporeal plane were given complete power over the energy, known as mana. Using mana and elemental power seeping through the astral plane, the Elder Gods were able to shape existence as they desired, forming the universe.

Mana has several fundamental laws about it: Mana is omnipresent. Mana is chaotic, and resists order. Mana is conserved. Mana cannot be solely responsible for ‘magic’.

As stated previously, mana is omnipresent throughout the corporeal plane. In areas where mana is used to induce an effect, surrounding mana diffuses to the target location, almost instantly refilling an area.

Mana is also inherently chaotic; it is constantly swirling and changing local densities. Although the Elder Gods have perfect control over mana, mana does resist change or order: if it cannot stop itself from being used, it will try to harm its user and/or environment.

Mana is always conserved. Although mana can be ‘used’ to produce effects, once ‘used’, it simply reverts back into its chaotic and natural state.

Magic, by definition, is the sentient manipulation of mana. Mana, lacking any form of the concept ‘sentient’, is unable to manipulate itself to produce effects. However, the effects of high densities of mana, or distorted connections of mana present in the spectral plane, are able to produce interesting phenomena.





Difference in Mortal Magic

Mortal beings are able to manipulate mana because they are creations of higher beings that can also manipulate mana. Kar’Kaish, the Elder God of Ara’niel, created the Gods of Life and Death, the Kishae, using mana, granting them strong yet impure power over mana. The Daemons, the joint creation of the Kishae, were able to wield mana with even less control and possibly dire repercussions from magic. However, beings that were created only from the Gods of Life have the worst control and greatest repercussions of using magic; they are also the most disconnected.

Humans, the most noteworthy of mortal beings, are able to use magic at great cost, and only after much practice and understanding. For much of their history, humans were unable to utilize mana simply because they did not have knowledge of it. However, the true meaning behind The Sense was eventually discovered, changing humanity’s future permanently.

The Sense is the term for human sensory of mana itself. Whereas beings of higher hierarchy can completely sense the energy, humans only have limited perception, and the Sense only manifests in a fraction of the population. The Sense is usually a perversion of one of the existing senses: Sight, Smell, Taste, Touch, Hearing, and Balance. The Sense alters one of these senses to include the perception of mana. The effect has a range of manifestation: From feeling odd, minor and sudden changes in temperature, to feeling murky fluid rush across your skin constantly. With training, one can better distinguish between The Sense and the base sense it manipulates. Historically, savants of humanity were responsible for much of the knowledge eventually gained for the use of mana and magic, though they were generally viewed with fear or animosity, for The Sense was strongest in them. The Sense for savants was a literal domination of one of the baser senses, being completely removed for a more total perception of mana. Those who could survive with this impairment were often bed-ridden and had to be taken care of by others. With time, these savants would eventually be elevated in society to become revered as influential or insightful.

History of Mortal Magic

These savants began to find that many others had lesser manifestations of their curse, able to finally explain what people had been feeling. With this understanding that what they were perceiving was real and not unique to an individual, magic was first attempted. Humans began trying to assert their will upon mana. At first, only minor phenomena were witnessed, leaving those who attempted it drained or numb. The taxing effect magic had on its users became increasingly apparent as attempts became more complex. The savants who instructed their students could see that the mana they tried to dominate was harming them in the process. Magic was therefore restricted to only those who could be taught by a savant, and knowledge limited to only the areas where others could be taught.

The limits of magic proceeded in this manner for quite some time until the next set of breakthroughs were discovered. The first, was that magic could be used to manipulate the elemental world; people caught in a landslide were saved by one practiced in magic who diverted the falling rock around them, his body ripping apart in the process. The second, was that the backlash, feedback, of magic could be diverted to other objects than the mage. These two advancements quickly changed the limits of magic, and quite soon people close to the savants were able to wield unnatural powers. The emerging mages quickly became feared, and nations began to hunt them to exterminate them before they could supposedly destroy their empires. The mages and savants fled into seclusion, hateful at the world that again shunned them. As each group in turn became more secretive, they also began learning of one another, trading information and forming larger groups.

Although most groups were outcasted by society, there were those who felt that magic was misunderstood and was to be used to help others. There were also those who felt that they should use their power for revenge, to bring about the destruction that others feared. These feelings became nurtured, and eventually led to a history of dark and evil sorcery that dominated the land. Such a history was eventually put to rest as ‘good’ mages and heroes of the people defeated the ‘evil’ mages. For the first time, people en masse saw the power of magic as something that could be used beneficially, and leaders saw magic simply as something that could be used. Mages and mage schools became sponsored, and technology as a whole began to flourish.

This continued for a very long time. The Kingdom of Atimar flourished as a center of technology and magic. Eventually, golems were made that operated on more than just magic; steam was being harnessed in feats of engineering; black powder was becoming more and more refined as its potential uses expanded. This golden age was brought to an end, however, when mages began delving into and perfecting necromancy. How exactly the curse was created is debatable and shrouded in mystery, but its effect was not: undead were able to operate without the control of a mage, and the curse was able to slowly transfer to victims if left in the presence of the undead. Soulless beings began roaming the streets, their numbers increasing exponentially. The greatest feat of human magic then took place with the destruction of Tilbury, altering Ara’niel forever.

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General Spellcraft

Spellcrafting is the art of manipulating magic into a pre-determined effect. This consists of willing the mana into your control, grounding the feedback, forming the foundation of the spell as an anchor, forming the effects of the spell, feeding mana to the spell, and unleashing the spell.

Using magic consists of dominating mana via will, requiring an extensive knowledge of mana, much practice, and a refining of The Sense. Inexperienced mages attempting slightly complex spells have a high risk of permanent disfigurement or death, so spells are often tiered by their complexity.

Mana resists unnatural change, and so attempts to feedback any source that tries to manipulate it, ripping it apart. Mages can direct this effect by forming a sort of “path of least resistance” to an object on their person or otherwise in their control. ‘Being in control’ of an object more of a psychological necessity rather than an actual requirement, as focus is crucial in spellwork. Other persons and objects cannot be the target of feedback until the mage and his feedback grounds have been destroyed. In extremely rare cases, mages are able to designate others as the target of their feedback.

The foundation of a spell is simply the first building block of manipulated mana, whose only purpose is to hold any future mana added to it together. Inexperienced mages are often the victims of spells blowing up in their faces due to a poorly formed foundation.

The effects of a spell are created on the foundation, directing the mana to produce desired results. Quality of these effects is also a concern, as the effectiveness and integrity of a spell can vary widely due to quality.

Mana stored in a spell is necessary, as mana will quickly begin reverted back to its natural state once the spell is cast. Stored mana rises to take the place of the leaving mana. Stored mana is only held in such a state by the foundation of the spell itself; if the foundation goes, there’s nothing holding the stored mana to the spell. The foundation of a spell deteriorates most slowly, as it retains most of the focus of the mage.

Casting spells is quite like ‘fire and forget’. Unless directly formed to do so, spells cannot be altered once cast, and will proceed as long as the spell has mana or retains ‘structural’ integrity.

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Elemental Magic

Elemental Magic employs the art of spellwork while adding three new processes: using mana to convert a substance into pure elemental power, using mana to dominate the elemental power, and incorporating the elemental power into an effect of the spell.

All substances are manifestations of residual elemental power, robbed by the Elder Gods from the Elements. Mana was used to subjugate it to the whim of the Elder Gods, and mana can be used to convert it into elemental power by complete dissolving the substance.

Elemental power, the dominion of the Elements, must be dominated by mana first before it can be manipulated.

Elemental power is incorporated into a spell by an effect. Elemental power is stored in the spell, while the spell itself dictates how the elemental power is expressed: it can manifest completely at once, slowly over time, form specific shapes, affect the environment in certain ways, etc.

The substances used for Elemental Magic come in two flavors: natural manifestations and reagents.

Natural manifestations are unique to each element, and can be broken down into the elemental power that formed it.
Earth manifests into rock and dirt. Metal manifests into specific ore. Air manifests into gas. Storm manifests into highly excited gases that incur high wind and generate electricity. Water manifests into water, while Ice manifests into the crystalline structure of water’s cold, solid state. Fire manifests into flame. Lightning manifests into electricity.

Reagents are curious substances that may or may not have logical elemental connections, or have connections that defy logic. Reagents are objects that are present near a nexus of elemental power, likely near one of the few portals to the elemental planes. The residual elemental power of the area is stored within the object, and may be broken down to release the elemental power. Reagents are typically more potent than natural manifestations but are extremely rare, though efforts to mass produce them have taken place over time.

[Caligstro Smith]

Kar’Kaish, the Elder God of Ara’niel, created the Gods of Life and Death, the Kishae, ing mana, granting them strong yet impure power over mana.

(emphasis mine)

Um, what was this part supposed to say? Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something important about the relation between Kishae/Life & Death Gods and mana. You know how details, especially details of magic systems are important to me Chaos. (and I promise I'm not asking b/c of some intent to break the world, I'm just trying to get everything hammered out and clear in my head before continuing forward).

[Admin]

Corrected. Was supposed to be "using mana".

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