Archive:The nature of mana and magic

This article collects information regarding the conceptualisation of the game world of The Mana World.

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Mana can accurately be described as life force. It flows throughout the world, pushing and pulling itself into and around the material elements, to which it is extremely attracted. It is believed that all mana is connected and must remain connected.

Free Mana

Free mana is the blanket of energy that coats The Mana World. It is constantly moving; thinning and condensing in this invisible tempest. Free mana may be seeking material elements to inhabit.

It is from this free energy that men are able to pull and manifest mana, calling it magic, and it is to this free ocean which the manifestation dissipates once it is released. Man's telepathic communications are believed to be carried through free mana.

Sentient Mana

When a new organism comes to being, surrounding mana pours in; concentrating so thickly that it becomes sentient. The soul that is create does not consider itself a collection of mana, but the creature itself.

When the being dies, the mana returns to the field of free mana from which it came.

Manifested Mana

When mana is manipulated by any outside force, it is called Magic. Many living beings (or rather the sentient mana concentrations which believe that they are living beings) are able to control free mana. Unlike other creatures of the world, Men do not possess this ability intuitively, but rather, must learn it.

Magic Phenomenons are unique instances of manifested mana which usually cannot be explained, or outside manipulating force identified. While they may not be influenced by outside variables (and thus not appropriately "magic"), it is common belief that there must be some sort of external involvement in the phenomenons.

Destructive Magic

When a living being utilizes mana energy as a destructive force, for example casting a spell which inflicts damages, this is categorized as Destructive Magic.

Destructive Spells almost always visually manifest with the appearance of one of the eight Elements. Appearance, however,is usually the extent of the relationship between the manifestation and the actual naturally occurring element.

Healing Magic

Mana can also be channeled for more constructive purposes. One of these purposes is Healing Magic. Healing occurs when mana is pushed into a living being that has lost mana, in order to repair mental or physical inflictions.

Enchanting Magic

Manifesting mana within or around items or beings provides an intentional excess of mana energy and is called Enchanting Magic. This infusion of magically-charged mana is always temporary, as the over-condensed mana fights for space within and around the enchanted, and excess is forced away.

Examples of enchanting include weapons being enchanted to inflict more damage or a specific type of damage. Equipment can be enchanted to protect against certain elemental magics. Beings can be enchanted to feel more strength or wisdom.

In extremely rare cases, enchanting magic has been misused, and over condensed mana within enchanted items has become sentient. Flying swords and other unnaturally living objects can be attributed to this misappropriation of magic.

Summoning Magic

A powerful and dangerous form of advanced magic is Summoning Magic. This is the intentional condensation of mana to create sentience. These sentient beings can either be manifestations of mana without a physical body, or can be created within an inanimate object which then comes to live. The first beings are called "Elementals", the latter beings "Golems".