This article collects information regarding the conceptualisation of the game world of The Mana World.
The Soul Menhir are monolith stones that summon and revive the battle-fallen. The stone does not seem to recover natural deaths. Although the nature of the Menhirs' selection is unclear, not everybody who touches the stone can survive death. The chosen receive a scar called the Mark of Menhir. Each time a marked one is summoned by a Menhir to the Afterlife, they receive another scar. The process is extremely painful, and the scars are said to leave a "constant discomfort", but they can be removed.
Lore
Discovery
Believed to have been created as a result of the Great Quake, Soul Menhir stones have been discovered in the mountains of Tonori, Argaes, and Kaizei, and even the hills of Tempus. Many of the stones were placed in major cities, while an undisclosed number are kept among the private sector.
The discoverer of the first Soul Menhir brought it down from the mountain and sold it to the city of Tulimshar. None knew of the power this menhir held, as it was sold for about 1/100th the current Soul Menhir value, and was used as decorative ambiance and a nighttime light source. People gathered to feel the uplifting energy emitted from the stone. It wasn't long before a group of hunters, who had been brutally killed miles away, reappeared at the stone with stories of a Dark Figure. The line to touch the stone grew to the thousands, and a new rush of miners headed into the mountains to find their own Soul Menhir. Many more were found and sold for fortunes. Miners who made their fortune from the sale of Soul Menhir stones are referred to by nobles as the "dirty elite".
Societal Effects
The existence of the Soul Menhir has more than quadrupled the number of world adventurers and has resulted in a market flood of monster-related items. Although the rise in hunters has seemed to have peaked, many pre-Soul Menhir, unmarked hunters (respectfully called Brave Hunters) are angry over the situation, and are blatantly responsible for repeated murder-crimes. The majority of the notorious Trail Bandits north of Hurnscald are allegedly Brave Hunters or marked enthusiasts. The bandits leader is a known Brave Hunter.
Game Play
By default, each character is set to be revived to the Soul Menhir in Tulimshar. Clicking on a Soul Menhir and "touching" it attaches your character to that specific stone. The last stone touched is the location to which your character will be revived.
There are currently Soul Menhir stones in Tulimshar and Hurnscald.
Notes
Please give comments or suggestions here.
- Current for 0.0.x versions, will need to be updated once The Death Realm is implemented.
