Magical Energy

**Magical Energy** is the supernatural energy source used to perform magic spells and rituals. It is called by many names in many cultures such as **Prana**, **Magoi**, **Ethernano**...

## Summary

Magical energy is the supernatural energy source that is used by magic practitioners to perform their spells, rituals, and various crafts.

There is no exact truth or origins when it comes to magical energy for it is formed of [Mystery]. However, for the Magic Gods and the Gods of Magic, magical energy is considered to have originated from Anamnesis, the Root of All Phenomena.

## Characteristics

Magical energy is the source that powers all forms of magic, poetically referred to as the primordial animus and life itself, from that of immortal gods to that of mortal humans. It is comparable to fuels such as coals or gasoline as it is an essential element for the invocation of spells. There have been many names for magical energy depending on the culture.

Magical energy itself does not have any elemental attribute. However, once embedded into an object that does have said attribute, such as jewels, or that is under the influence of nature spirits, it will attune itself to the elements in question until the moment that it is released.

It is primarily classified into two types, life-force and mana, though the two are separated only by whether it comes from nature or from within the user. They are essentially identical in terms of quality, though the amount of natural mana vastly exceeds humanity's collective life-force.

The main difference between mana and life-force is their abundance. Mana can be found almost anywhere and in great quantities, thus it is called the **Greater Source: External Magic** by magic practitioners. As life-force is the energy inside humans and animals, it is much smaller in amount and is called the **Lesser Source: Internal Magic**.

Strictly speaking, mana and life-force are energy in its raw state, whereas magical energy is the name given to the energy once it is converted by the magic core. Mana can be taken in accordingly with the capacities of the magic core, but the actual conversion process will take time.

### Mana

**Mana** is the greater magical energy found in the atmosphere of all habitable planets. It is the "breath of the planet filling the world and nature", produced by the planet through a network of ley lines across the world. It has also been called by many names in many different cultures, most prominent of which are **Orenda** by the Iroquois or **Manitou** by the Algonquian people.

The density of mana on Earth specifically is dependent on its era. Within the Age of Gods, the mana density is such that a modern human will die when exposed to it without specialized enchanted items to block out the mana. The reason for that is because humanity has evolved and adapted to an environment where the occult has retreated to the moonlit world, and their bodies can no longer withstand their original one now that the world has parted from the World of Magic.

The mana within a given area is finite, and similar to magic practitioners needing time to regenerate their life-force, the mana of an area will take a long time to replenish after it is depleted. Magic practitioners utilize the mana in the air for the purpose of spells that exceed their personal life-force, but the amount they can utilize at one time correlates to the capacity of their own magic core. If there is no available mana, they can only utilize small-scale spells with their own storage.

### Life-Force

**Life-Force**, also called **Od** or **Odic Energy** in studies, is the natural energy found within living organisms such as humans, animals, and supernatural beings. Once depleted, the magic core that is stored in the soul will begin to replenish it. Life-force is produced as long as one lives, but the amount a person can store varies from individual to individual.

Regarding nature-interfering magic, at least for large-scale spells, activation requires the use of mana regardless of the amount of life-force that the magic practitioner has. In fact, it is common practice among magic practitioners to start up their spells with life-force and then keep them running with mana. Only small-scale spells that do not directly interact with the environment - or at least, doesn't interact with the ley lines - are performed entirely with life-force.

The magical energy itself is held only inside the body fundamentally and if released in the outer world, it will return to the life-force and be scattered into the Greater Source. If someone has a magic core and they are still operating, an individual's life-force will be regenerated even if it is used up. However, without a magic core, life-force will no longer be generated at all.

Life-force is prone to merge with the fluids - such as blood or semen - of the user, and these fluids are good at holding in magical energy for some time even after leaving the body. Because of this, by drinking an arcane master's blood, one can replenish one's magical energy. Magic practitioners with monetary problems have also been said to sell their bodily fluids, in which magical energy has been merged, to various magic cabals.

## Side Effects

Unsurprisingly, usage of magical energy takes a toll on the user's body, especially when it is overused. However, depending on one's physiology, the drawback may differ from user to user. The side effects of overusing magical energy includes the following:

* Exhaustion
* Straining of the body
* Bleeding from the eyes and mouth
* Entering a comatose/persistent vegetative state
* Shortening the user's lifespan
* Death

There are various ways to restore magical energy, of which include resting and eating to restore one's own physical strength. Magical energy that has been stored inside enchanted items can be restored by keeping it close to oneself for a few hours after restoring one's physical strength.

## Other Forms

### Mana Prism

**Mana Prism**, also known as **Crystallized Mana**, is a magical crystalline substance created through concentrating mana. It is often used by magic practitioners to power up different spells and rituals. It is also used as an energy source for many magical devices, especially Magitek devices. While most mana prisms are artificially created by master alchemists, naturally-formed mana prisms can be found in locations associated with Mother Earth Goddesses who embody the planet's will.

## Trivia

* The term "mana" originated in Melanesian and Polynesian culture.
* Depending on their attribute, one's signature magical energy may appear different.
* In Ancient Egypt, there was a practice of sewing one's eyelids together to prevent magical energy from escaping the body.
* The Clock Tower measures an individual's magical energy in units called **Magicule**.
	+ The average mature magician has 25 units of Magicule.
	+ The average wizard/sorcerer has 40 units of Magicule.
	+ The average demigod has 500 units of Magicule.
	+ The average warlock has 1200 ~ 1300 units of Magicule.
	+ The average divine beast/high-ranked spirit has 2500 units of Magicule.
	+ The average principal god has 500,000,000 ~ 1,000,000,000 units of Magicule.
	+ The average Primordial God has 1,000,000,000,000 units of Magicule.
* Spiritual energy is considered a subcategory of magical energy.