Mana

Mana is the name of an esoteric form of energy that fuels magic itself.

## Description

Mana is a natural form of energy native to all living things in Yggdrasil. It flows through the world and is generated by the souls of all living things. Within the world, it travels along intricate crisscrossing paths called leylines and collects alongside it in deposits known as mana crystals. Mana is a key component in powering most forms of technology in Yggdrasil such as Mana Casters, Carriages, and Communication Screens.

Within living things, Mana flows from the soul. Pandora describes the soul as a lake with many rivers branching from it. In a sense, it nourishes the entire body with energy straight from the soul. It is the most basic component of magic itself and requires fine control in order to achieve even the simplest spells. Due to its nature, mana is extremely volatile in living things and even in open environments, reacting violently with its physical counterpart, Prana. Inside the body, mana and prana exist in a delicate balance. When this balance is disrupted, the person experiences what is known as an Overload. Overload is a condition that occurs when the body's natural mana-prana ratio is disrupted, causing intense pain and barring the user's ability to actively utilize prana and call on their mana.

### Mana Fonts

Generally, Mana can be found flowing through Mana Fonts. Mana Fonts are the channels that pump mana through the body of a living being. They are known to originate near the heart and connect to the entire body. Mana Fonts act as an esoteric cardiovascular system that circulates throughout the body. Mana Fonts can be damaged by certain techniques or as an effect of some skills or bursts. An example of this is Embla’s Burst, Refraction. Due to the nature of her Burst which is to absorb and reflect mana, there is a possibility of the user’s mana fonts being damaged as a result. This happened when Embla reflected the shot of the Gusisnautar cannon, a magical cannon

Mana Fonts can be healed if they are damaged. Healing Magic can heal Mana Fonts if they are damaged. However, the process takes a certain amount of time to heal damaged Mana Fonts.

### Elemental Affinity

Elemental Affinity is the tendency of a user’s mana to align with a certain element. It is typically a higher level of mana control but it can be used by beginners. This element is usually the starting element of the user and most of the user’s magical skills will typically revolve around this element. Elemental Affinities are the basis of all elemental magics. Elemental Magic is based around the user being able to mold and redefine the properties of their mana to become that element. The affinity of a person can be determined by using an Affinity Orb. The orb reacts by testing the user’s mana and changing colors based on their affinity.

**The Five Basic Elemental Affinities**

* **Fire:** When people of this affinity test their mana, the orb turns red.
* **Water:** When people of this affinity test their mana, the orb turns blue.
* **Wind:** When people of this affinity test their mana, the orb turns green.
* **Earth:** When people of this affinity test their mana, the orb turns brown.
* **Lightning:** When people of this affinity test their mana, the orb turns yellow.

**Other Elemental Affinities:**

* **Ice:** When people of this affinity test their mana, the orb turns whitish-blue.
* **Light:** When people of this affinity test their mana, the orb turns white-gold.
* **Darkness/Shadow:** When people of this affinity test their mana out, the orb turns black-violet.

### Mana Control

Mana Control is the basis of all magic. The higher the level of skill with mana control, the better the user is at magic. In addition, having better control over one's mana allows the prevention of mana wasting, that is using excessive mana for a magic skill that only requires a certain amount. Mana Control correlates with the user’s casting skill. According to Pandora, the more control the user has over their mana, the higher their casting skill is.

## Trivia

* According to Pandora, mana has a general warmth that cannot be put into words.
* Mana does not power Arts. The energy that powers Arts is known to be different and is said to feel completely unnatural.