Auras, Arcana, and Tension

> I bet this is some magical shit.
>
> - Earl, to Lebana Sin

## Aura and Auric Abilities

**One's *aura*** dictates the type of auric abilities that one will be able to use in life. All living things contain an aura within their body's composition. While often considered only a concept or a misnomer for an unexplained magical phenomenon, the aura itself is actually a *physical* manifestation of one's soul flowing throughout their bloodstream. Scholars have found this esoteric "organ" of sorts to be a critical part to dictating one's path in life, yet majority of the population of all living creatures within the world aren't even aware of their own aura or it's contributions beyond it being a force enacting a being's will on their body.

The typing and specialization of one's aura dictates their body's ability to generate one of two resources required for function beyond simple bodily processes such as breaking down food or oxygen. These resources are referred to as **Tension** and **Mana**. These resources, once generated by the body, can be expended to enact the will of one's soul through various **Auric Abilities**.

**Auric Abilities** and their usage wasn't always possible until the God, Sinn, along with the help of Zelatraius, tapped into the latent ability of Mortals to use them which also gave rise to the God of Opposing forces, Anacra. The Aura of Mana was the catalyst by which the sapient mortal races were able to cause The Dragon Regicide. The Aura of Tension wasn't discovered proper until later during Ji-tan Feudalism around the year 3590 BA by one of the many clans within Jinn-Ran, and was an unforeseen side-effect of Sinn forcing the evolution of mortal-kind.

The two types of Aura oppose one another, yet the body requires, at the very least, a small amount of both to remain in a functional balance. As a result, those with a Tension-based Aura, can still find themselves privy to a rare few Mana-based Arcane abilities, while the inverse can also be true. With dedicated training, one can reach a point of equilibrium, nicknamed **Anacric Mastery** in which they can use both evenly-- though this feat is not achievable within a typical mortal's lifespan.

In rare cases, some are able to force one's body to use the abilities on the opposite end of their Aura's polarity, but at the cost of one's own health in the process.

## Mana

**Mana-based auras** are capable of producing and maintaining a massive amount of potential energy and holding onto it. Mana is capable of producing an unwaveringly massive effect on the naturally-occurring magical energies in the environment around it, manifesting as Arcana. Arcana can be used to make the impossible possible by instilling one's very will onto their surroundings and changing them in a specific way though the medium of spells. There's nearly limitless applications of Mana through Arcana and Spells, and countless schools have been erected in the name of pursuing the knowledge of understanding all of the possibilities it has to offer. As a drawback, however, the body requires more resources and focus to create Mana, so it cannot be restored naturally without rest.

One of the most widely-known schools is The Grand School of Arcana, which dedicates itself to the understanding of how Mana manifests as **Healing Arcana** and **Corrupting Arcana**, as well as any other kinds of arcana that could be found. Sinn is known to make the occasional appearance here to check up on the mortals and see what they have learned with his gift, often finding himself impressed with their findings.

### **Corrupting Arcana**

**Corrupting Arcana** is a specific way of manipulating the natural magical energy through spells that push *against* the world's natural balance. The natural magic of the world has a careful balance that is in a near constant flow from space to space. Corrupting Arcana seeks to tip this balance and reap the rewards of nature rapidly counterbalancing itself as a response. As an example, a spell to create flames from thin air would actually, in theory, rapidly slow particles of air in order to bring them to a standstill, effectively freezing them, but the natural order of the world would force these particles to speed right back up in the form of what would appear to us as fire.

More specific types of Corrupting Arcana are used as a means to various ends, but are so specialized in their nature that they don't necessarily benefit from things that would empower Corrupting Arcana. A few such examples would be Summoning, Otherplane Summoning and Necromancy.

### **Healing Arcana**

**Healing Arcana** is a way to manipulate magical energies that bolsters the world's natural balance, and maintains it's equilibrium. Healing Arcana seeks to open the floodgates equally between natural energy flow to speed up or embolden natural processes, with little effect on the overall balance of the world. As an example, a spell to create flames from thin air would simply speed up already fast-moving particles in order to cause friction, speeding up the rising of temperature in a specific area that would appear to us as fire.

A few specific kinds of Healing Arcana are used as a creation engine for the minds of those who are studious in their approach to solving problems. Just as the sister-suite of Corrupting Arcana based abilities, these do not benefit from empowering Healing Arcana as they are simply too specialized to gain any additional power. A few examples would be Conjuration and Whitesmithing.

## Tension

**Tension** as a concept was only really and truly explored as an theory during the warring period of **Ji-Tan Feudalism**. The theory came from a small group of mercenaries in the heat of the war that went on to become a temple of monks. Tension-based Auras take the natural energy of the world into themselves and expel it as one would a breath from their lungs. While it has no specializing capabilities such as it's more potential-based counterpart, it's much more general overall in it's usage cases. While it is easy for the body to create, it is also easy for the body to lose. All one needs to do for their body to create tension is to expend a great deal of effort, and Tension will rise within one's body to assist them in their task. The second this task is completed, however, Tension is expelled almost immediately.

Schools that pursue the knowledge of how to use Tension most effectively exist, but are more isolated and distant than those that boast the countless teachings of the Arcane. These schools are commonly known as Temples and one known places to exist is The Dahn Au-Garata Temple. This temple is the only one to publicly admit visitors and prospective students, but it's rumored that inter-temple politics make the admittance of new students frowned upon by the higher order of monks.

Often times Tension does not manifest physically as a force acting on the world around it, but more-so as a temporary boost on one's own abilities. This isn't necessarily the limit of Tension Control as it is been rumored that some Secret Techniques actually make it so one's Tension can actually be made to act outside of one's body.