Animus

The **animus** (pl. **animi**), or to some, **soul**, is an individual's 'body' of organically produced mana. The size and shape of the animus obeys the morphology of the organisms that produce it.

All promafers are magically autogenous (adj. produced from within; self-generating); they generate their own mana. For normal individuals, mana is passively ventilated from the pores, but individuals diagnosed with hypermana must deliberately dispose of excess mana themselves.

## History

### Early interpretations

Magic, when men first learned to control it, was immediately understood as the positive favor of god. The Ioheman priests that first discovered the ability to channel from external sources, the promatleans, accredited the god of invention and fire Promatles for their new gift.

The successor generation to the House of Promatles, the Botiac Clerics, discovered how to channel mana from their own animi and innovated internal channeling. They adhered to a belief called the Sublime Gates as an explanation for their abilities.

The rise of Stephedism in Cremalia completely revised the previous schools of thought regarding magic, condemning it as demonic and corruptive. All magi were labelled *abomini* and assumed to be the offspring or servant of demons.

### Discovery of the Animus

In DATE, a Stephedist monk and engineer, Brother Peter Lorell was experimenting with different materials, inadvertently inventing [magic glass]. Next he discovered, when mana is channeled through [magic glass] (provided by his assistant Eaton) and looked through, he could see radiant forms; aether in the air like smoke, in tables, in the ground; granular black fuzz, swarming as ants. And then, when he looked at his thaumaturge assistant, he saw a "luminous being exuding with the Light of God."

Lorell claimed to have discovered proof of the Soul and shared his discovery with the world—evidence of God's essence in Man. The reaction was mixed, but explosive. Not only was this "soul" visible in mortal men, but so too in magi—in fact, more prominently in magi—dispelling the Stephedist fiction that mages were soulless abominations. When compared to a demon, it was also observed that there was no relation between the two, emboldening the thaumaturge camp with newfound validation.

When it was seen that even animals shone with the blue light, many dubious theologians called into question whether he had really found evidence of the human soul at all.

Further analysis suggested that this light was inherent to almost all living organisms, not just humans. Orcs, elves, dwarves, and even demons all exhibited an aura when seen through scrying, with variance in colors and patterning. Even some species of plants were visible through a lens of [magic glass], confirming centuries-old folklore about their mystical properties.

Many began to assert that Lorell hadn't discovered the soul at all, in his understanding of it, but had in fact proven that mana is inherent to all people, not just magi. Non-magi took great offense to the implication that they had magic in them, denying it like an accusation of wrongdoing. Many wizards, on the other hand, took to it like moths to fire, grotesquely boasting that their more radiant auras was proof of their superiority and Iden's favor.

Lorell was faced with oblivion and arrest by the Witness, although never sentenced, but he never relented that his discovery was in fact the soul—it only exulted his newfound belief that God was in everything. Despite his anti-magic perspective, Lorell was awarded the Archmage title by the Conclave of Cernan for his invaluable contribution to magekind and science.

## Diagnosis

Most channelers are hypermanic. The indicator for hypermana is determined by the radiant span of an individual, which can be measured by its greater range and the rate of periphery friction.

## Terminology

### Radiance

The invisible space surrounding an individual's body filled by their animus to the extent of carrying capacity.

### Radiant Span

The length of how far an individual's radiance extends. This is on average about an inch to half-an-inch above the skin.

### Periphery Friction

The boundary where the animus meets the aethos. Natural aetherization occurs along the edge of the animus, the passive ventilation of produced mana.

### Aura

An effect when a mage's radiance becomes visible when he or she has initiated an invocation, increasing the rate of aetherization around their animus.

### Meridians

> *Main article:* Meridian
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>

Meridians are grooves or fluvial pathways that magical energy naturally flows through. Mana in the body is channeled through metaphysical veins congruent to and responsive to the nervous system. These pathways are sometimes called internal circuits or divine lines and aid channelers during conjuration as hypothetical shapes and contours they can use as guides to shape and build the mass of a bolus.

Upon close inspection of the animus through magic vision, the meridian system vaguely resembles the various arteries, veins, and capillaries of the circulatory system. From the meridians, mana radiates outwards, creating the envelope of energy called the animus.

### Volume

* Carrying capacity; capacity stress & capacity relief (crystallization)
* frequency
* this is directly proportional to the individual's morphology: physical mass and size

## Properties

### Mana signature

> *Main article:* Mana signature
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An identifying *mana signature* which is personal to every individual.

### Animic Radiation

The effect of an individual's animus leaving trace imprints on physical and mental environments during prolonged periods of time.

### Temperamental

An individual's animus is directly affected by his or her emotional state. In times of stress (anger, fear, or pain), the rate of manageniture increases. This phenomenon can be observed through scrying.

### Resonance

Individuals with hypermana have the unique ability to sense nearby bodies of mana (only in its metaphysical state). Functionally, magi can detect other close-by magi, since the pressures in the aethosphere are affected by manic bodies.

### Postmortem Animic Decay

The residual mana of a deceased individual's animus is gradually consumed by the surrounding aether through passive aetherization. Interpreted as the "soul leaving the body."

## Health effects

The average radiance of most people does not interfere with their daily lives, and excess mana is disposed of naturally. Individuals who have an overactive or larger animus are considered ‘magically-enabled.’ They must manually expend their mana so as not to undergo health risks or be a danger to others. Magically-enabled individuals who apply their magic usually identify as mages.