MANA - SPELLCASTING

Mana is thought to be the source of all life on Yumiris, and this generalization is largely correct. Anything and everything exists as a result of different forms of mana interacting with other forms, and the eight core elements are spirit, fire, wind, ice, water, light, lightning, and earth. These constitute the basis of all reactions possible in Yumiris, and everything arises as a result of only these eight elementals working at the most inclusive level. How these interactions manifests in the physical world, however, varies and implies literally endless potential.

Because all things exist as a result of mana types interacting, bonding, and combining with other types, the fundamental structure of any object can be altered through different, but precise methods. This gave rise to the scientific study of magic, which has been a part of Yumiris's culture since prehistory. Magic developed in early Xihe society through the use of circles and pictorial symbols, and this has become central to the science. The circle, in spite of its heritage, is not a formality or a tradition kept to reflect years of blood and sweat from mages locked in dark, silent library towers. They act as a tool to gather mana in one spot, and served as the "inspiration" for catalyst technology.

Mana is attracted to any source of unstable mana. The circle serves as this source, and is created by the spell caster using the spirit elemental to instantly draw the circle. Once this is done, it gathers all other mana in the immediate area. Being able to visualize the circle needed for the spell is vital to the process and many mages or spell-casters use chants to help them remember specific circles.

All circles begin using only the spirit element, which is the most common elemental in Yumiris. It is then rapidly deconstructed and bonded with other mana types in the environment. This, made very simple, creates the necessary energy for any possible spell and reshapes the objects around the spell-caster.

Magic does have its limitations, however. Most notable is that there is not a reliable method that undoes the process of gathering mana: it is strictly for creation. One cannot, for example, put out a fire using a fire spell. They can only create more fire. Anything already undergoing change is usually impossible for them to manipulate, because the reaction has technically "ended" for all intents and purposes. This is why altering time, instantaneous death, and other capabilities are beyond current magic—mages are only able to use mana in its simplest form. If this rule is ignored or abused, typically the spell goes out of control, and can have consequences up to and including the caster's own death. As a result, there are bans on unethical practices, and specialist mages are often registered with the government.

Finally, prolonged use of magic has been known to shorten a caster's life. This is due in part to the fact that each spell leaves behind some trace amount of unstable mana that the caster is exposed to, and it is known that extended exposure can result in physical changes, disease, and generally destroys the body. Thankfully, this can be avoided by the use of catalyst technology.

- provided by samedi