American Gate

Chapter 4: Deep Recon

Published 9/5/23

World Building: Magic

Magic exists and has had a vast influence on the evolution of life and the development of civilization. There are many magical creatures and plants that are capable of using magic, in some form or another. People who use and study magic are known as mages.

Most people are capable of manipulating magic to a small degree, but to use magic on a regular basis requires study, training and a larger than average mana pool. Not all people have the same magical aptitude. To become a mage requires a certain level of natural talent for the craft, a high enough mana pool and many years of study.

Not all kingdoms and empires have the same level of overall magical affinity and magical development. Countries with higher magical development tend to look down on less magically adept societies. Magic is generally seen as superior to traditional technology, although a number of magically poor societies have still managed to rise to power.

Mana is a measure of how much magical energy a mage is capable of using. Mana is the source of all magical power and using magic requires the use of mana. Every individual has a pool of mana that can be used to perform magic. However, not many people have a high enough mana pool to become a dedicated mage.

A person's mana pool can be influenced by their individual personality, culture, kingdom, region, species, etc. A mage's mana pool can be increased by studying, performing or researching magic, as well as raw natural talent. Mages usually increase their mana pools throughout their life as a result of their constant use of magic. However, if a mage stops using magic for an extended period of time, it can reduce their mana pool.

Basic mana is the most commonly used type of mana. Other types of mana are generally referred to as advanced mana. When a mage performs magic using an advanced mana type, that mana pool is consumed first. After a mage depletes an advanced mana pool, basic mana can be used to continue performing that type of magic, although with less efficiency. Advanced mana pools vary greatly across different mages and can be affected by the same factors as basic mana.

The different types of mana form the basis of the standard calendar; however, the months and days have no effect on the power of the magic being performed. i.e., water magic won't be any more powerful during the Month of Water than it is at any other time of year.

When a mage severely depletes their mana pool, they will suffer from mana exhaustion. Mana exhaustion manifests as intense fatigue, headaches, dizziness, and even physical pain. If a mage continues to perform magic, mana exhaustion can even be fatal.

Mana of all types is omnipresent throughout the world. This mana is referred to as ambient mana. Mana pools are recharged by absorbing ambient mana from the environment. The density of mana in a specific region will affect how quickly a mage's mana pool can replenish.

Different environments have different levels of ambient mana. For example, oceans and coastal regions have a high amount of elemental water mana, lush jungles have high levels of life mana and caves have a high density of elemental earth mana.

Mana crystals are magical gems that act as a magical battery of sorts. These rare gems can store large amounts of mana that can quickly be absorbed by mages, or other mana drains. Mana crystals can only hold one type of mana at a time

The hue of the mana crystal reveals which type of mana is stored while the value of the crystal reveals how much mana is stored. Darker gems have more stored mana than lighter ones. The amount of mana that can be stored varies greatly from crystal to crystal and strongly affects the price of the gem.

There are nine total types of mana, each represented by a different color:

-Basic or regular mana: light blue