Mana and Where to find it (Patreon)

          In this chapter we’ll review a quick summary of the many sources of mana available for spell casting. It is good to keep in mind what sources of mana might be available for a wizard traveling out in the field. Without mana, spell casting is impossible, even runes need mana to function.

Native Sources by Race

          The first and most obvious sources of mana are within your own body. Most of the time when casting spells this is where you will get the mana from. But not all races are created equal. Let’s take a look at a few ways some of the different races are able to gather mana.

          For us elves that should be obvious. We are able to generate our own mana by consuming food. In a pinch it is also possible to break down mana from non-food sources, but the effects can be somewhat unpleasant. Water is a good substitute when food is not available. All you need to do to gather mana is clench your stomach a bit. This process takes a bit of effort to activate.

          Other races are not as fortunate as us though. Let’s take a look at eldrin. Eldrin consume mana in place of food, so they are always on the lookout for more. When they are low on mana they are able to draw mana out of any surface they touch. The technique is said to be similar to holding your breath and works better the less mana they have. It is common practice in Eldesia for eldrin to draw mana out of dirt with this technique. Remember that the next time one of them calls you the D-word.

          Dryads have a unique way of generating their own mana. By exposing their skin to sunlight they can generate a small amount of mana all on their own. This technique takes a long amount of time to generate significant results, so it isn’t nearly as useful as our own mana metabolizing ability. When pushed dryads have also been known to borrow mana from their trees. Never underestimate a dryad in a forest.

          To a lesser extent the gnomes of Trenal have a similar ability to borrow mana from trees which they are less resistant to using. This is part of why they cultivate such magically potent forests in their territory.

          Lizard-kin possess a passive mana regeneration ability. They are able to pull mana out of the air through breathing exercises. If they enter a Heavy Breaths trance they’re capable of restoring their entire mana pool in a matter of hours. The dragons of yore were said to have a similar ability, but with no breathing required. To this day farmed dragons are able to generate a tiny supply of mana all on their own.

          Both sea nymphs and hawk-kin describe techniques for riding sea or air “currents” to replenish their mana. Research into these methods has revealed the existence of weak but natural ley lines that overlay these currents known as “fey” lines. Neither species is known to natively restore mana.

          Orcs possess no such abilities, much like humans—not that humans would have any use for mana anyways! In fact, humans are so devoid of mana they technically qualify as a class one mana sink.

Vital Mana

          That’s enough about racial abilities. What can you do if you need mana right now but don’t have any left? Well, as long as you’re still breathing you’re never actually completely devoid of mana. It is always possible to tap into what we call Vital Mana. Vital Mana is the mana that keeps your body running. When Vital Mana is drained it can result in unconsciousness and even death, sometimes referred to as Corpus Mana Siphoning Syndrome. This is part of why you have to be so careful when casting spells until you know all the mana triggers. That being said, if you’re truly desperate it is possible to tap into a small amount of Vital Mana without too harsh of side effects. You’ll know you’re using Vital Mana when the strain of a spell begins to hurt. Aʟᴡᴀʏs ᴇxᴇʀᴄɪsᴇ ᴇxᴛʀᴇᴍᴇ ᴄᴀᴜᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴅʀᴀᴡɪɴɢ Vɪᴛᴀʟ Mᴀɴᴀ! Eldrin are able to use their siphoning ability to drain the Vital Mana from other races (except humans) so be careful around them. The ability shadowmen use to kill is known to work by destroying Vital Mana as well.

Mana Wells

          Now how about those external sources of mana? The main one you might be familiar with is a mana well. Mana wells are naturally occurring sources of mana that spring out of the ground where two or more ley lines meet. Each mana well has a rating based on the amount of mana they produce, but that only refers to the rate of mana production. All mana wells produce an infinite supply of mana. The mana for each mana well flows through underground conduits called ley lines. You can think of ley lines as rivers of mana that carry mana between the different mana wells.

          You may be asking yourself, how many mana wells are there? That depends entirely on what kind of mana well you’re referring to. Naturally occurring mana wells are quite rare, with less than three dozen on the whole continent, but most wells aren’t natural. Artificially dug mana wells also exist. Natural wells bore their way up out of the ground, but it is also possible to dig down to a ley line yourself. These types of mana wells are sometimes called blink wells due to their tendency to blink in and out. Not only do they have lower ratings than natural wells, but the ley lines resist being tapped in this way and will shift constantly to avoid blink wells. This is the reason blink wells are usually dug in series, so that at least one will be active at any given time. Blink wells are much more common in Eldesia and are completely illegal in Setsya. If you ever find yourself using one just be patient, they rarely go more than a day without lighting up at least once.

Mana Storage

          So, what to do if you’re traveling far away from any mana wells? Can you just take some mana with you? Of course you can! There are a number of methods of storing and transporting mana. The most common method is the humble mana potion. While mana can be forced into just about any material, most materials expel excess mana over time and make for terrible long term storage. That’s where mana potions come in. A mana potion mimics our own ability to hold large amounts of mana with minimal leakage, all in a tiny glass bottle of water. The mana can get so dense the water will actually glow white. So, how can water be made to hold so much mana so well? It’s simple. The secret ingredient in mana potions is actually elven blood. Don’t worry though; it is a very tiny amount. If you ever wonder why so many mana potions have a certification stamped on them, it is for your own safety. Buying off-brand mana potions from places like Brorn Mart might save money, but they run the risk of exposing you to bad humors. If you don’t want to get sick make sure to always buy certified mana potions from reputable Caldenian suppliers.

          There is another, much more potent source of mana available than even mana potions. Mana crystals. Mana crystals are formed naturally along the inside lining of natural mana wells. Eldrin have a secret technique for accelerating the growth of mana crystals so most crystals on the market are sourced in Eldesia. Remember to buy local when you can! Crystals are the densest and most stable form of mana available. They are so dense in fact, that using them runs the risk of giving you mana poisoning. That’s the itchy sensation you can get sometimes when you’ve had too much mana. The symptoms of mana poisoning can get very severe, culminating in glowing cracking skin and even death. So remember never to eat mana crystals whole.

          Dwarven resonance crystals are not the same as mana crystals. Resonance crystals are tuned to only one harmonic at a time and thus hold only 1/30th as much mana at a time. Before you go thinking that a dwarven resonance crystal might be a good source of mana, remember that these crystals contain shaped mana. Pure mana is safe in small doses. Shaped mana has a myriad of side effects depending on the specific harmonic involved. Let’s talk a bit about those in the next section.

Cautions Regarding Shaped Mana

          When you cast a spell what you are actually doing is shaping pure mana into your desired harmonic. The thirty different recognized harmonic resonances correspond with the thirty different “shapes” your spell can apply to the mana you use. Once your spell is complete it may be tempting to reabsorb some of the leftover mana. After all, it isn’t needed anymore, right? Well, once mana has been spent in this way it carries the shape of your spell. Reabsorbing that mana will cause it to shape you too! We call this feedback. A skilled wizard can tap into this leftover mana and continue to use it with the original spell until it’s all used up, so there is no need to suffer feedback to use the mana again. But let’s say you’re desperate and the mana is from an opponent’s spell, or your own spell that you want to use in a different school of magic. When you draw the magic back into your body it will become pure mana once again, but at a cost. The shape of the spell will be absorbed into you. An ice spell might make you cold, while a memory spell might make you suddenly forgetful. Some forms of feedback are not very dangerous, such as luminomancy, which usually results in nothing more than glowing skin. This is actually why luminomancers can be seen glowing on occasion, they aren’t wasting mana showing off, they’re actually reusing mana. Others can be quite dangerous. From the insanity of lunamancy to the bad humors of nidomancy either of which can easily result in death even in extremely small doses.

The Conflux

          The final source of mana is the Conflux itself. As I’m sure you are already aware the power of the Conflux is immeasurable. Just standing too close to the Conflux can be enough to cause mana death in mere moments. Only the champion is immune, for the most part. Some scholars believe the Conflux is the source of all mana in the world, while others believe that the world is the source of the Conflux. There are no definite answers.

Special Cases

          Aside from the sources of mana listed above there are a few special cases. These include Tel’Andrid, The City of Magi, which can be said to be a portable mana well, as well as a number of other pre-Purge artifacts that have their own mana supplies. Archmage Caladin himself even created a number of curious metal bars that are capable of holding more mana than a mana potion without the need to refill them with specially treated water to recharge.

          It is possible you may have heard of devices called eldrin Feeders. Illegal sources of mana are not within the purview of this chapter. If you see a Feeder in operation please report it to the nearest authorities.

          All in all there are many sources of mana out there, sometimes in places that you wouldn’t expect! Always be sure to plan ahead so that you’re never caught unawares without a good source of mana for your spells.

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