Discussion → Arcana Magi - Behind the Scenes: The Rule of Magic

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  H-M Brown

  Aug 31, 03:02pm

  
  

  Greetings fellow Readers.

  Welcome to Arcana Magi Behind the Scenes.

  Today I present to you the Rule of Mana. A chance to learn how magic works in the world of Arcana Magi Main Series.

  Excerpt From Arcana Magi – c.4: Reflection:

  “Mana is a form of energy Reya. As with some other form of energy, like electricity, mana has two types, stored and kinetic energy. The difference is that mana powers magical items, like the manaboard.” Suzie took a second manaboard from the table showing Reya its wooden surface as Karl stepped off the board and picked it up.

  “You see Reya,’ Karl said. ‘mana’s source of energy is within everything around us. From the living to the inanimate object. For us magi, we can channel mana from nature. Unfortunately, we cannot channel mana from each other or from creatures with living brain. This is due to our will and instinct to resist each other from channeling each others mana.”

  Fantasy with scientific logic? Wouldn’t writing about this take away from the feeling of Fantasy in Arcana Magi?

  It is strange that I would make this approach, but I feel that unlike High Fantasy, where magic could be treated as anything goes and any mistakes in the storytelling or plot can hand waved by saying “It was magic.”, in Techno-Fantasy (Sounds better than Urban Fantasy), there should be a little logic on how magic works in my world. After all, in High Fantasy a mistake that could be hand waved off as magic could easily make me a lazy and bad writer. In fact, because science co-exist with magic in Arcana Magi, I can create certain types of technology without the need of applying Hard Science, or use current technology on a magical level. Of course, I might be accused of lazy writing for doing that, but then again with Fantasy, the world is supposed to go beyond imagination, so long as I don’t cause my fellow readers to lose any connection to common sense of reality. After all, you still have to turn the knob first, then pull or push to open the door.

  So, what is Mana?

  As I have given in the example above, it is a source of energy like electricity, oil, chemical, etc.

  Where does Mana come from?

  Mana comes from nature in my world. An essence that dwells within everything from trees to rocks, humans to plants, and microbes to air. Yes, even sources of energy itself like fire, oil, and wind has mana.

  How does Mana apply itself to Magic?

  Humanoids were born with the ability to see Mana, which in their eyes would look like mist. Because they can see that mist, they can mentally channel the mana and change it to other forms of energy to cast spells, or they can use that mana to activate a magical item. Those who don’t have the ability to see mana, are unable to cast spells or activate magical items whatsoever.

  Can spellcasters draw mana from other spellcasters, non-magical people, or animals?

  No. This is due to free will and instinct within the mind of humanoids and animals. That is an automatic natural defense. If anyone learned to do that, the world would be in trouble.

  I read on some websites on energy where scientists and students have debated and argued over what types of energy there are, and how many there are. Why take the risk of applying science, when you don’t know science, and you could be wrong in your explanations of the science of energy?

  Yes, I do not know science, but part of being a writer is doing research. There are plenty of sites that have different explanations, definitions, and thoughts on the types and forms of energy, and they are nitpicky about it. But from what I can understand is that the types and forms as applied are interchangeable. For example, in EIA website about energy, there are two types of energy, Kinetic and Potential, and there are forms of energy like Electricity and Chemical , but in Wikipedia Kinetic and Potential energy is included as forms like Electricity and Chemical. Therefore, I decided as a rule of cool, Mana is a Form of Energy that has two Types, Kinetic and Potential, can be channeled to cast spells, and can activate magical items.

  Could you explain a little more about Mana Output?

  Okay, this is very important because one of the things that would blow every readers mind is if computers cannot let magical people channel mana due to alterations, how can clothing do so? It all depends on the natural essence within the natural item used.

  For instance, clothing that was made from wool has 100% mana when extracted. If the wool is sewed as is, it will maintain its 100% mana output, however, if you use modified dyes rather than natural dyes on the wool, it starts to lose its mana output depending on what type of altered chemicals being used. See, chemicals alone have 100% output but once technology starts to manipulate it, like growth hormones (sorry, you can’t channel mana from lettuce and corn laced with hormones), then the mana loses its output slowly but surely to the point of zero percent.

  That’s why computers lose their mana output because of all the alterations, modification, and chemical lacing it underwent to be what it is, even if electricity is flowing through, no one can channel that because its also considered altered. It is very tricky indeed to explain and it all depends on how the item in question was made.

  Well I hope this Behind the Scenes look in Mana helped you all understand of what to expect in the magical world of Arcana Magi. Thankfully, with magic and fantasy, rules are not always set in stone, and something may come up that would alter, and hopefully not change, the concept of Mana and Magic that I presented to all of you.

  Until next time…
  See ya.

  ~ H-M Brown

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