Mana

Overview

Mana is the energy that powers Alteration, discovered by humanity following The Confluence. It is an unstable energy primarily found within The Tumult and appears to be the cause of the perpetual mutations associated with it.

Nature

When the Tumult tears Aether from Quintessence, it leaves behind droplets of energy with a bluish glow — this residual energy is Mana. Aether is the immaterial substance of The Empyrean, while Quintessence is the substance of reality. An idea carried by Aether only becomes physically incarnate when it imbues itself onto Quintessence. Mana serves as the binding agent between the two, anchoring ideas into the physical world.

Stabilization

Under certain conditions, humanity has managed to stabilize Mana to push back The Tumult. The more a place is saturated with Mana, the more resistant it becomes to the Tumult’s flows, as the ideas it contains take root deep in the texture of reality. A sufficiently saturated location can become an Oasis, capable of repelling the Tumult entirely.

Faction Use

The Muna focus their Alteration practice specifically on Mana rather than Aether. They collect and redistribute Mana in nature with the aim of strengthening the world against the Tumult. Chimerae have acquired the ability to absorb Mana to sustain themselves.

Relationships

• The Aether: Immaterial substance that Mana binds to Quintessence
• Quintessence: Physical substance that Mana binds to Aether
• The Tumult: Source of Mana as a byproduct of Aether-Quintessence separation
• Alteration: Technique powered by Mana
• Muna: Faction that specializes in collecting and redistributing Mana
• Oases: Mana-saturated zones that repel the Tumult
• Chimerae: Creatures that absorb Mana to sustain themselves