Mana

Mana or magical energy is a type of energy that exists naturally on Magica. Mana can be utilised in many ways, whether through the usage of cells or to power and run technology. Mana operates similarly to electricity, however it holds the capacity to rearrange particles allowing to seemingly 'create' new objects.

The source of mana is still unknown, although some scientists have linked it to the Sun. However mana is a limited resource that slowly replenishes itself over time. As such, many scientists have tried over the years to find an unlimited source of mana.

Later in the series, it will be revealed that mana comes from an external source controlled by a mysterious power.

About
Mana is a form of energy that exists naturally in the real world. Mana is a limited resource that slowly is depleting as the series goes on, a major plot point especially with the rise of the Mystic 7. Humans are one of the few species who are able to use magic through their bodies to create new objects. Many other species merely use mana to either increase physical performance. Mana posses the ability to not only power machines but change the orientation of particles to 'create' new matter. All living creatures possess the power to harness magic energy. Those who appear not to merely don't have the ability to convert mana into magic. Mana itself can be used as a weapon similarly to nuclear weapons. However, the Magic Union has banned magic weapons for their power.

In past history, those who welded magic were often seen as cursed and were isolated from others. However, as magic users grew more powerful, the public view shifted to being for magic. In present times, many machines and contraptions allow those who cannot perform magic to live normal lives.

Machines
The most common usage of magic is in machines. Machines like on Earth, mainly run on magic energy. Since the byproducts of using mana is virtually nothing, nearly all machines run on it. However, it means that there is a severe drop in magic energy compared to earlier in history. Mana is harnessed either through generate which create energy from the mana around it, or vacules which take the air and send the mana around through wires to be used. Originally, mana was collected through slaves who took in the magic and absorbed it into machines. However the practice was dropped for it's cruelty.

Most machines have outlets to plug magic wires into it and run the mechanism. Some newer machines have built in generators that are able to extract mana from the air around it. However just like living creatures, if a machine uses too much mana they will stop running.

Transport
Transport throughout the Human Expansion is incredibly varied. Some types of transportation are still using animals, with salawings one of the ways to travel long distances. However recently, more automobiles and trains are used to travel long distances. In countries that have lots of countryside, roads are constructed to connect cities. However in smaller islands, aerolanes are used to transport people and goods from place to place. Aerolanes are lanes which suspends mana to allow light vehicles to glide over them. In Eden, the Skyway Metro is a system of aerolanes which cover the entire city. Usually, when travelling over unknown territories ships are traditionally used. This is since the airspace over the border of the Human Expansion is filled with dangerous creatures that can threaten the avions.

Living Creatures
Humans are one of the few species that are able to harness magic energy and convert it into other elements and forms. Along with elves and fairies, humans have atriana which take the mana into the body, and convert it into other elements using a process called magiosis. Majority of people who wield this type of magic often stick to one type of magic and perfect it. The more magic someone uses, the more mana they are able to take in. However, there is a certain limit that the atriana can take before it shuts down. Using excessive amounts of magic will often result in the entire magical system shutting down.

Most humans use magic to create elements such as water and fire, while some use magic to manipulate particles and move objects. Humans have many uses of magic, while some use it as a weapon, some use magic to be able to heal, create resources and help in industry. Majority of those who possess magic mainly use it in their profession, with only a few using it in combat. As such, the human race as evolved to create more useful magic to professions as opposed to combat. Humans are also able to harness raw magic energy into machines and each other, as while some humans cannot create magic, every living being possesses mana.

Beastman use magic in a different way to humans, elves and other species within the Human Expansion. They don't possess the ability to create magic. Instead, they pump mana into their bloodstream to enhance there fighting skills. Beastman do however use magic like humans, as in they use it for machines, vehicles and weapons.

Weapons
Weapons are one of the most varied and powerful uses of magic in Magica. Weapons are often divided into two categories. Magical Weapons are the most common, they are basic weapons that use magic to attack. Guns, staffs and cuffs are some of the many types of weapons. Older weapons had a powerful magical jem embedded into the weapon, which enhanced the weapon's magical strength. However, newer models have a physical generators that extract mana both from the user and the environment.

The other type of weapon is a Magical Catalyst. These weapons are used rather to create more powerful magic using the user's mana. These weapons are usually weapons that create magic built on the user's mana. These are more commonly used by the military as majority of careers don't require such powerful tools to use them.

Atriana Genome
The Atriana Genome is a genome that was spread to half of the human population that stops the operation of atriana and doesn't allow them to use magic. The genome doesn't injure the affected, but prevents them from using magic. Surgery must be conducted on the person to close the atriana, as over time excess mana will pool in the system and make them sick. The disease can be wrongly diagnosed as people with magic ability who don't use mana early can grow to not have functioning atriana, such as the case of Angela. These people can use magic again if they are willing to work hard to reopen the atriana. Those with the genome aren't able to use magic ever. The Genome was created by Kosmos, the main scientist of the Mystic 8 to help stop wars and alleviate the Mana Crisis. The antidote to the Atriana Genome is only known by the Mystic 8.

Traditional Magic
Traditional magic is the oldest type of magic, with the only art using it being spellcasting. This type of magic is incredibly arduous in its process as it takes lots of magic energy to perform it. Users of this must remain mostly still while performing magic. This disables them from moving during combat, however, the magic has a significantly larger range and power. Traditional mages must have a "wand" or other items that can channel and amplify their magic.

Traditional mages tend to have 2 or more affinities due to a genetic history of affinity mixing. Since they amplify their magic through armaments, traditional mages aren't affected by the weakness of each individual affinity. Before the war of Normandy, most mages were incentivised to find matches with individuals of different magical affinities as their offspring would inherit both affinities. The human body seems to be capable to hold only 5 affinities, any extra affinities are ignored.

Dynamic / Pure Magic (Former)
Dynamic Magic is a type of magic rarely found in humans, first discovered in the war of Normandy. It's widely believed that the pure-breeding of individuals with the same magic affinity strengthens the magic of the offspring. Norman nobility theorised that after generations of this "magic breeding" their bodies involved with their powerful magic, allowing them to cast what they called pure magic from their very hands.

Strangely matches between two dynamic mages results in a child with one affinity for dynamic magic. Dynamic magic affinities are both dominant and recessive. As such, most of the time the offspring will inhabit the dominant magic. Dynamic Magic gets its name from the user's ability to move while performing this type of magic. Usually, the magic is incredibly powerful and strong, due to its range and strength.

The known dynamic magic affinities are as follows:

Magic Armamants & Weapons
A relatively new application of magic, unique to the Human Expansion. Magic Armamants refers to any device that absorbs mana and then releases it as magic (magic affinity relies on the construction materials). Most armaments are fitted with a mana reactor that draws in mana from the surrounding environment, granting non-magical users access to magic. Although originally designed for use by non-magical individuals, traditional mages also use these magical armaments in place of a traditional wand, often to greater effect. Traditional mages may overcharge their armaments by pushing more mana through the device vastly increasing the power of the weapon.

It should be noted that by 100 A.N non-magical individuals in Orion are almost indistinguishable from traditional mages, as they both need to wield some form of magic armament to cast magic.

Magic Affinity & Inheritance
The element or type of magic that an individual is able to manipulate mana in, whether to create, change or destroy. Affinities are inherited from a mage's parents: