"What is mana?"

[SurvivALIST]

Hello. This is SurvivALIST.

I created a high fantasy novel which is posted in Tapas that has a world dependent on mana.

In the world I made, mana or life force is highly monopolized like utilities and even highly coveted as crystal currency (inspired from the example of "Harsh Realm" where bullets have survival value and used as main currency) by the inhabitants.

So then, the world's settlers were greedy for mana that they hunted potential "preys" to leech off their life force and it to their own.

I am not designating this room as an avenue for promoting my novel since I didn't specify my novel link here but I just wanted to ask you guys, "What is mana?"

For some of us who have encountered this term in games and in novels and in animes and in mangas and in Google, I think you guys got the gist of it.

But since my world is under the full influence of "mana", what is it exactly?

You can give me specific definitions, URL links (NOT WIKIPEDIA), or personal insights to supplement my world building knowledge.

I have a feeling that I will gain great answers from you guys and who knows what my next "What is _____?" question will be when I open a new topic.

Thanks for sharing!

[gmaximin]

Mana, the classic central Asian oral epic?
http://www.silkroadfoundation.org/folklore/manas/manasintro.html

I’m more a King Gesar myself...

(Very very short night, I’ll show myself out... )

[SurvivALIST]

Thanks for the response but I was looking for the magical concept of mana and not Manas who is a person. The linked article seems interesting though.

Thanks again for sharing!

[ajnadirwrites]

I'm not going to claim to be an expert or anything of the sort, but I'd say that the vast majority of people (including myself) consider mana to essentially be a unit of measurement for magical energy. This line of thinking is obviously brought about by RPG games such as final fantasy, dragon quest, or really just about any game with magic in existance.
It's the amount of magic someone has to spend casting spells or using special abilities.
Now, I'd say it's important to note that I have seen mana often used in a more physical sense, in that rather than just being a measurment of magic, it's actually magic itself and can take form in the real world.

[AmysGames]

Reading your description is a bit surreal because it reminds me a lot of one of my own comics, haha.

That being said, the way I've been interpreting mana in my stories is an energy that only people/creatures with magic can produce. When focused properly, it can be turned into spells, it runs dry when used too much, and replenishes itself over time. Though unlike your novel, I treat life energy as something separate, something that everyone has regardless of magic potential—though it plays a part in magic as well, as which spells a mage can cast is based on the type of life energy they have (elemental affinity, etc.).

[Suisid]

As you know, we are different from objects because we are living. The thing that makes us alive is what we call 'mana', some call it soul, some call it life energy or mana.

Simply, mana is life's itself.

[SurvivALIST]

Very short but concise. THANKS!

[Suisid]

np, also to amplify, its use changes on different genres.

If you are reading/writing something includes cultivating, then mana is something that you can improve.

If you are reading/writing in fantasy genre, every work has its different plottings on mana; like in some while you are using mana to create magic you are also draining your own life, in some you can increase your mana and become a stornger magician, in some you stick to the mana that you born with and your magic is only up to your amount of mana and those examples can multiplied a lot.

If you are reading/writing something about sports, they will use the term stamina instead of mana.

But in the end of the day, the thing that matters is not what mana is, the thing that matters is what meaning that you are giving to it because you are the creator as the writer so even though it is not related to the real life, if you give a meaning to mana on your own, people cannot say anything against it because it is your own world.

I can give a dog a cat's traits and no one can says nothing because I am creating that world. Same goes for mana :3

[SurvivALIST]

Okay. Now it's expansive but informative! Thanks again

[SurvivALIST]

It's the amount of magic someone has to spend casting spells or using special abilities.

This is highlighted!

[SurvivALIST]

I've been interpreting mana in my stories is an energy that only people/creatures with magic can produce. When focused properly, it can be turned into spells, it runs dry when used too much, and replenishes itself over time.

This is highlighted!

[SurvivALIST]

If you are reading/writing in fantasy genre, every work has its different plottings on mana; like in some while you are using mana to create magic you are also draining your own life, in some you can increase your mana and become a stornger magician, in some you stick to the mana that you born with and your magic is only up to your amount of mana and those examples can multiplied a lot.

Definitely highlighted this since I'm writing a fantasy genre!

I can give a dog a cat's traits and no one can says nothing because I am creating that world. Same goes for mana

This statement tells me I'm the master of my own ManaVerse!

[caelinalexis]

Well, in Hawaiian, mana translates to power. If that's of any assistance.

Everyone has mana, some people just have stronger mana. Making the right and wrong decisions will affect how much mana you have. It can be inherited through your bloodline or gained as a result of heroic efforts (there's a lot of room for what is heroic).

Mana can also be in objects as well, so maybe you could have an object that has a lot of mana and everyone fights for it?

I really don't know if this helped, but here you go.

[Ordinaryaverageguy]

From the Student's notes taken during A Lecture.

"Before there was Time, the Sun, indeed all the Stars, billowed forth not only light and heat, they blew forth that which Men now call "Magick" or "Mana". It was a component of Star Breath, which Men also much later began to call the "Solar Wind." When Time began, the Stars ceased to breathe Magick, for Magick was Timeless and once Time began to rule the Universe, Magick was no more created. It had to be hoarded and the supply slowly dwindled.

Long ago... that phrase only had meaning after Time's Tyranny began, you see. Long ago, when there was still much Magick left in the solar system and upon the Earth, Dragons flourished for they are Magickal beasts and will not thrive where Magick is not. Even unto the centuries of Men, Dragons held sway upon Earth in places invested with Magick. Mountains held onto Magick deep inside, and they held old hoards of gold and gems transmutated from dross by Magick. It was not treasure for mere treasure's sake that dragons hoarded and rested upon gold, silver and gemstones and it was not for mere solitude that their lairs were often deep in hills and mountains. They were storehouses of olden Magick."

The Lecturer droned on but the Student fell asleep.

[VibrantFox]

The way my comics mana/ether system works is kinda mirrored, or at the least loosely inspired, by a few other games/stories/worlds

One of the main inspirations is Unison League's ether system. Overall it serves as a life force and even contains the essence of the soul, as the games story seems to suggest. Every person is born with varying amounts of ether but through various means have the ability to gain more whether by training or taking it from elsewhere (like other people, monsters or gems). Uses for ether go from the basics like magic, as a boon to weapons in the form of weapon abilities and to perform "miracles" like summoning, healing, and bigger magic stuff. It's also harnessed and used in tools (similar to how mako is used in the final fantasy games) like commstones, as currency (in a condensed form such as gems, ether drops and gem fragments) and can be traced but similar to signal waves in the real world can be interrupted or masked.

There's also loose inspiration from the Sonic series and how it addresses chaos as it's something of a life force but more an energy or power. One thing in particular being that it flows freely everywhere but also exist in it's condensed/physical forms, manifested through the chaos emeralds, master emeralds and afaik rings too. It has the ability to be replicated (albeit not perfectly) as well as being corrupted (one example being in sonic unleashed when dark gaia is released). One quirk (which is similar to other fantasy setting stories) is that the key physical forms, being the chaos emeralds and master emerald, are connected so if the chaos emeralds loose their power the master emerald (which controls them) also looses power and vice versa where if the master emerald looses it's power the chaos emeralds become more volatile and unstable.

When it comes to creating your own magic systems especially when it comes to what your planning with mana the main thing is going to be answering questions like where does it come from, is it an unlimited resource or is there only a specific amount that's drying up/running out, what is it's worth and so on. As the creator you have complete control so there's no harm exploring things to figure out what best works for your story.

[HippieGhost]

I try to avoid use of the term mana in my work. My understanding is that it's a term that's closely related to several polynesian religions, and since I'm not certain if it's from an open or closed practice yet, I choose to use terms like "magic" or "Magicka" instead.

[DiegoPalacios]

Will add a peculiar angle to this conversation:

Mana, according to the Bible means gift from the heavens. God made bread fall from the sky to feed the people of Israel while they were in the dessert looking for the promised land. This bread, was called mana.

Maybe that is one of the reasons why the term Mana in fiction is often used for magic energy and source of the supernatural......

[SurvivALIST]

Everyone has mana, some people just have stronger mana. Making the right and wrong decisions will affect how much mana you have. It can be inherited through your bloodline or gained as a result of heroic efforts (there's a lot of room for what is heroic).

This is highlighted because my notes on mana is built on the context of genetics or heredity.

[SurvivALIST]

"Magick" or "Mana". It was a component of Star Breath, which Men also much later began to call the "Solar Wind."

This is highlighted because I based mana on the Fallen Stars, the ancestors of my Mana Covetor world.

Mountains held onto Magick deep inside, and they held old hoards of gold and gems transmutated from dross by Magick. It was not treasure for mere treasure's sake that dragons hoarded and rested upon gold, silver and gemstones and it was not for mere solitude that their lairs were often deep in hills and mountains. They were storehouses of olden Magick.

I highlight this because mountains or any landform are mana vessels. TY

[SurvivALIST]

It's also harnessed and used in tools (similar to how mako is used in the final fantasy games) like commstones, as currency (in a condensed form such as gems, ether drops and gem fragments) and can be traced but similar to signal waves in the real world can be interrupted or masked.

GOTCHA!

When it comes to creating your own magic systems especially when it comes to what your planning with mana the main thing is going to be answering questions like where does it come from, is it an unlimited resource or is there only a specific amount that's drying up/running out, what is it's worth and so on. As the creator you have complete control so there's no harm exploring things to figure out what best works for your story.

Great advice so its highlighted too.