Mana

Mana is the term given to the energy present in all living things on Natheria. This energy is stored in all organisms, from plants to animals to people. Mana allows for many different things to become possible, depending upon if an organism is composed of enough intelligence to know how to use the mana

Utilizing one's mana to create various effects is called Magic. All living things are capable of some form of Magic, yet what kind or how much is all dependent upon if the being is A.) aware of their ability to utilize their mana, as well as B.) aware of how to convert raw mana into workable magic. Magic can take the form of any number of effects, from conjuring a simple flame, changing one's skin to stone, or even altering the flow of life force within an individual.

There are essentially five levels of Mana ability that all living things fall into. These five levels are:
 * Oblivious: This organism is both unaware it has mana, and even if it somehow gained knowledge of the mana's presence, it wouldn't know what to do with it. An example would be your average house-cat.
 * Initiate: This organism is aware of its mana, and can use it for the most basic of tasks, but is unable to learn any new ways to utilize mana. An example would be a Didge-Ri, a reptilian predator who can use its mana to decrease its visibility.
 * Journeyman: This creature is aware of its mana and uses it, and can learn new abilities with which to use its mana. An example of this would be a Human Wizard.
 * Master: This organism is in full control of both its mana, and in some cases, the mana of others within a close proximity. This being rarely suffers from the effects of Mana Drain, as he or she has become so adept at either channeling Mana or stealing it from nearby organisms. An example would be a highly skilled Mystic or Deviant Griffon.
 * Dominarch: This being has transcended the normal boundaries between tactile, corporeal life and magical energy. Oftentimes beings of this level are literally composed of mana, and as such have often developed a dependency on it. Examples would be a Fire Elemental, a Delethnoine or a Mana Dragon.

Mana as a Resource
All organisms have Mana, and Mana can be used in order to create magical spells. Doing so is called Casting a spell. Simple spells are easy to cast without causing too much after-effects, but some more powerful spells require greater amounts of Mana in order to cast.

Each organism has a 'reservoir' of Mana built up inside him or her. This reservoir will grow slowly over the course of many years, and is different for all living things. For instance, Elves and Ornithar are generally composed of more Mana than Humans. When a spell is cast, it will drain a bit of that person's reservoir. The more a person uses his or her Mana, the weaker he or she will begin to feel physically, making it harder and harder to cast spells. Attempting to cast spells while your reservoir is empty will result in dire circumstances, such as exhaustion, nausea, unconsciousness and in some cases even death.

After casting many spells and draining your reservoir, you are recommended to seek at least 8 hours of solid rest in order to allow yourself enough time to regenerate your Mana. Doing so will keep you from suffering from the aftereffects of overexerting yourself.

Dark Mana
Another form of Mana is called "Dark Mana". Unlike regular Mana, which can affect your health and well-being in an indirect way, Dark Mana is directly tied in to a character's constitution and life-force. Many experts dispute the actual existence of Dark Mana, thinking that people who claim to utilize it (such as Sorcerers and Necromancers) are instead focusing their normal Mana well enough to achieve such effects. People who claim to use Dark Mana, though, say that the feeling one gets when casting a spell of Undeath if distinctly different than any other spell.

Dark Mana is not an energy substance that exists on the Material Plane naturally. It is, instead, found on the Shadow Plane. There are areas on Natheria where the planar boundaries between the Material Plane and the Shadow Plane are thinner than others, and at these places can be found Shrines of Shadow. These Shrines, built by an unknown creator, allow people like Necromancers and Sorcerers to channel Dark Mana directly from the Shadow Plane and store it in themselves, thus diluting their regular Mana.

Mana From a Deity
There is much debate around the idea of the deities, or even the worship of the elements. Devout followers of gods like Malsudon, Grongeddin, or Schildan believe that when they cast spell, they are in fact channeling a blessing from their chosen god. They see it as an answer to a prayer, a sign of a miracle, rather than themselves creating a spell like a Wizard might. And shamans who praise spiritual representations of Natheria or the Elements, such as Torgusk or Tempius, see their spells as signs that they are in favor of the elements. A Sorcerer or a Wizard would say that the faith these people place in their deities is misplaced, that it is themselves alone, and not a god, that is creating these spells. Priests, Paladins, Shadow Knights, Druids and Shaman disagree, firmly believing that the fact that they can cast spells is hard evidence that their deity exists. As far as which belief is actually true in unknown, and it is a topic of heated discussion even to this day.