Mana

This article is about mana, the substance that all magic and perhaps all matter/energy is made of. For the dimension, see Mana Dimension.

According to mana theory, all things are made of mana of various kinds. Magic is the manipulation of mana. String theorists extend this by hypothesizing that mana itself is composed of a photon-like wave/particle duality that is both matter and energy, arranged like a twisted bit of string that vibrates on many different frequencies that determine what kind of mana it is.

Arythian Mana Theory definition

from the article, "Mana: A Compository Essay on the Inner Workings and the Science of the Forces Called Magic" by Rogges Barren

Quite simply, mana is the most misunderstood part of Magic all together. Mana is comprised of the elements of life and nature. In all natural beings, objects, and forces, there resides mana. Even processed metals and, as we have recently been introduced to in Aryth, plastics contain mana, though it is more obscure after being manufactured. It is hard to describe mana -- perhaps the best way is to simply say that all forces in existance revolve around mana. Life exists because of the pulse of mana, the earth is solid because of the pulse of mana. Mana essentially encompasses all matter and all energy, and has been equated as the ultimate constant in all of science.

Mana in Chrystalan Theology

Chrystalis, head of the Web Pantheon, is perhaps best known in Her role as Goddess of Mana, though what exactly this entails varies from believer to believer. To some, she is the Great Weaver who creates mana. Others regard Her simply as a Patroness of Magic, who maintains the flow of mana throughout the worlds and prevents its corruption.

Naturally, it is the Lightwalkers of The Shining Path who hold the most controversial beliefs regarding Chrystalis and the nature of mana. Their pantheistic teachings hold that the Lady of Light is mana. The notoriously secretive religion's most profound beliefs are closely guarded and passed down orally from hierophant to initiate; however, a well-known Lightwalker piece titled "The Charge of Chrystalis" states, in part, "For I am the soul of nature that gives life to the universe. From Me all things proceed and unto Me they must return."

Mana in Dimensional Theory

It is generally accepted by the scientific community at large that "Mana" can best be understood as "energy" (insofar as it can truly be understood or observed by science at all). As an observable phenomenon, it is surmised that "Mana" makes up the flow of energy in the Strands, and therefore facilitates interdimensional space flight, as well as intra-Core world travel via Portals.

The currently accepted hypothesis for the way the Web works is that mana flows out from a single Source (that being, in the case of the Web of Worlds, Aryth), and into the Strands. The Strands carry mana to the outlying Dimensions, thereby providing a steady stream of mana throughout the Web.

Most scientists will note that there must be some sort of re-uptake mechanism for mana energy to return to the Source to begin the cycle all over again -- since, in all other ways, both mana and magic in general obey the core scientific principle of conservation of matter and energy. Some theorists put forward that the Sills probably function in this way, completing the cycle of Mana energy through the Web of Worlds, though not enough research has been done on the sills to know for certain what their exact purpose is.

Manta vs. Sliver: On the Nature of Mana and Time

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