Mana:
All power in the world stems from a single source: mana, the colorless, odorless, ever-present energy that leaks from the Broken Rift and saturates the air, soil, and blood of every living thing.
1. Mana Nodes
Every human is born with between 7 and 144 mana nodes (average 42).
Nodes are invisible organs or circuits located along the spine, wrists, ankles, throat, and heart.
The more nodes you have and the wider they can open, the more mana you can channel.
Node count is fixed at birth. No training, potion, or prayer has ever changed it.
Nobles brag about their number of mana nodes the way they brag about bloodlines.
2. Mana Core
It is located at the solar plexus, directly beneath the sternum.
The core is not present at birth. It crystallizes between ages 16 and 19 during the Awakening Ceremony, condensing ambient mana into a permanent lattice.
Shape, density, and elemental tint of the core determine primary aptitude and theoretical ceiling.
Once formed, the core is immutable.
Destruction of the core = instantaneous death, or in some rare cases, they manage to survive but will lose the ability to resonate with mana.
3. Elementals (Aptitude)
Upon core crystallization, every mana core permanently stains itself with one or more elemental resonances.
This tint is called the Elemental.
Fusion - Fire, Explosion, Flames, etc...
Aero - Wind
Umbra - Darkness
Lumin - Light, Purification, etc...
Frost - Ice
Venom - Poison
Vitae - Blood
Terra - Earth, Gravity Manipulation
Forge - Metal
Verdant - Plant
Tide - Water
4. Ways to use mana
Manifestaion: Conjuring fire, ice, lightning, wind, and stone from raw mana. Or shooting projectiles using raw mana.
Body Enhancement: Using mana to enhance the body to achieve superhuman strength, speed, regeneration, and steel skin.
Summoning: Binding and commanding monsters, demons, or beasts.
Spirit Pact: Contracting invisible spirits (flame wisps, shadow cats, etc.)
Healing: Mending flesh, neutralizing poison, restoring minds.
Alchemy: Creating potions, bombs, runes, and temporary enchantments.
Artifact Forging: Permanently enchanting weapons, armor, and jewelry.
Barrier/Support: Shields, buffs, debuffs, and silence zones.
Sealing/Binding: Locking mana nodes, suppressing beasts.
4. Traits
Traits are skills that some awakener possesses; mostly, they're unique to every user and cannot be copied or replicated.
5. Arts (Learned Combat Forms)
Unlike traits, arts are techniques invented by past masters and passed down through bloodlines, schools, or forbidden manuals.
It can be learned by anyone with sufficient node count, core compatibility, and training time.
Ranked from E to SSS.