Aura

The Aura

The aura is the evaporated form of the Essence, a cloud of magic energy surrounding a being. The Aura generally appears to be a fog of magic around a person, shifting as they move about the world and forming different colors depending on its density and spread. Traces of one's aura can be left behind, although they will quickly dissipate once not being fed by the essence. These dissipations of the aura quickly fade into latent background magic in the environment, generally within a few minutes, though quicker in inclement weather.

Color, Size, and Shape

Auras come in a wide array of colors, sizes, and shapes, largely dependent on a number of factors. For the vast majority of the population, auras are completely invisible to the naked eye, oftentimes only shifting to the visible spectrum by use of tools such as Aura Dyes, spells, or through particular materials. The exception to this are Gods, Omnia, and Dragons, all of which have the ability to see the aura.
Color is generally affected by the density of the aura, being more opaque and brightly colored when at its most dense and closest to the body. Auras are generally said to be anywhere from green to a blue-purple, with brief flashes of yellow or pinks in particular circumstances, generally when affected by spell use.
Sizes are highly variable and dependent on a person's spell use. Repeated or high volumes of magic can deplete the aura and shrink it both in density and overall size. Auras generally extend 2-3 feet off the body of an individual who has not used magic recently, becoming less dense the further from the body. This too can be highly variable, as foods with high volumes of magic in them, regions with high amounts of background magic, or even mood can typically affect the aura's size as well. The same holds true for an aura's shape, which generally is considered 'loose and blobby' around individuals who have not had recent spell use, but is more conical or 'sharp' around those who have.

Usage in Magic

What fuels all magic a being can use is the aura. Depending on density and size, a person's range with spells can be greatly enhanced or severely weakened. All magic consumes the magic in the aura as way of fueling the spell, with more powerful and more complex ones requiring more energy to use. As the aura forms from magic shed off of the essence, it replenishes fully within a day and is widely used for this purpose, although some alternatives exist for much more powerful spellcraft.
Depleting one's aura is not deadly and has no major, deadly, physical effects, but can be incredibly draining on the mind. It also leaves a person unable to use most forms of magic until it replenishes from the essence, and depleting an aura repeatedly can cause damage to the essence itself. While a person's aura is depleted they cannot used most forms of magic, but some forms will still work and instead use the body or even the essence itself as a fuel source, being extremely dangerous with extreme side effects. Depleted Aura Sickness is a relatively common side effect of magic overuse.