Magic & Affinities

Origins of Affinity

People are born with intrinsic mana signatures tied to their very being called affinities. With practice, effort, or some outside force, this mana can be constituted into exterior magic effects.

The term "affinity" is one intrinsic to the world itself and the people within it. Every living thing has one, an internal source that is measured in mana. Mana is the universal energy that both fuels life and can be turned into magical effects when brought forth from one's body as spells. Affinities in this sense are the mold, or the code in which mana propagates from a person, and how it functions. Every person is born with one or possibly two affinities, each deriving form from the world's elements. It is thought nigh impossible to be born with no true affinity, as one's mana source is synonymous with life energy or a soul. To have no soul would be to become an inanimate thing. On the other hand, No person has been able to grasp the ability to utilize more than two elements, and most accept it's likely impossible to. One's affinity is just as unique and signifying of one's identity as any other feature of their body or personality, and cannot be changed naturally, though people have gone through great tribulations and sacrifices to swap or change their affinities at times throughout history.

Forms of Magic

Universal Mana

Spirit   Blank slate mana, pure energy ready to turn into an actual element. Spirit mana can be understood as formless "unaffiliated" magic. Energies too mutable to be identified or people with notably weak pools of mana might use this term in place of more distinct and specific denominations. It's fairly rare to find this mana out and about in the world, but sometimes has been observed as a byproduct of magical rituals.      

Core Affinities

  Fire, Air, Water, Earth   The most potent and widespread elements in the world. Responsible for the most energy in the world. These four elements are notably more "potent" within the realm. They contribute more to the formation of the realm and as a result, their energies permeate more places than other mana sources. It is no surprise then that it is fairly common for people to be born with one of these as an affinity. Among people who have affinities split between two elements, its not uncommon for at least one of these elements to be present statistically.      

Fusion Affinities

  Clay, Lightning, Magma, Ice   Complex elements built upon the interactions of two core affinites. May be mixtures but are distinct in their own ways. The four of these elements are notable as they share traits of two core affinities. Through unknown mechanisms, these four affinities have remained distinguished from being just a core affinity, and people can be born with one or both affinities from these elements in place of another kind, just as any other element.      

Esoteric Affinities

  Light, Dark   Don't represent purely physical concepts like the others. Are rare and hard to study. These two affinities are truly strange. Not only do they lack a known Gate to draw energy from, but they also have more strange ways of permeating ones own ways of magic use. Whilst it's far less surprising mages can control the creation and manipulation of light and shadows with these affinities, it goes into much more abstract concepts other affinities don't have the capacity for. Dark affinities might conjure up powers that draw strength from negative emotions like fear or hate, or channel the powers of entropy, or illusion. Light users might conjure mirrors and reflecting rays, as well as warm concepts like benevolence and hope, or even manipulating the concepts of colors themselves.  

Methods of Drawing Mana

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Mana Scanning

Magical residue that can be spotted and interpreted, but only those with the skill to do so. This practice is known as mana scanning.
As mana resides all around us, its essence leaves behind residue and traces tailored to its specific qualities. This allows for the act of Mana Scanning, where one who is versed well in the magical arts can identify these emanations or signatures that reside in the location. This can look like a misty, semi-translucent mana flow from it's source, and characteristics can be gleaned from this amalgam that can be used to tell traits of the magical effect itself and potentially the entity who created it. Those that carry a deeper understanding of mana scanning or the matter of mana altogether can perform much more specific tasks per their level of comprehension:

These are the rough levels of experience and what someone might be able to accomplish..

Novice Scanning
You have either just started or have rarely practiced with this art of mana scanning. An individual can identify the mana’s affinity, how recently it was cast, and the level of intensity the spell was projected. This can cause light exhaustion or a mild headache for new or untrained users. If the scanner already carries the affinity, they do not need to know expansive novice scanning to identify a mana’s affinity. They are also unaffected by the aftereffects of use.

Intermediate Scanning
You regularly use this ability or have enough formal or practiced training to do it with some skill and reliability. An individual can actively notice the stemmed flow of mana off an individual’s person and a makeshift afterimage of impact from a spell’s casted target. This can cause mild exhaustion or migraines for newly learned intermediate scanners.

Expert Scanning
You have a keen understanding of the nuances of mana signatures and can pick out even subtle details quicker and more confidently than others. An individual can utilize mana scanning to notice abnormalities within specific bodily systems that work in tandem with mana (nervous or cardiovascular), with supplemental medical knowledge to specify further information. Expert scanners may also clearly see specific prior spells cast in a defined area with enough concentration. This is the most draining of scanning abilities and can only be done once a day (per session), leaving the user drastically exhausted and unable to cast any other spells. Attempting scanning at this level without proper training can lead to permanent mental deficiencies or brain death if catastrophic enough.   Dealing with arcane magic that stems from a person's unique spells is the easiest and most reliable residue detectable with these techniques. In the case of runic magic, the process has many more complications among mana-scanning users. Deductive reasoning is sometimes the only real way to conclude that the spell originated from a rune instead of a person, as the energy left over will be pretty much the same.

Within the realm, mana is the core of a person. To be without mana is to be without the essence of life. This is one of the reasons why expending too much mana whilst spell-casting has such detrimental effects on a person's physical well-being.




No two arcane spell-casters are truly the same. There are certain inexorable tricks, techniques, and habits that arcane casters rely on, and each person develops their own style over time.

Whilst people with multiple affinities tend to be born with partner elements that sit adjacent to their "primary" kind on charts such as the one above, this isn't a hard rule, and interestingly, those who have affinities on opposing sides of each other are still very much possible.

Having two affinities allows for drawing from both sources as if a person's mana signature is divided in two. While casters can cast spells from either, it is very difficult to manually mix elements together to create fusion effects. It is one of the reasons why those with a fusion affinity thrive more in this endeavor than those with two primary affinities trying to replicate the same effect.

Arcane magic requires both mind and body training and an understanding of one's own self and one's lineage in order to utilize it. You cannot accidentally become a user of arcane magic. Because of this, runic magic is popular both for those who forgo arcane training for whatever reason, or who wish to supplement their natural abilities in ways arcane casters may not be able to using just the arcane.