Mana, Its Forms, And Its Effects.

Mana is the source of all elemental forms of magic, as all types of spell casting requires Mana one way or another. Every creature that uses this magic pulls from a Mana Gate created within their body.
A Mana Gate is exactly at it sounds. It houses Mana, only "opening" when mana is in use, and when depleted, the caster will no longer be able to draw out mana from it, or at least, they could try, however they would be taking mana from their very life source to do so.
What is the purpose of a Mana Gate if a creature naturally takes on an element? Let's take the Kyorei for example, creatures born to breathe fire and discharge electricity. A Kyorei can do all of these things normally, so long as they have the energy in their body to do so. However, in order to give these elements greater form, say, to extend the area effect of an attack or to combine both elements, they will need Mana to pose as a "binder" of sorts. With out mana, elements will act as opposites when used together, or simply not mesh well at all.
Mana Gates can also be gradually pushed to accept more mana, straining its boundaries. If the boundaries of the Mana Gate is pushed to a breaking point, it allows a caster to reach new heights. This process is called-
Limit Breaking: When a caster pushes past their limit of mana, this is called Limit Breaking. Upon Limit Breaking, the caster's Mana Gate will have broken, allowing mana to leak and spiral around their body freely. While in a state of vulnerability, a caster is advised to NOT use any of their Mana until their Gate has reformed and solidified. A telltale sign of a Mana Gate that has had its limit broken is the glowing, visible Mana outside of the caster's body, chaotically spiraling around them. When their Mana Gate reforms, all visible mana outside will be reabsorbed, and disappear.
The effects of a Limit Break may vary between individuals. Some Limit Breaks may incite a minor explosion of Force around the Caster, which will only really knock someone unsuspecting off balance. Others, depending on their situation, may have a much more powerful impact, thus blowing other bodies away from themselves.
Should a caster use mana while their Mana Gate is still recovering, fragments of the body will begin destroying itself the more the user pushes past what they are meant to. This can range from spontaneous necrotization on certain body parts turning to dust, called Fragmentation. Early stages of Fragmentation can be recovered, however anything further that will become permanent and may result in amputation and use of prosthetics.
In order to replenish any lost Mana, the caster must rest, as the Natural Mana, that of which is invisible to the naked eye, will be drawn towards an emptied Mana Gate so long as it has not been used for a certain period of time.
Natural Mana: Natural Mana, or Unbound Mana is everywhere in the world, hanging in the air or flowing along Mana Currents. Unbound Mana can be used by creatures with a Magic Affinity in Fire, Water, etc. to create small spells, as the mana they are using is from outside of their body and not their Inner Mana. Unbound mana can also be used by creatures that have no Mana Pool to store it, but still have an Affinity for that Element. Inner Mana is the Mana within those who have Mana Gates.
Mana Currents: Mana Currents are when large groups of Natural Mana flow together in a group either towards a source or away from a source of mana. For example, a river much like a lake generates Water Mana and can thus generate a current of Natural Mana flowing from it. A Mana Current only provides transportation for the different affinities of Mana, allowing the mana to travel rather condensing in one area and causing instability in the air.
Overflow: When a caster has generated too much Mana and has overfilled their Mana Pool, this is called an Overflow. An Overflow can have various effects, but most if not all are destructive. An Overflowing Mana Pool can set off magical spells without the caster's direction. This can be in the form of a firey explosion, a burst of Shock, freezing over an area in Ice, a fireball from the fingertips flung into a random direction, etc. If a Veskrian is experiencing Overflow, they will need to use said mana before their body forcefully expels it on its own.
Magic Affinity: Magic Affinity is when an individual, likely because of what biome they are born in, has a much closer connection with a specific type of Mana, and it can only one (i.e: A Taiga Kyorei with Ice and Force elements having higher Affinity with Ice and vice versa). Because of this, their mana for the element they have affinity with will be especially strong. This also means, however, that if the user has a singular element, learning another element will be hard, especially if the element they are attempting to learn is the opposite of their Affinity. Those with a Magic Affinity are sometimes known to naturally draw mana (albeit much slower if their Mana Gate is full), even if their Mana Gate is already full. Because of this, they must monitor themselves and use their magic. Otherwise, they will Overflow.
When involving the Etherial Elements (i.e. Dark or Light), these elements harmonize with the Primary Elements of an individual. Said individuals are identified as Blessed. Either Light Blessed or Dark Blessed (or cursed according to certain parties). The effects of being Blessed will cause normal elemental spells to come with a side effect, be it a buff or debuff on the target. Having been Blessed with Light or Dark does not mean a caster can use them by themselves like the primary elements, and as a result does not risk tearing the body apart. When it comes to being Blessed with Etherial Elements, it is incredibly difficult for a student of magic to master by book unless directly blessed by an Aspect. This is because the Etherial Elements are untamed and can run wild within the caster's body and/or mind, effectively tearing their sanity to become a maddened disciple or an empty husk. The caster will become a danger to those around them, and will likely become wanted for the reckless endangerment of others and the environment.
The only way a caster can maintain control of the Etherial Elements, without the help of an Aspect, is to have a strong foundation of reality and to accept all faults in themselves that may still be hanging over their head (i.e: an event they felt could have been prevented that has become a great source of grief).

Backfire: Backfire is what happens when the spell is either disrupted or when the wrong spell is activated. This can be in the form of a burst of force knocking back the caster or a much bigger explosion that has the potential to harm the caster and those around them.


Now with this all being said, it must be noted that a creature cannot by any means hold three forms of Elemental Mana. A creature's maximum is two. The reasoning for this is because if a creature who has learned both Shock and Earth already and attempts to learn Water, this will not only begin making them unstable of mind, but also unstable in body as well. The body will begin returning to its primal component and will begin breaking down. The process may vary between individuals depending on what element was learned last (Overgrowth of the body in the form of tangles if Nature, turning to ash if Fire, melting if Water, etc.).
This rule is strict, and by no means is it one to be taken lightly if a novice of Mana values their life.

Type

Natural