𝘄𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘄

Mana is a particle that's everywhere, like oxygen. It conducts magic in the way that metal conducts electricity.

As an example, imagine you're in a room FILLED with metal dust. These metal particles are tiny, invisible, and safe to breathe.

Now imagine you can create an electric pulse! Since the metal is all spread out, the charge will branch out until it fizzles into nothing.

Now imagine you can move these particles wherever you want! If you create almost a cable by compacting the metal dust in a specific path, the charge will probably take that path.

The "metal particle" in this example is mana, with the charge being a magic pulse!

In order to cast a spell, a magic user must first move the mana within their body, creating mana streams (cables from the example) leading from their core to where they want the magic to leave their body from. Then, they have to create a mana stream in the air before sending a magic pulse from their core to their target.

Putting more magic behind a spell requires a denser or thicker mana stream. More magic is more likely to take the wrong path, shooting in the wrong direction.

People can move the mana in anything they're touching. This includes themselves, as they need to make mana streams in their bodies to guide the spell that originates in their cores.

This also means that if you need to, it's not too difficult to run up to another caster and sabotage their spell by screwing with the mana streams in their bodies.

Technically you can move the mana inside of solid objects you're not touching, but it's way more difficult to grasp.

You're always touching the air, but it's so widespread that it's more difficult than just moving the mana in a stick you're holding.

Most mages some kind of magic focus (staff, wand, etc.) to avoid getting silverbite when they cast spells. Mana is kind of glittery and silvery, so gathering mana in one spot for too long can leave a sore silvery bruise where magic leaves the caster's body. Silverbite can scar, becoming permenant.

Casting through a focus continues a caster's mana streams from inside their bodies into an object the they're holding, letting the spell leave that instead! Well-used focuses will also have a shiny or silvery tip.

Most young casters are taught to use focuses to avoid silverbite, but lots of self-taught mages have silver palms or fingers with silvery tips.

You can technically cast from anywhere on your body, but most choose to cast from their hands.

Some casters choose to cast through both of their hands, splitting the mana stream in their body, thus splitting the magic output of the spell between each of their hands. Incredibly strong mages will sometimes split their mana streams even between their fingers!

There's two different kinds of spells: Impact spells and Travelling spells.

Impact spells only activate when the spell has an impact with something else, or when the mana stream it's following has a sudden change in density. The best mages can move mana within their bodies to where the spell will hit so that impact spells pass right through them!

Travelling spells are active as soon as they leave your body or based on other conditions, like most fire spells! The simplest to control fire spells activate when they hit oxygen, so the fire will light as soon as it leaves your body.

One of the things I like most about this magic system is how wizard battles would work.

To aim a spell at someone, you have to make a mana stream running from you to them! They can use that against you, casting their own spells through your mana stream.

They can also redirect mana streams so that the spell aims somewhere else instead.

A mage skilled at moving mana might also be able to sense a mana stream pointing right at them and be able to dodge in time!

Mana moves around the world kind of like weather. Some days will have thicker or thinner mana, and the wind might make mana streams more difficult to maintain.

This leaves room for areas that are naturally high or low in mana! There could be an island with almost no mana at all being used to jail or hold strong mages captive. There could be a magic forest where the mana is so thick that spells can quickly lose control!

Speaking of animal adaptations, there could be a blind or noctournal animal that adapted to use mana to sense their prey.

Mana-thick forests might also have plant and animal life that have adapted to have naturally low mana so that uncontrolled magic events are less likely to affect them.