The Five Energies
The cosmos of Karential is pervaded with the supernatural, beasts that breathe fire, spell-slinging wizards creating arcane explosions, fighters capable of smashing through steel. There are Gods, spirits, demons, undead, all kinds of beings that defy the normal laws of nature. This power comes from unique energies that are drawn on, used, and manipulated to do the seemingly impossible. These energies that are used for magic and similar effects are Ki, Psi, Mana, Aura, and Divinity.
Ki- Energy of Vitality, Ki is produced by the major internal organs and distributed throughout the body, via a meridian system that is heavily integrated with the circulatory and lymph systems. It also has 361 points across the skin through his this same energy can be made to flow from. This energy empowers every cell in the body, maintaining health, stamina and strength.
This energy can be manipulated through training, focus, and experience. By amplifying the levels of Ki through the body, concentrating it in various places, one can temporarily increase ones physical abilities beyond what they would normally be capable of. Strength, Speed, Endurance, and Durability can all be enhanced. For this reason, most soldiers, warriors, and adventurers learn the basics of this, allowing them to push beyond their limits in fighting enemies of natural superhuman prowess, and one another. They combine this with Martial and Weapon Techniques to further enhance this power, and their abilities with it. Such bursts of power are short lived, though, and those who use it must be careful in the use of their limited supply of excess Ki, as overdrawing can leave the user exhausted and weakened, requiring time and rest to recover. To combat this, one of the forms of training involves strengthening one's body to produce, circulate, and store more Ki.
Monks take Ki use a step further, training and mastering the body and its Ki for years. They can make use of their Ki to turn their bodies into weapons, mixing focused Martial Arts and expert level mastery of their Ki to enhance all their attributes and senses, and to even be able to attack and defend with their Ki, alone.
It is not merely physical combatants who use Ki, however. The Merdian system is relied on by Magic users as well to draw, circulate and process the energies to use, with faster circulation allowing for quicker spell-weaving. Mages will often go through meditation and focus training, while keeping their bodies reasonably healthy to improve their Ki circulation. While warriors and monks focus on increasing the amount and strength of their Ki, Spellcasters focus on accelerating their flow. While some Ki is consumed in Magic, the amount is much smaller than with direct use, preventing them from having to train their bodies as much as their minds.
Psi - Energy of The Mind, Psi, is produced in and pervades the nervous system, concentrated in the brain. By those talented or trained in it, it can be used to use psychic abilities, like telekinesis, telepathy, ESP, Divination, among others. Very few are able to develop these abilities to a significant degree though. For most, psi subconsciously contributes to focus and intuition. However, Psi does still play a significant role in the world for magic users as well. Where as Ki is used to gather and process mana, Psi is used to control and direct their magics.
It is often combined with mana to amplify psychic powers. Focus, practice, medication, and study can all be used to develop one's Psi reserves, and thus one's psionic potential. This often means many mages will go through the same methods, developing their psi along with their minds. This helps grant them a greater control over their magic, in addition to granting some minor abilities. Psionics and Psychics focus on developing these abilities to a greater extent. This grants them a more subtle power than many others, often relying on precision than overwhelming power. They become excellent information gathers, able to communicate silently and instantaneously, read and influence minds, see and hear well beyond their eyes and ears, catch glimpses of the past and possible futures, and move and manipulate objects with thought alone.
Mana- Energy Of The World, Mana pervades the cosmos, seemingly found almost anywhere it can be detected with a rare few exceptions. However, it is most concentrated around places where life flourishes. It is the base energy from which magic is brought forth. For most mages, mana is drawn in through the meridians and the lungs, and circulated within their ki system. This stored mana is then manipulated through one's focus, understanding, imagination, and will, process this mana with their Ki, altering and shaping the energy for prepare the magical effect. This process is called "Weaving the Spell." They can store a certain amount of it within their body at any one time, but by improving their Ki circulation, mages can draw in more mana, hold more at one time, and process it faster.
The process of spellcasting relies heavily one's ability to focus and direct their idea of the spell, because of this, many mages will make use of practices or items to assist with this. Many mages will use chants or incantations in weaving their spells, as well as make rhythmic or directing movements with their hands or bodies. The words used are often poetic or commanding and emotional in nature, helping to direct as much of one's faculties into the spell, speeding up and strengthening the spell being weaved. Many novice mages and those looking from the outside believe that specific incantations and gestures are required for each spell, but this is not, ultimately the case. The most powerful mages can release terrifying magic with but a single word or movement. As long as the verbal and somatic components of the spell help one direct their focus towards the effect of the spell they want, any will do.
Various materials naturally absorb mana or allow it to flow through them. This is particularly the case for crystalline structures, or various organic materials. Such items lend themselves naturally to being infused with magic and magical effects and can more easily be enchanted. The use of properly shaped runes and seals, and the use of the right substances for this can ease this process, allowing for more powerful enchantments. It is for this reason as well, that arcane focuses are made from such substances. They allow someone wielding the item to more quickly and easily control their mana in creating and using the spell, reducing the time and effort required to spellcast, and the words and gestures to weave them.
Once a spell has been formed within the body of the mage, they then make use of their Psi to direct and control the spell once they release it, their focus and will acting to direct these magics, in part powered by their mental energy. A stronger mental fortitude, as well as a greater understanding and intellect lead themselves to using one's magic more effectively. Stronger emotions and willpower lend themselves to the use of more direct magics. Mana itself mixes well with each of the other energies, allowing it to be used for amplifying or altering their effects, and vice versa.
Magic is not strictly an ability of study, or of inborn talent. It is a mix of both components. Some are just born with a natural affinity for mana or to certain magics, many having an innate "feel" for them, while others must study and train long and hard to make use of their wizardy. This talent is at least in part genetic, with their being long lines of gifted mages, and other families with nearly no magical ability of their own.
Aura- Energy of the Soul, an energy that pervades and flows from every living being, unique to each species, and to a lesser degree, each individual. It seems to be connected to one's very essence, as ones' aura signature follows where one's consciousness goes, even beyond their body. For most, ones' aura merely identifies them, however, for certain kinds of beings, or even certain gifted individuals, their aura grants unique effects or abilities. This tendency appears to be genetic in nature to a degree, as aside from being passed down among races, individuals with aura-based abilities have a notably higher chance of their descendants having aura-based abilities as well, even if it skips generations. These effects can range from their presence having a passive effect themselves or their surroundings, to a unique, almost preternatural talent, to the ability to directly manipulate or even weaponize their aura in some fashion. Of the energies, it is likely the least understood.
Divinity- Energy of the Gods. Strictly speaking this is set of energies unique to the realms beyond our own, and originates from the beings within it. This includes the gods, naturally, who grant their power to chosen individuals, clerics, priests, and paladins through this energy. It fuels the most potent of healing, purifying, and restorative abilities. Beyond this, it is touched by the unique deity it came from, granting certain thematic boons to those gifted with it. Those who intermix it with mana can wield divine and holy magic, taking these abilities even further.
However, it is not simply Gods that wield divinity. Angels and other celestials hold divinity as well, and can wield and grant it to a much lesser degree. And even further, the celestial realms are not the sole source. Entities from every realm external to the earthly one have some amount of divinity, in addition to their own energies. Demons from the infernal realms bear unique unholy and supernatural abilities that are a mix of magic, aura and corrupted divinity. Fae from the wild realms infuse their tricks, transformations, and illusions with their divinity, and manipulate nature with druid-like divine magics. Entities from the realm of death, who draw and guide the souls of the dead and have a necromantic and dark divinity of their own. And then there are the eldritch being from the lost realms, who wield strange and mysterious power, affecting the mind, body, and the fabrics of reality itself with their divinity. While some may be gifted or cursed with this energy from any of these entities that are able to make contact with our realm, or vice versa, others actively form pacts, seeking the guidance of a celestial, signing a contract with a demon, agreeing to the whims of a fae, or devoting themselves to an eldritch aberration. These individuals are warlocks, who most often are mages in their own right. In return for forming this bond with their patron, are given access to the unique divinity from said being. They are granted special boons, and can infuse and amplify their magics with it, so long as they uphold their agreement. One can compare this energy to something between Mana and Aura, though not quite either.
