Mana

Mana is magical energy in the FaerieMUD world. It is a fundamental part of the world, akin to shih in Sun Tzu's <cite>Art of War</cite> or chi in Tauist thinking, and is a Statistic of all Loci. The developmental aspect of the Mana Statistic is called "Aura"; the linear aspect is "Effluence". The Mana which inheres in a Locus can be channeled (or "tapped") by various means (each of which is called a MagicalGenre), and its availability is affected both by immediate use and its development in the object in question. The governing rules for both tapping and focussing Mana are contained in the Metamagic system.

Depletion and Damage

Tapping Mana from a Locus depletes first its Effluence and then, if tapping continues, its Aura. Effluence will recover naturally over time, but Aura usually must be healed (which occurs naturally over time, as well, for some Loci; e.g., Organisms).

Damage and development of a Locus's Mana also can occur with events specific to the type of object in question: an Area is affected by oaths sworn within it which are either broken or upheld, great battles, and other monumental events; Organisms develop their Mana through age; an Artifact's Mana is initially determined by its Quality and the Mana of its components, but can be expanded through Enchantment?, etc.

Nodes and Ley Neworks

Loci with high Aura are called Nodes, and the connections formed between them are Ley Lines. These may or may not be the same as the traditional notion of ley lines.

— GedTheGreysHain - 12 Dec 2001
— GedTheGreysHain - 14 Jun 2003 [Updated to reflect recent discussions]
— GedTheGreysHain - 29 Jun 2003 [Changed "Potence" to "Effluence"]

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Perhaps leylines are formed when two creatures, each a member of a seperate Covenant with an associated site, create a binding Covenant. Thus, a crusade will create a leyline (England to Israel, fx) as will a trade route or marriage.

In an ancient D&D setting, rulers were held to reflect their land. Powerful rulers reflected their land strongly, and both strengthened it and could call on its strength. Thus rulers have a Covenant with their land, and as the ruler just walks about ley lines will begin to form. If two rulers marry, then a ley line will instantly form, and strengthen every generation the alliance continues. An empire will become mapped by leylines of war and alliance.

Nodes seem appropriate to static sites of devotion to a Covenant. Simply by upholding the Covenant, it will strengthen, and if the site is defended, that will also strengthen it.

— AlexisLi? - 18 Dec 2001

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I like the idea of ley lines being created by events (as AlexisLi? suggests here). The laws of magic (Contagion, etc) might also provide such events. I've just read a line in the fourth Harry Potter book which suggested another: A particularly spectacular spell failure might create a ley line between the object bespelled and the body of the caster.

— Scotus - 23 Jun 2003