Excerpt from 'The Principles of Magic: A primer on all things Arcane' by Grandmage Tempest and Highmage Greyrat.
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Manacules are a type of spiritual matter and thaumaturgic particle that produce mana upon stimulation.
Manacules are the building blocks of magic and all magical life forms.
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DEFINITION:
The term manacule does not refer to a specific type of particle but is rather an umbrella term used to describe the many varieties and types of thaumaturgic particles that release mana upon stimulation.
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PROPERTIES:
SIZE AND VISIBILITY:
Manacules are similar to atoms in that they are so small as to be invisible to the naked eye. However, unlike atoms, manacules are literally invisible due to thaumaturgic mechanisms that are currently unknown.
INTERACTION WITH MATTER:
Despite having mass, manacules do not interact with most physical matter or energies, although they are capable of doing so under certain conditions. They behave like thaumaturgic radiation, permeating the atmosphere and even embedding themselves within physical materials.
COMPOSITION:
Like other types of spiritual matter, manacules are composed of aetherions.
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RESPONSE TO WILLPOWER:
Manacules are highly susceptible to the will—thoughts and emotions—of living beings, which stimulate them to produce mana. The leading theory suggests this occurs because both manacules and the soul are composed of aetherions, and willpower originates from the soul. It is hypothesized that some form of interaction between the two is taking place, though this remains speculative.
VARIETIES:
Manacules exist in numerous forms and varieties, which are divided into two main types:
1. Life force
2. Thaumaturgic Elements
While manacules typically require stimulation by willpower to produce mana, this is not always necessary, as seen in phenomena such as Wild Runes.
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EFFECTS:
ADVERSE EFFECTS ON NON-MAGICAL BEINGS:
Due to their radiation-like properties, prolonged exposure to high concentrations of manacules can have severe adverse effects on non-magical creatures. These include mana poisoning, cancer, or other cellular or magiomorphic mutations, which can be lethal.
ENVIRONMENTAL PHENOMENA:
In areas with a high concentration of manacules, various phenomena can occur, such as mana storms, the spontaneous creation of Wild Runes, and the formation of mana crystals and other magical materials.
MAGIOMORPHOSIS AND EFFECTS ON EVOLUTION:
The tendency of manacules to cause cellular and magiomorphic mutations has had profound cascading effects on the evolution of both humanoids and mana-beasts over time.