The Aetherfall
Aetherfall is the cataclysmic event that happened during the Great Mage War. In one of the battles, Heart of Vaira – the crystal towering over the disc – was damaged, releasing massive amounts of mana. The density of the energy released was too much to handle for any man or creature in the radius of 100 kilometers from the epicenter. Many mages and warriors perished instantly in the initial blast.
But the worst was yet to come, the overwhelming amount of mana reached the coasts of both continents, corrupting the inhabitants – turning them into beasts, some transformed into formless husks, some became beasts controlled by their libidos.
The balance has been shaterred, since the Aethefall the damaged crystal continuously emits tremendously more mana than before the event, affecting all living beings. Life goes on, however, while the areas closest to the crystal are still uninhabitable, the rest of the world adapted.
Excess mana allowed for materialization of Aspects, minor deities taking various forms, brought to existence by faith alone.
Today, in the year 1267 after-Aetherfall (A.A.) everyone lives in the new normal and there is only few among the elves and dwarves that remember the time before. Corrupted beasts that were once human are now considered part of the fauna and often sought after by adventurous souls to take advantage of their enormous libidos. Indeed, it seems the libido is the most affected aspect of everyone’s life.
Based on publications from before the Aetherfall, sex was only a small part of life back then, the averages of 4 times per month for Humans, 2 for Elves and Dwarves, and 14 for Zev, who always were an outlier.
These numbers seem laughable compared to the world of today, where everyone is constantly on the edge and it’s a common sight for people having intercourse in the public, without as much as a care in the world. Based on newest numbers Humans have sex nearly 22 times a month and Zev spiked to 5 times per day. Unsurprisingly, Dwarves have been largely unaffected, they were already living under the Heart of Vaira, their mana immunity in full effect. As for Elves, it turns out their natural affinity for magic allows them to subconsciously deal with extra mana by increasing their natural healing abilities and amplifying any magic they’re using. Despite that, their averages still doubled, so they have been affected; just not as much as other races.
Doesn’t need mentioning that the mana affects not only sapient races, but all living creatures; plants, animals, everything that breathes is focused on procreation.
Aside from physiological and sexual changes, abundant mana amplifies magic abilities, but that’s a given. Additionally, it nourishes the body, so the hunger is not as much of an issue as it was before the Aetherfall. Old publications mention phenomenons such as infectious diseases, but it has not been a thing for as long as I’m alive. Perhaps the small organisms causing them got completely eradicated during the Aetherfall.
All in all, it seems that additional mana in the atmosphere has positive effects, as long as it’s not excessive exposure. I wonder, however, what changes will happen in the longer term.
‘Mana and Mana Corruption’:
Mana is the essence of life itself, and the flow of mana through the body is important to the body’s health and natural functions. Mana naturally flows out of the body through everyday activities and, in most living beings, mana is primarily replenished through the intake of food and drink. Mana is also passively absorbed from the environment at a slower rate. Mages can use the mana in their bodies or the surrounding environment to create various effects. Because use of mana through natural means is typically inefficient, Mages throughout history have created various tools and foci to refine the use of mana to achieve their desired effects without draining their own reserves too greatly. A typical catalyst, for example, has a mana-imbued gemstone upon it from which the mage can augment their reserves when casting a spell.
Mana corruption is a condition which occurs when the natural flow of mana to the body is heavily disrupted. This can be caused by a mage overusing their magic until their flow of mana all but ceases, causing mana stagnation which typically results in a coma. There is, however, a more insidious form of mana corruption; that which results when a living being is subject to a flow of highly concentrated ambient mana. This can corrupt the ‘essence’ of a living being, often resulting in a slow and agonizing death. In some cases the victim of mana corruption will survive the effects but their body will be permanently changed as a result. Mana corruption from the fallout of the Great War is said to be the origin of many magical beasts that still trouble the woods and borderlands of the Kriterran Empire to this day.