Each living being commands over a reservoir of Vitalis. Living cells store a fraction of it, which in turn creates an energy field around the body, the so-called Aura. This field extends a few meters in all directions around a person. It is not frozen in place, but of a dynamic, cloud-like shape. This makes each Aura unique to the person it belongs to. A trained mage can recognize a person purely by their Aura.
When two people come close to each other, their individual Auras repel each other. The people can feel this interaction as a slight push from the direction of the other person. The size of ones Aura does depend on several factors:
- Genetics. Some people naturally have a stronger connection to Vitalis then others
- Control. It is possible to control the energetic field surrounding the own body
- State of Mind. The more upset a person is, the larger and fuzzier their Aura becomes
- Age. The size and shape of an Aura naturally changes over time. Generally, it is larger and erratic during a younger age, and calm and controlled when people reach an older age
Identity
Without actively changing it, each Aura is imbued with the owners identity. This means that the energy field resonates at a specific frequency unique to the owner and it repels foreign Aura. This frequency is not static and changes in a pattern unique to the owner. The changing pattern is what mages refer to as identity. It is possible to alter the properties of the own Aura. With enough training and control, people can regulate size, density and resonance frequency of their Aura.
Aura and Magic
Magic can originate in the casters own Aura only. However, there is an additional energy effort to consider when sustaining a spell outside of your Aura. There are three distinct zones, that dictate how high this cost is:
- Inner Body. Casting spells, that act within the boundaries of the own body, does not need any additional energy
- Aura. The own Aura reduces the resistance spells experience when being cast over distances and also reduces spell efficiency of incoming foreign spells
- Outside Aura. Once a sustained spell leaves the casters Aura, the additional cost grows rapidly with the distance to the caster