Mana (element)

Mana is a recurring and central concept in the Mana series.

Background

Mana can be decribed as the central source of magic sustaining the world of Fa'Diel and all of its creatures. It is intrinsically tied to the Mana Tree and the Mana Sword, creating a delicate balance that frequently becomes jeopardized by antagonistic forces. It is often depicted as being the source of every lifeform, with some of them's very existence being dependent upon its presence or not. Mana can be harnessed into physical objects and people, like Mana seeds and weapons or for powering machines and aircrafts like the Mana Fortress. Misusing this energy can lead to catastrophic results, often causing the destruction of the world.

History

Final Fantasy Adventure/Adventures of Mana

Some time ago, the Vandole Empire lead by its ruler tried to seize the power of Mana for evil purposes, but was ultimately defeated by the Gemma Knights with the aid of a Mana Maiden and members of the Mana clan. This restored peace to the world.

In modern times, the Glaive Empire gradually took the late Vandole's wishes and, with the help of its trusted adviser Julius, the Dark Lord waged war against neighboring nations in their hopes to find a way up the waterfalls leading to Mount Illusia housing the Mana Tree. It is said that the legendary tree would grand immense power to those who touch it. In the end, Julius successfully reached the tree and destroyed it by absorbing all of its power, but was ultimately slain by the hero, with another Mana Maiden transforming into a new holy tree.

Secret of Mana

Long ago, the ancient ones grew powerful using the power of Mana, with them creating various technologies like Veedios and subways like in the Underground City. In their hybris, they created the ultimate weapon, the Mana Fortress to rival the gods' power. This angered the deities, which sent their mythical beast called Benevodon to take down the aircraft. This created a violent war waging on every continent caught between the conflict. In its most desperate hour, a lone hero wielding the Mana Sword single-handedly took down the fortress with the ancient civilization along with it. Peace quickly replaced gobal unrest, as Mana recovered and began flowing through the land again. The fabled sword was wedged in a rock in a waterfall basin near a remote village.

Noowadays, the Empire led by a powerful ruler named Vandole seeks to activate the eight Mana Seeds of the world to revive the Mana Fortress, consuming enormous amounts of Mana energy in the process. A trio of heroes tries to prevent this to happen, but are ultimately unable to stop the resurrection of the flying weapon, the destruction of the Mana Tree, and the complete depletion of Mana.

Trials of Mana

In ancient times, the world was ravaged by eight fearsome beasts called Benevodons. Using the Mana Sword, the Mana Goddess put an end to their senseless destruction by sealing them in eight Mana Stones. This restored peace into the world, but weakened the deity, forcing her to change into the Mana Tree and lay dormant for years. Malevolent forces sought to retrieve the Benevodon's power to gain control of the world which further weakened the delicate balance of Mana. The shift made the Mana Tree wither as Mana began to slowly disappear.

A lone faerie left the Sanctuary of Mana to search for the Chosen who would wield the Sword of Mana and trump the evildoers. In the end, the villains destroy the sacred tree, forcing the faerie to become the seed from which a new goddess will be born, saving Mana from completely disappearing.

Legend of Mana

Nine hundred years ago, the world of Fa'Diel laid to waste as a violent war between races erupted after seeking the last bits of Mana power that was left. When the war ended, the Mana Tree entered in a deep slumber, sealing the many lands into Artifacts. A hero is now tasked to restore the world and its Mana to its former self.

Sword of Mana

A long time ago, the goddess transformed into the Mana Tree to watch over the world. One day, a man named Vandole crept his way into the Mana Sanctuary, gaining the power of Mana in the process. With this he built a great civilization which prompted an age of darkness and desolation. The self-proclaimed ruler forced people to do his bidding, enslaving nations. A small group of warriors rebelled against his tyranny. With the help of a Mana maiden and the holy blade, they successfully thwarted the evil empire and restored peace into the land.

In the present time, the Granz Empire intents to enslave opposition and seek the power of mana to themselves. They frame people hailing from the Mana clan as heretics and raided their village. One boy and a girl managed to escape the Dark Lord's grasp and confront the empire all the way to the Mana Sanctuary, where Julius, a descendant of Vandole, succeed in destroying the Mana Tree. He is eventually defeated by the hero and the heroine, the latter fated to transform into the Mana Tree to replenish mana balance.

Children of Mana

In the middle of an island surrounded by an endless ocean stands the Tree of Mana. Several years ago, a Great Cataclysm befell onto the world, leaving many people to flee their hometown. A brave young boy and a girl defeated the evil and restored mana into the land.

Heroes of Mana

“The source of all things. Everything, living or inanimate, is made from Mana. What is born of Mana will someday return to Mana. Mana is the element that comprises and flows around the world.”

—Notebook

Echoes of Mana

The world of Echoes is an amalgamation of many previous worlds encapsulated within the fruits of the Mana Tree, and is as such attuned to a cycle of mana power, which involves the birth and life of one or more candidate goddesses, selection and ascension of the Mana Goddess, a period of peace while the Mana Tree flourishes, and finally a period of conflict that ends with the Goddess and the Tree being destroyed.

In the current cycle, two sisters, Nona and Dema, were born and destined to become the Mana Goddess. Nona eventually accepted her fated role, though Dema tried desperately to prevent history from repeating and thus separating from Nona. When she could not defy fate, Dema approached the dark witch Anise and crafted a plot that she hoped would break the cycle of mana. To this end, Anise bestowed unto Dema a "Hollow World" as well as the power of a false Goddess. As Goddess, Dema created two servants from material provided by Anise: Quilto and Quilta.

As Dema awakens the twins, the intertwined worlds of Mana are being corrupted by an unknown entity, and so it becomes their mission to restore these worlds to their proper state and recover the fabled Mana Sword lost long ago. The two succeed in their mission, all the while pursued by Dema's bodyguard known as the Ebon Knight. They are eventually drawn into a void between worlds; there, the twins battle their assailant with their own Mana Sword and emerge victorious. But soon after, the Goddess calls them back and bids them to kill her, revealing Dema's true form and completely corrupting the Hollow World.

Nona pulls one of the twins, along with their friends, into the "real world", where more corruption awaits. However, their allies are thrown into different Echoes and each assumes a new role within those memories. With her awakened powers, Dema becomes hellbent on destroying the Echoes of the new world with her dark roots. At the same time, Anise's brother Gossamare is sent with Dema's allies to stop the party from repowering the new Mana Sword with the Mana Spirits as one-by-one the Hero reunites with their allies.

	Randi --"Whoa! What's a Rabite doing in a place like this?"
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