@chapter(Magic)

  Mana, of which the astral planes are composed and which enters the
material plane through the leylines, conforms to the will and the
imagination of living minds.  Because the material planes are composed
of matter/energy, however, mana has a tendency to manifest in those
forms.  It is therefore possible for a talented being to manipulate
mana and cause it to manifest in material form, or to interact with
and shape the matter/energy of the world.  This is the nature of
magic.

@section(Magical potential) 
  There are many with sufficient will to manipulate mana, but few born
with the ability to store it in an accessible form.  Those who possess
that ability have magical potential; they are known as magically
active.  This provides no benefit unless the individual can channel
that mana into some usable form; however, without potential a mageborn
or witch will be unable to power their spells or abilities without
finding some external source of mana.

  The frequency and degree of magical potential varies from race to
race, and often varies with geography as well.  

@begin(quotation)
  @b(Magical potential) - END battery, no REC (effective REC is determined
by the local area).  All magical abilities of any sort feed off of
this battery.
@end(quotation)

@include(magecraft)
@include(witchcraft)
@comment[@include(talented)]

@chapter(Chi)

  All living things possess a life force, which is sometimes called
@i(chi).  Its nature is poorly understood.  A common theory is
that there is yet a third set of planes, orthogonal to both the
material and astral planes, from which chi stems, and that when a
living creature dies its life-force returns to that planar
arrangement.  While this theory is hurt by the lack of any other
evidence for the existence of such planes, no other theory yet
proposed accounts for the evident disappearance of life force upon
death.  

  In any case, there are a number of disciplines that allow one to
focus chi for a variety of unusual effects.

@include(martial_arts)
@comment[@include(bardic)]