When a magic user has the aptitude for more than one element, with even more skill they may have the ability to combine two or more elements to produce more unusual effects, the number of which would be too many to list here. While a beginning magic user may only be skilled with a single element (in addition to Spirit), over time and experience this will grow to include other elements, potentially all of them although this is rare. In addition to the more common mana gems containing a well of æther or Spirit, there exist more rare elemental mana gems infused exclusively with one of the other six elements. Most usage of magic tends to be a manifestation of one of these elements: a blast or wave of Fire or Ice enhanced healing or growth with Life - or the opposite with Death while Earth can't create something from nothing (by itself) it can transform materials from one thing to another, and Air is often used to move things around magically. Spirit binds the rest of the elements together. Most of these are opposed elements that tend to cancel each other out - Fire opposes Ice, Life opposes Death and Earth opposes Sky.

Fire and Ice, Life and Death, Earth and Sky, and Æther as an element itself, usually called Spirit. Sometimes it will happen relatively quickly, and other times, when there is a distinct lack of æther in the area, it will not happen at all until the “wind” picks up. This is dependent on the concentration and speed of the flow of æther in the local area, so a magic user usually has no options to speed up or slow down this process. Depleted reserves of mana are naturally restored over time as æther flows over the land. As a magic user depletes their reserve, they’ll no longer be able to cast any magic - even having access to further mana gems is no use if the user has no mana of their own. A knowledgeable magic user with a collection of “charged” mana gems is able to create much larger and more powerful magical effects due to being able to call on a much larger supply of external mana and æther.ĭrawing mana from the user or a mana gem depletes the reserve of æther stored within. While inexperienced magicians tend to require an equal mix of inner mana and external æther, those with more experience are able to mix a smaller amount of their own mana to produce the desired effect. As a mage accumulates experience of using magic from a combination of their own mana and the mana stored within nearby mana gems, they're able to increase the proportion of 'external mana', thereby increasing their overall mana pool. While a mage combines the mana within themselves with aether to produce magic, they can also draw on mana stored within gems close to them to offset some of the cost of their own mana supply. Rare and extremely valuable, these gems are found and mined primarily in areas with a high concentration of æther. This phenomenon manifests itself as 'mana gems', precious gemstones which glow brightly from an inner light. Just as living creatures keep a store of mana within themselves, so does the planet too. In the world of King under the Mountain, just as much happens beneath the surface as on top of it.

More commonly, those with the potential to see and manipulate æther and mana require some level of training and guidance to make use of their abilities. Even then, it's a very rare individual that has the natural talent to instinctively combine æther with mana to produce magical effects. Mana and ÆtherĪlthough all living things hold a store of mana within themselves, only a few are able to tap into this well and harness its power. Much like yin and yang, these differing yet complementing essences can be combined to produce magic - fantastic displays of power produced by harnessing the energy of æther and mana in tandem. Complementing æther, all living creatures and the planet itself contain what is known as mana - a well of spiritual, immaterial energy. These two planes of existence are tied together by a substance known as æther - intangible and external - which permeates the entire world much like air and the wind. Invisible to the naked eye, there also exists a spiritual, immaterial reflection of the world known as the Immaterial. The game takes place in the physical, material world. There's more to the world of King under the Mountain than meets the eye, quite literally. An illustration of the magic system featuring a human mage

One true king under the mountain