Mana (Lore)

Mana
About
Names	Arcane energy Magical energy Magical essence
Wielders	Notable wielders: Anti-Mage Keeper of the Light Medusa Nyx Assassin Outworld Destroyer Turstarkuri
Origin/Abode	Notable sources: Dire / Radiant The Outworld Soul
Associated With
Others	Magic

“

▶️ The cost of magic. — Anti-Mage being brief on mana

”

Mana is the essence of magic and life in the lore of Dota 2.

Description

Mentions of mana in Dota 2's lore suggest that it's an ethereal and magical energy that comes from the soul, an energy drawn upon for magic. A few examples:

• The lore of Anti-Mage's Mana Break states that mana is a magical energy. After killing someone via Mana Void, he'll say that mana is borrowed from one's soul.
• Harbinger's Arcane Orb refers to the mana that it spends as the "ebb and flow of all spiritual energy" in its lore.
  • It's unknown what this “ebb and flow” is, but perhaps it refers to the expenditure of mana and its eventual regeneration over time, respectively.
• The Satyr Mindstealer's Mana Burn burns away mana by removing a fragment of his enemy's soul.
• In Artifact, Lion states that mana is the essence of life. It's possible that this means mana is an essence found in the spirit, the aspect that gives life to an individual.
  • Furthermore, his voice lines for his card Mana Drain express that he steals mana from the soul.

However, the Nyx Assassin's Mana Burn implies that mana is connected to the mind, since the spell saps the consciousness to work its mana-sapping power. Perhaps this implies that the mind and the soul are linked with each other, which is why one can manipulate mana from any of the two, for it makes no difference. Basically, the mind and the soul may be two different doorways that lead to the same room known as one's mana reservoir.

Mana can flow freely and thus is more abundant in environments with cold temperatures, creating mana-rich havens. It is said the source of mana is also the source of ice.

Pugna claims that all sorceries have their source in the Nether Reaches. Aether (a.k.a. void or nothingness) is an essential ingredient in magic, alongside this essence of magic.

In Dota: Dragon's Blood

It's implied that mana or something akin to it, like a vital or spiritual essence that one must spend to use magic, exists in the animated series Dota: Dragon's Blood.

Using his Wex and Exort orbs to capture Lirrak drained much of the Invoker's life force. He healed himself by draining life from all the vegetation near Lirrak's home, killing them.

The Invoker used five Eldwurm souls (the air element and the four Fundamental souls) to defend against and destroy Terrorblade's corrupted dragon army of ember, water, and earth wyrmlings; all led by a possessed Drysi. Although he was successful in annihilating all of them by channeling Vahdrak's soul, the entire effort appeared to have drained him but he was rejuvenated off-screen.

By using all three orbs, the Invoker was able to conjure a shield that protected him and his allies from Terrorblade's corrupted Eldwurms. While he defended against his Eldwurms, Terrorblade taunts him, saying that his defense will not last as his life force is finite and thus he will die if he continues to resist. His shield remained until the demon's blades broke it, leaving him drained. Once again, the Invoker appeared to be rejuvenated off-screen, as he was healthy and able to use the Forge afterwards.

Inheriting her father's magic, perhaps through his instruction, Filomena also has his power to siphon life force from any living thing. In her experiments to prevent the destruction of the Mad Moon and the subsequent cataclysm it will bring upon the planet, Filomena drew power from the Eldwurm souls bound to the Forge to attempt to fuse and pacify a small Direstone and Radiant Ore together. Each experiment required her to rejuvenate herself by draining life from her titular flowers, until she succeeded. Later on, her father warns her of accomplishing this feat on a larger scale, as the Forge will draw even more life force from her to lethal levels.

Relationships

Interactions with mana

Electromagnetism, a fundamental force of nature, has an effect on spiritual levels of existence. The E.M.P. spell is proof, since its explosion of EM energy siphons mana.

Manipulation of the soul's Primordial harmony has an effect on the former's mana reservoir, depending on what is being done to this harmony. Here are two examples from Ezalor:

• If Ezalor disrupts Primordial harmony on a target and weakens their magical essence, it will drain their magical energy away, especially from those with “poor constitution” in them after the great rider of Light casts his debilitating Mana Leak upon them.
  • Explaining all of this, this so-called disruption of the Primordial harmony probably means that he disrupts the connection between you and your soul as well as you and your soul's connection with the others. The Primordial harmony is a state of wholeness and completion where everyone and everything's at one with each other with nothing dividing them, it is the state of harmony that Elder Titan eternally strives for after his greatest flaw and the state of harmony that Enigma may speak of. “Poor constitution” basically means that you've been weakened and it's what you get from having your harmony disrupted and your magical essence weakened by Ezalor.

Kundalini!

• Ezalor can do the opposite by bestowing his harmony among others in the same vein, meaning Ezalor also manipulates the Primordial harmony to bring about this result. He does this by stirring the kundalini or what he calls the “serpent of illumination” within a being, which is a luminous energy. What happens next is in the spell icon of Chakra Magic: the now awakened kundalini or “serpent of illumination” (pictured as the two twining lines) climbs up the spine–like a snake up a tree–and passes through each chakra (pictured by the two circles on the vertical line) until it reaches the topmost one, causing a reunion with the soul and replenishing mana. This is the harmony that Ezalor bestows.

Heroes

The Anti-Mage and his apprentice Wei both have the same set of anti-magic abilities that focuses on destroying the root of their problem with magic: its essence.

• This includes Mana Break, a modified technique of the Turstarkuri that was once used to manipulate magical energies, until the Anti-Mage repurposed it for his own ends. Believing mana to be an impurity of the soul, he saps his victim's mana and turns it against them with each strike he lands. According to Wei, it's implied that the Mana Break technique isn't bound to a weapon, but the user itself, allowing the skill to be used with any weapon.
• After enough purification, they may unleash a Mana Void, turning the victim's mana deficit against them. The name implies that the ability uses the void to work its power against exhausted mages. This implies that losing mana expands the latent void within a being, the void being the caster's lack of or missing mana after spending it. Perhaps the Mana Void ability comes from the Turstarkuri as well, who in turn used the Void Spirit's teachings, suggesting the monastery's voidal connection and explaning why they can draw power from the void.

Although the Bloodseeker's holy apparatuses are reserved for collecting blood for the Twins, he can also collect the arcane essence of the Outworld Destroyer.

Cold temperatures allow mana to flourish. As such, the cold that the Blueheart Conduit emanates creates an Arcane Aura that restores mana. She can even share her mana restoring power to items by imbuing them with said power, such as the Arcane Boots.

Like the conduit of the Blueheart, the cool Crystal Maiden emanates an Arcane Aura that allows the dynamism of spellcasting.

According to Aghanim, Dazzle uses a mix of chakra and chaos magic, the latter of which is possibly akin to Ezalor's mana-restoring Chakra Magic.

Ethreain the Lich can forcefully Sacrifice and consume the souls of others to restore his mana pool.

Inherited from his late demon partner's hand, Lion can forcefully Mana Drain the "life's force" of other magi to restore his own reservoir.

The Invoker's E.M.P. spell sparks a charge of electromagnetic energy that, as its fancier names suggest, siphons the mana of those caught in its detonation.

The Keeper of the Light can both drain and restore the essence of magic, both applications possibly drawing upon the Primordial harmony.

• When Ezalor disrupts it, the consequence will weaken a target's magical essence and cause a Mana Leak in those with "poor constitution" in them. The leak might be triggered by the movement of the target, just like in gameplay.
• Chakra Magic awakens the kundalini or “serpent of illumination” within a target to allow this luminous energy to course upwards through the body and penetrate each cakra until it reaches the uppermost cakra, bestowing harmony upon them by reuniting the target with their soul and replenishing their mana.

Empowered by a sea goddess, Medusa's curse grants her the ability to release a deadly Mystic Snake that steals her target's mana for herself. Her mana reservoir fuels her formidable Mana Shield, drawing upon her mystic energy to protect herself.

Nature's Prophet doesn't rely on blood magic or mana for sorcery. Instead, he taps directly into the heart of Verodicia's wrathsome will to work his sorcery. And yet he wields a staff with spectrolite mana-focusing crystals set in gold.

The Nyx Assassin's power over others' consciousnesses includes his power to cause a sapping Mana Burn that eats at their mind. As his victims' minds unravel by his power, their skills and talents are said to be lost in the process.

Outworld Destroyer is a creature who is rich in magical power, which he converts into devastating force against anyone who crosses him.

• His outworldly intelligence allows it to tap into the ebb and flow of all spiritual energy, infusing it into his being to cast it as a powerful Arcane Orb.
• Although his Astral Imprisonment used to steal his victim's intelligence, it still steals their mana to fuel his own reservoirs for dispensing destruction.
• Regardless if it's his Essence Flux or Essence Aura, they both restore his mana by channeling it from his home to him through his rifts.

Characters

Aghanim states that his spells cost loads of mana for him to cast. To be specific, it costs him at least 1,000,000 mana points to cast one of his spells.

Factions

The monks of Turstarkuri once had a peaceful technique that involved an unspecified manipulation of magic energy. Anti-Mage modified this to create his harmful Mana Break.

Races

Despite his name, the Satyr Mindstealer can remove a fragment of his victim's soul, inflicting a sapping and damaging Mana Burn.

World

The Outworld is full of crystals that produce arcane energy, causing the realm to be awash in mana that's ripe for a certain being's taking.

Gods

When the Radiant and Dire Ancients fell to earth as the Mad Moon's fragments, they provided many benefits to those who were exposed to them, one of them being free mana.

Items

The revitalizing Arcane Blink places a discount on any instance of arcane expenditure, such as the mana required to cast spells.

The Arcane Boots and its lesser cousin, the Arcane Ring, can energize nearby allies with a supply of mana.

Infinite vitality and spirit (hence health and mana, respectively) await those who choose to wield the Bloodstone.

A bottle of clear water gives Clarity when consumed, enhancing the ability to meditate. This seems to restore mana for some reason.

With its ability to cut straight into the soul, the enchanted Diffusal Blade can sap its victims' mana with each slice.

Mages add the Energy Booster to their collection to improve their presence in battle, perhaps for its mana. It's quite sturdy for a gemstone. It also does what its name says.

The Eye of the Vizier lies on the bezel of this ring. It belongs to a cunning court mage who imprisoned a cadre of enemies who became his personal mana reserve.

The aptly-named Soul Ring feasts on the soul of its wearer. In return, it provides them mana.

The Point Booster is a perfectly formed amethyst that nourishes both body and mind when held. This benefit manifests as bonus health and mana in gameplay, suggesting that the essence known as mana has something to do with the mind.

A mystical orb, this Ultimate Orb contains the essence of life. Whether this life's essence is mana or just attributes is uncertain.

Navigation

Resources Lore overview Chronite Chronoptic Crystals Crimsonstone Direstone Dragon's Fire Whiskey Exort Glossamar Jewels of the Forest Mana Moonsilver Pincher Iron Quas Radiant Ore Ragestone Riftshadow Crystals Roshefort Runes of Power Shadeglass Sinorian Gemstone Wraith Essence