Know Thyself
Possibly the greatest change to a magical being's existence is the development of the aura. Comparable to a biological organ or muscle, this purely magical manipulation is believed to be the next step in evolution.
Description
An aura's strength, reliability, and ability to convey information all vary between individuals. Commonly, an aura is an invisible barrier surrounding the body, capable of being projected outwards and restrained inwards. While intangible under normal circumstances, this barrier is capable of blocking negative effects of other auras, as well as incorporating the benefits of others. A form of symbiotic relationship between owner and aura is formed in which the aura feeds on the ambient magical energy produced by its owner, while the individual gains the ability to manipulate the aura's characteristics.
Uses in Communication
Seemingly capable of storing and displaying data indefinitely, the aura is a method of communication that quickly overshadows any conventional means. Through aura communication, one can discern the mental state, mood, and perception of its owner, as well as a multitude of aspects regarding the owner themselves (rank, gender, appearance, etc.). However, all information can be safeguarded by an aura's owner, only displaying the amount of information that is desired. Through careful and precise control, two aura owners are capable of having full, coherent conversations. While the method of data transmission is silent to our ears, the volume of aura projection is quite "loud" to our magical sense.
While this aspect may prove to be a disadvantage when compared to our day-to-day methods of communication, it provides an extraordinary benefit when viewed in certain use-cases. For instance, while speech may be hindered, blocked, or unavailable, aura-communication can be projected through solid walls, through any physical obstruction of the owner, and can easily be discerned over the cacophony of audio-visual stimuli.
Uses in Combat
As stated previously, auras themselves are typically physically intangible, though their effects are anything but. Depending on an aura's strength, its presence alone is capable of spurring a conflict or calming one. Many passive essence abilities also rely on an aura to transmit their effects to both ally and enemy. Unlike their essence counterparts, aura abilities are not subject to rank disparity. For instance, a bronze-rank aura while still be able to influence a gold-rank individual, though its effects will remain at bronze-rank. While essence abilities cannot be trained to increase their potency, aura manipulation can be practiced to increase an owner's proficiency.
Using an Aura
Each owner of an aura report that the use of their aura can be described as seperation of mind and body, but with the third state of magic. A practitioner will enter a meditative state in which they deliberately divide these three states, then focus solely on their aura, or magic-state. Once achieved, their aura can be freely manipulated within the confines of their rank. With each subsequent rank up, their aura control will naturally increase, but continued training is necessary in order to achieve peak performance. It is rumored that continued training and frequent meditiation an owner can eventually reach the state in which their aura is capable of interacting with solid mass.
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