Mana Bomb

A frighteningly destructive force.

"Nobody knows who set it off or why, but the devastation was... unimaginable. Contrary to popular belief the Undercity is quite populated, but unlike above where people are spread pretty evenly, the Undercity has lots of tight pockets of life. The 'Vanishes City' as it's called now was considered to a pretty packed place for Undercity standards. It was called Dòchas, or New Beginnings, but that doesn't matter anymore. You know, if it wasn't for the distance gap between that city and the surface, millions more would have died."

— Tobia, witness to the destruction of Dòchas.

A Mana Bomb is a highly volatile and destructive weapon created for the sole purpose of the mass killing of as many living creatures as possible. Unlike other conventional explosions, the Mana Bomb has no damaging effect on the environment, only to those who naturally produce Mana within themselves. The explosion occurs when a concentrated, highly dense amount of "Anam (AM)" comes into contact with mana.
Very few individuals naturally produce negative mana or Anam. See Dysubilysis.
When Anam is attempted to be used in a spell it normally fizzles out, as it simply cannot harness energy from leylines, and thus even if an individual were to be able to cast a spell, it would be incredibly feeble since the individual is solely relying on their own reserves. However, it can be extracted and stored within special containers like regular mana could. When enough is stored to the point of critical mass and is put into contact with normal mana, the results are an explosion that has the potential to do very little, or kill an innumerable amount of people.

History

"And lo, mine enemy has been reduced to nothing but dust and distant memories. Our people did not spill their blood, there were no clashing of swords, and all the spoils remain pristine for the taking. Let this be the dawn of a new age for us."

— King Braden Faulkner, standing in the empty capital of his enemy.

Mana bombs are a dark stain in Ravnica's vast history. In they days before the guilds when feudal kings and queens fought over small areas of land, conventional warfare was common throughout. The Mana Bomb was invented by the alchemist Kaley Scullion who wanted a way to end wars and battles as quickly as possible. She had found a way to harness, contain, and densely pressurize Anam, something that was considered incredibly difficult to achieve at the time, especially when it came to storing regular mana. In specialized containters that are carefully laced with measured amount of Mage Bane, one is able to focus the magical energy and trap it within the container. Normally the mana will dissipate like smoke in the wind, but because the Mage Bane is preventing the mana from escape, it remains trapped.

Kaley had observed the effects that large doses of mana had on individuals with Dysubilysis. Using this as a springboard she set off to find more interactions Anam had with mana. Results were inconclusive as the amount of Anam was too insignificant to have any real affect upon the physical world. This was before she managed to extract a small vial's worth of Anam and added an even smaller dose of mana. The outcome was a significant explosion which nearly killed her. Her skin blackened like she had been scorched with flame, her mana was completely drained, and anyone that would come near her would feel negative effects such as nausea, a painful tingling sensation on the skin, and irrational fear.

It was some time before Kaley was in the condition to work again. She theorized that higher doses of AM combined with mana would result in a much more devastating explosion. For the next test she collected significantly more AM into a container the size of a jar. With what she learned, she had tasked her Dysubilysis subject to smuggle the device into the Shirenth Kingdom's capital of Yeigh.

The smuggler successfully found their way into the capital. During midday, when the city center was busiest, the smuggler activated the device and let loose the horrifying killing power of the bomb. Kaley had thought the blast would be enough to wipe out only a tenth of the populous, but when the smuggler returned she was shocked to find out that the entire city, livestock included, had perished; reduced to black ash that blew away in the wind.

Mana bombs have been outlawed since the overthrow of King Braden some decades later. All the known kingdoms signed a treaty to never create such a device, and while few have kept their word, there hasn't been an explosion until the year 9982 in the Undercity center of Dòchas.

Effects of a Mana Bomb Explosion

I saw that his most of his skin was burned to the point where it could just peel away. All of his hair was gone and most of his face was bone. He looked me with his remaining eye, his face resting with no emotion. He felt no pain, but he also knew he wouldn't survive. I stood over him till he drew his last breath, his final moments staring at a stranger in complete silence. I'm thankful he only made a small one.

— An Azorious lawmage investigating a botched miniature Mana Bomb.

Detonated with very little or no life around, a Mana Bomb explosion will prove to be very insignificant. However, the bomb excels when used against large populations. The bomb itself has no effect on the environment, only the living beings who produce mana. Anyone caught in the blast will suffer horrible burns depending on how much mana the AM depletes from their body. If enough mana is extinguished this way, they too will cause a secondary explosion with similar affects of the original Mana Bomb. The results can create a cascading ripple of AM that tears through an area, refreshing the explosion's power through every person it tears through. The more mana someone has, the bigger the resulting explosion.

Those with very small reserves or entirely depleted mana stores will find minimal negative effects on their person. These can range from minor first degree burns, second or third degree burns, or the loss of limbs. Survivors will also find themselves with similar symptoms as those with Dysubilysis for some time, though the symptoms will go away on their own. The victim will also be unable to recover mana for days, or at worst months at a time depending on the severity of the blast.

While the bomb doesn't necessarily cause damage to the surrounding area, their have been documented anomalies that linger in known blast zones. Some anomalies aren't strictly dangerous, but others can cause harm depending on how many people were killed in the blast. Anomalies aren't consistent, and it's impossible to predict what one might see when venturing into one of these zones. These areas have been quarantined off from the public.

Modern Laws

Ravnica today is host to billions of people around the world. Everyone, save those with Dysubilysis, generate their own mana. A Mana Bomb of sufficient size detonated just about anywhere would spell the doom for millions. The Azorius Senate have decreed that any extraction of AM is a capital offense and punishable by death. The same is said for the creation of Mana Bomb components.

The Azorious have developed ways to sense AM, either within individuals or extracted. These techniques are closely guarded, for understanding their methods could mean a way to circumvent them. As such, the Azorious constantly send out anonymous scouts to seek those afflicted with Dysubilysis or containers of AM. If an undocumented individual is found with Dysubilysis, they are offered protective custody in designated areas to prevent anyone from kidnapping and extracting AM. If such a person refuses, then they are constant surveillance.

A container that could be converted to store Anam

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Reported Events of Mana Bombs

Yeigh, Age of Kingdoms ~924 BP, estimated 75,000 killed

Dòchas, 9982 ZC, estimated 125,000 killed