Mana is the magical essence that permeates a Fantasy World and is both the power source for magic as well as the core element that dictates what is possible with magic. Beyond being the basis for magic, mana also has secondary effects on the world – beautification.
Humans that are exposed to high levels of ambient mana are generally more beautiful than humans that are not exposed to mana. The Modern World, with its lack of mana hosts a variety of beautiful and ugly personages of varying degrees. While it is true that there are a great many beautiful people in the Modern World, some of which were born that way, many more are crafted through cosmetic surgeries, fad diets, obsessive exercise, and a cornucopia of cosmetics. In contrast, Fantasy Worlds with mana are full of effortlessly beautiful people. The royalty are elegant, the peasants are pleasing to the eye, and even the bandits are wickedly handsome specimens. The question is how – how could a Fantasy World beggar covered in grime be more captivating than a Modern World model?
Through observation, the correlation between ambient mana levels and beautification becomes clear when considering the body’s meridians. Chinese medicine understands the effects the meridians can have on the health of the body. The clearer your meridians, the healthier you become. Meditation and training can be used to move the internal Qi around the body to refine the meridians.
Similarly, Fantasy Worlds understand the connection between meridian refinement and magical capacity. Young adults with clear meridians are treasured and preferentially cultivated because they have the potential to wield great magic as adults. Massive amounts of mana can course through pristine meridians; more mana means greater magic.
Residents of the Modern World have only their internal energy to use when refining meridians. Internal energy is so sparse that refinement would be like finding a cup of water in the desert. Conversely, residents of Fantasy Worlds have vast quantities of ambient mana to use for refinement. For them, refinement is as easy as finding a cup of water in the ocean. Better efficiencies with refinement lead to healthier bodies which means healthier skin, bones, muscles, and hair. In short, Fantasy World denizens are quite beauteous.
