The Laws of Mana: Power, Rank & Strength in Arundis
Excerpt from "Foundations of the Arcane" — A primer distributed to all registered mages and academy students within the Kingdom of Arundis. Third edition, revised by the Mage Council of Solgate.
What is Mana?
Mana is the invisible force that flows beneath all living things.
It exists in the air, in the earth, in the blood of every creature born under the sky of Arundis. In most people it remains dormant — a quiet pool that never stirs, never grows, never awakens. These individuals are called the Mundane. They are not lesser for it. They simply cannot use what they carry.
In a rare few, mana awakens.
Once it does, it can be measured, trained, and weaponized. The Mage Council created a universal ranking system three centuries ago to classify awakened individuals by the size of their mana pool, their combat strength, and the tier of spells they can wield.
There are eight recognized ranks. Every citizen of Arundis knows them.
The Eight Mana Ranks
[ F-Rank — The Threshold ]
The entry point of all awakened individuals.
F-rank mages have the smallest mana pools — barely enough to cast a single low-tier spell before exhaustion sets in. Most F-rank individuals never advance beyond this point. They can find work as minor enchanters, potion assistants, or low-level guild support staff. In combat they are considered non-threatening.
Strength level: Slightly above an ordinary soldier with no magic.
Spell capability: Basic single-effect spells only.
Mana pool size: 10 — 50 units.
Common comparison: A candle. Useful up close. Easily extinguished.
Kael's starting rank: F. Mana pool: 12 units. Lowest recorded in Solgate's outer ring in a decade.
[ E-Rank — The Apprentice ]
The first real step into the world of magic.
E-rank mages can sustain multiple casts in a single encounter without collapsing. They are eligible for enrollment in low-tier guild missions and entry-level academy positions. Most soldiers with magical ability sit at this rank — useful in group formations, not yet dangerous alone.
Strength level: Can overpower two or three ordinary soldiers simultaneously.
Spell capability: Single modifier spells. Basic elemental control.
Mana pool size: 51 — 200 units.
Common comparison: A torch. Reliable, visible, and consistent.
[ D-Rank — The Journeyman ]
Where serious mages begin to separate themselves from the crowd.
D-rank individuals are recognized as full mages by the Council and are eligible for independent guild registration. They can hold their own in most low-level dungeon clearances and monster encounters. Noble households often employ D-rank mages as personal guards or estate enchanters.
Strength level: Can defeat a small squad of soldiers alone. Capable of minor area damage.
Spell capability: Two-layer spell combinations. Sustained elemental attacks.
Mana pool size: 201 — 500 units.
Common comparison: A bonfire. Commands attention. Hard to ignore.
[ C-Rank — The Established Mage ]
The rank where power becomes genuinely dangerous.
C-rank mages are respected throughout the kingdom. They lead dungeon clearance teams, command military mage units, and are eligible for Council-sponsored research positions. Most monster waves are handled primarily by C-rank mages with D-rank support.
Strength level: Can level a building with sustained casting. Lethal against most known monsters.
Spell capability: Full three-layer spell crafting. Moderate area-of-effect spells.
Mana pool size: 501 — 1,500 units.
Common comparison: A forge furnace. Controlled, sustained, and capable of shaping hard things.
[ B-Rank — The Elite ]
Less than five percent of all awakened individuals ever reach this rank.
B-rank mages are considered elite by any standard in Arundis. They are assigned to the kingdom's most dangerous dungeon eruptions, lead the response teams that handle deep-tier rifts, and serve as the personal guard of high nobility and Council members. A single B-rank mage can turn the tide of a mid-sized monster wave.
Strength level: Can destroy city blocks. Capable of taking on dungeon boss-class monsters alone.
Spell capability: Complex multi-effect spells. Environmental manipulation.
Mana pool size: 1,501 — 5,000 units.
Common comparison: A wildfire. Once it moves, ordinary things get out of the way.
[ A-Rank — The Pinnacle ]
There are currently eleven confirmed A-rank mages in the entire Kingdom of Arundis.
They are each known by name across the kingdom. Their existence is both a source of national pride and a quiet admission of how much Arundis needs them. A-rank mages do not take orders from anyone below Council level. They are deployed only in kingdom-threatening situations — the deepest dungeon eruptions, the largest monster waves, the crises that cannot be handled any other way.
Strength level: Capable of reshaping terrain. A single sustained cast can eliminate hundreds of monsters.
Spell capability: World-altering multi-layer spells. Elemental dominance.
Mana pool size: 5,001 — 20,000 units.
Common comparison: A volcano. Rare, catastrophic, and something you build kingdoms around.
[ S-Rank — The Legend ]
In the three hundred years since the Mage Council created this ranking system, only three individuals have ever been confirmed at S-rank.
All three are dead.
Their deeds are recorded in the Council archives and taught in every academy as both inspiration and warning. S-rank individuals do not simply use magic. They become it — their mana so vast and so refined that the boundary between caster and spell begins to dissolve. It is said that an S-rank mage at full power does not cast spells so much as reshape the rules of what is possible.
Strength level: Unquantified. Historical records describe effects on the scale of natural disasters.
Spell capability: Reality-altering. No known upper limit documented.
Mana pool size: 20,000+ units. Theoretical maximum unknown.
Common comparison: The storm itself. Not something you fight. Something you survive — if you're lucky.
[ Beyond S-Rank — The Unnamed ]
The Council does not officially acknowledge a rank beyond S.
Unofficially, among the oldest archivists and the most senior Council members, there are whispered references in ancient texts to individuals who transcended even the S-rank classification. No verified records exist. The Council's position is that such references are myth, metaphor, or the exaggeration of historians writing about extraordinary S-rank individuals.
The Council's position on many things, it should be noted, has been wrong before.
Strength level: Unknown.
Spell capability: Unknown.
Mana pool size: Unknown.
Common comparison: None recorded.
Quick Reference — Rank Summary
[ F-Rank ] — Threshold. Barely awakened. Mana: 10–50.
[ E-Rank ] — Apprentice. First real magic. Mana: 51–200.
[ D-Rank ] — Journeyman. Independent mage. Mana: 201–500.
[ C-Rank ] — Established. Genuinely dangerous. Mana: 501–1,500.
[ B-Rank ] — Elite. Kingdom asset. Mana: 1,501–5,000.
[ A-Rank ] — Pinnacle. National legend. Mana: 5,001–20,000.
[ S-Rank ] — Legend. Once in a generation. Mana: 20,000+.
[ Beyond S ] — Unnamed. Unverified. Unmeasured.
Note from the Council: Citizens are reminded that mana rank does not determine worth, character, or contribution to the kingdom. The Mundane majority built Arundis with their hands. Rank is a measurement of magical capacity — nothing more, nothing less.
The Council acknowledges that this note is ignored by approximately ninety percent of the nobility.