Is anyone into shonen anime/ urban supernatural fantasy inspired magic systems?
So i like or rather love anime as well as power systems that are intricate and built with thought behind them. Why about 2 years ago I decided to start a project in which i turned my native African language and some of its folklore / myths into a power system, for a story I'm currently drafting a script for . Its urban supernatural tale set in the late 80s within a fictional nation and inspired a bit by Shonen manga.
We'mweya Explained.
We'mweya (translates to of the spirit, breath or soul) is a luminuous mist-like spiritual energy used by mystics. It is generated in a place known as The Nativity Ocean within the spiritual world - Onyikamweya, descends into the mortal plane through invisible lines knowns as Mukoto Channels (the word translates to an alleyway or corridor). It then exists in the air , where its absorbed by mystics
Said channels when expanded open up to become gates that can be used to access the spiritual world. The spiritual energy has a few rules which it operates by such as the Law of Change which says the energy when not captured by a vessel the energy retains to the spiritual world or the next which reveals that if left to its own accord the spiritual energy will seek a way to coalesce and attain a higher form that is synonymous with goodhood which is the Law of Transcendence . All in all four laws exist.
When it is drawn into the body , it condenses to become liquid and is stored is a reserve called a spiritual well or Tsimerangu (translates to my well) , think of it like something similar to a pool of chakra within the body. The minute a user begins to actively utilize it , the energy rises up and reverts to mist once again .
Basic Foundations of We'mweya
Vine roots - pathways that absorb and channel spiritual energy
Ku -Aspect (from the words Ku-yerera meaning to flow and Ku-yera - to measure/weigh) : the art of balancing spiritual flow and weight , the latter being how dense your energy is. It is absolutely important when it comes to the manipulation of said energy
Enshrinemen**t (Utsigo - derived from a word meaning to fortify or stabilize) : a layer of spiritual energy formed around the body , used to increase durability and provides a slight boost in physical strength. It is an expression of spiritual weight. It also supports objects and constructs that are made via the spiritual energy by use of different krafts.
Hasting (Tsoka 'Kuenda - translates to 'feet go") - the basic speed technique among mystics that increases their mobility and general reflexes. It is an expression of spiritual flow.
Soul Reverent (Yemuro - translates to admiration , praise or reverence): an advanced version of a Hasting that allows a user to move almost instinctively without thought or delay. It can also be compounded on an ability that has a natural speed trait for example a wind based ability tor produce a Full Soul Reverent.
Classification of abilities.
Two disciplines exist than are powered by spiritual energy and theses are;
1) Hallowkraft (Mhizha - translates to craftsman or artisan) : this refers to abilities inherited through one's family/clan vine roots) . They are divided into four quadrants - Sky, Air, Water and Earth.
NB: Not every individual has the capacity to fully express all techniques under a specifc Hallowkraft and some may belong to the same clan and only possess basic foundations of We'mweya and no kraft at all.
Sky - represents any abilities tied to the sun ,stars, moon. An example is Starfield Huya (huya means come) which allows the user to mentally genreate certain constellations on their wrist, chest or side of their face. each constellation has a specific attribute or effect it provides such as Crux - the cross which allows a user to have the four basics traits of We'mewya running on like auto pilot. this is because using Crux which is cross and a cross has four sides , bringing the basic foundations of We'mweya which are also four and the constellation together is like creating a resonance.
Air- abilities that are intagible, are tied to either concepts or emotions. An example is Tazvida Incarnate(Tazvida means - I have loved myself) which allows the user to transfer nearly any physical wound they receive onto a specific object within their vicinity which results in the object breaking. The ability however demands you receive an injury that doesn't render you unconscious as the user needs to be awake in order to make the transfer.
Water - represents abilities tied to water, the sea... An example is Flowing Fist Rukova (the last word means stream) which allows the user to cover their fist in spiritual energy that takes a water like appearance and can expand the force produced by their punch through said energy almost in a similar way of how a mantis shrimp creates cavitation bubbles .
Earth- abilities tied to the stone, sand, flora/ fauna and metal. An example is Kukuya Earthly Blossom (Kukuya means to grind on a stone) it allows the user to generate raining sand which they use for constructing illusions and the finer the sand grain they can produce, the more refined the illusions, hence the name of the technique.
Advanced Hallowkraft Principles
Normally an individual can not just utilize the strongest technique within their kraft. In order to so, they require entering a state called Tempest Awakening or Ruzha Kumutsai (the words loosely translate to a noisy awakening). It is the process of calling up the maximum amount of your spiritual energy from your spiritual well, so as to supply your strongest technique with enough energy for it to be generated. At times the user manifest almost a tribal like mark on their arm, shoulder or face known as Tempest Mark which helps to release excess spiritual energy generated during a Tempest Awakening.
After the use of such a surge, the body enters Technique Retention in which the vine roots are in a partial recessive state which cuts off a mystic from temporarily using a Tempest Awakening and will only have access to the basic foundations of We'mweya but at a level that is greatly diminished.
Soul Blaze - this a a phenomena in which when a mystic who is faced with near depletion of their spiritual energy experiences a condition known as We'mweya Heat Loss that is felt when an individual is about to have a near death - experience. This then causes a sort of spark produced by the amount of spiritual energy they currently have causing its efficiency (not volume ) to increase enabling them to temporarily fight long enough to recover a decent amount spiritual energy . However prolonged stay in a Soul Blaze especially without recovering your energy is fatal and will surely result in death.
THE GRADING SYSTEM
This classification dictates the combat proficiency of We'mwya mystics.
| Tier | Name (Shona) | Literal Meaning | Classification | Threat Level & Engagement Protocol |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hwiza | Grasshopper | Novice | Low: Basic containment; structural hazard minimal. |
| 2 | Sora | Grass | Standard Adept | Moderate: Standard combat engagement parameters. |
| 3 | Juru | Termite | Elite Operative | High: Tactical hazard; multi-man squad coordination required. |
| 4 | Mujuru | Termite Mound | Expert Master | Severe: Heavy threat; elite level tactical deployment mandatory. |
| 5 | Gondo | Eagle | Walking Calamity | Extreme: Atmospheric dominance. Flee on Sight. |
| 6 | Beyond Gondo | — | Mythic/God-Tier | Catastrophic: Reality-warping entities. Complete tactical avoidance. |
The second discipline is called Spellkraft (Setsumo - translates to "like a proverb") and involves spoken spells that are inspired by proverbs from three dialects within my native tongue, bur right now this post is long enough
Posted Jun 14, 2026, 12:11 PM UTC