Loodul

Loodul is a fictional term used in fantasy settings to denote a living, non-physical network that underpins life, nature, and magic within a setting. In many works, loodul acts as a shared substrate or lifeforce that fuels organisms, ecosystems, and magical effects, analogous to concepts like mana, lifeforce, or chi in other settings.

The term loodul is typically a constructed word within a given world; in-world histories attribute its discovery to ancient seers who linked natural phenomena through it. Outside the story, it has been adopted by authors and fans as a generic term for nature-based magic; spellings and pronunciations differ across works.

Loodul is non-corporeal and permeates living beings, plants, water, and stone. It can be sensed by specialized practitioners, sometimes described as warmth, resonance, or color. Manipulation requires focus, ritual, or tools, and excessive draining or pollution can disrupt loodul flows, causing ecological imbalance or magical backlash. It may be stored or channeled through artifacts or sanctuaries.

Loodul frequently serves as the environmental backbone of a world, explaining how magic interacts with nature and why ecosystems remain interconnected. It provides plot devices for healing, growth, and conflict over resource use; some authors emphasize stewardship and restoration as themes.

Depictions of loodul vary; some portray it as a network of luminous threads, others as a sea-like current beneath the surface of worlds. Critics and scholars within fiction often debate its metaphysical status, whether it is objective reality or a literary metaphor for interdependence.