Arcane

Legend

“It is said that Drakk Alfar, Torinn le Langlaag, was the first to notice that leaking astral energies crystallized more quickly as the air was denser.  This inspired him to study the effect of void pressure on the transformation of mana, and it led to the discovery of arcane magic.”

Skjald Yell'a'Beard

Description

Arcane magic is the oldest known form of magical practice — a raw, unfiltered manipulation of the elemental forces that underpin reality. Before gods lent their power, before minds awakened to ancestral echoes, and before nature whispered its secrets, there was Arcane: the spark in the void, the pulse in the stone, and the breath in the flame. Practitioners of arcane magic, often called arcanists or primalists, do not channel or attune—they command. They shape fire, ice, lightning, and force through sheer will and learnt structure, bending the world’s latent energies to their design. It is a realm of formulas, sigils, and patterns — a language of power spoken in heat and motion.

Arcane magic is not empathic like Essence, nor granted like Channelling, nor introspective like Mentalism. It is learnt through study, repetition, and experimentation — often at great cost. The forces it manipulates are indifferent, even hostile, to mortal flesh, and only precise control prevents catastrophe. Yet it is also the most versatile and scalable of the magic realms, forming the backbone of spellcraft, enchantment, and magical engineering. Many modern Magic Academies trace their roots to arcane principles, even if they now cloak them in divine or natural trappings. To master Arcane is to understand the core of magic — the structure upon which all other realms are built.

Philosophically, arcane magic is seen as the triumph of intellect over chaos. It does not ask for permission, nor does it seek harmony — it imposes order on the wild. Some view it as arrogant, a relic of an age when mortals sought to rival the gods. Others see it as pure, untainted by ideology or emotion. In truth, arcane magic is neither good nor evil — it is a tool, a force, a foundation. And though newer realms may offer elegance or depth, the Arcane remains the crucible in which all magic was first forged.

Skjald Sigurd

History

Everything is made up of astral mana that has been either spilling or deliberately pushed into the void, and to some extent, into our world after it was formed. For millennia, divine beings have told us this. However, they neglected to mention that the void had an impact on transformations as well. In fact, they seem to have tried to destroy any notes and even hunted those who practiced.

The basic concept of arcane magic is simple: harness the forces of the void to exert pressure on the target, and when sufficiently wrapped, alter or disintegrate it. It seems simple, yet it is one of the most difficult and deadly of all magic methods, as one never knows if one’s control of pressure is sufficient. It is also the progenitor of both essence and mentalism magic, as well as being uninfluenced by the gods.

Skjald Sejrik

When the Drakk Alfar elders recall Torinn le Langlaag, many give a slight ‘stallion nod’ in recognition of his significant discovery, which led to his elevation within the ranks of the divine Stoicheian, Wickeryadi, and the Jotunn, as they leveraged his knowledge to shield off void garden combat herbs from the Boriac.

Refining the knowledge they taught him and his group back, and the number of arcane magicians increased gradually. Eventually, the Boriac discovered it and decided with the Vular that this should be ‘uprooted,’ and the hunt started. However, because some of the divine had already empowered the acrane manipulators, Boriacs found it difficult, perilous, and even deadly, to combat an arcane overlord.

Because the Void weaving did not affect astral energies, they gained a new opponent when the gods became self-aware, active, and mobile beings. Torinn le Langlaag  managed to survive several attacks, slaying both Boriac and gods in the encounters. But eventually he succumbed to the divine assassination attempts.

This divine hunt would most likely have been the end of arcane manipulators if the gods had not posed a greater threat to the other divines, than a few annoying arcane weavers. But, when the void was transformed into our world and the astral buried solidly within, the void exerted greater pressure on our world enforcing void weaving, and the gods—who upon discovering the trick, became more focused on fighting the other divines and internal conflict.

The 1st Cataclysm was primarily about eliminating vampires, just like they did earlier with arcane manipulators. But the Vornir made a huge error when they performed the Hymn of Truenames, since it gave the arcane manipulators an unbelievable gift—all of the truenames, making it less difficult to grab, twist, and disintegrate.

Fortunately, mortal races were generally unable to deal with it all, and most of the other divines were so preoccupied that many missed most of it. However, a handful here and there were able to scrawl down notes or use memory path spells to save this priceless treasure. Some even disengaged from the battle, astravelled far away and in safety, recording what they overheard. Thus came the truename tomes to be, and every copy has been the target of many an arcane manipulator.

Skjald Sejrik