Arcana

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Arcana

  Arcana is born of the Metaphorical Forces; more precisely, foreign Arcane Forces are antithetical to the individual  dreams of the Godheads bleeding into one another, creating miracles that defy the natural laws each uses to ground reality. Every form of matter or Arcana can be traced back to the laws of another Plane by a Theorist. Upper-case Metaphor always refers to one of these forces.

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Overview

Magic—or Arcana as it is formally referred to—is a constant factor of every day life for the denizens of Antarok. This inborn power is seen as a holy right to some, and sacrilege to others. Much of the strife in Antarok can be attributed to this supernatural power and the practitioners who use it. Whether it is the humble Artificer manufacturing golems to aid his Duties, or the ascetic mage who cultivates his power to devastating affect, these unnatural abilities are wielded to decide the outcomes of conflict while advancing societies across the world. In spite of its prevalence, Arcana remains misunderstood and vilified, and its failings are often overblown by its detractors; Galsterei die when they fail initiation, an outcome that rends their soul and denies them the afterlife, and the devout opposed to magic will say the same about those powers of Welkin and Glamour which are antithetical to their views.

History

Known since before written record, before humanity devolved from the Æld'Norai, and before the Ælves devolved from the fae, Arcana is a fundamental part of existence made possible by the planar Metaphor existing in all things.

Personal Arcana

Personal Arcana refers to various disciplines split between the categories of Galdr, Glamour, and Welkin. This is the inborn power of a mage, earned by birthright, circumstance, or ritual initiation. Initiation Each form of Personal Arcana has its own Initiation ritual to contend. Failing this ritual is often random and fatal, but as we are writing the story, we get to dictate if those in our purview should live or die. Initiating into a Personal Arcana requires expending a Minor Merit, but you may delay this so long as you cast none of its spells nor allocate XP to the discipline. Magi who initiate but avoid their Arcana are referred to as the Inconsummate. Spell Reserves A mage can cast one spell at their highest tier before experiencing Mageburn should they cast again. They may cast half an additional spell at their highest tier for every discipline known of that same tier and source Metaphor. Additional spells beyond this limit will push them towards Light, Moderate, Heavy, and Fatal Mageburn. Spell Reserves for Galdr are derived from Aether, not the Metaphor they dominate. Glamour use Saol, and Poetics use Miasmata. Each of the Pacts follow their own Metaphor. Spells referred to as costly are twice as expensive; those that always incur Mageburn are in actuality three times the price. Weaving spells of a lower tier is exponentially cheaper to the point an Ascended can freely cast their Novice spells without any consequence. The highest tier spell a mage can cast is worth three of the one below it. At Expert skill, one spell becomes the potential for three Journeymen spells, three Journeymen spells becomes nine Apprentice spells, and nine Apprentice spells becomes a capacity for twenty-seven Novice spells. Major Mageburn is always a crippling experience; a mage can no longer cast spells once they incur this penalty, and may even suffer permanent physical or mental injuries. Mageburn Each discipline utilizes a different form of Mageburn. This confers a consequence for going over one's Spell Reserves, eventually leading to death. Your highest tier cast on empty will send you into Major Mageburn. A cast of the tier below will send you into Moderate Mageburn. A cast of the tier below that will send you into Light Mageburn. However, if you have additional disciplines and thus expanded spell reserves, or a further multiplier for that Metaphor such as half again, then you are that much more resistant to Mageburn. An Adult Dragon (*1.5) with Master Grist (1) and Master Nimhea (+ .5) would have 1.5 * (1 + .5) Spell Reserves, meaning they could cast 1.75 times at their highest tier before entering Mageburn. Their capacity to handle Mageburn would be expanded by 1.75, meaning an Ascended cast at empty would only enter Moderate Mageburn. The formula for this is (1.75 - 1) = .75 of a cast left before Entering Major Mageburn. These formulas are optional until clearly overplaying one's Arcana. Spell Recovery Recovery can take between several days for Light Mageburn to a few months for Heavy. There are many ways in which a mage might eke out more efficiency in their spells or recovery, some of which are Draoidh, the expanded Spell Reserves of a Dragon, Ensorcelling, and Alchemistry. Note: If you abuse your spells without playing out Mageburn, a member of staff might ask that you keep a ledger. Techniques Several techniques exist in a general sense for altering how a mage might utilize their spells. Each relies on the fulfillment of a certain requirement or condition to be available to the mage. Multi-Casting Multiple spells can be cast in the same moment provided the mage is canting from a Grimoire. Mastery in Meditation or fusing with a Familiar might also confer this capability. Metaphorical Expression Magi can wield Metaphor to cheapen and empower their spells through emotive action and circumstance. See: Metaphor

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