Arcana

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 enterprise, 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; Galdr die when they fail initiation, an outcome that renders their soul and denies them the afterlife, and the devout opposed to magic will say the same about those powers of Dominion 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 is split between the categories of Galdr, Dominion, and Glamour. 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. Strain Each category of Arcana utilizes a different form of Strain; magi with multiple disciplines from entirely different branches draw might draw from up to three different resources within themselves, or only one with many disciplines and a greater capacity for weathering their consequences. Galdr burns up a soul, living or dead, weakening its connection to the body while leading to paralysis. Dominion gives rise to spiraling insanity and exhaustion, its wielders fainting or developing mental illness and cognitive decline. Finally, Glamour robs the body of life, causing it to shut down and wilt like a drying leaf through overuse. Spell Reserves A mage can cast one spell at their highest tier before experiencing Strain should they cast again. They may cast half an additional spell at their highest tier for every discipline known of that tier and category. Additional spells beyond this limit will push them towards Light, Moderate, Heavy, and Fatal Strain. Spell Reserves for Galdr, Dominion, and Glamour are each separate. Spells referred to as costly are twice as expensive; those that always incur strain 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 Strain 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. Spell Recovery Recovery can take between several days for Light Strain to a few months for Heavy. There are many ways in which a mage might eke out more efficiency in their spells or recovery, such as Theorems and Alchemistry. Note: If you abuse your spells without playing out Strain, a member of staff might ask that you keep a ledger. Until this happens, you are free to guess a 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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