Arcan

Originally, the Arcanborne were only considered a species due to records of them intermingling and adapting to various other cultures causing scholars at the time to believe there was no distinct Arcan culture until the discovery of their citadels. The discovery of the citadels provided primary sources, even if the primary sources needed to be decoded from murals, tapestries, recorded stories, etc.

Naming Traditions

Family names

Family names are largely uncommon to the Arcan. It is more common for an Arcan to adopt the name of the citadel they are from if they moved to another, but even then such cases were reserved for when there would be someone with the same name.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

The Arcan language is considered a cipher than it is an actual language. The majority of the Arcan will speak the common spoken language of the region they live in, but write in the cipher.

Shared customary codes and values

The Arcan culture is built, and connected, primarily on their views of magic written done by Ward Era scholars as Arcan Magic .

Average technological level

Arcan were the ones to invent and create various spells and rituals that became lost to time. Despite the magical prowess, it was a rare sight to see Arcan building much in the way of technology. Many of the technology they do have is what they have borrowed and experimented on.

Common Dress code

The Arcan, oddly, stick to a rigid color scheme. If the main articles of clothing are dark colors, they would accent with lighter colors. If the main articles were brighter, they would accent with darker colors. Scholars have pinpointed that the colors used match the colors on symbols to the citadels discovered and those wearing this style of clothing are recorded to be scholars.

Citadel Symbols and Colors:

Sun-Moon:

Depicting a silver crescent moon bordering a red gold sun. The citadel would accent their clothing with silver, gold, or red. In contrast from other citadels, they seem to be the only ones that would not accent brighter colors with darker colors. From the surviving records, researchers believe that the arcanists in this citadel studied celestial bodies.

Briar:

A dark green thorny branch with a blue flower resting on it. This citadel would accent darker colors with greens, blues, and the color white and lighter colors would be accents with deep greens and blues only.

Arcane Hand:

A stylized diamond shaped drawn over a hand, sometimes depicted as the palm of the hand. The hand will be drawn in black and the diamond in a purple to pink gradient. Scholars at this citadel would accent the darker colors with lavenders and softer pinks and lighter colors with deep purples and dark pinks. Researchers noted that black seemingly is a popular color though can't tell if sometimes deep purples are being depicted

The Clawed Circle:

A small circle with four elongated diamond-shaped points. This symbol is not tied to a specific citadel at all. Notably, the colors of the diamond points are the gradients of the colors associated with the citadels. This is the symbol of the Thaumaturgists, often adopting Thauma as a title, a highly important group to the Arcan people.

Art & Architecture

Arcan architecture takes after the principle of Arcology. This is most evident in the fact that evidence shows there were few low-density housing around the citadel and evidence that many residents lived in the citadel.

The Citadels

With their small number, the Arcan tend too live in small settlement around a citadel. This has lead to the Arcan settlements being referred to as citadels rather than a city or a village. Each citadel is defined by what is the major subject of their studies which are displayed in the symbol of the citadel. For example, the Sun-Moon Citadel studies celestial bodies. The citadels are far from most other civilizations as many were built in tall structures such as mountains.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

It is very common for Arcan to wear ear jewelry often having their ears pierced as babies. for those that have not yet, nor chose, to undergo the Arcan Ceremony to wear jewelry that resembles the pointed ears of those that have gone through it.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

Arcan that wish to do so would undergo Chrysalis. This is considered to be what makes someone an Arcan

Funerary and Memorial customs

Arcan recorded their practices of cremation and earthen burial, both done magically. Cremation is standard fair and commonly recorded. The Earthen burial required a certain process be done. The body was to be washed, wrapped in natural fibers, and buried in the ground. Once buried, family and friends would plant seeds over the remains. The Arcan believed these rites would have the person's magical energy return to the natural world. To the Arcane, denying a body decomposition is seen as the ultimate form of disrespect.

Common Myths and Legends

'The First" is mentioned in the oldest Arcan legend The legend itself is a creation story with the First being described as a powerful sage that created the Chrysalis ritual and, arguably, the formations of Arcane culture. The legends are older than most Arcan, but most notably there is no record of a name for "The First", an uncharacteristic habit for the Arcan who would record things meticulously.

Historical figures

With much of the Arcan records being lost to time, there are three figures that scholars were able to find surviving records for. These individuals are known as the Thaumaturgists referred to as the Thauma for short. Each of the Thauma originate from the three citadels.
E'arirevelnyx (Eh-are-e-revel-nyx) of the Arcane Hand Aokenest (Ah-o-ken-vest) of the Briar Solanaris (Soul-nah-re) of the Sun-Moon

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

There are no strict beauty standards to that apply to all Arcan. However, it is widely noted that the Arcan viewed fantastical extremities or modifications such as horns, elongated teeth, or claw like nails as attractive.

Gender Ideals

Gender does not exist to the Arcan

Major organizations

The biggest, and so far, only major organization created by the Arcanborne is The Clawed Circle

Encompassed species

• Arcanborne

Related Organizations

• The Clawed Circle
• The Fae Knights