Arcanist
Prevention
See: Blunt Device.
History
No one realized at first that children were being born with affinity for arcana. Some adults realized by accident or chance that they could channel this strange, unseen force within the first year it became available, and those that failed to hide it were seen as one of several things: Angels, demons, or people who needed to be slain to protect the common masses. Regardless, they were definitely seen as a threat. Some cultures saw them as a blessing, people who would lead them into a greater world.
When governments caught wind of their own citizens able to wield potent energy, their response was to separate them from the rest of society, much like they were already doing with psychics, but also to try and enlist them into their respective militaries as living weapons. To appease their potential wrath, most of the associated governments also made a deal with any arcanist who signed on: They would care for their families and make sure they had enough food and money to get by, as well as adequate lodgings.
In winter that same year, when arcana was suddenly no longer volatile just to use, and there was what appeared to be a cap on how much a person could channel at once, the fear died down. People still regarded arcanists with trepidation, and arcanists were still often segregated from the rest of their communities and commonly treated as second-class citizens.
Conflicts regarding this treatment arose in pockets, dozens of minor rebellions breaking out across the world as arcanists fought to regain equal rights. Rather than deny them and fan the flames of looming war, many governments acquiesced to the demands of the arcanists and allowed them to reintegrate into society, along with psychics. Helping matters by this point was the existence of blunts, people able to stifle arcana and psionics.
Those countries who did not grant equal rights to arcanists saw some of the most violent wars in history, which also turned into some of the shortest.
Most of these wars were guerrilla wars, fought in the shadows and carefully planned by a number of clever individuals. These resistances eventually won through sheer attrition, most nations not having the resources to deal with these mystical threats when a less costly option was available, in particular one that did not include a high risk of casualties.
Still, two nations flat refused to heed the demands for equality, and with their arcanists neither so united nor possessing guerrilla tacticians of any note, completely wiped out their arcane populations as a means to regain their peace.
In the modern day, those two countries still ban use of arcana, forcing arcanists to either wear blunter collars or forfeit their lives. This leads many such individuals to seek asylum in other countries.
Cultural Reception
Arcanists in modern times are largely treated with a casual attitude, but some still harbor a healthy amount of fear, for the ability to destroy is always within any arcanist’s grasp. For this reason, arcanists are thoroughly schooled on not only the usage of arcana, but also the unforgiving laws regarding those who abuse their power.
For arcane criminals, they’re first disabled either with a blunt human or with a blunter device, then taken into custody by trained forces. A blunt is kept next to them at all times. Most often, the punishment fits the crime: If arcana was used to kill, it’s a death penalty. For most other crimes, it’s months to years in a blunter-lined prison.
Arcanists of any elemental affinity are strongly encouraged to join their country’s military, and there’s often special pay included in their benefits.Those who don’t join the military sometimes end up in law enforcement, but many are able to obtain and hold normal jobs, the arcane aspect of their lives hardly a defining feature.
Largely, people wish to keep arcanists happy, so most of the time they are left to live their lives as they see fit, provided they don’t make anyone else’s life harder.
See also:
