Arcana
"Arcana is... a little difficult to explain or understand, if you've never seen it in action. The old world would have simply called it magic, but since it's something we can understand and harness, that makes it a force of nature instead of an inexplicable mystery. Arcana unharnessed by an arcanist is neutral in the air, harmless and invisible. "When harnessed, it can manifest as fire, bits of earth, water, blades of wind, rays of light, moving shadows, and more, at the wielder's command, and you can do nearly anything with it if you can control it well enough. Not everyone has the capacity for it, though, like not everyone has the capacity for more than the most basic of psionics." -Sholto Liam
Origins and Fundamentals
Arcana emerged on Terra in 3028 RN when the newly formed gods of light and darkness gifted humanity with access to cosmic energy. Called "creativity-based elemental control" by the philosopher Solamni, arcana represents Terra's unique manifestation of the universal alkos energy that permeates all reality. Unlike other star systems where alkos flows freely and chaotically, Sol's cosmic filter—a vast, divine structure established by the gods of light and darkness—imposes a protective buffer between raw alkos and those who would access it. This filter enables safer manipulation while limiting potential power, explaining why Terran arcanists don't require the complex spell structures used by practitioners on worlds like Yalasra. The cosmic filter translates mental intent directly into structured manipulation, eliminating the need for spell structures while imposing natural capacity limits on individual users. This system allows for intuitive use of arcana while preventing catastrophic overloading.Affinity System
Not everyone is born with the ability to use arcana—approximately 15 out of every 100 people possess this capability. Among those with the capacity, affinities for specific elements vary considerably. Divine imprinting during the reincarnation cycle determines these affinities. As souls pass through Anak'shi's domain during rebirth, the cosmic filter reads each soul's essential nature—core aspects that persist despite cleansing. Based on this reading, the system automatically assigns elemental affinities, occasionally with direct divine intervention to maintain overall balance when necessary. Some individuals may have access to multiple elements, while a scarce few demonstrate affinity for the entire spectrum equally. Strength of affinity varies as well, with some arcanists naturally more powerful than others. Despite early theories connecting affinities to zodiac signs, the correlation remains imperfect, suggesting the divine assessment system accounts for factors beyond simple personality traits. It is also an observed phenomenon that those who are transformed into Terran vampires are suddenly gifted with not only a threshold increase, but an affinity for an arcana they may never have had access to before, based entirely on the clan's Lord - for example, those who become part of Clan Raimondi gain access to water arcana. Why this is has entirely to do with the so-called curse the sealed Verith bestowed upon his zealots.Elemental Manifestations
Fire
One of two elements whose manifestation is unnaturally colored, and also one of the hardest to control. Fire arcana manifests in the color of the wielder's primary aura, meaning it can be any color on the visual spectrum. The higher the heat, the brighter the color burns, potentially reaching white at extreme temperatures. Fire arcanists can both manifest flame from ambient energy and manipulate existing flame sources. Advanced practitioners may develop limited control over heat itself and, in rare cases, achieve rudimentary plasma manipulation.Air
Invisible even when manifested, air arcana is felt rather than seen. It can be compressed into fine blades, solidified into barriers, formed into buffeting winds, or even transformed into small twisters. Larger scale manifestations, such as tornadoes, require immense energy that most individuals cannot channel alone. Masters of air arcana may develop the ability to manipulate sound waves, creating zones of silence or amplifying distant conversations.Water
Water arcana can be manifested both from ambient moisture and directly from alkos. Practitioners can manipulate water in liquid form or call it forth as ice through a process called pre-freezing, which typically requires advanced skill. Creative users can manipulate any liquid containing significant water content, though controlling fluids within living bodies requires life arcana capabilities. Exceptional water arcanists can manipulate the temperature of water within a limited range without changing its state.Earth
Earth arcana allows manipulation of rock, soil, and minerals, either called from the ground itself or manifested from alkos. While arcanists can temporarily create precious stones and metals, these manifestations dissipate after minutes or hours as alkos naturally disperses. Highly skilled practitioners may develop limited control over refined metals, though this represents the far edge of earth arcana's domain.Economic Abuse
Initially this power was heavily abused to look like gold or coinage, or even diamonds. It ended up creating jobs for other earth arcanists, who are now the most commonly employed clerks and cashiers, since they are able to detect counterfeit currency made by arcana. In fact, just about anyone making transactions these days and expecting to receive physical currency tend to have an earth arcanist on hand, just to avoid getting duped. Those unable to employ an earth arcanist may forbid hard currency sales altogether, instead demanding credit or debit only. Attempting to use arcana for the purpose of counterfeiting is, in fact, a crime, and those caught in the act serve jail time.
Electricity
The second element whose manifestation matches the wielder's aura color. Electricity arcana can be channeled from personal bioelectricity or manifested directly. While relatively easy to call forth, it remains among the most difficult to control precisely. Static discharges require minimal effort, but lightning bolts demand tremendous energy and concentration. Masters of electricity arcana can sometimes sense and interact with electronic systems, though this interaction remains crude compared to purpose-built technology.Light
Light arcana allows practitioners to bend existing light sources or manifest illumination directly. Applications include creating illusions, generating blinding flashes, producing illumination in darkness, and, with sufficient concentration, focusing light into cutting beams or heat-generating rays. While light manipulation can create invisibility effects that fool the naked eye and certain technologies, it cannot hide practitioners from aura sight or thermal detection.Dark
Dark arcana grants control over shadows and absence of light. Practitioners can enshroud areas in darkness, create shadow constructs, and generate projectiles of solidified darkness. Advanced users can briefly access the Plane of Shadow that sits parallel to Terra's dimension, allowing for short-range teleportation through shadow-stepping. The most accomplished dark arcanists can create zones of absolute darkness that absorb all light, though maintaining such effects requires continuous concentration.Life
Life arcana represents the rarest naturally occurring elemental affinity, with approximately 1 in 100,000 arcanists born with this capability. It encompasses biomancy (biological manipulation) and healing. The biomancy aspect requires extensive knowledge of biology to use effectively, while healing comes more intuitively, directed primarily by willpower and intent. Life arcanists serve crucial roles in medical settings, though ethical boundaries around biological manipulation remain strictly enforced in most societies.Death
Death arcana manipulates the boundaries between life and death, granting limited control over life force and soul energies. Unlike other arcana types, death arcana is directly overseen by Anak'shi, requiring specific rituals to access legitimately. Applications include communicating with lingering spirits, perceiving life force, draining energy from living beings, and in rare cases, transferring arcane capabilities between individuals. Misuse of death arcana carries severe consequences, including corruption of the user's soul that persists through reincarnation.Deity Control
It is theorized that as more deities awaken, other types of arcana may have more gated usage as well, but this is as of yet unconfirmed.
Holy
Manifesting typically as white flame, holy arcana can heal wounds and repel corrupted entities like demons and certain vampires. Long thought to be exclusively accessible to divine agents, historical records mention a handful of mortals who achieved this capability through unknown means.Holifenic
Exclusive to Holifenars, holifenic arcana manifests as reddish-black flame, smoke, or miasma. It corrodes and decays whatever it touches, making it among the most destructive forms of energy manipulation known.Practical Applications and Limitations
Arcana requires no spells or casting time beyond basic gestures and mental focus. The primary limitations are the user's creativity, mental stamina, and physical endurance. Using arcana burns calories at an accelerated rate, requiring practitioners to consume substantial nutrition to avoid self-harm during extended use. The cosmic filter imposes natural thresholds on how much arcana any individual can channel at once. This limitation prevents catastrophic overloading while still allowing for significant growth in capability through practice and training. Some individuals naturally possess higher thresholds than others, though even these exceptional cases remain bound by the filter's fundamental constraints. Despite its power, arcana manipulation remains energy-intensive and cannot replace technology in many applications. Most societies on Terra have developed hybrid approaches that combine arcane capabilities with conventional technology, creating specialized roles for arcanists within broader technological frameworks.
Type
Metaphysical, Arcane
