Arcanism

What is a Spell?

Spells, casts, arcane effects, there are many terms to define what practitioners of the arcane are capable of. With every learned spell, practitioners often find themselves wondering what a spell truly is and how they are made. This question does not have a cut-and-dry answer. There are many different ways to practice the arcane and therefore many different kinds of spells, and many definitions that define them. In this article we will look at every different practitioner of arcane power and break down how they define spells and how these spells are created and used.

The basics

One must understand the factors that unite all methods of spell casting. This semi-scientific study of spells is called arcanism, and is what an Arcanist, or mage, truly specializes in. First and foremost, there are two kinds of magical practice: Causal and compelled.

• Causal Arcana is the act of causing arcane effects to occur through ones own strength and intent. Is considered the most versatile method but tends to be significantly more tiring on the caster. Furthermore it means that at any given point in time, the most powerful spells are at your fingertips if you have the strength for it. Examples of causal practice includes Shamans, Arcanists, The Oathbound, and Zealots.

• Compelled Arcana is the act of making oneself a medium through which arcane effects move through. This is often called mediumship. Those who practice it simply set up the right conditions or rely on what is around them to achieve arcane effects. Imagine these practitioners as the brush, the Arcane effects they cast is the paint and the rules of reality are the artist. Compelled practitioners include Bards, Druids, The Ink-stained Quills, and Sages. On top of that, all rituals are compelled arcane effects.

Synergy

Arcane Synergy is the process of combining arcane elements in an attempt to elicit a desired arcane effect. The concept has been around for a considerable period of time but the perfection of synergy developed in recent times. The concept is simple enough. If I take principles of elementalism and add elements of Arcana Emota, I should be able to alter my elemental spells with emotion. This particular combination is the oldest form of synergy. Arcana Emota happens to be the only genre that synergizes well with every other genre.

Synergy is a process only available to arcanists because of their ability to understand and Implement entire genres. One must fully understand the genre to be able to apply it. Synergies are not just unique abilities one can learn, but are also a sign of mastery, an accomplishment that symbolizes intelligence and endurance.

A house divided

Most causal practitioners consider mediumship to be cheating. They take advantage of how reality works and bypass the immense amount of training and knowledge required perform causal Arcana. This doesn't make them any less powerful though. While mediums must rely on adapting to what is around them, they can cast spells with significantly less effort.

Building blocks

Energy requires a deconstruction of a genre into its fundamental parts. An arcanist who has mastered a genre will be able to isolate the key elements In that genre that cannot be ignored. Every genre of magic in Expedition Demeter is its own magic system with its own rules and limitations. The arcanist gets to be meta for a moment, understanding these rules and limitations and finding out how to either circumvent them or increase their power in spite of them. They take these building blocks and construct their own version of the genres they master. They combine these building blocks into a new, single structure.

Dialects

An arcane dialect is a language, spoken or written, used to enhance, alter, negate, or create arcane effects. Effectively, they are symbols, incantations, names, phrases, and other elements of linguistic power that come with an Arcane Genre. They are designed to make the use of their respective genre easier and more efficient.

The concept is most recognized in Arcana Formulae and Arcana vox, but many examples exist. Some speculate that all genres of magic have a dialect in one way or another. Some dialects act as their own form of arcane power such as Ozolithian Axioms. In fact, The Ozolithian Language is unique in and of itself. Its written form is a powerful arcane dialect given to the people of Ozlith by their gods.

• Incantation: Many genres have tried and true incantations, words and phrases that can act on arcane power in a variety of ways. By saying the incantation, one can radically change the spell they want to cast, or even cast it by uttering the phrase alone.
  Example: Nominubi

• Symbolism: Symbols in dialects are the oldest form of dialect their is. By using symbols in a given dialect, one can enhance rituals and set arcane traps.
  Example: Runes

• Personal Power: Just as dialects have appeared overtime, in recent years it was discovered that one can make their own dialect with practice and hard work. This dialect works only for those who have deep personal connection to it, meaning the creator and those who learned the dialect from the creator.
  Example: Arcana formulae

• Secrecy: Some use dialects not for the effect but for the secrecy that it can give. There is something to be said about knowing a language few others know. It's hard to decrypt arcane dialects due to many factors, and many mages have taken advantage of this fact.

What makes a dialect?

Their are three key elements that make a dialect work. So long as the three are present, anyone can create and learn the dialect in question.

1. Spoken or written: Spoken dialects are easier to learn than written dialects. Simply knowing the phrase and its intent can be enough. Written dialects are harder to learn but are more solid and less prone to failure. depending on the genre.


2. Intent: The intent is simply what the purpose of a dialect is. What was this incantation designed to do? What does this symbol mean? Intent is the most crucial aspect of an arcane dialect. Once learned, it makes using the dialect possible.


3. Aesthetic: Often times, a dialect requires an appreciation on the part of the student. Some dialects are created with intentional sounds and specifically designed symbols. Sometimes it can capitalize on its implication to achieve its goal, such as using rough and guttural sounds to boost strength. This also means that one can create a dialect that requires the learner to enjoy the aesthetic in order to use it.

The Faces of Spellcasting

Arcanists

The pinnacle of arcane power comes from The arcanist. Often referred to as mages, they are not limited by the arbitrary confines of single spells. Their spells are malleable and modular. They can take elements of a spell out and add new ones in. For the arcanist, a spell is nothing more than a manifestation of arcane power. Their spells have no history surrounding them and are often created on the spot by the caster. The arcanist is aware of what their known Arcane Genres allow and what they do not. This allows them to mix and match qualities and effects of spells as they so please. The practice requires a great deal of training and quick thinking.

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Zealots and Paladins :

Members of religious organizations have utilized the power of Miracles for eons. For them a spell is only usable with enough faith and favor. Faith is built within themselves, and favor is their reward for giving that faith. This is an exchange that has defined mortals and their relationship to their gods since the first gods emerged.

Oathbound :

The Oathbound can use individual spells, Thoughtform Armories, and any other arcane power their domain grants to them. This exchange is made when the oathbound proves their usefulness to whatever they are bound to.

Shamans (Causal):

Shaman steal their power, usually in exchange for something when they meet metaphysical beings. Shamans do not learn spells in a traditional way. They are given power and just happened to know how to use it on instinct, similar to how the oath-bound work.

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Bards:

Bards utilize conceptual spells. Each spell defines an archetype and these archetypes are divided into compositions (original work created by the bard during the spells duration) or routines (previously prepared work that is committed to memory and played, spoken, or performed by the bard during the spells duration).

Spells like Fragile are compositions and usually require certain conditions to be met before casting. Synchronize which is the bardic method of Attunement, is a routine. To a Bard, a spell is arcane effect that comes from the concept, emotion, and intent behind it. Bard's have learned how to tap into cultural meaning and aesthetics, and allow those elements to move through them, producing spells.

Druids:

Druids are mediums by choice. They do not want to bring more into the world that is not meant to be in the environment they find themselves in. They rely on the Arcane Energy that exists in their immediate environment to achieve arcane effects. Druids are keenly aware of pockets or blisters in reality.

These reservoirs build up between the layers of skin that make up the physical and the metaphysical worlds. They can draw out the energy, and funnel it into their environment. Spells at a druid's disposal are random, and dependent on the environment they are in. Druids can end up casting some of the most powerful spells one can imagine with the slightest effort, or find themselves with no power at all.

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Sages:

Sages confound most arcane scholars. The first sages found a way to observe Arcane energy into themselves instead of releasing it in the form of arcane power. The energy that they pull within them grants them many different abilities, but they are not techniqually spells. They are principles of personal enlightenment handed down over time as they are slowly improved upon and perfected.

Quills:

Quills rely on shared knowledge of their entire organization through the influence of The Inkwell. They are warrior scholars who fish for information that give them an edge. The ink moves through them and gives them some individual spells, but these spells are reliant on the ink they have on their person.