The Arcanum

In the Empire of Evernight, 16 great and terrible spires once stood. Each of these were tied to a powerful black sorcerer, and these sorcerers came to be known as the Arcanum. Each member had a particular strength in their use of these dark magics, but all of them held a deck of Tarot Cards that could produce terrible powers. These Black Decks, as they were called, were what separated the Arcanum apart from all other Liches, Black Sorcerers or other great arcane evils.
These Black Decks were crafted from the original “Master Deck”, which itself had no intrinsic alignment. This Master Deck was required in order to make them. Each deck was copied from it, and with their command of black sorcery, turned into the Black Decks we know of today. So long as at least half of a deck remains, the cards within could be replaced.
Over the centuries due to war and conflict or other means, 6 of the 16 towers were destroyed along the Arcanum Sorcerers who controlled them. One of the first were destroyed by its own ruler for unknown reasons, but in the turmoil, he had stolen the Master Deck and had not been seen for some time.

Without the Master Deck, no new decks could be created, and so from then on, the only way to become an Arcanum was to kill a current member and take their deck. Now only 10 spires stand, and they guard their seats with great care. Some have gone rogue, turning against Evernight such as Commodore Vagos, who stole Evernight’s Black Fleet, while others such as Carlotta Tellinghast have tried to claim the throne of the Empire when she once had control of the Pentirr Knights.
The Master Deck resurfaced when it was found to be in the hands of Necrophitus Arkane, who upon his defeat had lost the deck. The Master Deck now resides with Cennius the Soulforger, who had been given the deck by the heroes who had beaten Necrophitus under the conditions he would return it to Chronicler -- to whom the deck originally belonged -- when he was finished with his work.
Since then, Carlotta and Vagos have been defeated. The currently known Arcanum are:

• Desmodania Shadowdale, Admiral of the Dread Iron Fleet of Evernight
• Cennius the Soulforger, wielder of the Master Deck