The Grand Arcaneum
“Magic recognizes no kings. No borders. No laws. It is its own master, as much as mortals may believe otherwise. Yet, how typical of mortals to exacerbate that folly, believing it may be otherwise when they bolster each other’s conviction in the perpetration of abusing magic for their own ends. In a cycle of error. So, it falls upon the Society! To correct mortal attempts to abuse magics. Attempts which would have brought about their own undoing, as did the War of the Scourge. It. Makes. Us. Necessary.
Turn now, then, to the horizon, and tell me what stands there. Oh! Yes, the Grand Arcaneum, in fact! As the materialization, the physical symbol to the Society’s reason. It is a simultaneous testament to the magical ingenuity and to its temperance, for the purpose with which it was built. So, to that effect: no. I fear not the threats of mortal kingdoms. The likes of Avon or Taillean; Conais and Hanaire. The Arcane Society has existed before their inceptions, for most of them. And the Grand Arcaneum has endured the tests of time, of war and conflict. Has been hailed with fire and brimstone, and the armaments of the irrational. To no lasting issue. Varia’s civilizations may crumble, but I have no doubt that tower will remain. Though if it falls, then it would be the end of an era.”
Architecture
The Grand Arcaneum appears as a massive tower made of stone, several hundred feet in height, with a near featureless exterior that makes it resemble a monolith more than any building one might see in the vicinity of Curieux. The only breaks in the aesthetic monotony are the red tiled conical roof and the fifteen foot wide blackened wooden double doors.
The first line of defense lies in the Prismatic Bridge that connects the Isle of Faen to the city of Curieux. The bridge has the option of being destroyed to prevent creatures from physically reaching the isle. Furthermore, the Arcaneum's structure has been imbued with abjuration magicks of the highest order, which can repel spells and magical effects from affecting the structure or piercing through to the interior.
Similar defenses extend to the Arcaneum's interior. Constructs, enchantments, and other wards are known to have been placed within its confines in the event of a successful invasion. The layout of the Arcaneum may also be altered based on controls by the Magisters Magni.
Defenses
The Grand Arcaneum possesses some of the most potent magical defenses known to the continent of Varia. Control of these defenses remains the purview of the Grand Magister and the Magisters Magni, which has led to the saying that "a Magister must always be found within the wall of the Grand Arcaneum."The first line of defense lies in the Prismatic Bridge that connects the Isle of Faen to the city of Curieux. The bridge has the option of being destroyed to prevent creatures from physically reaching the isle. Furthermore, the Arcaneum's structure has been imbued with abjuration magicks of the highest order, which can repel spells and magical effects from affecting the structure or piercing through to the interior.
Similar defenses extend to the Arcaneum's interior. Constructs, enchantments, and other wards are known to have been placed within its confines in the event of a successful invasion. The layout of the Arcaneum may also be altered based on controls by the Magisters Magni.
History
Several decades after the establishment of the Arcane Society, the Archmage Vyliar'faeien and the first iteration of the Magisters Magni utilized Aeldis Arcanum to construct the Grand Arcaneum on the Isle of Faen, located on the southwest coast of Varia. Subsequent generations of the Arcane Society continued bolserting its fortifications. They also contributed further physlical expansion of the exterior as with the addition of Meslraine's Walk to connect to the Archives Infinium. However, following millennia saw the removal of these additions, leaving only the massive monolith-esque structure on the Isle.
The inside of the Arcaneum has been more fluid organization throughout the existence of the Arcane Society. The specific details of its appearance are subject to change, dependent on the whims of the Society's upper brass.
Presently, the Arcaneum is geographically considered a part of the city of Curieux, within the confines of Conais.
"Working in the Arcaneum is amazing. I would never wish for any occupation elsewhere. However, I pity the sods who get assigned to the mailroom."
Type
Tower, Mage
Parent Location
Owning Organization
Related Report (Primary Locations)
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