Arcanism

Arcanism is both the eldest of all magic and set the foundation for all magic to come. It is the manipulation of pure voidal energy and transcends beyond natural properties seen in elemental evocations.

A brief history:

Once, there existed the first Arcane Mage and it was he who gifted the descendant races with magic. At the beginning all magic existed in very simplistic, yet unrestricted, forms and was only known by a small handful of individuals. The Arcane Mage held his own unique variation which was dubbed Arcane Evocation. Through misfortune and a lack of will to see it passed on led to the disappearance of the original Arcane Evocation. What we regard Arcanism as is a completely separate variation from it's original form and it is hypothesized that as magical theory developed the descendant's access to the void became more focused, albeit limited. It is because of this that the old form is neither taught in practice nor theory.

However it is possible, though not yet accomplished, that the line of Arcanists can all be drawn back to two individuals. These two individuals each saw to the development of Arcanism but existed centuries apart and their craft differed wildly from each other. The first individual is the Arcane Mage who crafted an art that followed no form. Through this form the world was introduced to the full spectrum of elemental magic. Red streams of water and green flames, each unique to the few who learned the magic. After the First Arcane Mage the secret of Arcane Evocation was kept from individual to individual. Magic was largely a secret study during this time with only elemental magics being widespread. It is because of this that somewhere along the lines the magic was lost, but not forgotten.

Centuries after the First Arcane Mage left the descendants a young elf living in the mali'aheral city of Lin'evaral in Anthos, noted as originally being an acrobat and a survivor of the Aegis exodus, was guided to the Anthosian Mages Guild where he came into contact with a wizard by the name of Ambros. The wizard was an ancient being with an exceedingly large amount of knowledge at his disposal. It was he who first enthralled the young elf with the concept of Arcane Evocation and although the wizard would soon vanish, leaving the elf without a proper teacher, a new Arcane Mage would emerge regardless.

Iatrilemar Elervathar, formally belonging to the Thar bloodline, brought about the resurgence of Arcane Evocation, dubbing it Arcane Shielding as his specific form revolved around evoking defensive barriers to dispel attacks and bastion the user and their allies. The process of developing the magic was nothing short of a prodigal achievement granting the Thar boy the title of the 11th Arcane Mage, ushering in the rebirthed age of Arcanism. Those considered to be Arcane mages 2-10 held the title but neither the ability of the original or the prodigal nature of the 11th. This renewed form of magic quickly began expanding, filling in some of the lost ancient art to encompass a larger variety of intricate spells. Though each caster finds finds their magic taking on a specific color unique to their person the list of discovered spells is largely defined.

Towards the end of the Anthosian period the large majority of descendants escaped to the Fringe as their previous lands suffered annihilation at the hands of a massive flood. It is speculated that the Fringe somehow increased the void's potency, allowing free reign of many magics. Beforehand the 11th Arcane Mage had mastered and taught three students the art of Arcanism however the knowledge of the magic quickly became much more widespread as the Fringe was inhabited. It is because of this that the 11th Arcane Mage is considered the last true Arcane Mage and that the title of the 12th Arcane Mage lays dormant and likely will continue to for the foreseeable future.

Overview of properties:

Arcanism is considered a higher tier of magic that requires increased attention during the learning process. The act of evoking Arcanism can be described as the culmination of many tiny wisps, each translucent, colored and bright. It is through these wisps that the Arcanist can form an increasing array of spells, most of which serve specific tasks. Arcanism, in its current state, can be broken down into four specialties. Projectiles, Shielding, Weaponry, & Art.

Projectiles offer the mage a variety of ranged spells that provide superior firepower in comparison to any other magic. The smallest spell is referred to as an arcane missile no bigger than an apple that, when thrown, causes a concussive blast. An example of large spell is an arcane beam which can be equated to the power of ten or so arcane missiles all cast at once. The larger spells also deal concussive damage but as the power ramps up so does its ability to utterly obliterate its target (at the expense of mana).

Shielding is the oldest specialization and almost completely defensive. It was conceived around the idea that to cast an arcane shield the user must achieve perfect balance in both body and mind. From the smallest shield being a flat disc that to the larger spells being complete bubble barriers around the caster or allies arcane shielding offers a form of defense superior to any natural metal and causes blows against it to recoil. (The Colossal Shield is a special case, being a shield that can cover an entire city and can be fueled by more than one caster but requires complete stillness and focus.)

Weaponry begins delving into a more varied specialization of the magic that depends on the caster for their unique interpretation moreso than the previously mentioned specializations. While it is impossible to create weaponry that will have the sharpness that regular weaponry they have their merits. The weaponry evoked will be weightless and when used will cause concussive hits stronger than natural weaponry. It has been studied that most weapons only last 3-6 hits before breaking but this hasn't stopped many hopeful mystic knights from using arcane blades to increase the effect of their parries and ripostes.

Art is a specialization that revolves mainly around creating entertainment and arcane sculptures. It is said only the most practiced and skilled Arcanists will be able to master arcane art and should be revered as such. Due to its freeform nature it is impossible to list the spells involved however it has been noted that one practiced in this specialization can also obscure an enemies vision using the magic as a psuedo-fog.

While these four specializations account for all known spells of Arcanism it is not impossible for new specializations to develop. However attempting to master all of Arcanism is equivalent to attempting to master up to two, perhaps even three, separate subtypes of magic. It is therefore that should new specializations come to fruition the current Arcane Mage should be included in the discovery and documentation process.

((OOC))

This is not a complete guide to the magic and serves mainly as the historical side of the magic told through the eyes of the 11th Arcane Mage. If you are an Arcanist and are hoping to add new spells to this magic it is very much a possibility. Come talk to me, BrandNewKitten, and tell me about the spell you'd like to add and I will see what I can do.

For further reading:

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/138894-~-arcanism-~/