Codex – Arcana

Posted on March 29, 2017

Aeolyn Aeria Calidus,

                As you requested, I’ve compiled a complete primer that gives an overview of the history and study of Arcana.  I even managed to dig up some good information from the Atra Tabulinum like you asked, which by the way was no simple task.  This definitely makes us even. What exactly do you need all this information for, anyways? I’m sure you know most of it already.  Whatever it is you’re up to, I hope this codex serves you well.

Historia Rosea Trio,

Magistra, Ordo Arcana

Librarium Academia

 

Codex: Arcana

 

The concept of magic in Ardenia stretches back many millennia, and to this day plays a pivotal role in our daily lives and serves as the foundation of society as we know it.  While humans themselves aren’t considered magical in any way, there exists a unique energy surrounding Ardenia that humans can harness to perform incredible feats normally considered impossible by any other means.  This arcane energy, commonly called arc power, can be channeled through a device known as a machinarius, also commonly called an arc driver.  An arc driver can only channel so much arc power before the device risks being burnt out, which means care must be taken when using the device so that it is not overused.  The study and practice of utilizing this energy is known as Arcana, and the guild that oversees its use is known as the Ordo Arcana.

The Ordo Arcana takes much of its culture and practices from the Dragons that dwell in the mountains to the east of Ardenia.   Dragons, unlike humans, have a natural affinity for the arcane, and can cast spells without any external assistance.  There is even evidence to show that Dragons may in fact be incarnations of arcane energy, however further studies would need to be made on the subject.  The use of magic is so powerful it has woven itself into every facet of everyday life since the beginnings of recorded history.  Even today, despite the current energy crisis, it is difficult to imagine life without it, even when it comes to fulfilling the most basic of tasks or needs.

Arcana splits itself into several groups of study, all based around the cycle of creation and destruction that forms the reality we live in, which have in turn created a number of unofficial houses within the Ordo Arcana, each with their own developed culture and personalities.  Rosea Arcana, commonly referred to as Red Magic, studies the beginnings of reality.  Cerea Arcana, commonly referred to as Yellow Magic, studies the changes that occur within reality.  Aeria Arcana, commonly referred to as Blue Magic, studies the ends of reality.  The combined knowledge of all three studies forms the basis of White Magic, Alba Arcana, which grants the wielder the ability to influence and shape the world itself.  Finally, there is black Magic, Atra Arcana, which studies existence as it extends beyond our perception of reality, a form of Arcana whose very concept can be difficult to grasp.

 

Rosea Arcana

The study of life and creation

Rosea Arcana, referred to as Red Magic by the layman, studies the beginnings of reality in the form of life itself and the act of creation.  A user that studies this art is known as a Roseus Magus, or a Red Mage.   So far it has been proven that the arcane energy used by practitioners at the Ordo Arcana is not of this world, although where this energy comes from still remains a mystery.  Furthermore, when this energy is harnessed by an arc driver it can create a bridge between the user and the undefined.  Red Magic focuses on the how it is possible use this bridge to draw the energy into this world and define it as it enters reality.  In other words, Red Mages are capable of creating something from nothing, an amazing feat which can be used for a variety of applications, from creating food out of thin air and summoning creatures, to healing mortal wounds and even lost limbs.  History tells of powerful Red Mages who sprung up entire cities in the blink of an eye, brought the dead back to life or even created entirely new life.  Today, Rosea Arcana plays a very critical role in Academia as the source of the city’s food and curative supply.  While historically the practitioners of Rosea Arcana have always been able to provide the populace with anything it could ever need, the current energy crisis has created a situation where Academia is now faced with limited supply.  Because of this, the activities of Red Mages are more strictly regulated by the Tribunus Alba so that the city’s needs are not stretch so thin as to cause famine or disease.   It is interesting to note that other cities in Ardenia have turned to more crude methods of acquiring food during these troubling times, however the very idea of eating something that came out of the ground does not sound very sanitary – assuming the practice is even safe at all – given the meager studies that discuss it.

The culture within Rosea Arcana is much more friendly and lighthearted than Yellow or Blue Magic, given the kind of the knowledge yielded from the study.  Red Mages pride themselves in lifting others up, and helping those who are in need.  Because of this, they are often the ones you see at sanitariums healing the wounded, and at the forum giving food rations.  They create all manner of art and architecture, using only their imagination and the power granted to them by their arc driver.

Cerea Arcana

The study of growth and transformation

Cerea Arcana, now commonly called Yellow Magic, studies the metamorphosis that occurs between the beginning and end of reality, such as the change that occurs when life grows, or when energy transforms.  Arc power has a curious effect on other forms of energy it interacts with, making the energy much more pliable in the sense that it can easily be transformed into other forms of energy.  Cerea Arcana focuses on how it is possible to use arc power to alter oneself and the surrounding environment.  A user that studies this art is known as a Cereus Magus, or a Yellow Mage.  The applications for Cerea Arcana are immense, and as such it’s very rare that you’ll see two Yellow Mages who carry the same list of Yellow spells.  Such spells can include strengthening the body or even mundane items both in terms of offense and defense or manipulating different elements such as heat, sound, and lightning.  With Cerea Arcana it is possible cast a spell that moves people and objects at will, or even teleport them to an entirely new location.

Some Yellow spells can even, to a more limited extent, mimic the effects of Red and Blue spells.  While these spells are still studied by Yellow Mages, casting them is prohibited.  These two types of spells were formerly called Materia Magica and Anima Magica, two ancient arts that were practiced by the mage guild Ordo Magica, a guild that was long ago defeated during the first Ruina.  Spells in the domain of Materia Magica create objects that the caster can make use of.  While on the surface it may look like Rosea Arcana, it is simply the transformation of existing energy into a physical object.  Since it is an equivalent exchange and not creation, it ultimately limits what the spells are capable of producing.  It’s inferiority to Rosea Arcana is also further perpetuated by the fact that it takes a far larger amount of energy to create an object, making the spells extremely inefficient.   Anima Magica follows the same idea as its counterpart but in the opposite direction: these spells turn physical objects into energy.  Again, while on the surface it looks like Aeria Arcana, it is still an equivalent exchange, not true destruction.  To this day, the spells of Anima Magica remain among the most dangerous spells ever devised by humans, and losing control of such a spell could quickly become catastrophic.

The culture within Cerea Arcana is just as diverse as its spells.  You will find Yellow Mages of all walks of life, all with their own goals and desires, all using the art in their own way.  They occupy professions from craftsmen and merchants, to soldiers and mercenaries, to diplomats and elected officials.  The uses of Yellow spells are quite common as well; even Red and Blue Mages have been known to make use of a few mundane Yellow spells.

Aeria Arcana

The study of death and destruction

Aeria Arcana, commonly called Blue Magic, studies the ends of reality in terms of the act of destruction and the observation of life as it dies and leaves this world.  A Practitioner of Aeria Arcana is known as an Aerius Magus, or a Blue Mage.  In addition to the arc driver’s ability to pull energy into this world, it is possible to push energy out of it, effectively destroying energy.  Blue Mages are fascinated with the border that separates this world from the undefined, much more so than Red Mages, and closely study how to cross that border, or send things across it instead.  This means that most Blue spells are closely tied to destroying things or inflicting harm or even death.

The very nature of Blue Magic makes it a potent weapon of war, and as such the majority of Academia’s military is comprised of Blue Mages.  Blue Mages can crumble buildings, wither away arms and armor, and even sap the life right out of people.  Legends tell of a Blue mage who was so powerful he could erase a person from reality with a single thought.

Because of their studies, outsiders often draw the false conclusion that Blue Mages are obsessed with causing or witnessing death and destruction, but this is not the case.  Blue Mages become intimately familiar with the concept of death, more so than any other mage.  To them it is more of an inevitable force of nature, and so view death without any positive or negative connotation.  A Blue Mage would not wish for death upon a person any more than any other human would.  However, because of their studies and their familiarity with the transient nature of life they often appear distant and indifferent to others.

Alba Arcana

The study of reality and the shaping of its boundaries

To learn a single branch of Arcana is not a trivial task.  Each one is filled with generations of spells, lore and even their own developed societies and culture.  Mastering even a single form of Arcana could take a lifetime to accomplish.  However, there a small number of people within the guild that have the will, the ambition, or the sheer talent to master all three studies of Arcana.  These master spell casters hold a unique perspective of Arcana as a whole, and are able to use spells from all three studies in combination to achieve results no one study could get.  Alba Arcana, commonly called White Magic, focuses on how the casting of different spells in harmony can shape reality to fit the needs of the caster.  These casters are known as Albus Magus, or White Mages. They are without a doubt among the most powerful humans in the world, so powerful that even the Dragons are forced to acknowledge their abilities.

A number of White Mages are selected to serve a central committee known as the Tribunus Alba.  Effectively the leaders of the Ordo Arcana, they are a board that manages the day-to-day activities within the Ordo Arcana, as well as directs its policies.  While the Tribunus Alba has the final say on any decisions regarding the direction of the Ordo Arcana, because of the sheer size of the guild the Tribunus will often create subcommittees composed of a select number of Mages from the organization and delegate work to them.

Practitioners of Alba Arcana represent the most elite of the Ordo Arcana, and are widely respected and feared by both their friends and adversaries.  Here in Academia, they are also treated like celebrities, and even have their own trading cards.  Because of their status and influence, it is very easy for them to rally supporters for any cause, and thus White Mages are frequently found in leadership positions, be it the leader of a philosophical movement, the head of a government office, or as the general of an army.

Atra Arcana

The study of existence beyond reality

To those who have not studied Arcana in-depth may not see much of a difference between Alba Arcana and Atra Arcana, as they both capable of the same thing: to reshape reality to benefit the caster.  However, the implementation of this ideal, as well as the means by which the caster can do so, is what really separates these two arts.  While White Mages benefit from possessing the awesome power of the Dragons themselves, at the end of the day they still suffer from the same limitation: that they are ultimately bound to this world, and are still subjected to its nature and to others.  An Atra Magus, also known as a Black Mage, isn’t bound by these same rules.  As a Black Mage learns more about existence beyond the borderline, the supposed origin of arcane energy, reality simply ceases to apply to the individual, thus allowing the caster to perform feats that are simply incomprehensible.  The difference can best be described using an analogy told by the practitioner Sol Atra Candidus.

Imagine a room with stacked boxes.  If the room were the world a Mage of the Ordo Arcana would be a person inside this room.  A White Mage can rearrange the boxes in any way the Mage sees fit, and even throw boxes out the door, or bring boxes into the room.  However, the Mage’s knowledge and abilities are ultimately finite, for the mage can’t see past the boxes, nor can the mage look in all directions at once to see the entire room.  While the White Mage is altering the world in parts, he could never alter the world as a whole.  The room itself is what the White Mage has to deal with, but what if that didn’t need to be the case?  If the White Mage is a person inside the room in this analogy moving boxes from the inside, a Black Mage would be some outside of this room looking into it.  This person would be able to see everything happening in the room at the same time, and could manipulate the room in its entirety, be it the boxes, the people within it, or even the room itself.

Based on the accounts of some Black Mages within the community, a practitioner of Atra Arcana could make fundamental changes to reality and it would go completely unnoticed to anyone living within it: to the average person living within the world, it has always been that way.  When a member of the Ordo Arcana becomes a Black Mage, they automatically become a part an isolated society that continually work to keep its own members in check, as well as continue to contest Selva, the Black Dragon, so as to maintain stability within the world and to keep it from falling into the hands of any one person.

It is often said that studying Aeria Arcana is the gateway to studying Atra Arcana, and that isn’t far from the truth.  Because of a Blue Mages fascination with the realm beyond the border lines of reality, it’s only natural that they would have more in common with Black Mages than any other kind of mage.   While they share a similar detachment like Blue Mages, A Black Mage can quickly lose interest in the physical world, and sometimes with lethal consequences.  Black Mages are rarely, if ever, seen directly participating in the affairs of the world, sometimes even when it comes to taking care of their own bodies.  It can become so bad that there have been reports of Black Mages starving to death simply because they stopped bothering to eat.  Only a handful of people throughout written history have ever become full-fledged Black Mages.  Even at its height, the average person would never witness a practitioner of Atra Arcana.

The last known living Black Mage, Theurgus Atra Atellus, has retired from the Ordo Arcana and is currently residing in the city of Concord.  Before he left, he had asked to the Tribunus Alba to forbid the practice of Atra Arcana.  This ban is still in effect to this day; though Mages can still study the art, casting black spells are strictly prohibited.  Still, very few Mages even attempt the study due to the stigma of danger that has been attached to the art.