Argenti

Arcana

Every Arcana, which is a spell, essentially, is built of the same Energy; the nine Essences, or elements as they’re commonly known. An Essence is the energy that powers a spell, deciding what the magic effects and determining what Attributes of the soul it draws on. An Art, on the other hand, is how you use the essence to have your desired effect. Each House has their own Art bound into their bloodline. To compare to the creative process, Essences are the medium which you use, while Arts are what you actually create using that medium. 

 

Here are the nine Essences;

Veshu: Life

Sankta: Violence

Rent: Death

Lower Mind

Kanda: Space

Akash: Understanding

Zelva: Emotion

Lower Soul

Mespi: Time

Dera: Beauty

Krin: Fortune

 

 

 

Essences

Veshu: Life

As blood flows through the veins, Veshu runs through the world’s roots.

 

Life, the pulsing heart, is ever-growing; Veshu is the force that drives all living things, both Flora and Fauna. Veshu is the purest essence of the body, as life will grow regardless of soul or mind. Too little Veshu makes things wilt or waste away; too much is cancerous and virulent. Veshu is a Material and Ceaseless essence, restless and focused purely on the physical world. When physically manifested, Veshu appears as plant matter. When imbued into an object, Veshu can make things grow, expand, or heal. 

 

OOC: Veshu can heal, control plants, and grow plants. If it has to do with the life force of living things or plants, it falls under Veshu's purview. Veshu can make people stronger and larger too, but that’s ill-advised, because you might turn into a giant ball of cancer. It can target specific people, bloodlines, or life forms when you use it in an Arcana. 

 

Kanda: Space

The Shining Mountain stretches ever higher, scratching the vault of the heavens. Kanda unleashed.

Space, the way between; Kanda is the span between here and there. Kanda is the Mind ruled by the Body- our innate awareness of the physical world. Too little Kanda compresses and folds space; too much balloons and stretches it. Kanda is a Material and Resolute Essence, Stubborn, and focused purely on the physical world. When physically manifested, Kanda appears as stone. When imbued into an object, Kanda makes things gain or lose weight.

 

OOC: Kanda can control things like gravity magic, teleportation, space folding, portals, and so forth. With enough power, you can create a pocket dimension. Depending on how esoteric you get with it, you can also bind stuff between the stars —whatever that means. You can change the range and Area of an Arcana using this.

 

The plane of Kanda

 

Mespi: Time

One hand turns another as eons stretch on- Mespi remains.

Time, the never-ending stream; Mespi is the marching years that scourge the earth. Mespi is the Soul ruled by the body- what could be, commanded by what is. Too little Mespi unmoors one from time, too much ages to nothing. Mespi is a Nigh-Material and Uncaring essence; it does not notice and focuses on the physical world. When physically manifested, Mespi appears as water. When imbued into an object, Mespi may make things immune to time or manipulate their position in time. 

 

OOC: Mespi is all-time magic- but going backwards always ends in disaster, and looking forward is spotty at best. You can do slow AOEs, speed yourself up, and throw yourself forward in the timeline. You can trap people in isolated timelines or remove them from time entirely. You can trap people in time loops, but only from the moment of casting, and it's really just an isolated timeline. You can make magic last longer or come into effect later by using this in an Arcana.

 

Sankta: Violence

Flint meets flesh as a hungry arrow snaps through the air. Sankta drives it forward.

Violence, the age-old tool that spins the world; Sankta is the uneasy restlessness that lurks in the heart of every man. Sankta is the Body ruled by the Mind- the physical dancing to the passions of the mind. Too little Sankta drives one to inaction and sloth, too much to frenzy. Sankta is Nigh-Material and Ceaseless essence, restless and mainly focused on the physical world, yet driven by the immaterial. When physically manifested, Sankta appears as Lightning. When imbued into an object, Sankta makes things more deadly.

 

OOC: Sankta is the magic of motion- speeding things up, or slowing things down. However, it also controls the skills and aspects that kill things. You can turn weapons sharper, men more powerful, armour stronger- so long as it involves or could help with violence, it works. You could even inflict wounds directly, if you so choose. Sankta can make magic happen faster or manifest more focused if used in an Arcana.

 

 

Akash: Understanding

A thousand thousand scrolls, the memories of ages past. A revelation! Akash whispers it.

Understanding the goal of us all; Akash is knowledge at its finest, revealing all in its blasphemous light. Akash is the purest essence of the mind, intuition driven by reason, awareness through logic. Too little Akash makes us forget, too much shatters the mind. Akash is an Immaterial, Uncaring Essence, focused purely on truth, heedless of what it must break. When physically manifested, Akash appears as light. When imbued into an object, Akash lets one understand things.

 

OOC: Akash is the magic of knowledge and understanding. Anything that has to do with the senses or memories, Akash is the essence you want. Far-seeing, pulling the truth from someone’s mind, finding someone- Akash can do all of these things. Learning more about something is a slow job, so if you want to learn more about the magical essences of an object or place, you’ll need Akash, and a lot of it. Akash can make magic more complex when used in an Arcana.

 

 

Dera: Beauty

Splendid forms bring joy and delight. Behold, Dera.

Beauty, our truest joy; Dera is the delicate sweetness that makes life worth living. Dera is the soul undermining mind- A charm that fools intuition. Dera is an Immaterial, Resolute Essence, refusing to budge on its desire for Aesthetics. When physically manifested, Dera appears as glass. When imbued into an object, Dera makes things better. 

 

OOC: Dera is the magic of enchantment and illusions- Dera can not make something be something it’s not, but you can improve (or degrade) it into something else. You could disguise yourself by making yourself really ugly or pretty, but you couldn’t transform into another person. You need an outer essence for that. Where Dera really shines is its ability to enchant. Basically, mind control. You can fascinate people with it. Another cool use is to make items “better” ; what that means depends on the item and the GM’s mood. Typically, you can make it a better example of that kind of item. Dera can add effects (Visuals, sounds, ect) to an Arcana when used with it.

 

 

Rent: Death

In cold tombs lie colder forms, and in those still halls, Rent prevails.

Death, the fear of all; Rent is the final judge for all, the great equalizer. Rent is the body ruled by the Soul- willpower is all that makes something die, and Death is the strongest will of all. Too little Rent leads to the undead, too much to ceaseless endings. Rent is an Uncaring, Nigh-Immaterial essence, though death isn’t a physical process; it affects the physical, but Rent cares not for the matters of the world. When physically manifested, Rent appears as cold. When imbued into an object, Rent allows one to put things to their final deaths, decay, or prevent healing.

 

OOC: Rent is necromancy magic. Duh. But what’s weird is that Rent is the power of the dead, not the undead. What you’d have to do is remove Rent to raise a zombie, not add it, and then sort of puppet around the Rent left inside to control the body. This isn’t a foolproof method, so beware! They can go rogue. Death magic is a potent effect, and can really kill or destroy anything you want with enough of it. If you get a little esoteric with Rent, you can use it to keep yourself from dying, which is neat. Rent lets you set a timer for a magical effect to end when used in an Arcana.

Zelva: Passion

Our minds are clouded by love, our words driven by hate. Zelva is Here.

Passion, that hallowed thing that turns the world; Zelva is our desires, our fears, our loves. Zelva is mind ruled by personality- passion is a crack in the fortress, a vulnerability. Too little Zelva leaves one emotionless, too much to be consumed by one’s desires. Zelva is a Resolute, Immaterial essence, hanging onto the mind and refusing to leave easily. When physically manifested, Zelva appears as Fire. When imbued into an object, Zelva makes things colorful.

 

OOC: Zelva is like rioting and soothing from Mistborn, but it’s also a way to create magical connections between yourself and another, or break past magical defences. Other essences are just as vulnerable to Zelva as people are, so you can sort of worm into them and degrade them, though The Void can do that even better. When used in an Arcana, it can overcharge the magical effect. 

 

Krin: Fortune

Dice spinning, the wind whistles through charms. Krin turns the other cheek.

Fortune, always moving; Krin is luck, good or bad, and our ability to control the world. Krin is the purest essence of the soul, the will that makes Luck, the personality that creates beauty. Fortune turns regardless of what we do. Too little Krin leaves one rigid and unable to adapt; too much leads to chaos. Krin is Ceaseless and a Nigh-Immaterial essence- while the wheel of fortune turns endlessly, it ripples down to reality. When physically manifested, Krin appears as Wind. When imbued into an object, Krin makes things spin. 

 

OOC: Krin is luck magic, so manipulating probability and fortune is its forte. It’s pretty powerful stuff, especially when combined with another essence; Sankta and Krin make a truly horrifying force in battle. I’d also suggest trying to use it while experimenting, though that might taint some of your results; you’ll undoubtedly have better ones. When used in an Arcana, it increases the chances of success.

 

Outer Essences

The Secret

Mothwing shadows obscure the wretched truth. What protects you? The Secret.

A clenched tongue, the oldest lie; The Secret is the shadow that conceals the truth- for better or for worse. The Secret is Beauty touched by something other-unknowable wrongness that yet is understood. When physically manifested, it appears as darkness. When imbued into an object, The Secret allows one to conceal the truth of something.

The Void

That sacred hollow that swallows everything which will be or has been– the Void consumes.

Nothing, what we all become; The Void is not darkness, nor the end. It is never being. It is death, touched by something wrong- death is natural, but unmaking is not. When physically manifested, the Void appears as Destruction. When imbued into an object, it erases.

The Remnant

It clings! The broken things yet still remain…. Remnants.

Clever shred of being, still holding to what once was; the Remnant is all that once was. It is sticky, hard to get rid of- but most of all, old. It is emotion torn from reality, touched by something beyond it- emotions fade, but these vestiges do not. When physically manifested, the Remnant appears as sand. When imbued into an object, it makes things last. 

The Anathema

It is wrong. It is not what should be. It must be destroyed. Why? It is the Anathema. 

Twisted flesh, wretched claws; The Anathema is the antithesis of all that is natural. To face it is to face something other, beyond our mortal guise. It is a violence against reality itself, something twisted and broken and bleeding. When physically manifested, the Anathema appears as flesh. When imbued into an object, it makes things wrong.

 

The Binding

Oak. Iron. Stone. Circles. Hold back the tide. Bind them.

Runes, Currents; The Binding is all that holds back the strangeness of the outer worlds. Seal it tight, lock it away. It is the space that keeps things trapped. When physically manifested, The Binding appears as Metal. When imbued into an object, it seals things.

The Cycle

Repeating patterns, a serpent eats its own tail. Nonsense- The Cycle’s Patterns repeat.

Seasons turn and turn, wheels spinning upon themselves; the Cycle is the quirk that keeps our world orderly. It is time turned upon itself, ceaseless, self-referential, unending. When physically manifested, The Cycle appears as Bone. When imbued into an object, it makes things repeat.