Category:Arcane

Arcane Magic is the school of magic focused on the manipulation of the raw energies produced by ley lines. Since its discovery as one of the world's largest nexus of ley lines, Yuriba has been sought out by many practitioners of this style of magic, bringing the otherwise largely foreign style of spellcasting to the Island's magical culture.

History

Arcane magic has a fairly small and thin history on the Island itself. Ancient denizens of the island, and the denizens of Underhill have always favored more religiously linked styles of druidic and divine magic.

The earliest known extensive contact the Island's peoples have with formalized Arcane magic coincides with the arrival of the Faerie Sorceress known as Merin who, despite the status as a denizen of the Island bestowed to her, was originally thrown into Underhill as a result of events in another world. It was not until many years after Merin's arrival, during Founding Era, that the further knowledge of the Arcane school of magic began to appear on the Island. At this time women drawn to the Island by the settlement started by Phil-chan, and others, began to study the Island, discovered it's magical potential, and detected the immense web of ley lines that surrounded the Island. From then on it was only a matter of time as news of the immense nexus spread among Arcane mages all over.

Presently, the school of Arcane magics has been accepted as a foreign pursuit of study and is taught as an elective course at the Island's Rinkei Gakuen by the most experienced practitioner on the Island; Merin Drazin.

Details

Practitioners of arcane magic are generally trained, often from a young age, to channel and shape magical energy through the use of complicated incantations, gestures, and external foci such as magical circles, staves, or wands. The potential to learn to work arcane magic seems to be at least somewhat inborn; while training is required, some people appear to simply be unable to ever do so.

Arcane Mages tend to view magic, and the spells they cast, as a function of the correct 'formula' of gestures, words, and accessories. Practitioners of other schools of magic have long argued that this is untrue, and that the various components of Arcane spells are simply to give the mind a focus when channeling the energy of the spell. However, there is no conclusive evidence for either position.

Spells of the Arcane school seem to have some overlap with other schools of magic. They are capable of creating elemental effects such as a ball of fire, druidic effects as seen in arcane spells designed to promote plant growth. However, this is only true in appearance. Arcane spells achieve these effects in a different manner than Elemental or Druidic magics do.

Interestingly enough, the Arcane school shows no overlap with that of the Divine one. It's only spells that produce an effect similar to that of divine magic are often tiring and require the expenditure of rare or expensive materials, or are limited in some manner. Arcane spells that heal the body, or purge toxins are all but unheard of, though a few rare exceptions do exist.