Magic and Arcana

Great is the number of disciplines which seek to define and reveal the metaphysical. Certainly, much of this work is theoretical, and the vast archives which once held this knowledge have fallen to the entropic nature of Humanity, and the belligerence of the Holy Decusian Church. Now, what was once considered by many to be evidence of the metaphysical is lost to prejudice and decay. Still, there are few events capable of altering the Laws of Nature, and as such, these pillars of truth remain, waiting to be revealed by humanity once again. From the ancient days of man’s quest for freedom beneath the heel of the Ill, to the modern day exploits of the Consortium, the science and art of magic has been, at best, a misunderstood concept, and at worst, a topic considered fantastical and fictional. For us to understand what the essence of magic truly means to us in this modern age of enlightenment, we must first examine the ecclesial history of the magical arts from the perspective of the Venerated Church of Decus.

The origin of the phenomenon known to us as magic, from the perspective of the Venerated Church of Decus, is thought to hail from two vastly different and opposing forces. The origins of what we consider “Divine” magic, that is, magic that focuses upon bestowing beneficial phenomenon upon oneself and others,  is considered to be sacred knowledge passed down through the earliest years of the Decusian faith by various sects and orders of the Decusian clergy. This practice is said to have originally been spurned from the Diaconate Templar, the Prelate founders of what we have come to know as the Decusian religion proper. Through our study of Church canon and lore, the term “magic” is first mentioned within the book of Creationis, and denotes the mastery of a phenomenon that, by all accounts, is considered to be the building blocks of creation itself. According to our understanding of Decusian creationism canon, the powers of magic had originally been bestowed upon mankind by the Archangel Decus himself, during the period that we refer to as the “Epoch of Enlightenment”. Among other important revelations and gifts Decus was thought to be responsible for endowing our ancestors with, it is believed that the Archangel bestowed upon man the ability to manipulate the energy of the Flame through the use of the angelic language, Principatus (known simply as “Speaking Principal”, “Principal”, or “Principal Speech”). According to Decusian canon, the angelic language is thought to possess an innate ability to channel the power of the Flame (and more specifically, the power of the Heavens), into coalescing into our own realm of existence. Early Decusian clerical authors often cite this phenomenon as being akin to the means and methods of how the Archangels had in fact created the world and even mankind itself. It is for this reason that the idea of magic has been historically viewed as a sacred and treasured thing, and as we well know now, kept regulated by the Church so heavily in the past that, until recently, it has been considered a mythical and fictional phenomenon. The second origin of magic is sources its’ power from places entirely separate from that of the Heavens, and will be touched upon later in this text.

Refocusing our examination on the Decusian Church’s historical view on magic, it is inferred from clerical literature that spoken words or phrases in Principal allow a mortal to, albeit briefly, channel energy directly from the planes of Heaven and the Flame itself. Such magic is commonly known as “Divine Arcana” within the clerical communities of ancient times. Specific phrases that invoke a desired effect are known as mantras, and the act of performing mantras is known as Lacation. Once a mantra is spoken, latent energy from the Flame travels from the divine realm and is directed to the caster. This energy is routed through a channeling object, known as a “Morium”. A Morium serves as a direct medium between the receiving of celestial energy and the invoker himself. Once the Morium has become charged with energy, the caster is then able to “release” the intended results of the mantra through the use of their own willpower and concentration.

Spell Mantras

From study of traditional Decusian literatures, it is believed that mantras are collections of words and phrases of the Divine tongue that resemble the literal embodiment of a thought or command. Essentially, it is believed that the act of simply speaking the Divine tongue using phrases that logically describe a direct action inherently calls forth the creation powers of the Flame, thus enacting the desired effect within our own realm. It is specifically made clear within Decusian lore that this ability to essentially “tap into” the powers of creationism is not an innate ability of man but was gifted to us by the Archangel during the Epoch of Enlightenment.

Cantrips

Cantrips are, without a doubt, the least complex and most widely available mantras available to any aspiring Arcanist. Cantrips are low level mantras that are considered “stable” by the Consortium and require little skill and intellect to cast successfully. Cantrips are considered the weakest spells of any school and can be found in several reference materials available to most any new member of the guild.

Dictions

Dictions are the intermediate classification for known spells and require somewhat more skill and intelligence to properly channel. Dictions are considered the first step towards serious spell casting. Many Dictions known to the Consortium are considered stable enough for occasional use, however some spells will sometimes require an additional Morium to channel without risk. Due to their sometimes unstable nature, Dictions are considered more dangerous by the Church, and are looked upon as a serious infraction if caught practicing without direct guild oversight. Prison sentences or even execution can be expected if a guild member is caught weaving Dictions without just cause.

Parlances

Parlances are what separate the student magi from the master. Where Dictions handle most medium level spells, Parlance mantras can create incredibly powerful and devastating incantations. Parlances are the most powerful mantras in existence to any form of arcanist and are looked upon with fear and unbridled curiosity by the magic community. Parlances are mantras that can unlock unimaginable powers, such as summoning forth denizens of Hell itself, or transforming a caster into the image of an Angel. Such spells are normally considered pure legend, derived from the stories of the Prelates in the time of the Archangel Decus. The wise and studied arcanist, however, knows that such incantations are far from fantasy. The Consortium has only successfully identified a handful of these Parlances for each Arcana, due to their often-unpredictable nature. Most parlances require the use of multiple Moriums when channeling, and even then, can sometimes overload a Morium to the point of catastrophic failure. Even the rumor of a Parlance being used can incur the wrath of an entire battalion of Templars, or risk attracting the attention of a much-feared Inquisitor. As such, the practice and incantations of Parlances are deemed illegal by the guild, and all but the most trusted magi of the Consortium are even allowed to study such mantras for research purposes

Moriums

For one to harness the true power of the magic, more than a resolute understanding of the Arcana is needed. As referenced in magical liturgy and guides, items known as Moriums are needed to act as a medium when summoning magical energy. A Morium, in the simplest terms, is an object that serves as a conductor to channel magical energy. These peculiar objects exist to channel the energy summoned when a mage speaks a mantra, so that the power derived from performing an incantation may find a “reservoir” to house itself before being expended in spellcasting. The Consortium has discovered that the use of Moriums in spellcasting is an absolute necessity, and without at least one of these objects located upon a person who invokes a spell mantra, summoned magical energy will act unpredictably depending on the overall power of the incantation, most often at times using one’s own soul as a magical lightning rod, doing irreversible corporeal, mental and spiritual damage.

Moriums share one similar defining quality other than acting as magical power conductors; they are believed to house minute portions of souls of the departed. It is theorized that for this reason, and for this reason only, Moriums can properly channel, store and ultimately release magical energies. By utilizing a Morium as a casting medium, the onus and burden of using one’s own soul is taken out of the spellcasting equation, resulting in far greater successes with virtually no danger to one’s own spiritual vitality. Many guild scholars theorize that the use of Principatus had never been intended for humankind to harness, and human magi simply lack the spiritual fortitude to withstand spellcasting proper – thus, by sacrificing the residual remnants of souls of the departed stored within a Morium, one may avoid the negative consequences of spiritual injury.

The process of how a Morium is created is still a phenomenon that baffles even the most studied guild scholar. The most common forms of Moriums present themselves in that of human remains, primarily that of skeletal relics. Bones of the hands and feet, particularly those that comprise the fingers and toes, are oftentimes found to be the most effective pieces of remains to be used as Moriums, and are also highly sought after due to their ability to be easily carried and concealed. Skulls have been shown to be highly saturated with spiritual remains, especially when belonging to a deceased practitioner of the arcane, however are usually overlooked due to their traditional links to the occult and pagan practices. Curiously, research has shown that inanimate objects can also, albeit very rarely, undergo a saturation of spiritual energy significant enough to be utilized as a Morium. These rare circumstances have been discovered in the forms of items such as martial weapons, ceremonial armors and Prelate related trinkets and curios that held a strong significance to the possessor during their life. Interestingly, these Moriums are often more highly saturated with spiritual power than that of human remains. Moriums are collected by trained guild personnel under the direct supervision of the Church, and guild members are to never attempt to source their own Moriums from graveyards, medical facilities or municipal crypts under any circumstances.

Spell Lexicons

As the understanding of how magic and the use of Moriums grew, so did the development of smarter and safer magical incantation. Early in the guild’s history, Consortium magi had discovered that by physically writing down spell mantras upon paper as opposed to solely speaking them aloud, visualization of magical incantation was achieved much more easily, resulting in a much greater rate of final incantation success. Furthermore, by categorizing commonly used words of magical incantation into “dictionaries” carried upon the magi herself, proper utilization of magical incantations was nearly devoid of mis-castings and failures. Quite curiously, this increase in successful and safer incantation was achieved regardless of how often or frequently the written material was referenced; by simply having a written form of the words and mantras used in spellcasting upon the magi’s person, the act of incantation was more successful by nearly twenty percent. It is from this idea that the modern-day Spell Lexicon derives from. A Spell Lexicon is simply a large book in which every known mantra is transcribed within, with as much care and detail as possible, with one defining feature; the Lexicon is bound together with Morium resources either sewn or pressed upon the cover and bindings, allowing it to resonate as a Morium in the event the spellcaster’s primary Morium is drained or destroyed in the act of spell incantation.

Spell Arcana & Daesermos

The act of spellcasting, also known as Lacation, is a complex and fledgling study. In order to understand the art of spell weaving, the most logical subject one should attempt to comprehend first is the idea of Arcana. While all spells and their mantras are organized in several different ways, the foremost method of categorization is through Arcana. There are five primary Arcana as classified by the Consortium: Divine, General, Paganistic, Archamagic and Diabolism. As theologians will have us believe that Eden is a world born of the Flame, where there is light, so too must there be darkness. The Arcana of Diabolism represents all magic that personifies that of this darkness, be it a spell that brings forth terrible visions upon its’ target, or perhaps even raises the dead. Having been discovered from piecing together recorded incantations of the Resolve’s public displays of power in late 1313, a second, wholly separate language apart from Principatus was found to have been utilized by the Resolve warlocks. This language, dubbed Daesermos, is a bastardization of the heavenly language of Principatus, and is used nearly solely for the opposite of magical effects normally achieved through Principatus. Whereas Principatus is commonly associated with the themes of creation, restoration and the bringing of order, spells that utilize Daesermos words and phrases are directly associated with themes of destruction, defilement, and chaos. It is for this that Daesermos is often referred to in many circles as serving as the “language of Hel” and is thought to draw its energy from the shadowy depths as opposed to that of the Heavens above.

It goes without further explanation that the use and research of Daesermos is not tolerated by that of the guild.

Divine Arcana

The Divine Arcana consists of a collection of spells that focus primarily on restorative and beneficial spells. Divine Arcana is made up of spells from the fields of Abjurations, Alterations, Divinations and Enchantments. While still shunned as magic and thus inherently heretical in nature, Divine Arcana is considered to be the most wholly “good” type of magic that is known to exist. It is rumored that in some circles within the Church, efforts have been made to formally accept the use of Divine Arcana magic as permissible in certain circumstances, such as in the service to the Clergy or Legion. Spellcasters who focus on the study of Divine Arcana are known by the title of Divinators, and when not persecuted by the Church as heretics, enjoy a somewhat begrudged acceptance amongst lay folk in some more enlightened areas of the world. While most all spells within the realm of Divine Arcana are beneficial in some way, shape or form, there do exist exceptions to this rule; studious Divinators have found methods of warping the fabric of their arcana, sometimes to devastating results.

General Arcana

The General Arcana is the most common form of spell craft, as it comprises all spells that do not appear in other Arcana. It is considered the “easiest” form of magic to condition the mind and soul to, and thus, is the most popular amongst aspirant magi. General Arcana it thought to be a less specialized and less elaborate form of spellcasting, and is considered a “sloppy” use of Principatus in its’ incantation; therefore, while considered an Arcana all its own, General Arcana is considered more to be a collection of lesser spells and less eloquent mantras rather than a full-fledged discipline of spell-casting. Many spells found within the General Arcana are often simply weaker versions of others found in other, more specialized Arcana, such as Divine or Diabolism. Spells within the General Arcana are spread across a wide spectrum of schools, and include everything from healing spells, to curses, to summons and enchantments. Those who focus upon the General Arcana of magic usually go by the title of Mage or Wizards, or at other times, Arcanists.

Paganistic Arcana

Little is known about the field of Paganistic magic, though many conjecture that it has been around for centuries, practiced in secret by the backwater peoples of the Western Territories. Often involving spells and incantations relating to nature and the manipulation of various elements, Paganistic spells are a peculiar and unique collection. Little else can be said about this mysterious Arcana, as extraordinarily little research has gone into this peculiar discipline outside a select few universities in remote Midland and Western Territory locations.

Archmagic Arcana

The most mysterious of all forms of magic Arcana, Archmagic Arcana is composed of spells so powerful that they often employ the use of multiple casters to perform properly. Archmagic is considered a relatively new discovery in the field of magic, as being happened upon as recently as 1336, and thus little is known as the specifics of its nature, as it is thought that apart from the Resolve, few if any magical aspirants have ever been able to truly master the mantras and incantations of Archmagic. Due to this, Archmagic is a mysterious subject even amongst the most well-studied Mage.

Diabolism Arcana

Diabolism Arcana is magic that focuses around mantras, and more appropriately, spells, that are inherently evil in nature. Diabolism Arcana consists of spells mainly from the fields of Conjuration, Evocation, Illusion and the shunned practice of Necromancy. Of all the spell schools, Diabolism Arcana is the most wholly evil out of any path of study. Diabolism Arcana is considered an absolute abomination by the Church and even the Consortium itself, and thus, those even rumored to dabble in its arts are hunted and executed with extreme prejudice. It is looked upon as one of the foulest most evil manipulations of energy, as not only does it use the “language of Hel” as its’ method of incantation, but it’s end results are usually abominations of both life and death and the polar opposite of what Principatus is believed to represent. Practitioners of Diabolism Arcana usually go by the titles of Diabolists and/or Necromancers.