Zamorak789
Bust :(
As a preface, I want to say I stole the name from a game produced by Blackisle Studios back in the 90's, however, this has nothing to do with the game (Although it draws inspiration from more than just the name.)
Arcanum as a world is centered around a set of important concepts which bleed into nearly all aspects of life: Magic and Technology. Primarily Arcanum is what you would consider High Fantasy with the majority of the world existing in a medieval type era, however, sections of Arcanum have potent technology not seen elsewhere or incredibly advanced lives due to magic. These places would be more of your steampunk style.
The important concepts to understand in Arcanum before we get into the details of the world are as follows: How magic works, how technology works, and how your characters will interact with such things.
First, magic is very important to the central concept of Arcanum. The average peasant is unlikely to see any degree of mage in their entire lives, however, mages effect the world to a much greater degree than they know. Mages create the technology responsible for most larger cities to function.
There are several systems of magic and an Arcanist (The name for mages/wizards here, it should be noted the title is gender neutral) may know several or only one. The first and most common of these systems is known as Alchemy. Nearly all Arcanists know some form of alchemy and consider it drastically important to their daily lives. According to all known laws of the universe, matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed, only changed. Arcanists use Alchemy to create effects from equivalent amounts of matter or energy. A good example is the ability to transfer heat from one fire to another, or to light a match with ones own body heat (It should be noted this can cause hypothermia or worse if not careful.) Most Arcanists specifically work with one type of Alchemy: Energy or Matter. While an Arcanist is capable of both they are typically better at only one. Good examples of the limits of Alchemy is that a new Arcanist who has just begun training is expected to mold candle wax into a figurine without touching it, while a master Arcanist could draw heat from the ground on a hot day to instantly set a tree on fire without flinching. It should be noted Alchemy, as an equivalent exchange, is more difficult with matter. Shaping wax is easy as you already have the matter, however, changing it's shape requires heat to soften it. Body heat is simple enough for wax, but extreme heats such as fires or furnaces are required to change metal or earth, thus matter Arcanists are typically at a disadvantage without a proper energy source. That said a matter Arcanist near a brazier could turn a metal floor into a sword or cause the floor beneath you to melt or even turn into spikes.
The second kind of magic is Arcane magic. All people have a natural amount of Arcane energy they store. Different people have different names for this energy including mana or ki. Regardless of what you call it all creatures can store it and replenish it over time. Arcane energy is weak but useful when Alchemy by itself is not good enough. Most moderate strength Arcanists can draw upon their arcane energy to create a small flame at their fingertips or heat an object. Nearly any natural effect can be achieved if you have enough arcane energy. It should be noted however these effects can be considered "small" by comparison to their more powerful cousins, as even the strongest Arcanists can only light campfires at a distance or lift hand sized objects, let alone hurl fireballs or lightning bolts.
The third kind of magic is Sigildry. Sigildry is the art of using arcane sigils to create magical effects central to an object. It should be noted Sigildry still operates on the principles of Alchemy. If you wanted Sigildry to turn the floor into spikes whenever a victim stepped on a pressure plate it would still require a nearby energy source to change the floor into said spikes. Sigildry is very useful for making money and for arming non-Arcanists against others. One of the most common examples is a lamp which converts nearby heat energy (from the sun, body heat, basically whatever it can find) into light energy to allow for lights without fire. Making one of these lamps is typically a test for students learning Sigildry, as the better it is made the better it will work in colder environments. Sigildry in many ways is similar to coding a program on a computer: Two people can create a piece of coding to make the same function, but one of them may have made the code more clear or more efficient thus allowing it to work faster or better.
The fourth kind of magic is soul magic. Soul magic is very dangerous and usually forbidden except by the strongest of Arcanists, and even then it is officially banned in most major countries. Similar to arcane magic, soul magic draws energy directly from ones own soul. This is where you get your typical fireball or lightning bolt, but it should be noted the costs of these abilities can sometimes be years or decades removed from your life. People with less kind motives have taken to using the souls of others to power their magic, sealing their essence into sigildry boxes and using them like a battery. This more sinister act is the reason for the superstition surrounding it and the general thought of it being evil. Soul magic can be considered the most limitless depending on how much of ones soul they are willing to use. Some of these people will use blood instead of their soul for smaller effects like creating a jet of flame or moving large rocks.
The fifth, rarest, and final magic is Naming. Naming is incredibly difficult to understand, let alone actually use. Arcanists who achieve this power are called 'Namers.' Naming, technically, is the act by which one knows a person, object, or element by their true name. A true name is not simply letters or words, but instead an understanding of all the forces that have changed that object over the course of it's existence. To know the name of a rock you must know how it was created, all the rivers that shaped it, the magma flow it came from, and all the people that have thrown it throughout it's life time. Naming is not possible with our normal conscious mind, but instead the subconscious sleeping mind that dwells within us. It takes extreme training to actively use this part of our minds, and even then the most powerful Namers in history have only been able to call upon two elements. Knowing the true name of something is a great power and advantage, and truly naming is the most 'magical' form of magic that exists. If you understood the name of Fire for example, you could change it's size, heat, or intensity without equivalent exchange. You could command the fire to not burn you or to consume your opponents. You could command the fire to take the shape of a person and walk beside you or to coat you as a suit of armor. Namers can often be identified by a ring they wear, usually made of the element they know the name of. There are only five known Namers currently in the world of Roshar, three of which teach at the Academy of Arcanists.
In the most advanced parts of the world, technology is millennia ahead of the common man. These cities run on Sigildry and coal power. The cities contain skyscrapers and electric lights. The guards of these cities carry black powder firearms and wear sigildry enhanced armor. In these cities you can attend colleges and are expected to contribute to society with new technological advancements. Nearly all great minds learn the basics of Alchemy and Sigildry to assist in their research. For this reason magic and technology are very closely related.
So how does this effect your character? Well the questions you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Plenty of future Arcanists grow up poor peasants only to be taken as an apprentice by a graduate Arcanist and pushed to join the Academy. Still powerful and wealthy noblemen often send their children to the Academy for prestige and higher learning, after all having your heir capable of magic is definitely a strong point. Still your traditional warriors exist here because Arcanists, while powerful, tend to be more passive then combative.
Finally, we get to the world itself. The world is known as Roshar. Because I am bad at map-making we are using this world from the book series "The Stormlight Archive" which is brilliant and I suggest checking it out if you like high fantasy novels. All credit for this map to it's original creators. *Should be noted as I was clearly not specific enough to begin with, I am merely using the map but not the actual world from the books. If you wish to use a country other than Alethkar and Jah Keved, you may make up nearly anything so long as it isn't incredibly conflicting with the overall themes of the world. By design as a collaborative writing experience I expect those involved to also help develop the world in which we play.
For the most part, the story will take place in the country of Alethkar. I would suggest so that you can learn more about the world as your character does, that your character be attending the Academy of Arcanists. It should be noted this Academy is more of a college than school - you are expected to govern yourself and the Academy could care less about your future or you attending classes. Entering the Academy has varying difficulties based on how smart you are and how much money you have. All students and future students are subjected to a test which determines their tuition, the better you do the cheaper. Typically the expected age of a student is about eighteen to nineteen years old, however, exceptions have been made for exceptionally bright students as young as sixteen. When joining the Academy you are expected to pick a major between Energy Alchemy, Matter Alchemy, Sigildry, and Arcane Magic. You can attend classes and still learn about the other magics but are expected to focus on those less. The Academy also has other non-magic classes such as medical knowledge, herb lore, Engineering, Science, and Mathematics. Typically it takes four years (Eight semesters) to graduate from the Academy as a full Arcanist. It should be noted the Academy grounds do not belong to any country. They are self-governed and self-sovereign, meaning the Academy has it's own laws and punishments that do not have to conform to Alethkars laws.
The overall plot of this story is that the player characters will be drawn together to fight an overwhelming power which is slowly gathering and corrupting the minds of men. The signs have already been seen in some places - insanity, increased crime rates, and talks of demons. "Demons" in this world are generally considered a fairy tale, especially by the logic focused Arcanists, however, these "demons" have been showing up in increased numbers and sightings continue to sky rocket. While major cities aren't yet effected smaller villages are struggling to survive. Nearly all people understand something is going on even if they can't see it. To make matters worse the king of Alethkar was recently assassinated and his brother, the newly appointed King Just, has begun a war with Jah Keved, saying that Alethkar has legitimate claims to their land. The war has already claimed the lives of thousands and fear is spreading even more so after talks of Jah Keved having a demon employed in their army.
For character applications please fill out the following.
Name:
Age:
Physical Appearance:
Status (As in political/wealth status):
Of the following attributes, I want you to place a priority of 0 - 5, with 0 being not important at all and 5 being essential. These priorities are not so much what your character possesses as what they value the most. Please keep in mind this has no statistical effect on your character, it's merely for both you and I to understand your characters preferences and priorities.
Strength:
Reflex:
Skilled:
Naturally Gifted:
Wisdom:
Prestige:
Power:
Status (Political or wealth):
Please give a summary of their overall gear or equipment. In this world there are black powder firearms but they are rare, weapons and armor tend to be made of steel. Don't forget survival gear used on your travels such as tenderboxes, tents, wax, ink, et cetera. Try to be reasonable based on your status (For example a commoner couldn't afford a sword or decent paper for writing.)
Please give an overall summary of your characters life in at least one paragraph. You are allowed to make up people, villages, and et cetera. The world isn't developed to a T and I care more about you being creative than my world being 100% what I envision it to be.
Arcanum as a world is centered around a set of important concepts which bleed into nearly all aspects of life: Magic and Technology. Primarily Arcanum is what you would consider High Fantasy with the majority of the world existing in a medieval type era, however, sections of Arcanum have potent technology not seen elsewhere or incredibly advanced lives due to magic. These places would be more of your steampunk style.
The important concepts to understand in Arcanum before we get into the details of the world are as follows: How magic works, how technology works, and how your characters will interact with such things.
First, magic is very important to the central concept of Arcanum. The average peasant is unlikely to see any degree of mage in their entire lives, however, mages effect the world to a much greater degree than they know. Mages create the technology responsible for most larger cities to function.
There are several systems of magic and an Arcanist (The name for mages/wizards here, it should be noted the title is gender neutral) may know several or only one. The first and most common of these systems is known as Alchemy. Nearly all Arcanists know some form of alchemy and consider it drastically important to their daily lives. According to all known laws of the universe, matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed, only changed. Arcanists use Alchemy to create effects from equivalent amounts of matter or energy. A good example is the ability to transfer heat from one fire to another, or to light a match with ones own body heat (It should be noted this can cause hypothermia or worse if not careful.) Most Arcanists specifically work with one type of Alchemy: Energy or Matter. While an Arcanist is capable of both they are typically better at only one. Good examples of the limits of Alchemy is that a new Arcanist who has just begun training is expected to mold candle wax into a figurine without touching it, while a master Arcanist could draw heat from the ground on a hot day to instantly set a tree on fire without flinching. It should be noted Alchemy, as an equivalent exchange, is more difficult with matter. Shaping wax is easy as you already have the matter, however, changing it's shape requires heat to soften it. Body heat is simple enough for wax, but extreme heats such as fires or furnaces are required to change metal or earth, thus matter Arcanists are typically at a disadvantage without a proper energy source. That said a matter Arcanist near a brazier could turn a metal floor into a sword or cause the floor beneath you to melt or even turn into spikes.
The second kind of magic is Arcane magic. All people have a natural amount of Arcane energy they store. Different people have different names for this energy including mana or ki. Regardless of what you call it all creatures can store it and replenish it over time. Arcane energy is weak but useful when Alchemy by itself is not good enough. Most moderate strength Arcanists can draw upon their arcane energy to create a small flame at their fingertips or heat an object. Nearly any natural effect can be achieved if you have enough arcane energy. It should be noted however these effects can be considered "small" by comparison to their more powerful cousins, as even the strongest Arcanists can only light campfires at a distance or lift hand sized objects, let alone hurl fireballs or lightning bolts.
The third kind of magic is Sigildry. Sigildry is the art of using arcane sigils to create magical effects central to an object. It should be noted Sigildry still operates on the principles of Alchemy. If you wanted Sigildry to turn the floor into spikes whenever a victim stepped on a pressure plate it would still require a nearby energy source to change the floor into said spikes. Sigildry is very useful for making money and for arming non-Arcanists against others. One of the most common examples is a lamp which converts nearby heat energy (from the sun, body heat, basically whatever it can find) into light energy to allow for lights without fire. Making one of these lamps is typically a test for students learning Sigildry, as the better it is made the better it will work in colder environments. Sigildry in many ways is similar to coding a program on a computer: Two people can create a piece of coding to make the same function, but one of them may have made the code more clear or more efficient thus allowing it to work faster or better.
The fourth kind of magic is soul magic. Soul magic is very dangerous and usually forbidden except by the strongest of Arcanists, and even then it is officially banned in most major countries. Similar to arcane magic, soul magic draws energy directly from ones own soul. This is where you get your typical fireball or lightning bolt, but it should be noted the costs of these abilities can sometimes be years or decades removed from your life. People with less kind motives have taken to using the souls of others to power their magic, sealing their essence into sigildry boxes and using them like a battery. This more sinister act is the reason for the superstition surrounding it and the general thought of it being evil. Soul magic can be considered the most limitless depending on how much of ones soul they are willing to use. Some of these people will use blood instead of their soul for smaller effects like creating a jet of flame or moving large rocks.
The fifth, rarest, and final magic is Naming. Naming is incredibly difficult to understand, let alone actually use. Arcanists who achieve this power are called 'Namers.' Naming, technically, is the act by which one knows a person, object, or element by their true name. A true name is not simply letters or words, but instead an understanding of all the forces that have changed that object over the course of it's existence. To know the name of a rock you must know how it was created, all the rivers that shaped it, the magma flow it came from, and all the people that have thrown it throughout it's life time. Naming is not possible with our normal conscious mind, but instead the subconscious sleeping mind that dwells within us. It takes extreme training to actively use this part of our minds, and even then the most powerful Namers in history have only been able to call upon two elements. Knowing the true name of something is a great power and advantage, and truly naming is the most 'magical' form of magic that exists. If you understood the name of Fire for example, you could change it's size, heat, or intensity without equivalent exchange. You could command the fire to not burn you or to consume your opponents. You could command the fire to take the shape of a person and walk beside you or to coat you as a suit of armor. Namers can often be identified by a ring they wear, usually made of the element they know the name of. There are only five known Namers currently in the world of Roshar, three of which teach at the Academy of Arcanists.
In the most advanced parts of the world, technology is millennia ahead of the common man. These cities run on Sigildry and coal power. The cities contain skyscrapers and electric lights. The guards of these cities carry black powder firearms and wear sigildry enhanced armor. In these cities you can attend colleges and are expected to contribute to society with new technological advancements. Nearly all great minds learn the basics of Alchemy and Sigildry to assist in their research. For this reason magic and technology are very closely related.
So how does this effect your character? Well the questions you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Plenty of future Arcanists grow up poor peasants only to be taken as an apprentice by a graduate Arcanist and pushed to join the Academy. Still powerful and wealthy noblemen often send their children to the Academy for prestige and higher learning, after all having your heir capable of magic is definitely a strong point. Still your traditional warriors exist here because Arcanists, while powerful, tend to be more passive then combative.
Finally, we get to the world itself. The world is known as Roshar. Because I am bad at map-making we are using this world from the book series "The Stormlight Archive" which is brilliant and I suggest checking it out if you like high fantasy novels. All credit for this map to it's original creators. *Should be noted as I was clearly not specific enough to begin with, I am merely using the map but not the actual world from the books. If you wish to use a country other than Alethkar and Jah Keved, you may make up nearly anything so long as it isn't incredibly conflicting with the overall themes of the world. By design as a collaborative writing experience I expect those involved to also help develop the world in which we play.
For the most part, the story will take place in the country of Alethkar. I would suggest so that you can learn more about the world as your character does, that your character be attending the Academy of Arcanists. It should be noted this Academy is more of a college than school - you are expected to govern yourself and the Academy could care less about your future or you attending classes. Entering the Academy has varying difficulties based on how smart you are and how much money you have. All students and future students are subjected to a test which determines their tuition, the better you do the cheaper. Typically the expected age of a student is about eighteen to nineteen years old, however, exceptions have been made for exceptionally bright students as young as sixteen. When joining the Academy you are expected to pick a major between Energy Alchemy, Matter Alchemy, Sigildry, and Arcane Magic. You can attend classes and still learn about the other magics but are expected to focus on those less. The Academy also has other non-magic classes such as medical knowledge, herb lore, Engineering, Science, and Mathematics. Typically it takes four years (Eight semesters) to graduate from the Academy as a full Arcanist. It should be noted the Academy grounds do not belong to any country. They are self-governed and self-sovereign, meaning the Academy has it's own laws and punishments that do not have to conform to Alethkars laws.
The overall plot of this story is that the player characters will be drawn together to fight an overwhelming power which is slowly gathering and corrupting the minds of men. The signs have already been seen in some places - insanity, increased crime rates, and talks of demons. "Demons" in this world are generally considered a fairy tale, especially by the logic focused Arcanists, however, these "demons" have been showing up in increased numbers and sightings continue to sky rocket. While major cities aren't yet effected smaller villages are struggling to survive. Nearly all people understand something is going on even if they can't see it. To make matters worse the king of Alethkar was recently assassinated and his brother, the newly appointed King Just, has begun a war with Jah Keved, saying that Alethkar has legitimate claims to their land. The war has already claimed the lives of thousands and fear is spreading even more so after talks of Jah Keved having a demon employed in their army.
For character applications please fill out the following.
Name:
Age:
Physical Appearance:
Status (As in political/wealth status):
Of the following attributes, I want you to place a priority of 0 - 5, with 0 being not important at all and 5 being essential. These priorities are not so much what your character possesses as what they value the most. Please keep in mind this has no statistical effect on your character, it's merely for both you and I to understand your characters preferences and priorities.
Strength:
Reflex:
Skilled:
Naturally Gifted:
Wisdom:
Prestige:
Power:
Status (Political or wealth):
Please give a summary of their overall gear or equipment. In this world there are black powder firearms but they are rare, weapons and armor tend to be made of steel. Don't forget survival gear used on your travels such as tenderboxes, tents, wax, ink, et cetera. Try to be reasonable based on your status (For example a commoner couldn't afford a sword or decent paper for writing.)
Please give an overall summary of your characters life in at least one paragraph. You are allowed to make up people, villages, and et cetera. The world isn't developed to a T and I care more about you being creative than my world being 100% what I envision it to be.
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