Arcane magic

Arcane magic is about controlling magic itself and the universe, like a bard would pluck a harp or strum a lute. It's intricate and precise - practitioners of Arcane magic are called Arcanists but are more commonly referred to as Weavers as they manipulate the strands and threads that make up all of existence.

Arcane magic is the amalgamation of Mentalism and soulcery. Some consider it a Way of the Path of the Sorcerer. But, it is a Path in its own right, using the principles of Mentalism to better use the soul as a Medium.

There are two main types of substances, things that take up some sort of space, on Terra. Matter and mana. Matter is rigid and hard to mold, whereas mana is plastique and malleable like potter's clay.

Both matter and mana are cut from the same primordial cloth of creation. The twin types of existence both possess strands of knowledge that dictate how they function with the world around them. These strands are called Arcana. Removing Arcana, adding it, or transferring it can change mana considerably.

An Arcanist may remove the strands that make up Fire mana, unraveling it into Heat mana, Force mana, and other types of essence. An Arcanist may also add or modify the Arcana to convert the Fire mana into a burst of force. After all, heat and force are but two sides of the same coin.

Physics, chemistry, and the sciences are crucial for any accomplished Arcanist. Their magic is about skill and efficiency, using the least amount of energy to produce the greatest effects. Knowing the boiling point of water and its atomic structure allows an Arcanist to produce flames from liquid. Water is the ash of countless suns, a thing that rips away the heat of a flame, rending its consuming plight. It can also, in turn, be used to create a flame. Just rip away the bonds that connect the undividable spheres together, and a pure flame the color of sapphires is made.

Arcane magic isn't always predicated on manual casting that requires the mind. It also heavily relies on the soul. The soul collects the experience of countless lifetimes across various life-forms, creating an interpretation of the universe. This interpretation is called an Arcanum, a bundle of Arcana that is specialized in a base aspect of reality.

Arcanums can possess domains that range from esoteric concepts such as vibration to more mortal interpretations of reality, such as the chemical reaction known as fire. A Fire Arcanum can create Fire mana and manipulate that construct freely. It can also convert a flame into a gust of wind, focusing its heat in a singular direction and turning it into force. A Fire Arcanum can raise the heat of flame, create firebolts, and accelerate the burning of an object, turning it into ash almost instantly. Though the concept is mortal at its surface, it is deeply much more.

Arcanums are as powerful as they are specialized. With specialization, one loses utility and general usage. A Heat Arcanum can better control heat than a Fire Arcanum. A Fire Arcanum could better raise the heat of an object, but could not otherwise lower it as much as a specialized Heat Arcanum could. A Cold Arcanum could lower the temperature even better than a Heat Arcanum, but otherwise not be able to raise it. So on, and so forth.

No two Fire Arcanums are similar. All Arcanums are unique and special in their own right. Some may be more specialized in the creation of flame, others in the moving of heat, etc.

There are two main types of perception that allow an Arcanist to weave their magic: the Arcane Sight and the Deep Sight.

The Arcane Sight is predicated upon an Arcanum, allowing an Arcanist to perceive the world around them through the lenses of the soul. A Fire Arcanum would allow an Arcanist to sense heat and flame. A Wind Arcanum would allow one to feel the movement of air, gifting them the image of the world around them even with their eyes closed.

The Deep Sight is predicated upon Arcana itself, allowing an Arcanist to tap into the strands that make up reality. This sight mostly presents as glyphs, sigils, and runes that are unique to each Arcanist. Though there are some similarities between the Sight of each Arcanist, they all present differently in some way. For an Arcanist to manipulate Arcana, they must learn to recognize what sigil represents each thread of Arcana and move them around for the intended effect.

The Deep Sight can be influenced by an Arcanist's Arcane Sight as well. Sometimes they blend together, but mostly they are different.