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[[File:arkaeni-emblem.jpg|right|thumb|Emblem of the Arkaeni Order]] | [[File:arkaeni-emblem.jpg|right|thumb|Emblem of the Arkaeni Order]] | ||
The '''Arkaeni''' (spelled | The '''Arkaeni''' (spelled ''Arcaeni'' in [[Anderian]]) are a secretive order of occultists, historians, and dissidents who seek to recover and reinstitute lost magical knowledge. Founded in 10,885 by a former [[Tethuric]] named [[Rodamel]], the Order formed in response to the systematic suppression of arcane artifacts and writings by the Church. Though now over four centuries old, the Arkaeni remain small in number, operating quietly at the edges of academia and faith. | ||
Since 1331.7, Emperor [[Vralius]] has employed three | The Order’s unofficial headquarters is [[Fellstone Citadel]], also known as the Atheneum, located outside [[Umstrad]]. All Arkaeni begin their training there, completing an eight-year course of study in disciplines ranging from glyphic translation to alchemy, astronomy, and the theoretical principles of magic. In their final year, initiates are required to complete a sojourn to the [[Immortal City]]—an ancient ruin said to hold fragments of lost knowledge (one such sojourn is the subject of the story [[Arkaeni (subchapter)]]). | ||
The Arkaeni also maintain a rare [[etherwood]] orchard on the Atheneum grounds, believed to be linked to the long-lost magical ecosystem. The trees are considered sacred and are heavily protected. | |||
Since 1331.7, Emperor [[Vralius]] has employed three senior Arkaeni as advisors and researchers at his private tower in [[Victurus]]. | |||
==History== | ==History== | ||
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Over time, the Order adopted structure, secrecy, and a shared mission. Though most of the original members have been lost to time, Rodamel’s guiding question remains the foundation of Arkaeni study: If magic is dead, why do so many still bleed to keep it buried? | Over time, the Order adopted structure, secrecy, and a shared mission. Though most of the original members have been lost to time, Rodamel’s guiding question remains the foundation of Arkaeni study: If magic is dead, why do so many still bleed to keep it buried? | ||
==The Atheneum== | |||
The heart of the Arkaeni is [[Fellstone Citadel]], often referred to simply as the Atheneum. Located in the foothills outside [[Umstrad]], the Citadel serves as the Order’s academy, research enclave, and protected sanctuary. It is not formally recognized by any secular university or Church authority, and its true nature is deliberately obscured from public knowledge. | |||
#Training at Fellstone lasts eight years, with each year dedicated to a specific area of study: | |||
#Origins of the Order, Historical Frameworks, Foundations of the Unnatural Arts | |||
#Astrological Mechanics and Celestial Phenomena | |||
#Divinatory Methods, Cartomancy, and Symbolic Systems | |||
#Ancient Languages, Glyphic Structures, Ciphercraft | |||
#Herbalism, Alchemy, Toxins, and Transmutation | |||
#Religion, Cultism, Comparative Theology, Forbidden Sects | |||
#Principles of Theoretical Magic—Summoning, Illusion, Enchantment | |||
#Independent Study and Research under Guidance of a Senior Adept | |||
In their final year, all initiates must undertake a sojourn to the [[Immortal City]], a journey into the ancient ruined sectors of the world where reality is said to thin. This pilgrimage is dangerous, sometimes fatal, and considered a rite of passage. Graduates who survive and return are inducted as full members of the Order, if they can bring back some discovery that expands upon their ancient knowledge. | |||
==The Archive== | |||
Beneath Fellstone lies the [[Arkaeni Archive]], a restricted vault housing thousands of years’ worth of unearthed relics, obscure manuscripts, untranslated glyphs, and salvaged fragments. Many of these objects were acquired before they could be seized or destroyed by the Tethuric Church, whose longstanding opposition to arcane research has forced the Arkaeni into near-permanent secrecy. | |||
Some of the Archive’s contents are considered too volatile or incomprehensible to study safely. Its deepest levels are protected by warding systems and can only be accessed by members who have attained the rank of Adept or higher. | |||
A living ledger—the Addendum—is maintained to track all items that have been recovered, relocated, or lost since the compilation of the ''[[Codex of Primary Sources]]'', the Order’s central historical catalog. | |||
==The Codex of Primary Sources== | |||
Compiled by [[Spanico the Sane]] during his tenure as Head of the Order (1164–1209), the [[Codex of Primary Sources]] is a comprehensive reference document cataloging ancient texts, glyphs, myths, and speculative relics from across the world. It is the most complete map of known or rumored arcane knowledge in existence, and it remains under lock and guard at the Atheneum. Only one copy is known to exist. | |||
Though the Tethuric Church dismisses the Order publicly, it is widely believed that agents within the Church have made repeated attempts to gain access to the Codex, either through infiltration or negotiation. | |||
==Relationship with the Empire== | |||
In 1331.7, Emperor [[Vralius]] initiated an unprecedented relationship with the Arkaeni, selecting three senior members to serve as consultants and researchers within his personal tower at [[Victurus]]. Their work remains confidential. | |||
This alliance is controversial within the Order, with many fearing that imperial favor may compromise their independence—or worse, expose them. | |||
==Public Perception== | |||
The general public has little knowledge of the Arkaeni. Among educated circles, they are viewed with skepticism or amusement, and among religious authorities, they are watched with growing concern. The Tethuric Church has denounced the Order on multiple occasions, though never officially moved to outlaw it—preferring surveillance and containment over direct confrontation. | |||
Though largely unseen, the Arkaeni remain active—quietly digging through the sediment of history, chasing ghosts, and preparing for a return that may never come. | |||
==Notable Arkaeni== | ==Notable Arkaeni== | ||
Latest revision as of 02:33, 27 May 2025
The Arkaeni (spelled Arcaeni in Anderian) are a secretive order of occultists, historians, and dissidents who seek to recover and reinstitute lost magical knowledge. Founded in 10,885 by a former Tethuric named Rodamel, the Order formed in response to the systematic suppression of arcane artifacts and writings by the Church. Though now over four centuries old, the Arkaeni remain small in number, operating quietly at the edges of academia and faith.
The Order’s unofficial headquarters is Fellstone Citadel, also known as the Atheneum, located outside Umstrad. All Arkaeni begin their training there, completing an eight-year course of study in disciplines ranging from glyphic translation to alchemy, astronomy, and the theoretical principles of magic. In their final year, initiates are required to complete a sojourn to the Immortal City—an ancient ruin said to hold fragments of lost knowledge (one such sojourn is the subject of the story Arkaeni (subchapter)).
The Arkaeni also maintain a rare etherwood orchard on the Atheneum grounds, believed to be linked to the long-lost magical ecosystem. The trees are considered sacred and are heavily protected.
Since 1331.7, Emperor Vralius has employed three senior Arkaeni as advisors and researchers at his private tower in Victurus.
History
The Arkaeni Order was founded in the year 10,885 EE by a former Daughter of Ethura named Rodamel, whose departure from the Tethuric Church marked the beginning of a quiet but enduring resistance against ecclesiastical suppression.
Rodamel’s story is still preserved in the oral traditions of the Order. While on pilgrimage through the lower crescent of Narsel Vale, she broke from the company of her peers and journeyed alone to view a spectral ruin—a ghost ring said to shimmer under the light of the full moon. According to her account, she encountered a nightwraith not as shadow, but as a material threat: the entity carried a sword of solid iron, and attacked her without provocation. She barely escaped with her life.
Such an encounter would normally be dismissed as madness, but Rodamel had been a faithful servant of the Church for over a decade. She reported the sighting to her superiors. In response, a detachment of the Hand of the Gale was dispatched to the site. They recovered the weapon, confirmed the presence of anomalous activity, and sealed the object away in one of the Church’s vaults. Rodamel, being within the trusted ranks, was informed of the official policy: any item mentioning or demonstrating magical properties—whether object, text, or artifact—was to be immediately confiscated and permanently removed from circulation. No study. No inquiry. No exceptions.
What the Church had intended as reassurance became the seed of her doubt. If magic was false, why so carefully erase it? If it was truly dangerous, why so little effort to understand it?
Rodamel left the Daughters in silence, leaving behind her vestments and Church name. She traveled for several years, gathering what fragments she could from ruins, old records, and suppressed writings. When she could no longer work alone, she founded what would become the Arkaeni—a loose collective of dissident scholars, skeptics, and mystics who shared one trait in common: they no longer accepted that the world had always been as it was.
Over time, the Order adopted structure, secrecy, and a shared mission. Though most of the original members have been lost to time, Rodamel’s guiding question remains the foundation of Arkaeni study: If magic is dead, why do so many still bleed to keep it buried?
The Atheneum
The heart of the Arkaeni is Fellstone Citadel, often referred to simply as the Atheneum. Located in the foothills outside Umstrad, the Citadel serves as the Order’s academy, research enclave, and protected sanctuary. It is not formally recognized by any secular university or Church authority, and its true nature is deliberately obscured from public knowledge.
- Training at Fellstone lasts eight years, with each year dedicated to a specific area of study:
- Origins of the Order, Historical Frameworks, Foundations of the Unnatural Arts
- Astrological Mechanics and Celestial Phenomena
- Divinatory Methods, Cartomancy, and Symbolic Systems
- Ancient Languages, Glyphic Structures, Ciphercraft
- Herbalism, Alchemy, Toxins, and Transmutation
- Religion, Cultism, Comparative Theology, Forbidden Sects
- Principles of Theoretical Magic—Summoning, Illusion, Enchantment
- Independent Study and Research under Guidance of a Senior Adept
In their final year, all initiates must undertake a sojourn to the Immortal City, a journey into the ancient ruined sectors of the world where reality is said to thin. This pilgrimage is dangerous, sometimes fatal, and considered a rite of passage. Graduates who survive and return are inducted as full members of the Order, if they can bring back some discovery that expands upon their ancient knowledge.
The Archive
Beneath Fellstone lies the Arkaeni Archive, a restricted vault housing thousands of years’ worth of unearthed relics, obscure manuscripts, untranslated glyphs, and salvaged fragments. Many of these objects were acquired before they could be seized or destroyed by the Tethuric Church, whose longstanding opposition to arcane research has forced the Arkaeni into near-permanent secrecy.
Some of the Archive’s contents are considered too volatile or incomprehensible to study safely. Its deepest levels are protected by warding systems and can only be accessed by members who have attained the rank of Adept or higher.
A living ledger—the Addendum—is maintained to track all items that have been recovered, relocated, or lost since the compilation of the Codex of Primary Sources, the Order’s central historical catalog.
The Codex of Primary Sources
Compiled by Spanico the Sane during his tenure as Head of the Order (1164–1209), the Codex of Primary Sources is a comprehensive reference document cataloging ancient texts, glyphs, myths, and speculative relics from across the world. It is the most complete map of known or rumored arcane knowledge in existence, and it remains under lock and guard at the Atheneum. Only one copy is known to exist.
Though the Tethuric Church dismisses the Order publicly, it is widely believed that agents within the Church have made repeated attempts to gain access to the Codex, either through infiltration or negotiation.
Relationship with the Empire
In 1331.7, Emperor Vralius initiated an unprecedented relationship with the Arkaeni, selecting three senior members to serve as consultants and researchers within his personal tower at Victurus. Their work remains confidential.
This alliance is controversial within the Order, with many fearing that imperial favor may compromise their independence—or worse, expose them.
Public Perception
The general public has little knowledge of the Arkaeni. Among educated circles, they are viewed with skepticism or amusement, and among religious authorities, they are watched with growing concern. The Tethuric Church has denounced the Order on multiple occasions, though never officially moved to outlaw it—preferring surveillance and containment over direct confrontation.
Though largely unseen, the Arkaeni remain active—quietly digging through the sediment of history, chasing ghosts, and preparing for a return that may never come.
Notable Arkaeni
- Niril - specializes in alchemy, ancient religions
- Aridessa - specializes in fortune telling, incantation, conjuring
- Lurius - specializes in poisons, curses, scrying
- Theopholus - successor to Niril as head of the Order
- Delembra - current head of the Order
- Meryne - she specializes in divination through visions, cartomancy, and Aprisic Astrology
- Celium - he specializes in arcane language, cryptography, glyphs, and runes
- Daron - he specializes in potions, herbal remedies, and poison
- Emilyn - she specializes in ancient religions and cultism
- Veryl - he specializes in Salarian Dirt Magic
Key Texts
List of Heads of the Order
| Number | Name | Dates | Left Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Delembra | 1330-present | |
| 15 | Theopholus | 1303-1330 | d. natural causes |
| 14 | Niril | 1284-1303 | voluntary abdication |
| 13 | Frivath | 1251-1284 | d. natural causes |
| 12 | Alena Rellen | 1244-1251 | deposed for fraud |
| 11 | Lendrath the Elder | 1209-1244 | d. suspicious circumstances |
| 10 | Spanico the Sane | 1164-1209 | d. Geldish Fever |
| 9 | Motirios | 1152-1164 | voluntary abdication |
| 8 | Velenda the Vast | 1134-1152 | d. spider bite |
| 7 | Holby of Andergard | 1098-1134 | d. natural causes |
| 6 | Jukken | 1054-1098 | d. poison |
| 5 | Bruther the Bright | 1006-1054 | d. accidental asphyxiation |
| 4 | Caerinth Alendo | 975-1006 | d. natural causes |
| 3 | Jogan 3 of Jerinsen | 941-975 | d. sword duel |
| 2 | Uctis the Blue | 911-941 | d. lightning strike |
| 1 | Rodamel | 885-911 | d. natural causes |