Arcana and Its Uses by Saffina

Shortly after the Mages' Guild was constructed, it was discovered that certain materials and creatures were naturally rich with Magical properties. It is said that Shazak, the Globe Watcher, was attempting to concoct a potion of strength when Felicia the Cat stalked into the laboratory to spy on him. She sniffed the strange mixture, causing her to sneeze into it, and a potent venom was suddenly formed in Shazak's flask. He was astounded and set about studying the various creatures and plants of the land, scrying each one for its Magical essence. Seven such living things, including felines, displayed a great concentration of Magick within certain areas of their form, and the bones of certain creatures also showed potential for Magical working. These Magical items were:

Spider's Silk, Dragon's Teeth, Bat's Wings, Bleached Bones, Newt's Eyes, Mandrake Roots, Cat's Breath and Troll's Hearts.

He also discovered that various metals had Magick properties. These were:

Lead, Iron, Silver, Gold, and Bronze.

Extensive experimentation between Shazak and the High Council of the Magi resulted in the creation of a range of Magical runes, each bestowing on its wearer a Magical enhancement to their defense or abilities in simple combat. The High Council realised the wisdom that they had gained in making this great discovery, and as such it was decided that this art would be named Arcana, meaning "Secret," for the secrets of the mixings were never to be disclosed to another mage, but instead discovered by fledgelings through experimentation. To this day, Shazak sells these thirteen special items cheaply to all mages who are above the Guild Rank of ten, and the rule of secrecy is still in force.

As well as rune-making, skill with Arcana is also useful when attempting to combine any item which is a liquid. If attempting to combine a liquid with an item of food, then both Arcana and Herbalism skills are required.

Making Runes

In order to make the range of runes, one must have attained the guild rank of ten. It is advised that your skills with Arcana are at least at novice level. Begin by purchasing two items of Arcana and attempting to combine them. If you break an item, purchase another and try again. If the items either combine or do not appear to form a new substance, write down the result, and attempt to mix a different item with the first item if necessary. When you have successfully created a range of different putties, attempt combining each one with a further item of Arcana. After some experimentation, you should have a range of Runes as well as notes of the recipes so that you can make them again in the future. So far, a total of eight useful Runes have been discovered. There is no known use for a broken rune, or grey putty.

Subguild Arcana

Arcana does not end with Runes. Within the subguilds of the Coven and the Serenity, Arcane knowledge can be used to create Magical garments, shields and weapons. These expensive and dangerous arts are guarded with utmost secrecy. Please refer to the scrolls, "Help Warlock Arcana" and "Help Serenity Arcana" within the Guild for more information. Some advice before embarking on these arts:

Creating such items is extremely expensive, particularly if you wish to discover the mixings of several pieces. Learn how to barter sufficiently in order to pay less for the required materials.

Subguild Arcana requires more Arcana skill than creating runes. Make sure you are learned in this art. You do not want to make mistakes and break items worth tens of thousands of gold. Outstanding Arcana skills should be sufficient, and pre-eminent knowledge of Arcana will ensure that you always attempt to mix items of Arcana correctly. However, no amount of skill will prevent you from burning the occasional cauldron or shrivelling the odd herb pouch. Write down everything. Even if the mixture fails and destroys your mixing container, it may be valuable to know what caused the recipe to go wrong if you decide to attempt making something similar in the future.

Know spells of fire. Dark Blizzard Pass is perhaps the best hunting ground when attempting to gather large amounts of gold for such an expensive endeavour, therefore it is useful to scribe spells of fire in order to hunt there easily. An alternative gold-hunting place would be the lighthouse.

Keep all findings secret, and wear your special garments with pride.

Alley back to the library foyer.