Arcanum (Ākein'ātsu)

'Arcanum' is the name given to the energy which provides elemental power to the world, it also the definition of the overarching mystical powers that can by wielded by humanity such as spells and supernatural abilities. Arcanum is the force which shaped the Elements (Fire, Water, Earth, and Air) into being, and is also responsible for the creation of life and the spirits of the afterlife. Even the Gods (Kami) themselves are partly made of this energy. Arcanum is quite literally pure magical energy, in a more metaphorical sense, it is 'the soil from which the trees of magic grow'.

All living creatures are one with Arcanum, and the ability to alter the elements and control them (magic) is possible for any living being of intelligence to accomplish. This energy is derivative of the ‘Energy of Creation’, a force that was used to create Heaven and Earth. It emerged during the early stages of creation and appears on Earth due to it being originally used by Izanagi to imbue the Earth with life and the Elements. Forbidden Dark Magics (which were created by Izanami) could be used to alter Izanagi’s laws of natural life. Izanami granted living beings the ability to die, but with that ability she brought the power to return from death (Necromancy), as well as opening the doorway for others to meddle with the natural prospects of life.

Within the first weeks of Japanese immigrants having settled in Gracewood Wilde, there were those who already resided in the town who wished to learn from them. Some of these Japanese settlers practiced the mystical arts (which they referred to as Qi), arts which intrigued the inhabitants of Gracewood Wilde. In the beginning, these Shamans (Majutsu-shi) would agree to share their knowledge with the curious Americans in exchange for a small fee, but in time the Shamans unified to create an academy for those who wished to learn the ways of the Qi. The term 'Arcanum' was invented by a group of American pupils of the Shamans, who decided the term would allow new members of their ever-growing society to easily grasp the concept of Qi. The Japanese Shamans found the use of this new vocabulary to be unnecessary but allowed it to continue within the ranks of their proteges. As the original Shamans died out, the term 'Qi' became lost, its replacement, Arcanum, being passed down by their pupils and becoming the new terminology within Gracewood Wilde, along with the users being called 'Mahou' (Mages).