Arcana

Arcana is a 2D platformer originally developed by Pyro Enterprises. It is now being worked on by Kutenaiabi. The project is highly inspired by the classic Mega Man series as well as Shovel Knight, and is directly stated by the game's developer to be a "take-that" to the game Mighty No. 9, or an attempt to one-up the efforts of Comcept and Keiji Inafune.
==Story==
===Act 0: The Beginning===
The world of Elris is at peace. The Emperor and Empress of the realm have kept peace for over three decades, and all the men and women of the kingdom have nothing to fear.
Then, on the eve of the kingdom's 150th anniversary, a terrible event struck the kingdom.
The powerful Arcana, enchanted sentient artefacts with massive amounts of power, made their way into the world. They began possessing various people, granting them considerable power and causing them to create chaos on a massive scale. Even the Emperor and Empress fell under the Arcana's influence.
Now, a lone child, empowered by the Fool Arcana, has set off to save the land from its accursed fate.
===Introduction: The Burning Village===
Smoke rises from a small village, carrying with it the screams of its denizens as the attack intensifies. Houses and shops are burned down en masse by lumps of burning coal with charred sticks as limbs; fleeing villagers are cut down by blades floating in small windstorms; clumps of earth tear through the town on wheels, smashing through all in their path; strange pairs of cups hop over each other, animated and guided by unknown forces.
...why…?
Amid the carnage, a lone girl cowers in an alleyway, barely able to look through her tears and terror.
...Why is this happening?
The girl flinches and ducks back into the alley as another monster floats by, resembling a floating flame with three small torches orbiting it.
All this pain...and suffering...why?
She backs down the alley as the flicker of flames grows brighter.
No...no, please...
A whimper escapes her lips as the flame bobs into the alley, its crackling taking on a note of menace as it floats towards her.
...y...i...
I don’t...please, I just...I don’t want to...
The thing looms over the girl, aiming the burning ends of its torches right at her as she curls into a ball.
..h..y...id...
Please...anyone, please!
The girl scrunches her eyes shut as the flames on the torches grow brighter.
...hey, kid.
I DON’T WANT TO DIE!
Just before the monster could strike…something slams into it from the sky. The child stares in awe at the light as it seems to absorb the remains of the beast into itself.
You okay, kid?
The voice sounds in her head. Unsure of what to do, she quietly nods.
Good…’cause I think we have business with each other. The light fades enough for the girl to get a better look at her apparent savior: a small, slightly luminescent mass of pale grey…something. Squinting as much as she dares, she still can’t really make sense of it; it seems to shift between solid and vaporous from moment to moment. The only concrete feature she can make out is a glowing white “0” amid the mass, which seems to flash slightly in time with the voice in her head.
This is gonna seem real sudden - considering we’ve just met and all - so I’ll give you the short version. I’ve got an axe to grind with the things wrecking your place…and the things that brought these things here to wreck your place. Problem is, they’re a little bit outta my league as it is…which is where you come in. The mass drifts closer to the girl, making her step back (and lightly bump her head on the wall of the alley). I sensed something from you just now - fear for your life, sure, but something else. Something deeper…something stronger…something that’s just what the both of us need right now. So, here’s what I’m thinking: you? Me? Alone, we’re not gonna get much done…but together…we-e-e-ell. Together, I think we could give these pompous megalomaniacs some real good incentives to regret their life decisions unto this point, y’get me~?
From the way the girl stares blankly, she obviously doesn’t get it. An awkward silence ensues (interrupted only by the distant sounds of chaos and screaming) before the silver mass makes a noise oddly like a small cough.
Uhh…right, dealing with a kid. Okay…lemme try this again. You wanna live, right?
The girl rapidly nods.
You wanna get outta here, right?
The girl nods again.
And you’d prefer…uh…would really, really like to get some payback on the jerks who wrecked the place, right?
The girl hesitates at this question, glancing past the silver mass as it drifts even closer to her. Even from her hiding place, she can see the village crumbling to rubble…and the sight of the fires ignites a flame of her own somewhere deep inside her heart, prompting her to nod once more. 
Alright then. I can work with that. The silver mass pulses in apparent satisfaction. What’s your name, kid?
The girl shifts uncomfortably before whispering, “...Ace...”
“Ace”, huh…fitting. You’re about to be this world’s ace in the hole, kid. Now, uhh…try not to squirm too much.
Before Ace can even say anything, the silver mass slams into her chest, causing her entire body to glow white.
Alright, here we go…
A moment passes.
Yeah, that’ll do it. We’re all set up.
The light slowly vanishes, revealing that Ace hasn’t changed at all…or at least, not much. Looking herself over, she finds a small “0” emblazoned on the clasp of her cloak, slowly pulsing with warm yellow light. A similar glow emanates from small runes on the palms of her hands…and Ace certainly feels different. Stronger. Faster. And most importantly, more aware of what’s happening.
“Ar…cana…? Is that…what you are…?”
Yeah, there we go, kid. I’m an Arcana. A Major Arcana, actually - you can call me Number 0 - The Fool. Nice to meet ya…now let’s go kick some butt.
===Tutorial: Village Ruins===
As Ace emerges from the alleyway, The Fool explains a little about its race. The Arcana are energy beings that hail from a dimension parallel to Elris, they’re normally unable to interact with this world, but they can get around it by merging with matter and taking on a conventionally physical form. Weak Arcana can only combine with inanimate objects, but more powerful ones can merge with living things, like plants, animals, and people. And when that happens, the host gets some pretty crazy new powers, like…well, give it a shot, kid.
Instinctively, Ace knows exactly what The Fool is talking about when she sets sights on one of the little walking cinders that burned down her village. She raises her left arm, pointing her open palm at the target while grasping her wrist with her right hand, causing the runes on her palms to envelop her left forearm with an intense glow. The light coalesces into a sleek silver cannon that fires a few small balls of yellow energy at the cinder, blowing it to ashes. Despite somehow knowing that she could do that, she can’t help but stare in awe, only able to utter a quiet “…Whoa.”
Pretty cool, right? Definitely more than what those mindless little Minor Arcana are capable of. Let’s keep going kid; we got some more to learn!
Ace nods and continues travelling through the village, fighting off Minor Arcana and their hosts as The Fool elaborates on what exactly is going on. A while back, the rest of the Major Arcana decided to invade this world. And here’s the thing: I don’t know why. They decided to beat the hell out of me - sure, I was against the idea, but I hadn’t even told them before they went completely wild on me! I only just recovered enough to go after them. And, well…you know the rest, kid. I saved you from that Minor Arcana, and we teamed up. 
“So...the Major Arcana caused this?” Ace quietly said, clenching her hands tightly.
Yep. They’ve probably latched onto people all across Elris, and not in the same way as I did, kid. This is mutual, but the others…they’re playing the part of parasites.
“...why? Why do this?” She spoke once more, looking out at the burning town. “All this...why?”
…I don’t know, kid. Only our leader would…and I’ve never seen ‘em. Heck, I don’t know a thing about them, except for their name. Number XXI: The World.
“...The World…” Ace mutters, fists clenched.
...let’s keep going, kid. She quietly nods and continues making her way through the village, the Fool providing more information on her new abilities. Soon enough, the two leave the remains of the village.
===Stage 1: Prism Plain===
==Act/Phase 1: The War To Save Elris==
===Stage 2: Thundering Plateau===
===Stage 3: Flooded Sanctuary===
===Stage 4: Bio Palace===
===Stage 5: Mechanism Castle===
===Stage 6: Doomsday Assembly===
===Stage 7: Mr. Huggles’s House of Love===
===Stage 8: Warring Course===
===Stage 9: Tomb Of Trials===
==Act/Phase 2 (Arcana Counterattack)==
===Stage 10: Hungry Wasteland===
===Stage 11: Caravan Fleet===
===Stage 12: Steel Sanctuary===
===Stage 13: Gallows Web===
===Stage 14: Hedonists’ Hollow===
===Stage 15: Eternal Pillar===
==Phase 3 (Annihilation Phase)==
===Stage 16: Ragnarok Plains===
===Stage 17: Extinction Plateau===
===Stage 18: Cocytus Tundra===
===Stage 19: Gehenna Desert===
===Stage 17 Redux: Extinction Plateau===
==FINAL PHASE (Arcane Olympia)==
===Stage 20: Genesis Rift===
===Stage 21: Arcane Olympia===
===Stage 22: Elrisian Memories===
===Stage 23: Eternity Harvester===
===Stage 24: Dominus Generator===
===Final Stage: World’s Eye===
==Gameplay==
Arcana is heavily based off of the Mega Man franchise; as such, it is a 2D platformer with high levels of difficulty and an emphasis on shooting. Arcana's gameplay consists of running through stages in search of the boss at the end, obtaining its signature weapon after defeat.
The primary difference to gameplay in Arcana is how each given weapon (or Arcana) actually works. As opposed to a single ability that will only have 1 or 2 given uses, each Arcana is a full, unique moveset inspired by the Kirby and Super Smash Bros. franchises; this decision was made to extend each weapon's use, and this is further compounded by the fact that Arcana have no energy limits.
===Controls===
* ~ Move Player Character/Attack Directional Input (Streamlined Mode)
* ~ Jump
* ~ Attack
* ~ Use Rejuvenation Point
* ~ Warp to Last Checkpoint
* ~ Attack Directional Input (Controlled Mode)
*/ ~ Switch Arcana
* ~ Arcana Quick Select
*Start ~ Pause game
==Characters==
Name 	Description 	Ability
Ace 	Originally a young child named Ace, one of the only survivors of an Arcana attack on their village. They were met by the Fool Arcana, seemingly cast off from the other artefacts for not being in favor of their plan to conquer. The Fool Arcana empowered Ace's body and encouraged them to go after the other Arcana, as much as the timid girl was frigthened of them.	Null EmbodimentThe basic Arcana that Ace begins with. It's the most Mega Man-inspired, relying on basic peashooter blasts and charge shots to attack enemies from afar. Null Embodiment is not a very special piece of weaponry, but it will always get the job done.
Cardelia	Formerly the princess of the kingdom of Elris, Cardelia was forced to flee when the Arcana reawakened, corrupting both her mother and father. She's sort of been venturing around the dying kingdom with her trusty rapier, seeking to kill any Arcana bearer she comes across; this leads to a deadly dispute with Ace at first, but the two soon get along. 	Null Embodiment (Alt.)While Ace relies on Mega Man-esque gameplay to fight through stages, Cardelia, is far more melee-focused, with her entire base moveset being focused on her rapier. She can chain together quick attacks eaily, but her only ranged option comes from her ability to reflect most projectiles.
==Stages==
Name 	Description 	Boss
Prism Plains 	A once-pristine plain between Ace's old village and the hub town of Cindron. it's now been ravaged by a few Arcana attacks, having patches of burnt grass and a few bits of building wreckage. It has simple enemies and simple level design; this is the definition of a tutorial level. 	Cardelia (1)
Thundering Plateau 	Another grassy level, this time under a dark and stormy sky. Lightning always strikes in the same place here, and acts as timed attacks that you must dodge. Enemies are all electricity and cloud-themed, and a fair amount of the stage eventually takes to the skies. 	1 - The Magician
Flooded Sanctuary 	A former church converted into a stronghold for demonkind. It's dark, spooky, and has a lot of spikes; some of these are even on moving platforms. There are also some minor puzzles dealing with light and torches, and a lot of unknowable dark liquid filling the place. Enemies in this area tend to be holy or demonic-themed; later in the stage, enemies actually made of the liquid begin appearing. 	2 - The High Priestess
Bio Palace 	The queen's vacation retreat/greenhouse, now overrun with plants both normal and carnivorous. There are lots of vines in this areas, used primarily to jump from region to region, but it might actually be easier to burn the whole place down. Enemies are flower or plant-themed. 	3 - The Empress
Mechanism Castle 	The former kingdom capital, converted into a gear-filled mechanical nightmare by the Arcana-controlled king. It's full of conveyor belts, gears, moving platforms, and more hazards of the robotic variety. Enemies in this area are largely mechanical themed, though a few loyal knights still remain to defend the king. 	4 - The Emperor
Doomsday Assembly 	A large park where one of the Arcana hosts has set up a sermon for the public…although it sure looks a lot like some kind of dark ritual. The platforming seems straightforward, but watch out for magic runes; they usually mark a trap or obstacle of some sort. There’s a fair few civilians under attack by insane cultists and strange monstrosities alike; if you can save them, you’ll be rewarded. 	5 - The Hierophant
Mr. Huggles’s House of Love	An entire village converted into a series of strange, life-size dollhouses. The local Arcana’s efforts to fortify the place have turned it into a veritable labyrinth populated by a variety of adorably hostile toy-themed enemies; pay attention to the symbols outside the paths and barricades for hints on how to reach the massive, ramshackle mansion at the center of the village. 	6 - The Lovers
Warring Course 	Elris’s primary coliseum, home to all forms of exciting - and violent - entertainment. It contains a number of smaller stadiums, each with their own games (and threats), but the main attraction is the massive racetrack winding around and through the venue. You’ll need to dodge the racers as you make your way through the level, seeking a means to catch up with the resident Arcana. Enemies are themed on various games known to have occurred in the ancient world; archers, discus throwers, gladiators, etc. 	7 - The Chariot
Tomb Of Trials 	Despite the dramatic name, the Tomb is actually a prison where Strength keeps the gladiators for the coliseum and tests the new “volunteers” with a series of death courses. This is reflected the weak enemies and numerous deadly traps at the start of the level; later on, the traps become less numerous, but the enemies become increasingly powerful and dangerous. There’s primarily humanoid enemies here, with a few machines and beasts for variety. 	8 - Strength
Hungry Wasteland 	A great expanse of barren rock, with a few disintegrating skeletons and crumbling trees being the only reminders of its recent past as a thriving forest. Large crystals dot the landscape, serving as the conduit through which the Hermit Arcana siphons the life energy from everything around him to both fulfill his desire for solitude and increase his own power. Fortunately, Ace is protected by The Fool’s power, allowing her to make her way towards the center of the desolation and take out its source. The main challenge here is the crumbling ground; depending on where you are, it could lead to a complex underground maze or just a Bottomless Pit. Enemies are predominantly earth and spirit-themed, with the majority being “pure” Minor Arcana.	9 - The Hermit
Caravan Fleet 	A huge group of caravans inhabited by those enslaved by the Wheel of Fortune, periodically taking on new “staff” from those stupid and/or desperate enough to gamble with him even after knowing the risks. Partway through the level, the caravans will pack up and go on the road; mind that you don’t fall into one of the many traps designed to eject you from the now-moving level! Most enemies here are humanoid or mechanical. 	10 - Wheel of Fortune
Steel Sanctuary 	The most peaceful area in Elris, courtesy of the Justice Arcana. If you want to avoid most of the destruction and havoc caused by the sentient artifacts, it’s best to go here…as long as you obey the laws. The main objective here is to reach the main guardhouse in the central castle and deactivate the master control on the Sanctuary’s security, disabling its defenses enough to focus Justice solely on you while the prisoners make their escape. The enemies here are almost entirely knights, with the odd siege engine or attack beast coming in when things start getting particularly dicey. 	11 - Justice
Gallows Web 	The lair of Justice’s partner and head executioner, the Hanged Man. It’s a large tower suspended by several ropes in a web-like pattern, with the ends attached to two massive peaks. Anyone who breaks Justice’s laws is sent to be hung until dead; their bodies hang off the sides of the tower, serving as a grim testament to anyone being brought to their doom… 	12 - The Hanged Man
Field of the Dead 	This place used to be a farmer’s field, until the Death Arcana arrived here. Now it’s literally just a grey wasteland covered in skeletons with a gigantic pile of corpses in the distance. Yeah…suffice to say you’ll be fighting plenty of undead enemies here. 	13 - Death
Golden Villa 	A gaudily opulent mansion situated on an artificial hill…in the sense that the “hill” is basically the only part of the surrounding land that hasn’t been excavated to hell and back by the local mining operation. 	14 - Temperance
Hedonists' Hollow 	A literal underground tavern hidden among a confusing network of tunnels and caverns. It’s the stuff of legends among the Elrisian populace, said to contain unimaginable pleasures and the ability to fulfill your every desire…and it actually does live up to the hype if you can find it. Of course, that’s leaving out the tiny caveat that you have to make a contract with the proprietor of the place, and she’s very insistent on you fulfilling your end of the deal before she upholds hers… 	15 - The Devil
Eternal Pillar 	Before the Arcana showed up, this imposing tower was Elris’s primary prison, with absolutely no escapees ever reported. After one of the longer-serving inmates bonded with the Tower Arcana, the whole place effectively became her body, allowing her to kill everyone within it to ensure her own safety. While she’s not doing much to actively contribute to the Arcana’s cause, her intimidating defenses ensure that she’s immensely difficult to kill, which throws a wrench into Ace’s plans to end the Arcana threat unless she braves the dangers of the Pillar. 	16 - The Tower
Ragnarok Plains 	This area is actually a redux of the Prism Plains following Judgement’s display of power and the arrival of the “Annihilators”, a trio of Arcana who are specifically tasked with eradicating all life in Elris. Most of the level is simply an effort to escape the devastation and return to Cindron to figure out what to do about the new threat. 	Cardelia (2)
Extinction Plateau 	A large plateau among the moors of Elris, chosen by the Arcana as the perfect site for their deadliest Annihilator to begin her work. Fortunately, it’ll take her some time to get her plan going; unfortunately, she’s protected behind a barrier generated by the other two Annihilators. While you can traverse most of the level beforehand (dealing with a number of dangerous beast and magic-type enemies along the way), you’ll need to beat The Moon and The Sun before you can reach the boss of this area. 	17 - The Star
Cocytus Tundra 	An ever-expanding wasteland of ice created by an enormous, unnatural blizzard summoned by The Moon Arcana. As if the impossibly-below-freezing temperatures and whiteout conditions weren’t bad enough, the resident Annihilator will personally harass Ace throughout the level, summoning ice-themed enemies and taking pot shots in an effort to wipe her off the face of Elris. At the center of the tundra is an orb of powerful magic energy, sustaining both the blizzard and part of the barrier protecting The Star. Smash it to lessen your long-term problems immensely…while making your short-term problems much, much bigger. 	18 - The Moon
Gehenna Desert 	A rapidly-growing desert created by the devastating heat of The Sun Arcana. If dehydration and exposure don’t get you, the sandstorms and roaming enemies will; if they fail, The Sun will happily step in himself. You’ll need to survive all of this to reach the orb sustaining the unnatural heatwave; smashing it also shuts off part of The Star’s protective barrier. Unfortunately, it also ticks The Sun right off, causing him to assume his real battle form. 	19 - The Sun
Genesis Rift 	The final area in Elris, a vast crater thought to be where the Arcana were first discovered. There’s a breach in the fabric of reality at the base of the crater; the only way to pass through is with a tremendously powerful Arcana…or the combined power of several lesser Arcana. On the other side is the dimension where the Arcana’s race resides…including the mastermind of all the misfortune they’ve wrought upon Elris. 	20 - Judgement:
Arcane Olympia 	The lair of The World, the ultimate Arcana, is a massive tower that seems to have been literally carved out of a mountain. It’s split into multiple parts. 	
Elrisian Memories 	A mishmash of various area pieces floating in a strange void, all being drawn towards the tower proper. The varied level fragments also come with varied enemies from all over Elris; however, they’re not necessarily on the pieces of levels they came from. 	The Four Ace Arcana
Eternity Harvester 	The interior of the tower seems to be absorbing the other stages into itself, eventually transitioning their environments into a strange metal. This place is mainly guarded by pure Arcana enemies, abstract metallic versions of previous Arcana-possessed creatures, and a few wandering soul enemies. 	Wraith Rider
Dominus Generator 	The upper levels of the tower are dominated by a vast, cathedral-like structure containing massive metal fragments that rotate in seemingly random paths, several colored orbs orbiting among them. The objective here is to adjust the orbs so the fragments form paths leading to higher levels; to do so, you need to venture through the massive doors around the chamber, each one leading to a nasty new spin on familiar faces… 	
World's Eye 	An elaborate structure at the very top of Arcane Olympia. Its primary feature is a massive crystal that appears to be equal parts stained-glass window and microscope lenses; looking through it somehow gives you a view of Elris itself. There’s no enemies to be fought here; just a short climb through the World’s Eye to face the ultimate source of Elris’s woes… 	21 - The World
==Arcana==
Name 	Description 	Abilities
1 - The Magician 	Once a court mage, this former servant of the kingdom has become corrupted by the Magician Arcana and gained considerable power over electricity. Taking over an abandoned castle, he began creating electric monsters to attack nearby towns. The Magician is a hyperactive, chaotic individual who has the attention span and itchiness of a squirrel on drugs; definitely not a sociable man, he blasts first and asks questions later. 	The Magician's arena is completely flat, with no real gimmicks, but it does have walls and a ceiling unlike most arenas. The boss itself tends to jump around a lot, and fires off various types of lightning bolts. They range from diagonally-aimed shots that ricochet off surfaces to triple shots fired directly in front of the boss to a slow-moving and massive charge shot. At half HP, the Magician is able to summon large lightning strikes from the ceiling; if one happens to strike him, he temporarily gets an electric shield that deals damage on contact. The Magician grants the Plasma Aura weapon.
2 - The High Priestess	Formerly a high ranking member of the church, she has been twisted by the High Priestess Arcana and has gained powerful demonic magic. Having converted an old church into a demon fortress, she's been raiding towns to gather resources for a summoning ritual. The High Priestess is sadistic and self-indulgent; her immediate wants come first, everything else second. 	The High Priestess is battled at the heart of the Sanctuary, a series of platforms suspended over a large pool of dark liquid. The main gimmick of this fight is the Arcana’s ability to manipulate the “water” level, reducing Ace/Cardelia’s room to maneuver and enabling different attacks. At some points, she’ll teleport away and begin charging a powerful attack, protecting herself with a veritable maze of liquid obstacles; the player needs to navigate the obstacles to reach the boss and lay on the hurt.
3 - The Empress 	The queen of the land, beloved by all and loving them back in return…until the Empress Arcana got a hold of her. Its influence has given her tremendous control of plants…and a terrible hatred of any who would “despoil my babies”, which basically amounts to everyone. 	The Empress is fought beneath a massive tree, with part of the arena formed from the arches of its overgrown roots. It’d be more impressive if not for the bodies scattered around the arena, apparently being used to feed the unnatural garden. Her main weapon is a long whip that she can summon and even fuse to her hand, thanks to her Arcana’s corruption. In addition to long-range melee attacks, she can stab it into the ground to summon massive black roots, which serve as the bulk of her offense and defense. Contact with the whip or its summoned roots can drain your energy to heal the Empress.
4 - The Emperor 	The king of the land, a decisive yet compassionate ruler who had the misfortune to be possessed by the Emperor Arcana. Given an obsession with machines by his possessor, he’s converted his castle and its surroundings into a clockwork nightmare to glorify “the superiority of metal and wheels over our pathetic organic frailty!” 	His main weapon is a frankly humongous cleaver that could be mistaken for an entire grandfather clock, complete with visible machinery rolling away within its blade. That’s not just for show, either; it can actually separate and recombine into a variety of new forms, mainly used to increase the Emperor’s reach and attack from odd angles. If that wasn’t bad enough, he’s also armed with a black, gear-patterned shield that can absorb enemy attacks to power up his own.
5 - The Hierophant 	A soothsayer of the same church that the High Priestess hailed from, his role was to travel the empire and attend to the concerns of the common folk. He’s still at it even after the Hierophant Arcana possessed him, but he’s less “soothsayer” and more “cult leader” now. 	TBD
6 - The Lovers 	Not even children are safe from the Arcana, as this little girl proves. Her desire to see everyone find happiness with their soulmate was horribly twisted by the Lovers Arcana; now she’s bent on playing “matchmaker” herself…and she’s gotten unpleasantly literal about the “soulmate” part. The dolls she surrounds herself with exist for one purpose: capturing the life force and consciousness of “lucky” victims and dumping them into “Mr. Huggles”, a titanic cloth doll that literally “spins” the souls around until they find someone to love…and then keeps them trapped there to “enjoy” each other’s company forever.	Having a little girl for its host, the Lovers isn’t particularly capable in a direct fight; instead, she mainly summons minions to do her dirty work. While you’re contending with her toys, she observes from her perch in a magic bubble held between Mr. Huggles’s hands; if you don’t have an upwards-attacking weapon, you’ll need to use its feet and some of the Lovers’ attacks as platforms to hit her.
After the boss takes significant damage, Mr. Huggles takes a more active role in the battle, shooting Eye Beams and smashing the ground with its hands - the latter move briefly leaves the Lovers stuck in the ground and open for punishment. Its ultimate attack has it lift its controller high into the air before opening its stomach and attempting to physically suck the player inside - to make things more difficult, some of the trapped souls will become projectiles to try and knock them around. Fortunately, surviving this attack gives the player a prime opportunity to finish the Lovers off, as the strain of the move makes Mr. Huggles slump over and bring its controller into attack range.
7 - The Chariot 	A foreign man who came to the empire to compete in a race against the best in the world…and by “came,” I mean “was dragged here under order of Strength.” His intense desire to survive the blood sports attracted the attention of the Chariot Arcana, and its possession has turned him into a crowd favorite…if you’re into brutal and often fatal one-sided “death races”. 	Unlike most bosses, the Chariot is a constant threat throughout the level, being the lead racer that harasses you as you try to navigate the coliseum. You’ll only get a proper fight with him once you manage to cut the “magic cameras” broadcasting his race, prompting him to attack you in a fury.
Initially, the Chariot barrels around at high speeds, weaving through the background and foreground while harassing you with charging attacks, wind projectiles, and the odd slash of his polearm. As nerve-wracking as it is, your best bet is to face him directly and attack as he comes rampaging through; a solid hit will knock him off-course before he can hit you. Cardelia can also deflect some of his projectiles to chip away at him from a safer distance.
After taking some damage, the Chariot’s steed/vehicle collapses and dissolves, sending the boss’s rage to new heights. He makes up for his reduced speed by teleporting around and using much more aggressive wind attacks, aided by fans formed from the remains of his wheels.
8 - Strength 	The organizer of the blood sports…although not entirely intentionally. He was originally the king’s head tournament planner, but he intended the entertainment to be fairly harmless…riiight until he got possessed by the Strength Arcana. Now his only concern is giving his audience a good show - and if he can kill a bunch of them in the process, all the better! 	As the battle begins, your primary concern is the slave-driven contraption that Strength is piloting; it only uses slow (if damaging and wide-ranged) melee attacks, but you can’t hurt the Arcana while he’s aboard. To disable the “mech”, you need to hit its weak points (the hapless people operating its limbs) until they fall out of it, leaving Strength to confront you head on.
Unfortunately for you, Strength is even more dangerous on his own than he was in his vehicle, using an array of powerful and unpredictable physical attacks. Fans of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance may get Senator Armstrong vibes here; fortunately, Strength isn’t nearly as invulnerable.
9 - The Hermit 	Once a reclusive sage, possession by the Hermit Arcana has made him want nothing else but to be alone…by turning everything within a 20-mile radius of him into a lifeless wasteland. 	Fuelled as he is by the stolen life energy of the entire Lonely Wasteland, the Hermit brings some devastating psychic power to the table. His first move is to encase himself in a barrier that both protects his frail body and allows him to fly freely, keeping himself out of the range of most attacks. He mainly attacks with telekinesis, beams, and energy blasts, but also summons crystalline spikes to try and skewer Ace before drawing energy from them to replenish his own. Shattering the crystals can disrupt the process, causing The Hermit to lose his barrier and become open for a pummelling; alternately, certain attacks can negatively affect him if he absorbs their energy from the crystals.
After taking enough damage, The Hermit changes tactics rather drastically, teleporting around randomly and a number of energy-infused melee attacks while retaining his barrier to avoid damage. He’ll also turn his prior crystal attacks into bait: attacking the crystals he summons in this phase will cause them to explode violently, damaging or stunning Ace unless she’s well clear of the blast. However, losing his flight has made the Hermit much more vulnerable; once his barrier’s down, it won’t take much to finish him.
10 - Wheel of Fortune 	A notorious gambler who was plying his trade in Elris when the Wheel of Fortune Arcana took over his body; he’s not actually much different because of it, but his “games” have become much more dangerous and esoteric; if you lose, you become one of the Arcana's mindless slaves. He mainly operates out of his wagon, transformed into a mobile tavern of sorts. 	Once you’ve separated the main wagon from the rest of the caravan, the Wheel of Fortune Arcana will take you on personally…well, sort of. Although he has his own attacks - mainly Spread Shots of coins, poker chips, and playing cards from under his cloak - he prefers to activate different traps and devices within his wagon. However, this works in Ace’s favor, since the Wheel of Fortune has the ability to dodge any of her attacks; he’s functionally invincible, but his vehicle isn’t.
11 - Justice 	The captain of the king’s guard, he was claimed by the Justice Arcana shortly after the Emperor claimed the king. His duty was twisted by the Arcana into “impose Justice on everything.” His territory is actually one of the more peaceful places controlled by the Arcana…if you can ignore the fully armored guards everywhere and the fact that people are executed for the smallest crimes. 	When Justice finally decides to personally come after you, he proves invulnerable to any of your attacks. You’ll need to evade him until you can find a way to actually breach his Arcana-enhanced armor; harder than it sounds when you have his minions and magical traps to contend with. Eventually, however, you’ll be able to trick Justice into smashing his way into his own city’s prison sector; the massive underground complex won’t be able to support his weight, dropping him up to his waist in a pit.
From here, you can finally battle Justice properly, with his head being a weak point. He still has his prior tricks, along with some sweeping hammer attacks, but he can also summon beams of light to try and block your paths around him.
12 -The Hanged Man 	An innocent man wrongly accused of a crime and sentenced to execution. He was just being prepared at the gallows when the Hanged Man Arcana found him; moments later, his would-be executioner found himself strangled to death…along with the judge that declared him guilty, the people watching the execution, and the person who accused him in the first place. Deciding that he had been given this power for a reason, the man took it upon himself to become the new judge, jury, and executioner of the guilty - it’d be more admirable if his definition of “guilty” wasn’t “anyone trying to stop the Arcana”. 	The interior of the tower has plenty of footholds, hooks, and other protruding features for the Hanged Man to grapple onto; throw in his ability to summon ropes from thin air, and he can attack from multiple strange angles. His main tactic is to bind Ace with his ropes, leaving her vulnerable to a strike from his noose blade; he can also raise temporary platforms to cut down later, hoping to drop Ace to her doom. Learn to recognize the visual and audio cues for his rope summoning attacks if you don’t want to get tied up!
13 - Death 	A simple gravedigger before the Death Arcana claimed him, he proceeded to animate everything in the graveyard, from skeletons to recently dead bodies, when he was corrupted. Now his army of the undead roves across the land, slaughtering people and adding them to his forces… 	When Ace or Cardelia breaks into the farmhouse-turned-necropolis that serves as a boss room, the resident Arcana takes a page from the Castle Crashers Necromancer’s book and summons waves of undead foes to attack the heroine. Only when that fails does he take to the field personally, revealing his hideous true form in the process. He’ll continue summoning minions to harass the player as he makes a variety of slashing and swooping attacks; since he likes flying out of reach most of the time, you’ll have to hit him when he whiffs an attack unless you have a good anti-air move.
14 - Temperance 	Once a high-ranking noble of the Kingdom, the Temperance Arcana corrupted him and managed to raise his already high greed even higher. 	TBD
15 - The Devil 	The host of the Devil Arcana is a capricious woman who lived selfishly to “avoid the effort of having to care for others”, which was taken to extremes in her corrupted form. Now, she roams the fallen empire, seeking out new “toys” to play with until they break. 	TBD
16 - The Tower 	One of the more bizarre Arcana hosts is another prisoner of the empire, rightfully accused this time. Instead of execution, she was sentenced to a life sentence in prison; she was approaching the end of her life when the Tower Arcana appeared before her and offered her a way to live on. Accepting the being’s power somehow fused her body into her prison, allowing her reshape it as she pleased and manipulate the earth itself.
Despite her power, the Tower is absolutely terrified of anyone reaching her, well aware that losing her Arcana will all but certainly cost her life. As such, she’s a constant presence throughout her level, manipulating the very environment of her new tower lair to stop anyone from reaching her.	TBD
17 - The Star 	An enigmatic girl who carries the Star Arcana. Unlike most of the Arcana bearers, she seems to have a mutualistic relationship with her possessor, sharing control of the body and actively discussing events among themselves. She’s still very much against the heroes, but she doesn’t seem to bear any ill will against them; as far as she’s concerned, they’re just caught on opposite sides of a war. 	TBD
18 - The Moon 	A cloaked woman controlled by the Moon Arcana. She’s converted part of the kingdom into a frozen wasteland through her powers of cryokinesis, using constant blizzards to freeze anyone that steps into her very wide range. 	Contrary to what you might’ve expected, the Moon’s transformed state favors overwhelming melee combat. She’ll pursue Ace relentlessly, periodically detaching a limb or two to attack from unexpected angles. Her ice powers remain a dangerous threat, of course, mainly being used to summon projectiles and other constructs as an addition to her melee attacks.
19 - The Sun 	A cloaked man controlled by the Sun Arcana. He’s converted part of the kingdom into a desert through his powers of light and heat manipulation, immolating every bit of greenery in his very wide range. 	In contrast to the Moon, the Sun transforms into a Long-Range Fighter that keeps its distance while bombarding Ace with deadly projectiles. It often detaches its lion-like “face” to harass the player at close range, but it’s not above dropping down as a huge fireball every now and then.
20 - Judgement 	A man clad entirely in regal, almost angelic-looking armor granted to him by the Judgement Arcana, describing himself as “the voice of the world”. This actually betrays its real status as the technical second in command of the Arcana: it serves to keep them in line while answering to and protecting the World Arcana. Anyone that wants to even try and find the World has to contend with him.
Unlike the other Arcana, Judgement’s personality and powers are entirely its own; its “host” is a corpse, chosen only to give the Arcana a vessel for its power and a means of interacting with Elris at large. 	TBA
21 - The World 	The strongest of the Arcana, and their leader. The World’s appearance is extremely unnerving. After appearing as a completely transparent and featureless humanoid figure for most of the game, its full appearance is revealed during the final encounter: a horrifically mutilated and bloodied mirror image of Ace. Apparently, soon after the Fool found its ally in Ace, the World thought it’d be funny to painfully alter their current host into a copy of Ace, and then mutilate them to freak out said young girl. Yeah. 	TBA
===Weapons===
Name 	Description
Ace: Volt Embodiment I - Thunder Striker 	Enables a double jump and gives Ace’s normal shots electrical damage and slight homing properties; when charged, she fires a large ball of electricity that explodes into homing lightning arcs. Upward and downward shots summon large bolts of lightning with excellent vertical range.
Cardelia: Volt Spear 	An enhanced dash attack that surrounds Cardelia’s rapier in electricity and can be used in the air as well as on the ground.
Ace: Splash Embodiment II - Wave Rider 	Improves the speed and distance of Ace’s dash while surrounding her in water that damages nearby foes; if she attacks while dashing, she fires her aura as a ground-crawling wave. Her normal shots gain a water element and increased damage, while her charged attack becomes a powerful water jet with great horizontal range. She can use this as a recoil boost when airborne, too.
Cardelia: Tidal Trident 	Enables Cardelia to perform an upward slash that sends a wave of dark blue water along the ground for a good distance in front of her. If used in the air, she instead dives straight down and plants her weapon in the ground, damaging whatever she lands on while sending waves out to either side of her.
Ace: Life Embodiment III - Rampant Growth	Ace’s normal shots become green-glowing seeds that explode into vines on impact with a foe or solid surface; the former will take Damage Over Time, while the latter sustains the vines for a few seconds to act as an immobilizing trap. Charging a shot turns it into a larger bulb that explodes into a mass of thorny vines before sprouting a large leaf/flower that Ace can use as a platform..
Cardelia: Ivy Whip 	A thorny whip that increases the range of Cardelia’s basic rapier stab while enabling her to swing it around after the initial stab, covering more angles with one attack.
Ace: Steel Embodiment IV - Metal Shifter 	One of the more drastic Arcana powers, this one turns Ace into a clockwork version of herself that can physically transform by pressing the dash button. Using it on the ground turns her into a car-like form that can’t jump but runs down foes in its path if it’s moving fast enough; using it in the air transforms her into a small plane that can fly around at the cost of being unable to attack.
Cardelia: Gizmo Shield 	A silver-and-black version of the Emperor’s gear-shaped shield that Cardelia can use to block attacks. If she raises her guard shortly before an attack hits, the shield absorbs the blow and powers up her next attack. If she blocks an attack just as it hits, the shield instead splits into fragments that strike the attacker (in melee) or shoot the projectile back where it came (at range) for massive damage.
Ace: Dark Embodiment V - Glyphic Guard 	Gives Ace’s shots a dark element and gives her a double-tier charged attack. The first tier charges slightly faster than normal, while the second tier has even greater damage in exchange for a lengthier charge; both can surround a hit foe with runes that temporarily weaken their attack power. By pressing down while releasing the charged shot, Ace instead performs a ground punch that creates a rune-marked dome or pillar of dark energy around herself; while it’s tough to hit enemies with it, it does huge damage and shields Ace from attacks. In the air, using the half-charged “shield shot” gives Ace a small recoil boost while the fully-charged version sends her straight down before launching the attack; mind you don’t send her plummeting into the abyss.
Cardelia: Air Rune 	Simple but effective; when Cardelia is airborne, pressing the Jump button creates a green-glowing rune beneath her feet, allowing her to double jump.
Ace: Soul Embodiment VI - Heart Puppeteer	(TBA)
Cardelia: Binding Claw 	A short-ranged grab attack with a giant pink claw. If it grabs a valid target/foe, Cardelia begins spinning it around, hitting everything around her before throwing the victim away. She can move herself around while spinning something, allowing her to move towards other targets or pass through dangerous areas thanks to the invincibility frames on the spin.
Ace: Gale Embodiment VII - Whirl Cutters:	(TBA)
Cardelia: Cyclone Halberd 	A fierce twirling slash that sends Cardelia fairly high into the air while firing a tornado in the direction she was facing when she began the attack.
Ace: Might Embodiment VIII - ??? 	(TBA)
Cardelia: Grisly Grasp 	Turns Cardelia’s charged stab attacks into a giant metal hand that grabs enemies or projectiles. The follow-up changes based on what Cardelia grabbed and where she was at the time, but it’s always quite damaging and capable of hurting other foes in its path.
Ace: Mind Embodiment IX - ??? 	(TBA)
Cardelia: Psy Sphere 	Cardelia spreads her arms to her sides, creating a bubble of violet energy around herself that deflects most attacks; energy-based attacks will be absorbed by the bubble, restoring a bit of her health proportionate to the damage of the original blow. If she uses it on the ground, she stops in place; if she uses it in the air, she retains her previous momentum, but her fall speed is greatly reduced.
Ace: Luck Embodiment X - ??? 	(TBA)
Cardelia: Gamble Dagger 	Pressing the attack button just as Cardelia turns around will replace her regular attack with a slash from a jeweled dagger. While it has awful range, it deals surprisingly high damage and leaves the victim stunned for a moment.
Ace: Guard Embodiment XI - ??? 	(TBA)
Cardelia : Crusading Hammer 	An overhead swing that can only be used on the ground; in exchange, it's quite powerful and able to break through the defenses of certain foes. It can also be charged up to do even more damage; at maximum charge, it also releases a blinding burst of light that stuns all foes in a good distance around Cardelia.
Ace: Pain Embodiment XII - ??? 	(TBA)
Cardelia: Killer Lasso: 	An upgraded version of Binding Claw with better range and the ability to grapple certain objects and foes to let Cardelia swing from them. She can also opt to hold her position and swing the trapped victim around herself in more elaborate patterns.
Ace: Doom Embodiment XIII - ??? 	(TBA)
Cardelia: Fateful Sickle 	A powerful aerial attack that hits a full 360 degrees around Cardelia. It also gives her a tiny boost upwards; these can be chained into a pseudo-Screw Attack (Metroid), but this requires good timing.
Ace: Gold Embodiment XIV - ??? 	(TBA)
Cardelia: Jewel Mace 	An upgraded version of Crusading Hammer that surrounds the victim in sparkling dust that reduces their speed and defense. A charged swing increases the duration of the status effect; at maximum charge, it stuns all enemies in a good range around Cardelia while covering them with debilitating dust.
Ace: Geass Embodiment XV - ??? 	(TBA)
Cardelia: Punishing Lash: 	A metallic red riding crop with a tip resembling a cracked heart. It acts like a slightly stronger Palette Swap of the Ivy Whip with an added bonus if Cardelia swings it into a stunned/immobilized foe. Note that a regular stab won’t work; she has to swing her weapon into the foe to make it turn into the Lash. If successful, she unleashes a flurry of strikes that ends with her kicking the victim away. In addition to taking a large amount of damage, the kicked foe becomes a projectile that can damage other enemies it bounces into before coming to a stop (or exploding into a bloodied heart, if the attack kills it). Cardelia’s also invincible for the duration of the combo, so you don’t have to worry about her getting pegged by a cheap shot.
Ace: Earth Embodiment XVI - ??? 	(TBA)
Cardelia: Plateshifter 	Holding the attack button after any of Cardelia’s grounded attacks (including aerial attacks that end with her on the ground) will raise slabs of rock around her; these can absorb attacks for her, be shattered into arcing shrapnel with a regular attack, or even be used for moves like Punishing Lash or Killer Lasso. If used in the air, Cardelia summons a small rock platform under herself, giving her the ability to catch her breath or reach new areas. Be warned that the platform will eventually vanish from under her, and she can only do this once without touching actual ground.
Ace: Cosmic Embodiment XVII - ??? 	(TBA)
Cardelia: Comet Dash 	By guarding and then attacking, Cardelia can envelop herself in energy and charge in the input direction at great speed. It has good invincibility frames, so it’s great for dodging attacks that the Gizmo Shield can’t block; however, most bosses and high-level foes take little damage from it unless it’s charged by the Gizmo Shield’s “guard absorption” trick first.
Ace: Freeze Embodiment XVIII - ??? 	(TBA)
Cardelia: Chilling Sting: 	An upgraded version of Tidal Trident that uses an icy spear resembling a scorpion tail to send a large wave of frozen debris ahead of Cardelia; unlike the previous version, it can actually travel up walls. The aerial version creates rows of ice spikes on either side of Cardelia.
Ace: Blaze Embodiment XIX - ??? 	(TBA)
Cardelia: Sunbeat 	An improved version of Air Rune that gives Cardelia two pairs of fiery wings in addition to a red version of the previous glyph. Not only does it let her jump higher, it sends crescent waves of fire flying diagonally downward from Cardelia’s position; it can also be used twice before she has to land.
Ace: Light Embodiment XX - ??? 	(TBA)
Cardelia: Arcana Warp 	By holding any two of the attack, guard, jump, and dash buttons, a crystalline reticle will surround an Arcana foe on screen. The reticle can be moved to other foes with directional inputs; when the buttons are released, Cardelia will teleport beside the selected foe to deliver a powerful strike.
Ace: God Embodiment ∞ - ??? 	(TBA)
Cardelia: Divine Fire 	Simple but lethally effective; the World Arcana’s power enables Cardelia to fire off golden energy projectiles with all of her attacks. The exact projectile changes depending on the move, ranging from simple straight lasers and spread shots of little crescents to targeted explosions and a small-scale Wave Motion Gun.
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