Introduction to the Arcane

A fundamental course intended to grant students an overview of the functions of the new world they have entered, Introduction to the Arcane seeks to establish a baseline of knowledge and communicative ability about magic while also enabling students to engage in their first acts of controlled magical practice.

## Learning Objectives

In the Introduction to the Arcane course students are expected to learn briefly about Arcane Ancestry, as well as the classifications of different types of arcane artistries within the arcanist community. Furthermore the class seeks to equip students with the necessary vocabulary to communicate arcane concepts. The class ensures students all share a common level of linguistic understanding which debunks and re-educates students away from the terms and mythologies that they may have acquired in their lives leading up to their attendance of Scholomance.

One of the most crucial pieces of information learned in the Introduction to the Arcane are the terms for various *Spell Descriptors,* in addition to learning how spells are separate mechanisms from apothecary and ritualism. The class does not go into extraneous detail about these facts, instead focusing on preparing students to cast their first controlled spell, a simple light charm. In order to be able to achieve their first spellcasting students must also learn about

### **Spell Descriptors**

Spells are defined as personally produced magical effects, and are distinct from rituals and apothecary. Spells are furthermore broken down into several subcategories for easier identification and distinction within academic study and writing,

* **Jinx/Cantrip** - Any spell with an instantaneously resolved effect such as the shattering of a glass or the flinging of a bolt of fire might be called a jinx or a cantrip, generally a jinx is characterized as a hostile, harmful, or otherwise vexing spell while cantrip is used to define spells that are considered benign, or even helpful. The classification however is highly arbitrary.
* **Hex** - A hex is characterized as a hostile, harmful, or otherwise vexing spell with a non-permanent effect such as temporarily causing an individual to lose their sight. Hexes characteristically resolve themselves unconditionally as they are effectively curses cast with a timed half life. However this half life can be exceptionally long in some cases. Hexes generally target other living creatures.
* **Curse** - A curse is characterized as a hostile and harmful spell which is generally a more difficult spells to cast and nearly impossible to dispel. Most curses are actually produced as a part of a ritual as curses permanently affect reality, and generally require an intimate connection to their target such as a fragment of it or even it’s true name to be cast successfully. Curses are generally considered a dark art, and are uniquely unaffected by discordance.
* **Charm** - Most similar to a Hex, a charm generally targets an inanimate object or the user themselves. Charms are often shorter lived then their hex-counterpart and generally require some level of effort to maintain. Charms are cast with a limited duration, however most are dispelled by their own caster prior to reaching that point. Common charms include illuminating an object, or improving the quality of one’s own voice, or the scent of a meal.
* **Enchantment** - Often a positive or neutral effect, which like a curse is typically produced via a ritualism as they are difficult to construct and generally have permanent results. Enchantments can add to or alter the properties of an object, most famously exemplified by the image of a flaming sword.

### **Debunking Common Myths**

* Photographs have no effect on one’s soul.
* Magic follows strict laws and generally cannot overcome the natural laws.

## Spells Learned

* Light Charm (A sustained conjuration of light often maintained upon the caster's foci.)